This collaboration between Steve Lacy and Italy's Keptorchestra took place on the band's tenth anniversary. Lacy was invited to partake in the festivities because of a longstanding relations stemming from a gig seven years previous. Recorded in 1993 and issued in 1994, Keptorchestra is a big band that is full of maturity, grace, and glorious winging capabilities, but they play together like newcomers entering into the excitement for the first time. Some members of the band, trombonist Giancarlo Giannini and saxophonists Mauro Negri, Pietro Tonolo, and Bruno Marini are well known in their own right as bandleaders.
The rest have made this band and session work their lives. Most of them compose for the band and those compositions as well as three of Lacy's -- "Blinks," "Esteem," and the title track -- were written especially for this date. While different players shine -- they are all fine soloists and the blend of colors is astonishingly bright -- there are a couple of real standouts: "Plastic City" with its airy funkiness with composer Maurizio Cauldura's tenor solo; Mario Tamburini's gorgeous arrangement of "Eduard" that is reminiscent of the color palette used by Gil Evans; and Lacy's savvy, canny generosity in "Sweet Sixteen" allowing virtually every player a spot to shine without the regressive "one chorus and a round of applause" theory. He literally wrote in the sections for soloing and for whom in what mode. This is a joyous, deeply textured approach to big-band jazz by one of the finest Europe has to offer.
01 Straight No Chaser (Bonus Track)
by Keptorchestra & Steve Lacy feat. Roberto Rossi, Pietro Tonolo & Mauro Negri
02 Plastic City
by Keptorchestra & Steve Lacy feat. Giuseppe Calamosca & Maurizio Caldura
03 Esteem
by Keptorchestra & Steve Lacy feat. Maurizio Caldura, Giampaolo Casati & Marc Abrams
04 Eduard
by Keptorchestra & Steve Lacy feat. Marco Tamburini, Pietro Tonolo & Marcello Tonolo
05 Blinks
by Keptorchestra & Steve Lacy feat. Bruno Marini, Maurizio Scomparin & Marcello Tonolo
06 Finlandia
by Keptorchestra & Steve Lacy feat. Giampaolo Casati & Marco Tamburini
07 Samo Malo
by Keptorchestra & Steve Lacy feat. Sandro Gibellini & Mauro Negri
08 Utah
by Keptorchestra & Steve Lacy feat. Sandro Gibellini & Giancarlo Giannini
09 Durè
by Keptorchestra & Steve Lacy feat. Piero Odorici & Roberto Rossi
10 Sweet Sixteen
by Keptorchestra & Steve Lacy feat. Alfred Kramer & Bruno Marini
A francia szaxofonos Christophe Monniot és a billentyűs hangszerek magyar mestere, a Franciaországban élő Spányi Emil 2006-ban alapította meg az Ozone-t, akkor még duóként. 2010-ben John Quitzke dobossal már trió felállásban rögzítették This is C'est la vie című lemezüket a BMC Recordsnál. 2014 novemberében, az akkor már egy ideje Franciaországban dolgozó kiváló magyar bőgőssel, Szandai Mátyással kvartetté bővülve, immár Ozone Acoustyle Quartet néven nagy sikerű koncerttel kápráztatták el a budapesti Opus Jazz Club látogatóit. A sziporkázó ötleteiről és kimagaslóan igényes játékáról híres szaxofonos zenekarvezető és a billentyűs évek óta kialakult szimbiózisához organikusan nőtt hozzá a ritmusszekció, s az eredmény egy sűrű szövetű, a kompozíciók és improvizációk elválaszthatatlan egységévé érő műsor lett. A koncertről készült felvételt Spányi Emil a franciaországi LDF stúdióban közel egy évig tartó gondos keverési munkálatok során érlelte albummá.
Enregistré à l’Opus Jazz Club de Budapest en novembre 2014
Josh Quinlan releases his fourth album as a leader, this time featuring the amazing trumpeter, Terell Stafford (www.terellstafford.com). The Q'tet has been playing music together for over six years and this marks their third tour in Colorado with Stafford. The new album this night celebrates is called In From Somewhere and is comprised of Quinlan's original compositions that reflect his experiences as a Colorado based musician who travels the world performing and teaching.
This concert is not to be missed if you enjoy high energy trumpet and saxophone accompanied by an amazingly interactive and communicative rhythm section sound.
Josh Quinlan is a saxophonist, composer and educator based out of the state of Colorado. He holds a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Jazz Studies from the University of Colorado. As well, he is a graduate of the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music (BM) and DePaul University (MMA).
Quinlan is currently an Instructor of Jazz Studies at the University of Colorado, music faculty member at Denver School of the Arts, Director of Education for the Colorado non-profit Gift of Jazz, Director of the Dazzle Recordings label and Co-Director of the Telluride Jazz Celebration Educational Program. In addition, he is an endorsing artist of P. Mauriat saxophones, Bari Woodwind saxophone mouthpieces and Gonzalez Reeds.
