Cyrus Chestnut – There’s a Sweet Sweet Spirit (HIGH NOTE RECORDS 2017)

Cyrus Chestnut's 2016 effort, the superb Natural Essence, benefitted greatly from his pairing with the duo of bassist Buster Williams and drummer Lenny White. Thankfully, the pianist has followed up with another engaging set featuring the same veteran luminaries. An adept virtuoso talent, Chestnut soars alongside Williams and White on 2017's There's a Sweet Sweet Spirit. Elder jazz statesmen, Williams and White have decades of experience under their hats with credits for such legends as Herbie Hancock, Freddie Hubbard, Art Blakey, Woody Shaw, and many others. Similarly, Chestnut has worked with such luminaries as Terence Blanchard, Betty Carter, Wynton Marsalis, and more. While all of his albums are worth checking out, there is something inspired and kinetic about his playing with Williams and White, as if they are all three pushing each other to discover new avenues of expression. Joining them this time on several tracks is yet another volcanic talent in vibraphonist Steve Nelson.

Though he only appears on three cuts, his warm harmonic resonance contrasts beautifully with Chestnut's as they dig into an expansive late-'60s jazz sound on two of vibraphonist Bobby Hutcherson's best-known compositions, "Little B's Poem" and "The Littlest One of All." Away from Nelson, Chestnut displays his genre-bending skills on "Chopin Prelude," transfiguring the classical piece first with a cubist Thelonious Monk-style intro and later with a swinging Ellingtonian mid-section. Similarly compelling are the group's muscular and exotic take on Miles Davis' "Nardis" and a spritely reading of Williams' "Christina." Elsewhere, they deliver a languid and romantic take on the Stylistics' 1973 classic "You Make Me Feel Brand New," and dive headlong into the pianist's own Latin-infused "CDC." Ultimately, if there's one overriding sentiment that drives all of There's a Sweet Sweet Spirit, it's Chestnut and his band's spirit of soulful camaraderie. ~ Matt Collar

The Littlest One of All

Chopin Prelude

Nardis

Little B's Poem

Christina

CDC

You Make Me Feel Brand New

Easy Living

Rhythm-A-Ning

There's a Sweet, Sweet Spirit

CYRUS CHESTNUT, piano

Buster Williams, bass

Lenny White, drums

Steve Nelson, vibes

Lee Konitz - Subconscious-Lee (2017)

O1. Subconscious-Lee

02. Donna Lee

03. Lover Man

04. Oh, Lady Be Good

05. I Can't Believe That You're In Love With Me

06. Ronnie's Tune

07. Sextet

08. You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To

09. Two Not One

10. Don't Squawk

11. There Will Never Be Anoher You

12. Background Music

13. These Foolish Things

14. Broadway

15. All The Things You Are

16. I Can't Get Started

17. Too Marvelous For Words

18. Ezz-Thetic

19. Topsy

Ignacio Berroa Trio - Straight Ahead From Havana (August 5, 2017)

New Release

Ignacio Berroa Trio

Straight Ahead From Havana

“... the only Latin drummer in the world in the history of American music that intimately knows both worlds: his native Afro Cuban music as well as Jazz...”

—Dizzy Gillespie 

Ignacio Berroa-drums, Martin Bejerano-piano,

Josh Allen-Upright Bass, Lowell Ringel-Upright Bass (tracks 6 & 10)

Special Guests:

Conrado “Coky” Garcia percussion on tracks 5 & 7, Ruben Blades lead vocal on track 5

Artist: IGNACIO BERROA TRIO

Title: STRAIGHT AHEAD FROM HAVANA

Artist Website: www.ignacioberroa.com 

Label: Codes Drum Music

Release Date: AUGUST 5, 2017

UPC Code: 040232590801 

Track Listing: Alma Con Alma; La Tarde; Drume Negrita; No Te Importa Saber; Negro De Sociedad; Deja Que Siga Solo; Los Tres Golpes; Si Me Pudieras Querer; Nuestras Vidas; Me Recordaras.

