John Patitucci and Andy James | An Evening With John Patitucci & Andy James (November 5, 2021 Le Coq Records)

AVAILABLE NOW via LE COQ RECORDS



VOCALIST ANDY JAMES AND

BASS MASTER JOHN PATITUCCI TEAM UP TO CRAFT

AN INTIMATE EVENING OF JAZZ STANDARDS AND

POP CLASSICS BACKED BY AN ALL-STAR ENSEMBLE

AN EVENING WITH JOHN PATITUCCI & ANDY JAMES,

DUE OUT NOVEMBER 5 ON LE COQ RECORDS,

FEATURES ARRANGEMENTS BY

BILL CUNLIFFE AND CONTRIBUTIONS BY

CHRIS POTTER, RICK MARGITZA, TERELL STAFFORD,

JOHN BEASLEY, VINNIE COLAIUTA AND MORE

On An Evening with John Patitucci & Andy James, two gifted performers join forces to conjure an intimate evening of captivating music. At a time when jazz aficionados around the world have been starved for musical experiences, the album recreates the sultry atmosphere of a candlelight nightclub as some of the most revered musicians in modern jazz perform classic standards.

Due out November 5 via Le Coq Records, An Evening with John Patitucci & Andy James features nearly 90 minutes of scintillating music featuring an incomparable ensemble. In addition to James’ mesmerizing vocals and Patitucci’s bass mastery, the album boasts arrangements by piano great Bill Cunliffe for an ensemble that includes saxophonists Chris Potter and Rick Margitza, trumpeter Terell Stafford, guitarists Chico Pinheiro and Jake Langley, keyboardists John Beasley and Jon Cowherd, percussionist Alex Acuña, drummers Vinnie Colaiuta, Marcus Gilmore and Marvin “Smitty” Smith, along with powerful horn and string sections.

“I wanted people to just sit back and enjoy a listening experience of serene pleasure,” declares James. “John and I tried to create something easy to listen to that would leave people feeling good afterwards. I recorded the album in anticipation that people wouldn’t something too complicated at this time we all find ourselves in.”

Jazz singing and Flamenco dance have been parallel passions throughout Andy James’ life. Flamenco took prominence during what she now refers to as “act one” of her artistic life. She became renowned as a world-class Flamenco dancer, enjoying a successful career dancing with husband and partner Piero Pata in Madrid.

For “act two,” James relocated to the U.S. and focused on her singing career, renewing collaborations with the great jazz musicians who had crossed her path while they traveled through Europe. She and Pata launched Le Coq Records, releasing a series of albums ranging in style from the elegance of the female jazz swing tradition to vintage R&B to the post-bop urgency of the classic Blue Note era. 

An estimable professional family has quickly found a home at the label, with Patitucci, Acuña and Cunliffe playing key roles on a number of releases and several musicians making recurring appearances from one recording to the next. On An Evening With…, Patitucci proves an ideal partner for James, bringing his revered tone and musical vision to the project and convening the ideal musicians for each piece.

“When choosing personnel for any project,” Patitucci explains, “I try to find the greatest musicians that I have longstanding relationships with, in order to have the opportunity to get more deeply into the music at hand.”

Over the course of a career lasting four decades, Patitucci has forged essential collaborations with some of the most acclaimed artists in jazz and beyond, most notably long-lasting partnerships with iconic saxophonist Wayne Shorter and the late Chick Corea. 

Speaking of James, Patitucci says, “Andy is a very generous and flexible collaborator. She has a great love for the Great American Songbook. When she sings, her phrasing is reminiscent of so many of the great singers that I grew up listening to. The style that she sings in provides the opportunity to write arrangements for larger orchestrations.”

James returns the compliment. “John is very important to my whole performance. Without John’s playing I would have been restricted in the way I could sing and approach every song in the album. John Patitucci brings a deep sound that allows me the freedom to sing with a lot of mood or feeling in my voice. He gives me a lot of space to create a meaningful performance.”

From the intoxicatingly lush opener “Autumn in New York,” with Patitucci’s robust bass matched by a fervent tenor solo by Potter, to the last-call balladry of “Angel Eyes” that closes the set, An Evening with John Patitucci & Andy James features countless classic songs along with a few surprises, including the smoldering James and Pata-penned love song “Burn for Love.”

