Claudio Scolari Project - Cold Water (December 2021)

Cold Water is the new single track from the Claudio Scolari Project, a preview of the new album that will be out in 2022

The album features Claudio Scolari on drums/synth programming, Daniele Cavalca on drums/live synths/rhodes/piano, Simone Scolari on trumpet and finally Michele Cavalca on electric bass (the new entry of the project who turned the trio into a quartet).

Claudio Scolari: drums, percussion, synth 1

Daniele Cavalca: percussion, trombone, keys, synth 2

Simone Scolari: trumpet

Michele Cavalca: electric bass

All music by Scolari/Cavalca

Produced & mixed by Daniele Cavalca

Artwork by Simone Scolari

Principal Records

Copyright © 2021

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Cold Water

Métier - Please Yourself (December 2021)

Infernal jazz outfit, scattered around the world, unlikely to ever play live

1. Whatever You Do, You Have To Live With It 10:15

2. Lark 05:29

3. Strange Desire 04:43

4. Try To Stop Comrade 05:22

5. Heaven's To Betsy 07:59

6. What's Left of Me 16:08

Virk Mastra - Drums

Teddy Powell - Saxophone

Jessie Dervishi - Basses

Earl Franklin - Guitars

Mada Nasser - Pianos

Mixed in Dolby Atmos by Paul @ Audio Animals

Mastered by Nick @ Audio Animals

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Geoff Mason Quartet - GMQ (December 2021)

GMQ is a new album from the Geoff Mason Quartet and includes tunes from modern jazz masters, Thelonious Monk, John Coltrane and Herbie Hancock.

The recording was made over two days at the JVG studio in Brixton where it was engineered and produced by Dave O'Higgins. All members of the band work regularly with trombonist Geoff Mason; John Horler (Cleo Laine, Matt Ford), Adam King (Ronnie Scott’s, 606 Club) and Winston Clifford (British Jazz Award winner, 2018).

The CD features Geoff's favourite composers and includes pieces not always associated with the trombone, such as Thelonious Monk's “Trinkle Tinkle” and John Coltrane's “26-2”.

To enhance spontaneity the players recorded together in the same room and most of the tracks were first or second takes.

1. 26-2 05:16

2. Tell me a Bedtime Story 04:55

3. Trinkle Tinkle 08:07

4. Beyond All Limits 08:03

5. Well You Needn't 03:53

6. Riot 07:18

7. L'Bop 05:42

Geoff Mason Trombone

John Horler Piano

Adam king Bass

Winston Clifford Drums

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Elmar Krick - Based on (December 2021)

This record was inspired by the first four notes of a Sonny Rollins solo on Almost Like Being in Love. That short musical cell ignited my imagination and made me write a full-fledged tune over the song’s harmonic structure.

By moving beyond this mere contrafactual approach I discovered a much more original compositional style.

Writing music based on hearing the material that is out there on a granular level, digesting it, evolving it, transforming it and integrating it, and thus making it my music and my style gave me the feeling of a profound connection to this art form called Jazz and its masters past and present.

1. Mrs. C.K. - Based on The Source 04:38

2. Farther than the Sun - Based on East of the Sun 05:21

3. Chicory con Karma - Based on Cherokee 04:37

4. Day Gig - Based on the oeuvre of Don Grolnick 09:12

5. Almost Like Beijing in Laim - Based on Almost like Being in Love 04:18

6. The Sweetest Tea - Based on Sugar 06:11

7. My Writing Hour - Based on My Shining Hour 06:06

8. A Year in A Flat - Based on Reflections 06:27

9. I Love Music 04:57

Elmar Krick - ts, bs

Matthias Preissinger - p, rhodes

Peter Cudek - b

Harald Rüschenbaum - dr

Written, arranged and produced by Elmar Krick, except Track 9 which was composed by Hale Smith.

