Gary Husband - A Meeting of Spirits: Interpretations of The Music of John McLaughlin (June 16, 2021 MoonJune Records)

“Gary Husband the pianist has long been overshadowed by Gary Husband the drummer.  I can personally testify to it.  However, here we have a recording which will probably achieve the reverse of what I just wrote.

In addition, he has chosen to base this recording primarily on my compositions.  I am honoured.  This is a recording that is full of surprises, and the fact that I have difficulty recognising one or two of my own compositions is only one of them!

But Gary is no ordinary musician, full of invention and surprises, modulations and inversions of melodic, harmonic and rhythmic content abound.  This is Gary Husband in full bloom.  Wonderful!”

John McLaughlin

"GORGEOUS, supreme inventiveness, absolute creativity, unique and deeply moving piano music!! Truly inspiring!!"

Chick Corea

“After hearing his The Things I See, I was immediately struck with his novel, almost orchestral approach to layering multiple piano takes over one another to create his dense tapestry of sound.  Gary plays with a lot of heart and clearly doesn’t rely on licks and preconceived bags of tricks in his solos. When he improvises he’s creating in the moment.  A few days ago I received this new CD. I was very impressed again with his wonderful dense layering approach and super interesting new harmonisations and contrapuntal detail.  Being a drummer, his timing is rock solid, and throughout, his improvisations are fresh and interesting. I respect his “no compromise” approach to his music.”

Stu Goldberg (Keyboardist with Mahavishnu Orchestra and John McLaughlin’s One Truth Band)

* SPECIAL NOTE

Tracks 1-2, 5-6 and 15-16 are joined. To ensure you experience the consecutive playback uninterrupted in correct form it is highly advisable you opt for the download of this album and check you have “gapless playback” enabled on your player.

The second in a series of two “interpretational” endeavours (based on music of two respective artists), exploring ways my imagination and their imagination can meet. This one - “the younger brother”, as it were, of The Things See * Interpretations Of The Music Of Allan Holdsworth - very much the very same kind of method, arrangement approach and mission. So these two recordings have a very strong affinity with each other.

Here I’m presenting a reimagining material of my hero, colossal early inspiration (and boss in the 4th Dimension since 2005!) you’ll find material here stemming from many varying periods of John McLaughlin - from Mahavishnu Orchestra eras, original Shakti, Heart Of Things band, the 1970s “Electric Guitarist” album ... even earlier recordings such as John’s debut “Extrapolation” and the wilder project a short time later with John Surman “Where Fortune Smiles”.

Similarly again with “The Things I See” you’ll note composition credits correspond when shared compositional input is involved. Noticeably in these cases the composition’s name is a variation on the original.

I hope very much you’ll enjoy the reimagining and the creative journey.

Gary Husband- 16/06/21

1/ Spirits Opening (John McLaughlin))

2/ A Meeting Of Spirits (Gary Husband)

3/ Vision Is A Naked Sword (John McLaughlin)

4/ You Know, You Know/ Are You The One?/ Miles Beyond (John McLaughlin)

5/ Maya Prologue (Gary Husband)

6/ The Dance Of Maya (John McLaughlin)

7/ It’s Funny (John McLaughlin)

8/ Lotus Feet Reflections (Gary Husband)

9/ Celestial Terrestrial Commuters (John McLaughlin)

10/ Jazz Jungle (Excerpt) (John McLaughlin)

11/ Joyful (Gary Husband)

12/ Song For My Mother (John McLaughlin)

*Epilogue*

13/ Alap (Gary Husband)

14/ Lotus Feet (Reprise) (John McLaughlin)

15/ Earth Bound Hearts (John McLaughlin)

16/ Development And Closing (Gary Husband) 

All arrangements and performance by Gary Husband - Piano, in-piano percussion, voice and bells

Produced by Gary Husband

Recording engineer: Toby Wood, NuCool Studio, London, November 9th & 10th 2005

Mixed and mastered by Toby Wood and Gary Husband at North Seven Studios, London, April 13th & 14th 2017

Optimisation and Remastering: Markus Reuter, June 2021

Dedicated to John McLaughlin

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Susana Santos Silva & Torbjörn Zetterberg - Tomorrow (June 2021 Carimbo)

Almost Tomorrow was an intense and beautiful experiment in the snowy mountains in the middle of Sweden. The silence, mystery and harshness of that breathtaking place took form in the songs that gave birth to Susana Santos Silva and Torbjörn Zetterberg’s first album, that came out on Clean Feed in 2013. Tomorrow finally arrived, eight years later, and it sounds suspended in time, as if it is still almost tomorrow. A perpetual cycle of movement and stillness… the music starts, then stops. it starts again and stops one more time, it comes and goes, like it is trying to catch its own thoughts, repeating this life rhythm in a cradling flow. The sounds hang in the air waiting for the music to happen, with no rush, no pressure, no hurry to get anywhere. It just stands there as a reminder that life is too precious not to be noticed, and lived wholeheartedly. It’s an intimate dance of sounds, hopes and desires that fills the church, where stillness melts into motion, like if the windless moment suddenly is transformed into a myriad of floating weightless breezes, that spin and whirl until everything magically stops again… and time and space disappear. A quiet ecstasy takes place and the air gets overflowed with joy.

Tall tree

With wind in branches

Rattled leaves

Whisperers into distance

Trunk bending slightly

Supple

Not cracking

Branches moan as they move.

Dark wood, earthbound, groping upper atmosphere

Whisps of air, tea-kettle harmonics

A gasp, a hiss

Steam pipe formants

Secret spot where arbor ends and atmosphere begins.

Is this a description? By me or the tree? A bilateral translation?

The wind sketching its tree? A tree conjugating the breeze?

A writer observing? Merciless act of co-transformation? Movement of matter into spirit?

Anyway, the tree is one thing, the trumpet another. Or…?

