NEC faculty and alums receive 2021 Jazz Road Creative Residencies Grants

Three NEC faculty members and two alums receive 

2021 Jazz Road Creative Residencies Grants

 

Faculty members Mehmet Ali Sanlıkol, Jason Moran and Nasheet Waits, 

and alumni Jamie Branch and Felipe Salles earn transformative grants  

 

New England Conservatory faculty members Mehmet Ali Sanlıkol, Jason Moran and Nasheet Waits andalumni Jamie Branch and Felipe Salles have each been awarded 2021 Jazz Road Creative Residencies Grants of up to $40,000 from South Arts. 

These grants are part of Jazz Road’s largest investment in the field to date as part of a national initiative supporting jazz artists. Through Jazz Road Creative Residencies, 52 artists are receiving grants of up to $40,000 each, allowing them the opportunity to further explore their art form and work. Projects supported through Jazz Road Creative Residencies range from the creation of new works to community-driven collaborative events. The recipients are a broad representation of the national field. Recipients come from every region of the country, and work within multi-faceted jazz/improvisation genres.

Mehmet Ali Sanlıkol – faculty member, Music History and Musicology; Intercultural Institute

This major grant will allow Sanlıkol–a jazz pianist, multi-instrumentalist, singer, scholar and educator–to create and record new compositions for jazz orchestra. His 19-piece Whatsnext? Ensemble will include guest saxophonist and fellow NEC faculty member Miguel Zenón, clarinetist Anat Cohen, and percussionist Antonio Sanchez, among others. Sanlıkol’s new work will fuse Western jazz and Middle Eastern music (Turkish modes, microtones, rhythms) and draw on Muslim and Sufi literary and spiritual sources.  

Nasheet Waits – faculty member, Jazz Studies

Drummer Nasheet Waits and WeUpReUp (Waits, Eric Revis and JD Allen) is a manifesto/forum to promote Black music to Black students/young adults. Project director Maya Cunningham of DuBois Black Music Project at UMass Amherst and artists will partner in the South with North Carolina Central University’s Jazz Studies Department; visit Jackson Mississippi Tourism; Godbolt Consultants; Tougaloo College; and Jackson State University. Offerings include master classes and two Black Music Symposiums on African American identity in jazz and the music/activism of master Max Roach. The band will perform at the Jackson Visitors Center and the Mississippi Museum of Art.

 

Jason Moran – faculty member, Jazz Studies

Moran’s composition will tie together multi-disciplinary components to re-create and premiere the lost Martha Graham piece, "Canticle." In partnership with the Nazarian Center for the Performing Arts, Moran and the Martha Graham Dance Company will collaborate with noted choreographers exploring street dance and dance rooted in Afro-Caribbean, Taiwanese and Lebanese perspectives. The work will premiere at The Soraya in March 2022. Moran is on the faculty of NEC’s Jazz Studies department.

 

Felipe Salles – Alumnus, '97 MM, '98 GD Jazz Studies   

 

Salles and his Interconnections Ensemble will collaborate with eight guest composers including Paquito D'Rivera, Yosvany Terry and Melissa Aldana to rehearse and record new work exploring immigration.

 

Jamie Branch – Alumna, ’05 BM Jazz Studies

 

FLY OR DIE's jamie branch (with cellist, Lester St. Louis; bassist, Jason Ajemian; and drummer, Chad Taylor) will develop new music and visual work that is directly related to Red Hook, Brooklyn. Outdoor rehearsals, open studios and concerts will occur with partners, 360 Record Shop, Erin Basie Pier and the Red Hook Art Project and Houses (NYC Housing Authority). Funds will allow a highly professional recording process to follow which also enables branch's full ownership of the master recordings.

ABOUT NEW ENGLAND CONSERVATORY

New England Conservatory (NEC) is recognized internationally as a leader among music schools, educating and training musicians of all ages from around the world for over 150 years. With 800 music students representing more than 40 countries in the College, and 2,000 youth and adults who study in the Preparatory and Continuing Education divisions, NEC cultivates a diverse, dynamic community for students, providing them with performance opportunities and high-caliber training with internationally esteemed artist-teachers and scholars. NEC’s alumni, faculty and students touch nearly every aspect of musical life in the region; NEC is a major engine of the vital activity that makes Boston a musical and cultural capital.  

 

ABOUT JAZZ ROAD

Jazz Road, a national program funded by the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation with additional support from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, is led by South Arts in partnership with the five other U.S. Regional Arts Organizations (Arts Midwest, Mid-America Arts Alliance, Mid Atlantic Arts, New England Foundation for the Arts, and Western Arts Alliance/WESTAF). Jazz Road Creative Residencies is the third grant opportunity in this initiative, adding to the ongoing Jazz Road Tours grants and previous COVID-19 relief grants from the Jazz Road Quick Assist Fund. To learn more about Jazz Road and read about  Jazz Road Creative Residencies recipients and their projects, visit www.southarts.org.

necmusic.edu

Luke Stewart - Works For Upright Bass and Amplifier Vol. 2 (February 2, 2022 Astral Spirits)

THIS ALBUM OFFICIALLY IS OUT 2/25/2022...we can only have the pre-order up 90 days prior via Facebook so you'll notice the release date change as we get closer. THANKS FOR UNDERSTANDING!

