Jerome Jennings - The Beast (2021)

Drummer Jerome Jennings, takes the lead in this swinging, soulful sextet. The brass is heavy with trumpet/flugelhorn player Sean Jones, trombonist Dion Tucker, and tenor saxophonist Howard Wiley. McBride is present on his bass as well as fellow Trio pianist Christian Sands. Four of the nine tracks are composed by Jennings himself, with the others from the pens of Ben Webster, Freddie Hubbard, Don Ray & Gene de Paul, Vincent Brantley & Rick Timas, and Jon Burr. Scatting vocalist Jazzmeia Horn appears on You Don't Know What Love Is.

The title track, The Beast, stems from his incident of "driving while being Black" and the photography and text on the album packaging support his outrage. The music of the album, however, is full of love and respect of his craft. Educated at Rutgers and Julliard, Jennings further developed his skills with many esteemed jazz artists; he worked with Sonny Rollins for three years, and his schedule is filled with educational and diverse performance gigs. Jennings drum work is evident in Cool It Now, with Vernel Fournier's Poinciana beats.

The album is cheerful with nice grooves and shuffles, but there is also some side excursions: McBride's solo is the entry to Hubbard's hot and furious piece, The Core; Cammy's Smile is a slow, sweet ballad for the daughter of Jennings' late friend drummer Tony Reedus that has wah-wah muted trumpet; and then there is The Beast, a drama with snare drum introduction, driving, trombone siren, jittery and staggering solos. The final track, New Beginnings, begins with waving chime percussion and harmonious brass; it includes a spoken sampling of a #blacklivesmatter protest speech, which reminds me of Gil Scott-Heron and his early 1970s releases. This debut album is thoroughly satisfying in arrangements and compositions, balance, sonority, and grooves. 

1. Love The Drums - Jon Burr 5:15

2. Cool It Now - Vincent Brantley, Rick Timas 8:48

3. Ice Cream Dreams - Jerome Jennings 5:16

4. You Don’t Know What Love Is - Don Raye (lyrics) and Gene de Paul 6:31

5. Did You Call Her Today - Ben Webster 7:43

6. The Core - Freddie Hubbard 10:09

7. Cammy’s Smile - Jerome Jennings 7:10

8. The Beast - Jerome Jennings 4:58

9. New Beginnings - Jerome Jennings 6:44

SHORT DESCRIPTION OF THE TUNES

LOVE THE DRUMS - Props to my friend, bassist and composer Jon Burr, for writing this tune with me in mind. The title says it all. Not only do I love the drums, I also love to play shuffle grooves.

COOL IT NOW - "Ronnie, Bobby, Ricky, and Mike..." one of the most important influential R&B vocal groups: New Edition! Actually, this was the first musical group my parents took my brother and me to see at a very popular music hall in northeast Ohio called The Front Row (it no longer exists). Side note: respect to Johnny Gill (who wasn't in the group yet when we saw NE).

ICE CREAM DREAMS - Between the months of May and August there is one tune that puts a smile on every kid's face on most every block in this country. "The Ice Cream Man is coming!!!" The Mister Softee theme is the most ubiquitous tunes I heard while living in Brooklyn, NY. It has a catchy and infectious ring, but most importantly it makes kids happy and laugh. I would see kids joyfully running to the ice cream truck outside of my window.

YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT LOVE IS- This is a classic standard by Don Raye/Gene de Paul. We are all in search of affirmation and love. This arrangement is by Curtis Fuller. I replaced the top trumpet voice with the fantastic vocalist, Jazzmeia Horn.

DID YOU CALL HER TODAY - This swinger is from the pen of Ben Webster. My mom and I have always been really close. Once I moved to the east coast we became even tighter. I suspect it was because of the distance. I tried my best to call her everyday to let her know I was alive and well. This tune is dedicated to her and her constant support.

