Charles Lloyd & The Marvels + Lucinda Williams - Vanished Gardens (BLUE NOTE June 29, 2018)

On June 29, Charles Lloyd & The Marvels + Lucinda Williams will release Vanished Gardens, a transcendent new album that presents the fascinating collaboration between NEA Jazz Master saxophonist and composer Charles Lloyd and acclaimed GRAMMY-winning singer and songwriter Lucinda Williams. Together they weave several threads of American music (Jazz, Blues, Americana, Country, and Rock) into a thrilling and uplifting new musical hybrid. The first single “We’ve Come Too Far To Turn Around,” a new gospel-informed song written by Williams, is available today to stream or download. The Marvels are Bill Frisell on guitar, Greg Leisz on pedal steel guitar and dobro, Reuben Rogers on bass, and Eric Harland on drums. Vanished Gardens was produced by Lloyd, Dorothy Darr, and Don Was.

“A friend had turned me on to Lucinda when Car Wheels On a Gravel Road came out,” Lloyd recalls. “Lu has worked a lot with Bill Frisell and Greg Leisz, so a couple of years ago she came to one of my Marvels concerts at the Lobero Theater in Santa Barbara. It was our first meeting and I sensed a deep Southern crossroads connection. Not long after that meeting she invited me to guest at her UCLA concert and then I invited her to guest at one of my concerts about a year later… It was clear we had something we wanted to explore together.”

Williams is featured on five of the ten tracks on Vanished Gardens, including expansive new versions of her well-known songs “Dust,” “Ventura” and “Unsuffer Me,” as well as a full-hearted interpretation of Jimi Hendrix’s “Angel” that closes the album. Alternating with the vocal tracks are five sublime instrumental offerings including three new Lloyd originals and versions of Thelonious Monk’s “Monk’s Mood” and the Roberta Flack popularized song “Ballad of The Sad Young Men.”

“I’ve worked with a lot of poets,” Lloyd says, “especially during my Big Sur days; Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Charles Bukowski, Gary Snyder, Diane diPrima, Schyleen Qualls, Michael McClure, Bob Kaufman, James Dalessandro… putting words and music together. Lu is a poet. An authentic, American voice. Her sound is like an emotional barometer. A weather vane. Sometimes it swirls around in the tempest of a storm and sometimes it is sweet and pure as a Southern breeze carrying the intoxicating perfume of magnolia to you. As a poet, her imagery knocks me out.  She is a reporter of the human condition, of life on planet Earth.”

“We know each other better now and therefore we can travel more freely down certain paths,” says Lloyd, reflecting upon how The Marvels have evolved since their 2016 debut I Long To See You, which NPR called “music that evokes an uncommon state of grace.” That album featured guest vocals from both Willie Nelson and Norah Jones, but the collaborative nature the band has nurtured with Williams has led them to even greater heights of expression. “Having Lucinda on five of the tracks adds a new dimension to the overall experience,” says Lloyd, “for my listeners and for hers. I think on the new recording we were able to let go and plunge deeply into the sound.”

Lloyd celebrated his 80th birthday in March, and is marking the milestone throughout 2018 with special concerts, residencies, festival performances including the Newport Jazz Festival where Lloyd will be the Artist In Residence performing three sets with different bands. Following a triumphant performance at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, Lloyd and Williams will appear together at the Playboy Jazz Festival (June 10), Newport Jazz Festival (August 5), Monterey Jazz Festival (September 23), Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Rose Theater (December 14-15), and more. The NEA Jazz Master enters his ninth decade at a creative peak in what now stands as a mountainous and formidable career, continuing his lifelong artistic journey to explore the spiritual realms of wonder and beauty.