There’s an undeniable connection between music and culture, but maybe sometimes we imagine that bond to be a little too strict. While specific musical elements rose from distinct regions of the world, it’s unrealistic to put those pieces into boxes. 

There’s a natural ebb and flow between musicians that results in a flexible exchange of cultural elements, breaking down restrictions and making music a bit more maleable. We can’t easily describe a country’s music by pointing to a few musical elements; that’s an over simplification that doesn’t reflect the modern musical state of any location. In today’s world, cultural has been re-contextualized through a variety of perspectives, making connections readily apparent.

Drummer Ignacio Berroa has embraced this idea of cultural connections and explores the concept on his new album, Straight Ahead From Havana. On the recording, he takes standards from the Cuban repertoire and re-imagines them in a straight-ahead jazz context. Berroa has a history of exploring this connection, most notably during his time with jazz legend Dizzy Gillespie. The iconic trumpet player embraced every cultural element in music, viewing them all as equals while respecting their differences. Berroa has carried that into his own work as a leader on fantastic albums such as Codes and Heritage and Passion. Today’s video features a sneak peek at Straight Ahead From Havana, letting us take a look at Berroa’s outstanding playing in the studio, where he shows us music transcending cultural elements. —CHIP BOAZ The Latin Jazz Corner

AVAILABLE FROM: Amazon • CDBaby • iTunes

Media Contact

Jim Eigo Jazz Promo Services

Ph: 845-986-1677 / jim@jazzpromoservices.com

www.jazzpromoservices.com

"Specializing in Media Campaigns for the music community, artists, labels, venues and events.”

Dinosaur // Mercury Prize Nominated Album 'Together, As One'

CONGRATULATIONS TO DINOSAUR!

Together, As One has been nominated for the 

2017 Hyundai Mercury Prize!

Listen to and Buy to Together, As One

iTunes

Amazon

Google

Spotify

Visit www.dinosaurband.com for more info

ALBUMS ON PRE-ORDER

HOJE na PORTA-JAZZ - Kevin Hays Trio

5ª-feira, 27 julho

22:00 

Sala Porta-Jazz

KEVIN HAYS TRIO

Kevin Hays | Piano

Romeu Tristão | Contrabaixo

Marcos Cavaleiro | Bateria

Kevin Hays é internacionalmente reconhecido com um dos grandes pianista da sua geração. Com 15 álbuns já editados em seu nome, a sua notável contribuição musical está registada em discos com Chris potter, Joshua Redman, Nicholas Payton, Al Foster e Bill Stewart.

Em 2011 gravou em duo com pianista Brad Mehldau e o compositor Patrick Zimmerli, tendo o disco recebido grandes elogios por parte da crítica especializada.

Sábado, 29 julho

Sala Porta-Jazz

19:00 & 22:00

João Guimarães / Eduardo Cardinho / Max Luthert III / Allan Mednard

João Guimarães - saxofone alto

Eduardo Cardinho - vibrafone

Max Luthert III - contrabaixo

Allan Mednard - bateria

PORTA-JAZZ AO RELENTO

Sábados de Agosto às 22:00

Jardins do Palácio de Cristal

5 de agosto

João Mortágua - AXES

João Mortágua - saxofones alto e soprano

Tomás Marques - saxofone alto

Hugo Ciríaco - saxofone tenor

Rui Teixeira - saxofone barítono

Alex Rodriguéz-Lázaro - bateria

Pedro Vaconcelos - bateria e percussão

12 de agosto

Mariana Vergueiro

'Morning Rain'

Mariana Vergueiro - voz

Pedro Neves - piano

Nuno Campos - contrabaixo

Nuno Oliveira - bateria

19 de agosto 

João Paulo Rosado - Sinopse

João Guimarães - saxofone alto

AP - guitarra

Hugo Raro - piano

João Paulo Rosado - contrabaixo

António Torres Pinto - bateria

26 de agosto

The Nada

João Guimarães - saxofone alto

Eurico Costa - guitarra

António Augusto Aguiar - baixo eléctrico

José Marrucho - bateria

OUT.FEST - 14º Festival Internacional de Música Exploratória do Barreiro

4-7 Outubro / October

Artistas confirmados / Confirmed acts:

