Jeff Fuller & Friends - New CD Shoreline Blues + CD Release Events (2016) JAZZ PROMO SERVICES

Jeff Fuller & Friends

“Shoreline Blues”

(QDR130)

Street Date: August 5, 2016

Jeff Fuller, acoustic bass

Darren Litzie, piano

Ben Bilello, drums

CD is available on

The history of the jazz piano/bass/drums trio is an encyclopedia of many volumes and entries. Remarkable bassist/composer Jeff Fuller’s new CD Shoreline Blues is an outstanding new contribution to that storied legacy, building upon the foundation he laid with his acclaimed 2015 release The Call From Within. The trio – called Jeff Fuller & Friends – was established in 2014 with pianist Darren Litzie and drummer Ben Bilello, and over that time has established that special level of synergy that results in seemingly telepathic interplay.  That empathy is in full evidence on every track of Shoreline Blues.

Jeff formed the trio “to perform new, original music which re-invents timeless jazz styles with new vision and creativity” and indeed they succeed wonderfully.  Individually these three men have performed with a veritable who’s who of both contemporary and legendary jazz. Together they form an entity unto itself under the strong, embracing vision of its award-winning leader, whose resumé includes long stints with Lou Donaldson and Paquito D'Rivera. It is somewhat unusual for a bassist to lead a trio like this, but that emphasis sets an ideal canvas for the type of interactive communication and creative development that is so essential for great jazz expression.

Though rooted in the traditional trio approach, the results here are utterly contemporary – inventive, adventurous and looking toward the future, not simply honoring the past. The sense of spontaneity that comes from intense listening provides vital life and substance to the music. Even during solos it never feels as though the other members are just supporting, but rather are fully involved in the creative process as one.

The Call From Within featured Jeff’s compositions in a palette that included Brazilian, ballad and bebop stylings. Shoreline Blues again features his eclectic compositions, along with two new pieces by Litzie, a pair of unaccompanied bass performances on some jazz classics and a full-throttle straightforward take on another. Swing, bop, Afro-Caribbean, Brazilian and free-time are among the styles invoked here, all blended perfectly into a unified soundscape.

The two solo bass performances are fascinating takes on jazz classics – virtuosic, but not simply for its own sake. The first blends Charlie Parker’s Ornithology, in a properly swinging groove, with a rubato take on How High the Moon, the standard from which Bird created it. On Sonny Rollins’ Oleo, Jeff’s delightfully woody solo is accompanied by his percussive tapping on the bass, ideally complementing the solo. On these, as well as on the entire album, Jeff’s solos are brilliant – highly lyrical, vividly articulate, resonant and rhythmic; fully engaged in the musical context and thrust of each piece.

He switches to bass guitar on two of his originals, both with an infectious Afro-Caribbean flair. Angola opens the album on a radiant note, blending Cuban and Brazilian rhythms with joyous swing, and marked by a sizzling bass guitar solo. Friday the 13th is a jaunty swinger with a more traditional Brazilian samba rhythm, featuring a vibrant Litzie solo and another spirited bass guitar turn.

Three other Fuller compositions are also included. Think on This – a contrefact over the old tune, Imagination – swings in an easy groove off its conversational melodic line and is marked by a terrific piano solo. Expansion, noteworthy for its use of outwardly moving polytonal harmonies, is a gentle excursion, its theme stated by piano over deliciously bent bass notes, with another pair of fine solos by Darren and Jeff, closing with a sprightly trading of fours with Ben. Hail, Bop! is not the roaring bop-fest that might be expected, but rather an alluringly buoyant variation on Stella By Starlight that features a rich, chord-driven solo by Litzie and a warmly lyrical offering from Fuller.

The two compositions by the pianist show him as a complementary composer of depth and vision. The title track is nicely grooved and syncopated with tantalizing suspensions in the theme and in Jeff’s playing. Bilello’s solo over walking bass and teasing piano is highly lyrical in the manner of Max Roach and Joe Chambers.  The probing, darkly suspended harmonies of Finding the Path set the tone for an excursion into adventurous waters that demands – and powerfully receives – extraordinary collective interplay.

Blues-based bebop in the traditional mold is the setting for the Parker classic Billie’s Bounce that closes out this splendid album with nimbly swinging solos by Darren and Jeff, driven robustly by Ben.