1. Defiant

2. Dust Words

3. Vanished Gardens

4. Ventura

5. Balled of The Sad Young Men

6. We’ve Come Too Far To Turn Around

7. Blues For Langston and LaRue

8. Unsuffer Me

9. Monk’s Mood

10. Angel Words

Charles Lloyd – Tour Dates:

June 3 – Healdsburg Jazz Festival – Healdsburg, CA – Charles Lloyd & Friends

June 10 – Playboy Jazz Festival – Charles Lloyd & The Marvels with Lucinda Williams

June 27 – Leopolis Jazz Festival – Lviv, Ukraine – Charles Lloyd & The Marvels

June 28 – Krakow Summer Jazz Festival – Krakow, Poland – Charles Lloyd & The Marvels

June 30 – Porgy & Bess – Vienna, Austria – Charles Lloyd & The Marvels

July 1 – MOM – Budapest, Hungary – Charles Lloyd & The Marvels with Mikis Lucaks

July 3 – Associazione Cuturale Musicale – Bari, Italy – Charles Lloyd & The Marvels

July 5 – New Morning – Paris, France – Charles Lloyd & The Marvels

July 6 – Vijazz – Vilafranca del Penedes, Spain – Charles Lloyd & The Marvels

July 7 – Noches Botanicos – Madrid, Spain – Charles Lloyd & The Marvels

July 9 – Piazza Farinata degli Uberti – Empoli, Italy – Charles Lloyd & The Marvels

July 11 – Copenhagen Jazz Festival – Copenhagen, Denmark – Charles Lloyd & The Marvels

July 13 – North Sea Jazz Festival – Rotterdam, Netherlands – Charles Lloyd & The Marvels

August 3 – Newport Jazz Festival – Newport, RI – Sangam

August 4 – Newport Jazz Festival – Newport, RI – Charles Lloyd New Quartet

August 5 – Newport Jazz Festival – Newport, RI – Charles Lloyd & Friends with Lucinda Williams

September 21 – Stanford Live – Palo Alto, CA – Charles Lloyd & The Marvels with Lucinda Williams

September 23 – Monterey Jazz Festival – Monterey, CA – Charles Lloyd & The Marvels with Lucinda Williams

September 28 – Germantown Performing Arts Center – Memphis, TN – Charles Lloyd & The Marvels

December 4 – Coates Chapel @ Southwest School of Art – San Antonio, TX – Charles Lloyd, Bill Frisell & Thomas Morgan

December 6 – Zellerbach @ UC Berkeley – Berkeley, CA – Charles Lloyd & The Marvels with Lucinda Williams

December 8 – Michigan Theater – Ann Arbor, MI – Charles Lloyd & The Marvels with Lucinda Williams

December 10 – Carolina Theater – Durham, NC – Charles Lloyd & The Marvels with Lucinda Williams

December 14 – Rose Theater @ Jazz at Lincoln Center – New York, NY – Charles Lloyd & The Marvels with Lucinda Williams

December 15 – Rose Theater @ Jazz at Lincoln Center – New York, NY – Charles Lloyd & The Marvels with Lucinda Williams

December 16 – Berklee Theater – Boston, MA – Charles Lloyd & The Marvels with Lucinda Williams

Joey Alexander - Eclipse (MOTEMA MUSIC May 4, 2018)

This sophisticated yet explorational recording features bassist Reuben Rogers and drummer Eric Harland with guest appearances on three tracks by saxophonist Joshua Redman. Recorded in Woodstock on August 21, 2017, the day of the solar eclipse, the track “Eclipse” became the centerpiece of the album. The musicians’ spontaneous expression of their experience viewing this rare astronomical event signifies Alexander’s movement into a freer expression.

1. Bali

2. Faithful

3. Draw Me Nearer

4. Moment's Notice

5. Blackbird

6. Eclipse

7. Fourteen

8. The Very Thought of You

9. Space

10. Time Remembered

11. Peace

Buy

Steve Cardenas' Charlie and Paul shipping now from Newvelle Records

Steve Cardenas' "Charlie and Paul" is a deeply personal statement about his long standing band mates Charlie Haden and Paul Motian.  Featuring other stellar alumni of Charlie and Paul's bands...  Loren Stillman on Sax, Thomas Morgan on Bass and Matt Wilson on Drums.  We are honored to have this stunning album kick off our Third Season.

"Charlie and Paul"

All Charlie and Paul tunes, a couple of which have never been recorded. These musicians came together to create something truly unique and also a testament to the genius and legacy of two towering artists.  Featuring Artwork from Maciej Markowicz and original text from Ingrid Astier.

©Anna Yatskevich

Chicagoan Andrew Zimmerman leads a stellar quartet featuring Dave Douglas on Trumpet, Kevin Hays on Piano and Matt Penman on Bass for our second record of the season.

