AVAILABLE NOW: Lunar Octet | "Convergence" | Summit Records

A decades-long institution in Ann Arbor, home of the University of Michigan, and also the nearby Metro Detroit area, the Lunar Octet is back with a potent collection of originals inspired by such wide-ranging influences as mambo, samba, funk, Afrobeat and jazz on Convergence. The title itself suggests a confluence of rhythms and styles, and that is precisely what this band of multi-directional musicians has been doing since meeting 36 years ago in Ann Arbor and subsequently recording their 1994 debut, Highway Fun for Schoolkids Records. Reuniting in the studio 25 years later, the members of the Lunar Octet documented their collective growth while remaining committed to their original mission on Convergence, scheduled for a May 7th release on Summit Records.

From the percolating salsa groove of the infectious opener, “Norm’s Nambo,” to the swinging big band flavored chart, “Toote Suite,” the Brazilian music influenced “Mambossa,” the rhythmically charged “Subway Tension”, and the entrancing Afrobeat numbers “Dancin’ in the Doghouse” and “Heart of Congatar,” the Lunar Octet presents a compelling world view of sound. Add the churning “Samba Diabolico,” the buoyantly swinging “Crusin'” (think Neal Hefti arrangements for the mid ’50s Count Basie band), the alluring tango “Until I Find Words” (an clarinet feature) and the rollicking, Brazilian flavored batucada “Samba Over Easy” (reminiscent of Airto Moreira’s “Tombo in 7/4”), and you’ve got a veritable United Nations of sound that you can also dance to.

“The Lunar Octet is like a diamond,” said percussionist and co-founding member Aron Kaufman, called “the soul of the band” by his colleagues. “We’re all different facets of the diamond expressing the singularity of our musical mission. And it’s not about our technique, in terms of us being monster chops players who want to show off how amazing we are. Really, it’s the sum of the parts that brings hope and joy and love to people who come to see us. I believe with all my heart and soul that as artists, if we can lift people’s spirits by showing a love and celebration of the different world musical cultures that we bring to life in our particular special way, we’re bringing some light to the darkness.”

Regarding the group’s long hiatus and recent return with Convergence, Krosnick said, “The early ’90s was the peak time for the band, when we were on national radio broadcasts and playing at major festivals. But then band members moved away. I took a job teaching at Ohio State, Steve Hiltner moved to North Carolina, others moved elsewhere. So we lost momentum. But we rediscovered ourselves five years ago and said, “Hey, this music’s cool, let’s keep doing this.” That reunion came in 2014 with a performance at the Kerrytown Concert House in Ann Arbor. And regular performances have followed ever since. “It’s been fun to come back with live shows,” said Krosnick. “And now with the release of Convergence, we’re feeling like we can create some buzz about the band and do some touring.”

Krosnick explained that the band’s initial Afrobeat influence came in large part from original bassist Dan Ladizinsky, who names King Sunny Ade as a primary influence. As Jon recalls, “It was literally a garage band in the beginning. Guys were getting together and just trying to groove. The more intricate compositions only kicked in years later when Steve Hiltner joined the band. He brought in some of the more highly orchestrated stuff that’s full of complexities and twists and surprises and unexpected bridges. But it was quite the opposite in the beginning. The original version of the band had no piano player and two bass players and a guitar player, so there was a deep African groove thing happening, like a jam band.”

“I sort of ruined it for the faction of the group that really loved straight-ahead grooves and simple melodic stuff,” said Hiltner. “I started bringing in pieces that were more than just stock 32 bar tunes that could be in the Real Book. I bring a classical element to the band in the motivic development in my compositions, which you can hear on ‘Samba Diabolico,’ for instance.” Of the seemingly disparate musical elements coming together on Convergence, Hiltner, a trained botanist added: “Nature is just miraculous in the way it breaks everything down into constituent parts and then builds something new. I think of the creative process like that. It’s like composting: bringing lots of different elements together so something new comes out of the blend.”

After such a long hiatus from recording, Kaufman is thrilled about the release of the Lunar Octet’s Convergence. “It shows the longevity of our friendships and music all intertwined,” he said. “And music really is an expression of our connections to each other. What we’re doing reflects years and years of building trust and relationships.” He added, “I’m always open to new possibilities. That’s what’s great about the Lunar Octet. Over and over again, one of us has come up with an idea that has musical integrity and a quality that is inspiring and that we are excited about. That’s what makes our music so interesting and varied. And we always support each other to bring those kinds of tunes out. Openness of sharing is an important part of the band. All of the many different musical qualities that we all bring to the table help form a nice balance.”

Norm's Mambo (comp: Aron Kaufman)

Toote Sweet (comp: Stephen Hiltner)

Oye (comp: Aron Kaufman)

Subway Tension (comp: Aron Kaufman)

Mambossa (comp: Stephen Hiltner)

Flugel Tune (comp: Stephen Hiltner)

Dancin' in the Doghouse (comp: Aron Kaufman)

Elephants (comp: Paul Vornhagen)

Samba Diabolico (comp: Stephen Hiltner)

Crusin' (comp: Stephen Hiltner)

Heart of Congatar (comp: Aron Kaufman)

Until I Find the Words (comp: Stephen Hiltner)

Olduvai Gorge (comp: David A. Mason)

Samba Over Easy (comp: Stephen Hiltner)

Lunar Octet is back with a potent collection of originals inspired by mambo, samba, funk, Afrobeat and jazz! RED HOT!!

