Leon Lee Dorsey, Manuel Valera & Mike Clark - 'Freedom Jazz Dance' (Jazz Avenue 1)

Jazz Avenue 1 is proud to announce the August 20, 2021 release of Freedom Jazz Dance by veteran bassist Leon Lee Dorsey, drummer extraordinaire Mike Clark and brilliant Cuban-born pianist Manuel Valera. Dedicated to the late Puerto Rican-born piano master Hilton Ruiz, whom Dorsey regularly played with in his last years (appearing on 2004’s A New York Story and 2005’s Steppin’ with T.P., the pianist’s dedication to his own mentor, Tito Puente), this collection of eight tunes highlights that same kind of bilingual musical aesthetic that Ruiz embraced throughout his amazing career.

Freedom Jazz Dance is the fourth collaboration between Dorsey and Clark for Dorsey’s Jazz Avenue 1 label. While each outing has featured a different third guest, the rhythmic hookup between Dorsey and Clark has underscored those recordings. Beginning with 2019’s Monk Time (with guitarist Greg Skaff) and continuing with 2020’s Play Sgt. Pepper (with pianist Michael Wolff) and 2021’s Thank You Mr. Mabern (featuring the late, great hard bop pianist Harold Mabern), this uncommonly flexible rhythm tandem has set a benchmark for conversational playing together.

Special guest on their fourth outing, Freedom Jazz Dance, is the astounding Manuel Valera. A free-spirited musician with command of multiple idioms, the Havana native was originally a saxophonist before switching full-time to piano after moving to New York City in 2000 to study at The New School. Valera debuted as a leader with 2004’s Forma Nueva and to date has racked up 13 albums as a leader. A chopsmeister of the highest order, in the tradition of fellow countryman Gonzalo Rubalcaba, he is as conversant in bebop as he is in Cuban son and danzón, as hip to Bud Powell as Arsenio Rodriguez. And with Dorsey and Clark holding it down, he shines on Freedom Jazz Dance.

They kick it off with an exploration of Eddie Harris’ “Freedom Jazz Dance.” Fueled by Clark’s loosely interactive touch, signature bounce on the snare and precision fills on the kit, this open-ended interpretation allows for some daring harmonic and rhythmic extrapolations by Valera while Dorsey holds it down with his deep-toned funky pulse. Clark brings it down behind Dorsey’s solo, playing softer but no less busy, a la Billy Higgins, as Valera alternates between Herbie-esque comping and hypnotic son montuno grooving.

Dorsey’s gentle “Baptism” is underscored by Clark’s understated yet eminently hip approach on the kit while Valera joins the conversation with flowing lyricism on the keys. Valera then brings the requisite gospel feel to Hilton Ruiz’s boogaloo, “Home Cookin’,” a tune previously recorded with a more pronounced Latin feel on the pianist’s 1987 album, Something Grand, and also on 1992’s Manhattan Mambos. Clark puts up an old school backbeat on this funky number, reminiscent of Wes Montgomery’s “Road Song,” while Valera blows with funky abandon on his solo. Midway through, it shifts to mid tempo swing mode with Clark injecting a persuasive spang-a-lang on the ride cymbal and Dorsey walking insistently, inspiring Valera to different directions in his solo, before the piece returns to the funky theme.

Dorsey’s gorgeous ballad “Until the End of Time” showcases the trio at its most sensitive, with Clark providing zen-like brushwork and Valera showing graceful restraint. Radically switching gears, they jump into an exhilarating Afro-Cuban reading of the standard “Autumn Leaves,” which again shifts midway through from 12/8 to a swinging 4/4 uptempo groove fueled by Dorsey and Clark. Valera channels his inner Bud Powell on this swing section before the tune returns to entrancing 12/8 mode, ultimately shifting back and forth between worlds on this bilingual rendering.

Dorsey’s bass carries the melody upfront on a gentle rubato exploration of Jobim’s “How Insensitive” before the trio segues to an alluring bossa nova groove at the 1:14 mark. Dorsey’s solo on this hauntingly beautiful Jobim staple is pure joy. The trio then swings with a vengeance on Ruiz’s hard driving “New Arrival” (which appeared on the pianist’s 2005 album Steppin’ with T.P. and itself is an updating of his tune “Arrival” from 1991’s Piano Man with Buster Williams and Billy Higgins.) Valera breaks out his Chick Corea-Bud Powell chops on this uptempo burner while Clark also turns in an extended show-stopping solo at the three-minute mark.

