Pram Trio - Saga Thirteen (2016)

About

Pram Trio is a Toronto-based ensemble formed in 2009. Awarded the 2014 Grand Prix de Jazz from the Festival International de Jazz de Montreal by a unanimous panel, it is a collective of three Ontario-born musicians: Mark Godfrey on bass, Jack Bodkin on piano and Eric West on drums. Dan McClenaghan of Allaboutjazz.com describes Pram Trio as: “edgy and interactive, often urgent, and very much in the school of the modern-leaning piano trios.” Influenced by a wide range of traditional and current jazz artists as well as many other styles, their music is “very contemporary, composed and multi-sectional” (Peter Hum/Ottawa Citizen Jazz Blog). Pram Trio puts a strong focus on collective improvisation and creates an experience that appeals to listeners both familiar and unfamiliar with jazz. 

 “…it’s not enough to play very well; you have to do something that’s actually going to be compelling and original.  Pram Trio was like that.” - Michael Bourne, Newark New Jersey’s WBGO 88.3 FM

Founded by Mark Godfrey and Jack Bodkin, they released their debut album in the fall of 2013. The album garnered rave reviews with particular emphasis on their writing style. Specifically, Pram Trio’s compositions “often develop into territories unlike from whence they began and elicit a sense of drama from the relative peacefulness of the piano trio environment” (Dave Sumner/17 Dots Blog, eMusic). Eric West first performed with the band on their CD release tour that year and officially joined the group before their 2014 Canadian Jazz Festival tour.

In March 2016, Pram Trio will be celebrating the release of their new EP with a Canada-wide tour. This will be the first EP that includes the current lineup of the band. The group has been featured at jazz festivals across Canada including Montreal, Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary, Halifax, Rimouski and Prince Edward County and they are very excited to take their music on the road once again.

Mark Godfrey - Bass // Jack Bodkin - Piano  // Eric West – Drums

pramtrio@gmail.com

Saga Thirteen is a six-track album recorded by Pram Trio in July 2015. This collection of compositions represents a period of constant change in the ensemble’s history. Featuring all original music composed by bassist Mark Godfrey and pianist Jack Bodkin, Saga Thirteen is the group’s second official release.




The record chronicles a period in which Pram Trio’s approach to writing and performing was in a state of flux as they developed their new sound with the addition of drummer Eric West. The music takes the listener on a journey exploring the breadth of Pram Trio’s compositions, visiting hard-hitting grooves (Mrs. Kim Visits the Living Room Alone, Undercurrent), soulful melodies (Bucket List), elaborate improvisations (April, Treptower Park) and a simple through-composed ballad (Control). Saga Thirteen is a small sample of the group’s new musical direction and further establishes Pram Trio as a strong artistic voice in the Canadian jazz landscape.

Released March 8, 2016 

Jack Bodkin - Piano 

Mark Godfrey - Bass 

Eric West - Drums

1. April 07:01

2. Bucket List 04:36

3. Mrs. Kim Visits the Living Room Alone 03:36

4. Control 02:46

5. Undercurrent 05:42

6. Treptower Park 07:05

Recorded July 10th and 11th, 2015 at the Canterbury Music Company. 

Mixed by Jeremy Darby (Canterbury Music Company), mastering by Peter Letros (Wreckhouse Mastering), artwork and design by Camille Lauren.

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Lubos Soukup & Points Septet - Lubos Soukup & Points Septet (2015)

Lubos Soukup & Points Septet, the third album of the Czech band Points, presents a collage of 12 truly unique compositions, that represent the European contemporary jazz music and free improvisation. All compositions are written by saxophonist and clarinettist Lubos Soukup who tailored the music to the band members. He has managed to magnificently elevate their individual personalities through his work. The result is a fresh, creative and playful universe of sounds.

The band Points Septet was created as a special project arising from several concerts of the internationally successful quartet Points. They were the winners of the Spanish jazz competition in Getxo in 2009. Although the septet has a bigger sound, it retains the characteristic features of the original band: the absence of a harmonic instrument and their focus on storytelling in compositions. The initiative to record a new CD came from saxophonist and composer Lubos Soukup, currently based in Copenhagen, Denmark, who helped to realize this special project. Rather than Soukup’s international approach seen in his earlier projects, he chose to work exclusively with Czech musicians on this album. The core of the new band consists of five horn players including Soukup himself: trumpeter Oskar Torok, saxophonist Petr Kalfus, trombonist Jan Jirucha, and bass clarinetist Marcel Barta. They are accompanied by a unique rhythmical duo of bass player, Jaromir Honzak and drummer, Tomas Hobzek.