In Indian musical theory it is said that there are two kinds of sound, one a vibration of ether, the other a vibration of air. The vibration of ether, which cannot be perceived in the physical sense, is considered the principle of all manifestation, the basis of all substance. It corresponds to what neo-Pythagoreans called “music of the spheres”. It forms permanent numerical patterns which are the basis of the world’s existence. The kind of vibration is not caused by a physical shock as are audible sounds. It is therefore called anāhata, “unstruck”. The other kind of sound is an impermanent vibration of air, an image of the ether vibration. It is audible and always produced by a shock. It is therefore called āhata or “struck”. (Alain Daniélou, 1980)

I’d never thought about Luke Stewart in such terms until recently, but I think that scholar Alain Daniélou’s words are a great place to start. When asking our bassist-at-large about how he wanted to approach talking about this new record, he gave a little background, but ultimately wanted the music to speak for itself… and speak it does. 

Works for Upright Bass and Amplifier Volume Two takes the foundation laid down by Volume One and builds a large flame out of it. A sort of regeneration. This beauty is not for the weak listener, afraid of radical change. Nor is it for a casual passerby. Over an hour, this new opus is not only a form of expression regarding where Luke has been but his willingness to examine the nature around him, specifically the relationship between electricity and wood. 

Or, as I like to think of it, a few lovely compositions about a cleansing forest fire. 

After Volume One, Luke advanced his techniques and recording processes through his work with several artists. Traveling and watching an array of disciplines being harnessed before his eyes led him to redeveloping his approach to training his bull fiddle to play nicely in the sandbox with a few power sources. Luke says of forming his concept that “it is the main influence for the process by which the sound is generated on this setup, but using the bass as well as the crucial element of movement. Literally moving the bass back and forth, creating an effect of movement, is necessary to make the process musical.”

Another technical observation regarding Volume Two falls someplace between the opening quote and a conversation on our mutual love for classic-era Hip-Hop production. The chopping function on the Akai MPC allows the user to take any sound and separate the impact from its sustain… or aftermath. Having tinkered on the machine for many years, I always found it fascinating to hold onto the ghosts of notes, as opposed to repeating the point of attack where they are first heard. Luke gives many examples of this through the record. Not only does his creation of the sound resonate, but the actual soul of the notes often lingers in the air like an audience listening to themselves. 

A simple pluck of one, or several, strings reverberates between, at times, two amplifiers placed in varying positions around our bassist. These placements allow Luke to not only focus on his contact with the wood, but also the wood's relation to the electricity. Hand strikes a match, causing flame. Then flame touches the tree. Spreading and cleansing the area. It is ultimately a process of universal creation right before the ears. There aren’t too many spaces left where a brother can go into a place quietly and create his own universe. 

Gabriel Jermaine Vanlandingham-Dunn, 2021 

1. 01

2. 02

3. 03

4. 04

5. 05

6. 06

7. 07

8. 08

My Hope is for the Listener to discover a connection within themselves.

To inspire deeper personal development, and radical change when needed.

These pieces contained on this album are documents of various approaches to the setup, intended to further explore the developments of the Sound.

Each Work is an exhibition of the intersection of acoustic and electronic Music, the intersection of the elements in the natural world.

Track 1 - Upright Bass and 2 Amplifiers

Track 2 - Upright Bass and Amplifier

Track 3 - Upright Bass and Amplifier and NO-INPUT Mixing Board

All Subsequent Tracks - Upright Bass and Amplifier

Recorded by Craig Bowen, Mattson Ogg, and Luke Stewart

Performed Live no Overdubs by Luke Stewart

Mixed and Edited by Craig Bowen and Luke Stewart

Mastered for Vinyl by Mikey Young

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Luke Stewart - Works For Upright Bass and Amplifier Vol. I (November 2021 Astral Spirits)

1. Works For Upright Bass and Amplifier Pt I 15:00

2. Works For Upright Bass and Amplifier Pt II 14:49

3. Works For Upright Bass and Amplifier Pt III 16:18

4. Works For Upright Bass and Amplifier Pt IV 12:05

LUKE STEWART plays Upright Bass and Amplifier

Recorded by Mattson Ogg

Mastered for Vinyl by Mikey Young

Liner Notes by Gabriel Jermaine Vanlandingham-Dunn

Film Stills by Pat Cain

Design & layout by Dylan Marcus McConnell

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Michael Larocca Quintet - Michael Larocca Quintet (December 1, 2021 Guardrail Recordings)

Michael Larocca plays drumset, percussion, electronics, and also composes both acoustic and electroacoustic music. His compositional and improvisational styles are influenced by a wide variety of sources. He's also a painter. He’s currently located in CT, but he also plays in NYC.