Brandon Cooper — trumpet, flugelhorn, vocal (track 14)

Stephen Hiltner – alto saxophone, Bb clarinet (track 12)

Paul Vornhagen — tenor saxophone, soprano saxophone, alto clarinet (track 4)

Sam Clark – guitar

Keaton Royer – piano

Jeff Dalton — acoustic bass, electric bass, vocal (track 14)

Jon Krosnick — drums

Aron Kaufman — congas, bongos, vocal (tracks 3, 14)

Olman Piedra — timbales, Latin percussion

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John Fedchock NY Sextet - Into The Shadows (Summit Records)

John Fedchock NY Sextet releases Into The Shadows,

a recording featuring an all-star roster 

performing fresh originals and new takes on standards

“Straight from the shoulder, unpretentious jazz.” – Jazz Journal

 

“a lineup of dazzling New York post-bop talent.” – Boston Post Gazette

 

“This is modern music that is symmetrical and harmonious and therefore a joy to the ear.” – AllMusic

 

“This tight sextet is astounding.” – Jazzscene

The John Fedchock NY Sextet recording Into The Shadows – released by Summit Records on July 17, 2020 – is the trombonist’s tenth album as leader, this time with an all-star group showcasing Fedchock’s notable solo skills and bringing his special composing/arranging to the forefront. The recording features new treatments of familiar standards coupled with five Fedchock originals in a dynamic album capturing a seasoned group of veterans. Fedchock shares the spotlight equally with the sextet’s other top-notch soloists: trumpeter Scott Wendholt, tenor saxophonist Walt Weiskopf, pianist Allen Farnham, bassist David Finck, and drummer Eric Halvorson. 

Although he’s garnered many accolades and GRAMMY award nominations for work with his New York Big Band, Fedchock explains his foray into the smaller format:  “Working with the sextet is the best of both worlds. While still giving plenty of space for individual soloists, the configuration offers unique, creative writing options and maintains a sleek and mobile blend.” Fedchock updates standards with a 21st century feel through his modernized arrangements while still embracing the heritage and provenance of the music. Considering the history of legendary sextets in the jazz canon, Fedchock understands that those groups “set an extremely high standard, so my biggest challenge in forming this NY Sextet was to honor that distinguished tradition and create something individual.” 

Fedchock’s NY Sextet has been in existence for nearly 20 years. It was first heard on a few tracks on Fedchock’s 2000 release, Hit The Bricks (Reservoir), which initiated the official formation of the band. The group’s 2010 release, Live At The Red Sea Jazz Festival (Capri), showed a glimpse of the sextet at a large international showcase. AllAboutJazz called the performance “electrifying” and declared Fedchock “a wildly creative composer who suggests melodies that turn into spectacular edifices.” Improvijazzation Nation exclaimed, “When you experience the levels of intensity they are playing, you know you're in the presence of jazz royalty, no doubt!”

 

With Into The Shadows, the trombonist’s acclaimed composing is clearly on display, featuring fresh writing anointed with Fedchock’s indelible musical signature. Five Fedchock originals cover the gamut of styles and emotions, honoring but not imitating music from history’s great sextets. The opening track RSVP starts off with a bit of abstract dissonance before opening up into familiar chords and an infectious Latin groove. Alpha Dog, the assertive shuffle, harkens back to memories of Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers, but Fedchock’s harmonic approach gives the tune a decidedly updated sound, taking away any intent of a “retro” message.  Manaus, dedicated to the city in Brazil’s Amazon region, is smooth and warm, with a seductive melody and lush horn harmonies. The title track, Into The Shadows, inspired by Fedchock’s introspective time writing at the Yaddo artist’s retreat, is a lamenting theme with a fragile allure. His a cappella trombone introduction sets the mood of solitude, and dense harmonies create a solemn tone for reflective solos by Fedchock, Wendholt and Farnham.

Fedchock’s distinctive arranging style puts each of the three well-known standards into a completely new and different light. I Should Care, normally performed as a ballad, is treated as an up-tempo vehicle offset with a disjointed rhythmic vamp to keep things off balance. An Afro-Latin setting transports the classic Nature Boy deep into the rainforest, giving the theme an added depth and heightened intensity. And Star Eyes, a straight-ahead standard played by many bebop masters, is totally transformed utilizing bright post-modern harmonies and a churning even-eighth feel that eventually relents to Fedchock’s trombone in a masterfully swinging extended solo. And although an original melody, RSVP is actually a contrafact that Fedchock describes as a “reply” to the chord changes of the old standard, Invitation.

 

Closing out the session is On The Edge, Fedchock’s energetic blues theme, culled from his 1998 big band release of the same name. It is the album’s most straight-ahead tune set in an open blowing format, showcasing each player’s mastery of the music while displaying a relentless and undeniable groove, right to the final note.

 

Regarding his stellar sidemen, Fedchock says, “All are master improvisers who not only thrive within a modern framework, but also have not forgotten how to swing in a genuine and profound way. Players with these qualities give me the freedom to experiment with vintage repertoire by adding a new viewpoint while still maintaining the true essence of the material.” 

 

In recent years, Fedchock has focused on featuring his virtuosic trombone in small group projects, most notably with his quartet. His two releases Fluidity and Reminiscence (Summit) brought praise from critics including DownBeat, who observed,“With a golden tone and powerful delivery, Fedchock leads the quartet through standards and originals, delivering a timeless brand of hard-bop that’s free of cliché.” The New York Times has heralded Fedchock for his “dazzling trombone virtuosity.”His style eschews mere pyrotechnics for a relaxed lyricism and his sound is inviting and perfectly articulated.

Amidst it all, Fedchock has continued to keep his critically lauded 16-piece New York Big Band on the front burner.  The stellar unit, which has set the standard for modern, post-swing large ensembles for over three decades, has become a marquee group bringing Fedchock to the GRAMMY finals twice for his notable arranging skills.  The band has been stunningly captured on four Reservoir releases and one for MAMA Records.  

 

Born in Cleveland, Ohio, Fedchock began his career in 1980 as a jazz trombonist with the legendary Woody Herman Orchestra, serving as featured soloist, musical director and chief arranger for Herman's last two GRAMMY nominated albums.  Herman said of Fedchock, "He's my right hand man. Everything I ask of John he accomplishes, and I ask a lot. He's a major talent." Fedchock has also toured with Gerry Mulligan, T.S. Monk, Louie Bellson, Bob Belden and the Carnegie Hall Jazz Band, and has performed as a featured soloist, composer and conductor around the world. 

 

After the NY Sextet’s 2010 live release, DownBeat exclaimed, “Here's hoping Fedchock can keep this group out on the road so their impressive rapport can evolve even further.” Fedchock took that comment to heart, and now, ten years later, this album is the delightful result of that evolution.