THE CORE - This is one of my favorite tunes. Art Blakey and The Jazz Messengers recorded this on one of my all time favorite records "Free For All." Freddie Hubbard wrote this tune commemorating the Congress Of Racial Equality (CORE). The CORE organization played a pivotal role for African Americans during our struggle for Civil Rights during the 1950s and 60s. Its stated mission was "to bring about equality for all people regardless of race, creed, sex, age, disability, sexual orientation, religion or ethnic background." Many jazz musicians performed at CORE benefits during the 1960's.

CAMMY'S SMILE - When I moved to the east coast in fall of 2002 I was blessed to befriend drum great Tony Reedus. The next year he invited me to his place for Thanksgiving. His then fiancée (they later married in 2006), Niecy Grice, treated me like family from day one. They soon had a child, a beautiful girl named Cameron. In November of 2008, Tony unexpectedly passed away. Needless to say this was a very sad time for the family, and our music community was hit hard by the loss of one of the great ones. The year that Cameron Reedus lost her father, she was only five years old. Little Cammy's consistent upbeat attitude and smile was a great source of encouragement. This entire tune represents a conversation between Cammy (the muted trombone) and Reedus (the tenor saxophone).

THE BEAST - This tune was inspired by a troubling encounter with a Mercer County (NJ) police officer. Mom advised me to "put the emotion you felt in a song." Everything that happens in this piece is significant. The drum roll at the beginning represents me driving. It slows down as I pull over to the side of the road. The horns represent me and the rhythm section represents the officers cutting me off as I try to explain what I'm doing in that particular neighborhood at 2am.

NEW BEGINNINGS - This is a piece that I composed with the encouragement of my friend and mentor, Victor Lewis. The title represents a dual meaning: the beginning melody is stated by all of the horns while at the 'B section' each band member passes each phrase around creating a new sound or new beginning before we all unite for the climactic last 8 bars before the last 'A section.' I only hope to show that as individuals we can accomplish amazing things, but together we can do even more. Educator, activist, and actor Jesse Williams gave a courageous speech this year at the 2016 BET Awards. I've included excerpts of it at the end of the piece. I believe that it’s time for a new beginning in our country as well.

Jerome Jenning - drums, percussion on track 9

Sean Jones - trumpet, flugelhorn on track 2

Howard Wiley - tenor sax

Dion Tucker - trombone

Christian Sands - piano

Christian McBride - bass

Jazzmela Horn - vocals on track 4

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Dr. Lonnie Smith - Breathe (March 2021 Blue Note)

Breathe captures the Hammond B-3 organ legend Dr. Lonnie Smith during his 75th birthday run at the Jazz Standard in NYC in 2017, the same week he recorded his acclaimed trio album All In My Mind. On this night the good doctor took the stage with an expanded line-up featuring Jonathan Kreisberg on guitar, Johnathan Blake on drums, John Ellis on tenor saxophone, Jason Marshall on baritone saxophone, Sean Jones on trumpet, and Robin Eubanks on trombone. Two additional studio tracks that open and close the album present the unique collaboration between Doc and Iggy Pop including a sublime cover of Donovan’s 1966 hit “Sunshine Superman.”

The legendary Hammond B-3 organist Dr. Lonnie Smith has recorded over thirty albums as a leader, but his favorite setting to document his creativity is live. “It’s so hard to capture what I’m feeling at the moment in the studio,” he says. “Hearing me live is catching me playing in the moment. It’s a good vibe. It’s a loving situation.”

During the 2017 celebration of his 75th birthday, basking in the glow of being named an NEA Jazz Master, Smith settled into the Jazz Standard in New York City for a live recording date. With his steady trio of guitarist Jonathan Kreisberg and drummer Johnathan Blake, the master of improvisational innovation delightfully delivered the spirited All In My Mind album, which was released in 2018.

That celebratory week has now yielded a second fantastic album with Breathe, a dynamic eight-song set that includes six thrilling pieces brimming with foot-tapping grooves, sophisticated harmonic voicings, indelible melodicism, and ethereal atmospherics that were captured on the Jazz Standard stage with the trio as well as an expanded septet. Notably, the album is bookended by two remarkable studio collaborations between Smith and the legendary vocalist Iggy Pop.

