Iwan VanHetten - Parabbean Tales (February 2022 Blue Canoe Records)

Blue Canoe Records proudly presents the addition of Iwan VanHetten to their Artist roster. Iwan’s latest album ‘Parabbean Tales’ was born from the concept of combining Caribbean-influenced music with contemporary jazz and funk to weave a narrative of his childhood and express the love for his native music. 

UK based trumpeter, keyboardist, musical director, composer / songwriter and producer Iwan VanHetten has worked with artists including Sister Sledge, Candy Dulfer, Paco Sery, The Pointer Sisters, Anthony Hamilton, Jools Holland, Jimmy Haslip, Will Kennedy, Russell Ferrante, Gary Husband and many more. He is one of a rare breed of musicians  who have stellar capabilities on two or more instruments. Highlights of Iwan’s career include fifteen years as musical director / keyboards with Sister Sledge and twenty years as musical director / keyboards / trumpet / songwriter / producer with the Brooklyn Funk Essentials.  With both groups Iwan has toured worldwide, performing at countless prestigious festivals and clubs. Together with Rob Harris and Paul Turner (Jamiroquai), Iwan completes the new trio ‘TRIONIQ’. Iwan is also an active solo artist, writing, recording and producing his own solo albums. Iwan’s production credits include Joni Sledge’s album ‘Tru’. 

Iwan has directed and composed music for numerous theatre shows and is currently the musical director and composer for a series of immersive art installations around Europe. He is a passionate educator and holds a teaching position at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire. He divides his time between producing, teaching and live performances around the world.

Iwan holds artist endorsements with Nord Keyboards, Taylor Trumpets and Torpedo bags.

1. Parabbean Tales 3:26

2. Freedom 6:14

3. Cachete 3:33

4. Not Without You 5:48

5. 5th Avenue 5:12

6. Oasis 5:59

7. Brother Robert 4:53

8. Djoel & Knippa 5:31

9. LA Jam 3:37

10. Spally 1:39

Trumpet: Iwan VanHetten

Piano, Keys: Russell Ferrante

Bass: Melvin Lee Davis, Jimmy Haslip (tracks #5,#7)

Drums: Will Kennedy

Percussion: Lenny Castro

Steel Pans: Andy Narell (tracks #7, #8)

Sax: Bob Mintzer (track #6)

Recorded at Castle Oaks Recording Studios, Hollywood, Los Angeles

Recording Engineer: Rich Breen

Mixing: Iwan VanHetten (at VanHetten Productions, UK)

Mastered: Peter Beckmann (Technology Works, London, UK)

Photography - Anael Miantsoukina (Paris, France)

Art Design - Aaron Paddock

PRE-ORDER

Jim Waller Big Band (featuring Jacqueline Sotelo with special guest Will Kennedy) - Bucket List (2020)

The swinging and often-funky outing features Waller’s arrangements for a top-notch jazz orchestra with five vocals from Jacqueline Sotelo

Audiophile Double Vinyl Album using the Closed Loop Analog Signal Processing System

Jim Waller has had a very busy career as a multi-instrumentalist (tenor, alto and soprano saxophones, trombone, organ, piano, and guitar), freelance arranger, record producer, and educator. However one important musical goal has long been on his bucket list: recording a big band album. 

 

Bucket List is the realization of that goal as Jim Waller not only leads a 21-piece big band but provides all of the arrangements, 7 of the 14 compositions, and many rewarding tenor-sax solos, also making contributions on soprano and organ. The supporting cast is bolstered by the drumming of Will Kennedy (famous for his playing with the Yellowjackets) and the singing of Jacqueline Sotelo who stars on five standards. 

 

Bucket List contains its share of variety with swinging numbers, funky vamps, shuffles, and Latin rhythms. The set begins with the infectious “Samba For Suzell,” a catchy Latin-flavored original with excellent tenor, piano and drum solos. Jacqueline Sotelo is showcased on five swinging standards including two Peggy Lee-associated numbers recorded just in time for her centennial (“I Love Being Here With You” and “Why Don’t You Do Right”), a very soulful performance of “Georgia On My Mind,” and a surprise-filled rendition of “God Bless The Child.” “New Blue Funk” (which includes a fine flute solo from Bill King) displays the funkier side of the orchestra while the straight ahead “Blues For Los Blues” gives the ensemble an opportunity to swing hard. 

 

Of the other colorful pieces, the uptempo “Waltz For Laura” inspires inventive solos from Waller and trumpeter Lee Sparky Thomason. “Rhapsody In Blue” gets a fresh reworking, exploring several moods while building up to a triumphant conclusion. Waller switches to organ for his “Funksuite 109” and is showcased on tenor on the memorable “A Ballad For Bob.” “Honky Tonk” is most notable for its creative guitar solo by Jason Valdez while the closing “This Is It” is a hard-driving piece with worthy spots for Waller on soprano and trumpeter Curtis Calderon.