All energies

Nothing solid

Every particle in motion

Impermanent

A give and take

Of sequence and space

And thought and emptiness

Of sadness and pleasure

Of certainty and doubt

Patience and harmon-mute

Another give and take

Of now and then

And then again

And when will then

And then and then

Or Zen and Zen

Response’s call

Call’s response

And recall’s yen.

From far apart

Northeast/Southwest

The duet

A re-meeting After

Years of knowing

One

An-

Other

Not years but lifetimes

All sentient improvisors

Unite

Then

Untie

Breathe into these ears

Bow my branches

Sing into my navel

Sprout shouts

And fly the fuck out of here.

– John Corbett, Chicago, May 2021

1. Arriving 03:24

2. Stiltje 02:28

3. Tomorrow 05:06

4. Observing The One 03:47

5. Ema 05:05

6. La Loge 05:24

7. Dreamers 04:06

8. Contemplating The One 03:58

9. A Cry For Light 07:09

10. The Next Hours 05:58

Susana Santos Silva: trumpet

Torbjörn Zetterberg: double bass

Music by Susana Santos Silva & Torbjörn Zetterberg

Recorded April 2nd in Petruskyrkan, Stockholm by Torbjörn Zetterberg

Mixed and mastered by Torbjörn Zetterberg

Produced by Susana Santos Silva e Torbjörn Zetterberg

SSS photo by Aloísio Brito

Graphic Design and Packaging by Maria Monica

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Dennis Egberths - Dennis Egberths Första (June 2021)

1. Palo Santo 05:21

2. Syrinx 05:23

3. Magenta 07:20

4. Sjösabrinken 06:19

5. Leijona 03:00

6. Lophorina 04:32

7. 180908 04:09

Katt Hernandez - violin

Isak Hedtjärn - clarinet

Johan Graden - piano & synthesizers

Vilhelm Bromander - double bass

Dennis Egberth – drums

All compositions by Dennis Egberth.

Mixed by Anders af Klintberg.

Mastered by Taylor Deupree.

Produced by Dennis Egberth and Anders af Klintberg.

Design and cover photo by Dennis Egberth.

Graphic manipulation by Jordana Loeb.

Recorded 16 February 2020 in Örnsbergs Musikstudio by Alexander Pierre and Anders af Klintberg.

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Jack DeSalvo Live At Scholes Street (June 21, 2021 Unseen Rain Records)

This live performance was part of a night of trios at Brooklyn's Scholes Street Studio/performance space that was curated by Matt Lavelle. Tom Cabrera and Dmitry Ishenko are among my favorite musician to play anything with, but an opportunity to perform my own compositions with them is particularly gratifying. As a trio we have two previous albums on Unseen Rain - Minerals and Volume III of the Connoisseurs of Chaos series though some of the tracks on this live record where originally recorded on earlier albums of mine. – Jack DeSalvo

It takes a trio of formidable players like DeSalvo, Ishenko and Cabrera to bring to life music like this, with its multi-hued harmonic atmosphere and these musicians' clairvoyant interplay.

1. Minerals 08:46

2. Instance 07:12

3. Sudden Moves 08:39

4. Nuvyu 07:08

5. KHB 08:45

6. She Has With 05:2

JACK DeSALVO - guitar

DMITRY ISHENKO - double-bass

TOM CABRERA - drums

All music by Jack DeSalvo

Recorded by René Allain at Scholes Street Studios, Brooklyn, NY

Mixed and mastered by Larry Hutter, Orlando, FL

Design by Qua’s Eye Graphix

Produced by Jack DeSalvo and Tom Cabrera

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Chris Forbes - Blood River Shaman (June 2021 Unseen Rain Records)

The roots of this particular trio run deep but Hill Mike and I never actually played all together until we were part of a quintet that Steve Swell assembled in the late 2000s. From the very firstwe felt a very strong connection. To me, playing with Hill is grounding. His sound and presenceis like a sequoia, deeply rooted and yet rising to the heavens. TA is oceanic, like the north shore of Oahu in the winter. His sound washes over you in waves. For me as a pianist, I feel like I float over the foundation that the two of them give me and it makes for a pretty titanic set each time we play.

In fact the intensity of this set is pretty indicative of my music at the time, which I callmy “wild bear” period. The music on this set was finally honed by several successive performances at I-Beam Brooklyn. It was part of an evening of the Kettle Collective, a group I was a member of at the time. We had been performing most of the tunes since out first gig in 2011 and they were reaching a really high state. Blood River Shaman was written specifically with this group in mind. It is an example of one of my “sketch” tunes, in which two contrasting gesture are notated but not in any final form. 

The succeeding twenty minutes explores the tension between the aggressive first gesture and the more lyrical second gesture. Though there are elements of traditional solos, the piece exemplifies our trio concept, which is of a three way conversation throughout rather than solo and accompaniment.

In the performance Open the Gates, Papa flowed directly from Blood River. This was a new “tune” for the night. It was based on the “all interval” set from Eliot Carter’s Piano Concerto butmarried to a Haitian Rara rhythm. The performance stays at a slow burn until the rev up at the end which explodes into silence.

Out of that silence comes a monumental Hill Greene bass solo which sets up A-Wa-Re, a tune I had originally written for a band with Matt Lavelle and Wil Connell and which also appears on the first Zone album. Based on a synthetic scale derived from the two chords of the solos, the tune has a Japanese feel to it and was named after the ink painting term A-wa-re, which means the sense of loneliness you find in an autumn landscape.

The Morning of the World is our standard encore and the roots of this sketch go back to the 1990s. I had reread Messiaen’s Technique of My Musical Language and while experimenting with his concept of added resonance I discovered that I could make my piano sound like it was a Javanese gamelan, especially if I played melodies in one of the traditional Indonesian scales. This tune uses a modified version of the pelog scale which is exposed in a gentle manner and then continues to double up in rhythm.

