Steven Feifke & Benny Benack III's SEASON’S SWINGIN’ GREETINGS is out via Cellar Music Group

Cellar Music Group Announces Release of Season’s Swingin’ Greetings – A Spirited Big Band Holiday Celebration Featuring Renowned Trumpeter and Vocalist Benny Benack III with Acclaimed Pianist, Arranger and Big Band Leader Steven Feifke

“There’s an attractive mixture of sincerity and humor to be found in the way this crew addresses the holidays, but don’t let the lightheartedness fool you: The musicianship is serious, and seriously on point.” 

—Dan Bilawksy, All About Jazz

Cellar Music Group is thrilled to announce the November 19, 2021 release of Season’s Swingin’ Greetings, a holiday album that celebrates the traditional big-band sound and hallmark compositions of yesteryear while also introducing brand-new pieces and arrangements to the holiday jazz pantheon. Acclaimed trumpeter and Vocalist Benny Benack III joins forces with heralded pianist and big-band leader Steven Feifke, marking the first release as co-leaders for these two close friends and long-time collaborators. This auspicious holiday recording sees the inimitable confluence of Feifke’s compositional/arranging prowess and Benack’s lyrical pen, yielding rousing arrangements of timeless holiday classics as well as original compositions written in the spirit of the season.

This Deluxe Edition package of Season’s Swingin’ Greetings is the culmination of a 3-year process, built on the vision of composing, recording and refining holiday jazz anthems for a new generation. With some tracks initially released as an EP for La Reserve back in 2019, Feifke and Benack utilized their time during the COVID-19 lockdown to continue to record additional tracks for the album, adding lush string arrangements and additional moments of levity and expert instrumental performance. Feifke recalls the exhilarating week leading up to the 2019 recording session, when Feifke and Benack were sharing a Manhattan apartment. “Benny would run down the hall, knock on my door and tell me that he finished the lead sheet for the next track right as I finished arranging and orchestrating the previous – it was a real tin-pan alley kind of atmosphere,” recalls Feifke. 

While Season’s Swingin’ Greetings marks Feifke and Benack’s first release as co-leaders, the two have a long and fruitful history of collaboration including on Feifke’s most recent critically-acclaimed release Kinetic, which featured Benack prominently alongside Feifke’s big-band. About that outing, Jack Bowers of All About Jazz notes, “for those who appreciate contemporary big bands whose guiding purpose is swing, Kinetic should furnish ample excitement and pleasure. If Herman, Basie and Buddy Rich were still around, it is reasonable to surmise that this is the path they would have followed.”

“Benny is such a brilliant lyricist. The stuff that he comes up with is nothing short of virtuosic – and so for me to be able to jump in and contribute my compositional and orchestrational voice is  fantastic. It’s  a really great match in terms of both of us complimenting each other’s artistic  skill-sets,” Feifke reflects.  

The co-leaders will release three singles including a October 29th release of “Sleighride”, the November 19th release of “Ma’oz Tzur” and the December 17th release of “When Christmas time Comes Around”. The classic “Sleighride” was co-arranged by Benack and Feifke. This sprightly arrangement demonstrates Benack’s lightning-fast facility on the trumpet, soaring over Feifke’s thoughtful harmonic refrains. Feifke displays his immense melodic acuity as well with a sublime solo. The triple-meter bridge and melodic playfulness from the duo sets the stage for a truly innovative release. “Ma’oz Tzur” is a modern arrangement of a traditional Jewish liturgical poem, the duo bring this Chanukah classic into present day with a 3/4 power-ballad feel within a marvelous big band and strings arrangement.

“When Christmas Time Comes Around” is a joint composition between Feifke (music) and Benack (lyrics), the two worked together to craft this holiday story and interpret it in song. “This album was filled with firsts”, Benack indicates, “this was the first time that I’d ever written lyrics for jointly-written piece”. “My Girlfriend is an Elf” is the album opener, a jubilant and comical vocal showcase for Benack. The vocalist notes “My Girlfriend is an Elf is a tune where the verse [setting up the premise that his girlfriend is an elf] came to me first.”

“My Wishlist is You” features a wonderful performance from vocalist Alita Moses alongside Benack. Benack composed and wrote the lyrics for this Christmas-themed waltz. Moses was also featured in a duet context on Benack’s recent critically-acclaimed album A lot of Livin’ to Do. The outfit returns to the Chanukah spirit for “The Dreidel Song”. Feifke’s arrangement harkens back to the spirit of the craps game in ‘Guys and Dolls’, fitting for a reimagining of a traditional song based on a gambling game.