All 12 pieces featured on the album are written by Soukup. The music is tailored to the aforementioned musicians who have worked closely together on various projects during the last years and so have a keen understanding of each other’s individual style. Taking a closer look at the compositions, one can divide them in two different groups according to their concept. The first group contains more conventional compositions, which crosses borders between
jazz, classical music and exotic folk music.

The track called Gruzie, which translates to “Georgia”, is a piece inspired by traditional Transcaucasian music, while Jesterka, which translates to “Lizard”, is a piece in which Soukup makes a reference to the original roots of jazz i.e. African music. Choral is an ambient composition reflecting European church music, WTF is a vivid number based on a catchy groove, and finally Alegría is inspired by South American melodies and it is dedicated to one of the Soukup’s favourite musicians, Wayne Shorter. The second group is a collection of music sketches with an open concept and elements of free improvisation and no harmonic form. Starting with letters VZ, they represent an infinite universe of sounds (Vesmir zvuku) that can be accessed only through the absolute connection and openness of the magnificent seven who are courageous enough to immerse deeply into themselves and explore unknown areas in the musical cosmos.

“I aimed for fresh and creative music. The band name (Points) symbolizes us, the band members. Each of the musicians is a separate point on the scene. These points come together and create certain energy that works well together. To cumulate this kind of creative energy and to deepen our connection during the performance, we stand in a semicircle, which is not common for a jazz ensemble,” explains Soukup.

ALBUM INFO

Artist Lubos Soukup & Points Septet

Title Lubos Soukup & Points Septet

Catalogue Number ANI 051-2

Format CD

Label Animal Music

Barcode 8594155992881

Style File Under Jazz

Country of Origin Czech Republic

Release Date Oct 30th 2015

SOUND

Recorded by Milan Cimfe (Sono Records,Nouzov)

Mixed by August Wanngren (We Know Music Studios, Islands Brygge, Copenhagen)

Mastered by Pavel Karlik (Sono Records,Nouzov)

Oskar Torok . trumpet & flugelhorn

Petr Kalfus . soprano & alto saxophones

Lubos Soukup . tenor saxophone & clarinet

Marcel Barta . bass clarinet & tenor saxophone

Jan Jirucha . trombone

Jaromir Honzak . acoustic bass

Tomas Hobzek . drums

1. Black Monolith

2. Ještěrka (Lizard)

3. VZ 1

4. VZ 4: Interlude

5. Léto 1985 (Summer 1985)

6. Gruzie (Georgia)

7. Rhythm

8. VZ 6

9. Alegría

10. VZ 3

11. WTF

12. Choral (Chorale)

Total time: 54:45

All compositions by Lubos Soukup

Contact

Artist booking@lubossoukup.com

Label info@animalmusic.com

Visit www.lubossoukup.com/pointsseptet for more information, a free track and more.

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SNARKY PUPPY - WORLD TOUR 2015 - Collector's Edition Box Set (2016)

Label: GroundUp

Source: Snarky Puppy

To commemorate their 3-month 2015 World Tour, Snarky Puppy has created an extremely limited-edition, fully-customized box-set featuring their favorite 16 tour shows in their entirety.

The World Tour 2015 Collector's Edition Box Set includes 32 CDs (2 discs per show) in custom made wallet cases, along with a custom made, limited edition outer box.  PLUS - since we know you can't wait for the CD Box Set to arrive...you'll also get a FULL box-set download from our friends at livedownloads.com.  You will receive your code when you complete check out (and you'll also get it in your email).

We've also thrown in a downloadable & printable certificate for gifting purposes - or you can keep it for yourself, of course...

Box-set shows include: Raleigh, NC (late show) - Los Angeles, CA - Bristol, UK - London, UK - Cergy, FR - Tourcoing, FR - Utrecht, NL - Groningen, NL - Warsaw, PL - Vienna, AT - Bremen, DE - Oslo, NO (late show, second night) - Paris, FR - Istanbul, TR - Buenos Aires, AR - and Santiago, CL.