“I was playing with my trio at Arts Garage in Delray Beach in Florida,” says Dr. Lonnie, who lives in Ft. Lauderdale. “Iggy would come by and say he wanted to play with me. I let him play slaparoo and he loved it. He enjoyed playing with us. We thought about recording a few songs, so we went in with my trio backing us up, and it worked.”

Pop, Smith, Kreisberg, and Blake headed into a Miami studio with the addition of percussionist Richard Bravo and discovered a unique chemistry that resulted in two striking performances including the album’s opening track “Why Can’t We Live Together,” a 1972 R&B hit by Timmy Thomas that was later recorded by Sade on her 1984 debut album. With its call for unity, the song is given an eased, soulful read by Pop while Smith plays gentle grooves before diving into a juicy solo. “That’s a great tune with a great message,” he says. “It really says something to you. We enjoyed it very much.”

The album closes with Iggy and Dr. Lonnie taking Donovan’s 1966 hit “Sunshine Superman” for a funkified joyride. “Ah, hah!” exclaims Doc. “That’s another good one. You can hear the ones we both like. This fits his voice.”

The entire album is rooted in the deep musical communication Smith has developed with his trio mates over many years. “It’s hard to keep a working group like this,” the good Doctor says. “But my group has been together a long time. It’s a brotherhood. It’s a family. It’s exciting. They’re playing from their hearts. They know what I’m trying to do and enhance what I play. They hear me. I play in the moment all the time, and they’re there for me.”

In the trio takes from the Jazz Standard, Dr. Lonnie’s B-3 sounds like it’s wailing, as on the epic, soulful original “World Weeps” that goes up-tempo with a wall of organ emotion and Kreisberg’s fleet-fingered guitar flight. “It has a New Orleans feel,” says Doc, “like a dirge.”

The trio also takes a playful plunge into Thelonious Monk’s “Epistrophy.” “That’s one of my favorites,” Smith says. “I had to get that in there. It’s a little different, but I think he would have approved of it. There’s funky wisdom.”

The remainder of the album finds the trio expanded to a septet with the addition of John Ellis on tenor saxophone, Sean Jones on trumpet, Jason Marshall on baritone saxophone, and Robin Eubanks on trombone. “Some of my songs need the horns,” Smith says. “I needed that atmosphere.” The lyrical, buoyant “Bright Eyes” is a Dr. Lonnie original that dates back to the days when he played with George Benson. “Too Damn Hot” is another original that starts slowly but then heats up with sizzling solos. “I wrote that song some years ago,” he says. “I like all the surprises. It feels good, almost as if you don’t really know what’s going on.”

Smith’s “Track 9” starts with an edgy horn-filled groove then shifts gears with tempo acceleration that opens into a utopian party. The B-3 maestro steers the proceedings with his bass lines while Jones launches into a scorching solo. “It’s like a train, ‘Track 9.’ It moves like a train. You hear it in the distance, then there’s the horn and the beat is slow then it picks up. I wanted to give it a James Brown feel.”

“Pilgrimage” shines a spotlight on the soulful beauty of vocalist Alicia Olatuja. “Alicia is a helluva singer,” Smith says. “She is something else. The way she sings this song is perfect. She sings it like it’s hers. As her accompanist, my comping was just to lay back and take it easy. I listen carefully, give her what she needs then get the horns to push it. It’s special.”

Breathe is Smith’s third Blue Note album since his 2016 return to the label where he made a name for himself in the late 1960s, first as a sideman with saxophonist Lou Donaldson on soul jazz classics like Alligator Bogaloo, and soon after as a leader with his own classics such as Think! and Turning Point. The 2016 album Evolution marked his Blue Note homecoming, followed by All In My Mind in 2018. His last three albums have all been produced by Blue Note president Don Was. “Don has been hands on, there all the time,” he says. “He believes in you. I’ve worked with producers who don’t understand the musicians they’re working with. But Don, he wants me to be myself, to understand what I like to do. It’s a reminder of the old days when Frank Wolff used to be the same.”

Smith adds, “Blue Note is like family. It’s like I never left. Everybody is great to work with. They give me the opportunity to play my life, to tell my story.”