1. Suite: One Flight Up, One Flight Down / AAA (Triple A) / Lament

2. 5x3

3. Communal Ice Cream (Improvisation)

4. Particle Smasher

Kaelen Ghandhi - Tenor and soprano saxophones

Jonathan Milberger - Tenor and alto saxophones

Aaron Rubinstein - Electric guitar

Caleb Duval - Acoustic and electric basses

Michael Larocca - Drum set

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Matthew Shipp -Codebreaker (November 5, 2021 AUM Fidelity)

Matthew Shipp takes an introspective turn on his latest solo piano album, continuing to discover new territory for his singular cosmic pianism. Codebreaker encrypts rich harmonies, cloud-like clusters, and the unlikely confluence of Bill Evans and Bud Powell.

Within the voluminous catalogue that pianist Matthew Shipp has created over the last three and a half decades, his solo piano work has charted a unique and compelling pathway for the evolution of the instrument’s vocabulary. On his latest album, that path finds Shipp in an uncharacteristically meditative state of mind. Though the language is unmistakably his own, the usual attacks, dense clusters and insistent circularity are more often replaced by harmonic nebulae that luxuriate in the mysterious resonances which Shipp conjures from the keyboard.

“I was actually shocked at how introspective the album was when I listened back to it,” Shipp admits. “If I try to dissect my motivations, which are not always conscious and which just happen on their own, I see myself really basking in harmony. I'm interested in trying to wring all of the harmonics from the piano that I possibly can, and with that in mind, any set of harmonics has a set of melodic fragments that are implied.”

Given that investigative impulse, Shipp himself could be viewed as the Codebreaker of the album’s evocative title. There’s a wry humor to the name, as Shipp imagines a parallel between a World War II secret agent doggedly racing to crack an enemy cypher and himself sitting at the piano, puzzling over the music’s infinite enigmas. But the idea seems profoundly serious when considering the singular sonic vernacular he’s coined, making him one of the most distinctive pianists of his generation.

Shipp concedes that his recent landmark birthday may have something to do with the more introspective bent of the new album (“60’s not old, but it's definitely not young,” he jokes), but it also continues a career-long investigation into the ways that his subversive approach to the piano connects with the instrument’s storied lineage. While the likes of Cecil Taylor and Sun Ra have been constant touchstones in critical writings on his work, one name that emerges when listening to Codebreaker, perhaps for the first time in Shipp’s discography, is that of Bill Evans.

“It's very abstract and I don't know if listeners will hear it, but I hear a line in my playing that's trying to get into the trajectory that links Bud Powell's piano playing to Bill Evans,” Shipp says. “That's not a line you usually draw, but essentially Bill Evans is a Bud Powell-influenced pianist. All people who push notes down on the piano share a language, even though they’re all extremely different. I’m trying to dip into that collective mind, but at the same time it's filtered through me and is distinctly my thing. So it’s playing with the dichotomy between the universal and the personal in the context of this pyramid where Bud Powell, Bill Evans and, myself somehow, fit together in a modern way.”

by Glen Tollington

1. Codebreaker 04:40

2. Spiderweb 05:12

3. Disc 03:43

4. Code Swing 04:47

5. Letter From the Galaxy 04:56

6. Green Man 03:40

7. Raygun 04:02

8. Suspended 02:19

9. Mystic Motion 03:49

10. Stomp To the Galaxy 03:45

11. The Tunnel 03:27

Matthew Shipp: piano

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Henry Kaiser / John Oswald / Paul Plimley - At One Time (November 2021)

The three leaders, on AT ONE TIME, Henry Kaiser, John Oswald, and Paul Plimley, have all worked with Cecil Taylor, both in performance and in workshops. Here, they share their love of the late master Taylor’s music with a celebration of language and narrative strategies that were discovered/pioneered by the great piano maestro. Two special guests join them to make quartets on two tracks. Scott Amendola joins in on drums and Tracy Sliverman brings his 6-string electric fiddle to the party. Unusually, pianist Paul Plimley chose to entire play vibes on this album. Oswald plays alto sax, as is usual. Kaiser plays electric and acoustic guitars + electric bass. Kaiser, Oswald, and Plimley have been collaborating together for well more than 40 years; this project is also a celebration of their friendship and love of improvising together, recorded during tough COVID times.

“The first piece, ‘anagram ritz rewarding,’ has a calm vibe at the center although there is some strong, intense, circular interplay. Things pick up becoming more intense on ‘oceans felons salad’ when Mr. Kaiser switches to his signature electric guitar w/ that bent-tone/sustained/psych-like sound. Mr. Plimley is a thoughtful vibes player, often taking his time to counter-balance the more frenzied extrapolations by Kaiser and Oswald. Mr. Kaiser and Mr. Oswald have obviously worked together for many years as we can hear them connecting on different levels no matter how far out they go. John Oswald, who is a longtime member CCMC (with Michael Snow) and is also known as ‘Plunderphonics’, is a great free saxist who rarely seems to record.