Quinlan has released three albums as a leader, saxophonist and composer (Mountain Time Standards, Open Space and Hear, Here) with a fourth coming out in February, 2016 that features Terell Stafford on trumpet. Since moving to Colorado, he has toured throughout the world with performances and teaching in Asia, South America, Central America, Europe, the U.S. and Australia. Recent highlights include concerts as a guest soloist and composer with the National Symphonic Orchestra of Panama performing “Charlie Parker with Strings,” a residency with his trio at the National University of Costa Rica and tours with Greg Osby and Terell Stafford.
Il était comme une éponge Louis Moreau Gottschalk avec sa facilité à s’imprégner des couleurs des musiques natives des nombreux pays qu’il a visités en un temps où on n’imaginait pas qu’on en viendrait un jour à parler de jazz ou de musiques du monde. Il ne s’installait pas dans une posture de musicologue à l’écoute des folklores, non, les musiques qu’il entendait, il les adoptait.
Et c’est vraiment une chouette idée que le pianiste d’origine bulgare Mario Stantchev et le saxophoniste Lionel Martin fassent une relecture gourmande des compositions de celui qui fut un personnage haut en couleur, séducteur impénitent et grand voyageur devant l’éternel, né à La Nouvelle Orléans en 1829 d’un père anglais et d’une mère créole originaire de l’Ile de Saint Domingue ( aujourd’hui Haïti) et décédé à Rio de Janeiro en 1869 après avoir étudié en France, sillonné de long en large les Etats Unis et avoir donné un nombre incalculable de concerts dans toute l’Amérique Latine, de Cuba au Chili en passant par l’Argentine et le Pérou. Soit un parcours musical initié avec la musique romantique pour piano d’un Chopin pour s’épanouir dans les prémisses des musiques pimentées des Amériques qui donneront naissance à la habanera, au tango brasileiro, au choro et au jazz.
Soulignons la qualité du travail éditorial réalisé par Cristal Records ainsi que celle du texte de présentation rédigé par Jean-Noël Régnier et Danièle Stantcheva. Sous leurs plumes, il en ressort quedans ses œuvres aux accents multiples, Gottschalk sert avec un égal bonheur chaque culture et que les titres qu’il choisit ont une terminologie évocatrice et un ton « colonial » désuet qui reflète son métissage culturel : « Bamboula », « Danse de Nègres », « Le Banjo », « La Savane », « Danse des Gibaros », « Les Yeux créoles », « Yankee Doodle Variations ». En complément, dans des notules bienvenues, le pianiste Mario Stantchev précise que son approche esthétique et celle de Lionel Martin se nourrit aussi bien de la musique de créateurs comme Ornette Coleman, Cecil Taylor et Archie Shepp que de piano stride et de romantisme caribéen. Tout est dit des climats, des jeux de l’esprit autour des thèmes simples et des variations virtuoses, de la force suggestive qui court d’un blues archaïque à des harmonies dissonantes.
C’est en découvrant , dans des anthologies concoctées par Bruno Blum pour les Editions Frémeaux, (1) des versions données en 1956 par le pianiste américain Eugene List de « La savane » et « Bamboula ( danse des nègres) » qu’il m’avait été enfin possible de mettre un son sur le nom du compositeur Gottschalk et d’apprendre que « La Bamboula » était le nom d’une danse populaire aux Caraïbes qui se perpétuera jusqu’aux années 1950, et qu’elle contenait le même rythme que le « Baboule » qui est issu du vaudou haïtien. Gottschalk l’aurait entendue en 1845 à Congo Square, à La Nouvelle Orléans. A la question de la plus-value du disque de Mario Stantchev et de Lionel Martin, la réponse est simple : la musique de Gottschalk s’éloigne de l’archaïsme colonial pour se vêtir d’oripeaux d’aujourd’hui sans que cela apparaisse incongru. Comme un supplément d’âme.
Anyone who has enjoyed previous collaborations by guitarist John Stowell and saxophonist Michael Zilber will be delighted to discover that nothing gets lost in the transition from studio to stage on this 2012 concert recording. It’s an intimate quartet affair, marked by the kind of soulful, instinctual interplay that fans have come to expect.
In the album’s liner notes, Stowell and Zilber briefly discuss their creative relationship, the yin and yang of opposing musical temperaments. And as the performances unfold, it’s easy to understand why they think their compatibility is as special as it is unlikely. Stowell’s probing lyricism and Zilber’s innate passion are clearly evident, especially when the reedman plays soprano, but so, too, is the desire to find common ground. Certainly the kinetic “Quantum Theory,” the noir-ish “In the Park” and a multifaceted cover of “My Funny Valentine” are proof of that.
Drummer Jason Lewis and bassist John Shifflett have integral roles throughout, shining as both players and composers. When Lewis isn’t contributing rhythmic lift with his tumbling rolls, or generating waves of second-line funk on John Scofield’s “Wabash III,” he light-handedly creates a scrim of tinted accents. Shifflett’s solos, sleek and sinuous, are particularly well aligned with Stowell’s ruminative streak, though the bassist is more often heard supporting the bandleaders with a resonant yet never intrusive sound. So even when the focus is squarely on Stowell or Zilber, the performances reveal another artful dimension that consistently heightens the album’s appeal.
