Lisa Hilton | "life is beautiful" | Available April 1

Lisa Hilton and her trio with

Luques Curtis and Rudy Royston

Present an Optimistic Vision

Celebrating Hilton’s 25th Stateside Album:

life is beautiful

Out April 1 / PreOrder March 1

"Attention grabbing!” -KVNF Radio

Lisa Hilton and her trio, manifest a memorable experience on life is beautiful, their third recording of the pandemic era, and the acclaimed pianist, composer, and producer’s twenty-fifth album as a leader in the US. On it, Hilton indulges her love of the piano with ten original tracks and the cover gem, Ernie’s Blues, (written by Ernie Wilkins). Backed by her ever-excellent band mates: Rudy Royston on drums and Luques Curtis on bass, Hilton’s elegantly swinging piano and engaging compositions encompass a range from traditional tracks, Latin, blues and retro seamlessly. Royston continually hits the marks on his kit, and Curtis shows off plenty of style over this splendid repertoire of compositions. 

The album begins with an impressive bass solo from Curtis on the classic Ernie’s Blues. The tune’s complex chords and loose bluesy passages allow accomplished soloing from Hilton as well. Retro Road Trip highlights Royston’s rhythm skills and has a bit of a Prokofiev energy amid mid-century grooves. Inspired by classic American Standards, Hilton includes two romantic compositions here: So This Is Love and Nightingales and Fairy Tales - both evoking nostalgic charms and reminiscent of some of Bill Evans work in his sixties period. Too Hot dips into modal ideas creating its own melodic atmosphere. Hilton includes two Latin flavored compositions: Stepping Into Paradise as well as Santa Monica Samba, that show the versatility of the trio in mingling different Latin styles together effortlessly. Seduction is a solo piano piece that Hilton has recorded before, (some other tracks have also been recorded on past albums), with a new extended version here, showcasing Hilton’s love for the blues. Temporary Lullaby, written for Hilton’s daughter, is a melodic standout. In her liner notes, it mentions that More Than Another Day nods to Miles Davis, Antonio Carlos Jobim and Cole Porter.

 

Besides his work with Hilton, Royston has collaborated with an ever-expanding list of iconic jazz musicians such as Ron Miles, Bill Frisell, Rudresh Mahanthappa, and Tia Fuller. Curtis, an equally sought-after collaborator, has worked with Eddie Palmieri, Orrin Evans, Christian Scott, Sean Jones, and many more. About planning a recording session this far into the pandemic years, Hilton notes: “I think all musicians right now are hungry to play, so it feels really good when we have the opportunity to get together all day in the studio when we record. Despite the masks and other challenges, musicians need to create music. It sounds simplistic, but that's how we thrive.” Hilton has continued to compose, perform and produce an album a year in a trio, quartet, quintet or solo piano setting, and is a familiar name at the top of charts like Jazz Week, ZMR, and #1 Amazon New Releases. Hiltons albums also regularly appear on some “Best Of” lists” at All About Jazz or other sites, and popular music collections like Apple’s Pure Jazz Playlist.

Lisa Hilton’s new album, life is beautiful, is available everywhere April 1, 2022.

Lisa Hilton | life is beautiful

Release Date: April 1, 2022

For more information on Lisa Hilton, please visit:

LisaHiltonMusic.com | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Youtube

Diego Rivera - Mestizo (February 11, 2022 Posi-Tone Records)

With a stunning mixture of grace and power, tenor saxophonist Diego Rivera transcends cultural boundaries to deliver an emphatic message of intelligence and inclusivity on his 2022 release "Mestizo." Critical listeners may appreciate these performances as a series of engaged discussions employing the repartee of context and contrast between the leading voices of the horns and the affectionate support and retort from their immaculate rhythm section of pianist Art Hirahara, bassist Boris Kozlov, and drummer Rudy Royston.

This assemblage of bright moments is also admirably enhanced by the presence of trumpet phenomenon Alex Sipiagin, who joins Rivera as his front line aide-de-cam, providing musical offerings of incisive intensity that steadily serve to escalate the entire proceeding unto another level. Nonetheless, if we overly focus on the interplay of elements, then we risk missing out on the point of the dialogue and mistake the medium for the message. Rivera's unmistakable talent as a songwriter is the real story, as he deftly transforms this dynamic quintet into a unified instrument and unleashes a powerful combination of swinging blasts juxtaposed with forays into the emotional parlance of subtle conversation.

From the opening salvo to the last hurrah, the melodic message of "Mestizo" moves effortlessly straightforward and affirms that Rivera is a shining star of unlimited brilliance to keep an eye on for many years to come.

1. Battle Fatigue

2. Rasquache

3. Teru

4. Bracero

5. Escapade

6. Canción De Cuna

7. Most From The Least

8. The Rose Window

9. La Raza Cósmica

10. Mestizo

Diego Rivera - tenor saxophone

Alex Sipiagin - trumpet, flugelhorn 6, 9

Art Hirahara - piano

Boris Kozlov - bass

Rudy Royston - drums, percussion 2, 4, 8

produced by Marc Free

engineered by Nick O'Toole

recorded September 16-17, 2021 & Teru on June 6, 2021, at Acoustic Recording, Brooklyn, NY

mixed & mastered at Woodland Studio, Lake Oswego, OR

photography by Anna Yatskevich

package design by Alex Koehler

PRE-ORDER

Rudresh Mahanthappa Hero Trio - Animal Crossing EP (February 4, 2022 Whirlwind Recordings)

Acclaimed alto saxophonist Rudresh Mahanthappa reconvenes his Hero Trio with Rudy Royston and François Moutin for new 4-song EP

Animal Crossing, due out digitally February 4, 2022 via Whirlwind Recordings, tackles eclectic repertoire including the theme from the wildly popular video game and songs by Pat Metheny, Chuck Mangione and George Michael

“Its central achievement is bridging the gap between supposed high and lowbrow, as Mahanthappa’s trio convincingly puts a distinctive stamp on the eclectic source material, with sparkling cocktails of grooves, hooks and solos…”

– Kevin LeGendre, Jazzwise

" [Mahanthappa is] making truly some of the most original jazz out there at the moment."