Born in Santa Barbara, Jim Waller began playing music at an early age, mastering several instruments. He attended Fresno State College and formed the successful surf group The Deltas which recorded two albums in the 1960s. He was an important member of the groundbreaking jazz-rock octet Los Blues that played regularly for nearly six years (1967–73) in Las Vegas, recording Los Blues Volume One which was arranged and produced by Waller for United Artists Records. 

 

In 1977 he moved to San Antonio where he was a member of the group Road Apple. Since then Waller has worked with a large assortment of major names including Marvin Gaye, Etta James, Willie Nelson, Bill Watrous, Cat Anderson, Richie Cole, Paul Gonsalves and Pete Fountai n. In addition to being a freelance arranger and an influential educator, Jim Waller owns and operates Digital Image Recording Studio where he has produced a countless number of CDs and jingles. 

 

Now with the release of the very enjoyable Bucket List, the title of big band leader can be added to the long list of Jim Waller’s accomplishments.

1. Samba For Suzell (Jim Waller) 4:54

2. I Love Being Here With You (Peggy Lee, William Schluger) 4:10

3. New Blue Funk (Jim Waller) 4:57

4. Blues For Los Blues (Jim Waller) 4:01

5. Georgia on My Mind (Hoagy Carmichael, Stuart Gorrell) 4:39

6. Waltz For Laura (Jim Waller) 4:09

7. Rhapsody In Blue (George Gershwin) 7:07

8. Why Don’t You Do Right (Joe McCoy, Lillian Green) 3:43

9. Funksuite 109 (Jim Waller) 6:15

10. A Ballad For Bob (Jim Waller) 4:46

11. Goody Goody (Matty Melneck, Johnny Mercer) 3:05

12. Honky Tonk (Billy Butler, Bill Doggett, Clifford Scott, Shep Shepherd) 4:50

13. God Bless The Child (Billie Holiday, Arthur Herzog Jr.) 6:22

14. This Is It (Jim Waller) 5:25

Musicians: Bill King - lead alto saxophone, flute, Karlos Elizondo - lead trumpet, Jaime Parker - lead trombone, Brian Christensen - alto saxophone, flute, Dr. Adrian Ruiz - trumpet, Gilbert Garza - trombone, Adam Carrillo - tenor saxophone, Al Gomez - trumpet, Mark Hill - trombone, Jason Galbraith - tenor saxophone, Curtis Calderon - trumpet, Matthew Erickson - bass trombone, Matthew Maldonado - tenor saxophone, Lee Sparky Thomason - turmpet, Dr. Martin McCain, bass trombone, Dr. Joey Colarusso - baritone saxophone, Jason Valdez, electric guitar, Jim Waller - tenor and soprano saxophone, Hammond XK-5 organ, Georgie Padilla - congas and percussion (Samba For Suzell, God Bless The Child), Chris Villanueva - piano, Jacqueline Sotelo - vocals, Joe Caploe - timpani (Rhapsody in Blue), Jim Kalson - electric bass, Andy Langham - piano (A Ballad For Bob), Libby Barnette - French horn (Rhapsody in Blue), Will Kennedy - drums. String Section (Rhapsody in Blue): Anastasia Parker, Concertmaster, Dr. Stephanie Westney, violin, Eric Siu - violin, Yang Guo - viola, David Wang - viola, Ken Freudigman - cello

Available From

www.jimwallerbigband.com

music apple

Yellowjackets - Raising Our Voice (MACK AVENUE RECORDS September 14, 2018)

GRAMMY® Award-winning Yellowjackets

Return with New Album & Collaboration

with Vocalist Luciana Souza

Raising Our Voice

Available September 14 on Mack Avenue Records

While the Los Angeles-based Yellowjackets have been a creative force on the jazz scene since 1981 when they recorded their eponymous debut, their fourth Mack Avenue Records album, Raising Our Voice, once again ups the ante with bold new strides by inviting vocalist extraordinaire Luciana Souza to collaborate with the group for seven of its thirteen tunes as well as subtly taking a resistant stand against the status quo of the cultural and political undercurrent of our times.

The Yellowjackets have consistently forged ahead in their evolving artistic statements. The band has recorded close to 30 albums, been nominated for 17 GRAMMY® Awards, and has adventurously amplified the eclectic, electro-acoustic soundscape, creating a unique jazz sound since its fusion beginnings.

“The band keeps moving forward,” says saxophonist Bob Mintzer who joined the group in 1990. “It’s one of the few partnership bands in the last four decades. It’s democratic, laissez-faire and accommodating to everyone in the band to contribute. We’re constantly reinventing ourselves as a reflection of what’s happening in the world.”