Oswald is in extremely fine form here and is digging deeply into diverse vocabulary. There are some great moments of hair-raising intensity when all three players let go and push things into the stratosphere. On the final piece, the trio are joined by ace drummer Scott Amendola who adds a strong percussive undertow while Mr. Kaiser appears to be playing some impressive electric bass. Things really take off here especially the frenzied vibes-work by Paul Plimley. This entire disc is a powerful concoction of focused free/spirit music at its best.” - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG 

1. Anagram Ritz Rewording 04:17

2. Oceans Felons Salad (feat. Tracy Silverman) 26:43

3. Targeted for Who 01:48

4. Loon 09:29

5. Net So 01:05

6. Fir Loom (feat. Scott Amendola) 17:52

Henry Kaiser - Guitar

John Oswald - Alto Sax

Paul Plimley - Vibes

Scott Amendola - Drums on Fir Loom

Tracy Silverman - 6-String Fiddle on Oceans Felons Salad

Art Direction - John Oswald and Brandy Gale

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Gregory Porter - Still Rising / The Collection (November 2021 Blue Note)

Gregory Porter’s upcoming brand new Greatest Hits double album. This will be the first EVER hits collection from the seven-time Grammy nominated, two-time Grammy winner, celebrating Gregory Porter’s decade of success with his best songs from 2010 to 2021, multiple brand new songs, bonus material, and new recordings of his much-loved global hits.

CD1

1 Hey Laura

2 Liquid Spirit

3 Revival

4 Illusion

5 1960 What?

6 L.O.V.E

7 Holding On

8 Concorde

9 If Love Is Overrated

10 I Will

11 Real Good Hands

12 My Babe

13 Bad Girl Love

14 No Love Dying

15 Why Does My Heart Feel So Bad? (Moby Cover)

16 Dry Bone

17 Love Runs Deeper

18 It’s Probably Me (Sting Cover)

CD2

1 Natural Blues (with Moby & Amythyst Kiah)

2 Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood (with Jamie Cullum

3 Raining in My Heart (with Buddy Holly)

4 People Will Say We’re in Love (with Ella Fitzgerald)

5 GrandMas’ Hands (with Ben L’Oncle Soul)

6 Christmas Prayer (with Paloma Faith)

7 Insanity (with Lalah Hathaway)

8 Make Someone Happy (with Jeff Goldblum)

9 Fly Me To The Moon (with Julie London)

10 Satiated (with Dianne Reeves)

11 Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas (with Renée Fleming)

12 The Girl From Ipanema (with Nat King Cole)

13 Water Under Bridges (with Laura Mvula)

14 Right Where you are (with Lizz Wright)

15 Heart and Soul - (with Yo-Yo Ma & The Silkroad Ensemble ,Lisa Fischer)

16 Making Love (with Trijntje Oosterhuis)

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Shane Simpson - My Digital Wife (November 2021)

Shane Simpson is a pianist and keyboardist of jazz and experimental music. He lives in Brooklyn, NY where he teaches piano, composition, improvisation, music theory, ear training, and sight-singing.

1. Lunchtime 02:10

2. Josquin Remix 01:38

3. Shwrists 03:08

4. Into the Bitter Duration 03:57

5. Ice Tower Forest 02:12

6. Josquin Piano 02:39

7. Ghost of Gravy 03:40

8. Marcy 01:11

9. King Arthur 04:55

Shane Simpson, piano

All music by Shane Simpson except tracks 2 and 6 which come from an excerpt from Nymphes des Bois, written in 1497 by Josquin des Prez after the death of his teacher Johannes Ockeghem

Track 9 features a chord progression originally composed by Henry Purcell in 1691

All performances and production by pianist Shane Simpson

Cover Photo by Travis Bliss

Recorded on February 7, 2021 at Pulse Music in New York, NY

Engineered by Robin Buyer

Mixed by Shane Simpson and Jonathan Starks

Mastered by Jonathan Starks

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Noci Saxophone Pool - Noci Saxophone Pool (November 2021 Niafunken)

1. Il Vento Del Disgelo 04:50

2. L'Albero Della Guerra 12:20

3. Esercizio Provvisorio #1 02:50

4. Esercizio Provvisorio #2 03:34

5. Vermi 03:25

6. 30 Settembre 05:17

7. Celicoli Sfrattati 04:23

Noci Saxophone Pool:

- Marco Colonna (sax baritono, sax sopranino)

- Gianni Console (sax alto, sax baritono, tubo in ottone, mega chup in plastica, elettronica)

- Vittorino Curci (sax alto, sax tenore, tubo, testi e voce)

- Francesco Massaro (sax baritono, clarinetto basso, elettronica)

Registrato e mixato presso Officina Musicale, Castellana Grotte (Ba) da Giuseppe Mariani

Tutti i brani composti da Colonna/Console/Curci/Massaro

Edizioni New Model Label

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Ausecuma Beats - Musso (November 2021)

When you mix Guinea, Mali, Senegal, Cuba and Australia, you find yourself with many cultures. We represent Africa, sure, but also we represent diversity. That is the essence of Ausecuma Beats. We want to come together, to bring all people together to share the knowledge of what we have learnt.