– Brian Zimmerman, Jazziz

Listen! Up on all digital streaming services! It’s a Bird… It’s a Trane…No, it’s Rudresh Mahanthappa’s Hero Trio! The Caped Composer and his intrepid trio with bassist François Moutin and drummer Rudy Royston first assembled when the world needed them most, at the height of the pandemic. But the mid-2020 release of their self-titled debut also meant that most audiences were deprived of seeing them in person – great for maintaining secret identities, less ideal for celebrating live music.

 

But like any great superhero, Mahanthappa and the Hero Trio are back with a much-anticipated sequel. Animal Crossing, due out February 4, 2022 via Whirlwind Recordings, is a digital-only EP featuring four new songs, each an unlikely addition to the canon of jazz standards. “The idea behind Hero Trio was to turn the idea of playing a set of standards on its ear and freshen up the idea,” the saxophonist explains.

 

And yes, that includes the title tune – the theme song for the wildly popular video game that became ubiquitous during lockdown. While the choice may reflect the fact that Mahanthappa has two young children at home, allowing the lilting theme to worm its way into his brain and take hold, the game – much like the Hero Trio itself – fulfills a vital need just below its playful surface. For those who somehow managed to avoid the craze, Animal Crossing players take on adorable animal avatars, which can interact with other players within the game’s virtual world.

 

“Animal Crossing ended up being a kind of savior for a lot of people in lockdown,” Mahanthappa says. “It provided an injection of calm and positivity for lots of folks and became a way for isolated people to connect. You could play with your friends online – there were even stories of people having their birthday parties in Animal Crossing. It was amazing to me that this video game had that kind of presence and power.”

All four of the songs on the new EP, along with the entire Hero Trio repertoire, have such personal meaning for Mahanthappa, in one form of another. For much of the innovative altoist’s career, he focused intently on his own original music. He first joined forces with Royston and Moutin in 2015 for Bird Calls, a quintet album that paid unconventional tribute to Charlie Parker with new pieces reconfiguring material from Bird’s iconic compositions. Hero Trio grew out of that project, with Mahanthappa turning his arranger’s vision on material from a variety of eclectic sources.

 

“Partly I think it was spurred by my teaching,” says Mahanthappa, who was named Director of Jazz at Princeton University since 2016. “I find myself playing standards with my students and realizing that I really enjoy that.”

 

The reference in the title of Pat Metheny’s “Missouri Uncompromised” to one of the darkest moments in American history and a direct antecedent to the Civil War certainly has ominous echoes with our current divisive political moment. The tune itself is also simply a longtime favorite, a rarely reprised piece from the guitarist’s 1976 debut album, Bright Size Life. “That’s my favorite Metheny album, and ‘Missouri Uncompromised’ is my favorite tune on the album,” Mahanthappa says. “I never get tired of it, and I always thought that it would be a real challenge to record as a horn player.”

 

The name Chuck Mangione, on the other hand, doesn’t exactly scream “challenging” – the flugelhornist’s 1977 megahit “Feels So Good” instantly became the soundtrack of choice for breezy, carefree good times. That reputation obscures Mangione’s serious jazz chops (he’s an alumni of Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers, for one) but Mahanthappa chose “Give It All You Got” for reasons much closer to home.

 

“My older brother was a huge Chuck Mangione fan when he was in late high school or early college,” he recalls. “He had a Chuck Mangione t-shirt! A lot of the music that I was exposed to when I was a kid came through my brother. Whatever he was into became what I was into by default. So I wanted to record ‘Give It All You Got’ because the music that you hear when you're really young had an impact, regardless of what you think of it later in life.”

 

In the trio’s transformative hands the original’s loping funk slows to a dirge-like lurch, turning an anthem of upbeat optimism into a dark ballad of determination in the face of overwhelming odds, a perfect reflection of the difficulties we’ve all been living through over the past few years.

Moutin’s vigorous pulse ushers in the album’s final track, which after a full-throttle intro coheres into a spirited take on George Michael’s “Faith.” With Mahanthappa essaying the familiar message with fierce declamation over Royston’s tumultuous rhythm, the song ends the EP on a particularly invigorating note. “George Michael had a special charisma about him,” Mahanthappa says, “and that song has a groove that is just killing. There are all these ways you can kind of manipulate it just by moving an eighth note here or there, but it always remains infectious.” Case in point – the trio’s second pass through the melody of “Faith” is superimposed on the chord changes of John Coltrane’s “Giant Steps.”

 

While Mahanthappa was excited to reconvene the Hero Trio to record these new songs, he’s even more eagerly anticipating playing for actual audiences in 2022. “We released this album in June and proceeded to do no gigs,” he laments. “We weren't even able to wear any of our superhero costumes in public! We at least want to get out there and wear the capes.”

Photos: David Crow

Rudresh Mahanthappa

Hailed by Pitchfork as “jaw-dropping… one of the finest saxophonists going,” alto saxophonist, composer and educator Rudresh Mahanthappa is widely known as one of the premier voices in jazz of the 21st century. He has over a dozen albums to his credit, including the acclaimed Bird Calls, which topped many critics’ best-of-year lists for 2015, and the eclectic self-titled 2020 debut of his Hero Trio with Rudy Royston and François Moutin. Mahanthappa has been named alto saxophonist of the year for nine of eleven years running in Downbeat Magazine’s International Critics’ Polls, and for five consecutive years by the Jazz Journalists’ Association (2009-2013) and again in 2016. He’s also won alto saxophonist of the year multiple times in the JazzTimes Magazine and Jazz Journalists Association Critics’ Polls and was named the Village Voice’s "Best Jazz Artist" in 2015.  He has also received the Guggenheim Fellowship and the Doris Duke Performing Artist Award, among other honors, and is currently the Anthony H. P. Lee ’79 Director of Jazz at Princeton University.