Recorded and mixed by Florian Oestreicher

Mastered by Christoph Stickel

Artist photography by Konstantin Kern

Background photo and artwork by Elmar Krick

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Daniel Ayala - Sugestión (December 2021)

Pianist and composer from Asunción, Paraguay, He lived in the US for many years, where he got his musical education. His style is a mix of jazz subgenres like hard bop, post bop, modal and latin. He also enjoys playing progressive rock and modern solo piano. His biggest influences are Keith Emerson, Keith Jarrett, Kenny Barron, Lyle Mays, Chick Corea and many more. 

1. Sobrellevando 07:11

2. Ethereal Beauty 07:22

3. Sugestión 04:49

4. Choli 05:57

5. Lucha Interna 08:40

6. South Swingin' 07:13

7. A La Deriva 11:44

8. Tarkus 04:50

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Fred Jackson Jr - GENRE (December 2021)

In 2020 I was awarded the “New works, Fresh Voices” grant. This allowed me to give a call to people that I’ve worked with in the past or had some sort of musical relationship with. For instance Dana Hall (Dr.) was a college professor of mine when I went back to school to get my masters of music (2012-14). Joshua Ramos and Corey Wilkes whom I’ve worked with since I moved to Chicago in 2001. I’ve been a member in Dee Alexander and Maggie Brown’s bands in the past. Dee and Maggie always use Miguel Dela Cerna. I totally understand why now. This is why I asked him to play on more tracks. Isaiah Collier is a new friend that I met over at Vincent Davis’ house. Once we played together there was instant chemistry. I wanted to capture some of that. There is another recording coming out of this with different songs and musicians. During the beginning of the pandemic and all through the shut downs, I wrote over 30 songs. It’s like the world slowed down enough for me to actually write out things I hear. Now I can’t stop. Not complaining:)

The themes in these songs are centered around inspirations and dedications. All the songs were inspired by people who have left an impression on me. I call it Genre because the letters spell different words when you switch them around.

“Genre” New Album Concept (2021)

Genre / Erneg / Negre / Regne

Interesting to me… but also a genre is a category of artistic composition. This is how I hear, this is my Genre. I tried to blur the lines and tell a story about Love and Family as I reminisced through 2020 - 2021. There are no lines really, only stories and perspectives.

F. Jackson Jr 

1. Expose' interlude (feat. Isaiah Collier, Dana Hall & Fred Jackson Jr) 01:30

2. Fred Jackson Jr - All Night Long (feat. Dee Alexander) 04:30

3. Retort (Return of The Moors) feat. Corey Wilkes (trumpet) 06:38

4. Hemphill (Blues at 4:20 (feat. Miguel Dela Cerna) 06:06

5. Those Were Days (feat. Maggie Brown) 04:37

6. Put A Sock In It (feat. Dana Hall & Fred Jackson Jr) 04:43

7. Expose' (feat. Isaiah Collier ; Dana Hall ; Joshua Ramos ; Fred Jackson Jr) 05:00

8. All Night Long Interlude (feat. Fred Jackson Jr) 00:52

9. Long Story, Shorter (feat. Fred Jackson Jr) 04:27

10. Dane Dane (feat. Dana Hall ; Joshua Ramos) 05:45

Joshua Ramos (bass)

Dana Hall (drums)

Miguel Dela Cerna appears on all tracks except Expose’

Special guest:

Dee Alexander (vocals)

Maggie Brown (vocals)

Corey Wilkes (trumpet)

Isaiah Collier (tenor sax)

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Ellery Eskelin - From the Archives: Trio New York - Live in Antwerp, 2013 (December 27, 2021)

De Singer, Antwerp, Belgium, 2013

1. Improvisation / Celestial (The Midnight Sun) & Regret (After You've Gone) 27:39

2. Improvisation: Flame (Flamingo) & Happenstance (Just One of these Things) 29:33

3. Improvisation: Coordinates (East of the Sun), Potential (If I Had You) & Monk (We See) 46:09

4. Improvisation: Aspiration (My Ideal) 08:33

Ellery Eskelin - tenor saxophone

Gary Versace - Hammond organ

Gerald Cleaver - drums

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Ellery Eskelin - From the Archives: Trio New York - Live at Cornelia Street Cafe in NYC, 2010 (December 27, 2021)