Impeccable musicianship, consummate group interplay, marvelous compositions and a constant aura of richly imaginative creativity make Shoreline Blues a must have.

Summer CD Release Tour!

Jeff Fuller & Friends celebrates the release of their second CD, “Shoreline Blues” featuring the amazing trio from their 2014 release “The Call From Within” -- Darren Litzie on piano, Ben Bilello on drums, and Jeff Fuller on both upright and electric bass. The CD contains ten tracks featuring originals in the bop, swing and Afro-Caribbean vein, as well as two unaccompanied solo bass pieces.  The CD Release Tour kicks off as follows  - all events are free.

·       Sunday, July 17th, from 6:30 – 8:30 pm, at Ayuthai, 2279 Post Road, Guilford.  Appearing on Joe Cardinale’s wonderful Sunday night series.  Call 203-453-2988 for info and reservations (recommended).

·       Saturday, August 6th, from 6:30-9:30 pm, at Fornarelli's Ristorante, 99 Orange Street, New Haven, 203-745-5677.  Fine Italian dining and a friendly, conducive atmosphere make this a nice night spot for listening in downtown New Haven!

·       Monday, August 8th, at 6 pm, at the Hartford Monday Night Jazz Series, opening for Noah Preminger.  The nation’s longest-running free jazz concert series, returns to downtown Hartford’s Bushnell Park for its 49th consecutive season.

Thanks and Stay Cool!

Jeff Fuller

www.jefffuller.net

www.sambeleza.com

National Press Campaign

Jim Eigo Jazz Promo Services

Ph: 845-986-1677

jim@jazzpromoservices.com

www.jazzpromoservices.com

"Specializing in Media Campaigns for the music community, artists, labels, venues and events.”

Sari Kessler - Do Right (2016) KARI-ON PRODUCTIONS

IMMEDIATE RELEASE On July 21st, Sari Kessler will be performing with her quintet at St Peter's Church's prestigious lunch-time concert series, Jazz on the Plaza. And on August 21st, she will be debuting at the legendary Minton's Playhouse. (more info below).

Sari Kessler

DO RIGHT

"This is not another run-of-the mill jazz vocalist sings the Great American Songbook album; Kessler is enjoyably far-reaching in her choice of material...She is an expressive,  charming vocalist who does take her share of chances."  -Alex Henderson, New York City Jazz Record 

Kessler’s velvety, vivacious jazz vocals make each of the tunes on this new album sparkle. The top-notch backing musicians give her room to shine. She brings a fresh, vibrant feel to Bacharach/David’s “Walk On By.” “After You’ve Gone,” “Too Close For Comfort” and “Why Don’t You Do Right?” gently swing. There’s a torchy feel to “The Gal From Joe’s.” A touch of whimsy enlivens “The Frim Fram Sauce.” Kessler reaches deep down for emotional power on “Feeling Good” and “My Empty Bed Blues.” And her version of “Sunny” is terrific. Right on, Ms. Kessler! -Paul Freeman, Pop Culture Classics

Kessler has a fine voice, with a warm tone, spot-on pitch and jazzy phrasing. The creative and able playing of the musicians round out this skilled collection of songs. -Cathy Riches, The Whole Note Magazine

Sari Kessler, a vocalist who illuminates music in a manner that few new vocalists do. Kessler expresses both the fragility and the force of vocal music through glinting, gauze-like textures and moments of clattering tumult and the joyousness of the blues, using it as the perfect springboard for the more jazzy elements of this album Do Right. Its incandescence is irresistible. -Raul da Gama, Jazz da Gama

"This is a fine introduction to a very talented...woman. She will be around for a long time."  -Grady Harp, Amazon, 5 stars

It's an emotional reading made only more alluring by superior  arrangements. For a debut album Sari sounds so truly skillful.  -Dan Singer, In Tune, International

"A jazz thrush opens a new chapter on the great American songbook. Tasty stuff that shows she knows how to pick her songs as smartly as she knows  how to pick her sidemen. A totally delightful debut." -Chris Spector, Midwest Record

"Kessler proves to be a first-rate interpreter and dissector of songs...(able) to tap into the marrow of a lyric and bring it's essence to the foreground...her intonation is spot-on...and her phrasing is oh-so-natural and flexible. In short, she's the real deal." -Dan Bilawsky, All About Jazz 4/5 Stars