Tracks

Animal Crossing: New Horizons Theme (Kazumi Totaka) 6:08

Missouri Uncompromised (Pat Metheny) 6:42

Give It All You Got (Chuck Mangione) 5:20

Faith (George Michael) 4:29

Rudresh Mahanthappa Alto Saxophone

François Moutin Acoustic Bass

Rudy Royston Drums

Recording Date: November 22, 2021

Studio 

Sound On Sound, Montclair, NJ. 

David Amlen, Engineer

Mixed by Liberty Ellman

Mastered by Liberty Ellman

Producer Rudresh Mahanthappa

rudreshm.com

whirlwindrecordings.com

music.whirlwindrecordings.com

SINGLE "Canopy of Trees" from Brian Landrus' RED LIST

"Canopy of Trees” : a SINGLE from low woodwind master Brian Landrus’ upcoming album Red List: Music Dedicated to the Preservation of Our Endangered Species, via Palmetto Records

Brian Landrus © Nick Carter

Landrus’ impassioned manifesto dedicated to bringing awareness to the world’s most endangered species, Red List features Landrus with his all-star band: Ryan Keberle, Geoffrey Keezer, Nir Felder, Rudy Royston, Ron Blake, Jaleel Shaw, Lonnie Plaxico, John Hadfield, Steve Roach and Corey King. 

Hoping that Red List will help to facilitate “critical yet uncomfortable conversations about changing our global habit of destroying nature for our own gain,” Landrus is collaborating with the organization Save The Elephants and will donate 20% of all proceeds and 100% of profits to the organization, which has been helping to ensure a future for African Elephants for nearly 30 years.

Together he and his ace band create entrancing grooves, lush harmonies, evocative interludes and epic crescendos, all in the service of Landrus’ thoughtful compositions that bring attention to the plight of 13 endangered species on the planet. The Red List was compiled by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, the world’s most comprehensive information source on the global extinction risk of animal, fungus and plant species.

The full album will be released June 17, 2022

PRE-ORDER

Braithwaite & Katz · Canopy of Trees - Brian Landrus

Boris Kozlov - First Things First (January 21, 2022 Posi-Tone Records)

Bassist and bandleader Boris Kozlov defies expectations and redefines what it means to put "First Things First.” Producer Marc Free sends Kozlov out along an ambitious course for his 2022 Posi-Tone debut, and with a steady hand, bassist Kozlov confidently directs a mighty quintet of top notch musicians. Saxophonist Donnie McCaslin, vibraphonist Behn Gillece, keyboardist Art Hirahara and drummer Rudy Royston keep moving freely over the solid harmonic foundation provided by Kozlov’s playing and leadership. While many jazz fans have yet to become acquainted with the music of Kozlov, the time has come to travel together beyond the simply straight ahead and to color outside the lines. We are confident that the music on this album will bring delight to the ears of serious listeners, navigating steadily away from the known and familiar and move swiftly out into the uncharted depths of modern collective improvisation to uncover a new sound in time and space.

1. Page One 06:18

2. Flow 04:01

3. The More Things Change 05:35

4. I.S. Adventure 06:51

5. Aftermath 07:53

6. Second Line Sally 05:49

7. Viscous 05:45

8. Mind Palace 07:13

9. Warm Sand 06:49

10. Once A Fog In Babylon 07:39

11. Eclipse 02:32

Boris Kozlov: acoustic bass; electric bass 2, 6, 8, 10; piccolo bass 6

Donny McCaslin: tenor saxophone; alto flute 2, 8, 10

Art Hirahara: piano; Rhodes 8; B3 6, 10

Behn Gillece: vibraphone (not on 6)

Rudy Royston: drums; percussion 2, 6, 11

Marc Free - producer

Michael Brorby - recording engineer

Nick O’Toole - mixing and mastering engineer

recorded November 14-15, 2020 at Acoustic Recording, Brooklyn, NY

mixed & mastered at Woodland Studio, Lake Oswego, OR

photography by Anna Yatskevich

package design by Alex Koehler

PRE-ORDER

Farnell Newton - Feel The Love (Posi-Tone Records)

Emotional integrity is the keynote address when Farnell Newton plays his trumpet with heartfelt and hopeful expressiveness entreating us to “Feel the Love.” As this 2021 album covers a wide range of moods and genres, Newton's trumpet playing remains steadily focused on portraying the subtle and tasteful elements of his style. He pushes melodicism to the forefront while also demonstrating his formidable command of the instrument. The whole album is truly a labor of love. To make this happen, Newton traveled east from Portland Oregon to New York City, to work with Posi-Tone and their capable rhythm section of pianist Art Hirahara, bassist Boris Kozlov, and drummers Rudy Royston and Joe Strasser.

The album also features wonderful guest appearances from several of Farnell's favorite saxophonists, including Jaleel Shaw, Braxton Cook, Brandon Wright, and Patrick Cornelius. With an amazing combination of diverse talents, several brilliant performances, and an evocative program of musical compositions, Farnell Newton keeps everything moving steadily straight forward, and continues to announce he is an important and emerging voice on today's jazz scene.

