EABS - Repetitions (Letters to Krzysztof Komeda) ASTIGMATIC RECORDS 2017

EABS "Repetitions (Letters to Krzysztof Komeda)" - An Eastern-European response to the Jazz Renaissance

The growth in popularity of jazz music in recent years has been described as a renaissance or new chapter for the genre. Attracting new audiences has seen a growth in acclaim for international artists including Kamasi Washington & The West Coast Get Down collective or BadBadNotGood. This resurgence has also been felt within british jazz scene. Musicians such as Yussef Kamaal, Shabaka Hutchings, Ruby Rushton, Nubya Garcia or Moses Boyd have put a new stamp on jazz music by fusing elements of classic jazz with modern sounds. Polish septet, EABS applies a similar philosophy to their music, blending traditional Polish Jazz with sounds from other genres, thus creating a new and personal interpretation of modern jazz.

EABS debut album entitled “Repetitions (Letters To Krzysztof Komeda)” is a dedication to Polish Jazz legend Krzysztof Komeda. This album is an analysis of conscientiously selected compositions by Komeda between 1962-1967. EABS explores some of Komeda’s lesser-known compositions featured in ballet etudes, movies, short films, documentaries, animations and compositions illustrating Polish poems recited in German. 

Carefully chosen compositions, the background of the movies for which the music had been written and Marek Pędziwiatr’s lyrics all add up to “Repetitions” being some kind of a concept album about the condition of the human soul in the 21st century. The questions one may ask might be similar to those which could have been asked by the artists witnessing post-war debris: will history come full circle? Lack of knowledge, flourishing idiocracy, aggression, aiming for conflicts, shortage of community spirit and love may lead to another doomsday. Perhaps we simply aren’t able to see the impending doom now… Just like in a poem by Czesław Miłosz, “A Song on the End of the World”, to which Krzysztof Komeda wrote “Waltzing Beyond”. 

EABS have created their unique compositions by employing an approach exercising the idea of “reconstruction from deconstruction” where sampling and looping are merged with jazz improvisations. The injection of hip-hop, jungle, funk, gospel and electronic music add a futuristic tone to the tracks. However EABS have made a conscious decision to ensure their nod to Komeda enables the spirit of the Polish Jazz to remain alive. Michal Urbaniak another Polish Jazz legend is the only guest on the album. His violin can be heard on the track “Free Witch And No Bra Queen/ Sult”.

1. Knowledge (Introdukcja do Etiudy Baletowej) 04:08

2. Perły i Dukaty XIV / Repetition 10:55

3. Private Conversation VIII 06:16

4. Niekochana 05:07

5. Pingwin VI 07:18

6. Free Witch and No Bra Queen / Sult ft. Michał Urbaniak 05:52

7. God is Love (Bariera XIII) 04:59

8. Step Into the Light (Wiklinowy Kosz) 10:54

9. Waltzing Beyond (The Song on the Day the World Ends) 03:48

Marek Pędziwiatr - piano, synths, vocal

Vojto Monteur - guitar

Paweł Stachowiak - bass

Jakub Kurek - trumpet

Olaf Węgier - tenor sax

Marcin Rak - drums

Spisek Jednego - turntables

Uwe Oberg / Rudi Mahall / Michel Griener - Lacy Pool__2 (LEO RECORDS 2017)

Lacy Pool is a small group of musicians whom Uwe Oberg picks to unlock Steve Lacy's compositions. Why no bass? Uwe Oberg: "That never was a question. I wanted the band to function unlike a jazz quartet and it should not have a soprano sax. Now Lacy's pieces were mine and ours, and it got easier and easier, everything fell into place. The clarity, the repeating motifs, the collage approach, the deconstruction, the flow. What fun!"

Deadline

Cliches

Trickles

Field (Spring)

Blues for Aida

Ladies

Jazz ab 40

Dreams

Troubles

Uwe Oberg - piano

Rudi Mahall - clarinets

Michael Griener - drums

Gilles Barikosky - Weeping Willow (2017)

Mathias Levy - Revisiting Grappelli (JAZZ FAMILY 2017)