1. RSVP 6:37

2. Alpha Dog 7:24

3. Manaus 7:16

4. I Should Care 7:01

5. Nature Boy 8:10

6. Into the Shadows 7:37

7. Star Eyes 7:16

8. On the Edge 6:25

John Fedchock: Trombone

Walt Weiskopf: Tenor Saxophone 

Scott Wendholt: Trumpet, Flugelhorn

Allen Farnham: Piano

David Finck: Bass

Eric Halvorson: Drums

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Schapiro 17 - Human Qualities (March 2021 Summit Records)

Human Qualities is the follow-up to the 2020 debut, New Shoes: Kind of Blue at 60.

This recording brings back the 17 members of the progressive New York big band. Unlike New Shoes, which offers a thematic focus on Kind of Blue, Human Qualities features seven Jon Schapiro originals and one arrangement – featuring a powerhouse rhythm section, fiercely swinging ensembles, and sterling solo work.

trumpets: Bryan Davis, Andy Gravish, Eddie Allen, Noyes Bartholomew

trombones: Alex Jeun, Deborah Weisz, Nick Grinder, Walter Harris

saxophones: Rob Wilkerson, Candace DeBartolo, Paul Carlon, Rob Middleton, Matt Hong

piano: Roberta Piket; guitar: Sebastian Noelle; bass: Evan Gregor; drums: Jon Wikan

DOWNBEAT says:  “…ensemble is powered by a first-rate rhythm section…Schapiro’s writing is what really does the trick, fleshing out his ideas through lean, deftly coloristic ensemble passages that manage to convey small-band dynamics with a big-band toolkit…”

The set opens with “Count Me Out”, with roots dug deep into Kansas City, and a destination far from Basie. Rob Middleton, Deborah Weisz, and Roberta Piket handle the solos, maintaining the high energy level. “Tango” is a feature for baritonist Matt Hong, whose work is lyrical and logical. “Hmmm” is close to a shuffle, allowing the band to blow off steam. Andy Gravish and Paul Carlon, on trumpet and tenor respectively, feed off of and contribute to the band’s drive. “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face”, a Schapiro arrangement, features Eddie Allen, whose bright, lyrical trumpet offsets the darker qualities of the orchestration.

The title track opens as an exercise in counterpoint before giving way to a sharp and crisp alto solo from Rob Wilkerson. Nick Grinder’s subsequent trombone solo is dark and cerebral. Roberta Piket joins the return to a contrapuntal mentality, both dynamic and linear, cutting across the orchestration. “Hallelujah,” a dirge, is abstract and muted. Edgy tenor and guitar work from Carlon and Sebastian Noelle make the track a highlight for listeners who like tension in their music. Drummer Jon Wikan has space to add his own idiosyncratic rhythmic layer. “A Bounce in Her Step” is best categorized as bebop. With no clear tonal center early in the chart, listeners hear the chart’s more bebop-oriented rhythms. Walter Harris and Rob Wilkerson take full advantage of the solo space. Bouncy and funky, “House Money” is a showcase for the Alex Jeun’s forceful and kinetic trombone.

Count on Me

Tango

Hmmm

The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face

Human Qualities

Hallelujah

A Bounce in Her Step

House Money

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Rebecca DuMaine and the Dave Miller Trio - Someday, Someday (March 2021 Summit Records)

“REBECCA DUMAINE  & the Dave Miller Trio/Someday, Someday:  Hanging out with her pop again, one of the hippest lawyers we know of, Dumaine serves up some of the tastiest cocktail jazz once again.  With a nicely varied set card that doesn’t stick to just one era, she covers the bases well while hitting it out of the park consistently.  This is a well needed dose of class that comes in handy right about now.  Well done.” -MIDWEST RECORD

“…Deliciously diverse jazz vocals Rebecca DuMaine and the Dave Miller Trio.  I give Rebecca and Dave’s trio a MOST HIGHLY RECOMMENDED rating, with an “EQ” (energy quotient) score of 4.98…” -Contemporary Fusion

… beautiful tone, clear articulation, ability to dig deep into the meaning of the lyrics and the joy that she displays while singing are unchanged as is Dave Miller’s swinging solos and tasteful accompaniment…many of the songs (even the vintage ones) relate to the pandemic, and the singer contributed two originals.

With the release of Chez Nous in 2019, the future certainly looked bright for singer Rebecca DuMaine and her father pianist Dave Miller. But then the Covid-19 pandemic hit and, as for virtually everyone, their plans and dreams got put on hold.

“2020 has certainly been a dark year,” says Rebecca. “I found myself gravitating more towards singing melancholy songs and I also started writing. We decided to do an album that deviated a little from our typical sunny upbeat and hopeful mood and looked into songs that were a little bit darker but still ultimately hopeful. It was a cathartic experience for us.”

Dave Miller grew up on Long Island, New York and started playing piano when he was just three. Although classically trained, seeing Ahmad Jamal in concert and loving the music of George Shearing resulted in him switching to jazz as a teenager. His group is heard at its best on 2009’s Rapture and their 2019 tribute to George Shearing Just Imagine plus their recordings with his daughter.

Rebecca DuMaine was raised in the San Francisco Bay area and had a successful career as an actress who appeared on stage, in commercials and voice-overs, and is additionally a professor of voice and speech.

She always loved to sing but found that she preferred singing jazz over musical theater. Since moving back to Northern California from New York in 2010, Rebecca has sung regularly with her father’s trio. They have recorded five CDs for Summit prior to 2020.

Just Friends

Alone Again (Naturally)

Samba De Mon Coeur Qui Bat

The Gentleman Is A Dope

Someday, Someday

Both Sides Now

Time To Get Unstuck (Happy Little New Song)

As Long As I Live

On A Clear Day

I Guess I’ll Have To Change My Plan

Cry Me A River

La Vie En Rose/Au Privave

Wrap Your Troubles In Dreams

Sunny

Rebecca DuMaine, vocals

Dave Miller, piano

Chuck Bennett, bass

Bill Belasco, drums

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William Hess - Solo Euphonium (February 2021 Summit Records)

William Hess is an internationally renowned euphonium soloist, euphonium professor, and low brass artist who currently resides in his hometown of New Orleans, LA.

Hess studied euphonium performance at the University of Southern Mississippi, the University of Missouri – Kansas City’s Conservatory of Music, and the University of Cincinnati’s Conservatory of Music before becoming the Euphonium Instructor at Montclair State University, and currently the Instructor of Euphonium and Tuba at Loyola University – New Orleans.

