Oz Noy, Ray Marchica and Ugonna Okegwo present Riverside, a new trio recording out January 21, 2022 via Outside in Music
Oz Noy, Ray Marchica and Ugonna Okegwo are pleased to present Riverside, out on January 21, 2022 via Outside in Music. Their first release as a trio, Riverside is a fresh, life-affirming collection of standards that stems from the group’s spontaneously assembled outdoor jams held in Riverside Park, New York City during lockdown.
As individuals, this dynamic trio has a wide range of performing credits – Okegwo as a celebrated sideman with Jacky Terrasson and Tom Harrell, Marchica as a Broadway and session player (plus two albums as a leader) and Noy as one of fusion’s most sought after individual voices. All three have worked on the New York scene for the past two decades, so when the COVID-19 lockdown hit, it was a huge blow to both their livelihoods and their creative spirits. Then, summer came around, and the chance presented itself for housebound musicians to meet up and play outdoors. Oz called upon his neighbors Ugonna and Ray and invited them down to the park for a jam session – Ugonna on upright, Marchica with a small drum set, and Noy on electric guitar, with a battery-powered amp.
Their spot was pretty picturesque. “We set up perfectly: you could look down to the Hudson River, and then across to New Jersey – it was a lovely environment being there,” reflects Okegwo. It helped the group find a sound too. “It was almost like a little venue,” says Noy, and they weren’t the only ones taking advantage of the accidental bandstand-like coves the park is blessed with. “There were multiple little stages, some people playing bluegrass, some classical. When we started playing, there was nobody in the park, but by October time, people were thinking ‘oh, maybe we can do this too’. We were pioneers,” says Marchica.
The sessions went on through the summer months until the weather turned in October. But instead of packing up entirely, the group went into the studio, satisfied that they had created a sound, and a feeling amongst the group. “It saved me, it saved all of us – musically and mentally,” says Marchica.
The beauty shines throughout the trio’s creative, yet hands-off, arrangements. “All The Things You Are” opens with a Monk-ish kilter, Noy breezily sweeping over the changes and into some mysterious territories, particularly in the vamped ending, which stretches time effortlessly. “Anthropology” nimbly tiptoes through Charlie Parker’s choppy lines, and “Have You Met Miss Jones” continues the rhythmic trickery, skidding along as Noy veers between lithe straight playing and relaxed swing.
“Billie’s Bounce” is given a makeover by Noy, who ‘figured out a way to play it as a ballad, a slow blues harmonized in a different way’. “Riverside Blues” adds another dimension to the record, a shuffling 12/8 blues-rock written at one of the jams in the park.
“6/8 Lunch Break” is a chance for Marchica to strut his stuff on an extended solo interlude. Then comes an intriguingly free-form take on “Out Of Nowhere” that embraces the opaque, before a barnstorming take on “Donna Lee”, where Noy shows serious chops. It’s arranged sparsely, letting solo contributions from Noy and Marchica unfurl naturally before an abrupt full stop brings the trio to a halt.
“This Could Be a Start of Something Big” is apt for the group; in what was Okegwo’s first encounter with the standard, the group’s arrangement grew organically week-by-week, in tandem with the rapidly developing bonds tying the trio together. The album ends on a different note – “Sunny” injects Bobby Hebb’s classic track with a healthy dose of musical serotonin, in a rocking, soul-fueled cover that transports the group right back to where they started – the sun-soaked surroundings of Riverside Park.
Their first release as a trio, Riverside is a fresh, life-affirming collection of standards that stems from the group’s spontaneously assembled outdoor jams held in Riverside Park, New York City during lockdown.
As individuals, this dynamic trio has a wide range of performing credits – Ugonna Okegwo as a celebrated sideman with Jacky Terrasson and Tom Harrell, Ray Marchica as a Broadway and session player (plus two albums as a leader) and Oz Noy as one of fusion’s most sought after individual voices.
