Matt Wilson's Big Happy Family - Beginning Of A Memory (2016)

Drummer Matt Wilson Celebrates the Memory of His Late Wife Felicia and His Extended Musical Family on Beginning of a Memory, due out May 27

Matt Wilson's Big Happy Family gathers the members of the Matt Wilson Quartet,

Arts & Crafts, and the Christmas Tree-O into one spirited ensemble

Featuring Terell Stafford, Kirk Knuffke, Jeff Lederer, Joel Frahm, Andrew D'Angelo, Gary Versace, Martin Wind, Paul Sikivie, Chris Lightcap, Larry Goldings, Yosuke Inoue, Matt Balitsaris

 "[Matt Wilson is] clear and swinging, attuned to color, pitch and the overall sound of his drum setŠ there's a specific kind of gentle humor in [his] band." - Ben Ratliff, The New York Times

"Matt Wilson has never failed to bring an element of surprise and unabashed joy to the bandstand."

- Bill Milkowski, JazzTimes

CD Release Concert on Tuesday, May 31 at The Jazz Standard, NYC

(CLICK HERE)

MATT WILSON'S BIG HAPPY FAMILY

         SET TIMES

      Tue May 31st

7:30

9:30


Both a joyous act of communion and a solemn farewell, Beginning of a Memory is a celebration of life, community and family expressed with the virtuosic wit and embracing humor that has made Matt Wilson so beloved in the jazz community as a drummer, composer and human being. Returning to the studio as a leader for the first time since his wife Felicia lost her battle with leukemia in June 2014, Wilson convenes the closest members of his extended musical family, including all the members, past and present, of his longest-running ensembles: the Matt Wilson Quartet, Arts & Crafts, and Christmas Tree-O.

Due out May 27 from Palmetto Records, the result is a warm and loving commemoration, featuring new renditions of many of Felicia's favorite tunes from Wilson's past recordings interspersed with snippets of studio dialogue that capture the spirit of the session. The release also marks the 20th anniversary of Wilson's tenure on Palmetto and of his collaboration with producer/label founder Matt Balitsaris, making Wilson's behind-the-scenes collaborators as much a part of the Big Happy Family as his bandmates.

"I made this album to celebrate a community of people and how much their love and support through all of this has meant to me," Wilson says. "It also celebrates her relationship with all these folks, because Felicia had a really special relationship with each and every one of them. "Wilson's Big Happy Family is a raucous clan whose members span a considerable stylistic spectrum, spotlighting Wilson's sonically inclusive versatility. The horn section alone brings together saxophonists Jeff Lederer, Joel Frahm and Andrew D'Angelo with trumpeter Terell Stafford and cornetist Kirk Knuffke; they all gathered together in the studio with Wilson and bassists Martin Wind and Paul Sikivie.

Improbably, that recording session was done without written arrangements, adding to the raw, informal feeling of the album and showcasing the camaraderie among Wilson and the various members of the family. "Just letting the cats play is risky business," Wilson admits, "but I was really into that. It was nice to see what would emerge. I love the courageous trust that everyone had. It was a pretty vulnerable situation to be in, but the vulnerability opened up everybody's sound to put them in a different light. Each and every one of them are characters, but the moment and the surroundings welcomed them into other territories.

"This was a very special occasion," adds Martin Wind. "Matt creates a very special atmosphere because of his style of leading. He picks the guys who he trusts and loves and then he puts the music in front of us. He trusts our instincts and decision-making and he's exceptional in the sense that he embraces everything that you could possibly come up with. There's no such thing as a wrong musical decision when you play with Matt."

Chris Lightcap added his bass parts later, as did pianist, organist and accordion player Gary Versace. Long-distance contributions also came in from Larry Goldings, who contributes a loving and tender solo rendition of "How Ya Goin'" on prepared upright piano from L.A., while original MWQ bassist Yosuke Inoue chimes in all the way from Japan with an unexpectedly moving solo version of '80s schlock-pop masterpiece "Endless Love."

Most of the pieces on the album have been associated exclusively with one of Wilson's groups or another, making nearly every track simultaneously a revival and a discovery for the various members. The conjoining of bands also carries that feeling of familiarity and freshness into the ensemble itself. At the same time it felt like a homecoming with Balitsaris producing and engineering, Michael MacDonald mastering, and former label GM Pat Rustici cooking for the band.

The most deeply personal moment comes on "Flowers for Felicia," a heartwrenchingly intimate piece that combines the melodies of Wilson's "Orchids," written for his wife, and one of her favorite songs, the Carter Family classic "Wildwood Flower." She's also there in spirit on the title track, on which Knuffke plays the melody that Felicia originally performed on violin for the original recording on 2003's Humidity. But equally indebted to Felicia's memory is the album's most unruly moment, an impromptu romp through "Schoolboy Thug," originally recorded on 1998's Going Once, Going Twice and a song that she adored.

"She liked the music that was pretty nutty at times," Wilson says with a chuckle. "I know she would love that version of 'Thug.'"

"We all knew we were gathering that day for a special purpose," recalls Jeff Lederer. "It was a day of remembering, it was a day of celebration - of Felicia, of Matt, of the special bond between them which was music, and so much more.  Each one of us in the room had our own unique relationship with Felicia and with Matt and knew that, even more than usual, there was a special purpose to the music we played that day."