We all see the hard work that lies ahead in the future. It’s not easy, and we all have different ways of thinking. But there is also something we all share, and that is humanity, and family. We have to teach our children, to help them on their journey.

This album can be defined by the song Tombo. It’s about giving respect to your teacher. All the knowledge we bring to this album has come from someone who in their turn gave it to us. If you like the music, you hear it, you dance, great! But remember, someone created this, they gave it to us, and now Ausecuma Beats are giving it to you. So we dedicate this album to our teachers.

The name of this album is Musso; it means woman. We want to dedicate this album to those who gave us life. It doesn’t matter how strong we are, how tough we are, or how lucky we are in the chances we have been given. There is always someone who is worrying about us; there is no-one who can be thinking about us more than our own mother. So this album especially is dedicated to the women in our lives, and is sending respect to all women around the world.

- Boubacar Gaye, Melbourne

1. Sallier 04:46

2. Bala (feat. Horatio Luna) 04:07

3. Dream Come To Me 05:39

4. One More Time 03:45

5. Life is a Mystery 06:52

6. Mozambique 05:27

7. Tombo 04:18

8. Yarra 05:04

Luke Koszański - guitar, piano on 2 + 3

Horatio Luna - bass on 2

Amadou Suso - kora on 5

All songs written or arranged by Boubacar Gaye & Ausecuma Beats, under exclusive license to Music in Exile.

Ausecuma Beats are Boubacar Gaye, Mohamed Camara, Rodolfo ‘Panga’ Hechavarria, Bassidi Koné, Will Larsen, James Jablonka, Evan Tweedie and Byron Goodwin.

Luke Koszański - guitar, piano on 2 + 3

Horatio Luna - bass on 2

Amadou Suso - kora on 5

Tracks 1, 4, 6, 7 + 8 recorded, mixed and mastered by John Lee at Phaedra Studios, Coburg, during 2020-21.

Tracks 2, 3 + 5 recorded by Enrico Fattori and James Mannix at Gavin Gray’s Piano World, Reservoir, 2020. Mixed and mastered by John Lee at Phaedra Studios.

Front cover painting by Natalie Cassar, used with kind permission of the artist.

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I Just Came From The Moon - Ånd Ud (November 8, 2021 April Records)

Ånd Ud is the second album from Danish jazzers I Just Came from the Moon. Following years of touring both nationally and internationally, the album is a natural follow up to the debut album ‘Hoax’, but also a more general reflection on growing up and settling down.

As Frederik, bass-player and bandleader puts it: “For us, all the songs on Ånd Ud navigate a world of both deep melancholy and natural beauty. There’s a lot of saying goodbye to your carefree youth in the music, mixed with a profound serenity when realizing that what lies ahead might be even better.”

The music was recorded in a tiny vacation home on the small island of Fur in Jutland. Just the band and one technician for a couple of extended weekends. Later, IJCFTM produced and mixed most of the music themselves. “We tried a few producers - and were super fortunate to have Stephen Koszler do the mix of ‘White’ (the first single) - but in the end, it felt the most natural to finalize the rest of the music ourselves. The songs are really personal, and we were absolutely sure how we needed them to sound.” says Tobias, who plays drums and ended up mixing most of the music.

The album will be released on the legendary and newly resurrected Danish jazz-label ‘April Records’ on February 25th, 2022, with three singles leading up to the release: Brothers (5th of November 2021), Dark Latin (10th of December 2021) and White (14th of January 2022).

1. White 04:26

2. Utke 03:21

3. Fossils 04:01

4. Dark Latin 04:53

5. Ånd ud 02:36

6. Mexico 05:02

7. Incendies 04:13

8. Brothers 04:08

9. Snowman 05:17

Recorded on the island of Fur in Limfjorden, Denmark

Jonas Scheffler - Trumpet

Nis Myrtue - Saxophone & Clarinets

Nikolaj Bugge - Guitar

Frederik Hagner - Bass

Tobias Andreassen - Drums

Produced and mixed by Tobias Andreassen, Stephen Koszler (White) & IJCFTM

Recorded by Esben Inglev / Penguin Productions

Mastered by Emil Thomsen / ET Mastering

Artwork by Josefine Sund

Photos by Peder Lyngsø

Cover design by Enrico Andreis

Liner Notes by Ned Ferm

All music composed and performed by I JUST CAME FROM THE MOON

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Satoko Fujii - Hajimeru (November 2021)

1. Hajimeru 13:03

2. Ayumu 06:01

3. Sarani 02:59

4. Sanpo 06:58

Satoko Fujii - piano

Recorded by Satoko Fujii

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Jonathan Reisin / Shinya Lin / Evan Palmer / Makoto Ishizaka / Yonatan Tagger - SUMMER 21' (November 2021))

1. Ida Lupino 09:17

2. Street Women 07:15

3. King Korn 08:56

4. San Francisco Holiday 08:10

5. Kathelin Gray 08:00

6. Una Muy Bonita 07:12

Composition by Carla Bley:

Ida Lupino, King Korn

Composition by Ornette Coleman:

Street Women, Kathelie Gray, Una Muy Bonita

Composition by Thelonious Monk:

San Francisco Holiday

Sax - Jonathan Reisin

Piano - Shinya Lin

Bass - Evan Palmer (track 1/2/3/6)

Makoto Ishizaka (track 4/5)

Drums - Yonatan Tagger

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Pangpang - The Big Rip (November 10, 2021 Smia Records)

Pangpang's second album 'The Big Rip' picks up where the 2018 release 'Kiss Kiss Pangpang' left off, with the Norwegian jazz power trio embarking on further explorations to the extremes of the dynamic spectrum.