THIS IS NOT THIS HEAT

BOOKWORMS

THE PERE UBU MOON UNIT

JEJUNO

NOCTURNAL EMISSIONS

SIMON CRAB

CASA FUTURO (P. Sousa, J. Berthling & G. Ferrandini)

JONATHAN ULIEL SALDANHA & CORAL TAB + BE VOICE

Passe global já à venda a preço especial de 25€ e em quantidade limitada / Global pass already available at a special price of 25€ and limited availability @ https://outfest.bol.pt/

Fantastic Negrito announces UK tour dates, signs to Cooking Vinyl and reissues the acclaimed 'The Last Days of Oakland'

FANTASTIC NEGRITO

Signs to Cooking Vinyl

Debut Album Reissue Out Now

With Two New Tracks

European Dates and Festivals

Grammy Award 2017

The Guardian **** The Mirror **** MOJO****

Uncut 8/10 Classic Rock 9/10

“An Oakland musician whose life story…. is fascinating enough but nothing compared to the compelling brilliance of his new album” – The Sunday Times

“The first great album of the post-Prince/post-Ali world... Tremendous” – The Mirror

“A major work of stunning breadth and originality” – Classic Rock

Cooking Vinyl is proud to announce a new partnership with the 2017 Grammy-winning artist Fantastic Negrito and his imprint Blackball Universe. The UK label have re-issued Fantastic Negrito’s current and critically acclaimed debut album The Last Days of Oakland (recipient of a Best Contemporary Blues Album Grammy Award) with two new additional tracks, just in time for his imminent European tour.


The new tracks -- “Push Back” and “The Shadows” -- are both produced by Xavier Dphrepaulezz (aka Fantastic Negrito). The extra tracks are available now for download and streaming, and have been released worldwide along with the rest of the album on CD and 180g vinyl. Order the album here:

Musicians on these new recordings include Masa Kohama and Tomas Salcedo (guitars), Cornelius Mims (bass guitar), Lionel Holoman Jr. (piano and organ), with vocals, additional piano, additional guitar, drum programming and claps by Xavier Dphrepaulezz. 

In his teens, Xavier ran the streets of Oakland, before finding music and eventually signing with Prince's management. After a slow recovery from a car crash that left him in a coma, Xavier undertook several different musical alter egos, but in the end, he walked away from music -- only to re-emerge years later as Fantastic Negrito.

Watch Fantastic Negrito performing “Scary Woman” (a track off The Last Days Of Oakland), Live At The Viaduct in downtown Los Angeles:

And the twist he gives to timeless folk-blues classic “In The Pines” electrifies the song with an immediacy and relevance torn from today’s racial strife-ridden headlines:


A performer with something to say, Fantastic Negrito runs an arts-collective in his hometown of Oakland, and performed at Bernie Sanders' rallies in New Hampshire, Las Vegas and San Francisco during the 2016 US Presidential campaign. Of the new songs, he says, “We must unify -- not divide -- along the lines of our differences. We have a common enemy: distraction and propaganda. Our strength is in our diversity. We push back against our common enemies: fear, hate, bigotry, misogyny, racism, sexism, homophobia, xenophobia, classism... these parasites, these carcinogens that live in the shadows of our society. One world, one love, one race.”

Fantastic Negrito has once again invited UK friends, Miraculous Mule to support him at his London, Manchester and Nottingham dates.

