SWR Big Band / Magnus Lindgren & John Beasley - Bird Lives (November 12, 2021 ACT Music)

2020 wasn’t just Beethoven’s year, it was also the centenary of Charlie Parker’s birth. And if it hadn’t been for the pandemic, the world would have seen notices of all kinds of major concerts to celebrate the legacy of Bird (as Charlie Parker was known), one of the giants of jazz; one of the great musical innovators of the 20th century; the co-inventor of bebop; and probably the most important and influential saxophonist in jazz.

The "Bird Lives" music on this new album was to have been recorded and premiered by the SWR Big Band a couple of months before Charlie Parker’s 100th anniversary, which was on August 29, 2020. The world premiere was scheduled at the iconic Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles - which seats 18,000 people - with co-arranger and conductor, John Beasley and his six-time GRAMMY-award nominated MONK’estra Big Band with a string section during the week leading up to Bird’s centenary. Both of those dates were lost to Covid, but the recording, a commission from the SWR Big Band, and with a stellar roster of guest artists, was able to develop at a much more measured pace. When safety rules permitted, the musicians met to record in Stuttgart mid November 2020.

The extra time enabled the collaborative partnership of Swedish saxophonist Magnus Lindgren and American pianist John Beasley as co-arrangers to imagine further and dive deeper. Lindgren and Beasley met at the Jakarta Jazz Festival in Indonesia 5 years ago. That sparked an invitation to have Sweden’s Blue House Big Band to play MONK’estra’s music. A bond was formed because of the mutual admiration for each other’s unique style of arranging. Both musicians were keen to find a project to work seamlessly together in the unusual guise of co-arrangers. "For both of us it was our first time arranging as a team," Lindgren points out. "We sent ideas and drafts back and forth between Stockholm and Los Angeles. We actually didn’t have many suggestions about each other’s writing because it was so fresh and had the bang-on feel we aimed for." Five of the eight tracks on the album are co-arrangements. "It was a very creative way to make music, " says John Beasley. "Two was more magical than one for "Bird Lives". As we were all in lockdown, working so closely with Lindgren, who has such a ripe musical mind, it surely was more fun but kept me sane."

© Lena Semmelroggen

Magnus Lindgren was voted Sweden's best jazz musician in 2001, he has gone on to win many important prizes internationally. He says: "When I started playing the saxophone at 13, Charlie Parker was my ultimate hero, so this project really does bring me full circle." Lindgren has been Artist in Residence with the SWR Big Band since 2018, a post which has been renewed for him for another three years. He has overseen an ongoing development in the band’s sound both through reinforcing its engagement as a specialist ensemble in orchestral jazz, and also by exploring various projects involving modern reinterpretations and makeovers of works from the jazz/big band canon.

John Beasley’s work as composer-arranger and pianist extends beyond jazz into film and television, notably alongside Thomas Newman working on "1917", James Bond: "Skyfall" and "Spectre". Beasley has nine GRAMMY nominations and won Best Arrangement for Charlie Parker’s "Donna Lee" in 2021. Beasley is Music Director for International Jazz Day global gala concerts hosted by the Herbie Hancock Jazz Institute. His 2016 "Jazz in the White House" earned Beasley an Emmy nomination for Best Musical Direction.

Based in Stuttgart, the SWR Big Band was founded in 1951 and from its early days has been known as the "Daimler of the big bands" - a reference to the fact that Stuttgart is Motor City. The band has been ranked among the best jazz orchestras in the world for many years, with four Grammy nominations. It has attracted a roll call of stellar guests, from Miles Davis and Chet Baker in the early days to Dee Dee Bridgewater and Jacob Collier much more recently.

"Bird Lives" sits firmly in this tradition, of the SWR Band wanting – and making sure they present – the absolute best in music. The guest artists on "Bird Lives", speaks to getting the A-list of saxophonists to pay tribute to Charlie Parker. On the opening track, multiple Jazz Critics poll-winner Chris Potter makes a mark with his inimitable sound and his flawless technique. Tia Fuller was musical director for Esperanza Spalding and solo projects like "Angelic Warrior" contributes an amazingly laid-back modern version of "Summertime".

Then, two tracks on, we hear the great Joe Lovano letting his tenor sax hover over "I'll Remember April" with the particular warmth, softness, and expressive breadth that are uniquely his. Miguel Zenón brings a Latin touch and rhythm to Parker's "Donna Lee"; and sax-great Charles McPherson who toured with Mingus plays luminously and meltingly in "Laura", the song from the 1945 film with the same title. The French singer Camille Bertault is a new and rising vocalist. Her supreme craft and agility is heard here in a direct vocal transcribe of Charlie Parker's "Koko".

"Bird Lives" feels like a soundtrack for an imaginary film co-written by Lindgren and Beasley. The SWR Big Band performs with a string section of 10 players, but this recording is not a re-creation of Parker’s "Bird With Strings" albums. "We wanted to introduce new generations to Bird’s music, but we also wanted Bird fans to hear his music in a fresh and new approach," Beasley explains, noting that near the end of his life, Parker idolised Edgard Varese and was longing to bring more structure, depth and variety into the way he wrote for orchestra. "We didn't want to repeat what that has been done before, but rather create something different," adds Lindgren.