Career music performance highlights have seen Hess perform in Carnegie Hall, take four European and two American tours as a soloist, with the Fountain City Brass Band, and with the Twisted Steel Quartet, as well as solo with numerous university and festival bands and orchestras. William has been featured as a Guest Artist at several International Tuba Euphonium Conferences, the US Army Band’s Tuba Euphonium Workshop, and has been invited to lecture at Tuba Euphonium Symposiums across the country. Hess has also won many acclaimed music awards, including winning international solo awards on three different brass instruments (euphonium, trombone, baritone horn), including winning both of the International Tuba Euphonium Conference’s very prestigious Artist Euphonium Solo and Quartet Competition awards when he was nineteen years old.

Caprice no. 24

Cascades

Paritita Veneziana: 1. At Vivaldi's Church

Paritita Veneziana: 2. A Cold Mist over the Cypress Trees

Paritita Veneziana: 3. Trantella: Plaz San Marco

Polar Vortex

Syrinx

Partita in A minor: 1. Allemande

Partita in A minor: 2. Courante

Partita in A minor: 3. Sarabande

Partita in A minor: 4. Bourée

Blue Lake Fantasies: 1. Firefly

Blue Lake Fantasies: 2. Moonlight Across the Water

Blue Lake Fantasies: 3. All that Jazz

Blue Lake Fantasies: 4. Ancient Native Air

Blue Lake Fantasies: 5. Party Antics

Elegy for Mippy II

Fnugg

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Music of Daniel Asia - Ivory II (February 2021 Summit Records)

Critically acclaimed Daniel Asia has been heralded by Fanfare Magazine as “…a terrific contemporary American composer…”, “…a composer of fertile imagination…freshness seeps into his scores…”.  On this recording, Asia’s writing covers a time span from 1975- 2017. The pieces presented here cover a broad and evolutionary compositional terrain.  Almost every work includes music of humor and an evanescent lightness as well as music of seriousness that reaches towards transcendence and a place of reverence.

Daniel Asia has been an eclectic and unique composer from the start. He has enjoyed grants from Meet the Composer, a UK Fulbright award, Guggenheim Fellowship, DAAD, MacDowell and Tanglewood fellowships, ASCAP and BMI prizes, Copland Fund grants, Fromm and Barlow Foundation commissions, among numerous others. He was honored with a Music Academy Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters. From 1991-1994 he was the Meet the Composer Composer- in Residence of the Phoenix Symphony.

Asia’s five symphonies have received wide acclaim from live performance and their international recordings. The Fifth Symphony, commissioned for the Tucson and Jerusalem symphony orchestras in celebration of Israel’s 60th anniversary, is based on the poetry of the Jewish-American writer Paul Pines, the Israeli poet Yehuda Amichai, and Psalms.

His orchestral works have been commissioned or performed by symphony orchestras across the world.

In the chamber music arena, Mr. Asia has written for, and been championed by, the Dorian Wind Quintet, American Brass Quintet, Meadowmount Trio, Cypress Quartet, Andre-Michel Schub (piano), Carter Brey (cello), Alex Klein (oboe), Benjamin Verdery (guitar), John Shirley-Quirk and Sara Watkins (baritone and oboe), Jonathan Shames (piano), among others. Under a Barlow Endowment grant, he completed work for The Czech Nonet, the longest continuously performing chamber ensemble on the planet, founded in 1924.

1. Piano Set I: I. Tensely Energetic

2. Piano Set I: II. Dreamlike, with Much Rubato

3. Piano Set I: III. Exuberante!

4. Piano Set I: IV. Metronomic; Absolutely Steady

5. Piano Set I: V. Nostalgic; Cantabile

6. Piano Set II: I. Aggressive and Antagonistic

7. Piano Set II: II. Askew

8. Piano Set II: III. Playful

9. Piano Set II: IV. Meditative

10. Piano Set II: V. Askew

11. Piano Set II: VI. Dominant-Inferior

12. Piano Set II: VII. Mutually Combative-Energetic

13. Piano Variations: I. Majestic

14. Piano Variations: II. Calm and Placid

15. Piano Variations: III. Lively

16. Piano Variations: IV. Majestic

17. No Time: Ruminative, Pondering

18. Ragflections: A Gentle, Easy Swing

19. Iris: I. Jauntily

20. Iris: II. Slow, Almost Lethargic

21. Iris: III. Impetuously

Daniel Linder performs: Piano Set I, Variations for Piano, No Time, and Ragflections

Daniel Linder/Fanya Lin perform: Piano Set II

Dana Muller/Gary Steigerwalt perform: Iris

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Joseph Howell Quartet - Live in Japan (February 2021 Summit Records)

In a world full of musicians, it remains a rare instance when multiple players come together and find they are perfectly suited to each other. The group on this recording feels more like a family than a band. All of the players support and enjoy each other’s playing and company.

1. Serenity

2. Good Bait

3. Nefertiti

4. Jinriksha

5. Mamacita

6. My Foolish Heart

7. Take the A Train

Joseph Howell – clarinet

Keigo Hirakawa – piano

Kenji Shimada – bass

Kenichi Nishio – drums

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Hennessy Six + Colorado Springs Youth Symphony - The Road Less Traveled (2021 Summit Records)

Bringing its unique jazz voice to the bandstand as well as the orchestra, the original music of the Hennessy 6 spans the gamut seamlessly through intricate arrangements and orchestrations that showcase the band’s versatility and virtuosity.

Collectively, the band’s members have appeared alongside numerous luminaries of the music world, including Dave Liebman, Maria Schneider, Joe Walsh, Ernie Watts, John Faddis, Wycliffe Gordon, Vince Gill and Amy Grant.

Composer and Trumpeter Sean Schafer Hennessy is one of America’s most gifted composer/ instrumentalists. Since winning major competitions since his twelfth year, he remains a brilliant protege of the renowned Wynton Marsalis. Beginning his trumpet studies at age ten, Sean made his concerto debut three years later with the Colorado Symphony. Sean has performed a solo recital at Carnegie Hall, appeared as a guest soloist at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, and moved audiences with his appearance on the Public Radio International’s “From the Top”.