There is a long middle section that takes the piece out and builds up tension until the main pelog passage returns again and the piece winds down to a gentle conclusion. This whole recording represents this trio at the height of its powers and I couldn’t be prouder of it. It rounds out the portrait of me as an artist that Unseen Rain has presented - lyrical soloist, lover of standards, and avant-garist. I was grateful to Scott Friedlander for capturing that night and to Larry Hutter for mastering it so well. I am especially grateful to Jack De Salvo for putting the record out. Most of all Im grateful to Hill and Mike for their friendship and impeccable musicianship. More to come! – Chris Forbes

Blood River Shaman features leader Chris Forbes' prodigious pianisms and compositions. His trio includes legendary double-bassist Hilliard Greene and spectacular drummer Michael TA Thompson. Though regarded as a singular improviser and a pianist with an approach that is so original as to be paradigmatic and capable of improvising an entire solo album (Mountain Ocean Mirror Sky, UR9911), leading a trio playing themed standards (Film Noir, UR9897) he is also a formidable composer. All of these gifts are evident on Blood River Shaman. His bandmates are exemplary in this remarkable live recording at Brooklyn's iBeam. 

1. Intro 00:32

2. Blood River Shaman part 1 07:02

3. Blood River Shaman part 2 13:31

4. Open The Gates Papa 08:15

5. A -Wa-Re 10:51

6. The Morning Of The World 11:51

CHRIS FORBES - Piano

HILLIARD GREENE - Double-Bass

MICHAEL T.A. THOMPSON - Drums

Band photo and recorded by Scott Friedlander at IBeam, Brooklyn

Mixed and mastered by Larry Hutter, Orlando, FL

Design and cover photo by Qua's Eye Graphix

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Rocco John Iacovone and Tom Cabrera - Out of The Maelstrom (2021 Unseen Rain Records)

Maelstrom: a large whirlpool or confused, turbulent, agitated state of mind, emotions, and affairs. This is what we all experienced with the onset of the Covid-19 Virus. Everything changed. Too dangerous to get together and play, this duo recording with Tom Cabrera came out of an urgent need to find new ways to create.

After discussions by phone, here’s what we did. I would compose a motif, develop it, record it then send to Tom. Tom would listen until he really “got” it. Then he added his part. In Monday Meditations, I recorded one track, then accompanied myself and sent both tracks to Tom. We reversed the process with Segments1 and 2. Tom recorded first and sent me the tracks.

We also left space for each other to play. We did so with all the pieces but is most evident in the only standard, “Softly”, on the album. Both Tom and I very much enjoyed the process and found it to be very rewarding. All the music grew from the consciousness and way of life at that point in time.

Hope you enjoy – Rocco John Iacovone

1. Begone Covid 03:35

2. Dreams 05:00

3. Monday Meditation 05:36

4. Segment Part 1 02:14

5. Segment Part 2 02:41

6. Softly As A Morning Sunrise 05:29

7. Tango 06:52

8. Wee One 04:13

9. What Is 04:18

ROCCO JOHN IACOVONE - alto, tenor and soprano saxophones, bass clarinet

TOM CABRERA - drums, percussion

Recorded at Woodshedd Studio, Westbury, NY and Sage Studios, New York, NY

Mixed and mastered by Larry Hutter, Orlando, FL

Cover painting by Tom Cabrera

Design by Qua’s Eye Graphix

A Woodshedd Production

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Lucia Ianniello - Maintenant (June 2021)

The idea to record, in addition to my original compositions, three songs from the repertoire of the Pan Afrikan Peoples Arkestra (P.A.P.A.), comes from a long time ago, when I came across the music, work and vision of Horace Tapscott (1934-1999). Trombonist, pianist, composer, arranger and leader of the P.A.P.A., since 1961 Tapscott dedicated his life to the empowerment of the African-American community of Los Angeles, its artistic projects and human relationships. In doing this, he set up one of the first black artistic associations made up of musicians, painters, poets, dancers, etc. "Our music is contributive rather than competitive" he used to say. Thanks to the work of Steven L. Isoardi - author of a fundamental bibliography on Tapscott and the musical life in the golden era of Central Avenue - I was able to study and to love him.

I also believe the development of human identity comes first. I am engaged in creating a special dialogue with the musicians I work with, making relationship quality a priority. So the next step came naturally to me. Over the past years, Diana, Giuseppe, Paolo and I have shared together much more than music. And last summer I invited them to record…an urgent desire to express, dictated by the need to tell a new story, a narrative inspired by the strong motivations we shared. So we have been playing, experimenting, recording in a spirit of contribution rather than a competitive one. And I hope that the wide improvised soundscapes are evidence of this.

We were happy. We had time to live this experience and make it unforgettable.

On February 6, 2015, Giuseppe was snatched away from life as he lived it fully, until the last breath. As a tribute to him, I wanted to record "Sicily", an unreleased song chosen among the beautiful music written by Giuseppe. Lucia Ianniello (June 2015).

1. Maintenant (Lucia Ianniello)

2. Ballad for Samuel (Horace Tapscott)

3. Our Summer (Lucia Ianniello)

4. Desert Fairy Princess (Jesse Sharps)

5. Other (Lucia Ianniello)

6. Peyote Song No. III (Jesse Sharps)

7. Sicily (Giuseppe La Spina)

8. Préliminaires Amoureux (Lucia Ianniello)

All tracks are arranged by Lucia Ianniello

Lucia Ianniello Bb and C trumpets, flugelhorn, effects and objects

Diana Torti voice (except on tracks 2 and 3)

Giuseppe La Spina guitars (except on tracks 2,3 and 7)

Paolo Tombolesi keyboards, acoustic bass and percussions

Recorded at LUPA Studio, Rome (Italy) from July 2014 to March 2015

Recording, mixing and mastering by Cecafumo

Cover photo by Stefano Giorgi

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Jazz from Planet Flippo - Dedications (2021 Oppilf Records)

PIANIST/COMPOSER/VOCALIST DAVE FLIPPO’S

WORLD OF ECLECTISM AND INVENTION

DEDICATIONS - JAZZ FROM PLANET FLIPPO

When DR. DAVE FLIPPO told his bandmates that he wanted to write music for each of them for his new album, he asked what elements they wanted him to include. He found their answers surprising and challenging -- like writing a waltz in four or a song about a giraffe. But Flippo, a Chicago-based jazz pianist, composer, vocalist, bandleader, and educator, was certainly up for the challenge. On DEDICATIONS – JAZZ FROM PLANET FLIPPO, he includes eight original tunes and three by well-known pop artists re-imagined in the jazz idiom. Each tune is dedicated to a member of the band and to friends, family, and other artists whom he admires.