The choice of compositions is true to the duo’s aim: there are Parker originals such as "Scrapple from the Apple," bursting with bebop, there are also some of his favourite standards, such as the opening "Cherokee/Koko" mash-up and the grand finale "Overture to Bird". But above all the great arrangements suit the context: they not only play to the strengths of the classic big band and of Parker's endlessly inventive music, but also enhance them with newer stylistic elements, such as a joyous celebratory funk reading of "Confirmation".

Charlie Parker was still in the early stages of working with orchestras when he died at the tragical early age of 34. "Bird Lives" may chart territory fulfilled dreams that Parker was not able to explore in his short lifetime. This recording has nothing of the "museum-piece" about it: this is music both of and for our time.

1. SWR Big Band, Magnus Lindgren & John Beasley with Camille Bertault feat. John Beasley with Chris Pot - Cherokee - Koko

2. SWR Big Band, Magnus Lindgren & John Beasley with Tia Fuller feat. Klaus-Peter Schöpfer & Klaus-Pete - Summertime

3. SWR Big Band, Magnus Lindgren & John Beasley feat. Martin Auer & Magnus Lindgren & Magnus Lindgren & - Scrapple from the Apple

4. SWR Big Band, Magnus Lindgren & John Beasley with Joe Lovano - I'll Remember April

5. SWR Big Band, Magnus Lindgren & John Beasley feat. Magnus Lindgren, Axel Kühn & Marc Godfroid & Magn - Confirmation

6. SWR Big Band, Magnus Lindgren & John Beasley with Miguel Zenon feat. Decebal Badila, Magnus Lindgren - Donna Lee

7. SWR Big Band, Magnus Lindgren & John Beasley with Charles McPherson - Laura

8. SWR Big Band, Magnus Lindgren & John Beasley feat. Klaus Graf, Matthias Erlewein, Magnus Lindgren, J - Overture to Bird

SWR Big Band & Strings

co-arranged by Magnus Lindgren & John Beasley

Magnus Lindgren / music director, flute & tenor sax

John Beasley / piano & keys

Guests:

Chris Potter / tenor sax

Joe Lovano / tenor sax

Miguel Zenon / alto sax

Tia Fuller / alto sax

Charles McPherson / alto sax

Camille Bertault / vocal

Pedrito Martinez / percussion

Munyungo Jackson / percussion

Produced by Hans-Peter Zachary, Magnus Lindgren & John Beasley

PREORDER

New album from Joe Lovano & Dave Douglas Sound Prints - Other Worlds (May 7, 2021 Greenleaf Music)

Joe Lovano & Dave Douglas

Other Worlds

The third full length album by Sound Prints, co-led by Joe Lovano and Dave Douglas, includes ten new compositions by the co-leaders and features Lawrence Fields, Linda May Han Oh and Joey Baron

Saxophonist Joe Lovano and trumpeter Dave Douglas debuted their extraordinary Sound Prints quintet on Blue Note Records in 2013, the year of Wayne Shorter’s 80th birthday, and from the outset the group had a joyful but somewhat imposing mandate: to lift up Shorter’s legacy through the writing and performance of new music conceived in his risk-taking, fearlessly inventive spirit. Supported by a powerful multi-generational lineup of pianist Lawrence Fields, bassist Linda May Han Oh and drummer Joey Baron, the group debuted with Sound Prints: Live at Monterey Jazz Festival, which included world-premiere performances of two brand-new Shorter pieces.

Scandal, the group’s 2018 follow-up on Greenleaf Music, featured the same personnel on a new book of Lovano and Douglas originals as well as fresh arrangements of “JuJu” and “Fee Fi Fo Fum,” two Blue Note-era Shorter classics. With Other Worlds, recorded just days after a triumphant weeklong run at the Village Vanguard in January 2020, the Sound Prints quintet achieves another first, a full album of original compositions. But while no Shorter tunes appear, Shorter’s far-sighted philosophic vision of modern jazz animates these great players in every measure. “Wayne inspires us to think about our place in the universe,” Douglas maintains. “You can’t divorce that from the music.”

Almost every track on Other Worlds is a first take, thanks in no small part to the bandstand chemistry that Sound Prints achieved in set after set at the Vanguard. “Everybody brought their own self but also their Sound Prints self,” Douglas says. “We played a different set list every night, every set, because the order you play things in has a big influence on how they develop. So each night, different tunes would bump up against different tunes. We really figured out the dynamics of the whole thing, and by the time we got to the studio, we knew.”

“The way Dave and I set up together,” adds Lovano, “the way we’d play the themes and improvise together and trade, we were right there next to each other, so we were feeling what each other was playing. Dave and Joey and I have a deep history playing together: I go back to the ’70s with Joey, and the ’80s with Dave.”