That spirit infuses every note on Beginning of a Memory. Moments of uninhibited joy collide with passages of bittersweet sadness, but all of it combines with Matt Wilson's emotional openness, empathy and exuberance to conjure a mood of wistful optimism.

"I wanted this to be a landmark representing new beginnings and celebrating all the new memories that are starting," Wilson sums up. "No matter what goes on in life, we have to welcome new things all the time but also celebrate the gifts that we've been given - and all of these musicians are full of gifts."

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Peppe Jalava Band - A Guided Tour in The Kuiper Belt (2016)

SOURCE

Vuonna 1930 Clyde W. Tombaugh löysi Pluton, jota pidettiin aurinkokuntamme uloimpana planeettana.
Myöhemmin Kuiperin vyöhykeeltä löytyi lukuisia muita möhkäleitä. Vuonna 2005 löydettiin mahdollisesti jopa vähän suuremmaksi arvioitu, kreikkalaisen eripuraisuuden jumalattaren mukaan nimetty Eris, joka aiheuttikin eripuraa tähtitieteilijöitten parissa. Seurauksena tästä oli, että Pluto koki arvonalennuksen planeetasta kääpiöplaneetaksi vuonna 2006. Se poistettiin planeettojen luettelosta, muttei tietenkään aurinkokunnastamme. Se jatkaakin kieppumistaan radallaan pätkääkään välittämättä siitä miksi ihmiset sitä kutsuvat.

Sävelsin vuonna 2007 Esko Linnavalli big band sävellyskilpailuun kommenttini tästä Pluton arvonalennuksesta. "Pluto! - Siellä se kieppuu yhä!" saavutti kilpailussa toisen sijan. UMO Jazz Orchestra kantaesitti kappaleen Imatra Big Band festivaalilla ja on esittänyt sitä joitakin kertoja muuallakin. Myös Sibeliusakatemian Sibis Big Band on levyttänyt sen albumilleen "Competition Winners".
Alkuperäisessä big band-versiossa toisiaan lomittelevien kiemuroiden sovittaminen pienelle yhtyeelle ei ollut aivan helppo tehtävä, eivätkä soittajatkaan pääse tässä tiivistetyssä versiossa helpolla. Tekemistä riittää jokaiselle yllin kyllin. Jaakko Martikainen pääsee nauttimaan soolossaan Pluton gravitaation vähäisestä vastuksesta.

Neljä vuotta myöhemmin otin aiheekseni tuon paljolti Pluton syrjäyttämiseen vaikuttaneen planetoidin. Tuolloin syntyi "Eris - kummallinen", joka antaa selityksen tarpeelle vakuutella Pluton kieppuvan yhä siellä.
New Horizon luotain ohitti Pluton lähietäisyydeltä 14. heinäkuuta 2015. Tuolloin todettiin Pluton olevan hieman isompi kuin oli arvioitu ja sille suotiin kuninkuusasema Kuiperin vyöhykkeellä. Tosin Eristä ei olla päästy tarkistamaan vastaavalla tavalla.

Miksi Pluto sitten kieppuu? Koska sillä on seuranaan kokoonsa nähden valtava kuu, Kharon "kieputtaja" sekä lisäksi ainakin kolme pienempää kuuta. Tämä koko systeemi kiertää Pluton ulkopuolella olevan yhteisen massakeskipisteensä ympäri kulkiessaan rataansa aurinkokunnassamme.

Jotta saisimme aikaan mielenkiintoisen kiertomatkan otin vielä kaksi pienempää Kuiperin vyöhykkeen kappaletta mukaan: "Ixion - arvaamaton" ja "Quaoar - ylväs". Tieto Ixionin arvaamattomuudesta löytyy kreikkalaisesta mytologiasta, hän tappoi luokseen vierailulle tulleen appensa Deioneuksen. Vieraillessaan Zeuksen luona hän himoitsi tämän vaimoa Heraa. Quaoarin taas tulee olla ylväs, koska se kantaa Tongva intiaaniheimon luojajumalan nimeä.

Aivan tavalliset lomailuvarusteet eivät riitä tällaiselle matkalle lähdettäessä. Tarvitaan vähintäänkin järeästi varustettu "Maaginen matkalaukku". Tässä monet muodonmuutokset kokeneessa seniorikappaleessa matkalaukun varusteita penkovat improvisoiduissa sooloissaan Antti Hermaja, Ari Polojärvi ja Mikko Multamäki.

Täydentääkseni albumille lyhyitten ja pitkien kappaleitten vuorottelun sävelsin viimeisenä tärkeän kehoituksen tällaiselle matkalle: "Älä unohda avaruuspukuasi". Kehoitus pitää tietysti esittää jo ennen matkalle lähtöä levyn avauskappaleena. Siinä on lähdön tohinaa ja toisaalta Antin pasuunan rauhallista kerrontaa avaruuspuvun tarpeellisuudesta.

