Meg Okura & The Pan Asian Chamber Jazz Ensemble (feat. Tom Harrell) - IMA IMA (May 13, 2018)

“PACJE has no peer in melding classical and jazz within an ethnically informed chamber setting.”

- Elliot Simon, The New York City Jazz Record

The ensemble’s self-titled debut album “Meg Okura’s Pan Asian Chamber Jazz Ensemble” was one of the “2006 Best Albums” of the Independent Music Awards. The Pan Asian Chamber Jazz Ensemble has since released Naima (2010), Music of Ryuichi Sakamoto (2013), and the forthcoming Ima Ima (2018) to critical acclaim. The group has performed over 50 concerts and festivals nationally and internationally, including NYC Winter Jazzfest, Lincoln Center, Levitt Pavilion (CA), KL International Jazz Festival in Malaysia and sold-out concerts in Japan.

​A native of Tokyo, Ms. Okura moved to New York after making her solo debut at Kennedy Center as at 19. She studied at the Juilliard School as a classical violinist, only to switch to jazz upon graduation. Since then, she has performed and recorded with jazz masters including Michael Brecker, Steve Swallow, Lee Konitz, and Tom Harrell, earning her place as “the queen of chamber jazz.” (All About Jazz) She has appeared on several dozens of albums and soundtracks as a violinist and erhu player.

Her composer credits appear on films such a documentary, The Congregation, or TV Series, Louie, among others.  She has also written for C. Eule Dance, the New York Symphonic Ensemble, Sirius String Quartet, the J-Orchestra (18- piece jazz orchestra), and the Pan Asian Chamber Jazz Ensemble.  She has received numerous grants and awards including Metlife Creative Connections Grant (Meet The Composer), Brand Personality Award (Asia Pacific Brands Foundation), Manhattan Community Arts Fund (Lower Manhattan Cultural Council), Jerome Composers Commissioning Program (American Composers Forum), and most recently, New Music USA Project Grant.

1. Ima Ima

2. A Summer In Jerusalem 10:27

3. A Night Insomnia 08:42

4. Birth of Shakyamuni 09:33

5. Blues In Jade 08:46

6. Black Rain 07:06

7. Tomiya 07:38

Tom Harrell (trumpet)

Meg Okura (violin, vocals, erhu)

Anne Drummond (flute, alto flute, piccolo)

Sam Newsome (soprano sax)

Sam Sadigursky (bass clarinet, clarinet)

Brian Marsella (piano, Wurlitzer electric piano)

Riza Printup (harp)

Pablo Aslan (bass)

Jared Schonig (drums)

Rez Abbasi (guitar)

Benjamin Boone and Philip Levine - The Poetry of Jazz (with performances by Tom Harrell, Branford Marsalis, Chris Potter and Greg Osby) ORIGIN RECORDS March 19, 2018)

“You hold in your hands jazz history. This is a CD that must be heard!" 

~ Pianist and Producer, Donald Brown 

“[Boone] is one of the very few that can lure Phil's poetry-magic and call it out and show it to the world… Beyond words… up there with the muses.” 

~ Juan Felipe Herrera, Poet Laureate of the United States 

“Benjamin Boone’s music is a tour de force, a mellow whirlwind of jazz and poetry.”

~ Guy Livingston, “American Highways,” ConcertZender (Netherlands Radio) 

A new precedent for pairing jazz with poetry, with performances by Tom Harrell, Branford Marsalis, Greg Osby, & Chris Potter joining Boone’s core ensemble as Levine recites 14 of his iconic poems set to original music they inspired.

1. Gin

2. Making Light of It

3. The Unknowable (homage to Sonny Rollins)

4. Yakov

5. They Feed They Lion

6. I Remember Clifford (homage to Clifford Brown)

7. The Music of Time

8. Soloing (homage to John Coltrane)

9. Arrival

10. A Dozen Dawn Songs, Plus One

11. Our Valley

12. Call it Music (homage to Charlie Parker)

13. By The Waters of the Llobregat

14. What Work Is

Philip Levine – poetry and narration

Benjamin Boone –alto/soprano saxophone (all but 3, 9, 13)

Tom Harrell – trumpet (6)

Branford Marsalis – tenor saxophone (8)

Greg Osby – alto saxophone (12)

Chris Potter –tenor saxophone (3)

Stefan Poetzsch – violin (10, 11)

Karen Marguth – vocals (1,7)

Max Hembd - trumpet (4, 5, 10)

David Aus – piano (2-6, 10-14)

Craig von Berg – piano (1, 7, 8, 10)

Spee Kosloff – bass (1, 2, 3, 7, 9, 10, 12)

Nye Morton – bass (4, 5, 11, 14)

John Lauffenburger - bass (6,8)

Brian Hamada – drums (1-3, 6-8, 10, 12)

Gary Newmark – drums (4, 5, 11, 14)

Atticus Boone - French horn (6)

Asher Boone - trumpet (6)

Branford Marsalis appears courtesy of Marsalis Music

Produced by Donald Brown

Primary recording and engineering by Eric Sherbon, Maximus Media, Fresno, CA

Additional recording by Systems Two, Brooklyn, NY; Sutton Sound, San Luis Obispo, CA; and Squeeze Studio, Blue Anchor, NJ

Edited by Vincent Keenan and Benjamin Boone

Mixed and Mastered by Mike Marciano, Systems Two, Brooklyn, NY

Music by Benjamin Boone except Making Light of It and What Work Is by David Aus, and Arrival by Spee Kosloff

Tom Harrell - Moving Picture (Highnote Records 2017)

It has been written that Tom has participated in 260 recordings but they may include arranging as well, which is another (sometimes overlooked) facet of his prodigious talent. Since signing with HighNote Records in 2007 Tom has been working primarily with a quintet but kept things fresh with a quartet recording , 'Trip', a two-bass sextet on 'Colors Of A Dream' and the critically acclaimed 'First Impresssions', which featured a nearly classical chamber ensemble playing the music of Debussy and Ravel.