Douglas adds: “Joey was on all my sextet records, and then of course he and I were in John Zorn’s Masada for many years together.” Oh, who came onto Douglas’ radar as a student at Banff, has logged many hours in Douglas ’ quintet (not to mention Pat Metheny, Kenny Barron, Fabian Almazan and Vijay Iyer, among many others). Lovano encountered Fields as a student at Berklee; he’s since done high-profile work with Nicholas Payton, Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah, Jeff “Tain” Watts and more.

“The whole concept of the band is dialogue and interaction,” Douglas notes. “And when you play that way, nobody can retreat into the role of their instrument. Everybody’s playing everything, all the time. Some pieces don’t have any chords, others have a lot of chords, and so you look for the piano to provide a balance so it’s not all one thing or the other. Both the free context and the chordal context have the same level of dialogue and conversation. Something new with this book is that we’re writing specifically for that chemistry, whereas in the beginning we were sort of imagining it, letting it unfold.”

Lovano’s “Space Exploration,” “Shooting Stars” and “The Flight” together make up the “Other Worlds Suite,” which appears noncontiguously (much like it might have at the Vanguard). “Those three pieces came together as a sequence of events,” Lovano explains, “and everyone captured the essence of that idea. The quintet is on a voyage together, and so the title ‘Space Exploration’ is about the music too, it’s about this certain way of playing together, not just writing a theme and playing on it, but a flow of ideas.”

It was “Sky Miles,” the first of Lovano’s pieces, that set the album’s space theme in motion, and Douglas was easily able to connect that to his recent interest in the study of antiquity. “I was doing a lot of reading about the period 2500-3000 years ago,” he says, “thinking about Pythagoras and the growth of science. Antiquity can be directly connected to the continuing movement of humanity through countless discoveries, and the cultural growth as we all discover each other around the globe and figure out how to work together and live together.”

In a brief liner note to the band’s 2013 debut, there appears a verse from Sir Alfred Lord Tennyson that begins, “… come, my friends, / ’tis not too late to seek a newer world.” These lines ring all too true today, as music and the arts begin what is sure to be a long recovery process. “The music is moving forward whether we choose to jump on the train or not,” Douglas avers. “We’re incredibly lucky that we recorded Other Worlds when we did — we had talked about doing it later. But one thing led to another and there was no reason to wait. We went right on into it and I’m so glad we did.”

1. Space Exploration (Lovano)

2. Shooting Stars (Lovano)

3. Life On Earth (Douglas)

4. Manitou (Douglas)

5. Antiquity to Outer Space (Douglas)

6. The Flight (Lovano)

7. The Transcendentalists (Douglas)

8. Sky Miles (Lovano)

9. Pythagoras (Douglas)

10. Midnight March (Lovano)

Joe Lovano, tenor saxophone

Dave Douglas, trumpet

Lawrence Fields, piano

Linda May Han Oh, bass

Joey Baron, drums

Produced by Joe Lovano & Dave Douglas

Executive Producer: Dave Douglas

Recorded by Tyler McDiarmid and Geoff Countryman at Bunker Studios, Brooklyn, NY on January 31, 2020.

Assisted by Todd Carder

Mixed and Mastered by Tyler McDiarmid

Musician photos by Geoff Countryman

Artwork by Dave Chisholm

Layout by Lukas Frei

Pre-order on Bandcamp, Amazon, and iTunes

Stream the first single ‘Pythagoras’ on Spotify, Apple Music and TIDAL

Michael Olatuja - Lagos Pepper Soup (Whirlwind Recordings)

Michael Olatuja’s musical development has taken place across three continents, in the heart of three of the world’s greatest cities. After a childhood in Lagos absorbing the Yoruba culture of his Nigerian family, followed by teenage years performing and studying on the booming London jazz scene, Michael’s talent bloomed when he arrived in New York to study at the Manhattan School of Music. His unique breadth of talent, grounded in the strong musical traditions of his homeland, has earned him first-call status across a range of genres from pop to gospel to Broadway to top-flight jazz, and along the way he’s filled his contacts book with a impressive and eclectic range of talent.

For 'Lagos Pepper Soup', his second solo release, Michael picked a core band of Terreon Gully, Aaron Parks and Etienne Stadwijk, and then enlisted the talents of Angelique Kidjo, Dianne Reeves, Regina Carter, Joe Lovano, Laura Mvula, Lionel Loueke, Grégoire Maret, Becca Stevens, Brandee Younger, Robert Mitchell, Onaje Jefferson, and top studio arrangers David Metzger, Joseph Joubert and Jason Michael Webb to realise his vision of what he calls Cinematic Afrobeat - “What you hear is a blend of three major cities: it’s a celebration of life, and I wanted to make it sound like a soundtrack for a movie that hasn’t been made yet - maybe the next Black Panther movie.”

The title track is a summary of what it’s about - the band lay down a cooking intercontinental groove over which Angelique Kidjo delivers a stunning vocal performance: “All these guests are people I’ve worked with, who inspire me and who I consider friends. Angelique has been one of my heroes for many years and working with her was a dream come true. She blew it out the water.”