Avec talent et audace, Mathias Lévy renouvelle la tradition du violon jazz en réactivant l’héritage de Stéphane Grappelli grâce à un disque enregistré à la Philharmonie de Paris, sur un violon ayant appartenu au maître disparu voici vingt ans. Quel musicien le premier a-t-il fait swinguer Bach, enregistré aussi bien avec les Pink Floyd que Yehudi Menuhin, contribué à l’invention d’un jazz sur instruments à cordes, partagé le studio avec Coleman Hawkins et Oscar Peterson, signé la musique du mythique film Les Valseuses et fait le tour du monde avec son « violon pour tout bagage » ¡Stéphane Grappelli ! Autrefois star mondiale, de nos jours un peu négligé, le violoniste est pourtant l’un des rares Français à s’être fait une place parmi les « grands » du jazz. La postérité est ingrate, elle a ses lacunes et ses injustices et relègue parfois dans l’ombre des hommes qui devraient occuper une large place dans notre mémoire. À 35 ans, le violoniste Mathias Lévy, lui, n’a pas oublié Stéphane Grappelli. D’abord, parce qu’il lui a procuré ses premières émotions de jazz et lui a transmis la sensation virale du swing. Ensuite, parce que Grappelli est celui qui, le premier, a permis à son instrument — le violon — de se faire une place au sein du jazz, grâce au tandem fabuleux qu’il formait avec Django Reinhardt au sein du fameux Quintette du Hot Club de France. Deux bonnes raisons à ses yeux de célébrer son importance et de s’inscrire dans sa descendance : « Revisiting Grappelli ».

« On peut dire que Grappelli était dans une position de pionnier et non d’aventurier, souligne Mathias Lévy. À la différence de Django, il n’a pas nécessairement recherché ce truc de la modernité qui veut qu’un artiste doive absolument évoluer. Certes, il a moins évolué dans son style que Django mais n’oublions pas que cette manière d’envisager le jazz, c’est tout de même lui qui l’a inventée et qu’elle reste, de fait, porteuse de modernité ! » 

1 Alyson 06:02

2 Valse du passé 04:28

3 Marno 04:43

4 Giboulées de mars 05:37

5 Wish You Were Here 04:46

6 Denise 01:08

7 Concerto en Ré Mineur pour deux violons 05:41

8 Souvenir de Willingen / Rolls 05:01

9 Milou en mai 04:54

10 Evelyne 03:12

Mathias Lévy : violon

Sebastien Giniaux : guitare sur 1,2,3,4,5,8,9 et violoncelle sur 6,7.8

Jean Philippe Viret :contrebasse

François Salque : violoncelle sur 7,8

Best World Music Album: "Neotolian Song" by Neotolia (INTERROBANG RECORDS)

To stream the entire album, watch music videos, read reviews, request a free CD,

and more, please visit: 

www.interrobangrecords.com

MUSIC VIDEOS:

Aruán Ortiz's "Cuban Nocturne" Shipping Now (NEW VELLE RECORDS)

NEW VELLE

We are very proud to be shipping our fifth record of our Second Season.

Jazz pianist's Aruán Ortiz's Cuban Nocturne is a beautiful tribute to the music that started Arúan on his musical journey.

Cuban Nocturne

"These songs became a reflection on the music that saturated Aruán’s childhood, a repertoire for the most part, perhaps surprisingly, he has never played before.  As Aruán weds his singular genius for improvisation to the classical repertoire of his homeland, what emerges is an investigation of selfhood.  It’s the sound of a man balancing and synthesizing the elements of his musical identity." excerpted from the liner notes by Elan Mehler

Our last record in our Second Season set is from legendary bassist Rufus Reid.  This is an original set of music from Rufus featuring his trio along side of the acclaimed "Sirius Quartet."  Rufus's writing for strings is startling in its originality and beauty. 

Season Three is now available for pre-order!  We are so excited about this line up next year.  Skulli Sverrisson and Bill Frisell, Steve Cardenas, Lionel Loueke, Andrew Zimmerman, Francisco Mela, Jason Palmer...featuring Dave Douglas, Thomas Morgan, Kris Davis, Kevin Hays and many more.... 