Kessler is like listening to your best friend, you are engaged in the story, it feels good, and you enjoy your time together and look forward to what is next. Kessler has a very likeable timbre to her voice; it is relaxed, yet convincing as well as focused, warm and round, all very likable and listenable qualities. -Constance Tucker, All About Vocals

"Kessler doesn't rush the listener through the lyrics but etches  vocal nuances that prove to bring out the potency of the words." -Susan Frances, AXS

  "By the time you reach the final track, the listener has been removed from the everyday and treated like a confidant, let in on the secrets of what life is, the trials as well as the joys. There's a self-assured quality in the voice of Sari Kessler, a singer who one can tell is an avid observer and certainly a storyteller. Pull up a chair and enjoy this musical journey." -Richard Kamins, Step Tempest

“…an impressive debut recording…Kessler has learned well the art of putting a song across.  Her voice is a pleasant alto, she has a fine feel for phrasing, and has  absorbed well the jazz influences around her.” –Joseph Lang, Jersey Jazz

    

“Surrounded by a stellar cast - Kessler brings freshness to delightful, hand-picked  gems of the jazz repertoire."   -Kenny McKenzie, WFCF St. Augustine Florida

“With her first release, Do Right, jazzy swinger Sari Kessler sure knows how  to make things feel all right—right off the bat with the CD's first cut. She's an interpreter whose thinking shows and pays dividends.” -Rob Lester, Talkin’ Broadway 

“When Sari Kessler changed professions, the world of psychology might have lost a good practitioner. But the world of jazz music gained a great vocalist and composer. If this album is any indication, Sari Kessler is a name that the jazz world will come to know very well.” –Bruce Von Stiers, BVS Reviews

I love it! Best New Singer This Year. –Marilyn Arnold, KVLU 91.3 FM Texas Public Radio

Vocalist Sari Kessler has a bright tone to her voice that draws you ito what she's singing.  Wonderful vocal delivery makes for a thoroughly entertaining work of song. -Glenn Daniels, The Jazz Page

Kessler's voice is confident and deep while maintaining smooth delivery and phrasing. -Jack Jones, WRUV Burlington VT

Kessler's emotional depth, uinique delivery; the supporting cast never pales. -Ann Porotti, WTJU Charlottesville VA. 91.1 FM

ALREADY BREAKING INTO THE TOP 20 AT JAZZ RADIO

Thursday, July 21st / 12:30-1:45 PM

Jazz on the Plaza

Saint Peter's Church

On the plaza at E 53rd St & Lexington, NYC

saintpeters.org/events/

Sari Kessler Quintet with John di Martino on piano, Steve Whipple on bass, Andrew Atkinson on drums, and Nadje Noordhuis on trumpet & flugelhorn

Free admission!

In the event of rain, concert will take place inside the church

Sunday, August 21st / Two sets: 7 PM & 9 PM

Minton's

206 W 118th Street

NYC

212-243-2222

www.mintonsharlem.com

Sari Kessler Quintet with John di Martino on piano, Steve Whipple on bass.

No cover charge!

BIOGRAPHY

To say that Sari Kessler has traveled a long way in her shoes is more than a metaphor. The New York-based jazz singer, songwriter, and arranger is also an avid runner, and it was only after finishing her first half-marathon that she knew anything was possible. Trading in her hard-earned career as a clinical psychologist to be a full-time musician, Kessler has pursued jazz singing with likeminded persistence, achieving a deeply personal and soulful sound.

Kessler speaks to the hearts of her listeners by revealing her own. “I know my stories and I know myself,” she says. “Being an effective jazz singer means finding myself in the lyric, where I can invest each word with meaning.” Looking at a list of Kessler’s influences—including Carmen McRae, Nina Simone, and Ray Charles—highlights a tradition of great storytellers, each of whom carved an unbeaten path across the landscape of the Great American Songbook. While Kessler’s background in pop and soul gave her the foundation to use her voice as an expressive tool, it was Grammy-nominated singer and educator Kate McGarry who helped her investigate rhythmic and harmonic aspects of the jazz tradition in service of telling the story.