The collection closes on a relaxed note with Dorsey’s Monk-ish blues “Chillin’.” With the bassist walking in old school Leroy Vinnegar fashion and Clark laying back on the kit, Valera takes harmonic and rhythmic liberties here, alluding to Monk’s “Epistrophy” along the way.

While the individual virtuosity of Dorsey, Clark and Valera is undeniable throughout Freedom Jazz Dance, it’s their irrepressible chemistry that wins over listeners. It’s a classic example where the sum of the parts is greater than the whole. 

Liner notes by Bill Milkowski

1. FREEDOM JAZZ DANCE (5:52) EDDIE HARRIS

2. BAPTISM (5:31) LEON LEE DORSEY

3. HOME COOKIN’ (4:40) HILTON RUIZ

4. UNTIL THE END OF TIME (4:24) LEON LEE DORSEY

5. AUTUMN LEAVES (3:58) JOSEPH KOSMA

6. HOW INSENSITIVE (7:06) ANTONIO CARLOS JOBIM

7. NEW ARRIVAL (5:43) HILTON RUIZ

8. CHILLIN (5:21) LEON LEE DORSEY

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Mike Clark and Michael Zilber - Mike Drop (July 16, 2021 Sunnyside Records)

Sometimes there are musicians who seem to be fated to collaborate. They can come from different places and, even different generations, but their connection will be immediate and deep. This is the type of relationship that has developed between legendary drummer Mike Clark and stellar saxophonist Michael Zilber. Their friendship and musical cohesiveness can be felt immediately upon hearing their new recording, Mike Drop.

Originally from Northern California, Mike Clark has been one of the most celebrated drummers of his generation. Having made a name through his tenure with Herbie Hancock and the Headhunters, Clark left his home base in the Bay Area in 1979 to pursue opportunities in New York City and beyond. It proved to be the best move of his life, as this allowed him to play with his heroes, the true New York City cats.

Michael Zilber grew up in Vancouver, Canada but always felt deeply connected to New York City, coming from three generations of New Yorkers, including his parents, who met and fell in love in Manhattan. Zilber pursued his musical path in Boston before settling in the Big Apple for almost a decade. In 1992, a teaching opportunity shifted the saxophonist’s attention to California, where he relocated and has been a fixture in the Bay Area jazz scene ever since.

New York City has a natural pull for jazz players and so it was for Zilber, who continued to visit the City regularly, playing gigs and sessions, immersed in that fierce and focused environment. It was during one of these trips that he was introduced to Clark by their mutual friend, Michael Barsimanto. Their appreciation for each other’s skill sets was immediate, as Zilber’s New York City hard driving style fit well with Clark’s impeccably swinging and focused drum approach. Their sessions were also conversational and fun, not to mention a good hang.

In early 2018, Clark was booked to play the San Jose Winter Jazz Festival and capitalized on the opportunity to return to his old stomping grounds in the Bay by finding a number of gigs and clinics. Zilber joined Clark on the San Jose gig and they received a tremendous response. In addition, the booked a week’s worth of gigs with a mutual friend bassist Peter Barshay and the talented pianist Matt Clark.

The situation was so opportune that Zilber suggested getting the quartet into 25th Street Recording in Oakland for an old school recording session, where they eschewed separation for a more live and relaxed feeling. The pieces that the group played were pieces they had played over the previous week, along with a couple of originals and arrangements by Zilber.

The recording begins with Zilber’s ode to their virtuoso bass player, “Barshay Fly,” which takes a bass line Barshay played on a gig as inspiration and creates a grooving piece for the ensembles’ solo flights. Zilber reimagines elements from Sonny Rollins’ iconic solo on “Tune Up” and a four-note motif from Thelonious Monk’s “If I Were a Bell” and a bit of the bridge from “Ruby My Dear” to create “Sonny Monk (If I Were A),” a hard swinging piece that allows for a bit of solo trading between Clark and Zilber. Clark introduces McCoy Tyner’s “Passion Dance” with an emphatic drum solo, setting the tone for a true quartet workout.