1. The Big Rip 08:36

2. Miniature 1 01:05

3. Freedom Passion Spiral Dance 04:35

4. Miniature 2 01:23

5. Nuclear submarines in the sky 05:14

6. Old Beginnings 06:54

7. New Ends 02:48

8. Epilogue (25/03) 02:25

Sander Eriksen Nordahl – guitar

Håkon Norby Bjørgo – upright bass

Ivar Myrset Asheim – drums

All compositions by Håkon Norby Bjørgo. Recorded January 7th and 8th 2021 by Magnus Skavhaug Nergaard at Flerbruket, Hemnes, Norway. Mixed February and March 2021 by Christian Obermayer, and mastered March 2021 by Christian Obermayer at Strype Audio, Oslo, Norway. Produced by Pangpang and Christian Obermayer. Artwork and design by Maria Alzamora.

This recording was partly funded by Creo and Norsk Jazzforum.

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Paul Wertico | John Helliwell Project featuring Raimondo Meli Lupi & Gianmarco Scaglia - The Bari Session (November 2021 Challenge Records)

I can’t begin to adequately express how excited I am to have our first official studio recording, THE BARI SESSION, finally released! Ever since the very first time John, Raimondo, Gianmarco and I played together back in 2008, I’ve loved this band and knew we had that “special chemistry” that truly makes a band: A BAND.

However, since then, our only release thus far has been a double-CD entitled LIVE UNDER ITALIAN SKIES that features performances from two live concerts in 2008 & 2012. Due to our extremely busy individual schedules, and the fact that the four of us live in three different countries on two different continents, we’ve never quite found the ideal time and opportunity to actually go into a recording studio to officially document our band’s sound, its chemistry, and some of the songs that have become part of our standard repertoire in live concerts.

Well, THE BARI SESSION has now arrived and it beautifully showcases all of those things (as well as some new compositions), because in August of 2019 we were able to find a small window of time to go in and record in a fantastic studio in Bari with a first-rate engineer during one of our Italian tours. I believe the result speaks for itself. We also had a really wonderful experience making this recording and the music just seemed to “play itself,” which is always a great sign that the music is “ready” and “cooked to perfection,” just like the best Italian dishes! Godetevi un buon ascolto!

Paul Wertico

In 2019, I was working on my album “Ever Open Door” with Andy Scott, the arranger and composer. We decided to co-write a tune. Originally, the album’s title was to have been “When I Was Young” which is the first line of the lyrics from the Supertramp song “The Logical Song”.

The next line in that song is “…It Seemed That Life Was So Wonderful” — so as it represents my general outlook on life, it felt like an appropriate title for a new tune. Very shortly afterwards, I toured Italy with Paul, Raimondo and Gianmarco where we included this tune in our performances.

I am honoured that it was included in our MAST Studio session in Bari during this tour.

John Helliwell

 

A fundamental aspect of this recording session in Bari was to put at the service of every musician each one's musical personality.

I can assert that we strongly listened to each other, taking ideas from each other, forming a sound path of interplay and dynamics that fluctuate from Raimondo’s mainstream rock excursions (as I define them), to Paul's dynamic grooves and John's melodies.

“Good the first take!” has been an essential element of the whole project.

Gianmarco Scaglia

A “dream that comes true” is what comes to mind when I think about The Bari Session.

Having the chance to record with some of the most influential musicians of my life has not only been a great honour, but one of those “once in a lifetime” situations that you almost do not believe could happen to you! Since the quartet started collaborating in 2008, it has been a magical chemistry, even if we do not get the chance to play often. It is chemistry on both musicianship and human levels. I think the listener can realize that magic in the grooves of this recording, which came to life in a day-off during our short tour in Italy in the summer of 2019. All tracks are the first take and we recorded all in one day at MAST Music Academy Recording Studio in Bari with excellent sound engineer Massimo Stano. For the recording session, we used an analog mixing console, the SSL 4048 G SERIES, which is an iconic studio classic. The session was then mixed at Fonoprint Studios in Bologna on another iconic analog board: the SSL 4064 G SERIES. Even more iconic is the mixing engineer Maurizio Biancani: his talent, knowledge and musical taste have been essential to the project. I am very proud of this work and I consider it to be one of the highlights of my career, both as a musician and a producer.