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Dave Anderson - Dave Anderson's Blue Innuendo (2016)

Label: Label 1

Source: Gapple Gate Guitar Blog

To get to it straight off, this is NOT a guitarist's album. So why am I posting it on this blog? Because it is a very together organ band headed by a very together tenor man, and as that it is a model for such things today, the guitarist's role being played to perfection, as is the role of the organist, the drummer, and...of course the tenor.

Dave Anderson is the tenor (and soprano) man in question. He leads the band through a set of hiply swinging originals on Blue Innuendo (Label 1 2003-2). This is music rooted in the toughness of hard bop, yet fully modern in its tang of the beyond. It is no accident that Dave dedicates one of the numbers to Joe Henderson, for there is some of that sophisticated, hard-driving facility going on here, plus Dave himself showing his own way through nicely.
Dave Anderson sounds great, with plenty to say on both horns and a way of saying it that channels sax soulfulness and a true sense of what matters, yesterday and today.
Pat Bianchi on organ is a model for the extensions of organ bop-soul into now. He makes me smile as he always seems to. Tom Guarna, the guitarist, has a perfect presence in the ensemble and solos with authority. He also in his own way channels bop-and-after giants yet sounds original and contemporary.
Matt Wilson on drums comes through as he ever does as the swinging giant so necessary for the success of this kind of thing.
It's a model for how the organ-band roots can be enacted but with the modern complexities brought to the fore at the same time. A blazer, a hip disk is this! Hear it.

1. Urban Dilemma 07:54
2. 22 Doors 06:51
3. 12-Step Blues 05:25
4. Parallel Present 05:06
5. Genealogy 05:31   
6. Stuck 04:36
7. The Phantom (for Joe Henderson) 04:56
8. Two-Tone Tune 03:39
9. Blue Innuendo (for Joey D) 06:42
10.Redeye 06:56
   

Dave Anderson - tenor & soprano saxes
Tom Guarna - guitar
Pat Bianchi - organ
Matt Wilson - drums  

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THIS SUMMER AT SFJAZZ | ALL EVENTS

THIS SUMMER AT SFJAZZ |  ALL EVENTS

43 Concerts in 13 Days 

This year's 34th Annual San Francisco Jazz Festival 

features 43 concerts in 5 different venues in Hayes Valley over 13 days. Tickets are now on sale!

LINEUP INCLUDES

McCoy Tyner Tribute w/ Chick Corea, McCoy Tyner + more · 

Los Van Van · Joey Alexander Trio · Yemen Blues

California Honeydrops · Ravi Coltrane & The Void ·

Brian Blade & The Fellowship Band · Roy Ayers ·

Freshlyground · Gordon Goodwin's Big Phat Band ·

Zoë Keating · Miles Electric feat Sean Jones + many more!

Also This Summer at SFJAZZ

Our summer concert series, SFJAZZ Summer Sessions 2016,

 features six weeks celebrating the great songbooks from across the Americas, the exploration of film with live music and the funkiest band on the planet.

HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE

Dr. John · Snarky Puppy · Paula West ·

Gonzalo Rubalcaba · Pedrito Martinez ·

Lila Downs · Kim Nalley · Alfredo Rodriguez

Tierney Sutton · The Jazz Loft w/ Jason Moran

 Buckwheat Zydeco · CJ Chenier · Dakhabrakha

Harold Lopez-Nussa · La Santa Cecilia + many more!

Gwilym Simcock: Delta Saxophone Quartet - Crimson! (2016)

The new work Crimson unites Gwilym Simcock, one of the UK's most imaginative jazz composers with the Delta Saxophone Quartet, one of Europe's most distinguished new music ensembles.

Following Delta's most recent première Run Riot by Mark-Anthony Turnage, Crimson continues this 30 year legacy of excitement, innovation and excellence.

The quartet has worked closely with many leading composers having commissioned works from Gavin Bryars, Steve Martland, Joe Duddell, Hugh Hopper, Mike Westbrook, Mark-Anthony Turnage and Michael Finnissy to name a few. The quartet has always looked to extend the range/repertoire and possibilities of what a quartet of saxophones can present, combining a variety of musical genres and styles with a dynamic and informative presentation.

Musical accolades are no stranger for Gwilym Simcock too, being a winner of the Perrier Award, BBC Jazz Awards 2005 and British Jazz Awards 2005. Gwilym was also the first BBC Radio 3 New Generation jazz Artist. His performances with Bill Bruford's Earthworks gives Gwilym the inside-edge and knowledge, which adds a real gravitas to this exciting project.