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Jihye Lee Orchestra - Daring Mind (March 26, 2021 motéma music)

Motéma Welcomes Jihye Lee Orchestra; Sophomore Album Daring Mind out on March 26, 2021

Motéma Music is proud to announce the release of Daring Mind, the sophomore album by the Jihye Lee Orchestra, which streets on March 26, 2021. Produced by Lee, in collaboration with the innovative composer and Secret Society bandleader Darcy James Argue, and with renowned trumpeter Sean Jones as a key contributor, Lee’s Motéma debut showcases the South Korea native’s personal and adventurous storytelling approach to large-ensemble jazz over the course of nine spellbinding compositions. 

As a  follow up to her widely-acclaimed 2017 debut April, Daring Mind presents selections from Lee’s ‘Mind’ Series, including her BMI Charlie Parker Jazz Composition Prize-winning “Unshakable Mind” and her Manny Albam Commission “Revived Mind.” The album reflects her struggles, doubts, joys, and hopes while living in the amazing city of New York. The compositions explore the human mind, heart and soul, the various states of the human psyche from confusion to rage to enlightenment. 

Lee describes composition as a form of record-keeping for herself, as the documentation of her life, the process of finding musical equivalents to the images, thoughts and emotions in her mind. She writes first and foremost for herself, to release her feelings, which makes her music deeply personal. “My goal is to invite listeners into my creative world, to relate to my stories, and to reflect on the truth that as humans, we share similar struggles and triumphs regardless of where we come from. It is my hope that we can create genuine connections with each other through art,” she says. 

A native of South Korea, Lee had no jazz or classical training growing up, and she first found success in Korea performing as an indie pop singer. She graduated from Dongduk Women’s University with a degree in Voice Performance, discovering her love of large-ensemble jazz only after beginning her studies at Boston’s Berklee College of Music in 2011. Confidently she began to explore her own identity and voice within this exciting, historically rich medium, winning Berklee’s Duke Ellington Prize just months after declaring her Jazz Composition major (and again the following year). Though she could never have anticipated this new path, she has followed it to greater heights, moving to New York in 2015 and earning a master’s degree at Manhattan School of Music under the guidance of the great Jim McNeely. “Her music is imaginative and creative.” says McNeely. “And she’s not afraid to take some exciting chances in her writing.” 

Navigating the transition from pop singer to jazz composer has given Lee a different angle on jazz composition, providing her not only with a lyrical melodic sense but also a way of imagining characters in every composition, and writing memorable themes with which people can identify. Her first instinct is not to find chords and melodies — Lee is not herself an instrumentalist — but rather an idea, image or message, and then find a way to express it through musical elements. All of this and more is realized on Daring Mind.

Daring Mind begins with “Relentless Mind”, which emulates the bustle of New York City with its twisted rhythmic feel and repetitive notes. Featuring Sean Jones and trombonist Alan Ferber, the vibrancy and beauty of a pre-COVID city that never slept is on rich display in this dazzling opener. Following is “Unshakeable Mind”, winner of the 2018 BMI Charlie Parker Composition Prize. Inspired by the competitive environment of the New York music scene and the effects it has on one’s own psyche, “Unshakeable Mind” explores the nature of a determined and persevering spirit, with strong solo and ensemble support from alto saxophonist Ben Kono. The gorgeous “Suji” comes next. Written for one Lee’s dearest friends, this bright composition features only major chords played through chamber-like instrumentation. Kono once again plays a leading role here, as does pianist Adam Birnbaum. 

Gears shift on the fourth track, “I Dare You”, which was commissioned by American entrepreneur Matt Mullenweg. “Since I am not a traditional swing big band style composer, sometimes I face the famous question ‘what is jazz?’” states Lee. That same question arose in an interview with Wayne Shorter by Max Dax in 2014, and his answer is “To me, jazz means: “I dare you!’” This is the title of this song and in many ways the inspiration of Lee’s entire approach to jazz. “I believe that jazz is not a style or genre, but a daring spirit, being creative by cultivating your instincts.” Tenor saxophonist Quinsin Nachoff shines on this track which is full of sonic surprises. 