Don't Forget Your Space Suit (Peppe Jalava)

Pluto? - It's Still Swinging There! (Peppe Jalava)

Kharon - The Swinger (Peppe Jalava)

Eris - The Strange One (Peppe Jalava)

Quaoar - The Noble One (Peppe Jalava)

Magical Suitcase (Peppe Jalava)

Ixion - Unpredictable (Peppe Jalava)

The Three Last Lives of a Stray Cat (Peppe Jalava)

The Might of the Frogs (Peppe Jalava)

The Miraculous Pumpkin Meets the Barking Mandarin (Hats Off To Frank and Béla) [Peppe Jalava]

Solos: Jaakko Martikainen, Ari Polojärvi

All works composed and arranged by Pertti Jalava

Jaakko Martikainen: tenor & soprano saxophones

Antti Hermaja: trombone

Ari Polojärvi: el. guitars

Mikko Multamäki: bass guitar & double bass

Pertti Jalava: drums, keyboards (6, 8, 10) and sound effects (10)

Recording: Kari Nieminen, Musa Muusa studios

Editing & mixing: Kari Nieminen & Pertti Jalava

Producer: Pertti Jalava

Cover photos:

Charon NASA New Horizons

Plutos landscape ESO/L. Calçada

Artwork: Niko Jouhkimainen

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Manu Katché - Unstatic (2016)

Label: Anteprima Productions

Source: Le Suricate - Pierre Gérard

Après une compilation chez ECM et un live Chez ACT, parus tous les deux en 2014, Manu Katché nous revient avec un tout nouveau et excellent CD intitulé UNSTATIC chez  Anteprima Productions.

Comme à son habitude, le batteur est extrêmement bien entouré. Parmi ses musiciens, on retrouve trois « fidèles », l’anglais Jim (James) Watson au piano et aux claviers, le norvégien Tore Brunborg aux saxophones, l’italien Luca Aquino à la trompette mais aussi deux belles « recrues » avec le magnifique tromboniste suédois Nils Landgren et la subtile contrebassiste norvégienne Ellen Andrea Wang. Cette dernière accompagne également le leader pour les voix sur le beau et mélancolique Blossom.

Manu Katché, qui a composé tous les titres, décline un album absolument convaincant et mélodieux ; alternant de jolies ballades (comme notamment Daze days ou encore Trickle) avec des morceaux plus rythmés (Unstatic, City ou Ride me Up par exemple). Et les deux se complètent d’autant mieux que Katché y intègre sur certains thèmes des changements de rythme.

Tout au long des onze plages, le batteur propose ainsi un jazz teinté de soul, de funk, de rock et même de salsa sur le premier morceau Introduccion.

On peut y apprécier les échanges entre le claviériste et les cuivres pris séparément ou rassemblés tandis que le duo contrebasse-batterie fait merveille.

A noter que le piano acoustique est remplacé délicieusement sur certains titres par le son de l’Hammond ou celui du Rhodes.

Sans imposer le moindre solo, Manu Katché démontre aussi toute la panoplie de son art et de sa virtuosité.

D’une part, avec un jeu délicat tout en finesse et de l’autre, avec un jeu vif et incisif ; mais toujours dans le swing et le groove.

Pour clôturer son album avec un thème très doux et très justement intitulé Présentation, Manu Katché fait preuve d’une grande originalité. En effet, en cours de morceau, il se présente ainsi que ses musiciens et espère à son auditeur qu’il a pris du plaisir à écouter sa musique.

Moi, personnellement, ce fut le cas avec un grand « C »…

1  Introducción (feat. Nils Landgren)
2  Unstatic (feat. Nils Landgren)
3  Flame & Co.    
4  City    
5  Blossom (feat. Nils Landgren)
6  Daze Days    
7  Rolling (feat. Nils Landgren)
8  Ride Me Up
9  Trickle
10 Out of Sight    
11 Presentation (feat. Nils Landgren)

Manu Katché - drums
Jim Watson - piano
Tore Brunborg - saxophones
Aquino - trompette
Nils Landgren - trombone
Ellen Andrea Wang - double bass

 

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Eric Schaefer & The Shredz - Bliss (2016)

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Anthony Wilson - Frogtown (2016)

Label: Goat Hill Recordings

Source: Stereophile - Robert Baird

I put the LP of Frogtown on and had just turned around when it hit me. Anthony Wilson was singing! A hugely talented guitar player of more than a little renown, Wilson has built a thriving solo career that currently stands at ten fine-sounding solo records. He's also an in-demand sideman, having played on a number of records by the likes of Paul McCartney, Willie Nelson, Mose Allison, and Leon Russell, to name just a few. Lately, much of his time has been taken up by being a member of Diana Krall’s touring band. Perhaps best of all, he’s the son of far-ahead-of-his time arranger and big band leader, the late Gerald Wilson. Through my flabbergastedness, I managed to make him laugh later on the telephone by commending his bravery for singing on record for the first time! And by the way, doing it very well indeed! He also wrote all six songs that he sings on, as well as the album's seven instrumentals. One of the vocal tunes, “She Won’t Look Back,” has the sound and attitude of a single that could garner airplay and perhaps, drive the popularity of Frogtown. But why start singing now?
“I sang in bands when I was in high school and in college. And I did a lot of singing and I really loved it. Then at a certain point I just started playing instrumental music. I moved to New York and all I did was instrumental music and it wasn’t even a choice. I just did it and eventually I realized I had left something behind that I wanted to get back to. I wanted to open my mouth and sing and it took a long time to get to the point where I was like, `Okay, I’m gonna try this.’ Writing songs with words kind of developed on a parallel track to it.”
“It’s another way of telling stories with music and I don’t want to be without it. I don’t want to be confined only to certain toolbox not having actually decided to use only that toolbox.” 