‘Hero’s Journey’ is the most cinematic track of the album, a through-composed piece inspired by his late Mother Comfort Bola Olatuja, who provided Michael’s first musical inspiration. Top Disney orchestrator David Metzger (Frozen, Ice Age, Lion King and countless others) provided the epic orchestrations and Regina Carter’s improvisation soars over the strings and vocals. ‘Soki’, meaning ‘Soon’ is a Pan-African mix of influences from Mali, Senegal and Nigeria and features Dianne Reeves singing in Yoruba “Man, She did her homework! She put her heart and soul into it.”

Brandee Younger contributes harp to the acoustic textures of ‘Ma Foya’ - “She’s NYC’s premier harp player! We get along like a house on fire - she joked about being left off my album so I got her in and the results were magical.” ‘Brighter Day’ reunites Michael with Laura Mvula and his old London buddy Troy Miller, who he played with in Soweto Kinch’s band, for a typically heartfelt, idiosyncratic piece of pop music.

UK pianist Robert Mitchell was one of Michael’s mentors when he was a 16-year old budding professional. Becca Stevens is the perfect interpreter for the complex sophistication of his composition ‘Home True’. Bola Olatuja is Michael’s mother and ‘Bola’s Song’ is his tribute to her, with Grégoire Maret’s harmonica tracing the melody as the song moves from minor to major in Joubert’s lush arrangement.

‘Leye’s Dance’ is based on the Fuji style from Lagos: Joe Lovano recalls his time playing and hanging with Fela Kuti at The Shrine in this inspired Afrojazz blend. 'Shadows Fade’ is a ballad beautifully sung by Onaje Jefferson - “It’s about being where you need when going through difficult seasons.”

Lionel Loueke contributes the joyous ‘Mivakpola’ “He’s like a big brother to me. We like to have Lagos pepper soup together whenever he’s in town.” ‘Grace’ is an expression of Michael’s faith, but written without lyrics. “All the guests poured their heart and soul into this album, as though it were their own. I feel that grace has been shown to me throughout.”

Michael has integrated all of his diverse musical influences, incorporating his guests’ talents while allowing his own personality to clearly shape the overall direction. His own virtuoso melodic bass playing shines throughout - “I wanted Lagos Pepper Soup to feature my own playing, as well as songwriting and production - all my influences are here, all my favourite musicians, and I feel there’s an element of divine favour in how amazingly it’s turned out."

1. Even Now Prayer 01:00

2. Lagos Pepper Soup (ft. Angelique Kidjo & Lionel Loueke) 04:43 video

3. The Hero’s Journey (feat. Regina Carter) 08:42

4. Soki (feat. Dianne Reeves & Lionel Loueke) 04:27

5. Ma Foya (feat. Brandee Younger) 03:23

6. Brighter Day (feat. Laura Mvula) 05:58

7. Shadows Fade (feat. Onaje Jefferson) 06:32

8. Home True (feat. Becca Stevens & Robert Mitchell) 06:28

9. Bola’s Song (feat. Grégoire Maret) 04:16

10. Mivakpola (feat. Lionel Loueke) 04:22

11. Leye’s Dance (feat. Joe Lovano) 07:07

12. Grace 05:51

Michael Olatuja - producer, arranger, composer (except 8,10), electric bass, synth bass (1), percussion (5)

Aaron Parks - piano (2, 3, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12)

Etienne Stadwijk - keyboards (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 11)

Terreon Gully - drums (except 5, 6)

Troy Miller - drums (6)

Magatte Sow - Percussion (2,3, 4, 6, 9,11)

Femi Temowo - guitar (6)

Herve Sambe - guitar (11)

Michael Aarons - guitar (12)

Camille Thurman - voice (9,12)

Thana Alexa - voice (3)

Ayanna George - backing vocals (2,3,4)

Cassondra James - backing vocals (2,3,4)

Rasul A-Salaam - backing vocals (2,3,4)

Samir Zarif - Tenor and soprano saxophone (8,10,12)

Alicia Olatuja - Vocal Arrangement (4)

'Lagos Pepper Soup' String Orchestra (3,4,6,7, 9)

Joseph Joubert - Orchestra Conductor (3,4,6,7, 9)

and Orchestration (6 & 7)

David Metzger - Orchestration (2)

Jason Michael Webb - Orchestration (4)

Jon Cowherd - Orchestration (9)

Featured Artists:

Angelique Kidjo - voice (2)

Dianne Reeves - voice (4)

Laura Mvula - voice (6)

Becca Stevens - voice (8)

Regina Carter - violin (3)

Lionel Loueke - guitar (2, 4, 10)

Joe Lovano - sax (11)

Robert Mitchell - piano (8)

Onaje Jefferson - voice (7)

Brandee Younger - harp (5)

Grégoire Maret - harmonica (9)

Pre-order

Joe Lovano / Marilyn Crispell / Carmen Castaldi - Garden of Expression (ECM Records)