The BMI Manny Albam Commission piece “Revived Mind” showcases soloist Mike Fahie on trombone. This colorful composition is an homage to nature and Earth, to rebirth and rejuvenation. Track 6, “Struggle Gives You Strength” was originally written for Carnegie Hall’s NYO Jazz and once again features Sean Jones. On this uplifting and inspiring composition, Lee comments:  “Struggle is an essential part of life and it molds us into beautiful individuals with character.” 

The final third of Daring Mind features the bluesy “Why Is that” with solos by Jones and alto saxophonist Rob Wilkerson; the dissonant tri-tone filled odyssey “Dissatisfied Mind” which ruminates on the negatively that can intrude ones’ thoughts; and “GB”, a stunning closer inspired by love found and lost. Highly cinematic, the beauty and joy of happy memories slowly gives way to crushing breakdown, before reluctant acceptance sets in. As an aspiring film music composer, this vivid track particularly showcases Lee’s great potential in that arena. 

With the release of Daring Mind, Jihye Lee makes a major statement that will likely propel her, deservingly, to the top echelon of contemporary jazz composers and bandleaders. Late last year, it was announced that Lee earned a 2021 ASCAP Foundation & Symphonic Jazz Orchestra commissioning prize, further defining a clear next step in her bright future. The first single “Struggle Gives You Strength” will be released on February 5th, and the second single, “Revived Mind” will release on March 5th.

1. Relentless Mind (feat. Sean Jones, Alan Ferber) 6:18

2. Unshakable Mind 9:57

3. Suji 8:53

4. I Dare You 5:49

5. Revived Mind 6:44

6. Struggle Gives You Strength (feat. Sean Jones ) 5:57

7. Why Is That 5:50

8 Dissatisfied Mind 5:54

9. GB 9:24

Ben Kono: Alto Saxophone

Rob Wilkerson: Alto Saxophone

Quinsin Nachoff: Tenor Saxophone

Jeremy Powell: Tenor Saxophone

Brian Pareschi: Trumpet

Sean Jones: Trumpet

John Lake: Trumpet

Alex Norris: Trumpet

Mike Fahie: Trombone

Alan Ferber: Trombone

Nick Grinder: Trombone (All tracks except 2, 5)

Mark Patterson: Trombone (tracks 2, 5)

Jennifer Wharton: Trombone

Adam Birnbaum: Piano (tracks 1, 3, 4, 6, 7, 9)

Haeun Joo: Piano (tracks 2, 5, 8)

Sebastian Noelle: Electric Guitar

Evan Gregor: Double Bass

Mark Ferber: Drums

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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

SFJAZZ Collective - Live: SFJAZZ Center 2017 (SFJAZZ RECORDS 2018)

Announcing the SFJAZZ Collective's new album, featuring original compositions by each member, and the music of Ornette Coleman, Stevie Wonder, and Thelonious Monk performed by the new lineup, plus a DVD featuring fresh versions of four Miles Davis compositions.

Original Compositions & The Music of Ornette Coleman, Stevie Wonder, & Thelonious Monk

Recorded over four nights at the SFJAZZ Center from October 26-29, 2017, this collection consists of one CD of new pieces composed by each member of the current SFJAZZ Collective with a second CD of fresh versions of selections from the Collective’s vast trove of tunes including Ornette Coleman, Thelonious Monk and Stevie Wonder arranged over the years by former SFJAZZ Collective members, saxophonist Joshua Redman, trumpeter Dave Douglas, arranger Gil Goldstein, and trumpeter Avishai Cohen, for the current SFJAZZ Collective members.