As she did on her previous release, Tu Amor, James reaches into her Latin influences on “Besame Mucho.” In addition to a number of well-known jazz standards James stretches the American Songbook to encompass great pop and rock classics like The Beatles’ “Blackbird” and James Taylor’s “Fire and Rain.”

The choices certainly inspire passionate playing from James and Patitucci’s guests, with standouts including Rick Margitza’s soaring solo on “Fire and Rain,” Terell Stafford’s heart-wrenching take on “Moonlight in Vermont,” and the soulful playing of Potter and John Beasley on the Gerry Goffin/Carole King favorite “Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow.”

“The songs came naturally,” James explains. “I just wanted to sing some beautiful songs. The mood I had in mind when choosing these songs was one of love – I just wanted people to find love with each other again after the era of Covid!”

1. John Patitucci, Chris Potter, Vinnie Colaiuta - “Autumn In New York” feat. John Patitucci & Chris Potter 04:23

2. Marvin “Smitty” Smith, John Patitucci, Bill Cunliffe, John Beasley, Chris Potter - “Besame Mucho” feat. Chris Potter 07:07

3. Chris Potter, Vinnie Colaiuta, John Patitucci, Dan Higgins, Michael Dease, Alex Acuña - “I Love You And Don't You Forget It” feat. Chris Potter 03:08

4. Jon Cowherd, Chris Potter, Marcus Gilmore, Alex Acuña, John Patitucci, Chicho Pinero, Jon Cowherd, - “To Dream As One” - feat. Jon Cowherd & Chris Potter 05:07

5. Terell Stafford, Vinnie Coliauta, John Patitucci, Bill Cunliffe - “Moonlight In Vermont” feat. Terell Stafford 04:40

6. Vinnie Colaiuta, John Patitucci, Alex Acuña, Bill Cunliffe - “Day Dream” feat John Patitucci 05:09

7. John Patitucci, Marvin Smitty Smith, Alex Acuña, Bill Cunliffe, John Beasley, Charlie Bisharat - “Blackbird“ feat John Patitucci 05:46

8. Vinnie Coliauta,Terell Stafford, John Patitucci, John Beasley, Alex Acuña, Terell Stafford, - “When I'm With You” feat. Terell Stafford 03:19

9. Chris Potter, John Beasley, John Patitucci, Marvin “Smitty” Smith, Alex Acuña, - “Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow” feat. Chris Potter & John Beasley 06:05

10. Terell Stafford, Marvin “Smitty” Smith, John Patitucci, Terell Stafford, Alex Acuña, Bill Cunliffe - “Unchain My Heart” feat. Terell Stafford 04:12

11. Rick Margitza, Vinnie Coliauta, John Patitucci, John Beasley, Alex Acuña, Jon Cowherd - “Fire & Rain” feat. Rick Margitza 06:22

12. Chris Porter, Vinnie Coliauta, John Patitucci - "Burn For Love” feat. Chris Porter 04:19

13. John Patitucci, John Beasley, Rick Margitza, Charles McNeal, Alex Acuña, Vinnie Colaiuta - “Some Other Time” feat. Rick Margitza & Charles McNeal 05:30

14. Vinnie Colaiuta, Bill Cunliffe, John Patitucci, - “Laura” feat. John Patitucci 04:26

15. “More Than You Know” feat. Chris Potter 04:00

16. John Beasley, John Patitucci, Bill Cunliffe, Jake Langley - “My Heart Belongs To Daddy” feat. John Patitucci & John Beasley 05:02

17. Vinnie Colaiuta, Alex Acuña, John Patitucci, Bill Cunliffe, Charlie Bisharat - “Angel Eyes” 04:03

PREORDER

John McLaughlin - Liberation Time (July 16, 2021 Abstract Logix)

John McLaughlin announces new studio album

Spanning innumerable ensembles, hundreds of compositions, and thousands of performances, John McLaughlin’s wide-ranging musical journey is guided by an unflagging quest for transcendence — a tireless grasp for spiritual ecstasy that renders traditional, earthly boundaries irrelevant. For more than five decades, McLaughlin has deployed his peerless guitar technique, compositional gifts, and imagination in service of a deeply personal higher calling, forging a vast legacy unmatched in improvised music.