Kessler’s urge to sing has been central to her identity from a very young age. Though circumstance prevented her from actively pursuing it, now that she has, everything has come full circle. On that journey, Kessler has shared the stage with the legendary talents of Houston Person, Gene Bertoncini, and Phoebe Snow. She has also recorded or performed with eminent jazzmen Howard Alden, Tootie Heath, Harvie S, John di Martino, and Freddie Bryant, among others. Kessler has performed in the San Francisco Bay Area and at leading Manhattan venues such as 55 Bar, Somethin’ Jazz Club, Zeb’s, and The Rainbow Room. In the Hamptons, she’s been featured at Shelter Island Jazzfest, LI Winterfest, and The Art of Song Parlor Jazz Concert Series. Her wide-ranging resume also includes studio work, providing lead and background vocals for Miramax, public radio, and other corporate marketing ventures.

All of these experiences have nourished her appropriately titled debut Do Right, to be released in May 2016, an album that celebrates Kessler’s contemporary spirit while acknowledging the greats who inspire her. With freshly laced shoes and determination to match, Kessler now embarks on a marathon of even grander proportions.

EPK Link

CD Description

Sari Kessler’s debut album, Do Right, might read like an admonition to some, but for her it’s an inner edict—a way of life for an artist who does right by herself and the traditions that inspire her. As Kessler notes, “The title grew directly out of the process of making the record, from a commitment to the interior lives of the songs.” It’s an approach fully embodied in her take on Walk On By. The desolate trumpet of Nadje Noordhuis, which introduces the tune, proves complementary to Kessler’s story-driven delivery and ensures listeners they’re in for an emotionally genuine experience. Arranged by innovative producer James Shipp, the track exemplifies his ability to masterfully meld tradition with contemporary sensibilities.

The New Orleans-flavored, second-line treatment of After You’ve Gone spotlights Kessler’s playful delivery and interaction with the band. Indeed, drummer Willard Dyson and guitarist Ron Affif play as much off Kessler as the other way around. Her bold reading of the classic Sunny, arranged by Randy Porter, brings the listener through changes of meter and key, revealing a singer who can be nothing but herself, reclaiming joy and optimism at every turn. Meanwhile Too Close For Comfort, despite its jovial exterior, is a cautionary tale of boundaries gone awry.

The songs on Do Right, chosen as carefully as her musicians, yield a few emotional wallops—most notably, The Gal From Joe’s. In Kessler’s sober reading of this rarely-heard Duke Ellington tune, she patiently wades through pianist John di Martino’s gri evous waters, affording insight into a painful past. Kessler’s original, My Empty Bed Blues, holds its own in the present set list. This narrative of longing and solitude, elevated by the authority of Houston Person’s iconic sound, is perhaps the most universal of the tracks.

Kessler delivers the well-traveled ballad,I Thought About You, with a uniquely contemplative reading that guides the listener on a journey of introspection. Accompanied only by piano, she navigates Moonglow with tasteful phrasing and ornamentation. Before that, we are treated to declamatory readings of Why Don’t You Do Right? and The Frim Fram Sauce, a novelty song that Kessler turns into a viable statement on knowing what you want and getting it. And in the end, that’s all you need.

Track, (Time)

Walk On By (4:50)

After You’ve Gone (4:44)

Why Don’t You Do Right? (3:15)

The Gal From Joe’s (4:08)

Sunny (4:36)

It’s A Wonderful World (3:39)

I Thought About You (4:26)

The Frim Fram Sauce (4:07)

Feeling Good 4:59)

My Empty Bed Blues (4:21)

Too Close For Comfort (3:17)

Moonglow (2:44)

Player and instrument:

Sari Kessler- vocals

John di Martino- piano

Ron Affif- guitar

Steve Whipple- bass

Willard Dyson- drums

James Shipp- percussion

Houston Person- tenor saxophone

Nadje Noordhuis (pronounced Nadia Nordhouse)

LABtrio - The Howls Are Not What They Seem (2016)

Label:  

Source: LABtrio

Genre: Modern Creative

GAB's Rating: ★★★★★

LABtrio (Lander – Anneleen – Bram) are three musicians with strong personalities, endowed with a fresh and adventurous approach to music. The trio’s acoustic universe conceals an urban jazz that flirts with electronic, underground and hip-hop cultures.

Since the Trio’s founding in 2007, they have received several awards and prizes (including a superb double –  Audience Prize and Grand Prize – at the prestigious Avignon ‘Tremplin Jazz’ festival in 2011). Thanks to this price, they recorded their first album at the Studio la Buissone, Pernes-les fontaines in France. Their first album “Fluxus” released in October 2013 (Outhere records) – a real gem – constitutes testimony to what is the jazz of today, seen by this new generation of musicians.