Raimondo Meli Lupi

1 Circular Motion 07:00

2 Toms for Talia 03:11

3 Cowboys & Africans 05:13

4 It Seemed That Life Was So Beautiful 07:43

5 Train Bossa 09:15

6 What Would the World Be 04:58

7 Tuning Song 07:14

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Matthias Lindermayr Trio - Triptych (November 2021 Squama Recordings)

Known for his soothing trumpet work in German jazz group Fazer, Matthias Lindermayr is back on Squama with an all-new trio and his third album ‘Triptych’.

With Philipp Schiepek on acoustic guitar and Simon Popp on percussion, the Munich-based musician created a forward-thinking record between jazz and contemporary classical, conceptually bold and utterly beautiful.

‘Triptych’ is a thrillingly quiet record.

While the album’s predecessor ‘Newborn’ (2018) featured a quintet, the rather unusual trio line-up on ‘Triptych’ gave Matthias more room to share the nuances of his playing.

His compositions, most written especially for this group, are of a noble simplicity allowing the musicians to focus more on interaction and sound.

1. Sanctuary

2. Triptych

3. Lola

4. Simmering

5. February 19th

6. First Steps

7. A Long Day Out

8. Farewell

Matthias Lindermayr, trumpet

Philipp Schiepek, acoustic guitar

Simon Popp, percussion

Recorded by Jan Krause at Mastermix Studio, Munich

Mixed and Produced by Martin Brugger

Stem Mixing by Mario Thaler

Mastered by Christoph Stickel at CS Mastering

Photography and Design by Maximilian Schachtner at Daily Dialogue

(c)+(p) 2021 Squama

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ZOiD - Oldzoidjazz (November 2021)

ZOiD grew up in Dublin in the 90s listening to techno and jazz. He started making techno, but then he decided to learn jazz so he did that and nearly got sucked in to a level 19 jazz black hole, but with a strong effort he escaped and returned to the land of electronic reptillion dancebeats with only the shadow of a trumpet's sax to remember the memory of a time when jazzmen blue horns.

1. Peaceful Dreamings 06:01

2. RE: Squonk Mare + Shupe 07:52

3. Beam 03:00

4. Channel Two 04:35

Guitar: ZOiD

OLDSQUARELINES, featuring some savage musicians:

Piano: Greg Felton

Saxophone: Sean MacErlaine

Bass: David Redmond

Drums: Sean Carpio

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Jeremy Monteiro & Alberto Marsico - JAZZ-BLUES BROTHERS (JazzNote Records)

ON HIS 46TH RELEASE, PROLIFIC SINGAPORE PIANIST JEREMY MONTEIRO TEAMS WITH RENOWNED B3 MASTER ALBERTO MARSICO

JAZZ-BLUES BROTHERS

FROM JAZZNOTE RECORDS

There is no doubt that jazz is one of the greatest cultural exports to come from the United States. It has found enthusiasts on every continent, even in Antarctica where International Jazz Day has been celebrated at McMurdo Station. Singapore-based pianist, organist, composer, and arranger JEREMY MONTEIRO is surely one of the most prolific jazz recording artists on any continent. He is now releasing JAZZ-BLUES BROTHERS, his 46th album as leader. For this latest release, Monteiro has teamed up with co-leader ALBERTO MARSICO, one of the most renowned B3 players in Europe.

JAZZ-BLUES BROTHERS was originally released in every country of the world except in North America in 2014 on the Verve label. Monteiro is now releasing it in North America on the Jazznote label with three new tracks.

Monteiro has been called "Singapore's King of Swing." The Straits Times has said, “Monteiro's eclectic and international style, drawing from disparate inspirations, put Singaporean jazz into the global spotlight.” Marsico is very popular in Europe and Asia. He has released 11 CDs as a leader. Joey DeFrancesco says, “The gentleman that you are listening to here on this particular recording is one of my very favorite organists. Alberto Marsico is a fantastic jazz organist.” JAZZ-BLUES BROTHERS comprises three compositions penned by Monteiro, five by Marsico, and one co-written and made famous by Etta James.

The compositions on JAZZ-BLUES BROTHERS blends swing, soul, blues, and pop, creating an appealing, funky atmosphere performed by an eclectic group of international musicians, including sax player SHAWN LETTS, a native Oklahoman who has lived in Singapore for many years, guitarist EUGENE PAO, a Hong Kong native who has worked with top artists like Chick Corea, Herbie Hancock, and McCoy Tyner, to name just a few, and drummer SHAWN KELLEY, a native of Syracuse, NY, who has lived in Southeast Asia for many years and who has toured, recorded and performed with a artists such as Ernie Watts, James Moody and Eric Marienthal. Each of these musicians are at the top of their game. Vocalist MIZ DEE LONGWOOD hails from Berkeley, CA, and now a resident of Oakland, sings the blues on “I’d Rather Go Blind” and “I’d Rather Drink Muddy Water.”

Monteiro first met Marsico several years ago when the organist was performing in Singapore but could not find a Hammond B3 anywhere on the island. He knew Monteiro by reputation and asked for his help. The two have been friends ever since.