Thankfully, his journey is nowhere near complete — especially now when we need him most.

As the world reels from the social, emotional, and spiritual toll of the ongoing viral-induced global lockdown, McLaughlin reflects on both the perils and potential of this challenging moment with “Liberation Time” — his newest album, available July 16th on Abstract Logix/Mediastarz. In the fall of 2020, as the reality of pandemic limitations set in, McLaughlin commenced work on “Liberation Time” as a “direct response” (his words) to the mandated restrictions imposed by the spread of Covid-19. Characterized by both joy and reflection, “Liberation Time” finds McLaughlin harnessing his frustrations and redirecting that energy. “The result,” he explains in a candid liner note, “was an explosion of music in my mind.”

Unusual for McLaughlin’s recent projects, “Liberation Time” is not the work of one fixed ensemble. With physical proximity no longer a prerequisite, McLaughlin drew upon decades of experience as a bandleader to select musicians best suited to each composition. “That is a choice that can only be made correctly if you know how the musicians play,” he explains. “Not just how well they play technically, but how they play intuitively. Only then can you make the right decisions.”

Creating compelling, dynamic performances from contributors isolated around the globe required McLaughlin to draw from his years of experience as a producer, recording artist, and bandleader to set up parameters that would spark inspiration. “I have a certain experience playing drums, piano, and bass,” he says, “so it’s not difficult for me to create a session that not only gives the structure melodically, rhythmically and harmonically — along with the atmosphere of the piece. I set this up and send it to the musicians, giving very broad outlines of the piece, and ask them to be themselves in their improvisations and in the way they accompany the themes. Several pieces came back to me transformed, and I would then re-record my part in response.”

“As the Spirit Sings” introduces the album by contrasting churning rhythmic tension (stoked by drummer Vinnie Colaiuta and bassist Sam Burgess) with McLaughlin’s soaring guitar figures — all underpinned by Gary Husband’s subtle, expansive piano. While each musician recorded his part in their respective locales, the responsiveness of the performers is undimmed by distance.

Knotty post-bop figures form the basis of “Right Here, Right Now, Right On,” one of the most jazz-inflected performances McLaughlin has laid down in some time, featuring Nicolas Viccaro (drums), Jerome Regard (bass), Julian Siegel (tenor saxophone), and Oz Ezzeldin (piano). While his muse has led him down many stylistic avenues over the course of his career, McLaughlin is quick to cite his roots in jazz as a foundational element of his approach to this day. “We are all jazz musicians,” he says of himself and his cohorts on “Liberation Time”, “and there is much love between jazz musicians. All the musicians I invited to perform with me know that there will not only be collective playing, but they will have the possibility to express their individuality spontaneously. This is the great characteristic of jazz.”

When speaking of camaraderie, it is impossible to ignore the profound brotherhood that exists between the members of 4th Dimension — McLaughlin’s current ensemble, which includes Husband along with Etienne Mbappe (bass) and Ranjit Barot (drums). They are featured on the soul “Lockdown Blues,” a playful refraction examination of blues tropes first released last summer to benefit the Jazz Foundation of America.

While much of Liberation Blues revels in the sort of spontaneous interplay that has been denied by Covid restrictions, some of the album’s most touching moments feature McLaughlin alone at the piano — an instrument he has not recorded on since his 1973 collaboration with Carlos Santana, “Love Devotion Surrender”. Although brief, McLaughlin’s two piano features, “Mila Repa” and “Shade of Blue,” are by no means incomplete. “In my mind, the two pieces I play the piano on are like two short musical poems,” he says. “I’m very fond of the Haiku form of poetry — which is ‘distilled’ poetry — and this is how I see these two pieces. There are few notes and much space, as in the kind of poetry I enjoy. I include them to bring a particular feeling into the listener’s mind.”