The National Alliance for Excellence Award, conferred on Sean, caps a string of honors, including the International Trumpet Guild Young Artist Award, and winner of the National Trumpet Competition. Sean is also one of the gifted young composers who contributed to Kennedy Center’s Imagination Celebration, providing his Theme for the Mars Millennium Project. Recruited by Maestro Marin Alsop to perform the lead in “Journey Into Jazz” written by Gunther Schueller, Sean dazzled the audience with emotion.

Sean is currently composing in Hollywood.

1. Pneuma

2. Haunted Eyes

3. Funky Winkerbean

4. O & D

5. Desert Fever

6. Dos Mil Uno

7. Stacy's Arabesque

8. The Road Less Traveled

The Hennessy 6:

Sean Schafer Hennessy – Trumpet

Cully Joyce – Tenor Sax / Alto Flute

Colin McAllister – Guitar

Brad Bietry – Piano / Keyboards

Jason Crowe – Acoustic / Electric Bass

Chris Gaona – Drums

* Special Guest Krista Joyce – Vocals (Pneuma, Stacy’s Arabesque)

with the the Colorado Springs Youth Symphony – Gary Nicholson, Conductor

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John Fedchock Quartet - Reminiscence (SUMMIT RECORDS 2018)

REMINISCENCE, the newest CD by JOHN FEDCHOCK, will surely enhance his already stellar reputation as a trombone master. The CD is a follow-up to his 2015 release Fluidity. Fedchock culled tunes for both CDs from a live show he performed over three nights with his quartet in a club in Virginia Beach, VA, called Havana Nights. Although the club has since closed, it was a beautiful, intimate space that was acoustically designed for recording with state-of-the-art equipment.

Although he’s garnered many accolades and awards for his larger ensembles, playing in a small club with just his quartet gives Fedchock and the band opportunities to stretch out and take chances. “Playing in this setting allows the players more of a chance to interact and create an intimate conversation through improvisation,” says Fedchock. “It offers endless possibilities for making good music.”

Fedchock’s tone is warm and perfectly articulated. He eschews mere pyrotechnics for a swinging lyricism. He updates standards with a 21st century feel through his solid, modern arrangements while still embracing the heritage and provenance of the music. The CD comprises a mix of jazz standards and Fedchock originals. Fedchock released the first group of tunes from this session on Fluidity in 2015. “I had a lot of fun on this gig,” Fedchock exclaims. “The entire group did, and I think you can hear that in the music.

So I later revisited the music from the entire live recording session, and with the benefit of time and perspective, I came to the realization that the remaining tunes that didn’t make the first recording really deserved their own release.” Fedchock is a sophisticated, sensitive trombonist, arranger, and composer. There are many exciting moments on REMINISCENCE, and the performances by all the musicians are outstanding.

This CD is not merely a follow-up to Fluidity but a project that stands on its own. It is a superb example of the magic that great jazz artists can conjure when all the stars align.

Ayn Inserto's Down a Rabbit Hole with Sean Jones, John Fedchock, George Garzone and Inserto's Jazz Orchestra (SUMMIT RECORDS September 21, 2108)

Boston's creatively charged Ayn Inserto Jazz Orchestra rematerializes

with its first new album in a decade

Down a Rabbit Hole, featuring guest stars Sean Jones, George Garzone and John Fedchock, to be released September 21 via Summit Records

“'...recording with her jazz orchestra is grand and sophisticated to a degree as to immediately elevate her status alongside acknowledged influences, and well known, experienced chart makers like Maria Schneider, Bob Belden, and Mark Masters...Inserto directs and conducts her charges...Inserto is impressive as a writer of modern jazz...' ”

— Michael G. Nastos, AllMusic.com/MUSE

“'There's an energetic creative force on the horizon named Ayn Inserto, and based on this debut album, she's Maria Schneider on steroids ...'”

— Harvey Siders,Jazz Times/ Clairvoyance

“'Ayn Inserto is in the forefront of a new generation of jazz composers who are accomplished, ambitious and truly personal.' ”

— Fred Hersch

“'A New Star on the Horizon - The big band tradition is alive and well... ”

— John Greenspan,KSFR 90.7 FM Santa Fe

The trick about falling down rabbit holes is knowing how to get back out. The insistently inventive composer, arranger, bandleader and educator Ayn Inserto has built a brilliant career around her gift for designing fantastical but slyly logical musical landscapes and crafting sonic adventures marked by sinuously surprising melodies, Technicolor harmonies, and arrestingly vivid voicings. Due for release on Summit Records on September 21, 2018, the Ayn Inserto Jazz Orchestra's first new album in a decade, Down a Rabbit Hole, reintroduces her sly and imaginative musical world, a realm populated by some of jazz's most expressive improvisers.

In many ways Inserto conceived Rabbit Hole to showcase her three special guests - trumpet star Sean Jones, tenor sax great George Garzone, and trombonist John Fedchock - along with her exceptional cast of players many of whom have been with her since she launched the group in 2001. "I saw the album as an opportunity to feature these three amazing musicians, people I consider good friends and musical influences," says Inserto. "They're three artists who don't necessarily play together so it was really fun to bring them together."

A protégé of legendary trombonist/arranger/composer Bob Brookmeyer, Inserto has ascended to jazz's top ranks over the past two decades, earning numerous awards and commissions. Her last release, 2015's Home Away From Home (Neuklang Records), documented her collaboration with Italy's acclaimed Colours Jazz Orchestra. With Rabbit Hole, she's landed back on home turf. From the first track "Three and Me," her bespoke sensibility provides her guest triumvirate with passages tailored to their musical personalities.  

She arranged "BJ's Tune" as a vehicle for Jones' gorgeous trumpet, a sound as rich and glorious as any on the scene. His poised solo is a case study in melodic development as the band gently churns underneath his ascending lines. Inserto doesn't really write programmatic music, but the briskly swinging "Mister and Dudley" does capture the frisky energy and quotidian pleasures of spending time with the tune's sources of inspiration. Inspired by Fedchock and bass trombonist Jennifer Wharton's two namesake dogs, the piece evokes the pooches with affable affection. 