DISC ONE - ORIGINAL COMPOSITIONS:

Give the Drummer Some by Warren Wolf

Venezuela Unida by Edward Simon

Tidal Flow by Miguel Zenón

Tune for June by Matt Penman

Off Kilter by Sean Jones

Perseverance by Robin Eubanks

Soundless Odyssey by Obed Calvaire

Living the Question by David Sánchez

DISC TWO - ARRANGEMENTS:

Criss Cross by Thelonious Monk, arr. Dave Douglas

Reflections by Thelonious Monk, arr. Dave Douglas

Una Muy Bonita by Ornette Coleman, arr. Gil Goldstein

School Work by Ornette Coleman, arr. Gil Goldstein

When Will the Blues Leave by Ornette Coleman, arr. Gil Goldstein

Sir Duke by Stevie Wonder, arr. Avishai Cohen

Creepin by Stevie Wonder, arr. Avishai Cohen

Superstition by Stevie Wonder, arr. Miguel Zenón

BONUS DVD:

The physical release includes a bonus DVD that includes live footage of the SFJAZZ Collective’s October 2016 performances of the Music of Miles Davis at the SFJAZZ Center including Edward Simon’s arrangement of “All Blues,” Warren Wolf’s arrangement of “Joshua,” Matt Penman’s arrangement of “Milestones,” and David Sánchez’s arrangement of “Teo.”

Miguel Zenón | David Sánchez | Sean Jones | Robin Eubanks | Warren Wolf | Edward Simon | Matt Penman | Obed Calvaire

Sean Jones - Live from Jazz at the Bistro (MACK AVENUE RECORDS 2017)

The young jazz veteran trumpeter Sean Jones believes passionately in championing the creative arc of artists who are committed to their life journey. “I think the progression of the art form [jazz] comes with people being allowed to be themselves in their rawest form with no compromise,” he has noted and added, “My body of work is going to show a progression of who Sean Jones is in the most honest form.”

While he spoke these words a few years ago, they serve as a vivid manifesto for his new Mack Avenue Records album, Live from Jazz at the Bistro, his eighth for the label and arguably the most dynamic, playful and loose-limbed excursion of his career. Indeed, the 38-year-old Jones brings to the sessions a stalwart poise, the fire of ecstasy and a whimsy in motion. “In a nutshell, I’ve been wanting to do a live album for a while,” he says. “I wanted to capture the band’s energy live and record what it’s like to go to one of my gigs. Granted, recording in a studio creates a polished sound where the music is all tied up. But this album, it’s real raw.”

1) Art's Variable 

2) Lost, Then Found 

3) Piscean Dichotomy 

4) Doc's Holiday 

5) The Ungentrified Blues 

6) Prof 7) BJ'S Tune

Sean Jones - trumpet

Orrin Evans - piano

Brian Hogans - saxophone

Luques Curtis - double bass

Obed Calvaire - drums

Mark Whitfield Jr. - drums

SF JAZZ Collective - Music of Miles Davis & Original Compositions (Live: SF JAZZ Center 2016) 2017

This limited edition 2-disc set was recorded throughout the Collective’s four-night residency October 20-23, 2016 on the Robert N. Miner Auditorium stage at the SFJAZZ Center, documenting the Collective’s arrangements of the music of Miles Davis as well as their own fresh compositions.

Disc One – Music of Miles Davis

1. “So What” arranged by Sean Jones

2. “Nardis” arranged by Miguel Zenón

3. “Milestones” arranged by Matt Penman

4. “Tutu” arranged by Robin Eubanks

5. “Bitches Brew” arranged by Obed Calvaire

6. “All Blues” arranged by Edward Simon

7. “Joshua” arranged by Warren Wolf

8. “Teo” arranged by David Sánchez

Disc Two – SFJAZZ Collective Original Compositions

1. “Tribe” by Miguel Zenón

2. “Canto” by David Sánchez

3. “Your Turn” by Matt Penman

4. “111” by Obed Calvaire

5. “In the Heat of the Night” by Warren Wolf

6. “Shields Green” by Robin Eubanks

7. “Hutcherson Hug” by Sean Jones

8. “Feel The Groove” by Edward Simon

Featuring

Miguel Zenón (alto saxophone)

David Sánchez (tenor saxophone)

ean Jones (trumpet)

Robin Eubanks (trombone)

Warren Wolf (vibraphone)

Edward Simon (piano)

Matt Penman (bass)

Obed Calvaire (drums)