The Jackets are comprised of pianist/keyboardist/co-founder Russell Ferrante, bassist Dane Alderson in his second recording with the group and drummer Will Kennedy, who joined the band in 1987 and then in 2000 took a 10-year hiatus before returning to the drum chair. As a relative outsider, Souza contributes wordless vocals as well as songs sung in Portuguese and English. She was quickly won over by the band.

“They’re killers,” she says. “They’re so serious yet also so much fun. We laughed a lot during the sessions. Their curiosity is alive, and their joy is to make great music. I was originally going to just do three songs, but it ended up that I’m on over half the record.”

The collection features three old Yellowjackets tunes arranged for a fresh ride with Souza’s contributions, two co-writes with Ferrante and Souza, three new originals each for Ferrante and Mintzer, and Alderson’s first original piece for the band along with two short electronics interludes.

Unlike the last album, 2016’s Cohearence, where the music was toured before the studio recordings, Raising Our Voice grew organically from the collaborative nature of the sessions. “There was a gap between the last album and this one,” says Ferrante. “We hadn’t been playing a lot live, so most of these tunes came alive in the studio and were sparked by the electricity and chemistry with Luciana.”

Kennedy adds, “This is the album where we were the least prepared for the writing and rehearsals. It was a bit of a cram. But that gave it an excitement. And then Luciana, who came in at the last moment, was a great discovery for bringing her talents as a gift to the band.”

The Ferrante and Souza collaboration began years earlier when talking about working together. “As they were thinking of the next album, Russ came to the house and we went into my studio and we talked,” explains Souza. “He played some music and I sang along, and it was very sweet and unguarded.”

“We looked through some music that had a Brazilian feel to it,” Ferrante says. “We chose songs that lyrically fit her musicality.”

Raising Our Voice leads off with the vibrant reworking of the grooved “Man Facing North” (originally recorded on the Jackets’ 1993 album Like a River). Ferrante on piano and Mintzer on tenor sax take swinging breaks while Souza follows Alderson’s bass lines and sings counterpoint to the tenor with sweet, lilting wordless vocals that lift the song with storytelling.

Other Souza conversation-like contributions include the gorgeous ballad “Quiet” (she wrote the first half with Portuguese and English lyrics and Ferrante wrote the second half), the reworking of the Brazilian-tinged “Timeline” (a Ferrante composition from the Jackets’ 2011 album of the same name with Souza taking the lead with wordless vocals and conversing with Mintzer) and another re-orchestrated band number, “Solitude” from Like a River, written by Ferrante, with new Portuguese lyrics by the singer who playfully engages in a fetching call-and-response with both Alderson and Mintzer.

Souza also heartens Ferrante’s sprightly “Everyone Else Is Taken” and spices his mysterious “In Search Of” which was inspired from a quote by Thomas Merton: “There is no one so wrong as the one who knows all the answers.”

Ferrante contributes the moving, introspective tune “Mutuality,” based on the Martin Luther King Jr. speech, “Network of Mutuality.” In the midst of Souza’s musing support, the harmony goes through every key (minor and major). “This is a good example of making a statement but on a subtle side,” he says. “It really connects to the title of the album, which has a political slant. It’s about waking up to see what’s going on. A lot of musicians get in their own bubbles of charts and harmony, but don’t connect to the world we live in. We need to be less preoccupied and see the urgency of making music as a resistance.”

Mintzer’s three new songs include the deep-grooved “Ecuador” (his tenor saxophone takes the tasty role of a rhythmic instrument) and the upbeat “Strange Times.” He also contributes the most unusual Yellowjackets tune, “Swinging With It,” a pure swinger complete with walking bass lines. “Straight-ahead music is a big part of my legacy,” he says.

A key component to Raising Our Voice is the band’s stellar rhythm section of Kennedy and Alderson. “We provide a good foundation for our other band mates to stand on” says Kennedy. “Inspired by music from around the world, we all listen, grow, and incorporate those influences in our sound.”

“They gave me the freedom to explore,” says Alderson, the Perth, West Australia native who now lives in Virginia. “I’m a huge fan of the RC-300 Loop Station by Boss combined with the Roland VB99 midi unit, which I used on the two short pieces, ‘Emerge’ and ‘Divert.’”

Alderson’s first full composition for the Jackets is the upbeat “Brotherly,” which buoys with his tumbling bass lines. “It was just a bag of ideas at first,” he says. “But then I corresponded with Will and we talked about grooves. We’re both big fans of the UK band Brotherly, so we were influenced by it when we put this tune together.”

“It’s a different and unusual snapshot of where the Yellowjackets are today,” says Kennedy. “We’re getting older, but we’re still inspired and listening.”

Mintzer sees a bright future for the Yellowjackets. “What attracts me about the group is how stylistically broad we are,” he says. “There are no barriers. We’re free to try new things without making the music overly complex. I always say this is the band you always wanted to be in. We’ll see where we go next.”