"If I’m beginning to sound like a broken record with my praise for the by-subscription releases from Newvelle Records, blame the people responsible for these LPs, which consistently rise to the top in terms of music and sound."  Guy Lemcoe, The Audio Beat

Season Two:

John Patitucci Trio Featuring Yotam Silberstein and Rogerio Boccato  

Kevin Hays and Lionel Loueke Duo 

Jon Cowherd Quartet featuring Steve Cardenas, Tony Scherr and Brian Blade 

Chris Tordini Trio featuring Becca Stevens and Greg Ruggerio 

Aruán Ortiz revisiting the music of the great Cuban classical composers

Rufus Reid Trio with Steve Allee and Duduka Da Fonseca and featuring the Sirius Quartet 

All of our cover and interior photographs for Season Two come from the astonishing French Collective Tendance Floue.  Our Recording Engineer on all six records is the incomparable multi-Grammy winning Marc Urselli.  Mastering engineer is the brilliant Alex Deturk .  Jim Hoppin and Sarah Enid Hagey shot lovely video for us at these sessions.  All video editing is by the award-winning Ben Chace.  Jordan Kleinman shoots all our studio photos.  Our web team is run by French genius Aymeric Auberger.  Social Media management by Jessye Mehler.  Newvelle is run by:  Elan Mehler and Jean-Christophe Morisseau

Singers of Sunnyside!

Incredible Vocalists on Sunnyside!

We're proud to reissue three great releases by the legendary

Norma Winstone!

Available Now!

Norma Winstone & John Taylor - ...Like Song, Like Weather

Norma Winstone - Manhattan In The Rain

Norma Winstone - Well Kept Secret

It was in the effort of getting permission to write lyrics to “The Peacocks” that celebrated vocalist Norma Winstone made the acquaintance of the great pianist/composer Jimmy Rowles, who had made a name for himself as the expert accompanist to Sarah Vaughan, Peggy Lee, Ella Fitzgerald and Billie Holiday. When asked who would play the piece with her, she subtly asked if Rowles himself would.

The subsequent recording Well Kept Secret was the product of their one meeting in Los Angeles in October 1993 and features bassist George Mraz, drummer Joe La Barbara and a guest appearance by Stacy Rowles on flugelhorn playing inspired takes on standards.

Norma Winstone is one of the most recognizable vocalists from the United Kingdom. During her nearly 50-year career, she has performed in many varieties of situations, from the improvisatory world of avant-garde to the classic tastefulness of the jazz songbook. Recorded in 1997, Winstone’s Manhattan In The Rain found her alongside some longtime companions, pianist Steve Gray (of Sky fame), bassist Chris Laurence and woodwind master Tony Coe performing a wonderful collection of jazz standards, all arranged by Gray.

There are some musical relationships that are just sublime. Vocalist Norma Winstone has had innumerable musical partnerships over her nearly 50-year career but none have lastest as long or have been as fruitful as the one with pianist John Taylor. The duo’s recording Like Song, Like Weather from 1996 found them reunited performing standards and recreations of tunes by their contemporaries, including Steve Swallow, Paul Bley and Kenny Wheeler, with lyrics written by Winstone herself.

Coming Soon!

Jay Clayton & Kirk Nurock - Unraveling Emily (Nov. 3)

An air of mystery surrounds the work of Emily Dickinson. The beloved writer spent most of her time away from the public’s eye amassing a collection of poetry that has fascinated readers for decades. Her short, gnomic verses are a perfect fit for vocalist Jay Clayton and composer Kirk Nurock.

On their new recording, Unraveling Emily, Nurock weaves Clayton’s innovative vocalizing into surreal compositional soundscapes. Nurock overdubbed multiple layers of Clayton’s singing and speaking, with varying ambience, echo and spatial relationships.   A haunted theatrical quality appears, as if Dickinson’s ghost is trying to tell a story, without beginning or end. A handful of poems were set as heart-rending ballads.  The quiet “All This and More” has an uplifting feel, while “Will There Really Be a Morning?” is devastating in its blunt emotionality. Clayton’s mastery is in full voice on “A Something In a Summer’s Day” and the duo really make Dickinson’s words swing on “I May Remember Him.”

Purchase/Pre-Order Here:

Upcoming Sunnyside Releases:

Oct. 20 - Michael Leonhart Orchestra - "In The Kingdom of MQ" Single

Jan. 19 - Clovis Nicolas - Freedom Suite Ensuite

Jan. 26 - Wayne Escoffery - Vortex

Sunnyside Artists Live:

Oct. 21 - Harriet Tubman @ BRIC Jazz Fest - Brooklyn, NY

Oct. 21 - Dan Tepfer @ Ball State U. Hahn Recital Hall - Muncie, IN

Oct. 23 - Guilhem Flouzat Trio @ Il Torrione - Ferrara, Italy

Oct. 23 - Michael Leonhart Orchestra @ Our Savior NY Church - NYC 6:30

Oct. 23 - Greg Reitan Trio @ Dizzy's Club Coca Cola - NYC

Oct. 24 - Kevin Hays New Day Trio @ Academiezaal - Truiden, Belgium

Oct. 24 - Guillermo Klein @ Bar LunAtico - Brooklyn, NY

Oct. 24-25 - Azar Lawrence @ Jazz Standard - NYC

Oct. 25 - Kevin Hays New Day Trio @ Altes Pfandhaus - Cologne, Germany

Oct. 26 - Kevin Hays New Day Trio @ Zig Zag Jazz Club - Berlin, Germany

Oct. 27 - Aaron Goldberg @ The Cube 521 - Marnach, Luxembourg

Oct. 27 - Kevin Hays New Day Trio @ Birdland Jazz Club - Neuberg, Germany

Oct. 27 - Scott Tixier Quartet @ Salle Grillen - Colmar, France

Oct. 28 - Guilhem Flouzat Trio @ Stanisława Noakowskiego 16 - Warsaw, Poland

Oct. 28-31 - Kevin Hays New Day Trio @ Café Museum - Passau, Germany

Oct. 28 - Scott Tixier Quartet @ Le Cri Du Port - Marseille, France

Oct. 29 - Aaron Goldberg @ Jazzdock - Prague, Czech Republic

Oct. 30 - Aaron Goldberg @ Conservatori de Liceu - Barcelona, Spain

Oct. 31 - Nov. 1 - Guilhem Flouzat Trio @ Sunside - Paris, France

Nov. 1 - 9 Horses @ Colorado Mesa University - Mesa, CO

Nov. 1 - Kevin Hays New Day Trio @ Pizza Express - London, UK

Nov. 1 - Scott Tixier Quartet @ Ronnie Scott's - London, UK

Nov. 2 - Aaron Goldberg @ Centro Cultural e de Congressos - Caldas da Rainha, Portugal

Nov. 2-5 - Benny Green @ SF Jazz Center - San Francisco, CA

Nov. 3 - Guilhem Flouzat Trio @ Jazz Loft - Cologne, Germany

Nov. 3 - Cristina Pato Quartet @ Memorial Hall, UNC - Chapel Hill, NC

Nov. 3 - Edward Simon @ Poncho Concert Hall/Earshot - Seattle, WA

Nov. 3 - Scott Tixier Quartet @ Moods - Zurich, Switzerland

Nov. 3-5 - Vinicius Cantuaria @ Dizzy's Club Coca Cola - NYC

Nov. 4 - 9 Horses @ Columbia City Theatre - Seattle, WA

Nov. 4 - Guilhem Flouzat Trio @ World of Basses - Reutlingen, Germany

Nov. 4 - Edward Simon @ Jazz Bakery - Los Angeles, CA

Nov. 4 - Scott Tixier Quartet @ Jazzclub Unterfahrt - Munich, Germany

Nov. 5 - 9 Horses @ Bainbrdige Performing Arts Center - Bainbridge Island, WA

Nov. 5 - Edward Simon @ Constellation - Chicago, IL

Nov. 6 - 9 Horses @ Illinois St. University - Normal, IL

Nov. 6 - Benny Green @ Kuumbwa Jazz Center - Santa Cruz, CA

Nov. 8 - Lucian Ban Elevation @ Benaroyal Hall/Earshot - Seattle, WA

Nov. 11 - Jamie Baum Short Stories @ Jazz Gallery - NYC

Nov. 11-12 - Kurt Rosenwinkel Caipi @ SFJAZZ - San Francisco, CA

Nov. 14 - Cristina Pato Quartet @ Bruno's Café - Erie, PA

Nov. 14-16 - Benny Green @ Cotton Club - Tokyo, Japan

Nov. 16 - Cristina Pato Quartet @ Richardson Auditorium - Princeton, NJ

Nov. 16 - Roswell Rudd @ Dizzy's Club Coca Cola - NYC

Nov. 17-18 - Benny Green @ Mapo Arts Center - Seoul, South Korea

Nov. 18 - Davy Mooney @ Bar Next Door - NYC

Nov. 21 - Dominique Eade & Ran Blake @ Park Ave. Armory - NYC

Nov. 22 - Diego Barber @ Cornelia St. Café - NYC

Nov. 30 - Rebecca Martin @ Casa da Música - Porto, Portugal

Don't forget the Mingus Big Band every Monday @ Jazz Standard in NYC!