1. Feel The Love 04:43

2. Affectionately Roy 04:16

3. I'll Catch You 04:50

4. A Child Not Yet Born 05:13

5. The Bluest Eyes 06:34

6. Litoral 06:52

7. Pale 06:06

8. The Force Of Gravity 04:34

9. Laws Of Motion 04:37

10. Lawn Darts 05:19

11. Our Chosen Family 05:44

Farnell Newton - trumpet

Art Hirahara - piano

Boris Kozlov - bass

Rudy Royston - drums & percussion on all but 4, 6, 9

Braxton Cook - alto saxophone on 2, 10

Jaleel Shaw - alto saxophone on 3, 5, 7

Joe Strasser - drums on 4, 6, 9

Brandon Wright - tenor saxophone on 4

Patrick Cornelius - alto saxophone on 6, 9

Michael Dease - trombone on 7

Marc Free - producer

Nick O’Toole - engineer

recorded June 21, 2018 & September 17, 2019 (4, 6, 9) at Acoustic Recording, Brooklyn, NY

mixed & mastered at Woodland Studio, Lake Oswego, OR

photography by Andrew Wallner

package design by Jamie Brunson

PRE-ORDER

Lisa Hilton | "Transparent Sky" | Available September 3

Lisa Hilton and her Trio

with Rudy Royston and Luques Curtis

Masterfully Blend Traditions

in an Inspiring New Recording

Lisa Hilton's Transparent Sky

is Available September 3 / Preorder Aug 3

As America and other countries re-emerge from the limitations of 2020, Lisa Hilton and her trio with Rudy Royston and Luques Curtis, enthusiastically embrace the moment with a vibrant new jazz offering titled Transparent Sky, that will inspire, uplift and motivate us all. Rich with glorious harmonies and unique compositions, Hilton’s swinging band radiates a sun bleached aura to listeners. Throughout the album Hilton, Royston and Curtis develop a surprisingly wide range of rhythmic ideas from a variety of genres, masterfully blending classic traditions with new approaches and upbeat style.

The recording jumps in with the Latin tinged "Santa Monica Samba," quickly following with the equally energetic "Random Journey" on this collection of nine originals, plus one cover. “What developed this year was a LOT of movement and richer chords and harmonies – which makes sense when you consider how static last year was. As musicians we need to challenge and also entertain ourselves, so I think that’s why I subconsciously wrote in so many rhythm changes and multiple harmonic directions,” says Hilton. "Living In Limbo," "Chromatic Chronicles," "Fall Upon a Miracle" and "Infinite Tango," highlight the multiple creative rhythms of Hilton’s compositions and showcase ample opportunities for Curtis’s agile bass, and the delightful details of Royston’s drums.

Hilton has a way with ballads, and "Nightingales & Fairy Tales" is no exception. With its slight nod to Bill Evans in the sixties, this has the making of a jazz classic for a twenty - first century audience. In the same vein, a cover of "God Bless The Child," co-written by Billie Holiday and Arthur Herzog Jr, is a charmer, and like all the tracks here, is skillfully and originally presented without being forced. “For a long time I’ve been trying to record cover songs by women who were composers, because there is very little attention paid to them in jazz. I think it’s important to give women recognition for their range of talents, and by promoting them, maybe we will see less discrimination in music”, Hilton muses. 

Photo by Leigh Shane

Slowing towards the album’s end, "Extraordinary Everyday Things" is a calm and expressive soundscape, but with a surprise twist, Hilton finishes up with the title track, "Transparent Sky" as a sonorous piano solo. “The melody is beautiful and has a bit of swing, but the harmonic ideas are quite chromatic and dissonant with overlapping/lingering sonorities between bar lines.” She says. “This piece needs to be played sensitively or it will sound harsh, but that is like our lives today - we are living in sensitive times and need to be aware of how we connect and communicate. The solo piano clearly delivers those delicate harmonies along with the emotions. It’s about accepting our world as it is, whatever may be happening at that moment. Tomorrow will bring what it will, but there is still beauty to be found if we look for it, amid the dissonance of our times.” Hilton explains.

Lisa Hilton’s new album, Transparent Sky, is available everywhere September 3rd, 2021

For more information on Lisa Hilton, please visit:

LisaHiltonMusic.com | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Youtube

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Pete Rodriguez - Obstacles (August 6, 2021 Sunnyside Records)

Life is a journey filled with ups and downs. The trials and tribulations the traveler encounters shape his or her personality and relationships, determining the kind of person he or she is. It is healthy to measure both the positives and the negatives, as even bad things can eventually work for the good.

Trumpeter/composer Pete Rodriguez has had an eventful life. Born in New York and raised in the Bronx and Puerto Rico, Rodriguez, son of the famed salsero Pete “El Conde” Rodriguez, has been ensconced in music since birth. His love for music set him on a path to make it his life’s work, whether through performing or teaching. Rodriguez’s new recording, Obstacles, was recorded as a way to confront his obstacles and working through them in a healthy way, by channeling his emotions and feelings into art.

Before college, Rodriguez spent four years in the army and then moved to New Jersey, where he attended Rutgers University in the 1990s to broaden his musical base into the realm of jazz music. Instructors like bassist Larry Ridley, pianist Kenny Barron, guitarist Ted Dunbar, trumpeter William Fielder, and saxophonist Ralph Bowen were instrumental in building both his love for jazz and his chops. At the same time, Rodriguez began to perform professionally in the vibrant salsa scene, which he had already become well immersed in because of his father and his Godfather, Johnny Pacheco.

While living in New York, Rodriguez familiarized himself with many of the local jazz players, but it wasn’t until he was on his first tour with Eddie Palmieri that he met pianist Luis Perdomo. It would be a couple years until he and Perdomo became fully acquainted in the City. It was Freddie Hubbard who had told Rodriguez that the most important thing in picking a band would be to have a good rhythm section. Having already found a great pianist, he asked Perdomo who else he would suggest.

Perdomo suggested drummer Rudy Royston, a true monster behind the kit, and they also brought in bassist Ricky Rodriguez, who the trumpeter already knew could handle any music put in front of him. Already familiar with the rest of the group, saxophonist John Ellis fit in perfectly as a counter voice to the leader’s trumpet. From there, Pete Rodriguez never needed to look to other musicians for his ensemble and made a number of recordings featuring derivations of this group.