All three have worked on the New York scene for the past two decades, so when the COVID-19 lockdown hit, it was a huge blow to both their livelihoods and their creative spirits. When, summer came around, and the chance presented itself for housebound musicians to meet up and play outdoors. Oz called upon his neighbors Ugonna and Ray and invited them down to the park for a jam session – Ugonna on upright, Marchica with a small drum set, and Noy on electric guitar, with a battery-powered amp. The sessions went on through the summer months until the weather turned in October. But instead of packing up entirely, the group went into the studio, satisfied that they had created a sound, and a feeling amongst the group. We welcome their debut single, "All The Things You Are".
New York guitar phenom Oz Noy is that rare artist -- one who has cultivated his own distinct voice within the context of classic structures. His latest album, Booga Looga Loo reawakens timeless Boogaloo meets Jazz meets R&B grooves with Noy’s extended, unpredictable harmonic sensibility, stinging phrasing, and deft musical economy. Helping to realize Noy’s concept of the boogaloo record is a cast of musicians equally versed in the backbeat and the beyond, including drummers Vinnie Colaiuta, Dave Weckl and Steve Ferrone; bassists Will Lee, John Patitucci, and James Genus; and keyboardists Jerry Z and Brian Charette. Other contributors include Kevin Hays, Seamus Blake, and Anne Drummond.
On Booga Looga Loo, five taut, incisive Noy originals are joined by striking reinventions of material by the Beatles (“Eight Days a Week,” with Lee on vocals), the Beach Boys (an achingly delivered “God Only Knows”), Ray Charles (“I Got a Woman”), and Thelonious Monk (“Bemsha Swing”). The album follows Twisted Blues, Oz Noy’s acclaimed two-volume exploration of the limits of the blues, a searing live set recorded in Shanghai with Weckl and bassist Étienne M'Bappé (Asian Twistz), a Soul Funk R&B record “Who Give A Funk" and the debut of Ozone Squeeze, Noy’s versatile, accessible trio with drummer Darren Stanley and vocalist and keyboardist Rai Thistlethwayte.
Miles Davis is synonymous with the history of Jazz. With a discography that includes over 80 albums, Davis' catalog is as expansive as it is timeless. On this Chesky Records compilation, we've assembled Jazz luminaries' interpretations of his works in tribute to the immortal greatness of Miles Davis. Add to the beautiful music that it was pristinely captured for an audiophile audience, and you have a classic album for the ages.
1. Shh Peaceful 11:21
Wallace Roney, Bob Belden, Oz Noy, Kevin Hays, Daryl Johns, Lenny White
2. Circle 05:17
Carlos Franzetti
3. So What 06:17
Victor Bailey, Larry Coryell, Lenny White
4. It's About That Time 14:29
Wallace Roney, Bob Belden, Oz Noy, Kevin Hays, Daryl Johns, Lenny White
5. Solar 02:32
Shelly Berg & David Finck
6. Blue In Green 04:31
Valerie Joyce
7. Mademoiselle Mabry 10:05
Wallace Roney, Bob Belden, Oz Noy, Kevin Hays, Daryl Johns, Lenny White
8. Milestones 03:51
The Fred Hersch Trio
9. Blue in Green 07:28
George Coleman, Mike Stern, Ron Carter, Jimmy Cobb
10. All Blues 07:03
George Coleman, Mike Stern, Ron Carter, Jimmy Cobb
11. Eighty One 06:30
George Coleman, Mike Stern, Ron Carter, Jimmy Cobb
12. Freddie Freeloader 06:34
George Coleman, Mike Stern, Ron Carter, Jimmy Cobb
Life Four decades have passed since the golden era of fusion, when groups like the Mahavishnu Orchestra, Weather Report and Return To Forever ruled the musical landscape. Today only a select few are still waving the flag for fusion. Chick Corea, at age 75, continues to fire up his Elektric Band on occasion while John McLaughlin, who at age 74 has announced that he will retire from touring at the end of 2017, is still killing it with his 4th Dimension Band. Joe Zawinul is gone but the powerhouse Zawinul Legacy Band continues in his spirit of fusing world music, rock and jazz. There’s also Human Element, a co-op group featuring keyboardist and Zawinul disciple Scott Kinsey, electric bass marvel Matthew Garrison, drummer Gary Novak and percussionist Arto Tuncboyaciyan. And bass great Jimmy Haslip, formerly of Yellowjackets, is reuniting with guitar slinger Robben Ford for another upcoming Jing-Chi project and also appears