With vaccination campaigns now in full effect and a more promising tomorrow coming into view, Liberation Time’s title track can be felt as visceral anticipation — a rousing glimpse into an unbound future rich with possibilities. With Sam Burgess’s bass holding the center, the cut culminates in a thrilling conversation between McLaughlin and longtime bandmate Gary Husband, who is heard on both piano and drums. Eventually bass and piano drop out, unleashing a riveting guitar/drum dialogue made even more astonishing by the fact that neither of the performers were able to make eye contact with one another.

“Liberation Time” is a product of its times, and yet it looks both forwards and backwards — at once drawing upon memories of better days gone and yet reaching for a new dawn. If the rhythmic innovations and intricacies of such past McLaughlin projects as Mahavishnu Orchestra and Shakti have demonstrated anything, it is that John McLaughlin seems time itself as pliable and open to interpretation. And if time is no barrier to his creative impulses, why should distance be? Looking back at the transcontinental sessions that resulted in “Liberation Time”, McLaughlin concludes, “The wonderful thing about music is that you put the headphones on, and you are all in the same room.”

1. As the Spirit Sings 5:22

2. Singing Our Secrets 5:13

3. Lockdown Blues 7:19

4. Mila Repa 2:29

5. Right Here, Right Now, Right On 7:26

6. Shade of Blue 1:33

7. Liberation Time 7:57

John McLaughlin (Guitar / Piano)

Gary Husband (Drums and Piano)

Ranjit Barot (Drums / Konokol)

Vinnie Colaiuta (Drums)

Etienne MBappe (Bass)

Roger Rossignol (Piano)

Jean Michel ‘Kiki’ Aublette (Drums / Bass)

Nicholas Viccaro (Drums)

Julian Siegel (Tenor Sax)

Sam Burgess (Bass)

Jerome Regard (Bass)

Oz Ezzeldin (Piano)

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John Patitucci / Vinnie Colaiuta / Bill Cunliffe - TRIO (2021 Le Coq Records)

Pianist Bill Cunliffe, Bassist John Patitucci

and Drummer Vinnie Colaiuta

Convene as a Trio for the First Time Ever on the

Spirited, Swinging New Album Trio

Three veteran jazz virtuosos join forces for the first time as pianist Bill Cunliffe, bassist John Patitucci and drummer Vinnie Colaiuta for a high-spirited, vigorously swinging standards session titled, simply, Trio – after all, with three names like those on the marquee, no further embellishment is needed.

Trio, due out February 19, 2021 via Le Coq Records, came together spontaneously, making the exhilarating chemistry and dynamic interplay all the more remarkable. Cunliffe has become something of a house arranger and musical director for many of the newly-launched imprint’s projects, and Patitucci and Colaiuta have quickly become part of the Le Coq family. It was at label founder/producer Piero Pata’s urging that the trio let loose in Hollywood’s storied Capitol Studios without a script.

“Piero surprised us as we were working on some other projects with him,” Patitucci recalls. “He had the idea for us to do this trio record. It was very impromptu, like in the Blue Note record era, where you basically do a record in a day. We had a lot of fun and it was really relaxed.”

“I was like a kid in a candy store,” gushes Cunliffe. “It was pretty challenging because it just three guys in a room. But it was a lot of fun, because these are two master musicians whose work I’ve loved for years.”

A GRAMMY® Award-winning arranger, Cunliffe typically embarks on a project with far more preparation. Since beginning his career as pianist and arranger with the Buddy Rich Big Band, Cunliffe has worked with such luminaries as Frank Sinatra, Joe Henderson, Freddie Hubbard, Benny Golson and James Moody, while establishing himself as a renowned solo artist and bandleader with more than a dozen albums under his name. All of which made this recording a daunting but ultimately thrilling experience – in the making as much as in the listening.

“I like jazz music that has shape,” Cunliffe explains, “that has a beginning, middle and end, and drama. Usually I craft those elements in my arrangements. John and Vinnie are able to create those qualities on the spot.”