UK Dates:

July 28th London @ Nell's Jazz and Blues | BUY TICKETS

July 29th Cambridge @ Cambridge Folk Festival | BUY TICKETS

July 31st Manchester @ Band On The Wall BUY TICKETS

Aug 3rd Nottingham @ The Bodega | BUY TICKETS

The full List of European dates

www.fantasticnegrito.com

Akmee – Neptun (NAKAMA RECORDS 2017)

A new exciting quartet emerges on the scene, launching their highly anticipated debut album named after the planet Neptune and the Roman god of the sea and the subconscious

Neptune. A planet invisible to the naked eye, it was originally discovered through mathematical deduction after scientists noticed unexpected changes in the course of Uranus. It was named after the Roman god of the sea. In addition to being ruler of the liquid element, he was said to have tremendous power over our subconsciousness and emotions, which we ourselves still today have little understanding of. The title represents the unknown, ranging from the depths of the human mind and the oceans out to the vastness and mysteries of space. The music itself is a rubbery mass of composed and improvised ideas stirred and distilled into a concrete pellet with a unique flavor: It is dark like the deep sea, astral as the sky and uncategorizable as our very own subconscious – and it grooves in a minimalistic, awkwardly satisfactory Akmee-kind of way. The album is partly inspired by Jens Bjørneboe’s novel Haiene (The Sharks) and the music of John Coltrane's later period.

Neptun is out on the 22nd of June – CD // LP // digital download // streaming

Have a listen

Akmee is a Norwegian collaborative quartet formed in 2013 by drummer Andreas Wildhagen and pianist Kjetil Jerve. With only a handful of concerts in Norway, Denmark and Germany, the band has been a ghost on the scene. Until now, it has been a group dedicated to practice and exploration. All of the musician brings original music to the band - accurate, written out material, but with the intention to allow all parts to float between the different instruments. It is very much a collective sound where all players are equally important in shaping the music; letting it drift and stretch beyond control.

Erik Kimestad Pedersen

Erik Kimestad Pedersen studied trumpet at Rytmisk Musikkonservatorium in København, and is currently based in the same city. He plays in bands such as Horse Orchestra, Kresten Osgood Kvintet, MEMBRAM, Wanja Slavin Lotus Eaters and has collaborated with among others Phillip Gropper, Nasheet Waits, Adam Rudolph and Akira Sakata.

Kjetil Jerve

Kjetil Jerve is a Norwegian pianist and composer based in Oslo since 2010. His work explores improvisation and performance as a physiological process. Recently starting his own trio he's also a member of Lana trio, Orter Eparg, Baker Hansen, and Jervaas as well as Akmee. Kjetil is also running Dugnad Rec together with collegaue and Akmee-member Erlend Albertsen.

Erlend Olderskog Albertsen
Erlend Olderskog Albertsen is a bass player, saxophonist and composer from Stjørdal, Norway. After graduating from the jazz department of NTNU in Trondheim in 2013, he moved to Oslo to study pedagogy and connect with the jazz/improvisation scene. Apart from Akmee, Erlend is also playing in Filosofer, Avatar and leading his own project, 2000 & Erlend.

Andreas Wildhagen
Andreas can be summed up as an open-minded and flexible musician. The projects he is involved with display a wide range of musical and dynamic output: Intricate improvisations with Lana trio, extreme bursts of energy in Paal Nilssen-Love's Large Unit or beat oriented modern jazz with Mopti and Bendik Baksaas. Andreas has a master's degree from the Norwrgian Academy of Music.

CONCERTOS PORTA-JAZZ: Sábado - João Guimarães / Eduardo Cardinho / Max Luthert III / Allan Mednard

Sábado, 29 julho

19:00 & 22:00 

Sala Porta-Jazz

João Guimarães - saxofone alto

Eduardo Cardinho - vibrafone

Max Luthert III - contrabaixo

Allan Mednard - bateria

Este concerto reúne alguns dos músicos jovens mais proeminentes das cenas nova iorquina, londrina e portuense ou portuguesa.

No entanto, o que os une é o gosto pela música, muito dito pelo jazz, e tocar partilhando e desenvolvendo esta linguagem que ainda não mostrou limites nem por força da lógica.

