NEW RELEASE: Renowned Violinist Alí Bello To Release ‘Inheritance’ Leading the Sweet Wire Band, New Album Due Out May 7 via Tiger Turn

Renowned Violinist Alí Bello Presents Inheritance, His New Album Leading the Sweet Wire Band

Featuring special guests Regina Carter, Jaleel Shaw, Jeff Lederer & Jorge Glem

Due out May 7, 2021 via Tiger Turn

Tiger Turn proudly presents Inheritance, the sophomore release by Venezuelan-born, New York-based violinist and composer Alí Bello. Due out on May 7, 2021, this rich new recording showcases Bello’s unique amalgam of modern jazz and musical traditions from Venezuela and the Caribbean. An entirely original set of nine compositions, Inheritance documents the dazzling compositional output of the acclaimed leader and showcases the spirited rapport of his renowned Sweet Wire Band. Featured special guests include Regina Carter, Jaleel Shaw, Jeff Lederer and Jorge Glem. 

A veteran of the New York music scene for over two decades, Alí Bello has become known as a musician of incredible versatility. A fixture in the emblematic bands of Johnny Pacheco and Paquito D’Rivera, Bello is also a highly sought-after sideman for artists such as Orquesta Broadway, La Típica 73, Raul Jaurena and Pedro Cortés. He can also be found on occasional stints with mainstream superstars such as Beyoncé, The Roots and Jay-Z. His Sweet Wire Band, made up of pianist Gabriel Chakarji, bassist Gabriel Vivas, drummer Ismael Baiz and percussionist Manuel Márquez have become New York City mainstays, known for their unique fusion of contemporary jazz and Afro-Venezuelan/Caribbean musical styles. Their debut release Connection Caracas – New York (Zoho Music), was released in 2013 to worldwide critical acclaim, having placed on several year-end best-of lists. Inheritance is the long-awaited follow up, and uncovers new shades of maturity and growth. Alí shares: “Inheritance is a recapitulation. A way to move forward through the lessons learned. It’s the result of conveying all the parts that make my music and create new original ideas rooted in the culture, traditions, and experiences that make me and my music as a whole”.

On Inheritance, Bello captures the essence of the music from his native Venezuela and filters it through the lens of an artist that has been deeply exposed to a broad diversity of musical styles in the United States. In his liner notes, producer Kabir Sehgal says “Inheritance is a result of  long time growth and an evolution of different styles and genres that constitute Alí’s personal musical heritage from his homeland and his career experiences.” Indeed, Bello has a profound understanding of Venezuelan musical traditions, and has equally acquired invaluable experience in some of the most iconic Salsa and Latin jazz ensembles of all time. This recording integrates those two sides of Bello’s musical artistry as well as his aptitude for production.

The music featured on Inheritance draws heavily on Venezuelan traditions, and Bello’s core group of sidemen are all versatile Venezuelan expats who are well versed in all these styles. Afro-Venezuelan rhythms from the North Coast serve as the foundation for tunes like “Kaleidoscopic Sunset” and “For all Saints”, displaying drummer Baíz’s adaptations of these rhythms in harmonious unity with percussionist Márquez who plays an array of traditional Venezuelan drums such as the Fulía, the Paila and the Cumaco, among others.

Compositions “Caracas” and “Jojo” present some of the more urban folk styles of Onda Nueva and Merengue Caraqueño respectively – styles of great rhythmic complexity that originated in the capital city of Caracas. Bassist Vivas lends the project a robust electric tone and deft precision while Chakarji plays mainly electric piano, skillfully accompanying the soloists with deft sonic choices.

Regina Carter lends her unmistakable sound to “Song To Marina”, a lush bolero track in which both violinists blend in concert, harkening back to the splendid singer duets known in the genre. In “Bello’s Blues” the close intervals of violin and soprano saxophone in the melody recall the idiosyncratic themes of Thelonious Monk. Jaleel Shaw plays a harmonically ingenious solo while the rhythm section burns on a brisk San Millan rhythm here, while Jeff Lederer shines on “Jojo”. On the Venezuelan joropo “Cepa”, Bello enlists the talents of Jorge Glem on the Venezuelan cuatro – a central instrument of this music.

The orchestration and arrangements featured throughout Inheritance reveal a new perspective on the rich folkloric musical traditions Bello draws from. The violin is an uncommon instrument in this music, yet Bello’s creativity and command places it right at home. The final three notes of the bright closer “Ousia” represent an apex of the jubilant journey of Inheritance. Indeed, Alí Bello’s latest effort is a joyous listen from beginning to end, though the naturally cheerful makeup of the music never sacrifices depth or content –  and in that balance lies Alí Bello’s great artistry.