Patitucci may be best known for his long and meaningful associations with Chick Corea and Wayne Shorter, but he’s worked with a who’s who of artists in and outside of jazz. With Corea he came to prominence as a member of the pianist’s Akoustic and Elektric Bands; for the last two decades he’s been a member of the Wayne Shorter Quartet alongside pianist Danilo Pérez and drummer Brian Blade, perhaps the most revered small band in jazz today. But he’s also played throughout the world with Herbie Hancock, Stan Getz, Pat Metheny, Wynton Marsalis, Joshua Redman, Michael Brecker, McCoy Tyner, Nancy Wilson, Sting, Aaron Neville, Natalie Cole, Joni Mitchell, Carole King, Astrud and Joao Gilberto, and many more.

Colaiuta has also bridged the worlds of jazz and pop throughout his career. He rose to fame playing with Frank Zappa, Joni Mitchell and Sting, while touring with jazz greats from Herbie Hancock to Chick Corea. He’s also a prolific first-call studio drummer whose work graces recordings by Leonard Cohen, Barbra Streisand, James Taylor, Billy Joel and countless others.

Patitucci and Colaiuta are no strangers to one another, of course. Colaiuta is one of three drummers on the bassist’s self-titled debut album on GRP from 1987; they’ve crossed paths scores of times over the intervening decades, including as a version of Chick Corea’s Akoustic Band that recorded Live From the Blue Note Tokyo in 1996. Cunliffe has worked with both of them at various times as well, but Trio marks the first time they’ve been able to interact as a trio.

“Both John and Vinnie have spent a lot time in different aspects of the pop world,” Cunliffe says. “But they both grew up in jazz like I did. They’re both stone cold jazz guys.”

“Working with Bill Cunliffe,” Colaiuta says, “you can always expect – at the very least –amazing skill and professionalism, some deep swinging, and a big bucket of fun!”

The tone for the session is set with the trio’s sprightly take on George Shearing’s “Conception.” Introduced by a brisk solo shot by Colaiuta, the tune sparks, nimble, graceful solos from all three members, all clearly in upbeat spirits. It’s followed by a swooning version of David Raksin’s classic theme from “Laura,” a more winsomely romantic interpretation than the noir-tinged usual.

They then delve into the repertoire of Patitucci’s longtime bosses for a steely plunge into Wayne Shorter’s “Anna Maria” and a graceful rendition of Chick Corea’s “The One Step,” on which the bassist speaks with eloquent lyricism. Colaiuta’s rifle-crack rhythm sets the pace for a blistering run through the Miles Davis favorite “7 Steps To Heaven,” while the drummer’s lush, whispering brushwork conjures a cloud-soft foundation for Cunliffe to ruminate nostalgically on the classic ballad “Good Morning Heartache.”

The camaraderie that the three locked into so quickly and (seemingly) easily is playfully evident on their loose, celebratory spin on the well-worn standard “My Shining Hour,” while their taut link-up braces a slyly grooving rethink of Thelonious Monk’s “We See.” The album concludes on a wistful note, with a tender but lively “Just In Time.”

The mix of standards and songs familiar to the trio’s members was not only a practical consideration given the impromptu nature of the session, Cunliffe explains; it was key to capturing such brilliantly conversational playing. “Except for ‘The One Step,’ we did all of the tunes from memory, without using any music at all. That means we were able to look at each other, hear each other, challenge each other and react to each other in the moment. It felt very organic and was so much fun. Vinnie and John really lifted me and made me play better than I ever could.

1. Conception 05:25

2. Laura 03:30

3. Ana Maria 05:18

4. The One Step 05:53

5. 7 Steps to Heaven 04:45

6. Good Morning Heartache 05:28

7. My Shining Hour 05:27

8. We See 04:16

9. Just In Time 08:19

John Patitucci on Bass

Vinnie Colaiuta on Drums

Bill Cunliffe on Piano

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Oz Noy - Booga Looga Loo (ABSTRACT LOGIX February 15, 2019)

New York guitar phenom Oz Noy is that rare artist -- one who has cultivated his own distinct voice within the context of classic structures. His latest album, Booga Looga Loo reawakens timeless Boogaloo meets Jazz meets R&B grooves with Noy’s extended, unpredictable harmonic sensibility, stinging phrasing, and deft musical economy. Helping to realize Noy’s concept of the boogaloo record is a cast of musicians equally versed in the backbeat and the beyond, including drummers Vinnie Colaiuta, Dave Weckl and Steve Ferrone; bassists Will Lee, John Patitucci, and James Genus; and keyboardists Jerry Z and Brian Charette. Other contributors include Kevin Hays, Seamus Blake, and Anne Drummond. 