Cornelia Street Cafe, NYC, 2010

Recorded by Jimmy Katz

1. Improvisation: Monk (Off Minor) & Rumination (Memories of You) 31:56

2. Improvisation: Conjuring (Witchcraft) 31:28

3. Improvisation / Desire (Lover Come Back) & Fortune (Just in Time) 01:06:23

Ellery Eskelin - tenor saxophone

Gary Versace - Hammond organ

Nasheet Waits - drums

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Ellery Eskelin - From the Archives: Trio New York - Live in Montreal, 2012 (December 2021)

Recorded by John Klepko

Suoni per il Popolo Festival in Montreal, June, 2012

1. Improvisation / Regret (After You've Gone) 24:56

2. Improvisation / Monk (We See) 14:12

3. Improvisation / Spirits (Ghost of a Chance) 11:50

4. Improvisation / Aspiration (My Ideal) 09:15

5. Improvisation / Happenstance (Just One of Those Things) 22:07

6. Improvisation / Endless (How Deep is the Ocean) 10:44

7. Improvisation / Flame (Flamingo) 13:59

Ellery Eskelin - tenor saxophone

Gary Versace - Hammond organ

Gerald Cleaver - drums

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Ellery Eskelin - From the Archives: Trio New York - Live in New Haven, 2012 (December 2021)

New Haven, 2012

1. Improvisation / Happenstance (Just One of Those Things) 22:44

2. Improvisation / Aspiration (My Ideal) 18:24

3. Improvisation / Monk (We See) 14:25

4. Improvisation / Watchful (I Cover the Waterfront) 18:12

5. Improvisation / Regret (After You've Gone) 21:54

6. Improvisation / Spirits (Ghost of a Chance) 20:32

Ellery Eskelin - tenor saxophone

Gary Versace - Hammond B3 organ

Gerald Cleaver - drums

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Ellery Eskelin - From the Archives: Trio New York - Live in Switzerland, 2012 (December 2021)

Switzerland, 2012

1. Improvisation / Conjuring (Witchcraft) 23:04

2. Improvisation / Spirits (Ghost of a Chance) 11:45

3. Improvisation / Regret (After You've Gone) 15:57

4. Improvisation / Happenstance (Just One of Those Things) & Aspiration (My Ideal) 36:04

5. Improvisation / Monk (We See) 11:24

6. Improvisation / Watchful (I Cover the Waterfront) 10:09

Ellery Eskelin - tenor saxophone

Gary Versace - Hammond B3 organ

Gerald Cleaver - drums

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Ellery Eskelin - From the Archives: Trio New York - Live at the 55 Bar in NYC, 2010 (December 2021)

These performances are free improvisations. They each involve a sort of meditation on or poetic homage to certain classic 20th century popular and jazz compositions. In this way they function a bit like musical contrafacts, pieces of music historically played by jazz musicians in which the melody of a standard tune is replaced with something new and the existing harmonic form utilized as a vehicle for improvisation. In our case it’s even looser than that. You will hear some quotations and references but each of these long form improvisations might best be thought of as a weather pattern, a mix of conditions in which elements come and go but the overall focus is on the big picture.

The 55 Bar NYC, 2010

1. Introduction 00:35

2. Improvisation / Rumination (Memories of You) & Desire (Lover Come Back) 46:18

3. Improvisation / Blues 11:11

4. Improvisation / Conjuring (Witchcraft) 17:36

5. Improvisation / Time Past (Yesterdays) & Coordinates (East of the Sun) 35:10

Ellery Eskelin - tenor saxophone

Gary Versace - Hammond B3 organ

Ted Poor - drums

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Merry Christmas and Happy New Year 2022!!!