Growing up in the City presented many challenges for a Latino; Rodriguez was regularly profiled by police. In 2000, his father passed away, which led Rodriguez to stop playing trumpet for three years. His work as a physical therapist assistant led him to meeting high level runners and bicyclists, activities that he would adopt and that would bring him out of his depression. The birth of Rodriguez’s daughter led to fluctuations in his family’s life and his practice routine, something that was difficult to adapt to. Rodriguez and his family moved to Austin, Texas ten years ago. He took a teaching job at a local State University, where he faced a number of hurdles and individuals who got in the way of his success and eventually led to his dismissal.

All of these events could have taken a real toll on Rodriguez, but he decided to use them as inspiration. He began to compose pieces that conveyed his feelings about situations and individuals who stood in his path. The resulting pieces were composed and presented to knock down another stigma he faced as a Latin American jazz player, frankly, that he could only play Latin jazz. Obstacles is a straight-ahead jazz album that swings with the best of them.

Recording was its own challenge, as Rodriguez had to fly the band to Texas and put them up locally. The group was only able to rehearse briefly before they put the music to tape. Rodriguez’s trust in, and the incredible ability of, these musicians insured the beauty and strength of the music they put down.

The recording begins with “50,” a contrafact of John Coltrane’s “Moment’s Notice” that Rodriguez wrote to celebrate his 50th birthday and that shows his penchant for visualizing his playing in line with that of a tenor saxophonist. The modal “Abraham” takes its name from the work of inspirational speaker Esther Hicks, who promotes positive thinking to reach goals. Rodriguez is hot and cold in his estimation of this model, he reflects that in the piece by remaining meditative and allowing the other members to solo, including a lovely turn on Rhodes by Perdomo. The snappy “El Proceso” came about when Rodriguez challenged himself to write a tune a week for six weeks while hosting a local jam session. The piece was built upon and built upon, until during one performance, Ellis suggested to play the melody up an octave, thus continuing the composing process.

The brief “Academic Backstabbing 101” is written with the character of a former mentor turned backstabber in mind, done here by eschewing improvisation (the individual in question can’t) and lithely playing over a piece inspired by Chuck Wayne’s “Solar” (a tune the individual believed was the most difficult in the jazz lexicon to play). “Mi Ritmo” is a lively attempt to make Thelonious Monk proud without being imitative over set rhythm changes. The lovingly composed “Triple Positive” is a tribute to a close family friend who passed away from breast cancer, her positive and loving spirit living on in Rodriguez’s warm trumpet melody.

The title track is based on Gigi Gryce’s “Minority” as played by Rodriguez’s hero, Clifford Brown. Melodies on top of melodies maintain the intensity on “Obstacle,” a reflection of tension and message of the tune’s inspiration. The warm tones of Perdomo’s Rhodes set the scene for Rodriguez’s “Someone Else,” a lovely, winding ballad. The aggressive “Mary Dick Ellen” is a musical smudge on a former colleague who used racist tropes when dealing with Rodriguez, so he uses her musical limitations in response. Rodriguez uses the same method on the quasi-blues, “FU Jon,” the unrelenting bassline chasing the detractor while Rodriguez abstains.

Pete Rodriguez has found a perfect, therapeutic method to get beyond the troubles that he faces. He makes music to confront it. Obstacles is a tremendous example of putting negative energy to use to generate positive (and extremely listenable) results. 

1. 50

2. Abraham

3. El Proceso

4. Academic Backstabbing 101

5. Mi Ritmo

6. Triple Positive

7. Austin & Ally

8. Obstacles

9. Someone Else

10. Mary Dick Ellen

11. FU John

Pete Rodriguez - trumpet

John Ellis - tenor & soprano saxophone

Luis Perdomo - piano & keyboards

Ricardo Rodriguez - bass

Rudy Royston - drums

Pre-order

Art Hirahara - Open Sky (July 9, 2021 Posi-Tone Records)

Pianist Art Hirahara turns his musical aspirations toward an “Open Sky,” unveiling a subtly evocative set of melodic insights and intimate emotional expressions for this 2021 album, his sixth release on Posi-Tone. Spreading his sensitivities and talents across the piano keyboard, Hirahara presents listeners with a seamless aggregate of brilliant next level compositions and graceful interpretations amalgamated by accompaniment from some the finest musicians on the scene today.

This captivating collection of hard hitting performances features Hirahara playing alongside bassist Boris Kozlov and drummer Rudy Royston, as well as guest appearances from saxophonist Nicole Glover and vibraphonist Behn Gillece, all of whom come together to employ a wide palette of harmony and color to elucidate the structures while steadily holding down the backline groove with a cavalcade of contrapuntal rhythms.

Featuring a tour de force combination of talents, brilliant musicianship, and an evocative program of new compositions, Hirahara’s “Open Sky” is guaranteed to bring a wide range of bright moments and intense joy to jazz fans everywhere.

Art Hirahara - piano

Boris Kozlov - bass

Rudy Royston - drums & percussion

Behn Gillece - vibraphone 4

Nicole Glover - tenor saxophone 5, 8; soprano saxophone 10

Marc Free - producer

Nick O’Toole - mixing & mastering engineer

Michael Brorby - recording engineer

recorded August 9-12, 2020 at Acoustic Recording, Brooklyn, NY

mixed & mastered at Woodland Studio, Lake Oswego, OR

sky photography by Art Hirahara

package design and photography by Sara Pettinella

Pre-order

Alex Sipiagin - Upstream (May 2021 Posi-Tone Records)

Trumpet sensation Alex Sipiagin conducts his attention and intention "Upstream" directing the energetic empathy of his music towards engaging the hearts and minds of jazz fans on his first release for Posi-Tone. Exuding confidence with effortless virtuosity, Sipiagin performs with a compelling and emotional voice on his instrument that clearly elevates and distinguishes him from his able contemporaries. Joining Sipiagin on this musical journey is Posi-Tone's steadily serviceable and reliably inventive rhythm section of pianist Art Hirahara, bassist Boris Kozlov and drummer Rudy Royston.