On Booga Looga Loo, five taut, incisive Noy originals are joined by striking reinventions of material by the Beatles (“Eight Days a Week,” with Lee on vocals), the Beach Boys (an achingly delivered “God Only Knows”), Ray Charles (“I Got a Woman”), and Thelonious Monk (“Bemsha Swing”). The album follows Twisted Blues, Oz Noy’s acclaimed two-volume exploration of the limits of the blues, a searing live set recorded in Shanghai with Weckl and bassist Étienne M'Bappé (Asian Twistz), a Soul Funk R&B record “Who Give A Funk" and the debut of Ozone Squeeze, Noy’s versatile, accessible trio with drummer Darren Stanley and vocalist and keyboardist Rai Thistlethwayte.

Oz Noy (Guitar)

Vinnie Colaiuta, Dave Weckl, Steve Ferrone (Drums)

Will Lee, John Patitucci, James Genus (Bass)

Jerry Z, Brian Charette, Kevin Hays (Keys)

Seamus Blake (Sax)

Anne Drummond (Piano)

1. BoogaLoo Fever

2. Chocolate Souffle

3. A Soul Thang

4. Bemsha Swing

5. Booga Looga Loo

6. I Got a Woman

7. God Only Knows

8. Eight Days a Week

Shows

Feb 19

Rockwood Music Hall Stage 1

New York, NY

Feb 28

Yoshi's Jazz Club, Oakland

Oakland, CA

Mar 05

Jammin' Java

Vienna, VA

Mar 06

Songbirds (Lower Level)

Chattanooga, TN

Mar 12

FTC StageOne

Fairfield, CT

Mar 14

Iridium

New York, NY

Mar 15

Iridium

New York, NY

Mar 16

Iridium

New York, NY

Mar 17

Iridium

New York, NY

Mar 19

Milkboy Philly

Philadelphia, PA

Mar 22

The Jazz Kitchen

Indianapolis, IN

Mar 23

The Jazz Kitchen

Indianapolis, IN

Mar 27

The Bitter End

New York, NY

Dan Siegel - Origins (DSM 2018)

A highly respected pianist and composer, Dan Siegel has 21 solo albums, and hundreds of other producing, arranging, composing and performing credits in his extensive recording career. Born in Seattle, Washington, and raised in Eugene, Oregon, Dan began piano lessons at age eight, and started performing professionally as lead singer and guitarist in a rock band at the age of 12. He holds a BS in Music Composition and a MM in Jazz Studies, and studied piano in Boston with the legendary Madam Chaloff.

After graduating from the University of Oregon, Dan began recording his own compositions with his band. In 1979 he was signed to Inner City Records, a New York based independent jazz label. His second album, The Hot Shot (1981), reached No.1 on the Radio & Records Jazz Chart and remained in Billboard’s Top 10 selling Jazz albums for 10 weeks. In 1983 he moved to Los Angeles to pursue film and television work as well as a more active recording career. Since then, he has traveled and performed around the world in support of his numerous Top 10 recordings, and maintains a global audience.

Over the years, Dan’s albums have provided an abundance of diverse material, from the electronic oriented Another Time, Another Place (1984), (with Patrick O’Hearn and Alex Acuna) which Keyboard Magazine called the best keyboard oriented fusion LP of the year, to the exotic world music direction of Hemispheres (1995), which features an ensemble of eclectic musicians including; Bela Fleck, Ottmar Liebert, Andy Narell, Osamu Kitajima, and Dori Caymmi, playing in unique and unlikely combinations. He has produced several other projects, one of which is the group Birds of a Feather, a gathering of world-renown musicians that has included Larry Carlton, Boney James and Ernie Watts. Dan is a frequent traveler to Asia and in 1995 went to Beijing, to record and produce China’s first jazz band, Tien Square.