“A Midnight Wish”, the album’s final track, is an original song co-written by Benack and several other fantastic new composers. The piece concludes the album on a lush, reflective note, showcasing Benack’s sultry vocals singing powerful and poignant lyrics underscored by the phenomenal Steven Feifke Big Band.

Aside from the two esteemed co-leaders, Season’s Swingin’ Greetings features an array of notable musicians throughout its tracks. Vibraphone great Warren Wolf takes a wonderful solo on the classic “What Are You Doing New Year’s Eve”, Sasha Berliner is featured on “The Christmas Song”, acclaimed multireedist Alexa Tarantino is featured during a flute solo on “When Christmastime Comes Around”, saxophonist Sam Dillon is a featured soloist on “The Dreidel Song”, celebrated trombonist Javier Nero is a featured soloist on “I’ll Be Home For Christmas” and drummer TJ Reddick is featured on “Sleighride”.

Season’s Swingin’ Greetings captures the tremendous synergy and interplay between two close friends and collaborators dedicated to creating a perfect atmosphere in which to compliment one another. Benack notes “I consider the bond between a crooner and his arranger to be as sacred as it comes in the annals of Jazz music…Sinatra had Nelson Riddle, Mel Tormé had Marty Paich, and I’m grateful to have Steven Feifke’s pen providing the musical wind in my sails. I wouldn’t entrust my music and arrangements to just anyone, but with Steven we have complete trust in each other, and really share a similar vision for how we want to present this familiar format in a fresh, exciting way.” A modern-classic, Season’s Swingin’ Greetings celebrates the holiday music of multiple religions, and adorns each track with an infectiously jubilant energy fitting for the upcoming season.

1. My Girlfriend Is An Elf 03:55

2. I'll Be Home For Christmas 05:04

3. My Wishlist Is You 03:26

4. The Dreidel Song 04:04

5. What You Doing New Year's Eve 04:56

6. The Christmas Song 04:39

7. Sleigh Ride 03:40

8. When Christmas Time Comes Around 04:53

9. Ma'oz Tzur 04:49

10. A Midnight Wish 04:04

PRE-ORDER

Steven Feifke Big Band - Kinetic (April 2021 Outside In Music)

Outside in Music is proud to announce the release of Kinetic, the spellbinding big band debut from pianist, composer, arranger, orchestrator, educator and Yamaha Recording Artist Steven Feifke.  One of the most in-demand artists of his generation, Feifke has amassed  an impressive discography having appeared on 30 albums all before  turning 30 years old.  After over a decade’s worth of work as a notable  sideman, conductor and arranger for esteemed artists as Steve Tyrell, Chad Lefkowitz-Brown, Santino Fontana, and most recently, Veronica Swift, Feifke finally comes to the fore on this smashing new album that highlights his singular vision and distinct voice. Kinetic will be available everywhere on April 9, 2021. 

Joining the bandleader is an ensemble  made up of players from the very frontline of the contemporary jazz  scene including drummer Ulysses Owens Jr., vocalist Veronica Swift, tenor saxophonist Lucas Pino, and alto saxophonist Alexa Tarantino among many others. The music on Kinetic was refined during the big band’s popular monthly residency at The Django in New York City that ran for nearly two years before COVID brought all live performances to halt. These  regular live performances afforded the band to develop a cohesive  common language and solid rapport, lending a rare intimate air to this  large ensemble recording. 

While Kinetic is his formal label debut, Boston-native Feifke has been a ubiquitous presence on the scene in a plethora of musical arenas. A  two-time semi-finalist in the Thelonious Monk Jazz Piano Competition,  Feifke has written commissioned work for such notable institutions as  the Manhattan School of Music Jazz Orchestra featuring jazz trumpet greats Sean Jones and Jon Faddis, the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra with Ken Peplowski, the Malmo Big Band with Katie Thiroux, and the New Generation Festival Orchestra featuring Dominick Farinacci. Additionally, Feifke works as musical director for musical theater luminary and Tony Award Winning actor and singer Santino Fontanato.  In the realm of television music, Feifke’s compositions and orchestrations have been prominently featured on such hit shows as Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee (Netflix), Impractical Jokers (TruTV), and Animaniacs (Hulu). Feifke is also a respected educator; he is currently on  faculty at The New School of Jazz and Contemporary Music where he  teaches composing and arranging.  He has served as a guest educator at  Moravian College, Yale University, Williams College among others, and  was the 2018 recipient of the “Pros Meet Pupils” grant from Arts  Mid-Hudson after developing a comprehensive curriculum about the history  of civil rights in America and its relation to jazz pedagogy and  performance. 