Sumari - Ramsey (December 2021 Unseen Rain Records)

Though mostly known for his time as violinist with Cecil Taylor, Ramsey Ameen was a musician, polymath, computer engineer, mathematician and philosopher. When I learned we lived close by each other we began to drive together to gigs in NYC. Ramsey was well versed in any subject I could bring up, and could discuss deeply for hours. And we did. Bach, Ornette Coleman, Gurdjieff, Blavatsky, geometry, world events, politics, et al. I called him about recording a duo with him on violin and guitarist Dom Minasi. Two days later I learned Ramsey had passed. A shock to say the least, heartbreaking news at the loss of this dear friend and great man. This album, Ramsey, is dedicated to him.

This performance by Sumari at a concert in memory of Ramsey with several ensembles was recorded at Scholes Street Studio in Brooklyn, NY.

The performance was attended by numerous Downtown Music luminaries and is likely the last recording from Sumari, an improvising unit that started as a trio and was later augmented by the presence of double-bass master Hilliard Greene. Sumari recorded 5 previous album for Unseen Rain Records. This album, Ramsey, has three extensive tracks with the last one a surprise blues. - Jack DeSalvo

1. Piece 1 for Ramsey 19:42

2. Piece 2 for Ramsey 13:54

3. Blues for Ramsey 07:28

MATT LAVELLE - Trumpet, Alto & Bass Clarinets

JACK DeSALVO - Guitar

HILLIARD GREENE - Double Bass

TOM CABRERA - Drums

Recorded at Schole Street Studio, Brooklyn, NY by René Allain

Mixed and mastered by Larry Hutter, Orlando, FL

Cover painting by Tom Cabrera, design by Qua's Eye Graphix

Produced by Jack DeSalvo

In memory of Ramsey Ameen (1945-2019)

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Gorm Askjær Secret Safari - First Movement (December 2021 Jaeger Community)

The album First Movement is a musical journey into the near: From the splashing of West Jutland surf waves in Cold Hawaii, past three fantastic fantasy dances and what lurks under the veranda, to a trip into the first 16 bars of a Brahms symphony. For the open mind, every place is a treasure trove of new experiences.

1. First Movement 05:59

2. Something Lurking Under The Front Porch 04:32

3. Secret Safari 05:11

4. Phantasie Gymnopedie 05:07

5. Slow Surfing In Cold Hawaii 05:34

6. In The Dark Of The Light 06:46

7. Three Dances 05:26

Gorm Askjær - guitar and composition

Thomas Sejthen - double bass

Morten Nottelman - drums

Kasper Tranberg - trumpet

Christian Vuust - saxophone

Recorded, mixed and mastered at FinlandStudio by Jacob S. Worm

All compositions by Gorm Askjær

except Phantasìe Gymnopédie (Askjær/Satie)

based on Gymnopédie No. 1 by Erik Satie

Photo (front) by Gorm Askjær

Photo (back) by Hreinn Gudlaugsson

Layout by Simon Gorm Eskildsen

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Peeter Uuskyla / Tellef Øgrim / Anders Berg / Harri Sjöström - Tlaxkon / Soft City / Have a Drink, Have a Drive (December 2021 Simlas produksjoner)

This quartet's music is an oblique and deconstructed but red-hot mix of jazz, rock, and several other styles in between. It's taut and metallic, sprung, flexed and twisted, hitting hard on the recoil.

NOTE ...

This is part of the second set recorded live at Kafé Hærverk, the entire first set has been released as an album on JAZZTRAU

1. Tlaxkon / Soft City / Have a Drink, Have a Drive 15:20

Peeter Uuskyla - drums and bells

Tellef Øgrim - guitar

Anders Berg - bass

Harri Sjöström - soprano and sopranino saxophones

Recorded at Kafé Hærverk, Oslo, 10 October 2021 by Jens Ole Bjerkan.

Edited, mixed and mastered by Anders Berg.

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Peeter Uuskyla / Tellef Øgrim / Anders Berg / Harri Sjöström - A Band Off And On (2021)

This quartet's music is an oblique and deconstructed but red-hot mix of jazz, rock, and several other styles in between. It's taut and metallic, sprung, flexed and twisted, hitting hard on the recoil.