 1. She Won't Look Back 05:40
2. Frogtown 04:01
3. Your Footprints 06:37
4. Occhi di Bambola 03:55
5. Silver and Flint 04:17
6. Our Affair 05:43
7. The Cares of a Family Man 04:44
8. Mopeds 01:53
9. Arcadia 05:04
10.The Geranium 06:28
11.Shabby Bird 03:31
12.I Saw It Through The Skylight 03:20
13.Downtown Abbey 04:13
    

Anthony Wilson — all guitars, vocals
Petra Haden — violin, bird whistle
Mike Elizondo — bass, synth bass
Patrick Warren — piano, organ, pump organ, autoharp,
keyboards & samples
Jim Keltner — drums & percussion (tracks 1, 2, 5, 9, 10, 12)
Matt Chamberlain — drums & percussion (tracks 3 — 8, 11)

Charles Lloyd — tenor saxophone on “Your Footprints”

Jesse Harris — harmonica (track 9)
Josh Nelson — piano (tracks 5 & 10)
Daniel Rosenboom — trumpet
Bob Reynolds — tenor saxophone
Adam Schroeder — baritone saxophone, bass clarinet

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MARCUS STRICKLAND'S TWI-LIFE - NIHIL NOVI (2016)

Source & Label: Blue Note

MARCUS STRICKLAND TEAMS WITH PRODUCER MESHELL NDEGEOCELLO ON "NIHIL NOVI"

Nihil Novi, the remarkable Blue Note/Revive Music debut by Marcus Strickland’s Twi-Life, is set for an April 15 release. The album is available for pre-order now on CD or digital download. Fans who pre-order the download will immediately receive the lead track “Drive,” which is also available today as a single on streaming services. Strickland has also announced tour dates including an NYC album release show presented by Revive Music at (le) poisson rouge on April 12.

“People have to be careful when they call something new,” says Strickland. “I think about what’s around me instead of trying to create something new. Everything is inspired by something else. Ecclesiastes says: ‘There’s nothing new under the sun.’”

The saxophonist may wax philosophical when he gets talking about Nihil Novi (a Latin phrase that translates to “nothing new”) but make no mistake, this is music for your heart and your feet as well your mind. Along with producer Meshell Ndegeocello, he draws upon a world of music from J Dilla’s beat making to Bartók’s Hungarian folk music. From Fela’s propulsive Afrobeat to Mingus’ freewheeling jazz truths. This is music of the people and for the people. The diversity of influences and progressive approach to production are reflective of Revive Music’s mission to elevate music by breaking with purist ideals and discussions of genre to create transcendent sonic experiences.

Since the turn of the century, the Miami-native has made indelible imprints on the modern jazz scene playing with such titans as Roy Haynes, Dave Douglas and Jeff “Tain” Waits and reinvigorating the genre with his own band Twi-Life. Beginning with his 2001 debut, At Last (Fresh Sounds/New Talent), he’s also been steadily building an impressive body of work. Last year Marcus appeared on Blue Note/Revive Music’s acclaimed statement of purpose, Supreme Sonacy Vol. 1, on which he and singer Christie Dashiell delivered a spellbinding makeover of Janet Jackson’s 1986 quiet-storm classic, “Let’s Wait Awhile.” The New York Times review singled out the track, writing that it “approaches the high bar for simmering R&B covers set by the Robert Glasper Experiment.”

Nihil Novi picks up some of the sonic cues from Supreme Sonacy, but with production help from Ndegeocello, Strickland paints an even more expansive musical canvas. The latest incarnation of Twi-Life is the centerpiece: trumpeter Keyon Harrold (known for his work with such R&B and hip-hop artists as D’Angelo, Erykah Badu, Jay-Z and Common), bassist Kyle Miles, drummer Charles Haynes, organist Mitch Henry, and keyboardist Masayuki Hirano. Nihil Novi also includes appearances from singer Jean Baylor, bassists Pino Palladino and Ndegeocello, keyboardist James Francies, drummer Chris Dave, guitarist Chris Bruce, and pianist and fellow Blue Note artist Robert Glasper.

Consisting entirely of original songs, Nihil Novi was born of Strickland’s passion for beat making, which has shaped both the way he composes and how he improvises. It also inspired him to recruit Ndegeocello as the album’s producer. “Because of all the layers and textures involved, I wanted someone who was very experienced at producing and creating this kind of music,” Marcus explains. “Meshell is genre-less; she doesn’t go by genres. She goes by who she is as a person. And that’s exactly what I’m doing. I’m not interested in affixing myself to a particular genre; I want to express who I am musically as a person.”

 

 

 

 

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OZ NOY - WHO GIVES A FUNK (2016)

Label: Abstract Logix

Source: Guitar Player

Internationally acclaimed New York guitarist and composer Oz Noy follows his provocative two-volume exploration and reinvention of his blues roots (Twisted Blues) with Who Gives a Funk, due out April 15th – a examination of classic funk and R&B grooves, spiked with his uniquely unhinged improvisational instincts. “Simple, funky music – but soulful,” is how Noy describes it, while acknowledging that simple is not synonymous with easy: The discipline and clarity these classic structures demand put even the finest musicians to the test, and Noy and his all-star cohorts deliver a remarkable program that uncovers intriguing new pathways through timeless forms.