The great Lionel Loueke returns leading a trio of Reuben Rogers and Eric Harland on his first album of standards for our third release of the season.

"If I’m beginning to sound like a broken record with my praise for the by-subscription releases from Newvelle Records, blame the people responsible for these LPs, which consistently rise to the top in terms of music and sound."

--Guy Lemcoe, The Audio Beat

Season Three:

· Steve Cardenas is releasing a record dedicated to greats Charlie Haden and Paul Motian. Recording, with a quartet built of long-time collaborators of both titans Loren Stillman on sax, Thomas Morgan on bass and Matt Wilson on drums, all Charlie and Paul tunes, a couple of which have never been recorded. (February 2018)

· The Chicagoan composer and saxophonist Andrew Zimmerman (previously featured on our first release, Frank Kimbrough’s “Meantime”) has put together a drumless quartet featuring pianist Kevin Hays (recording here on the same 9 foot Fazioli that Jack DeJohnette used), the bassist Matt Penman and the great Dave Douglas on trumpet. (April 2018)

· Lionel Loueke is releasing his first ever album of standards featuring extraordinary accomplices Reuben Rogers on bass and Eric Harland on drums. (June 2018)

· Skúli Sverrisson and Bill Frisell are releasing their first collaboration. All original music from Skúlli, much of it written for Bill. If you are familiar with Skúlli and Bill's music, you'll know what you're getting into, a record of uncommon depth and beauty. (August 2018)

· Incredible Cuban drummer Francisco Mela (McCoy Tyner, Joe Lovano, John Scofield) is releasing an album of all original material with his working band featuring Kris Davis, Gerald Cannon and Hery Paz. (October 2018)

· Boston based trumpeter Jason Palmer put together a band of his long time New York collaborators for a session of originals and original takes on standards with pianist Leo Genovese (previously featured on his own record on Newvelle), bassist Joe Martin and drummer Kendrick Scott. (December 2018)

All of our cover and interior photographs for Season three come fare by Maciej Markowicz .  Original text by Ingrid Astier,  Our Recording Engineer on all six records is the incomparable multi-Grammy winning Marc Urselli.  Mastering engineer is the brilliant Alex Deturk .  Jim Hoppin and Sarah Enid Hagey shot lovely video for us at these sessions.  All video editing is by the award-winning Ben Chace.  Anna Yatskevich shoots all our studio photos.

Tomasz Stanko New York Quartet - December Avenue (ECM 2017)

The great Polish trumpeter Tomasz Stanko has long been one of the most distinctive musicians in all of jazz, his grainy tone and smeared notes instantly recognizable, his intensely lyrical improvisations and soulful themes as characteristic as the noirish atmospheres they often conjure. He’s also a player who gives a great deal of thought to context, and a generous bandleader who encourages his co-players to express themselves within his world of dark melody. US magazine JazzTimes noted recently: “He writes melodies that pierce the heart like needles, but does not exactly write songs. His pieces are open forms, a few strokes or gestures that introduce a mood and set Stanko into motion. He needs musicians around him who can respond with independent creativity to his unique stimuli.” Stanko’s New York Quartet is among his most exciting projects.

A decade ago, Stanko took an apartment in the city he still considers the jazz capital of the world, the stomping ground of all his early musical heroes including Monk, Miles, Coltrane and Cecil Taylor. His initial thought was that a New York retreat would be an ideal space to soak up inspiration and write new music, but it was not long before he was interacting with some of the most gifted and creative players on the scene. The first documentation of this activity was the double album Wisława, which introduced the first edition of Stanko’s New York Quartet. Released in 2013, it immediately netted much praise from the international press with The Guardian hailing it as “a dream-ticket jazz meeting between a cutting-edge European legend, and an equally honed triumvirate of pioneering New York-based musicians.”

Now December Avenue – recorded at Studios La Buissonne in the South of France in June 2016 and produced by Manfred Eicher – takes the story forward. There’s been one change in the line-up, and new bassist Reuben Rogers – originally from the Virgin Islands and perhaps best-known to ECM listeners for his work with Charles Lloyd (see Athens Concert, Rabo de Nube and Mirror) – proves to be a splendid addition to the team, establishing a profound understanding with Cuban-born pianist David Virelles and Detroit drummer Gerald Cleaver, and bringing a dancing buoyancy to the collective improvising. Rogers’ playing has, he says, internalized some of the lilting rhythms of the calypso music he heard as a child as well as the emotional fervour of gospel. An exceptionally well-rounded improviser, Reuben played clarinet, piano, drums and guitar before settling on the bass, and is well-placed both to drive the music forward and make cogent melodic contributions.

