Dave Young - Mantra (October 2021 Modica Music)

The basic group was a sextet augmented by John Johnson (alto sax, flute) Les Ault (flute) and Ewen Farncolme (B3 organ).

The original compositions are largely from 5-10 years ago. Waltz for Blue is dedicated to Blue Mitchell who I played with on several occasions at Bourbon St jazz club in Toronto in the 80's.

Ode to the Southwest was originally recorded with Cedar Walton but this version I especially like with the B3 overdub.

I would like to thank all the musicians -Kevin,Perry,Reg,Brian,Terry,John,Les and Ewen - for their exceptional talents in bringing this music "alive" during a difficult time.And many thanks to my friend and producer Roberto Occhipinti for making us all sound great! Photos by Dan Nawrocki.

1. Green St Caper 06:21

2. The Gypsy 06:10

3. Waltz For Blue 06:22

4. Evidence 03:57

5. Mantra 05:16

6. Opus De Funk 05:59

7. Ode To The Southwest 07:47

8. We Three As One 06:16

9. Myako’s Waltz 06:13

Dave Young - Bass

Kevin Turcotte - Trumpet

Perry White - Tenor Sax and Bass Clarinet

Reg Schwager - Guitar

Brian Dickinson - Piano

Terry Clarke - Drums

John Johnson - Alto Sax and Flute

Les Allt - Flute

Ewen Farncombe - Organ

Produced By Roberto Occhipinti for Modica Music

Recorded and Mixed by Sydney Galbraith

Recorded at Modica Music Studio, August 2020

Artwork and Graphics by Gabriel Altrows

Photos by Daniel Nawrocki

PREORDER

Al Muirhead Quintet - Live From Frankie's & The Yardbird (February 19, 2021 Chronograph Records)

The first recording trumpeter Al Muirhead was ever involved in was recorded in 1953. He was 18 years old, playing in a small dance band at the Waterton Lakes Dance Hall in southern Alberta. A gentleman at the venue had just purchased a new direct to disc recording unit, and asked if he could record the concert.

Al still treasures that live recording experience to this day. Now here we are, 67 years later, as Muirhead releases his first vinyl LP as a bandleader – recorded live to disc at two of Canada’s finest jazz clubs. As Al recalls, LP’s were his preferred way to listen to music in his younger days, and he is happy to see them gaining in popularity again.

After such a long and storied career, it was high time to capture Muirhead’s playing – and the music he loves – live in concert. The idea was to plan a setlist of jazz standards ahead of time, while also allowing for organic, real-time improvisation and in-the-moment decision making – after all, some of jazz history’s best performances have been spontaneous, single takes! And with his 2020 JUNO-nominated quintet on hand, the sessions were sure to include more than a few magical moments.

This recording project speaks to the concept of legacy. It captures the organic nature of live jazz, where each performance is unique from one night to the next. This is a live on the bandstand recording that couldn’t be replicated in a studio. There is no option for overdubs or retakes here. It’s a pure representation of the musicianship that Al and his bandmates have brought to the Canadian cultural landscape for so many years. What you are hearing on this recording is the result of two evenings from that 2018 tour at the Yardbird Suite in Edmonton, Alberta and at Frankie’s Jazz Club in Vancouver, British Columbia.

Al Muirhead: bass trumpet & trumpet

Kelly Jefferson: tenor saxophone

Reg Schwager: guitar (2-4, 9)

Jim Head: guitar (1, 5-8)

Neil Swainson: bass

Jesse Cahill: drums (2-4, 9)

Ted Warren: drums (1, 5-8)

1. Don't Stand a Ghost of a Chance With (Al Muirhead Quintet: Live From Frankies & The Yardbird) 05:10

2. Joy Spring (Al Muirhead Quintet: Live From Frankies & The Yardbird) 05:34

3. Intermission Song (Al Muirhead Quintet: Live From Frankies & The Yardbird) 00:26

4. A Tune For Cal (Al Muirhead Quintet: Live From Frankies & The Yardbird) 07:38

5. Mona Lisa (Al Muirhead Quintet: Live From Frankies & The Yardbird) 06:05

6. Emily (Al Muirhead Quintet: Live From Frankies & The Yardbird) 06:19

7. Four Brothers (Al Muirhead Quintet: Live From Frankies & The Yardbird) 06:48

8. Tenor Madness (Al Muirhead Quintet: Live From Frankies & The Yardbird) 07:21

Richard Whiteman - Very Well & Good (Cornerstone Records)

Cornerstone Records proudly presents Very Well & Good, a new recording by bassist Richard Whiteman’s longstanding quartet, featuring master guitarist Reg Schwager, pianist Amanda Tosoff and drummer Morgan Childs. The quartet is joined on several tracks by tenor saxophone giants Pat LaBarbera and Mike Murley.

Richard considers this recording his finest and most personal to date because it successfully combines the directness and groove of straight ahead swinging jazz with the lyricism and textural beauty he loves in classical music and in the music of pianist Bill Evans.

The program includes nine striking Whiteman compositions, one standard, and one tune each from Amanda Tosoff and engineer/drummer/pianist André White.