Inspired by the funk-blues nexus of the late '60s and early '70s music of artists like Freddie King, James Brown, Albert Collins, Who Gives a Funk mixes concise, compelling original compositions with reimaginings of vintage standards by Brown, Jimi Hendrix, Sam Cook, Charles Mingus, and even Thelonious Monk – mostly tracked live in the studio for maximum grit and spark. A core group of New York’s finest is augmented by an impressive array of guest appearances, including performances by John Medeski, Dweezil Zappa, funk pioneer Fred Wesley, Chris Potter, Robben Ford, Randy Brecker, Joe Bonamassa, members of Stevie Ray Vaughan’s Double Trouble, and Living Color vocalist Corey Glover. Through it all, Noy’s guitar is the connecting thread. Whether steering the band with incisive, stark rhythm work or soaring over the grooves with impeccable single-note leads that recall the graceful, nuanced inflection of a fine soul vocalist, Noy brilliantly walks a musical tightrope spanning the best of the past and the future. Surprising, danceable, and accessible, Who Gives a Funk is a powerfully heartfelt new statement from one of contemporary guitar’s great improvisational stylists.  

01 Come On (feat. Fred Wesley)
02 Flashback (feat. John Medeski)
03 Better Get it in your Soul (feat.Randy Brecker)
04 I Got You (feat. Chris Potter)
05 A Change is Gonna Come
06 Ice Man (feat. Robben Ford)
07 Zig Zag
08 Damn This Groove (feat. Dweezil Zappa)
09 Little Wing (feat. Corey Glover)

10 Five Spot Blues (feat. Joe Bonamassa)

Oz Noy (guitar)

Will Lee (Bass)

Roscoe Beck (Bass)

Rocky Bryant (Drums)

Steve Wolf (drums)

Chris Layton (drums)

Jerry Z (organ)

Danny Sadownick (Percussion)

Guests: 

Joe Bonamassa, Robben Ford, Dweezil Zappa, John Medeski, Randy Brecker, Chris Potter, Fred Wesley  

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YELLOWJACKETS - COHERENCE (2016)

Label: Mack Avenue

Source: Axs - Carol Banks Weber 

 Coherence plays a huge role in the Yellowjackets’ third Mack Avenue album — the latest in a string of hit-makers in a 35-year period. In a play on the word but not the meaning, the modern jazz-R&B quartet came out of the studio after almost two days with 10 originally composed and arranged compositions for the fusion set.

Cohearence showcases the musicians as composers and as a cohesive collective of lyrical instrumentalists fond of improvising on the spot, adding to an already solid, harmonious foundation on the written charts. The album will come out on April 22.

Original founder Russell Ferrante (keys) is sustained by longtime Yellowjackets recruits Bob Mintzer (reeds) and Will Kennedy (drums), along with hot newcomer Dane Alderson, an Australian electric bassist. Ferrante, Kennedy, and Mintzer contributed nine of the 10 songs for the new album, with one special cover of a folk song,” Shenandoah,” from the final episode of HBO’s “The Newsroom.” All of the musicians who currently make up the Yellowjackets weighed in on the final product in progress.

The album title refers to the band’s constant, its strength in numbers. “It means we're all connected to what we're doing as a band,” Ferrante explained in a March 4 DL Media release. “We're making harmonious statements.” Those statements rely on an inherent synergy that balances harmony, feel, chops, and a sweet spot for the melodic, rhythmic beat.

The Yellowjackets first branded their melodic, rhythmic, electric fusion with guitarist Robben Ford in a time 35 years ago when musicians were going acoustic jazz. Needless to say, their jazz counterparts questioned the fusion funk slide as a step back.

Thirty-five years later, who’s laughing now? The Yellowjackets are still going strong, continuing to find newer fusions in a sound that just keeps growing. The band took longer than normal to workshop and vet the songs from this upcoming release. They performed the songs live last year for five months while on the road before going into the studio to record.

“We spent a lot more time with the music than we usually do before we record. We rehearsed the songs by playing them live, so that when we went into the studio we weren't just playing our first impressions of the music. Then, we recorded totally live in less than two days,” Ferrante elaborated. The keyboardist flexes his composing acumen, writing five of the 10 songs on the album.

“We write music that reflects what fascinates us; music that's worth exploring,” Ferrante said. “I compose to work though ideas and workshop a piece, bring it into the laboratory to work on the compositional elements and make the piece a vehicle for improvisation.”

In the two advanced preview tracks sent to media, it’s very clear the Yellowjackets still have their accessible R&B fusion vibe – a modern riff from the revered, upstanding jazz fusion ensemble of the 1970s Weather Report. The Yellowjackets’ vibe easily crosses over into the mainstream market, making them one of the most imitated fusion bands around.

The opening track, Ferrante’s “Golden State,” references the band’s jazz-funk heyday of the 1980s. It’s rhythmically sound, one step away from a dance beat, but grounded in jazz by Mintzer’s sax. Ferrante wrote about the relentless, neverending rush hour of Interstate 5’s North-South Freeway up and down California — in left-hand piano triplet rhythm and riffs connecting harmoniously with sax. “I wanted to capture the energy and activity of the I-5,” Ferrante explained.

Another patented Yellowjackets number is “Eddie’s In The House,” a vibrant R&B, funked-up ode to the late jazz saxophonist Eddie Harris, who influenced Ferrante greatly. Harris and pianist Les McCann’s 1969 soul-jazz album Swiss Movement became a bridge from R&B to jazz for the prolific composer.