DEDICATIONS is Flippo’s sixth CD as a leader. It follows Life on Mars (2016), Tao Tunes (2011), When the Heart is Strong, the Voice Rings True (2004), Ganesh (2001) and Tendrils of Light (1994). Each of his recordings reflects Flippo’s interest in continually widening his musical palette by incorporating different styles of music and music from other cultures. The Chicago Tribune says, "Of all the Chicago jazz ensembles searching for new sounds, one of the more alluring has to be Flippomusic, the rare band of musical adventurers who prefer to seduce the ear rather than accost it." “If Six Were Nine,” a track from Life on Mars, was chosen by the 2016 Jazz Connects Jukebox Jury Award as part of the Jazz Connects Conference sponsored by JazzTimes Magazine.

Flippo is a native of Pittsburgh, PA. He began playing piano by ear at the age of four and learned to read music before he could read words. Unlike most other kids, he grew up more interested in jazz and classical music than in rock ‘n’ roll. He pursued his interest in music by earning a Doctorate in Music Composition/Piano at the University of Michigan and a master’s degree at the Eastman School of Music. After completing his doctorate, he was living in Ann Arbor and contemplating what his next move should be. Flippo says, “After I got my doctorate, I wanted to challenge myself. Ann Arbor was a nice town, but it’s small without many opportunities for me to seriously apply my education. My choices were to go to either New York, Los Angeles, or Chicago. Coming from Pittsburgh, I was already a mid-Westerner, and I thought I’d be more at home in Chicago. It wound up working great for me, and I’ve been there ever since.”

When Flippo got to Chicago, he began working odd jobs to support himself while building a performing and teaching career. He also became a serious student of jazz and began studying jazz theory and piano with Chicago jazz teacher Alan Swain.

Between 1988-1990, Flippo began performing and composing for the Ethos Chamber Orchestra, which specialized in "third stream" compositions that combine classical music and jazz. In 1992, he put together his first jazz band, Flippomusic. Flippo’s original compositions on their first two recordings, Tendrils of Light and Ganesh, fused World music grooves with jazz.

Although there were some personnel changes in the ensemble over the years, the one thing that has remained consistent is Flippo’s wide ranging musical interests. He began singing on When the Heart is Strong, a duo album with bass player DONN DE SANTO. He also sang on a truly unique album, Tao Tunes, which comprises all original tunes in a variety of styles which sets eighteen chapters of the ancient Chinese text, the Tao Te Ching.

Flippo now calls his ensemble Jazz From Planet Flippo. It is made up of some of the top Chicago-based jazz musicians who have now been with Flippo for 10-15 years. The band includes bass player DONN DE SANTO, saxophonist and flutist DAN HESLER, drummer HEATH CHAPPELL. Percussionist ARAS BISKIS, who performed with the group when it was a quintet, appears as guest performer on two tracks.

The wide range of styles on DEDICATIONS displays Flippo’s prowess as a composer and arranger. He opens the album with Stevie Wonder’s “Too High” from his album 1973 recording Innervisions. Flippo gives the tune a twist by extending the song’s famous opening lick by stretching out the rhythm and reharmonizing the song with jazz chords and adding a chromatic bass line.

He also tackles Amy Winehouse’s “Rehab” by combining a New Orleans groove with a swinging bridge. “Karma Police” is a song by the group Radiohead. A student of Flippo’s had asked him to write an arrangement for him. Flippo likes the song’s quirky chords and rearranged it for this recording.

Flippo’s original compositions include “Finch House,” which was inspired by the songs of the finches who come to feed at the several bird feeders in his yard. The song is in 7/8 time with a mellow feel. “Giraffe Track,” about a giraffe loping across the savanna, is dedicated to Dan Hesler. Flippo wrote “Third Eye Open” with a development section, which is often used in classical music. Dedicated to Donn De Santo, it is a long form that utilizes a three-chord progression that strives to form a full harmonic circle. Flippo dedicates “Freewheelin’” to his son Gabriel. It comprises a cycle of minor 7 chords in a circle of fourths.

Aras Biskis asked Flippo to write a Greek jig for him, two styles that no one has ever combined. The result is “Syrtotic,” written in 14 with a complicated 1-2, 1-2, 1-2-3, 1-2-3, 1-2, 1-2 rhythm. Flippo dedicates “Four-Four Waltz” to his jazz mentor Alan Swain. “Spring Joy” is a happy tune with a springtime feeling that Flippo dedicates to his wife, Melissa. Drummer Heath Chappell requested a song in which he could explore different meters that could be out of time with the rest of the band. The result is “Methamorphosis.”

With its eclectic styles, odd meters, and accessible melodies, DEDICATIONS JAZZ FROM PLANET FLIPPO is a showcase for Flippo’s broad interests, erudition and inventiveness. It is an eminently fun album that features a tightly knit, top notch band all in tune with Flippo’s expansive imagination.