With elegant lyricism, Sipiagin leads the group steadily straight forward to explore harmonic wonderlands that clearly reflect his modern melodic non-diatonic jazz sensibility. With a thoughtful program of original compositions and arrangements, Alex Sipiagin clearly attenuates his focus "Upstream" and successfully provides jazz fans everywhere with an astonishing array of captivating currents and bright moments to cherish and enjoy.

1. Call 05:22

2. Echo Canyon 05:30

3. Sight 05:21

4. SipaTham 06:20

5. Magic Square 05:44

6. Rain 07:10

7. Shura 06:46

8. Miyako 05:00

9. Upstream 07:37

Alex Sipiagin - trumpet, flugelhorn

Art Hirahara - piano

Boris Kozlov - bass

Rudy Royston - drums & percussion

Marc Free - producer

Nick O’Toole - mixing & mastering engineer

Michael Brorby - recording engineer

recorded October 24-25, 2020 at Acoustic Recording, Brooklyn, NY

mixed & mastered at Woodland Studio, Lake Oswego, OR

Pre-order

Alexa Tarantino - Firefly (April 2021 Posi-Tone Records)

Alexa Tarantino burns bright with a scintillating maturity of insight and takes flight on Firefly, her 2021 release for Posi-Tone Records. Driven on by the Winds Of Change to refine the Clarity of her artistic vision, Tarantino reaches inward to transform herself into the luminous “Firefly” and searches to discover the unifying spark of eternity hidden behind each individual moment in time. Supported on the album by familiar collaborators, including vibraphonist Behn Gillece, pianist Art Hirahara, bassist Boris Kozlov, and drummer Rudy Royston, Alexa leads her group by example and sparkles with melodic inspiration throughout.

The centerpiece of the album is Alexa’s evocative Moment in Time suite which clearly demonstrates her advancement as a composer and showcases the wide range of her effortless multi-instrument virtuosity. With an engaging program of original compositions and a few tasty covers, Firefly presents the world with a musical message that shines brightly into the darkness to provide a much-needed message of wonder, poise, joy and hope.

1. Spider's Dance 05:38

2. Mindful Moments 04:44

3. Move Of The Spirit 04:07

4. Iris 04:43

5. Daybreak 04:19

6. Surge Fughetta 01:37

7. Surge Capacity 04:11

8. La Donna Nel Giardino 04:34

9. Rootless Ruthlessness 06:43

10. Lady Day 06:33

11. Violet Sky 04:24

12. The Firefly Code 05:56

Alexa Tarantino - alto saxophone, soprano saxophone, alto flute, flute and clarinet

Behn Gillece - vibraphone

Art Hirahara - piano and Rhodes

Boris Kozlov - bass

Rudy Royston - drums and percussion

Marc Free - producer

Nick O’Toole - mixing & mastering engineer

Michael Brorby - recording engineer

recorded September 14-15, 2020 at Acoustic Recording, Brooklyn, NY

mixed & mastered at Woodland Studio, Lake Oswego, OR

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Behn Gillece - Still Doing Our Thing (March 2021 Posi-Tone Records)

While to many eyes and ears the pandemic-era jazz scene appears to be darkened or shut down, Posi-Tone is here to assure listeners that we are "Still Doing Our Thing." Breaking the sound barrier with an inspired sense of purpose, rising star vibraphonist Behn Gillece leads his worthy constituents on an exciting quartet date of brilliant performances. The band features veterans pianist Art Hirahara, bassist Boris Kozlov and drummer Rudy Royston. From the opening salvo to the last hurrah, the musical program remains melodically straight forward, elegantly lyrical and clearly suggestive of a modern jazz sensibility with hard-swinging highlights.

Featuring an amazing combination of talents and an evocative collection of original compositions, "Still Doing Our Thing" is engagingly entertaining throughout and certain to deliver bright moments of intense delight to jazz fans everywhere.

1. Extraction 05:30

2. Rattles 05:00

3. Still Doing Our Thing 04:53

4. Blue Sojourn 05:20

5. Glad To Be Back 04:58

6. Outnumbered 05:40

7. Event Horizon 06:45

8. Back To Abnormal 05:21

9. Going On Well 05:14

10. Don't Despair 07:48

Behn Gillece - vibraphone

Art Hirahara - piano, Rhodes 1, 6 & 10

Boris Kozlov - bass, electric bass 6 & 10

Rudy Royston - drums and percussion

Nicole Glover - tenor saxophone 7

Marc Free - producer

Nick O’Toole - mixing & mastering engineer

Michael Brorby - recording engineer

recorded August 9-12, 2020 at Acoustic Recording, Brooklyn, NY

mixed & mastered at Woodland Studio, Lake Oswego, OR

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Rudresh Mahanthappa - Hero Trio (Whirlwind Recordings)

Over the course of an illustrious twenty-five-year career Rudresh Mahanthappa’s music making has constantly pushed at the artistic boundaries to encompass such diverse influences as classic bebop, the flash and fury of electric fusion, and the complexities of Carnatic music, while always maintaining a clear sense of his own fiercely intelligent, uncompromising musical personality.

On 'Hero Trio', his sixteenth release as a leader/co-leader, he has moved the focus away from his own compositions to pay tribute to his greatest influences with an album of interpretations. All of the material is presented in Mahanthappa’s characteristically original arrangements, and to approach them with the greatest degree of freedom and spontaneity he chose to record in trio format, enlisting the talents of long-time associates François Moutin on bass and Rudy Royston on drums.