Pianist David Virelles, widely regarded as one of today’s most original pianists, exemplifies the melting-pot character of New York in sparkling solos that can cross reference Cuban rhythm with lessons learned from Muhal Richard Abrams, or allude to early influences including Andrew Hill and Bud Powell. Virelles has two ECM leader recordings already, Mbókò and Antenna, and a third is on the way. He is also member of Chris Potter’s new quartet and is featured on its new album The Dreamer Is The Dream, released in April 2017.

Gerald Cleaver, among the most resourceful of all contemporary drummers, first recorded for ECM 20 years ago, as a member of Roscoe Mitchell’s Note Factory. He has since appeared on albums for the label with Miroslav Vitous, Michael Formanek, Craig Taborn and, most recently, with Giovanni Guidi, Gianluca Petrella and Louis Sclavis on Ida Lupino. Cleaver is touring with Guidi, Petrella and Sclavis this Spring, as well as with Stanko.

December Avenue is Tomasz Stanko’s 12th album as a leader on ECM. The first of them Balladyna, recorded in 1975, established him as a major force in European jazz. His other discs for the label are Matka Joanna (recorded 1994), Leosia (1996), Litania – Music of Krzyszstof Komeda (1997), From The Green Hill (1998), Soul of Things (2001), Suspended Night (2003), Selected Recordings (2004), Lontano (2005), Dark Eyes (2009), and Wisława (2012). He can also be heard on Edward Vesala’s Satu (recorded 1976), Gary Peacock’s Voice from the Past – Paradigm (1981) and Manu Katché’s Neighbourhood (2004).

Stanko begins a European tour at the end of March, playing the music of December Avenue in Hamburg, Germany (April 6 and 7), Oslo, Norway (April 8), Voss, Norway (April 9), Helsinki, Finland (April 10), Poznan, Poland (April 11), Warsaw, Poland (April 12), and Stuttgart, Germany (April 16).

1. Cloud 4:13 

2. Conclusion 2:01 

3. Blue Cloud 8:52 

4. Bright Moon 7:19 

5. Burning Hot 5:05 

6. David And Reuben 1:30 

7. Ballad For Bruno Schulz 6:26 

8. Sound Space 4:04 

9. December Avenue 6:33 

10. The Street Of Crocodiles 6:08 

11. Yankiels Lid 6:07 

12. Young Girl In Flower 5:57

Tomasz Stanko trumpet

David Virelles piano

Reuben Rogers double bass

Gerald Cleaver drums 

Recorded June 2016 at Studios La Buissonne, Pernes-les-Fontaines (France)

Fredrik Kronkvist - Monk Vibes (2015)

Alto saxophonist Fredrik Kronkvist releases album with Thelonious Monk’s music along with three American superstars.

When Kronkvist releases his new album MONK VIBES he continues cooperate with some of the hottest names on the jazz scene with Jason Marsalis on vibraphone, Reuben Rogers on bass and Gregory Hutchinson on drums. This time they dedicate themselves to interpret the genius composer Thelonious Monk’s music and spirit. The unusual constellation with alto saxophone, vibraphone, bass and drums create a different, challenging sound without the piano and gives the group wide open spaces for colorful improvisations. MONK VIBES reflects Thelonious multidimensional universe where simplicity and complexity come together in a beautiful, danceable and contrasting music.The album contains wild conversations, humor, calypso beat, odd time signatures, blues, beautiful ballads and a tonal language that sounds as skewed as obvious.

01 Skippy

02 Misterioso

03 Teo

04 Brilliant Corners

05 Trinkle Tinkle

06 Round Midnight

07 Evidence

08 Kronk’s Monk

09 Four in One

10 The Virtue of Patience

All tracks by Thelonious Monk except tr.8 by Fredrik

Fredrik Kronkvist – alto sax

Jason Marsalis – vibraphone

Reuben Rogers – bass

Gregory Hutchinson – drums

BUY THIS ALBUM!!!

Domi