The quartet shows its romantic side on Duke Pearson’s “You Know I Care” with wistful solos from all and Clark’s warm, gauzy brush work. The Beatles are one of Zilber’s passions, as he even leads a Fab Four centered funk band called John & Paul Reimagined. Here Zilber presents his tremendous arrangements of “Blackbird” and “Norwegian Wood,” the former with a bouncing pulse, harmonic reworking and Zilber’s poignant soprano while the latter finds the meditative tune traversing through six keys. These prove to be Clark’s first attempts at playing the Beatles material and he owns them.

Wayne Shorter’s gorgeous “Miyako” is haunting with Zilber’s mournful soprano, Matt Clark’s thoughtful keys and Mike Clark’s sparkling cymbal work. Barshay’s playful arrangement of Monk’s “Monk’s Dream” makes clear the joyous feel the quartet could blossom and provides a showcase for the bassist’s outstanding solo voice. The recording concludes with Rodgers and Hart’s “Falling In Love with Love,” the well-loved standard taken at an infectious up-tempo swing only cementing the quartet’s effervescent character.

The moving performances on Mike Clark and Michael Zilber’s Mike Drop show that kindred spirits can be found no matter the distance. Though both Clark and Zilber came from the West Coast, they found their connection in a love of the serious soul of one of New York City’s distinctive styles: a seriously swinging, free range jazz. 

1. Barshay Fly

2. Sonny Monk (If I Were A)

3. Passion Dance

4. You Know I Care

5. Blackbird

6. Norwegian Wood

7. Miyako

8. Monk's Dream

9. Falling In Love with Love

Mike Clark - drums

Michael Zilber - tenor & soprano saxophones

Matt Clark - piano

Peter Barshay - bass

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Michael Wolff - Live at Vitellos (March 19, 2021 Sunnyside Records)

Award-winning pianist Michael Wolff, known for an impressive and eclectic career that has spanned nearly five decades, presents his new live recording, Live at Vitellos. Surfacing a decade after its capture at the iconic Los Angeles club Vitellos in 2011, Live at Vitellos is a stirring snapshot of a stunning live performance - something that is so sorely missed during these modern times.

Live at Vitellos showcases the dazzling chemistry between exquisite instrumentalist and composer Mark Isham, who joins here on trumpet and flugelhorn, and the ever-lyrical Wolff as they perform this intimate set in top form. Though Wolff and Isham's friendship dates back to the 1970s, this stint at Vitellos marks their first official collaboration. "From the very beginning, Mark was always a beautiful player and a master of harmony," reflected Wolff. "I knew on day we would do a project together." That day finally came in the form of two nights in late August in 2011. Located in Studio City, Vitellos was one of Wolff's favorite venues to play in the city and served as the ideal spot to record a live album.

The resulting work is a multifaceted, warm live recording, that instantly transports listeners to this beloved jazz club, recreating a night of magic and mystery with musical giants.

1. Ballade Noir

2. Lagniappe

3. Fall

4. Falling Down

5. The Conversation

6. Nefertiti

7. Loft Fun

Michael Wolff - piano

Mark Isham - trumpet & flugelhorn

John B. Williams - bass

Mike Clark - drums

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Mike Clark & Delbert Bump - Retro Report (ROPEADOPE RECORDS 2018)

His father was a railroad man and Mike picked up a great understanding of different musical styles around the country while riding the rails. From Herbie Hancock's Headhunters to a long list of the greats, Mike Clark shows how it's done both on the drums and as a Jazzman. Hip, positive, and adventurous at 70, Mike met up with his longtime friend Delbert Bump and together they tracked an album of Hammond based grooves - Retro Report, bringing in young Elias Lucero to rip it up on guitar with some horn touches from Vince Denham and Rob Dixon. This is your Father's Jazz, your Sister's Jazz, your long lost Uncle Benny's Jazz, and your Grandson's Jazz. That is to say it crosses the span of time with a master's flick of the wrist. Retro Report hits on April 6 - stay tuned for this and more news from Mr. Clark.

Mike LeDonne and the Groover Quartet - From the Heart (SAVANT RECORDS 2018)

Joining Mike LeDonne and his Groover Quartet on 'From the Heart' is the great drummer Mike Clark. After collaborations with Herbie Hancock, Christian McBride, Nicholas Payton and others, Clark has influenced a generation of percussionists and brings his own unmistakable style to two of the tracks.