Assim teremos Allan Mednard na bateria que já gravou o disco Zero liderado por João Guimarães, Eduardo Cardinho no vibrafone, que tanta música nova nos tem trazido e que coliderou este processo com Guimarães, e Max Luthert III, o baixista mais requisitado de Londres.

PORTA-JAZZ AO RELENTO

Sábados de Agosto às 22:00

Jardins do Palácio de Cristal

5 de agosto

João Mortágua - AXES

João Mortágua - saxofones alto e soprano

Tomás Marques - saxofone alto

Hugo Ciríaco - saxofone tenor

Rui Teixeira - saxofone barítono

Alex Rodriguéz-Lázaro - bateria

Pedro Vaconcelos - bateria e percussão

12 de agosto

Mariana Vergueiro

'Morning Rain'

Mariana Vergueiro - voz

Pedro Neves - piano

Nuno Campos - contrabaixo

Nuno Oliveira - bateria

19 de agosto 

João Paulo Rosado - Sinopse

João Guimarães - saxofone alto

AP - guitarra

Hugo Raro - piano

João Paulo Rosado - contrabaixo

António Torres Pinto - bateria

26 de agosto

The Nada

João Guimarães - saxofone alto

Eurico Costa - guitarra

António Augusto Aguiar - baixo eléctrico

José Marrucho - bateria

Philippe Lemm Trio - New Amsterdam (OUTSIDE IN MUSIC 2017)

The Philippe Lemm Trio, comprised of Dutch drummer Philippe Lemm and American pianist and bassist Angelo Di Loreto and Jeff Koch, respectively, houses a dynamically creative, exciting, and fresh sound, spanning multiple influences from all of its members. The trio won the International B-Jazz competition in 2015 and the group’s performance of Di Loreto’s original composition “Salt Road” earned an ASCAP Jazz Composer Award in 2013. The three musicians met during their master’s degree at Manhattan School of Music in 2011, where they quickly realized that they had an undeniable musical chemistry and understanding of each other’s musical personalities.

They began performing together in and out of the school, and eventually did a residency at the newly-formed True School of Music in Mumbai, India in August- December 2013, where they taught, gave masterclasses, and toured with Bollywood music star Shilpa Rao. Musically, the group’s sound draws influences from the classical, jazz, and prog rock idioms, to name a few. Their sound is captivating and exciting, and always strives to be fresh, original, and moving.

1. Chrysalism 07:35

2. When You Wake Up 07:44

3. Emily 05:54

4. Intro 03:25

5. ESP 05:29

6. Night and Day 07:42

7. Dust in the Wind 06:17

Philippe Lemm - Drums 

Angelo DiLoreto - Piano 

Jeff Koch - Bass

Bob Lark & Phil Woods Quintet - Thick As Thieves (JAZZED MEDIA 2017)

Thick as Thieves is the third, and final, recording by The Bob Lark/Phil Woods Quintet, and features some of Phil Woods' finest and most dynamic alto saxophone solo improvisations from his storied and distinguished career. Captured "live" in 2009 at Chicago's legendary Jazz Showcase, the rhythm section of Jim McNeely, Steve Gilmore and Bill Goodwin combine forces with Bob Lark and Phil Woods to produce music with an electric swagger, interplay, nuance and soul.

The final recording - and arguably the best - by The Bob Lark/Phil Woods Quintet, with Woods' solos demonstrating an intensity and mastery associated with his very finest performances.

The spirit and "live" energy of the recording at Chicago's Jazz Showcase is palpable, with each member of the band demonstrating dynamic soloing and mature ensemble interaction.

Five selections feature the Quintet - Yardbird Suite, I Love You, First Steps, All the Things You Are and Billie's Bounce, while Winter's Touch and Rhythm-A-Ning feature the Quartet of Lark, McNeely, Gilmore and Goodwin.