1. Off And On We Go 14:56

2. Why Do You Worry? 06:41

3. Slow Down Ride 05:15

4. Sky Rider 08:06

Peeter Uuskyla - drums and bells

Tellef Øgrim - guitar

Anders Berg - bass

Harri Sjöström - soprano and sopranino saxophones

Recorded at Kafé Hærverk, Oslo, 10 October 2021 by Jens Ole Bjerkan.

Edited, mixed and mastered by Anders Berg.

Cover art: Public graffiti by unknown artist.

Executive producer: Petter Flaten Eilertsen.

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THAR - THAR [KR​-​5] December 2021 Koshkil Records

THAR

LONG-TIME COLLABORATORS TAYLOR HASKINS AND ANDREW RATHBUN TEAM UP WITH THE BRILLIANT TOM RAINEY AND ENERGETIC MATT PAVOLKA TO CREATE A RECORDING THAT RUNS THE GAMUT FROM THE WILD TO SERENE. THEY OPERATE IN BOTH OPEN FORMS AND WITH STRUCTURE, SOMETIMES DANCING TOGETHER AND OTHER TIMES SPARRING, TO CREATE A SONIC JOURNEY THAT IS ALWAYS EVOLVING.

1. WAKE UP CALL – Taylor Haskins 03:25

2. SKWONK – THAR 01:47

3. GO AHEAD AND TRY TO HAVE A CONVERSATION ONLINE – Andrew Rathbun 02:45

4. SKWAAK – THAR 01:45

5. SLOW VIGNETTE – Andrew Rathbun 04:29

6. GLANCE – Taylor Haskins 03:13

7. SKWEEK – THAR 02:15

8. DO NOT CALL LIST – Andrew Rathbun 06:11

9. SKWERT – THAR 03:59

10. MARCH – THAR 05:11

11. SUN DOGS – Taylor Haskins 03:34

THAR

Taylor Haskins – trumpet

Andrew Rathbun – saxophone

Matt Pavolka – bass

Tom Rainey – drums

Recorded August 19-20, 2015 at SYSTEMS II, Brooklyn

Engineered by Michael Marciano

Mixed and Mastered by Taylor Haskins

Andrew Rathbun uses D’Addario reeds and products

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Stoch - WireWalker (December 17, 2021)

First in a series of jazz guitar constructions - live-in-the-studio improvisations developed into stochastic compositions in the jazz idiom. It's standard operating procedure for Stoch but this time with an instrumental focus. These constructions also involve destruction, deduction, obstruction, induction, ruction, suction, expansion and contraction.

"Experimental? Definitely didn’t know what I was doing or where I was going with this. But I got there."

Lead guitar parts are created by Stoch on a Telecaster or Ibanez AG97. It could be post-bop, post-fusion. It’s smoother than may have been intended but those are the research results and WireWalker is the resulting thesis.

"More dirt next time. I promise."

1. Show Me Tonight 02:36

2. Arp On 02:51

3. No Sleep 01:32

4. Ulterior 05:32

5. The Narrow Way 10:22

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Sven Wunder - Asterism Waltz (December 2021)

The word asterism comes from astḗr (ἀστήρ), the Ancient Greek word for star. In astrology, an asterism is a pattern of stars (that is not a constellation) and can be seen in the night sky. In meteorology, an asterism indicates light snowfall. In typography, an asterism is a symbol consisting of three asterisks placed in a triangle: ⁂. The symbol is a type of dinkus that can be used to divide text to emphasize a passage or a sub-chapter in a book.

Sven Wunder celebrates this space in-between by offering a brief hiatus in a gently tinkling jazz-waltz comprised of two variations for small ensemble, that calls attention to the starlit sky and the light falling snow, before resuming.

1. Asterism Waltz (Celesta Version) 02:32

2. Asterism Waltz (Piano Version) 04:02

Music by Sven Wunder

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