Inserto recorded the title track, which was commissioned by the Amherst Jazz Ensemble, on her last album with Colours Jazz Orchestra, but that sojourn underground was a relatively calm excursion. Unleashing Garzone on the tempestuous chart results in a whirlwind adventure with his Mad Hatter saxophone inciting the band's tea party rumpus. The album's centerpiece is Inserto's two-part suite pairing of "Ze Teach" with "And Me," a commission by Madison Technical College. The first piece is inspired by Brookmeyer (who signed off on notes to Inserto as "Ze Teach") while the second movement is a powerhouse statement driven by her sensational rhythm section with guitarist Eric Hofbauer, pianist Jason Yeager, bassist Sean Farias, and drummer Austin McMahon (whose supple touch and architectural sense of form always elevates her music).

There are any number of ways to run and maintain a jazz orchestra. Duke Ellington's ornery crew was famous for its long-running feuds and disputations, a bumptious environment that clearly didn't impede his unprecedented creative output. Inserto has taken the opposite tack, fostering a familial vibe that encompasses her special guests. She met Jones during his tenure as chair of the Berklee College of Music's brass department. "We started collaborating early on," she says. "I've gotten to know him really well and was so excited he was into recording."

Garzone, who has mentored several generations of improvisers and is the subject of a new documentary Let Be What Is, has appeared on every album by Inserto's orchestra. Though not an official member, he has played an essential role in shaping the group's sound. Fedchock has intersected with Inserto in various ways over the years, from hiring her as a copyist way back when to marrying her longtime friend, the orchestra's able bass trombonist Jennifer Wharton.

Inserto worked assiduously to foster an environment in which exceptional musicians like trumpeter Dan Rosenthal, saxophonist Allan Chase, and reed expert/flutist Rick Stone can thrive. "I always cook for my band," she says. "Any time we have a gig I make sure they have food. I consider lot of the players close friends. My husband Jeff Claassen plays lead trumpet. There's a trombone and bass trombone duet in 'Mr. and Dudley,' featuring Jen and John. Randy Pingrey (trombone) and Kathy Olson (bari sax) are another married couple. There's not a single person in the band who I couldn't call on or hang out with."

Born in Singapore, Inserto was 14 when her family relocated to California. Within a year had settled in the San Francisco Bay Area's East Bay, where Inserto was well prepared to take advantage of the region's extensive jazz educational resources. She had started taking piano lessons as a child and jumped into music at her Catholic church where she became "very active in the church choir. They had this one band that had a little more modern sound," Inserto recalls. "I was playing the organ, and there was lot of improvising that would go on before the service started. A lot of our music only had lead sheets, and I'd make up stuff to go with them."

Introduced to jazz via the Manhattan Transfer, she learned to read chords from a book of Disney tunes and soon started substituting her own chord choices to make the songs sound more interesting. By the time she entered Clayton Valley High School in the East Bay city of Concord, Inserto was obsessed with music, playing piano in various school ensembles including the jazz band. She discovered Bill Evans, McCoy Tyner and other piano giants while continuing to study classical piano. She was also an avid member of the award-winning Blue Devils Drum and Bugle Corps, playing mallet percussion. A weeklong Berklee camp in Los Angeles expanded her jazz vocabulary exponentially, she says. "Around that time," she says,  "I also got hired to write for the Blue Devils corps, writing all these mallet percussion ensemble pieces."

She attended Los Medanos College's respected jazz program for several years and then transferred to Cal State Hayward (now Cal State East Bay), where she thrived under the tutelage of trombonist/arranger Dave Eshelman, a revered educator and bandleader who has mentored several generations of exceptional Bay Area jazz musicians (he provides Rabbit Hole's spot-on liner notes in verse). Encouraged to apply to New England Conservatory by saxophonist and NEC professor Allan Chase, Inserto was drawn to the school by Brookmeyer. "I studied two full years with him," says Inserto, now a long-time associate professor of jazz composition at Berklee College of Music. "I was writing from a piano player's point of view, and he got me into more melodic writing, developing these long lines. After NEC he really took me on as a mentor."

While Brookmeyer's influence is laced throughout Inserto's music she has honed an independent musical identity writing and arranging for her orchestra as well numerous other ensembles that come calling with commissions. Her orchestra's 2006 debut album Clairvoyance earned rave reviews hailing her vivid writing and seemingly boundless well of ideas. The project featured Brookmeyer, Garzone, and many of the key players who are still part of the 17-piece ensemble. Her second album, 2009's Muse, cemented her reputation as a composer and arranger of exceptional acuity.   

The various connections manifesting in Down a Rabbit Hole are captured in the album's cover art by Kendall Eddy (a former bassist for the band). Inserto commissioned him to create the artwork, which features various layers of symbolism - like Boston's skyline in the background - readily discernible to a sharp-eyed observer. "There's the brook running through the field, which stands for Brookmeyer," Inserto says. "There are the three giants who drank the potion, like Alice, and became the big artists. I'm running around amidst all the madness."


Crazy like a fox, Inserto has created her own musical Wonderland with her orchestra, a sensational aural universe easily accessible with a little step down a rabbit hole.

Personnel:

Ayn Inserto, conductor/composer/arranger

Guests:

John Fedchock, trombone

George Garzone, tenor sax

Sean Jones, trumpet

Allan Chase, soprano/alto sax

Rick Stone, alto sax/flute/clarinet

Kelly Roberge, tenor sax/clarinet

Mark Zaleski, tenor sax/clarinet

Kathy Olson, bari sax/bass clarinet

Trumpets: Jeff Claassen, Bijon Watson, Dan Rosenthal, Matthew Small

Trombones: Randy Pingrey, Chris Gagne, Garo Saraydarian; Bass Trombone: Jennifer Wharton

Eric Hofbauer, guitar

Jason Yeager, piano

Sean Farias, bass

Austin McMahon, drums

Mike Tomasiak, tenor sax on track 5

Jerry Sabatini, trumpet, on track 5

Jamie Kember, bass trombone, on track 5

www.ayninserto.com

The South Florida Jazz Orchestra presents The Music of Gary Lindsay: Are We Still Dreaming from SUMMIT RECORDS 2018

GRAMMY-NOMINATED ARRANGER GARY LINDSAY RELEASES THE MUSIC OF GARY LINDSAY: ARE WE STILL DREAMING FEATURING THE SOUTH FLORIDA JAZZ ORCHESTRA

Although Grammy-nominated arranger GARY LINDSAY has written big band charts that have been performed by everyone from Maynard Ferguson and The Atlantean Driftwood Band to the Airmen of Note and the Florida Philharmonic, THE MUSIC OF GARY LINDSAY: ARE WE STILL DREAMING (Summit Records, July 20, 2018) is the first CD devoted entirely to his big band arrangements. Lindsay is an alto sax player and performs, records, and arranges for the Miami Saxophone Quartet. The group has recorded five critically acclaimed CDs and performs regularly around southern Florida. He garnered a Grammy-nomination for jazz arranging for Arturo Sandoval’s album, I REMEMBER CLIFFORD. 