Their effortless collective virtuosity, and the perfect attunement of their musical thinking honed over two decades of playing together, makes this album an outstanding addition to the genre. “Playing chordless trio, you’re very exposed but you also have a degree of freedom that’s very special. There’s also a great history of piano trios that have a beautiful way of functioning like a single organism, and I wanted to capture that energy. I wrote the arrangements, and when we came together to rehearse I didn’t have to reorganise a thing. I felt like within ten minutes we were ready to make an album.”

His role as Director of Jazz at Princeton stimulated Mahanthappa to conduct a deep exploration of the standard repertoire, and this in turn led him to focus in on the diverse individual tunes that have helped shape his own career. Charlie Parker’s ‘Red Cross’ was one of the first Parker tunes Mahanthappa ever learnt, and appealed to him for its humour, an often overlooked component of Parker’s genius. The trio give it a thorough reworking. “It’s been interesting for me to take things apart - we play the melody divided into three different sections that are really three different moods, but it felt really natural at the same time.” ‘Overjoyed’ is an arrangement of the Stevie Wonder classic by Danilo Perez, with whom Mahanthappa has played in duo format - “Just an awesome tune in any way shape or form. Danilo’s arrangement goes through different meters and complex harmony but still flows beautifully: Francois has the ability to suggest all kinds of harmony even without a piano being present and I took full advantage of that.”

Mahanthappa wanted to acknowledge that his path would not have been possible without both Charlie Parker and John Coltrane, and he boldly combines their compositions in ‘Barbados/26-2’, emphasising the unifying strength of the melodies and the ingenuity of his arranger’s touch. By contrast, in live performance the trio have developed a strategy where the three of them create a spontaneously improvised groove for Mahanthappa to take in any direction he chooses - 'I Can’t Get Started' replicates that approach to powerful effect, showcasing how his sophisticated rhythmic conception can accommodate his love for Sonny Rollins and Benny Carter without compromise. ‘The Windup’ is from Keith Jarret’s ‘Belonging’, one of Mahanthappa’s favourite ever albums – “A ridiculously awesome album. I also liked the challenge of recording Jarrett with a pianoless group - if you can do that, then you can do anything.”

June Carter Cash wrote ‘Ring of Fire’ for her husband Johnny, and the tune connects Mahanthappa with his Colorado childhood. "Like Dolly Parton, when you take a closer look at what they did compositionally you realise that it has a conversational flow, with odd length phrases and extra bars here and there, and I wanted to capture that freedom." Reinvigorated jam session favourite ‘I’ll Remember April’ is inspired in part by the majestic version on Lee Konitz’s ‘Motion’ album, but Mahanthappa and the trio stamp their own idiosyncratic personalities onto this stunningly original performance. ‘Sadness’ explores the legacy of Ornette Coleman’s mid-sixties trio with David Izenzon and Charles Moffett - “The sonic landscape the three musicians created is pretty amazing - we wanted to explore those textures.” Mahanthappa wanted to include some lesser known Parker tunes and ‘Dewey Square’ was a last-minute spontaneous addition in the studio that provided a perfect bookend for the album.

Hero Trio is both a striking statement of Mahanthappa's own unique vision, and a tribute to his musical inspirations. “I have always wanted to record in the powerful yet intimate trio format. It would be an incomplete venture without somehow celebrating the quintessential saxophone trio work of Sonny Rollins, Lee Konitz, and Ornette Coleman. Outside of the jazz world, I first saw both Johnny Cash and Stevie Wonder on Sesame Street as a child and have always found their work to be beautiful, humorous, pensive, and utterly joyful. They have played such a strong role in helping me to look beyond the illusory boundaries of genre towards seeing music as a magical force that binds humanity. With this album, we seek to endorse and spread that message widely.”

1. Red Cross 06:29

2. Overjoyed 06:42

3. Barbados - 26/2 06:40

4. I Can't Get Started 05:30

5. The Windup 04:42

6. Ring Of Fire 03:56 video

7. I'll Remember April 05:45

8. Sadness 03:07

9. Dewey Square 02:42

Rudresh Mahanthappa - alto saxophone

François Moutin - acoustic bass

Rudy Royston - drums

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UPLIFT 10: Fear No Love | Rudy Royston Podcast & New Single (GREENLEAF MUSIC)

Join us to hear our latest track

Our October UPLIFT track supports Lamda Legal and their important work on behalf of LGBTQ legal and civil rights.

We've posted some excerpts and complete tracks on Bandcamp and Soundcloud so you can preview the entire subscribers series featuring Dave Douglas, Joe Lovano, Mary Halvorson, Julian Lage, Bill Laswell and Ian Chang.

Rudy Royston introduces Flatbed Buggy

This special edition of the podcast features Rudy Royston previewing tracks from his upcoming album Flatbed Buggy, discussing the inspirations for his compositions and giving an insider's view on how the record came together.

We've also released the third single from the album, Hourglass, ahead of the release date on October 26. Check it out here.

Rudy Royston - Flatbed Buggy (GREENLEAF MUSIC October 26, 2018)

Introducing Rudy Royston’s new record Flatbed Buggy

We’re announcing Rudy Royston’s third album as a bandleader. Flatbed Buggy features a new chamber-like quintet performing Rudy’s original compositions inspired by his youth growing up in Texas.

The album will be available worldwide on October 26

The new album, Rudy’s third as a bandleader, features thirteen original compositions for a new chamber-like quintet that includes Gary Versace (accordion), John Ellis (bass clarinet/saxophones), Hank Roberts (cello) and Joe Martin (bass).