“There's a lot of gratitude,” Ferrante said about the Yellowjackets’ 35 years making jazz-funk fusion. “It's never been a given to us that we'd continue to be able to have the opportunity to write and record for that length of time. But you couldn't have that in place unless you had a band of generous, giving musicians, none of whom have ever been ego'ed out.”

1  Golden State   
2  Guarded Optimism   
3  Anticipation   
4  Inevitable Outcome   
5  Trane Changing   
6  Eddie's in the House
7  Fran's Scene   
8  Child's Play   
9  Shenandoah   
10 Cohearance

Russell Ferrante (keys)
Bob Mintzer (reeds)
Will Kennedy (drums)
Dane Alderson (electric bass)

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Jim Riggs & Stefan Karlsson - Texas Time (2016)

Jim Riggs - alto saxophone

As a University of North Texas student (1969–72), Riggs performed with the University of North Texas One O'Clock Lab Band. Riggs performed regularly with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra and the Ft. Worth Symphony Orchestra. Riggs performed with the Dallas Symphony on the European tour of the Netherlands, Belgium, Switzerland, Germany, England, and Ireland. He recorded Prokoviev's Lieutenant Kijé, Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue, Porgy and Bess, and An American in Paris with the Dallas Symphony. Riggs also appeared as a jazz soloist with the United States Navy Commodores in Washington, D.C.

Riggs is the leader and founder of The Official Texas Jazz Orchestra, a Dallas based ensemble dedicated to performing state of the art large jazz ensemble music. Riggs has conducted All-State Jazz Bands in Michigan, Ohio, Oklahoma, Kentucky, Tennessee. Riggs has appeared as a featured performer and clinician at Jazz Festivals throughout the USA and Sweden. As a freelance artist he has performed with Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Tony Bennett, Nancy Wilson, Henry Mancini and Nelson Riddle. He also is a prolific studio-recording artist.

Until his retirement in August 2008, Riggs had been professor in the Jazz Studies and Performance Divisions of University of North Texas College of Music where he had taught applied saxophone, directed the Two O'Clock Lab Band, and taught Jazz Style and Analysis. Riggs joined the North Texas faculty in the fall of 1973. Riggs instructed many prominent alumni of the Jazz Studies program at North Texas.

Riggs directed the Two O'Clock Lab Band while coordinating the world's largest enrollment of saxophone students. The Two O'Clock Lab Band was named "winner" in Downbeat Magazine's "Annual Student Music Awards" in 1994, 1997, 2001, 2006 and 2008. He has produced many national and international award-winning saxophonists, including first place winners and finalists in the North American Saxophone Alliance Young Artist Competition, semifinalists in the Thelonious Monk International Jazz Saxophone Competition (Luis Hernandez 2002; Dave Pietro 1991 & 1996), and winners in Down Beat Magazine Student Music Solo Awards.

Riggs former students hold teaching and performing positions in numerous colleges and universities throughout the United States and in elite military bands in Washington, D.C. His students hold first call professional playing positions across the globe including Hamburg, New York City and Los Angeles.

Stefan Karlsson - piano

A native of Sweden, Stefan came to the United States in 1984 to study at the University of North Texas (UNT) due to his association with former UNT professors Rich Matteson, Jack Peterson and Jim Riggs. Stefan spent six years at UNT earning bachelor's and master's degrees.  While at UNT he became, for three years, a member of the well known One O'clock Lab Band, and received the "Outstanding Graduate Student in Jazz Studies Award" in 1991.  During his last year as a UNT student, Stefan signed a three-year recording contract with Justice Records in Houston, Texas. 

After graduation, Stefan lived in Denver, Colorado (1991-1994) and in Las Vegas, Nevada (1994-2002), where he fulfilled his duties as professor of music and coordinator of jazz studies at the University of Nevada.  In 2002, Stefan joined the jazz faculty in the division of jazz studies at the University of North Texas, where he taught until 2014. While at UNT, Stefan had a great deal of success with his combo class by implementing a guest artist residency program and recording experience for the students, which resulted in four combo CD releases.  He also established two student exchange programs between UNT's college of music and the Royal College of Music in Stockholm, Sweden, and the Conservatori Liceu in Barcelona, Spain.  As an active recruiter for the UNT jazz piano area, his former student accomplishments include:  first place winners of the Jacksonville Jazz Piano Competition and the Phillips Jazz Piano Competition in Pensacola; finalists in the All American Jazz Piano Competition and the Barry Harris Jazz Piano Competition; invitations to the Betty Carter's Jazz Ahead program at the Lincoln Center;  recipients of the Herb Alpert Young Jazz Composers Award (sponsored by ASCAP) and the Yamaha Young Performing Artist award; numerous Down Beat student awards; keyboardist with famed Eminem; and various college teaching positions throughout the USA.  He has also been part of the Stanford Jazz Workshop for eight years as a clinician and performer.