The quartet is delighted that Gwilym has accepted their invitation, as part of its 30th anniversary season, to compose this new work Crimson, (supported by PRSF), which combines the skills and tastes of music which will certainly sit somewhat beyond the shores of classical, jazz and rock.

Gwilym Simcock - p

Graeme Blevins - ss

Pete Whyman - as

Tim Holmes - ts

Chris Caldwell - bars

1. A Kind of Red (Gwilym Simcock) (8.52)

2. VROOOM/Coda: Marine 475 (music by King Crimson) from THRAK 1995 (6.17)

3. The Night Watch (Fripp, Wetton, Palmer-James) from Starless And Bible Black, 1974 (8.43)

4. Dinosaur (music by King Crimson, words by Adrian Belew) from THRAK 1995 (10.59)

5. Two Hands (music by King Crimson, words Adrian Belew) from Beat, 1982 (4.37)

6. The Great Deceiver (Wetton Fripp, Palmer-James) from Starless And Bible Black, 1974 (4.48)

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Crimson! - Delta Sax Quartet with Gwilym Simcock from Basho Music on Vimeo.

Ashley Henry's - 5ive (2016)

Ashley Henry is one of a new generation of musicians that have been raised with a wide range of influences, from such luminaries as Kirkland, Glasper Moran, Madlib and Dilla, yet also steeped in the traditional sounds of masters like Hancock and Monk.

At only 24, Ashley plays the piano with a beauty and sensitivity that usually comes from a lifetime immersed in jazz and this has been picked up on by other musicians. He has already toured the UK & internationally alongside many bands and ensembles, appearing in renowned venues such as Ronnie Scott’s, The Jazz Café and the Royal Albert Hall.

Recently made it to the finals of the Unisa International Piano Competition in South Africa and was the youngest on the bill for the 2015 International piano trio festival where performed alongside the likes of Robert Glasper.

After graduating from Leeds College of Music in 2014 with the Yamaha Jazz Scholarship award (an award given to the best musician graduating from each music college) Ashley continued his studies with a Masters degree in Jazz piano & Performance at the Royal Academy of Music.

As well as performing regularly with some of the UK’s leading jazz musicians such as Gary Crosby, Jean Toussaint, Shane Forbes, Jay Phelps, and award-winning Saxophonist Krzysztof Urbanski, Ashley has also recorded extensively with award- winning Hip- Hop Group “The Mouse Outfit” who are a collective of musicians and producers based in Manchester.

Ashley’s trio are clearly influenced by hip-hop but have their roots firmly rooted in jazz – this is the next generation putting their feet down and flexing their muscles.

ASHLEY HENRY’S 5IVE is available for pre-sale now on CD, Digital and yes, on Vinyl! To order your copy, simply click on the album artwork below.

1. Deja Vu 06:54

2. St. Anne's 06:52

3. Monks Dream 08:02

4. Deimos 07:39

5. Altruism 06:52

Ashley Henry: Piano 

Sam Gardner: Drums 

Sam Vicary: Bass

Released March 7, 2016 

Recorded at Sonica Studios @sonicastudios 

Engineered by: Mat Clark & Paul Clarke 

Mixed by: Paul Clark & Mat Clark

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Steve Lacy: Keptorchestra Meets Steve Lacy - Sweet Sixteen (Remastered + Bonus Track - Historical Tapes) 2016

This collaboration between Steve Lacy and Italy's Keptorchestra took place on the band's tenth anniversary. Lacy was invited to partake in the festivities because of a longstanding relations stemming from a gig seven years previous. Recorded in 1993 and issued in 1994, Keptorchestra is a big band that is full of maturity, grace, and glorious winging capabilities, but they play together like newcomers entering into the excitement for the first time. Some members of the band, trombonist Giancarlo Giannini and saxophonists Mauro Negri, Pietro Tonolo, and Bruno Marini are well known in their own right as bandleaders.

The rest have made this band and session work their lives. Most of them compose for the band and those compositions as well as three of Lacy's -- "Blinks," "Esteem," and the title track -- were written especially for this date. While different players shine -- they are all fine soloists and the blend of colors is astonishingly bright -- there are a couple of real standouts: "Plastic City" with its airy funkiness with composer Maurizio Cauldura's tenor solo; Mario Tamburini's gorgeous arrangement of "Eduard" that is reminiscent of the color palette used by Gil Evans; and Lacy's savvy, canny generosity in "Sweet Sixteen" allowing virtually every player a spot to shine without the regressive "one chorus and a round of applause" theory. He literally wrote in the sections for soloing and for whom in what mode. This is a joyous, deeply textured approach to big-band jazz by one of the finest Europe has to offer.