TOUR

March 28, Brooks Center, Clemson University, Clemson, GA

March 30, Rockport Music, Rockport, MA

April 1, Miller Theater, Columbia University, New York, NY

April 2, Annenberg Center, Philadelphia, PA

April 7-9, Blues Alley, Washington, DC

April 13, Jefferson Center, Roanoke, VA

April 15, Ferst Center for the Arts, Atlanta, GA

April 21, Cuyahoga Community College, Cleveland, OH

April 26-29, Jazz at the Bistro, St. Louis, MO

May 4, St. Cecilia Music Center, Grand Rapids, MI

May 5, Symphony Center, Chicago, IL

May 6, New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, New Orleans, LA

Jerome Jennings - The Beast (2016)

Since moving to New York from his native Cleveland 12 years ago, Jerome Jennings has become one of the most in-demand jazz drummers on the scene. Currently a member of the Christian McBride Trio, Craig Handy’s 2nd Line Smith, and the groups of vocalist Paula West and singer/trumpeter Bria Skonberg, Jennings boasts an impressive resume that speaks to his versatility and rhythmic mastery.

With the release on November 18 of his debut CD, "The Beast," on his new Iola Records imprint, Jennings is now stepping out as a poised, swinging, and strong-minded leader in his own right. He has drawn together some of his favorite players from coast to coast—five-time Grammy-award-winning bassist Christian McBride, poll-winning fellow Ohioan Sean Jones on trumpet and flugelhorn, McBride trio pianist Christian Sands, longtime Harry Connick Jr. trombonist Dion Tucker, and the explosive Oakland tenor saxophonist Howard Wiley, a member of Jennings’s current band for a set of compositions by Freddie Hubbard, Ben Webster, and bassist Jon Burr; adaptations of an ice-cream-truck jingle and a chart-topping R&B hit (New Edition’s “Cool It Now”); and three originals by the leader. Jazzmeia Horn, winner of the 2012 Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal and the 2015 Thelonious Monk Institute International Jazz Vocal competition, joins the sextet for an arrangement by Jennings and Curtis Fuller of the standard “You Don’t Know What Love Is.”

The title track is based on an incident in which a Princeton, New Jersey, police officer pulled Jennings over while he was driving home from a gig at 2 a.m. for allegedly having a tiny Cleveland Browns football helmet hanging from his rearview mirror. He was held for 50 harrowing minutes before being released without having even been issued a ticket.

The hard-swinging number begins with a press roll on the snare drum that slows to a stop, indicating the process of pulling off the road. Tension between the horn and rhythm sections during the head and solos reflects the way Jennings was repeatedly interrupted while trying to answer the officer’s questions.

“I call it ‘The Beast’ because that’s another way of saying ‘police’ or ‘system,’” the drummer explains. “Everything I do in that tune is significant.”

Jerome Jennings was born in Cleveland, Ohio, on October 28, 1980. His early interest in drums turned into a passion after his mother brought home an Art Blakey album. He played in various ensembles in high school before receiving a full scholarship to Ohio State University, where he studied with trumpeter Pharez Whitted. He went on to receive a Bachelor’s Degree in Music Performance from Rutgers University and a Master of Music Degree in Jazz Studies, Performance, and Drums from Juilliard.

In 2001, Jennings set out to meet and play with as many former members of Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers as possible. 

They included Charles Fambrough, Curtis Fuller, Benny Golson, David Schnitter, Ronnie Mathews, Javon Jackson, Curtis Lundy, Wynton Marsalis, Lonnie Plaxico, Valery Ponomarev, Bobby Watson, Frank Lacy, and, the drummer adds, “even Mr. [Sonny] Rollins. He played a bit with Blakey. I worked with Sonny for three years. That was almost an out-of-body experience.

“I felt that if I could play with guys who played with great drummers, particularly Art Blakey, and they could tell me I’m swinging, then I’m swinging,” he explains. “I learned so much from them in terms of the spirit of the music. It’s not necessarily a technical thing. It’s how you’re carrying yourself and how you carry the music and move it forward by addressing where it came from.”