1. TOO HIGH 5:17

2. FINCH HOUSE 6:35

3. GIRAFFE TREK 5:22

4. THIRD EYE OPEN 6:52

5. REHAB 6:01

6. FREEWHEELIN’ 6:34

7. SYRTOTIC 5:25

8. KARMA POLICE 5:33

9. FOUR-FOUR WALTZ 6:46

10. SPRING JOY 4:30

11. METAMORPHOSIS 9:56

DAVE FLIPPO piano, keyboard, melodica

DONN DE SANTO acoustic & fretless bass

DAN HESLER saxophones, flute

HEATH CHAPPELL drum set

ARAS BISKIS percussion (3, 7)

Arranged & Produced by Dave Flippo

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Dan Cavalca - Lights of Red Island (June 15th, 2021)

The new album "Lights of Red Island" is dedicated to the collaboration with the Claudio Scolari Project in which the artist takes part in 2010: the new album is in fact a rearrangement of "Colors of Red Island", one of the most important records of the Scolari Project, acclaimed by the jazz critic around the globe. 

In "Lights of Red Island", the artist maintains some of the rhythmic/melodic parts of the old album, adapting them, reshaping them and wrapping them with a new sound.

Dan Cavalca Site

Dal 15 giugno - Swing Breath di Andrea Sicurella (Dodicilune / Ird)

ANDREA SICURELLA

SWING BREATH

Aria che diventa musica, musica che diventa swing sulle tracce gitane di Django Reinhardt (1910 -1953), il primo musicista europeo che accolse e trasformò il jazz americano: “Swing Breath” è il nuovo progetto discografico del chitarrista, clarinettista e saxofonista torinese Andrea Sicurella, prodotto da Dodicilune nella collana editoriale Wysiwyg e distribuito dal 15 giugno in Italia e all’estero da Ird e nei migliori store on line da Believe.

Accompagnato dal trombettista Eugenio Pane, dal chitarrista Federico Fiore e da Ivan Appino e Jino Touche, che si alternano al contrabbasso, Sicurella propone nove brani. Otto sono composizioni del repertorio di Django Reinhardt: cinque scritte direttamente dal musicista francese (“Swing guitars”, “Django’s dream”, “Dinette”, “Anouman” e “Minor swing”, composta con Stéphane Grappelli) e tre opera di Josef Myrow (“Blue drag”), Isham Jones (“I’ll see you in my dreams”), Paul Durand (“Seul ce soir”) ma proposte nella lettura reinhardtiana. Il disco si conclude con il celebre tema “Swing valse” di Gus Viseur e Pierre Ferret.

“Swing Breath” sarà presentato ufficialmente giovedì 17 giugno (ore 21:15 - ingresso libero  info e prenotazioni 3271126230) con un concerto al Lambìc di Torino (Via Tommaso Agudio).

«Da qualche anno suono il clarinetto con diversi gruppi che propongono la musica di Django Reinhardt, un musicista straordinario di cui ho approfondito la conoscenza anche grazie ad un festival dedicato al jazz manouche organizzato anni fa a Torino, che ha permesso a molti appassionati musicisti e non, di incontrarsi», sottolinea Sicurella. «Con questo lavoro ho semplicemente provato a dare un’altra voce alla sua musica reinterpretando con il clarinetto alcune sue celebri improvvisazioni e quelle dei musicisti (Stéphane Grappelli al violino; Hubert Rostaing, Gérard Lévêque e Maurice Meuniere al clarinetto) con cui ha collaborato nel Quintette du Hot Club de France. Un modo diverso per sentire la musicalità e l’originalità di questo grande musicista, considerando anche l’ambiente musicale che lo circondava, curiosando e divagando oltre le corde e il virtuosismo chitarristico».

Chitarrista, clarinettista e saxofonista torinese, Andrea Sicurella dal 1995 suona il sax in gruppi jazz e folk. Nel 2001 si diploma in chitarra e si esibisce in concerti di musica classica e sudamericana. Dal 2007 fa parte di Banda Elastica Pellizza (canzone d’autore, pop-folk, Targa Tenco - Siae2008) con cui incide tre Ep e partecipa a dirette radiofoniche e concerti in teatri, club e festival di tutta Italia. Dal 2015 collabora come clarinettista con diverse formazioni swing e jazz manouche.

Chitarrista torinese residente a Barcellona, Federico Fiore studia chitarra con il maestro Maurizio Colonna. Viaggiando rimane affascinato dal  flamenco e dal jazz gitano, che da allora abbraccia definitivamente. Dal 2014 fa parte dei Domino Swing e alterna la sua attività di musicista e insegnante tra Barcellona e Torino.

Liutaio di professione e contrabbassista jazz autodidatta, Ivan Appino da anni litiga con il suo contrabbasso. Voce e chitarra del gruppo “Faber per sempre” (omaggio a Fabrizio De André) e “Band’Abord”(omaggio a Georges Brassens).

Contrabbassista mauriziano da anni residente a Torino, Jino Touche ha collaborato con molti artisti del panorama musicale nazionale (Gianmaria Testa, Mina, Jannacci, solo per fare qualche nome). Dal 1994 fa parte dell’orchestra di Paolo Conte e dal 2000 suona con i Manomanouche, pionieristico gruppo di musica swing manouche italiano. Nel 2008 fonda i Baton Magik, progetto di musiche originali mauriziane.

Eugenio Pane ha studiato tromba con Gilberto Martini e suona con diverse big band/marching band del Canavese. Dal 2019 gestisce “La Stanzetta” il suo studio di produzione e registrazione di Caluso, in provincia di Torino.