on the new Jeff Lorber Fusion album, Prototype. Add to that list the name of Michael Schmidt, or as he prefers to be called, MSM Schmidt. The Bremen-born keyboardist-composer has been consistently turning out high quality jazz-rock recordings over the past decade with a Who’s Who in American Fusion as his sidemen. Bassist Haslip, who produced or co-produced Schmidt’s previous two outings — 2015’s Utopia and 2012’s Evolution — is back on board for Life, a staggering collection of funk fusion with some of the biggest names in that genre today, including guitarists Mike Miller and Oz Noy, keyboardists Kinsey and Mitchel Forman, saxophonist Steve Tavaglione, violinist Charlie Bisharat and a phalanx of superb drummers in Dave Weckl, Gary Novak, Virgil Donati and acclaimed German drummer Jost Nickel. “This is my fifth project working with Michael and my third production for him,” said Haslip. “Over that time, I have found a real connection with Michael, his intellect and his passionate expression. Life is a culmination of his voice as a composer and synthesist. Working with Michael as a producer is always a beautiful challenge and quite rewarding on several levels and this project was a joy to work on. My hopes are that he will reach a larger widespread audience with the release of this new recording.” Says Schmidt of his working relationship with bassist-producer Haslip: “We met in person for the first time after a ‘Tribute to Tony Williams’ concert with Allan Holdsworth in Berlin and immediately liked each other. With each project his role as a producer and his influence on the music has grown. He knows my favorites and by now has a carte blanche to select and contact the musicians and organize the recording sessions.” This potent project, Schmidt’s sixth overall, also marks the final recorded performances of the late guitar hero Allan Holdsworth, who lends his astonishing legato lines to two songs on Life, the aptly-titled “Trance” and the posthumously-titled “Vista,” the name of the California town where the guitar great resided until his passing on Easter Sunday at the age of 70. “It has always been one of my dreams to feature Allan on one of my songs,” said Schmidt. “Thanks to Jimmy's initiative, this dream became true. And it came as a surprise, too, because Jimmy only told me after Allan's recording session was finished.” Added Haslip, who played alongside Holdsworth in the guitarist’s group for the last ten years of his life (appearing on 2010’s 2-CD set, Blues For Tony): “I spent a couple of days with Allan in late January 2017 and watched over some of the final process of him editing and playing, but basically his process was best accomplished with no one around. He was a perfectionist with his own very meticulous method of compiling his music and his solos. He preferred to be alone during those days of preparing, studying the harmony at hand and then building and constructing his soloing on the two tunes he played on. He was brilliant and like no other musician I've ever worked with. His playing will always be ahead of its time, even though he would never cop to that, being such a very humble person. I was extremely appreciative to him for agreeing to play on the music and I will always be in awe of working with him.” Originally a self-taught drummer, Schmidt transitioned to keyboards during the ‘90s as he began developing a knack for composition. “Over the years I discovered that playing drums did not put me in the position to influence songs,” he explained. “Therefore I started to learn to play keyboards and various music software to compose my own music. Realizing that my drumming skills were too limited, I discovered that it was more satisfying to compose music. And with the help of my friend Helge Mruck, who showed me how to play keyboards and create songs on the computer, I began composing. As time passed, keyboards and software became more and more user friendly, which made composing easier for me. Not knowing how to read and write notes, I searched for sounds that are close to the natural instrument I had in mind, so that musicians who I wanted to play the music got an impression of my idea. However, I always needed the support of professionally educated musicians who were able to put my music into playable charts.”