1. Kaleidoscopic Sunset (6:41)

2. Heartbeat (7:12) (feat. Jaleel Shaw)

3. Caracas (6:07)

4. Song To Marina (5:51) (feat. Regina Carter)

5. Bello’s Blues (6:55) (feat. Jaleel Shaw)

6. Jojo (5:09) (feat. Jeff Lederer)

7. For All Saints (5:07)

8. Cepa (4:06) (feat. Jorge Glem)

9. Ousia (4:11)

All music composed and arranged by Alí Bello (AGBA Music Publishing)

The Sweet Wire Band

Alí Bello - acoustic, electric, and baritone violins

Gabriel Chakarji - keyboards

Gabriel Vivas - bass guitar

Ismael Baiz - drum set

Manuel Márquez - fulía, cumaco, clarín, paila, bumbac, congas, bongos, güira, bell, and maracas

Featured Artist

Regina Carter - violin (track 4)

Jaleel Shaw - soprano & alto sax (tracks 2 and 5)

Jeff Lederer - clarinet (track 6)

Jorge Glem - Venezuelan cuatro (tracks 6 and 8)

Guest Artist

Javier Olivencia - soprano & tenor sax (tracks 1, 7 and 9)

Jeremy Smith - maracas (tracks 3 and 8)

Manuel Rangel - maracas (track 6)

Eddie Venegas - trombone (track 7)

Bambam Rodríguez - bass guitar (track 8)

Produced by Alí Bello & Kabir Sehgal

Recorded by Ismael Baiz & Alí Bello

Doug Hammond - It's Born (April 23, 2021)

Doug Hammond is a drummer, singer, composer, producer, and coordinator. Best know as a composer for "Moves"on Charles Mingus LP, MINGUS MOVES 1974; for the Doug Hammond Trio featuring Steve Coleman and Muneer B. Fennell 1980-82 on ground breaking LP "Spaces", D.H. Trio with Dwight Adams and Pablo Nahar LP Singing Smiles 2005; and Doug Hammond Tentet "ROSE"2011.

1. For Our Souls / We People 07:27

2. Marcia's Move 03:50

3. It's Born 03:18

4. Treat For Reggie (For Reggie Workman) 02:52

5. World Protection Blues 03:55

6. Peaka's Dance 03:41

7. Crazy Over You 06:22

8. Mrs. & Mr. Cat / Leanin' / Perspicuity 04:18

Regina Carter - Violin

Dwight Adams - Trumpet

Wendell Harrison - Tenor Sax

Marion Hayden - Bass

Doug Hammond - Drums, Voice, Sansa

All compositions by Doug Hammond

Jodgoa Publishing Corp. ASCAP/GEMA

Produced by Doug Hammond

Recorded at Rebirth Studios, Detroit

Mixed by Doug Hammond and James Gibeau

Mastering and Overdub by Wolfgang Dorninger at Sonic Sound Studio, Linz

Pre-order

Stefon Harris + Blackout - Sonic Creed (MOTEMA MUSIC 2018)

The album is Stefon Harris and Blackout’s first recording since Urbanus (which earned a Grammy nomination for Best Contemporary Jazz Album in 2009), and 2004’s Evolution. The conception and birth of Sonic Creed came about as a result of Harris bursting with this music, this sound, and this album, inside of him. “What pushes me to release a new album is the answer to the question, if I don’t record this music will the sound of this music exist in the world? And if the answer is no, then we have to go into the studio!”, said Harris.

Sonic Creed is about music that chronicles the story of a people and their time on earth. It aims to be a reflection of African American life in the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries. And, it is a sonic manifestation and creed of family, community and legacy. “These core assets of the Black community are the messages of Sonic Creed, and we honor our legacy by exploring the music of masters such as Bobby Hutcherson, Abbey Lincoln, Wayne Shorter and Horace Silver. Their music is timeless and is the literal aural expression of those community assets”, said Harris.

The album therefore serves as a representation, through Stefon Harris and Blackout’s existence and experience, of Black American life in the present. “I want to document our time on the planet in the here and NOW! What is the sound of ‘Black Lives Matter’ for example? What is the sound of electing the first African American President of The United States? What is the sound of right now? This is what I’m interested in Blackout representing and reflecting. It’s art for our sake”, stated Harris.

Regina Carter - Ella: Accentuate the Positive (OKEH RECORDS 2017)

Virtuoso Violinist Regina Carter

Digs Deep Into the Ella Fitzgerald Catalogue on

Ella: Accentuate the Positive

Available April 21 on OKeh Records

“Ms. Carter is widely considered the finest jazz violinist

of her generation, a hard-charging soloist whose precisely focused tone

and graceful way with a ballad hint at her long years of

classical training.” – The New York Times

A hundred years after her birth, the ever-eloquent Ella Fitzgerald continues to teach us lessons. Regina Carter has chosen this moment to celebrate the First Lady of Song’s infectious and inclusive artistry with unabashed joy. “Accentuate the Positive, I thought was the perfect title considering the mood of the country and the world right now,” Ms. Carter says. “We need some positive vibes.”

On Ella: Accentuate the Positive, out April 21 from OKeh/Sony Music Masterworks, the virtuoso violinist reveals the many faces of Fitzgerald that have influenced Carter’s own remarkable path in music. Apart from the title track of Accentuate the Positive, Carter resists the allure of the songstress’ most recognizable hits. Carter has mined tunes from deep within Ella’s bountiful catalogue, and brought them to the surface with a distinct freshness. The reward is rich for the listener.