1 - Blue drag  (1935*)

2 - Swing guitars (1947*)

3 - I’ll see you in my dreams (1939*)

4 - Seul ce soir (1942*)

5 - Minor swing (1937*)

6 - Django’s dream (1947*)

7 - Dinette (1947*) 

8 - Anouman (1953*)

9 - Swing valse

* Django’s version

Compositions by Josef Myrow (1), Django Reinhardt (2, 6, 7, 8), Isham Jones (3), Paul Durand (4), Reinhardt-Grappelli (5), Ferret-Viseur (9)

Andrea Sicurella - clarinet, saxophones (1, 4, 6), guitar (1, 6, 7, 8), arrangements 

Eugenio Pane - trumpet (1, 4, 6, 8)

Federico Fiore - guitar (2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 9) 

Ivan Appino - double bass (2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 9)

Jino Touche - double bass (1, 6, 8)

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Ilugdin Trio - My Story (2021 Jazzist)

The trio of jazz pianist Dmitry Ilugdin is releasing its third studio album, "My Story". Starting May 27th the album will be available on streaming platforms. It is the first release of Jazzist—a new record label based in Moscow, Russia.

All the music on "My Story" was entirely written by the Trio's founder, composer and pianist Dmitry Ilugdin. The Trio (other members include Viktor Shestak on double bass and Petr Ivshin on drums and percussion) has been working together for more than six years. Ilugdin's original material was carefully tailored during live performances, coming to fruition for studio recording. The sound was engineered by Andrey Levin, chief specialist of the Mosfilm studios and one of the Jazzist co-founders. The album's artwork was created by the world renowned designer Victor Melamed. Araik Hakobyan, art director of the Kozlov Jazz Club (another co-founder of Jazzist), became the executive producer.

"My Story" has a very personal touch to it. Every composition on the album is based on life experiences, human emotions and existential matters. Dmitry Ilugdin came up with an idea to supplement the tracks with short descriptions in order to add more accuracy, so to speak, when it came to conveying the mood of each piece. For example, "Case" is about unexpected situations that make you feel uptight and uneasy at first but, as time passes, you grow to have fond memories about them and you feel thankful for the experiences and new skills that came with them. "All these are true stories that actually happened to me," says Dmitry Ilugdin. "Although the album is called "My Story", I'm sure that many people have found themselves in similar situations. And since these stories are familiar not only to the listeners but to the members of the Trio, each of us managed to fill the initial musical idea with personal experience. I can say that our stories are intertwined."

Stylistically, Ilugdin's music absorbs the traditions of "cool" European jazz, follows the principles of sound integrity and clarity laid down by ECM, and reinterprets Russian classical music. The musicians combine understanding of the context and brilliant command of the instruments with the ability to be themselves and stick to their own style. For Ilugdin Trio, the lyrical and powerful "My Story" is yet another step forward.

"Reflection", their previous album, was released in Russia in 2017, and was reissued in 2019 by Losen Records (Norway). In 2018, Ilugdin Trio participated in a large-scale celebration of the International Jazz Day under the auspices of UNESCO and represented Russia at the jazzahead! exhibition in Bremen. During these years the Trio performed at various venues, including Russian and international jazz festivals (Usadba Jazz, Amersfoort Jazz Festival, Belgrade Jazz Festival and others).

1. Case

This piece came to be quite swiftly, like an unexpected life situation which you are uptight about

at first but later remember with gratitude for the experience and a new skill.

2. Home

We all have a place to return to when things are difficult. It may be in the distant past, in the

future (as a dream), or very close by, but this is where we always feel at home.

3. What For?

How many more answers come when you ask the right question! Sometimes all it takes is to

replace “Why?” with “What for?”

4. Tamed Loneliness

On maturity and the endless striving for it.

5. Prelude No. 5

This piece is our small dialogue, a conversation on the lives of three friends.

6. P.S.

A small afterword. A sentiment.

Dmitry Ilugdin: piano

Petr Ivshin: drums

Victor Shestak: bass

Music by Dmitry Ilugdin

Recorded and mixed by Andrey Levin at Mosfilm Music Studios

Mastered by Anatoly Ryassov

Design by Victor Melamed

Executive producer: Araik Hakobyan

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DogOn - Floater (2021 Double Moon Records)

The best way to get moving is to have several variants. Sometimes boarding, then letting loose again, sometimes floating and walking alternately, sometimes driving or optionally crawling, sometimes motorized in a car, but you can also resort to the good old bike again. As different as all these variants may be, you can somehow get moving with everyone and ultimately reach your destination. In this respect, DogOn, the power trio of the bustling Zurich guitarist Eric Hunziker, can certainly be understood as a collection of modes and possibilities of movement. Or better: a vehicle to realize the diverse musical fantasies of the band line-up.

Hunziker, bassist Thomas Tavano and Tobias Hunziker on drums like it to be hearty and hefty. Sometimes it thunders rocking (boarding), sometimes it sounds jazzy (let loose), then there are filigree improvisations (walking) and mysterious sound collages (floating), eventually to return to funky grooves (car, preferably fast!) or even a pinch of dubbing (muscle power; or transferred to the musical life: unplugged). Without any inhibitions, filled with joy of playing, DogOn stakes its territory without stylistic blinders and puristic ulterior motives. Because Switzerland, or perhaps even Earth, has long become too small for this, they search for remote galaxies and planets, as the guitar-playing astronaut expresses on the cover of their second CD “Floater”.

The trio, which comes from the environment of the Lucerne Music Academy, navigates its spaceship confidently through stylistic spheres, steers it confidently through delicate meteorite showers and mysterious sound fog. The emerging sound might remind connoisseurs of Tribal Tech, Bunny Brunel or Wayne Krantz. But the guys don't really want to be perceived as a copy of famous role models in any phase, but have long since developed their own sound, with which they have been regarded as a hot secret tip since their debut album “Rotten Rainbow Rollercoaster”, especially in their Swiss homeland.