Jennings’s knowledge of and passion for the music has led to him teaching in a variety of jazz education programs over the years. He’s presently giving classes for Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Jazz for Young People program, Jazz for Teens at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center and is a featured lecturer for Jazz At Lincoln Center’s Swing University.

When he’s not playing drums or teaching, Jennings pursues an acting career as time permits. He played a minor role as Chuck Berry’s drummer in the motion picture "Cadillac Records," spent four months off-Broadway at The Little Shubert Theatre playing drums and acting in "Lady Day" starring his friend/mentor Dee Dee Bridgewater, and recently starred in Laurence Holder’s one-man play "The Gospel According to Max Roach" at the Nuyorican Poets Café in New York City, among other credits. He’s had to miss out on some important auditions because of his musical commitments, “which is always tough. But music is the priority for me.”


Jennings has planned CD release shows for 11/22 at Dizzy’s in New York City, and 11/26-27 at Night Town in his hometown of Cleveland. Personnel will include Dion Tucker, trombone; Kenyatta Beasley, trumpet; Howard Wiley, tenor saxophone; Christian Sands, piano; and Elias Bailey, bass. Jazzmeia Horn will be featured with the sextet at Dizzy’s.

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Jerome Jennings - drums

Christian McBride - bass

Sean Jones - trumpet and flugelhorn

Christian Sands - piano

Dion Tucker - trombone

Howard Wiley - tenor saxophone

SFJAZZ Collective - The Music of MICHAEL JACKSON and Original Compositions NEW LIMITED EDITION ALBUM (2016)

NEW LIMITED EDITION ALBUM

Pre - Order CD

RELEASE DATE: MARCH 4

Music of Michael Jackson and New Compositions

Live at SFJAZZ Center

The SFJAZZ Collective is an all-star ensemble comprising eight of the finest performers/composers at work in jazz today. The group’s new limited edition two-disc live CD, which was recorded live at the SFJAZZ Center in San Francisco this past October, features new arrangements of Michael Jackson classics like "Thriller", "Smooth Criminal", "Human Nature", "This Place Hotel" and more, as well as eight new original compositions by the band. The 22-page booklet contains exclusive photos, interviews and commentary from the band. 

· Limited edition 2-CD set available exclusively through SFJAZZ – not available in stores.

· Each CD set is numbered.

· Booklet contains exclusive photos from the live performances at the SFJAZZ Center, liner notes by jazz journalist Jesse Hamlin, insights by the musicians and artist bios.

· The compositions of King of Pop Michael Jackson, arranged by members of the Collective.

· New compositions by individual Collective members commisioned by SFJAZZ.

SFJAZZ COLLECTIVE

Miguel Zenón: alto saxophone

David Sánchez: tenor saxophone 

Sean Jones: trumpet 

Robin Eubanks: trombone 

Warren Wolf: vibraphone 

Edward Simon: piano 

Matt Penman: bass 

Obed Calvaire: drums

Track Listing

DISC 1

1. The Love You Save – Michael Jackson (arranged by Robin Eubanks) 

2. Blame It On the Boogie – Michael Jackson (arranged by Matt Penman w/ Miguel Zenón) 

3. Fall Prelude – Miguel Zenón 

4. Gray Skies in Baltimore – Warren Wolf 

5. Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough – Michael Jackson (arranged by David Sánchez) 

6. Franklin & Fell – Sean Jones 

7. Beauty of Space – Edward Simon 

8. Thriller – Michael Jackson (arranged by Obed Calvaire) 

Disc 2

1. Rock With You – Michael Jackson (arranged by Sean Jones) 

2. Smooth Criminal – Michael Jackson (arranged by Miguel Zenón) 

3. Mr. Right – Matt Penman 

4. Lineage – David Sánchez 

5. 150 Million Gold Francs – Obed Calvaire 

6. Human Nature – Michael Jackson (arranged by Warren Wolf) 

7. Why – Robin Eubanks 

8. This Place Hotel – Michael Jackson (arranged by Edward Simon)

BUY THIS ALBUM!!!

REPUBLIC OF JAZZ TEAM