De båda musikerna har spelat ihop i perioder sedan uppväxtåren i Lidköping då de tillsammans började utforska jazzens olika former och uttryck. Duon framför kompositioner och improvisationer i tätt samspel. Vackra melodier och musikaliska fantasier i det lilla kammarmusik-formatet med det stora uttrycket.
"En alldeles utmärkt jazzkväll. Blåsaren Fredrik Ljungkvist och basisten Mattias Hjorth började spela ihop för 30 år sedan. Sånt firas förstås bäst med det första duoalbumet, "Past in Present", och en releasekonsert på Underground.De två spelar egna låtar, kluriga, snirkliga och sirliga och nästan lika oberäkneliga som Ljungkvists solon. Farten går sällan upp och emellanåt blir det melodiöst på ett lite avigt och eget sätt. Luften och pauserna har så viktiga roller att de kändes som ett tredje instrument där på scenen. Mattias Hjorth och Fredrik Ljungkvist växlar hela tiden mellan att spela unisont, i stämmor och helt olika saker. Lyhört. De kan sina låtar, men utforskar dem samtidigt. Och musiken hinner liksom smyga in under kragen på en innan man riktigt fattar hur bra den är.
Ljungkvist har gjort sig känd för att kunna skapa egensinniga avantgardistiska musikprojekt och grupper och att kunna friblåsa helt utan spärr. Ihop med Hjorth nöjer han sig med enstaka korta utbrott, men känslan av att Fredrik Ljungkvist närsomhelst kan ryta till eller spurta loss sätter en positiv spänning i den varma och vänliga duomusiken. Läckert, och ovanligt, att tenorsaxofonisten så gärna plockar fram klarinetten. Dess träklang tillför inte minst modern jazz en extra dimension."
Willie Jones III proudly honors the late Cedar Walton and Dwayne Burno, Jones’ former bandleader and band mate respectively, on Groundwork. For this seminal recording, Jones, who “never fails to assemble a strong crew” (NY Times) convenes living legends Buster Williams (bass) and Eddie Henderson (trumpet), virtuoso Eric Reed (piano) and rising stars Warren Wolf (vibes) and Stacy Dillard (saxophones).
On this new recording, Jones explores the soulful side of jazz, performing re-imagined tunes by his former employer and great influence Cedar Walton, and debuting a tribute to Dwayne Burno composed by Eric Reed. This new collection also includes tunes by Buster Williams and more.
Throughout his career, Willie Jones III has lent his supple rhythm and spirit to artists like Cedar Walton, Milt Jackson, Horace Silver, Sonny Rollins and Roy Hargrove. Today, he continues to prove to be one of jazz music’s most sought out bandleaders and producers, as he was named in Downbeat Critics’ Poll Drums and Producer categories. “Willie Jones III has deepened all the creative aspects of a musician, as a sideman, leader, composer and producer. A representative of cultured jazz, he has become indispensable.”
The Scandinavian contributions for the present status of that music called jazz are no longer possible to dismiss. And a fundamental one is given by the quintet All Included. At his axis are the rock solid rhythm duet formed by double bassist Jon Rune Strøm and drummer Tollef Østvang, the same of bands like Friends & Neighbors and Universal Indians. The first is a tension builder, capable of maintaining an obsessive groove or to explore the limits of the lowest sound world, the other keeps things close to the roots, but with a rare sense of surprise – his procedures can be conventional, but they appear when you less expect. On the top are three sometimes angry, sometimes lyrical, horns played by Martin Küchen, Thomas Johansson and Mats Aleklint – three of a kind, seeming an entire orchestral blowing section with its unisons, counterpoints and crossed challenges. Küchen is all emotions, but with a brain In the core of his heart, capable of the most complex phrasing work with extended techniques. With his vocabulary emerging from the hard bop and the free traditions, Johansson makes old ideas entirely new. Aleklint can be open-minded to the extreme, but even in abstract contexts he swings like if his life depended on it. Remember the Blue Note records from the Fifties and Sixties? “Satan in Plain Clothes” is the next step…
Dave's longstanding quintet, one of the best bands working in jazz today, featuring Jon Irabagon (saxophones), Matt Mitchell (piano), Linda Oh (bass) and Rudy Royston (drums). Brazen Heart is a heart-felt remembrance of Douglas' brother, featuring a batch of great new original compositions, as well as two spirituals, Deep River and There Is A Balm In Gilead. This new material grew out of the band's extensive travels around the United State and Europe in Douglas' 50th birthday year.
If you’ve heard Jools Holland’s Rhythm & Blues Orchestra, you’ll have heard Derek Nash. He’s a prominent member. But to get some idea of the sheer breadth of his accomplishment as a saxophonist, composer and bandleader, you should hear this. From smooth cool to groovy funk, to ingeniously recast standards, to one quite gorgeous ballad, the music fizzes with energy, even at its most restrained. Pianist David Newton, bassist Geoff Gascoyne and drummer Sebastiaan de Krom complete the band, along with guest trumpeter Martin Shaw, and it all goes to show what five brilliant jazz musicians can do when left to get on with it. The album title, in case you wondered, is a quotation from the collected wit and wisdom of Thelonious Monk.