ARE WE STILL DREAMING was recorded by THE SOUTH FLORIDA JAZZ ORCHESTRA. Created and directed by bassist CHUCK BERGERON, the orchestra includes some of the best jazz and studio musicians, as well as jazz educators, in the southeastern part of the United States. The members of the SFJO have performed and toured with many of the greatest artists in jazz and pop music. Lindsay and Bergeron are both educators. Lindsay is Director of Studio Jazz Writing and Jazz Composition at the Frost School of Music, which is part of The University of Miami, and Bergeron is Professor of Jazz Bass and Jazz History at the University of Miami. ARE WE STILL DREAMING, the orchestra’s third album, was produced by Grammy-winning trombonist JOHN FEDCHOCK. Lindsay has appeared on all of the orchestra’s CDs.  

Several guest artists joined the SFJO for this project, including acclaimed vocalist JULIA DOLLISON. A graduate of the Frost School and currently a member of the jazz studies faculty at The University of Northern Colorado, Dollison is featured on two tunes. The first is the medley “Spring Is Here / Up Jumped Spring.” According to Lindsay, “I like to write counterpoint, and when I arrange for vocalists, I don’t write arrangements where the vocalist sings the melody and the band plays the accompaniment. I prefer to write arrangements where the singer and the band are in a contrapuntal conversation with one another.” Dollison’s large vocal range and pure tone fit perfectly with the light-hearted, fluid, and swinging arrangement. The arrangements for either tune in the medley can stand on their own, and Lindsay actually created a standalone, radio mix for “Up Jumped Spring.” 

Dollison also sings a wordless vocal on “Are We Still Dreaming,” the title tune. Written by Lindsay, the composition was inspired by a guest appearance by trumpeter Kenny Wheeler at the Frost School a number of years ago. The tune also features solos by guitarist JOHN HART, who has performed with many jazz legends, including Jack McDuff, Jimmy Smith, Lou Donaldson, and James Moody.

The tune also features a solo by saxophonist GARY KELLER, who is not only a member of the Miami Saxophone Quartet but has also backed up legends like Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, and Johnny Mathis, as well as touring with many jazz luminaries.  NICOLE YARLING is another guest vocalist on this CD. A stalwart on the southern Florida jazz scene, she often appears with the South Florida Jazz Orchestra. She’s heard on the standard “Easy Living.” “When I wrote this arrangement, I had in mind a movie score for a hot, languid day down South,” says Lindsay. “Nicole is a true jazz singer who can scat with the best of them.” This tune also features trumpet player GREG GISBERT, a top New York City jazz and studio player.

Beside the title tune, Lindsay composed two other numbers for this project, including “Moment in Time,” which features a flugelhorn solo by ALEX NORRIS, another guest artist from New York who has extensive big band experience, which includes stints with the Village Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, Toshiko Akiyoshi’s Jazz Orchestra, and Maria Schneider’s Orchestra. Lindsay also wrote “Toward Hope,” an exciting composition with a classical influence that features guest saxophonist Rick Margitza, now a resident of Paris.  

Lindsay has been a fan of Pat Metheny for many years and included his arrangement of Metheny’s “Better Days Ahead.” The band played this arrangement with Metheny when he performed at the University. Guitarist Hart is once again the featured soloist. 

Monk’s “Round Midnight” is the oldest arrangement on the CD. Lindsay wrote it in 1977 with Stan Kenton in mind, after completing a Master’s Degree. It features a solo by sax player ED CALLE, a member of the Miami Saxophone Quartet, who is a five-time Grammy-nominee who also won a Latin Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Album.

Lindsay closes the set with “UMMG” (Upper Manhattan Medical Group), the Billy Strayhorn tune. He gives this widely recorded number his own twist by introducing a distinctive opening groove that he inserts throughout the piece, creating a very different feel from the original or from any other recorded version. 

THE MUSIC OF GARY LINDSAY: ARE WE STILL DREAMING is a project that’s long overdue. The music is serious but very approachable. Lindsay’s arrangements and compositions are unique, beautiful, and satisfying on every level.

Woodwinds: GARY LINDSAY (alto sax, clarinet) 

GARY KELLER (alto & soprano sax, flute) 

ED CALLE (tenor sax, flute)

PHIL DOYLE (tenor sax, flute)

JASON KUSH (tenor sax, flute) 

MIKE BRIGNOLA (baritone sax, bass clarinet)

RICK MARGITZA (tenor sax)

Trumpets: AUGIE HASS, JEFF KIEVIT, JASON CARDER, 

ALEX NORRIS, GREG GISBERT, PETER FRANCIS

Trombones: DANA TEBOE, DANTE LUCIANI, JOHN KRICKER, 

MAJOR BAILEY, DEREK PYLE, ANDREW PEAL

Rhythm Section: MARTIN BEJERANO (electric & acoustic piano)

JOHN HART guitar

CHUCK BERGERON (acoustic & electric bass)

JOHN YARLING (drums)

BRIAN POTTS (shaker, pandeiro)

KSENIJA KOMLJENOVI (vibes & xylophone)