The debut album of Joe Lovano’s Trio Tapestry was one of 2019’s most talked-about releases. The trio’s musical concept – the Boston Globe spoke of “utterances of hushed assurance, lyricism and suspense” - is taken to the next level on its second album, Garden of Expression, a recording distinguished by its intense focus. Lovano, a saxophonist whose reach extends across the history of modern jazz and beyond, plays with exceptional sensitivity in Trio Tapestry. And the music he writes for this group - tenderly melodic or declamatory, harmonically open, rhythmically free, and spiritually involving - encourages subtle and differentiated responses from his creative partners. Joe describes their interaction as “magical”. Carmen Castaldi’s space-conscious approach to drumming further refines an improvisational understanding that he and Lovano have shared since the 1970s. The trio is also a wonderful context for Marilyn Crispell’s solos, counter melodies, and improvisational embellishments, and her feeling for sound-colour helps the chamber music character of the group to flower. The details of the music are beautifully realized in this recording made in the highly responsive acoustics of the Auditorio Stelio Molo RSI in Lugano and produced by Manfred Eicher.

1. CHAPEL SONG (Joe Lovano) 06:05

2. NIGHT CREATURES (Joe Lovano) 06:45

3. WEST OF THE MOON (Joe Lovano) 05:47

4. GARDEN OF EXPRESSION (Joe Lovano) 07:33

5. TREASURED MOMENTS (Joe Lovano) 05:03

6. THE SACRED CHANT (Joe Lovano) 03:14

7. DREAM ON THAT (Joe Lovano) 03:06

8. ZEN LIKE (Joe Lovano) 10:41

Joe Lovano: Tenor and Soprano Saxophones, Tarogato, Gongs

Marilyn Crispell: Piano

Carmen Castaldi: Drums

Pre-order

UPLIFT 10: Fear No Love | Rudy Royston Podcast & New Single (GREENLEAF MUSIC)

Join us to hear our latest track

Our October UPLIFT track supports Lamda Legal and their important work on behalf of LGBTQ legal and civil rights.

We've posted some excerpts and complete tracks on Bandcamp and Soundcloud so you can preview the entire subscribers series featuring Dave Douglas, Joe Lovano, Mary Halvorson, Julian Lage, Bill Laswell and Ian Chang.

Rudy Royston introduces Flatbed Buggy

This special edition of the podcast features Rudy Royston previewing tracks from his upcoming album Flatbed Buggy, discussing the inspirations for his compositions and giving an insider's view on how the record came together.

We've also released the third single from the album, Hourglass, ahead of the release date on October 26. Check it out here.

Joe Lovano & Dave Douglas NEW Green Vinyl exclusive for Record Store Day (GREENLEAF MUSIC 2018)

Sound Prints - Limited Edition 7” (45rpm)

Record Store Day, the international celebration of record shops, takes place tomorrow. They’re offering a limited edition Sound Prints 7" vinyl 45 featuring two new tracks!

Available on emerald green vinyl (download card included), this unique disc will certainly be a collector’s item for serious music fans.

Click below to find out how to get your copy!

Celebrating the recent release of the group’s second CD, Scandal, Sound Prints will be touring Europe May 5-13.

And check out our new Bandcamp store featuring all of our releases, subscriptions, merch and more.

Joe Lovano and Dave Douglas: Listen to the new album now (GREENLEAF MUSIC 2018)

Introducing Scandal, the new album by Joe Lovano and Dave Douglas

Scandal sets a new standard in jazz as co-leaders Joe Lovano and Dave Douglas present their second recording with pianist Lawrence Fields, bassist Linda May Han Oh, and drummer Joey Baron.

The super group heads off into swinging, heartfelt and sophisticated new territory inspired by saxophonist giant Wayne Shorter. Two of Shorter’s pieces receive special treatment. A truly fantastic and original group playing new originals and music by Shorter.

Learn more about the new album or listen to the first track and pre-order the full album below.

2 CDs with Subscription Order: Lovano podcast / Dave in Bergamo (GREENLEAF MUSIC)

Thinking of subscribing to Greenleaf Music? Join us as a subscriber at Level 2 or 3 now and receive physical CD copies of Serial Sessions 2015 and New Sanctuary Trio. You'll also receive discounts and gain access to our Metamorphosis subscriber series and our entire catalog. There are a limited number of CDs available, so sign up today!

We've just release a new podcast featuring legendary saxophonist Joe Lovano talking to Dave about his many musical experiences and where he finds inspiration. Listen on our website as well as iTunes, Stitcher and Google Play.

Our artists are busy making music on the road. This week Dave is in Bergamo, Italy Artistic Directing the Bergamo Jazz Festival. Rudy Royston also hits Bergamo on his current European tour. Next week the Greg Ward Quintet begins a tour of the US and Ryan Keberle & Catharsis tours Europe in April. Check out all our artist dates here.