Beginning fall 2015, Stefan will be joining the jazz studies faculty at the University of Texas at Arlington as a visiting professor http://music.uta.edu/areasofstudy/index.php?t=p&performanceid=2.  In addition to his teaching duties, Stefan stays very active as guest performer and Artist-in-Residence at concert venues, festivals, clubs, and universities worldwide.  His extensive travel schedule has taken him both as a performer and educator throughout Japan, China, Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Scotland, Italy, Spain, France, Germany, Mexico, Brazil, Puerto Rico, Venezuela, Dominican Republic, and the United States.  His discography includes 72 recordings, with nine CD projects under his own leadership.  He has been a recording artist for Justice Records, Cambria/Troppe Note Records and currently Bebyne http://www.bebyne.com/category/stefan-karlsson/

Since 1996, Stefan has been a member of the Eddie Gomez Trio and Quartet (including Jimmy Cobb, Billy Drummond, Billy Hart, Nasheet Waits, Ed Soph, Jeremy Steig, and Rodrigo Villanueva), frequently touring Asia, Mexico, South America, Europe and the United States.  The group has recorded six CD projects. In addition to performing with the Eddie Gomez group, he has also had the opportunity to share the stage and recorded with such jazz greats as: Steve Gadd, Herb Ellis, Jim Ferguson, Lou Fischer, Carl Fontana, Tim Hagans, Steve Houghton, Javon Jackson, Clay Jenkins, Marc Johnson, Larry Koontz, Joe La Barbera, Rich Matteson, Red Mitchell, Dick Oatts, Rich Perry, Chris Potter, Dave Pietro, Rufus Reid, Jim Riggs, Marvin ‘Smitty” Smith, Duduka Da Fonseca, Lynn Seaton, Bob Sheppard, Alex Sipiagin, Ed Soph, Marvin Stamm, Jim White, Mike Pope, Magnus Broo, Tom Warrington, Jiggs Wigham, Li Xiaochuan, Eliot Zigmund, and many others.

A sample of appearances at international venues are:  JZ Clubs and Festival (China), Blue Note Jazz Clubs (Fukyoka, Tokyo, and Osaka), Cotton Club (Tokyo, Japan),  Mahidol University Jazz Festival (Thailand), New Morning Jazz Club (Paris, France), Fasching Jazz Club (Stockholm, Sweden),  Terrassa Jazz Festival (Terrassa, Spain), Vierzen Jazz Festival (Vierzen, Germany), Terzo Festival Internazionale Isola D’Elba (Elba, Italy), Festival des Rencontres (Capbreton, France), Body and Soul Jazz Club (Tokyo, Japan), Star Eyes Jazz Club (Nagoya, Japan), Jazz Club Jambouree (Barcelona, Spain), Muroran Jazz Festival (Muroran, Japan), Edinburg Festival (Edinburg, Scotland), Royal Academy of Music (Stockholm, Sweden), Conservatori Liceu (Barcelona, Spain), Conservatory of Music in Shanghai (China),  Contemporary Music Academy (Beijing, China), Contemporary Music Institute (Zhuhai, China), University of Adelaide (Australia), International Association for Jazz Educators conference (IAJE), Jazz Educators Network (JEN), and many others. 

In addition, Stefan has performed with the Dallas, Fort Worth, and Richardson symphony orchestras (including as an accompanist for vocalists Patti Austin and Monica Mancini).

Further, as a composer, Stefan is currently a published composer with BUG MUSIC in Hollywood, California http://www.bmgchrysalis.com/.  His original music is copyrighted through ASCAP  http://www.ascap.com/. His music was featured in the 1994 movie releases "Sugar Hill" (featuring Wesley Snipes), "Twenty Bucks" (featuring Christopher Loyd), and the 1997 Independent film “Strays.”  During the latter part of the 90’s, Stefan's music was frequently heard on the television series "Melrose Place," "Party of Five," “Wings” and "Homicide."  His original compositions are also published in the European Real Book (Sher Music) http://www.shermusic.com/new/1883217245.shtml and the Colorado Cook Book.

Bolo Classique Records announces the March 18, 2016 release of “Texas Times”, the new recording by stellar jazz artists Jim Riggs and Steffan Karlsson. The two write, “For several years we have talked about playing duo music and recording together. Finally in the fall of 2014 we were presented with several opportunities that led to this recording. A friendship that goes back to 1980, this project is a special one extending from student to mentor and then to a professional relationship. The selected songs are tunes that feel comfortable in a duo setting and that we mutually share. Some are more well known than others, however our intention is to pay respect to the American Songbook. This is a ‘live recording’ with no over-dubbing and minimal edits. We recorded just a few feet from each other, in the same room without headphones, so what you hear is what we heard as we played. It seems that jazz and other serious music has taken a backseat in American culture. Evidence of this is the lack of quality performances on American radio and television. Our intention for this project was to record music that would be of interest to listeners of fine music. It seems that cultures worldwide possess a greater appreciation for the arts, and there is a need to help preserve jazz music as the great American art form”.

On a Misty Night

Our Waltz

The Second Time Around

Some Other Time

Ruby

Good Morning Heartache

You Don’t Know What Love Is

Be My Love

All the Way

Young and Foolish

They Say It’s Wonderful

RIGGS / KARLSSON DUO PROJECT

Available For Concert & Clinic Appearances

For further information, please contact: 

vikingjazz@verizon.net or james.riggs1@verizon.net

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Dave Liebman & Richie Beirach - Balladscapes (2016)

Source: Intuition Records

Fast 50 Jahre. Eine Ewigkeit. Lyndon B. Johnson war damals noch Präsident, die Beatles standen zum letzten Mal bei einem Konzert auf der Bühne und der Film „My Fair Lady“ erhielt acht Oscars. Ein halbes Jahrhundert. So lange kennen und schätzen sich Dave Liebman und Richie Beirach schon als Menschen und Partner. Der heute 69-jährige Sopran- und Tenorsaxofonist und sein 68-jähriger Partner am Piano lernten einander bei einer Jamsession im Queens College in New York kennen. Zwei hungrige Studenten, berauscht, euphorisiert und inspiriert von all den Jazzgrößen, die für die Musiker jener Zeit den Horizont weiter nach hinten rückten.