Of course, DogOn primarily lives from the distinctive guitar sound of its mastermind Eric Hunziker. As a composer, the string dervish is responsible for all ten tracks on “Floater”. In recent years, he has gained an impressive and prominent standing in renowned Swiss acts (Peter’s PlayStation, Lobith and Fearless Five) as a sideman, but also in his own projects (Neuromodulator and Swiss Indian Orchestra). His versatile, varied style has stood out again and again in this context. It proves to be an immense advantage that Hunziker not only masters “boarding” but also a number of other gaits in an almost dreamlike way. The founding of the adrenaline-rich combo stems from an encounter at the legendary Zurich Bazillus Club, where Eric Hunziker met Thomas Tavano and Tobias Hunziker in 2015. Since then, the band has completed a series of tours in Russia and Germany. It also had guest appearances at renowned festivals such as the Lithuanian “Mama Jazz”.

However, the actual quality of the grooving threesome lies in the fact that it is possible to get moving not just with the help of the energy of the guitar. DogOn does well to use the power of Tavano's driving six-string bass and the razor-sharp beat of drummer Tobias Hunziker for their trip through the infinite expanses of modern music. In this respect, the spaceship has a strong captain, but also a highly qualified and motivated crew. And it can be heard in every corner of the universe with guarantee.

1. Floater 04:58

2. Carbon Chauvinist 05:41

3. Hidden Room 06:01

4. Shutter Cutter 03:02

5. Priester 04:19

6. Pork Cheek 03:54

7. Devil’s Choice 04:32

8. Phone Breaker 04:49

9. Dashashwamedh Ghat 05:46

10. When We Feel 04:25

Eric Hunziker, Guitar

Thomas Tavano, Bass

Tobias Hunziker, Drums

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Le Coq Records | LIVE in Las Vegas (June 27th, 2021)

Italian American Club

2333 E Sahara Ave., Las Vegas, NV 89104 

Date.  June 27th, 2021 

Time. Dinner 6:30 PM, Show 8 pm

Price of the show. $65.00 (For Dinner and Show)

The Las Vegas based Le Coq Records will present a coterie of celebrated artists who participated in the label’s initial four releases for the first time in a live public setting to be held Sunday, June 27 at the Italian American club. Billed as An Evening with Andy James and John Patitucci, and her All-Star Band, the label showcase will also feature: Chris Potter, Terell Stafford, Alex Acuña, Marcus Gilmore, Michael Dees, Jon Cowherd, Bill Cunliffe, and Jake Langley.

“After a year of lockdown and the vaccine finally circulating, we felt it was time to get moving from a live performance standpoint,” states label Co-President and Founder, Piero Pata. “We will gather in a safe environment under CDC guidelines where we can control and re-enforce public health and safety protocol. We have many recording ideas to envisage on upcoming sessions surrounding the Las Vegas event and are excited to release music from this inspiring group of musicians in the near future” concludes Pata.

If you can’t attend in-person, this event will be recorded live and broadcasted at a later date. Most everything will be produced in house by Le Coq’s management team. Co-President Andy James and John Patitucci will handle the structure and order of the show. CEO Josh Connolly (Studio A Las Vegas) oversees sound and recording with the aid of his Studio A Las Vegas staff, and Digital Marketing Manager Santiago Interiano of Epic Nights Media will handle video, lighting, editing and future broadcast distribution. Backline, such as piano, B3 Organ, Fender Rhodes, keyboards, drums, and percussion will be supplied from Studio A Las Vegas where much of the recorded music from the first four albums was produced.

For more information on Le Coq Records, please visit:

lecoqrecords.com | Facebook | Instagram

Trumpeter/Singer/Songwriter CHRIS SAUNDERS Releases "Dancing With the Widow St. James"

The CHRIS SAUNDERS BAND’s newest album, DANCING WITH THE WIDOW ST. JAMES, is rooted in soul jazz and blues with a subtle reference to pop thrown in for good measure. The CD is the second project from the Chris Saunders Band and follows their 2016 release Outside My Window. Saunders also released three other studio projects of all original music with various combinations of musicians under the name Big Skin, which includes Crazy Memory (2009), Sandancer (2003), and Moon over Tuesday (2000).

Saunders is a cornet/trumpet player, singer, and songwriter. He has a smokey, soulful voice whose timbre and phrasing sound much like his horn. As a singer, he has been heavily influenced by Joe Williams, Tony Bennett, Sarah Vaughan, Lou Rawls, Dr. John, Tom Waits, Howlin’ Wolf and Louis Armstrong, with whom he has an especially strong affinity. A native and current resident of the San Francisco Bay Area, he and his group have been performing together for 10 years and are mainstays on the Bay Area music scene. Saunders is the frontman, but it has always been about the band and the sum of the parts.

After a complicated early life including his parents divorcing, Saunders felt fortunate growing up in a happy, loving household with lots of music. He was particularly close to his grandparents, who were instrumental in shaping his taste in music. He says his first paying gig was when he was 11 years old when his paternal grandmother paid him to sing and play trumpet on “The Darktown Strutters Ball.” His maternal grandfather was a trumpet player in a big band. Growing up, jazz, blues and classical music were always on the turntable.

Saunders started whistling tunes at 11 months old, singing in performances at 9 years old, and playing trumpet at 11. At first, he played by ear, but later learned to read music in high school as a member of the school band and choir. He played in an R&B band during and after high school and shared the stage once with Country Joe and the Fish and Howlin’ Wolf at the Fillmore West. Saunders’ stepfather was an ex-Marine who instilled in him a sense of duty and patriotism, so at 18, he enlisted in the Marines. He spent 13 months in Vietnam at the height of the war. When MLK and then Robert Kennedy were assassinated, he became very aware that there was something wrong. “A new political awareness was in motion, and my experiences in Vietnam certainly gave me a lot of material for my songs, not to mention lifelong sadness.” After his tour of duty, he experienced survival guilt as he had lost countless brothers.

Back in civilian life, Saunders enrolled in college to study music. He also fronted bands and began gigging on the local music scene, where he shared the stage and recording studios with many well-known names in jazz and pop, notable sidemen from famous bands, and top studio musicians. Music has always been central to his life, even after marrying and starting a family. Although he earned money as a musician, he wound up working at various day jobs to support his family while performing several nights a week with his bands. His early experiences taught him the value of a loving family life and the importance of doing the things that bring you joy.