Steve Slagle Alto Manhattan CD Release Shows Jan. 2nd Zinc Bar Jan. 13-14 Smalls

Steve Slagle

Alto Manhattan

CD Release Shows

Mon., Jan. 2nd 

One Set 10:00 pm

PRESENTED BY VANDOREN 

Zinc Bar

82 W 3rd btw. Sullivan/Thompson

NYC

no cover-no minimum

www.zincbar.com

Fri. & Sat. Jan. 13-14 10:30 pm

Smalls

183 W 10th St

New York, NY 10014

(646) 476-4346

www.smallslive.com

Featuring

Steve Slagle--alto sax & flute

Lawrence Fields--piano

Gerald Cannon--bass

Jason Tiemann--drums

Artist: Steve Slagle

Title: Alto Manahattan

Label: Panorama Records 006

Artists Website: www.steveslagle.com

Release Date: JANUARY 6 2017

UPC Code: 888295511872

1. FAMILY 7:05

2. ALTO MANHATTAN 3:52

3. I KNOW THAT YOU KNOW 7:01

4. (SOLO ALTO) BODY & SOUL 4:58

5. INCEPTION 5:55

6. GUESS I’LL HANG MY TEARS OUT TO DRY 6:29

7. (QUINTET) (ALTO MANHATTAN) A.M. 4:09

8. (IN MEMORY OF TOOTS THIELEMANS) HOLIDAY 5:27

9. VIVA LA FAMALIA 6:57

STEVE SLAGLE: alto saxophone (1-7), flute (8 & 9)

JOE LOVANO: tenor saxophone (1 &7), G mezzo soprano (8)

LAWRENCE FIELDS: piano

GERALD CANNON: bass

ROMAN DIAZ: congas (1, 8 & 9)

BILL STEWART: drums

All compositions by Steve Slagle, 

Except “Body & Soul” by J. Green; 

“Guess I’ll Hang My Tears Out to Dry”;

J. Styne & S. Cahn; ”Inception” by M. Tyner

Produced By: Steve Slagle

Executive Producer: Rick Simpson

Recorded August 6, 2016 At Trading 8’s Studio, Paramus, NJ Recording & Mix Engineer: Chris Sulit

Photography & Graphic Design: Christopher Drukker

Steve Slagle on Alto Sax and Flute leads a new recording with a great line-up of diverse players who inspire a wide range of music playing five new exciting originals for the first time, as well as two classics and one solo alto sax piece.

Alto Manhattan, is latino for the NYC neighborhood steve lives in-‘upper manhattan’or ‘the heights’ and the program here is: FAMILY—This composition for 2 saxes+2 drums is pure jazz, with Cuba and Africa in the make-up of what is a big family. Note Roman Diaz,from Cuba, and his great sound on Conga, as well as the whole group inter-play--all in the family! ALTO MANHATTAN, song #2 is so nice they play it twice! The first fiery take is with quartet and then later down the line Joe Lovano is added on tenor to create another harmony ( A.M.) Bill Stewarts contribution,on both takes, proves,as many know, he is one of a kind as a drummer.

I KNOW THAT YOU KNOW is a lyrical alto blues oriented song that allows everyone to ‘let their hair down’. Bassist Gerald Cannon gets all the way down here!

BODY+SOUL showcases Steve’s Alto alone, joining the canon of sax players who have attempted this classic ballad as a solo piece. Done in one take, Steve references Monk,Duke,’Bird and Ornette (twice!) within the structure of this classic song.

INCEPTION came about after Slagle recently was asked to play with McCoy Tyners Quartet. This challenging McCoy composition eventually opens up into an extended minor blues. This is the first take of the date and notice the immediate empathy of all the players! I GUESS I’LL HANG MY TEARS OUT TO DRY, a beautiful ballad starting with the often forgotten verse, is given the romantic treatment here..Lawrence Fields piano mastery helps make this a shining version of a deep song.

Finally Alto Manhattan ends with two flute pieces which are also very central to the sound of the record. HOLIDAY, the most thru-composed piece of the date,Slagle first wrote with harmonica master Toots Thielman in mind and dedicates this first recording of the song in memory of maestro Toots. Joe Lovanos G mezzo soprano along with the sound of the flute really takes the listener on a musical vacation.

And with that, we have VIVA LA FAMALIA to end the proceedings -- a jam for 2 drums,bass and the flute lead. A fresh,original first take played spontaneously at the end of this unique and outstanding recording. Yes,Viva la Famalia!!

JIM EIGO, JAZZ PROMO SERVICES

272 State Route 94 South #1, Warwick, NY 10990-3363

Phone: 845-986-1677

Cell/text: 917-755-8960

Skype: jazzpromo

jim@jazzpromoservices.com 

www.jazzpromoservices.com

"Specializing in Media Campaigns for the music community, artists, labels, venues and events.”

Joe Lovano Quartet - Classic! (Live at Newport) 2016 BLUE NOTE RECORDS

present

Joe Lovano Quartet - Classic! (Live at Newport) 2016

Joe Lovano adds the 25th album to his remarkable Blue Note catalog with the release of Classic! Live At Newport, which the Grammy-winning saxophonist has dedicated to the memory of both the legendary pianist Hank Jones and longtime Blue Note president Bruce Lundvall. Recorded on August 14, 2005 at the Newport Jazz Festival, the album captures the Joe Lovano Quartet featuring a then 87-year-old Jones, as well as bassist George Mraz, and drummer Lewis Nash.