French Horn: (special guest) RICHARD TODD

Vocals: JULIA DOLLISON, NICOLE YARLING

All arrangements by GARY LINDSAY

Produced by JOHN FEDCHOCK

1 Moment in Time (feat. Alex Norris) 9:12

2 Spring is Here/Up Jumped Spring (feat. Julia Dollison) 8:43

3 Toward Hope (feat. Rick Margitza) 8:41

4 Easy Living (feat. Nicole Yarling) 7:16

5 Better Days Ahead (feat. John Hart & Chuck Bergeron) 8:25

6 Are We Still Dreaming (feat. Julia Dollison, John Hart & Gary Keller) 11:31

7 'Round Midnight (feat. Ed Calle) 8:22

8 Ummg (feat. Mike Brignola & Major Bailey) 6:25

Michika Fukumori - Piano Images (SUMMIT RECORDS 2018)

STUNNING ORIGINALS FEATURED ON NYC-BASED PIANIST MICHIKA FUKUMORI’S PIANO IMAGES SOLO PROJECT PRODUCED BY STEVE KUHN AVAILABLE ON SUMMIT RECORDS

MICHIKA FUKUMORI, a native of Japan, has been living in New York City since 2000. A soulful pianist, she was drawn to the U.S to study jazz and become involved in the New York jazz scene. PIANO IMAGES (Summit Records, June 22, 2018) is her third CD release since coming to States. The CD is a solo project, featuring Fukumori on piano playing mostly stunning original compositions as well as several of her favorite jazz standards.  

Fukumori has played in some of the most prestigious jazz clubs in Manhattan with top New York musicians. She has been honing her chops for 20 years and decided it was time to express herself as a solo artist. According to Fukumori, “PIANO IMAGES is a conversation between me and the piano. It’s the story of my life that I portray through music. It’s a story about where I was born, my experiences growing up, and what I feel about the state of the world. I wanted to express how happy I am to be able to make music in my little corner of the world.” 

PIANO IMAGES was produced by STEVE KUHN, the prolific pianist known for his lyrical and evocative playing. Fukumori has been studying privately with Kuhn since 2001. Kuhn also produced Fukumori’s other CDs, Quality Time (2016), and Infinite Thoughts (2004). “I was a big fan of Steve’s since I started to listen, study and play Jazz in Japan,” says Fukumori. “Studying with him is my dream come true. He’s my teacher, my mentor and my musical hero.” 

Fukumori composed eight of the 13 tunes on PIANO IMAGES. Her compositional style is like her style of playing -- sensitive and inventive with a subtle sense of swing. She opens the CD with “Colors of Blue,” one of her own compositions. “I learned how important the blues is to jazz after I moved to this country, and I fell in love with the form. This is my dedication to this music.” Fukumori infuses the tune with a rhythmic feeling that comes from a Japanese dance style. “Into the New World,” another of her originals, is a gentle swing tune with a light-hearted feel. It represents her hope and prayers for the world. 

“The Seasons” is a suite of four compositions in which Fukumori paints a picture of of Iga, her hometown in Japan. Iga is a small city surrounded by mountains where Fukumori lived until she was 18. These pieces were drawn from memories of her childhood. The first of the suite is “The Answer,” which represents winter and a feeling of anticipation. “The Story I Want to Tell You” represents spring. Fukumori recorded this piece on her previous CD in a trio setting, but because the song for her has such a strong association with Iga, she wanted to record it again in a more intimate context. “The Days We Were Smiling” represents her nostalgia for all the fun she had in summer growing up, hiking, swimming, fireworks and especially family gatherings. “Tomorrow is Full of Promises,” is a happy, lively tune that represents autumn and Matsuri, a kind of lively Thanksgiving festivity. 

Fukumori also composed “Palco (A Little Dancer)” and “My Muse.” “Palco” has a buoyant dance feel that represents Fukumori’s impression of the movie “Billy Elliot,” the 2000 film about a boy who wants to become a professional ballet dancer. “My Muse” is Fukumori’s dedication to Steve Kuhn and represents the joy that music gives her. 

Fukumori is also a fan of Jobim and dedicates “Chovendo na Roseira” to the great Brazilian artist. Fukumori imbues the song with “suadade,” or a deep state of melancholy. She also performs Jobim’s “Luiza,” another piece filled with longing. Richard Rodgers’ “Where or When” is one of her favorite tunes that she’s been playing since before she came to this country, and “Ev’ry Time We Say Goodbye” is the Cole Porter number that appeals to Fukumori’s romantic, sensitive nature. And in honor of her mentor, Steve Kuhn, Fukumori decided to include one of his original compositions, “Oceans in the Sky,” on which Fukumori and Kuhn perform a lush, four-hand version. 

Fukumori is a superbly sensitive pianist who has fully embraced the jazz idiom but suffuses the music with her own personality and cultural heritage. PIANO IMAGES is a series of musical portraits by an artist with a refined sensibility and the skill to embrace you with her musical vision.

About Michika Fukumori Born on Japan's main island, Fukumori grew up in the city of Mie and began to play piano at the age of three. After studying classical composition at the Aichi Prefectual University of Fine Arts and Music, Fukumori studied with renowned Japanese pianist Colgen Suzuki and began working professionally at a variety of jazz clubs in and around Tokyo. In 2000, Fukumori moved to the United States and began studying with Ron Carter and Geri Allen at City College of New York, earning her Master’s Degree in 2003. While attending CCNY, she also began taking private lessons with Steve Kuhn. Since then, Fukumori has been playing regularly at many of Manhattan's most prestigious jazz clubs, such as The Blue Note, The Garage, Cleopatra's Needle, Arturo's, Antique Garage, and Jazz at Kitano. 

Today Fukumori enjoys a variety of work in the U.S. and takes annual trips back to Japan where she tours extensively, leading various trios and quartets.

Michika Fukumori  piano

Steve Kuhn  piano duet on #11

Arranged by Michika Fukumori; Produced by Steve Kuhn

1. Colors Of Blues  (3:17)

2. Into the New World  (4:17)

The Seasons

3. The Answer Is … (Winter)  (3:52)

4. The Story I Want To Tell You (Spring)  (5:11)

5. The Days We Were Smiling (Summer)  (4:50)

6. Tomorrow Is Full Of Promises (Fall)  (2:21)

7. Where Or When  (2:59)

8. Palco (A Little Dancer)  (4:57)

9. Chovendo Na Roseira  (4:27)

10. My Muse  (3:55)

11. Oceans In The Sky  (5:46)

12. Luiza  (5:00)

13. Ev’ry Time We Say Goodbye  (2:47)

www.michika.jp