Saunders has been writing songs since high school, and his earlier recordings mainly featured his original compositions. He began branching out to perform covers penned by other artists on his previous album, Outside My Window.

On DANCING WITH THE WIDOW ST. JAMES, Saunders includes a mix of covers and originals, which he co-wrote with his collaborator, pianist and group co-founder KEN COOK. Cook is an in-demand pianist, bandleader, recording artist, sideman, and educator. He has performed in Europe, South America, and around much of the USA with various groups, including the legendary New Orleans singer Johnny Adams and Oakland Blues artist Terrie Odabi and cellist Mark Summer (co-founder of the Turtle Island Quartet). Besides leading his own jazz trio, he performs regularly with Brazilian guitarist Ricardo Peixoto, and vocalist Deborah Winters.

Drummer MICHAEL ARAGON has performed in a wide variety of musical venues from R&B to country and jazz and played with many jazz greats. Bassist ROB FORDYCE is a versatile, seasoned veteran of the greater Bay Area scene. Latin percussionist LUIS CARBO was born in Ecuador and raised in San Francisco.

The original songs on DANCING WITH THE WIDOW ST. JAMES by Saunders and Cook reflect Saunders’ poetic nature and political leanings. Saunders calls “Big Man'' a soul jazz cha-cha. The song is a subtle dig at the former resident of the White House. Saunders wrote the lyrics to “Butterflies and Chicken Wings'' with the young environmental activist Greta Thunberg in mind. “Lightning and a Feather'' is about the power and gentleness of nature, but it is also a metaphor about imperialism. The title tune, “Dancing with the Widow St. James,” is a coming-of-age story. “Low Tide Rising on a Devil Wind'' is about climate change that was inspired by the massive fires California has experienced over the last several years.

Saunders along with Cook and Aragon chose to cover several songs written by composers with whom they share a deep affinity. He opens the album with “River’s Invitation” by Percy Mayfield, a bluesy tune where the singer sits on the bank of a river, telling the muddy currents of his despair over a departed lover. “I Wonder” is a beautiful ballad by Cecil Gant, a blues singer who died at a young age but was a major influence on the early development of rock ‘n’ roll. "Am I Blue," written by Harry Akst and Grant Clarke in 1929 has been recorded by many artists and has been used in dozens of movies. Here Saunders updates it by changing the song’s form and re-imagining the intro. “Life is a Struggle” was written in 1960 by Chris Kenner, whose songs were covered by the top rock and blues groups throughout the 1960s. “Lullaby of the Leaves” is a 1932 jazz standard by Bernice Petkere with lyrics by Joe Young. "I Don't Need No Doctor" is an R&B song written by Ashford & Simpson in 1966 and made famous by Ray Charles.

Saunders’ early experiences -- the difficulties posed with an earlier broken family and his experiences at war – have shaped his musical persona. His singing, cornet/trumpet playing, and composing on DANCING WITH THE WIDOW ST. JAMES exude the soulfulness of an artist who has absorbed life’s tough lessons but has transformed them into the joy and solace that making music affords.

1. RIVER’S INVITATION

2. BIG MAN

3. BUTTERFLIES AND CHICKEN WINGS

4. I WONDER

5. AM I BLUE?

6. LIGHTING AND A FEATHER

7. DANCING WITH THE WIDOW ST. JAMES

8. LOW TIDE RISING ON A DEVIL WIND

9. LIFE IS A STRUGGLE

10. I DON’T NEED NO DOCTOR

11. LULLABY OF THE LEAVES

CHRIS SAUNDERS vocals, cornet & flugelhorn

KEN COOK piano, organ

ROB FORDYCE electric bass

MICHAEL ARAGON drums

LUIS CARBO percussion

All songs composed by CHRIS SAUNDERS & KEN COOK except

“Rivers Invitation” by Percy Mayfield; “I Wonder” by Cecil Gant;

“I Don’t Need No Doctor” by Armstead/Ashford/Simpson; “Am I Blue“ by Akst/Clarke; “Life is a Struggle” by Kenner/Douglas; “Lullaby of the Leaves by Petkere/Young

Arranged & Produced by KEN COOK, CHRIS SAUNDERS, and MICHAEL ARAGON

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Wojciech Jachna - Conception (June 2021)

CONCEPTION is my second solo album for trumpet, cornet and electronic effects.

"This time it was recorded in the place where I practice and work - at Jarek Hejmann's in MADZONGA Rec. in Bydgoszcz. It was about the feeling of constancy and the effect of lack of tension during the recording. This time I reached for the arsenal of electronic effects, which have accompanied me for a long time - they are a kind of "prosthesis", but also help me in finding a wider perspective in playing and sound exploration.

I like effects, of course in the form of picks, since I started playing the guitar I like to use them and expand my palette of colors. Although the album was recorded in February 2020, and the mixing and working on the album moved to the "pandemic" period, I think that I would also record such an album in "normal" times. Although probably the track titles could be different. References to Dub, Ambient or what I hope you can't call it, is a normal course of things - these fascinations have always been present in my music.

Mastering was done by Marcin Bociński, and he shared with me his personal advice on how this music could look better. Sonically, as usual, he left his mark on the music. I wish you an enjoyable listening experience!"

1. Solo Interludium 02:24

2. Dark Tunnel 04:53

3. Loneliness in the City 03:39

4. This is the End 01:52

5. Repetitive or Not 03:44

6. Repetitive or Not, part 2 00:49

7. Singing Bird 02:52

8. Flying Over the Water 01:49

9. In the Jungle of Sounds 03:13

10. The One Hearing Voices 02:08

11. In the Canyon 01:23

12. Before Time 01:42

13. Out of Time 01:35

14. The Last Movie 02:05

15. Slowly but Persistently 01:34

16. From far Away 01:49

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