Siegel’s work as a TV and film composer has included the score for the cult film, Reform School Girls (1986), and Universal Studios dramatic TV series, Hard Copy (1987). He has worked as musical director/ conductor on the late night CBS TV show, Overtime with Pat O’Brien (1990). Dan has played on numerous TV and film projects as a session player, including the Oscar winning film, The Usual Suspects. Siegel has recorded and performed with a variety of artists including: Glenn Frey (The Eagles), Chaka Khan, Berlin, Philip Bailey (Earth Wind & Fire), Kenny Rankin, Hugh Masekela, Joe Sample, Herbie Hancock and the London Symphony Orchestra.

01. Rite of Passage 05:00

02. When One Door Closes 03:43

03. After All 04:44

04. Lost and Found 03:50

05. Arabesque 05:13

06. Moon and Stars 04:56

07. Strange Sky 05:13

08. Under the Sun 04:51

09. Crossing 05:04

10. Origins 04:04

Dan Siegel: keyboards

Allen Hinds: electric guitar

Ramon Stagnaro: acoustic guitar

Craig Fundyga: vibraphone

Rogerio Jardim: voice

Brian Bromberg: acoustic bass

Vinnie Colaiuta: drums

Lenny Castro: percussion

Jing Chi - Supremo (TONE CENTER 2017)

After a thirteen year break, Jing Chi, the groovin’ blues fusion powerhouse featuring guitarist Robben Ford, bassist Jimmy Haslip and drummer Vinnie Colaiuta deliver their incredible 4th record for Tone Center, Supremo, produced by Jimmy Haslip and co-produced by Robben Ford. Ford’s solo career and other collaborations, together with Colaiuta and Haslip’s demand as top LA session players, have more than kept the guys busyin the interim. However, when the opportunity arose to get together once again and make some great music, each player brought his A-Game to the table and the result is nothing short of a collaborative masterpiece that breaks new musical ground for this stunning trio.

The Tone Center label’s mission has been to place highly talented, yet diverse players in the studio, and let the tapes roll. Tone Center’s fourth Jing Chi release continues to follow that tradition of the Super Session, but with more emphasis on their compositions. This is a collaboration between renowned guitarist Robben Ford who has been recording under his own name and as a session player since the 1970’s, drummer Vinnie Colaiuta (Sting, Frank Zappa, Steely Dan) and bassist Jimmy Haslip (Yellowjackets, Tommy Bolin, Steely Dan) with special guest appearances by saxophonist Jeff Coffin and trumpet session veteran Mike Haynes. The collective sessions and the names of the A-list artists with whom the members of Jing Chi and their guests have played would literally fill a book as each performer has amassed a staggering discography.

Supremo is more than a vehicle for fantastic soloing as the compositions are important, well arranged pieces of music that exhibit a synergy rarely heardin today’s music. The horns are used primarily as an underlying texture with clever lines that weave in and out bringing to mind vintage jazz and soul music with a modern edge.

Producer Jimmy Haslip says this about Supremo and Jing Chi: These recordings are always compelling, tightly fused and joyfully challenging musically and creatively. We are like family, yet we are chemically charged at this point and that makes these projects easy to comfortably find clear focus and a unified direction. We have been working with chief engineer Rich Breen on all of the Jing Chi records. He is a gift and is the band’s sonic architect. I’m proud to say that Supremo is a high energy Modern R&B Fusion explosion of sound!

01. The Majestic

02. Better Times

03. Showtime

04. Secrets

05. On Green Pepper Street

06. Casablanca

07. Vegas

08. SPM

09. At the Apollo

10. Jing XI

Jeff Richman - Sizzle (November 17, 2016) KARI-ON PRODUCTIONS

STREET Date:  November 17, 2016

17TH LEADER RELEASE Jeff Richman

Jeff Richman: guitar

Vinnie Colaiuta: drums

Jimmy Haslip: bass

Jeff Beal: trumpet

George Whitty: keys, programming

Taylor Eigsti: piano

Bob Mintzer: tenor saxophone

Gergo Borlai: drums, keyboards 

Mitchell Forman: Fender Rhodes

Will Lee: bass

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Jeff Richman Website