Lovano first assembled his quartet with Jones, Mraz and drummer Paul Motian for the stunning 2004 ballads album I’m All For You. The album was so well received that the quartet returned to the studio to record the album Joyous Encounter, which was released in May 2005. That summer Lovano took his working quartet (which replaced Motian with Nash on drums) on a European tour during which the band developed an even deeper rapport before returning to the U.S. to perform at Newport. “With Lewis the music took on a much more hard-hitting approach and I felt a need to record us live at Newport, even though I knew it couldn’t be released at the time,” explains Lovano.

“This was truly my Classic Quartet in every sense of the term,” Lovano says. “Hank Jones was clearly one of the modern jazz geniuses of all time and he elevated us all with his imagination and inspiration. His accompaniment and solos were full of love, poetry and searching; he made you feel so good all the time. I played with Hank from when he was in his early 80’s through his 90th year and liked to say he was always fresh as a daisy. I treasured our friendship and collaborations and learned so much from him. His wisdom and knowledge about music and life, his humor, wit, passion and love will always inspire and be with me.”

Classic! Live At Newport captures the quartet’s entire 6-song set, which opened with the swaggering Lovano blues “Big Ben” and featured songs drawn from the band’s studio albums including 2 songs written by Hank’s brother Thad Jones (“Don’t Ever Leave Me” and “Kids Are Pretty People”) before closing with a rollicking performance of Oliver Nelson’s “Six and Four” to wild applause.

Lovano and Jones continued their fruitful collaboration with the 2007 duo album Kids: Live at Dizzy’s Club. Jones passed away in 2010 at the age of 91.

1. Big Ben (feat. Hank Jones, George Mraz & Lewis Nash) [Live At Newport] 7:11

2. Bird's Eye View (feat. Hank Jones, George Mraz & Lewis Nash) [Live At Newport] 11:05

3. Don't Ever Leave Me (feat. Hank Jones, George Mraz & Lewis Nash) [Live At Newport] 10:23

4. I'm All For You (feat. Hank Jones, George Mraz & Lewis Nash) [Live At Newport] 9:55

5. Kids Are Pretty People (feat. Hank Jones, George Mraz & Lewis Nash) [Live At Newport] 8:09

6. Six and Four (feat. Hank Jones, George Mraz & Lewis Nash) [Live At Newport] 11:04

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Dr. Lonnie Smith - Evolution (2016)

Dr. Lonnie Smith is set to release his first Blue Note album in 45 years with the January 29 release of Evolution. The album marks the return of the legendary Hammond B-3 organ master to the label where he first made a name for himself in the late 1960s, first as a sideman with saxophonist Lou Donaldson on albums including Alligator Bogaloo, and soon after as a leader with his own soul-jazz classics such as Think! and Turning Point.

Special guests on Evolution include pianist Robert Glasper and saxophonist Joe Lovano, who made his own recorded debut as a sideman on Smith’s 1975 album Afrodesia. Smith will perform with his Evolution band at the 2016 NYC Winter Jazzfest in January, and additional tour dates and album details will be announced shortly.

Born in Buffalo, New York in 1942, Smith had an early musical influence in his mother who sparked a love of gospel, blues and jazz music. As a teenager he was introduced to the Hammond organ and began immersing himself in the records of Wild Bill Davis, Bill Doggett and Jimmy Smith as well as paying rapt attention to the church organ. Smith’s first gigs were at the Pine Grill, a Buffalo club where he came to the attention of Lou Donaldson, Jack McDuff and George Benson, eventually joining Benson’s quartet and moving to New York City.

After releasing his debut album Finger Lickin’ Good for Columbia, Smith joined Lou Donaldson’s band and made his first Blue Note appearance on the saxophonist’s hit 1967 album Alligator Boogaloo. Two more Donaldson dates followed (Mr. Shing-A-Ling and Midnight Creeper) before Smith was offered his own Blue Note deal, making his label debut with Think! in 1968. Smith went on to record another four Blue Note albums over the next two years (Turning Point, Move Your Hand, Drives and Live at Club Mozambique) all of which are regarded as soul-jazz classics.

After his first run of Blue Note albums Smith recorded for many labels, most recently his own label Pilgrimage, and his wide-ranging musical tastes have found him covering everyone from John Coltrane to Jimi Hendrix to Beck. Many awards have followed since 1969 when Down Beat named Smith the “Top Organist” of the year, including honors from the Jazz Journalists Association, Buffalo Music Hall of Fame and more.

Smith helped celebrate Blue Note’s 75th anniversary in 2014 by appearing with Donaldson at the historic concert Blue Note at 75 at the Kennedy Center in Washington DC. Some of Smith’s early tracks for Blue Note are collected on the playlist Intro to Dr. Lonnie Smith including standout cuts like “Spinning Wheel,” which was famously sampled by A Tribe Called Quest for their songs “Can I Kick It?” and “Buggin’ Out.”