All of this and more informs Feifke’s unique artistry, which is on full display on Kinetic. “I  have been running my big band for the past 10 years — since just after I  moved to New York, pretty much. Of all the musical releases I have been  a part of since then, Kinetic is  the one that contains the most “Feifke” on there. It’s just 100% me.  It’s my own voice, and it’s my own unique stamp on the big band idiom,” Feifke says, adding, “I am really proud of the end result.” 

Acclaimed pianist, producer and arranger Gil Goldstein  notes, “There is a traditional quality to the music but upon closer  listening you can hear Steven’s voice and how he reinvents the big band  format to suit his musical personality. He plays with a similar  adventurous spirit, which is at once rooted in the modern jazz piano  tradition, while showing a curious and probing musical mind.”

Kinetic begins with the  bright tempoed swing of the album’s title track.  Feifke’s Coltrane –  McCoy tinged melodic refrains glide atop an unshakeable swing before the  band descends on the tune’s rich melody.  The track demonstrates the  pianist’s immense improvisational acuity with solo features from the  composer as well as trumpeter Gabriel King Medd and drummer Ulysses  Owens Jr.  The album’s first single, the video for “Kinetic” premiered late last year with JazzTimes. The album continues with another highlight, “Unveiling Of A Mirror”,  a composition rife with impressionistic intrigue.  The two contrasting  parts of the tune (a softer and more mysterious textured beginning, and  hard-hitting swing section) speaks to the complexities of reflections  and our often-diverging perceptions versus realities.  The piece  features solos by trumpeter Benny Benack III, saxophonist Sam Dillon,  and drummer Joe Peri.  The composer won second place, for “Unveiling of a  Mirror,” in the 2016 BMI Charlie Parker Jazz Composition Competition  (judged by Wynton Marsalis, Jimmy Heath and Alan Ferber).

“The Sphinx”  is a true feat of sonic exploration and instrumental virtuosity.  The  shifting time signatures and sonorities of the piece serves the overall  energy of the composition, not for one second sacrificing musicality for  the sake of technicality.  The piece is equally served by the stunning  musicianship of the ensemble and especially soloist Lucas Pino who acts  here as the Gonsalves to Feifke’s Ellington.  The album ventures on with  a sultry vocal feature for vocalist Veronica Swift on “Until The Real Thing Comes Along”.   Recalling iconic moments of this song’s rich history, from Andy Kirk to  Jackie Wilson, Feifke’s arrangement ultimately is one of restraint,  romanticism, even reverence.  

Showcasing a who’s who of acclaimed, virtuosic instrumentalists and masterful arrangements, Kinetic  offers audiences the polish of a studio album with the electric  intrigue and emotional ebb and flow of a live performance in a time when  gathering to enjoy live music is impossible. The echoes of the Django  residency ring throughout this album with ebullient arrangements of  gorgeous Feifke-penned originals and jazz standards, reflecting the very  pinnacle of orchestral jazz.

Kinetic

Unveiling of a Mirror

The Sphinx

Until the Real Thing Comes Along

Word Travels Fast

Wollongong; Nica's Dream

On the Street Where You Live

Midnight Beat

Closure

Steven Feifke: piano

Andrew Gould: saxophone

Alexa Tarantino: saxophone, alto

Lucas Pino: clarinet, bass

Sam Dillon: saxophone, tenor

Andrew Gutauskas: saxophone, baritone

Max Darché: trumpet

John Lake: trumpet

Benny Benack III: trumpet

Gabriel King Medd: trumpet

Robert Edwards: trombone

Jeffery Miller: trombone

Armando Vergara: trombone

Jennifer Wharton: trombone

Alex Wintz: guitar

Dan Chmielinski: bass

Ulysses Owens, Jr.: drums

Veronica Swift: voice / vocals

Jimmy Macbride: drums

Bryan Carter: drums

Pre-order