Yardbird Suite

I Love You

First Steps

Rhythm-a-Ning

All the Things You Are

Winter’s Touch

Billie’s Bounce

Bob Lark: flugelhorn

Phil Woods: alto saxophone

Jim McNeely: piano

Steve Gilmore: bass

Bill Goodwin: drums

Grant Stewart Trio - Roll On (CELLAR LIVE RECORDINGS 2017)

A trio session of standards to match the best of the late ‘50s classics, with exquisite drumming by Phil Stewart.

The name of this excellent jazz label Cellar Live conjures up a pleasing image. It is a Saturday night, we descend the few stairs, slip a sawbuck into the can at the door or give it to the man with the tattoos, and seek a table facing the bassist. Anon the frothy refreshments appear and the three musicians take their places. One, two three… and the air is quickened by tone, feeling, idea. Hush, chattering youngsters, for these are musicians of outstanding merit. And so the glorious evening rolls on to its conclusion. And ascending the few stairs into the evening air we know the world to have been repaired by art and something like love. Preserve the image folks, for the jazz clubs are not well. Like the macaw and the whooping crane they have retreated to the verge of extinction. Even in Portland, Oregon, a town oversupplied with musicians, the last jazz club closed its doors in 2016.

Cellar Live productions is dedicated to preserving the art form and nourishing the creative impulse. It helps that they draw on the considerable talent of the still thriving New York Jazz scene. On the record under review, we have Grant Stewart, a transplanted Canadian (Scarborough, Ontario) leading a trio that includes his younger brother Phil Stewart on drums as well as Paul Sikivie on bass. We at Audiophile Audition were deeply impressed by a recent Cory Weeds recording on the same label, and it is a good sign that he is the producer of this session as well.

Of the many good things that can be said about this record, the first is that it assembles nine stellar tunes, none overly familiar. Three bebop charts by Fats Navarro, Bud Powell and Elmo Hope find the trio in an early ‘50s groove. The tenor style, however, tends towards a relaxed playing off the beat rather than the impatient straining forward which is characteristic of the style and gives bebop its neurotic zaniness. The exemplar here, as cited in the notes, is the Sonny Rollins at his most relaxed on one of his Riverside trio outings. Although, Stewart’s tone is not as hoarse as his predecessor.

The drumming is outstanding throughout, but on Fats Flats the traded fours attain a magnificent hilarity of inspiration. Un Poco Loco balances a straight tenor statement of them with more melodic drumming, the brothers playing together with accord and humor, while the bass holds things together. It is an extravagant seven minutes of fun and inspires me to nominate this track for an award as Best Drumming Performance of 2017.

On the first of three ballads, Here I’ll Stay, the tenor shows great confidence in the melodic line, playing almost without embellishment. His improvisational choruses seem to plumb the meaning of the lyric, rather than to stir up harmonic agitation. On Just As Though You Were Here, he leaves ample space for the rhythm mates who share the leader’s fine sense for both timbre and melody. On Thinking of You, the tenor directs his thinking apparatus toward the construction of some fine thematic choruses with nary an excessive note. Do You Know What It Means to Miss New Orleans channels more mid ‘50s Sonny. Slow but not lethargic, the ballad drifts on currents of longing but the sound of the tenor is so assuring that we don’t feel forsaken by time or loved ones. The title track, Roll On, is just one more display of group rapport on a fine chart. After You’ve Gone is taken at a bright clip; the bass exerts both thews and sinews on a brisk trot, while the saxophone flies ahead on a torrent of crisply articulated 16th notes, reminiscent of the great Sonny Stitt.

This trio has made a deeply satisfying recording, relying on the elements of form and a communication which are products of a specific ‘50s musical aesthetic yet are flexible enough to allow for a spontaneous and fresh treatment like this. You would be stupendously lucky to see a trio like this at your local cellar jazz club.  Kudos to the musicians and the producers for a stand-out release.

Thinking of You

Here I’ll Stay

After You’ve Gone

Just as Though You Were Here

Un Poco Loco

End of a Love Affair

Fats Flats

Do You Know What It Means to Miss New Orleans

Roll On

Grant Stewart: tenor saxophone

Paul Sikivie: bass

Phil Stewart: drums