Monteiro is the master of feel-good jazz tunes, and Marsico is certainly a kindred spirit. They open the album with Marsico’s tune “Opening Act,” a swinging, toe-tapping number about which Monteiro says, “I thought this would be a good tune to open the album, because it really lets people know what the band is all about.” “Olympia” is by Monteiro and made its debut on an Ernie Watts album. With tongue in cheek, Monteiro says, “I wrote Olympia after watching the Olympics in Los Angeles live on television. I really wanted to write an anthem for Olympics. No one asked me to, but I wrote this anyway.” The funky tune features a smoking solo by Monteiro.

“I’d Rather Go Blind” and “I’d Rather Drink Muddy Water” were recorded live at the prestigious Elgar Room at the Royal Albert Hall in London. The songs feature Miz Dee Logwood, a great blues singers who is well-known in Northern California but deserves much wider recognition. Monteiro’s tune “Mount Olive” first appeared on Monteiro’s previous album Live at No Black Tie. For JAZZ-BLUES BROTHERS, Monteiro changed the feel from swing to funk. The song’s title refers to the Mount Olive Baptist Church in Washington, D.C., where Monteiro visited while on tour and was enraptured by the music he heard there. “Lou” is Marsico’s bluesy, sexy tribute to Lou Rawls, who was a major influence on him.

Marsico wrote “Jack-Pot” honoring organ great Jack McDuff, who recorded the composition and for which he titled his 1996 album. Marsico wrote “Catastrophy” about the early days of the 21st Century. Each of the musicians takes a solo on this edgy tune that seems to sprint to the finish line. “Wishy Washy” has been part of Marsico’s live repertoire for many years. The song, which is reminiscent of a boogaloo, was recorded remotely during the pandemic with Monteiro in his home studio, Letts in an adjoining studio, Kelley in Thailand, Pao in Hong Kong, and Marsico in Italy.

Monteiro and Marsico prove to be worthy allies in the piano/organ jazz format. JAZZ-BLUES BROTHERS is catchy, soulful, swinging, and injected with a joyfulness that is eminently satisfying.

1. OPENING ACT 7:00

2. OLYMPIA 8:03

3. I’D RATHER DRINK MUDDY WATER 4:07

4. MOUNT OLIVE 6:14

5. LOU 11:47

6. JACK-POT 7:58

7. CATASTROPHY 4:36

8. I’D RATHER GO BLIND 7:45

9. WISHY WASHY 5:02

JEREMY MONTEIRO piano

ALBERTO MARSICO organ

MIZ DEE LONGWOOD vocals (3,8)

SHAWN LETTS tenor saxophone

EUGENE PAO guitar

SHAWN KELLEY drums

Produced by JEREMY MONTEIRO & ALBERTO MARSICO

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7 Virtual Jazz Club’s Contest – Concerts of the winners of the Edition 2020

7 Virtual Jazz Club’s Contest – Live Concerts

The winners of the 5th Edition of the Under 25 and Pros & Amateurs’ categories will play live at the Jazz Club in Ferrara

7 Virtual Jazz Club’s Contest is pleased to announce the concerts of the winners of the 2020 Edition.

The concerts will be held at the jazz club ferrara and will be streamed live on facebook

Tommaso Perazzo Quartet

November 19th 2021- 9 p.m. CEST

Tommaso Perazzo Quartet (Tommaso Perazzo, piano, Ben Fitzpatrick, saxophone; Jort Terwijin double bass,

Giacomo Camilletti, drum) was born in 2018 thanks to the meeting of the four musicians at the Amsterdam

Conservatory. The band won the first Prize in the Under 25 section of 7 Virtual Jazz Club’s Contest 2020

Edition.

NAUSYQA

November 19th- 10:30 p.m. CEST

NAUSIQA is an international band (Portugal, Netherlands,Spain, Italy) which combines jazz sounds with

flamenco, ambient, melodic, , drum ‘n’bass. Their music draws on a wide range of influences: from

contemporary jazz, to the music film, from flamenco to drum ‘n’ bass. The band won the second place in the

Under 25 section of 7 Virtual Jazz Club’s Contest 2020 Edition.

Camila Ronza duo

December 3rd 2021- 9 p.m. CEST

Camila Ronza (voice) and Cato Pamplona (bass) present standards of Brazilian jazz and original arrangements

of choro,samba, bossa nova, and forrò. A true revelation of the 2020 Edition of 7 Virtual Jazz Club Contest,

Camila won the first Prize in the Pros & Amateurs section.

The applications for the 2021 Edition (the Sixth Edition) are open until November 15th

www.7virtualjazzclub.net

ADVANCE: Cecile McLorin Salvant - Ghost Song (March 4, 2022 Nonesuch Records)

1. Wuthering Heights

2. Optimistic Voices / No Love Dying

3. Ghost Song

4. Obligation

5. Until

6. I Lost My Mind

7. Moon Song

8. Trail Mix

9. The World Is Mean

10. Dead Poplar

11. Thunderclouds

12. Unquiet Grave

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