And once again, Schmidt is supported by the cream of the fusion crop on Life. The album kicks off with the kinetic groover “Trance,” underscored by Weckl’s authoritative backbeat and featuring some brisk soprano sax lines from Katisse Buckingham, a member of the Zawinul Legacy Band. Kinsey delivers an exhilarating synth solo on this aggressive number and Holdsworth contributes one of his patented mind-blowing legato solos to quickly elevate the proceedings. Novak paces the melodic “Saudade City,” which features a soaring soprano sax solo from Andy Snitzer and an edgy fusion guitar solo from Mike Miller. “Vista,” dedicated to Allan Holdsworth, rides on Donati’s insistent groove. John Daversa delivers a haunting muted trumpet solo here while Holdsworth extended jaw-dropping solo is followed by a furious flurry on the kit by Donati. The percolating, African flavored 6/8 jam on “Life” is fueled by Nickel’s muscular drumming and features a buoyant frontline of Tavaglione overdubbing flutes and soprano sax. Schmidt’s chorus of programmed handclaps and Sophia Wackerman’s wordless vocals add to the uplifting vibe of this highly-charged number. Haslip also turns in a resounding fretless bass solo here and is followed by potent solos from guitarist Miller and Tavaglione sailing over the top on soprano sax. “Red & Gold” is an infectious world music flavored groove powered by Donati’s solid backbeat and the strong piano comping of Ruslan Sirota, a Ukranian pianist-composer who came to Schmidt’s attention as a member of the Stanley Clarke Group at the North Sea Jazz Festival in The Netherlands. This ebullient number features a bracing violin solo from former Mahavishnu Orchestra member Jerry Goodman along with a heroic wah-wah soaked guitar solo from Oz Noy and a rousing piano solo from Sirota. The driving “Exodus” is a large ensemble showcase featuring a stellar horn section comprised of saxophonists Bob Mintzer, Brandon Field and Snitzer alongside the Fowler Brothers (Walt on trumpet and Bruce on trombone, both formerly of the Frank Zappa band). Nickel anchors this swaggering bit little big band funk which features killer solos from guitarist Miller, tenor saxophonist Mintzer and soprano saxophonist Snitzer. “Rush” is a slap bass feature for the incredible MonoNeon (aka Dwayne Thomas, jr.), a YouTube sensation and protege of Prince and Screaming Headless Torsos guitarist David “Fuze” Fiuczynski. Weckl lays down the slamming groove while Sirota comps persuasively on the Rhodes before adding a nimble, Herbie Hancock influenced solo. Larry Koonse contributes a warm-toned flowing guitar solo and MonoNeon adds a fluid fretless bass solo on this invigorating number. “Medusa” is a menacing bit of slow-grooving funk-fusion paced by the formidable tandem of Donati and Haslip and featuring a potent Rhodes solo from Kinsey. Oz adds a ripping distortion-laced guitar solo that is brimming with urgent speed-picking and audacious fretboard flights while Donati showcases a touch of metric modulation on his drum solo before erupting on the kit with abandon at the tag. “RE-Start” is a buoyant bit of future funk fueled by the tight tandem of Novak and Haslip along with Schmidt’s kinetic synth sequences. Snitzer carries the melody on soprano sax while Noy showcase his heavy metal bebop chops on a fuzz-inflected guitar solo. Keyboardist Andy Milne also stretches out on a potent Rhodes solo here. The album closes with a short reprise of the title track, which reveals a significant world music influence. “I would definitely describe my music as fusion,” says Schmidt. “My influences come from bands like Metro, The Yellowjackets, Weather Report and Steps Ahead and also from film scores from the eighties. I am a big fan of the French composer Michel Colombier, who lived in Los Angeles for many years and wrote scores for movies such as Purple Rain and The Golden Child, both synthesizer-heavy scores with drum programming.” All those myriad influences come together in brilliant fashion on Life, another fully realized project from the pen of MSM. — Bill Milkowski Bill Milkowski is a regular contributor to Down Beat and Germany’s Jazzthing magazine. He is also the author of “JACO: The Extraordinary and Tragic Life of Jaco Pastorius (Backbeat Books)