For three decades Mike LeDonne has been an exceptional avatar of the Hammond B3 organ. Forged by his impressive jazz apprenticeship, with the likes of Milt Jackson, George Coleman and Benny Golson, LeDonne comes from a long and distinguished line of masters of that instrument. And for eighteen years, he's lead the Groover Quartet his formidable foursome consisting of tenor saxophonist Eric Alexander, guitarist Peter Bernstein and drummer Joe Farnsworth.

1 Someday 5:41

2 From the Heart 8:22

3 You'll Never Know What You Mean to Me 6:58

4 Here Comes the Doctor 7:34

5 Come Back Baby 9:04

6 Fun Day 6:29

7 You Send Me 6:06

8 Then Came You 6:24

Mike LeDonne (Hammond B-3 organ)

Eric Alexander (tenor saxophone)

Peter Bernstein (guitar)

Joe Farnsworth (drums)

Mike Clark (drums on "From the Heart" and "Here Comes the Doctor")

Eddie Henderson - Be Cool (SMOKE SESSIONS RECORDS May 4, 2018)

Before he walks out the door on his way to a gig, 77-year-old trumpeter Eddie Henderson always gets two words of advice from his wife: be cool. The legendary trumpeter has taken that mantra to heart, and on Be Cool, his new release on Smoke Sessions Records, he shows just how hot cool can get.

Of course, if you're going to be cool it helps to surround yourself with the coolest of the cool, and Henderson has done just that: his smokin' quintet also features saxophonist Donald Harrison, pianist Kenny Barron, bassist Essiet Essiet, and drummer Mike Clark. Together, the band conjures smoldering funk, lush ballads, broad-shouldered swing, and bristling bop -- in all, a prismatic display of the many facets of cool.

"For me, 'be cool' means compose yourself and don't act jagged, musically or personally," Henderson offers. "One connotation is to not play so erratically, to push the envelope to the edge but not go over. It's like going fishing: if you're not prepared when you throw your line out there, you might catch Jaws instead of a minnow. Personally, it's about playing with people who love each other and share a good chemistry."

That's undoubtedly the case with the group Henderson has convened for his second Smoke Sessions outing as a leader. His relationship with Barron stretches back more than three decades, to the early days following his return to New York in the mid-'80s after a decade spent practicing medicine in San Francisco. He's been working regularly with Clark in recent years, especially in the Wolff & Clark Expedition, the drummers co-led band with pianist Michael Wolff. But they also share roots in the fusion bands of Herbie Hancock -- Henderson with Mwandishi and Clark immediately after with Headhunters. Essiet, meanwhile, has been a constant in Henderson's recent bands, while he's shared stages with Harrison under the auspices of the super-group The Cookers.

"Be Cool" was produced by Paul Stache and Damon Smith and recorded live in New York at Sear Sound's Studio C on a Sear-Avalon custom console at 96KHz/24bit and mixed to ½" analog tape using a Studer mastering deck. Available in audiophile HD format.

1 Smoke Screen 4:37

2 Be Cool 5:01

3 After You've Gone 7:04

4 Loft Funk 6:59

5 Fran-Dance 6:25

6 The Moontrane 5:26

7 Naima 7:07

8 The Sand Castle Head Hunter 6:44

9 Nightride 8:17

10 Toys 6:37

11 Easy Living 5:44

12 Dla Juzi 6:55

Dylan Taylor with Larry Coryell & Mike Clark - One in Mind (2016)

"We will be playing music from my new CD "One In Mind" which features Larry and Mike, including new music by Larry and myself. " Dylan Taylor

01. The One or the Nine 04:25

02. Loft Funk 06:59

03. Jumbo Liar 05:15

04. Song for Dennis 05:03

05. War and Peace 05:24

06. John's Abbey 09:16

07. Hittin' and Missin' 07:35

08. Alabama Rhap Corollary 05:21

09. Jem'N'Eye'N 08:26

10.The Dragon Gate 06:42

Larry Coryell, guitar

Dylan Taylor, bass

Mike Clark, drums

Released August 30, 2016 

Recorded at Forge Recording in 

Oreland, PA 

mixed by Ron DiSilvestro 

additional engineering by 

Brendan McGeehan 

mastered by Brian Boland at 

Rittenhouse Soundworks 

produced by Dylan Taylor 

& Brendan McGeehan 

artwork by Jimmy Raiford 

(inspired by Bonnie MacLean)