01 Straight No Chaser (Bonus Track)

by Keptorchestra & Steve Lacy feat. Roberto Rossi, Pietro Tonolo & Mauro Negri

02 Plastic City

by Keptorchestra & Steve Lacy feat. Giuseppe Calamosca & Maurizio Caldura

03 Esteem

by Keptorchestra & Steve Lacy feat. Maurizio Caldura, Giampaolo Casati & Marc Abrams

04 Eduard

by Keptorchestra & Steve Lacy feat. Marco Tamburini, Pietro Tonolo & Marcello Tonolo

05 Blinks

by Keptorchestra & Steve Lacy feat. Bruno Marini, Maurizio Scomparin & Marcello Tonolo

06 Finlandia

by Keptorchestra & Steve Lacy feat. Giampaolo Casati & Marco Tamburini

07 Samo Malo

by Keptorchestra & Steve Lacy feat. Sandro Gibellini & Mauro Negri

08 Utah

by Keptorchestra & Steve Lacy feat. Sandro Gibellini & Giancarlo Giannini

09 Durè

by Keptorchestra & Steve Lacy feat. Piero Odorici & Roberto Rossi

10 Sweet Sixteen

by Keptorchestra & Steve Lacy feat. Alfred Kramer & Bruno Marini

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Bill Charlap Trio - Notes from New York (2016)

Label: ¡Impulse!

Source: Zikeo

En neuf morceaux, l'album "Notes from New York" offre l'exemple accompli et chaleureux du talent de Bill Charlap. S'il se termine et se referme sur deux standards bien familiers, I'll Remember April, porté par les balais fringants de Kenny Washington, et le fameux On the Sunny Side of the Street, transfiguré, en solo, en balade à rebours des usages, le pianiste a fait le choix d'exhumer des mélodies rarement jouées, qui retrouvent vie sous ses doigts. Parmi les raretés, on redécouvre une chanson popularisée dans le jazz entre autres par Ella Fitzgerald, Make Me Rainbows, tiré de la B.O. du film Fitzwily (1967), écrite par John Williams quelques années avant qu'il ne s'illustre auprès de Steven Spielberg ou George Lucas, que Bill Charlap aborde à la manière d'Ahmad Jamal, porté par la swing de sa rythmique.

Émaillé de clins d'œil musicaux, Not a Care in the World est l'occasion pour le pianiste d'un solo facétieux qui redouble d'intensité avec le passage de Kenny Washington des balais aux baguettes. Introduit avec une subtilité qui rappelle que Bill Charlap n'est pas resté insensible à la poésie de Bill Evans, There Is No Music se développe avec un admirable sens de l'espace qui amène le pianiste à développer son expression jusque dans les registres les plus extrêmes du piano. Dans A Sleepin' Bee, il livre, en revanche, un solo plein d'humour qui semble avoir le caractère imprévisible du vol d'une abeille.

Autrefois régulièrement interprété par Hank Jones, Little Rascal on the Rock, composition de son cadet Thad Jones, s'entend comme une dédicace à un mentor disparu (en 2010), jouée avec une précision dans l'articulation du moindre trait et une fermeté d'attaque admirables, constamment au service du swing. Par contraste, Too Late Now, plus longue plage de l'album, se développe avec une touche de mélancolie dans une atmosphère crépusculaire très after hours. Composition du guitariste Tiny Grimes immortalisée par Charlie Parker, Tiny's Tempo rappelle que le be-bop fait partie intégrante de la culture de Bill Charlap, comme de ses partenaires, ainsi que Peter Washington en fournit l'illustration dans un brillant solo, et Kenny Washington dans les quatre-quatre qu'il échange avec le pianiste.

1 I'll Remember April
2 Make Me Rainbows
3 Not A Care In The World
4 There Is No Music
5 A Sleepin' Bee
6 Little Rascal On A Rock
7 Too Late Now
8 Tiny's Tempo
9 On The Sunny Side Of The Street

Bill Charlap
Peter Washington
Kenny Washington

 

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