Play It Back'

Afrodesia

For Heaven's Sake

Straight No Chaser

Talk About This

My Favorite Things

African Suite

Dr. Lonnie Smith: Hammond B-3 organ, keyboards (6, 7)

Robert Glasper: piano (1)

Joe Lovano: G mezzo soprano saxophone (2) tenor saxophone (3)

Johnathan Blake: drums

Joe Dyson: drums (1-3, 5, 7)

Jonathan Kreisberg: guitar

Keyon Harrold: trumpet (1)

Maurice Brown: trumpet (2, 3, 5)

John Ellis: tenor saxophone (1, 2, 5), bass clarinet: (3), flute (7)

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Joe Lovano and Dave Douglas - Sound Prints (Live At Monterey Jazz Festival) 2015

Blue Note

Saxophonist Joe Lovano and trumpeter Dave Douglas have announced an April 7 release date for Live at Monterey Jazz Festival, the debut recording from their co-led quintet Sound Prints featuring pianist Lawrence Fields, bassist Linda Oh and drummer Joey Baron. The album features the debut of two new compositions written for the band by the band’s primary inspiration: Wayne Shorter. Sound Prints will be performing at Jazz At Lincoln Center in New York City on May 15 & 16 in The Appel Room as part of their Wayne Shorter Festival. Further tour dates will be announced shortly.

For almost twenty years, Lovano and Douglas have been prime moving forces in the jazz scene, their paths crossing often on stage and occasionally on record. Douglas appears on Lovano's 2001 Blue Note album Flights of Fancy: Trio Fascination Edition Two and they overlapped as members of the SFJAZZ Collective for three seasons during which the band performed the repertoire of Thelonious Monk, McCoy Tyner, and their mutual touchstone: saxophonist and composer Wayne Shorter.

Sound Prints takes their inspiration from the music of Shorter – the band's name is a nod to his classic "Footprints" – however the quintet’s focus is on new original compositions by Lovano and Douglas, as well as new Shorter compositions in direct collaboration with the composer himself. The band is fueled by a desire to push the boundaries of their music as far as they can stretch, similar to the expansive role Shorter has played in jazz since his debut with Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers in 1959.

In the album’s liner notes Shorter exclaims: “Onward! Dave Douglas, Joe Lovano, Lawrence Fields, Linda Oh and Joey Baron!  It’s not often when a combination of musicians such as the aforementioned elect to immerse themselves in an explorative adventure without hesitation or reservation. May they continue forging ahead on the trail less trodden. Onward!”

"The defining trait of Sound Prints," wrote Nate Chinen in The New York Times in a 2012 review of their engagement at the Village Vanguard, "is the tangled crosstalk of its front line: an urbane, on-the-fly counterpoint brimming with crooked urgency, like a choice bit of dialogue in a David Mamet play.”

In the summer of 2011 Sound Prints opened for Shorter's Quartet on a European tour. They weren't performing any of his tunes yet but time spent with the legend and his band made a big impact on the group. When Sound Prints appeared on the bill with Shorter at New York's Town Hall in June 2013 he presented them with the new scores of "Destination Unknown" and “To Sail Beyond The Sunset," two pieces commissioned by the Monterey Jazz Festival. "The music came handwritten - very detailed, very precise," says Douglas.

Sound Prints' debut album was recorded live at the Monterey Jazz Festival on September 21, 2013.  Lovano and Douglas contributed two songs apiece to the set and the Shorter compositions were given their public debut that day. "The recordings are the very first performances of the newly commissioned tunes," said Douglas. "We all were at a heightened state of paying attention. Shorter took a lot of risks exploring elements of change. It was such a high to play it for him.” “The music moves from today into tomorrow," adds Lovano. "Wayne told us the melody was just a suggestion – tell your own story with it."

The tracklisting for Joe Lovano & Dave Douglas Sound Prints Live at Monterey Jazz Festival is as follows:

1. Sound Prints (Joe Lovano)

2. Sprints (Dave Douglas)

3. Destination Unknown (Wayne Shorter)

4. To Sail Beyond The Sunset (Shorter)

5. Weatherman (Lovano)

6. Power Ranger (Douglas)

Recorded At – Monterey Jazz Festival

Mixed At – Sear Sound

Mastered At – Battery Mastering Studios

A&R – Don Was

A&R [A&R Administration] – Steve Cook (12)

Art Direction, Design – Hayden Miller

Bass – Linda Oh

Drums – Joey Baron

Engineer [Assistant Engineer (Recording)] – Amanda Davis (2), Eli Robbins, Michael Orsow, Rob MacKinnon

Engineer [Assistant Mix Engineer] – Ted Tuthill

Engineer [Engineered By (Recording)] – Ron Davis (2)

Liner Notes – Dave*, Joe*, Wayne Shorter

Mastered By – Mark Wilder

Mixed By – James Farber

Photography By [Cover Photo By, Individual Photos By] – Craig Lovell

Photography By [Group Photo By] – Cole Thompson

Piano – Lawrence Fields

Producer – Dave Douglas, Joe Lovano

Recorded By – Monterey Jazz Festival Audio Recording Crew

Tenor Saxophone – Joe Lovano

Trumpet – Dave Douglas

Recorded live at Monterey Jazz Festival on September 21, 2013 

Mixed at Sear Sound, New York, NY on December 18, 2013 

Mastered at Battery Studios, New York, NY

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