Die beiden trafen sich regelmäßig. Entweder in Liebmans Loft an der 19. Straße in Manhattan oder in Beirachs Bude an der Spring Street. Der eine half dem anderen dabei, ein eigenes Vokabular herauszuarbeiten. Sie spielten, meist Freejazz in Stile des späten Coltrane, probierten alles Mögliche aus, ließen sich fallen und fanden allmählich einen gemeinsamen inneren Puls. Manchmal kam auch der Bassist Frank Tusa vorbei und ergänzte die kreative „Hanging Out“-Beziehung. Es sollte allerdings noch bis 1973 dauern, ehe die Seelenverwandten ihre erste gemeinsame Platte aufnahmen. Liebman war gerade mit Miles Davis in Japan unterwegs, als er Beirach traf, der sich just zur selben Zeit mit Stan Getz auf Tour befand. Zusammen mit Jack DeJohnette und Dave Holland nahmen sie schließlich Liebmans Debütalbum „First Visit“ auf.

Ein Song aus jener Session blieb den Freunden bis heute im Gedächtnis: „Round Midnight“. Das allererste Duett von zahllosen, die in den nächsten 43 Jahren folgen sollten, entweder bei Liveauftritten mit den Bands Lookout Farm und Quest oder aber anderen gemeinsamen Projekten. „Denn ein Duo“, erklärt der legendäre Produzent Michael Cuscuna in den Linernotes zu „Balladscapes“, „ist die wohl reinste und direkteste Form des musikalischen Dialogs. Es schenkt den Beteiligten eine ganz bestimmte Form von Freiheit, die sie für scheinbar endlose Solos voller Farbigkeit, Emotionalität und Tiefe nützen können und sich irgendwann darin verlieren. Alles, was Dave und Richie zusammen machen, besitzt enorm viel Substanz und Intelligenz, völlig unabhängig vom jeweiligen Kontext oder Genre.“

Obwohl Dave Liebman und Richie Beirach in den zurückliegenden Jahrzehnten ihre musikalischen Zwiegespräche regelmäßig mit Balladen anreicherten, ist „Balladscapes“  doch das erste reine Balladenalbum auf einem langen gemeinsamen Weg. Wer die musikalische Vita der Abenteurer jedoch kennt, der ahnt bereits, dass auch dieser Exkurs mitnichten automatisch auf dem glatt asphaltierten Mainstream enden muss. Die 13 im CMP-Studio in Zerkall aufgenommenen Songs beinhalten sowohl einige neue und alte Originalkomposition wie „Quest“ oder „Kurtland“, aber auch unorthodoxe Bearbeitungen von Johann Sebastian Bach („Siciliana“), Kurt Weill („This Is New“), Antonio Carlos Jobim („Zingaro“), Wayne Shorter („Sweet Pea“), Billy Strayhorn („Day Dream“) und natürlich John Coltrane („Welcome/Expression“). Dabei öffnet sich ein reiches, weites Feld, auf dem sich der Sopransaxofonist, der hier außerdem zum Tenorsaxofon sowie zur Flöte greift, und der Pianist im eingespielten, vertrauten, aber stets würdevollen Zwiegespräch nach Herzenslust aneinander reiben, ineinander verschränken und gegenseitig aufrichten können.

„In jeder meiner bisherigen Bands, an denen Richie beteiligt war, besaß er die Funktion eines Ankers, mehr als jeder Bassist und jeder Schlagzeuger“, preist Dave Liebman die besonderen Qualitäten Beirachs. „Denn seine Time ist einfach perfekt!“ Und so basiert das Zusammenspiel auch auf „Balladscapes“ auf einer inneren Symmetrie, die nur Menschen miteinander entwickeln können, die sich kennen und mögen. Seit fast einem halben Jahrhundert.

Two real jazz legends - saxophonist Dave Liebman and pianist Richie Beirach - join forces in this duet, playing ballads in the smallest possible band constellation.

Over the years, these two have used ballads in their performances and recordings, but this is the first all-ballad album they've done. And it's quite unusual in its approach. The program offers some originals (new and old), but includes far-ranging material from Bach, Weill, Jobim, Strayhorn, Shorter and Coltrane. Beirach and Liebman take fewer liberties with the material that one might expect and the music is better off for that restraint. This is a gorgeous, mesmerising chamber music recital. And like all great music, it bears fruit with every repeated listening.

April 15, 2016

Dave Liebman, soprano and tenor sax, flute

Richie Beirach, piano

Siciliana (J.S. Bach)

For All We Know (Fred Coots)

This Is New (Kurt Weill)

Quest (D. Liebman, R. Beirach)

Master of the Obvious (D. Liebman)

Zingaro (Antonio Carlos Jobim)

Sweet Pea (Wayne Shorter)

Kurtland (D. Liebman, R. Beirach)

Moonlight in Vermont (Karl Suessdorf)

Lazy Afternoon (Jerome Moross)

Welcome/Expression (John Coltrane)

DL (R. Beirach)

Day Dream (Billy Strayhorn, Duke Ellington)

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Domi

Zingaro