Rudy Royston, first-call drummer with Bill Frisell, JD Allen, Dave Douglas and a host of other jazz greats, has honed a thoroughly engaging voice as a composer and bandleader with his compelling debut 303 (2014) and the raw and bracing trio follow-up Rise of Orion (2016). To these fine releases, both on Dave Douglas’ Greenleaf Music imprint, Royston now adds his third, Flatbed Buggy, rich in tonal contrast and mood yet steeped in the supple, enduring swing and groove that has driven his writing and playing from the start.

Right away the instrumentation is a striking departure: Royston leads a compact, almost chamber-like quintet featuring Gary Versace (accordion), John Ellis (bass clarinet/saxophones), Hank Roberts (cello) and Joe Martin (bass). “I was going for something that was more about melodies,” Royston declares. “I wanted to illustrate a story.” And indeed, the melodies flow forth on Flatbed Buggy, with rich harmony and surpassingly subtle orchestration and interplay occurring at every step as well.

Of the album title, Royston says: “Flatbed buggies to me mean country, they mean home, they mean earth. We lived in Denver but my father lived in Texas, and I would spend time in the country there. I remember riding on this kind of flatbed buggy thing when I was a child. The whole feeling that brought me … it was comforting, it was outside, this bitter shrubbery smell, my friends are there, my family’s there. So it’s about that, but the album also has to do with time: a time in my life, the beginning of things, the process of them. The buggy moving along up a road represents the movement of time. And the titles on the album really have to do with time and motion.”

The warmth and immediacy captured by Royston and the group, the unorthodox sound of the instrumental combinations themselves, marks Flatbed Buggy as a creative breakthrough. “Ron Miles is always my major influence,” the drummer offers, “because his music is so sing-able and melodically rich. I wanted that melodic quality but also moments underneath in the harmony where it was a little scratchy, a little dusty. My neighborhood in Texas was a little dusty.”

Together with the deep and woody instrumental timbres of Flatbed Buggy, there’s the way Royston keeps them continuously in play, beyond conventional jazz-combo roles: “I wanted us all to be constantly playing. I wanted us all to orchestrate or color or have a little input regardless of who is soloing. So if you check out the little stuff Hank is doing on Gary’s solos, for instance — all these neat little themes are happening. It sounds very orchestra-like for me. Some of it is written but 90 percent is those guys just interjecting their own taste into what’s going at the time.

At points in the program are short, rhythmically propulsive interludes — “Bed Boppin’,” “Dirty Stetson,” “Hold My Mule” (an old church expression), “I Guess It’s Time to Go” — that serve as what Royston calls “leaps of time.” “They remind you that you’re moving forward,” he says. “I hope there’s no ending on anything: a lot of these pieces fade out, because even when we pass away things still seem to be going forward somehow.”

In particular, the thematically related “Boy…Man” and “Girl…Woman” bring the passage of time further into focus, each a musical story not only of growth and maturation but eternal life: “That’s why I fade out, because it’s not about endings. It’s not like, ‘She lived her life and then passed away.’ It’s kind of like nothing ends, not yet.”

While Flatbed Buggy presents far more than a succession of virtuosic solos, the passion and technical depth of the performances themselves — including standout improvisations from all involved — can’t go unremarked. John Ellis, among the great saxophonists of his generation, plays mainly bass clarinet throughout, achieving a remarkable sound and impact. Gary Versace, a top organist and pianist of our time, is equally stunning on accordion, bringing a reedy melodic sustain and full harmonic weight to the music. On the low strings, whether bowed or pizzicato, Hank Roberts and Joe Martin contribute a wealth of subtlety and energy as well, intersecting and digging in, never in the expected ways. And Royston, even though he lays back and never dominates here (he notes there’s only one drum solo on the record), still offers what amounts to a master class on the jazz drummer’s art.

There’s an endless amount to discover: the melodic development and final triumphant letting-loose of the opening “Soul Train”; the hint of New Orleans rhythm in “Flatbed Buggy”; the picture of innocence in a young child twirling, on “Twirler,” with a startlingly brilliant tempo shift into slow swing; or the fast, twisty bop theme and soprano sax showcase of “Bobble Head” (where that lone drum solo crops up).

Another major statement is “The Roadside,” inspired by memories of a drive through wide open space in Texas, with great expanses of weeds and wildflowers. “It was very beautiful to be in the midst of all that,” Royston says. “It was moving, it was in motion, these flowers on the side of a dirt road, sprawled everywhere. My dad loved to fish, so we were driving somewhere to some pond, in the back of the country somewhere. The piece takes you back to that moment and reminds you that no matter where you are now, you’re on a journey someplace.”

PERSONNEL

Rudy Royston, drums

John Ellis, bass clarinet / saxophones

Gary Versace, accordion

Hank Roberts, cello

Joe Martin, bass

PRODUCTION CREDITS

Produced by Rudy Royston

Executive Producer: Dave Douglas

Engineered, edited and mixed by David Kowalski at Teaneck Sound Studios, Paramus, NJ, April 2018

Mastered by Kevin Blackler at Blackler Mastering, Brooklyn, NY, May, 2018

All songs by Rudy Royston (Rudy Royston Publishing / ASCAP)

Cover Design by Rudy Royston

Cover Buggy Photo by Isabella Oprete

TRACK DETAILS

1. Soul Train (9:44)

2. Bed Bobbin’ (0:35)

3. Flatbed Buggy (5:45)

4. boy…MAN (5:43)

5. Twirler (5:24)

6. Dirty Steson (0:32)

7. Hourglass (7:15)

8. Bobblehead (5:51)

9. The Roadside Flowers (6:54)

10. Hold My Mule (0:36)

11. girl…WOMAN (11:07)

12. I Guess It‘s Time To Go (1:35)

13: I Wanted To Be Home Soon (9:26) * Bonus track, Bandcamp download only

Check out the album’s title track, on Apple Music and Spotify.

Pre-order the album now on Bandcamp, iTunes, Amazon and you’ll receive the lead track instantly!

And watch for tour dates to be announced soon!

Enjoy the music!