“One of the many things that I adore about Ella is that she just loved music and didn’t box herself in,” Carter explains. “She recorded everything, not just the American Songbook — doo-wop, Stevie Wonder and Beatles songs, even some country western music. The fact that she experimented with so many different styles made me feel that, with this record, I would pay respect to her by taking the music and doing something else with it. I feel that she would smile in agreement.”

To realize her vision of the album, which transforms the songs through a lens of classic 1950s-’60s soul and blues, Carter calls on an impressive roster of musicians and arrangers. The violinist is accompanied by her longtime rhythm section of bassist Chris Lightcap and drummer Alvester Garnett, and is joined by pianist Xavier Davis and guitarist Marvin Sewell. Both Lightcap and Sewell serve double-duty as arrangers. 

This talented group is supplemented by in-demand bassist Ben Williams, producer and hitmaker Ray Angry, renowned vocalist Charenee Wade and pianist Mike Wofford, Fitzgerald’s own former accompanist and musical director. Two tracks feature vocals by Carter’s fellow Detroiters, actress and singer Miche Braden; and longtime friend and vocalist extraordinaire Carla Cook, who first introduced Carter to jazz violin while the two were classmates at Cass Technical School.

“When people arrange tunes, their voices become part of the recording as well,” Carter says. “I wanted to have many voices and many stylistic approaches on this record.”

Adoration of Ella Fitzgerald is a theme that is woven throughout the violinist’s career. Many songs previously have found their way onto Carter’s recordings. For instance, “Oh, Lady Be Good,” shows up on 1999’s Rhythms of the Heart while “A-Tisket, A-Tasket” appears on the 2006 release, I’ll Be Seeing You: A Sentimental Journey, the moving tribute to Carter’s late mother. Central to Carter’s choice of songs for the album was the ability to spark a connection between the audience and the material, similar to the connection she felt upon hearing Ella for the first time. On the heels of Braden’s spirited, gospel-tinged performance on the opening “Ac-cen-tchu-ate the Positive” comes Williams airily funky arrangement of “Crying in the Chapel.” Best known as a hit for ’50s R&B group, The Orioles, and recorded by everyone from Elvis Presley to Bob Marley, the song was the B-side to Ella’s 1953 single “When the Hands of the Clock Pray at Midnight.” Lightcap’s bluesy take on “I’ll Never Be Free” follows, while Davis’ sultry Rhodes sets the tone for the slinky groove of Sewell’s arrangement of “All My Life.”

Wofford’s setting of the standard “Dedicated To You” pares the band down to a violin/piano/bass trio, allowing Carter’s touching lyricism to shine. Angry gives “Reach for Tomorrow” a shimmering ballad treatment, while Wade’s gutsy R&B take on “Undecided” shines the spotlight on Cook’s powerhouse, no-nonsense vocal. Carter pairs off with Sewell for an intimate duo rendition of “Judy,” the song that jump-started Fitzgerald’s career on the stage of the Apollo Theater. Finally, Sewell’s gutbucket slide guitar fuels the rootsy version of “I’ll Chase the Blues Away” to bring the album to a close.

A student of the violin from age four, Detroit native Carter first focused on listening to classical music. But a vast wealth of influences crept into her ears via her music-loving family. Her older brothers brought home Motown and other soul records, an influence certainly felt on Accentuate the Positive. From her parents’ record collection she would pull titles at random — one day jazz albums, the next, movie soundtracks. It was through that treasure trove that she first heard Ella and instantly was hooked.

“Something about her voice made me feel like I had a personal connection,” Carter recalls. “When she sang, I felt really warm and safe, almost a maternal connection. It just felt like love.” For Carter, the enchantment continued into adulthood. She grew to realize how much technique and virtuosity were involved in producing a sound so remarkably warm and inviting. “As an adult, I realized what an instrument she (Ella) had,” Carter continues. “She had an incredible voice and I gained a lot of respect for her along with the love I had always felt. For years, I would get up and put on an Ella track first thing in the morning. That was the way I needed to start off my day.”


Accentuate the Positive is the end result of Carter’s daily communion with and lifelong devotion to the music of Ella Fitzgerald. In her heartfelt and deeply personal interpretations of these songs we can hear the same degree of warmth, feeling and elegance that imbued the legendary singer’s work as filtered through Carter’s singular voice. And that’s nothing but positive.

1. Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate the Positive

2. Crying in the Chapel

3. I’ll Never be Free

4. All My Life

5. Dedicated to You

6. Reach for Tomorrow

7. Undecided

8. Judy

9. I’ll Chase the Blues Away

Regina Carter - violin

Chris Lightcap - bass

Alvester Garnett - drums

Xavier Davis - piano

Marvin Sewell - guitar

Ben Williams - bass

Charenee Wade - vocals

Mike Wofford - piano

Miche Braden - vocals

Carla Cook - vocals

Ella: Accentuate the Positive (promo video) - Regina Carter from International Music Network on Vimeo.