1. Trance (feat. Dave Weckl, Allan Holdsworth, Scott Kinsey, Jimmy Haslip & Katisse Buckingham) 6:02
2. Saudade City (feat. Gary Novak, Andy Snitzer, Scott Kinsey, Mike Miller, Ruslan Sirota & Jimmy Haslip) 7:32
3. Vista (feat. Virgil Donati, Allan Holdsworth, John Daversa, Andy Milne & Jimmy Haslip) 8:20
4. Life (Long Version) [feat. Jost Nickel, Mike Miller, Steve Tavaglione, Jimmy Haslip & Sophia Wackermann] 8:11
5. Red and Gold (feat. Virgil Donati, Ruslan Sirota, Jerry Goodman, Oz Noy & Jimmy Haslip) 6:19
6. Exodus (feat. Jost Nickel, Mitch Forman, Mike Miller, Brandon Fields, Andy Snitzer, Bob Mintzer, Bruce Fowler, Walt Fowler, Charlie Bisharat & Jimmy Haslip) 6:59
7. Rush (feat. Dave Weckl, MonoNeon, Ruslan Sirota, John Daversa & Larry Koonse) 7:19
8. Medusa (feat. Virgil Donati, Scott Kinsey, Oz Noy & Jimmy Haslip) 7:39
9. Re Start (feat. Gary Novak, Oz Noy, Andy Milne, Andy Snitzer & Jimmy Haslip) 6:45
10. Life (Short Version) [feat. Jost Nickel, Mike Miller, Steve Tavaglione, Sophia Wackerman & Jimmy Haslip] 5:29
Line up:
Charlie Bisharat, Katisse Buckingham, John Daversa, Virgil Donati, Brandon Fields, Mitchel Forman, Bruce Fowler, Walt Fowler, Jerry Goodman, Jimmy Haslip, Allan Holdsworth, Scott Kinsey, Larry Koonse, Mike Miller, Andy Milne, Bob Mintzer, MonoNeon, Jost Nickel, Gary Novak, Oz Noy, Michael Schmidt, Ruslan Sirota, Andy Snitzer, Steve Tavaglione, Sophia Wackerman, Dave Weckl
Internationally acclaimed New York
guitarist and composer Oz Noy follows his provocative two-volume
exploration and reinvention of his blues roots (Twisted Blues) with Who Gives a Funk,
due out April 15th – a examination of classic funk and R&B grooves,
spiked with his uniquely unhinged improvisational instincts. “Simple,
funky music – but soulful,” is how Noy describes it, while acknowledging
that simple is not synonymous with easy: The discipline and clarity
these classic structures demand put even the finest musicians to the
test, and Noy and his all-star cohorts deliver a remarkable program that
uncovers intriguing new pathways through timeless forms.
Inspired
by the funk-blues nexus of the late '60s and early '70s music of
artists like Freddie King, James Brown, Albert Collins, Who Gives a Funk
mixes concise, compelling original compositions with reimaginings of
vintage standards by Brown, Jimi Hendrix, Sam Cook, Charles Mingus, and
even Thelonious Monk – mostly tracked live in the studio for maximum
grit and spark. A core group of New York’s finest is augmented by an
impressive array of guest appearances, including performances by John
Medeski, Dweezil Zappa, funk pioneer Fred Wesley, Chris Potter, Robben
Ford, Randy Brecker, Joe Bonamassa, members of Stevie Ray Vaughan’s
Double Trouble, and Living Color vocalist Corey Glover. Through it all,
Noy’s guitar is the connecting thread. Whether steering the band with
incisive, stark rhythm work or soaring over the grooves with impeccable
single-note leads that recall the graceful, nuanced inflection of a fine
soul vocalist, Noy brilliantly walks a musical tightrope spanning the
best of the past and the future. Surprising, danceable, and accessible, Who Gives a Funk is a powerfully heartfelt new statement from one of contemporary guitar’s great improvisational stylists.
01 Come On (feat. Fred Wesley) 02 Flashback (feat. John Medeski) 03 Better Get it in your Soul (feat.Randy Brecker) 04 I Got You (feat. Chris Potter) 05 A Change is Gonna Come 06 Ice Man (feat. Robben Ford) 07 Zig Zag 08 Damn This Groove (feat. Dweezil Zappa) 09 Little Wing (feat. Corey Glover)
10 Five Spot Blues (feat. Joe Bonamassa)
Oz Noy (guitar)
Will Lee (Bass)
Roscoe Beck (Bass)
Rocky
Bryant (Drums)
Steve Wolf (drums)
Chris Layton (drums)
Jerry Z
(organ)
Danny Sadownick (Percussion)
Guests:
Joe Bonamassa, Robben
Ford, Dweezil Zappa, John Medeski, Randy Brecker, Chris Potter, Fred
Wesley