 1. Very Well and Good (R. Whiteman) 5:20 

2. Not so Early (R. Whiteman)  4:38 

3. Re-enRe-entry (A. Tosoff) 6:06

4. Waltz for Zeke (R. Whiteman) 3:47

5. It Is What It Is - for John Sumners (R. Whiteman) 2:11

6. Selohssa (R. Whiteman) 7:05

7. Residue (André White)  5:32

8. Mangoes (D. Libbey, S. Wayne) 4:36

9. Pat and Mike (R. Whiteman) 7:26

10. La Belle Époche (R. Whiteman) 4:30

11. Right Here, Right Now, with You (R. Whiteman) 4:23

12. Dancing with Zeke (R. Whiteman) 6:18 

Richard Whiteman: bass

Reg Schwager: guitar

Amanda Tosoff: piano

Morgan Childs: drums

Dave Young (feat. Renee Rosnes) - Lotus Blossom (MODICA MUSIC February 15, 2019)

“To my way of thinking, Dave Young is one of the

most talented bassists on the jazz scene. His

harmonic sympatico and unerring sense of time have

kept him in the foreground of the jazz picture.”

- Oscar Peterson

Dave Young (Alex Heidbuechel)

Fresh off the heels of his 2018 JUNO-nominated album, “One Way Up” (Modica Music), Dr. Dave Young, C.M. returns with a collection of diverse jazz tunes, with an all-star selection of Canadian musicians. Recorded in Toronto on the second day of the 2016 “One Way Up” sessions at the suggestion of producer, Roberto Occhipinti, a majority of the songs on “Lotus Blossom” were selected in passing during recording breaks. 

The title track was a joint favourite of Rosnes and Young and the first to be laid down. An on-the-spot arrangement for Modinha was put together in-between takes, and that marked the first time that long-time friends Rosnes and Schwager recorded together. Both Red Cross and Fried Bananas are tunes you can often hear Dave perform live in his tributes to Charlie Parker and Dexter Gordon, but this is the first time these songs have been recorded with his long-time collaborators. Cedar Walton’s Bolivia welcomes the addition of Bernie Senensky on piano and that leads to the trio of Young, Senensky, and Clarke laying down a swinging version of Jimmy Van Heusen’s classic, I Thought About You. “Lotus Blossom” ends with the unmistakable tones of Kevin Turcotte and Perry White on another jazz classic, Softly As In A Morning Sunrise. 

Order of Canada recipient, Dr. Dave Young, is one of Canada’s most celebrated and valued bassists, composers, arrangers, and educators. Originally from Winnipeg, Dave has made his name known on both the Canadian and international stages in both jazz and classical music for the last five decades, and along the way has worked with some of the world’s top artists in various fields. Known for his elegant tone, impeccable time, and immense knowledge of musical history, Dave has been a first-call bassist for the likes of Oscar Peterson, Lenny Breau, Oliver Jones, Cedar Walton, and countless others.

The Dave Young will be releasing Lotus Blossom internationally on Modica Records on Friday, February 15th, 2019. 

Dave Young (Tracey Nolan Studios)

Dave Young - Acoustic Bass

Renee Rosnes - Piano

Reg Schwager - Guitar

Terry Clarke - Drums

Bernie Senensky - Piano

Kevin Turcotte - Trumpet

Perry White - Tenor Saxophone

1. Lotus Blossom 5:25

2. Modinha 7:33

3. Red Cross 5:49

4. Fried Bananas 5:32

5. Bolivia 5:57

6. I Thought About You 6:09

7. Softly As In A Morning Sunrise 4:51

Al Muirhead - Undertones (CHRONOGRAPH RECORDS September 28, 2018)

2016 JUNO-nominated trumpeter Al Muirhead is excited to present his most intriguing project to date; Undertones. Recorded in mid February 2018, the album features Muirhead on the rare bass trumpet with his new Canadian Quintet. 

The album highlights musicians he has admired over the years, including Canadian jazz heavyweights Kelly Jefferson (sax), Reg Schwager (guitar), Neil Swainson (bass) and Ted Warren (drums).

With a 70-year career in music, Muirhead is a true expert at what he does – and every time he steps on stage or into the studio, something special comes out of his horn. He is one of the few masters in the world on the rare bass trumpet, and Undertones showcases its mellow and deep tones. 

The album is a collection of standards that he and his quintet selected in studio, along with two tribute pieces composed by Muirhead. “A Tune For Cal” is a post-bop celebration for his late and eldest brother, a magnificent musician and one of Canada’s finest copyists. “Take It To The Bank Tom” pays homage to his life-long friend and collaborator, Tommy Banks, who passed away weeks before this recording.

Al Muirhead has long been an iconic figure on the Canadian jazz scene. And the trumpeter, composer, arranger, sideman and recording artist has been making listeners take notice for longer than jazz fans might realize. Born in Regina in 1935, he was playing in the Regina Symphony and dance bands by age 12. Muirhead began to take notice of greats such as Dizzy Gillespie, Miles Davis, and Louis Armstrong. While Muirhead’s playing is infused with the indelible influence of the jazz giants, his flowing, melodic sound is his own — and has become influential in its own right. He unleashes melodies that are incredibly inventive and utterly timeless.

Muirhead has worked with legends such as Diana Krall, Paul Anka, Rosemary Clooney, Frank Mills and Dizzy Gillespie. In recent years, Al has been honoured with the American Federation of Musician’s Citation Award and the Western Canadian Music Alliance’s Heritage Award for his mentorship and industry-building. He’s also earned a 2016 JUNO Award nomination, the Saskatchewan Jazz Festival’s Special Recognition Award, a two YYC Music Awards, and has charted #1 in Canada and #3 in the US.

Undertones will be released worldwide on Friday, September 28th, 2018 on Chronograph Records.