With 'Moving Picture' Tom leads a quartet where he is the only horn, giving his legions of fans the pleasure of hearing more of his solo work backed by this venerable jazz format.

www.tomharrell.com

Tom Harrell - Something Gold, Something Blue (2016) HIGHNOTE

Superb trumpeter Tom Harrell, who has been releasing recordings as a leader since 1989, has a new album out, Something Gold, Something Blue, on HighNote featuring fellow trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire, as well as guitarist Charles Altura, bassist Ugonna Okegwo and drummer Johnathan Blake. Harrell is a prolific arranger and composer and a mysterious yet mesmerizing presence in concert and a regular in the recording studio. His resume is impressive, with contributions to bands led by Stan Kenton, Horace Silver and Joe Lovano. He has written scores for ballets and arrangements for symphony orchestras and his last HighNote album “First Impressions” (HCD 7276) was in the Top Ten Best Jazz albums of 2015 in the 64th Annual Downbeat Critic’s Poll while Akinmusire and Harrell took the top two slots in the trumpet category in the same poll.

1. Circuit

2. Travelin'

3. Trances

4. Delta of the Nile

5. Keep on Goin'

6. View

7. Body and Soul

8. Sound Image

9. The Vehicle

Tom Harrell - trumpet, flugelhorn

Ambrose Akinmusire - trumpet

Charles Altura - guitar

Ugonna Okegwo - bass

Johnathan Blake - drums

Omer Avital - oud (4)

Oleg Kireyev & Keith Javors - The Meeting (2016) INARHYME RECORDS

present

Oleg Kireyev & Keith Javors - The Meeting (2016)

(Inarhyme)The unprecedented double recommendation this week is because both albums have the brilliant Tom Harrell on trumpet and flugelhorn as a sideman, a rare role for him these days— and because they are among the most compellingly conceived and executed quintet collections in years. Kirk MacDonald is a Canadian tenor saxophonist whose imagination, firmness and drive recall Dexter Gordon and other mainstream tenor heroes. The rhythm section of pianist Brian Dickinson, bassist Neal Swainson and drummer Dennis Mackrel might have been made to order for MacDonald and Harrell. MacDonald’s ten compositions are perfect for the band. The Russian tenor saxophonist Kireyev and American pianist Javors have recorded together before, but The Meeting, with Harrell’s buoyant contribution, takes the collaboration to a new height. Ben Williams on bass and E.J. Strickland on drums round out the rhythm section. Surprise: Kireyev’s Tuvan throat singing in “Caravan.”

by Doug Ramsey / INARHYME RECORDS

April

Inwardly

Estate

The Meeting

Caravan

Body and Soul

Fresh Blues

Oleg Kireyev: tenor saxophone, vocals

Keith Javors: piano

Tom Harrell: trumpet, flugelhorn

Ben Williams: acoustic bass

E. J. Strickland: drums

BUY THIS ALBUM

Tom Harrell - First Impressions (Debussy and Ravel Project) 2015

"Both Debussy and Ravel transformed the world of music by creating a new sensibility of beauty of sound," says trumpeter/composer, Tom Harrell, who himself is known for his superb lyricism and poetry in his playing and writing. "I am attracted to their music because of their use of Afro-Hispanic and Afro-Cuban rhythms and melodies. I am also deeply influenced by tone poems, so writing arrangements for a project that explicitly celebrates two of my favorite French composers, Debussy and Ravel, makes complete sense to me. I was thrilled to write extended forms that are rich in modal harmonies."

On his new album, FIRST IMPRESSIONS, Harrell interprets the works of these two French composers with his nine-piece chamber ensemble. The personnel include:s the members of his working band of 10 years – Wayne Escoffery (tenor and soprano sax), Danny Grissett (piano), Ugonna Okegwo (bass), and Johnathan Blake (drums); a notable jazz woodwind player, Charles Pillow on flutes; and three string players who are equally adept at classical and jazz repertoires - Meg Okura (violin), Rubin Kodheli (cello), aand Rale Micic (guitar).

For Harrell, this project is a natural progression in his musical odyssey. His affinity for the European classical tradition is apparent in some of his previously recorded works. 'Majesty" (LABYRINTH, RCA 1996) "Baroque Steps," and "Morning Prayer, Part 1" (PARADISE, Bluebird/BMG 2000) and "Snow," (WISE CHILDREN, Arista/BMG 2003) are some of the pieces inspired by European classical music.

The repertoire includes:

"Voices" based on Ravel’s “Vocalise-Étude en Forme de Habanera"

"Sainte" – a Ravel piece that shows Satie influence

"Reverie" – Debussy

"Passepied" - Debussy 

“Beau Soir" - Debussy

"Sarabande" – Debussy, to be played in a duet with pianist Danny Grissett

and originals by Harrell with influences of Impressionist music:

“Perspectives"

“Musique du Café"

Tom Harrell, trumpet & flugelhorn

Wayne Escoffery, soprano & tenor saxophone

Charles Pillow, flute & bass flute

Danny Grissett, piano

Rale Micic, guitar

Meg Okura, violin

Rubin Kodheli, cello

Ugonna Okegwo, bass

Johnathan Blake, drums

Sainte

Voices

Perspectives

Beau Soir

Reverie

Passapied

Sarabande

Musique du Café

BUY THIS ALBUM!!!

Domi