In 2014, LABtrio participated at the  12 points festival in Umeå, and received a lot of positive feedback. Here is an inspiring description from their performance, written by Henning Bolte in All About Jazz – April 2014:

“The LAB trio-which is drummer Lander Gyselinck, bassist Anneleen Boehme and pianist Bram de Looze, then took off to a new shore of trioism, inducing a jaw-dropping, high level of musical experience through their miraculous interplay of characteristics including an amazing, mutual musical sensibility and agility, deep in-the-moment playing and delicate as well as thrilling timing, effortless execution and the sheer joy of performing. It all led to a great sound and gripping, infectious dynamics that rose, unfettered, to the apogee of the night.”  Read more...

 

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DINOSAUR - Together, As One (2016) EDITION RECORDS

DINOSAUR 'Together, As One' 

THE NEW ALBUM

Reserve your signed & numbered Vinyl & CD for Dinosaur's new album 'Together, As One'.

We're building up to the release of Dinosaur's new album 'Together, As One' on 16th Sept.

‘Together, As One’ is the third album as a leader from British award-winning trumpet player, composer and band-leader Laura Jurd and her debut with newly named band Dinosaur. 

Featuring Laura’s regular collaborators, friends and creative cohorts Elliot Galvin, Conor Chaplin and Corrie Dick, ‘Together, As One’ is a coherently powerful and bold album. It not only confirms her promise as one of the most important young musicians to emerge from the UK jazz scene in recent years but is also a statement that will launch her music into the international jazz world stratosphere.

On 19th July, we are making the pre-order link for the signed and numbered CD & LP available.

To reserve your copy, simply email 

reserve@editionrecords.com with your name and 

preferred format (CD and / or LP).

ALBUM LAUNCH // 3rd Nov 2016 at Kings Place, London

BOOK NOW

Gwen Hughes - Native Land (2016) ZOHO MUSIC

Americana-Jazz Singer Songwriter Gwen Hughes Signs with Grammy-winning ZOHO Music and Releases New Album Native Land

Shows to Benefit Usher’s New Look Foundation

“Remarkable Collection”—Blitz Magazine

“Gwen does it again. She touches the soul while you're tappin' your toes.”

—Bruce Pulver, Jazz Times

Gwen Hughes "Native Land"

Zoho ZM 201609

Street Date: July 1, 2016

Americana-jazz singer songwriter—Gwen Hughes has released her latest album, Native Land, on Grammy-winning ZOHO Music. To celebrate the album, Hughes has set music release parties in Atlanta and New York to benefit Usher’s New Look Foundation. 

Soundcloud link to review the album can be found here.

The 11 tracks on Native Land are exceptional examples of the craft of composition. Hughes writes stirring lyrics, sets them to well-contoured chord progressions, and brings the words to life with her exquisite voice. 

The album can be downloaded via iTunes here and CD Baby here. More information on Hughes and the upcoming album can be found at www.gwenhughes.com.

The music release parties are set in Atlanta at Eddie’s Attic on Wednesday, August 31 at 7 p.m. and New York at (le) Poisson Rouge on Monday, September 12 at 7 p.m. 

In addition to Native Land, Hughes has released six albums on Fairfield Records, starting with Torch Life in the 1990s up until her last album, Dancing in the Moonlight, recorded with her European band, Mono, featuring the greatest hits of their ten years of touring Eastern Europe.

Along the way, she has crooned from Paris to Istanbul, collaborated on a film about Elvis impersonators (We Three Kings), and appeared as a character in a detective novel (Phillip DePoy's, Dancing Made Easy, published by Dell.) In 2016, Gwen performed in Prague at the invitation of Emil Viklicky, the Czech Republic’s national jazz legend.

Gwen’s acting and music have been featured in such television series as Tyler Perry’s House of Payne to Travel Channel’s Faked Out. As a songwriter, her tunes have been in films such as The Love Orchard (2012), Crazy Eyes (2012), and on television shows including Man vs. Wild (Discovery Channel) and Big Ang (VH1). Most recently, Gwen can be seen in episodes of Tyler Perry’s If Loving You Is Wrong and the upcoming Dead Silent on Investigation Discovery. She recently wrote the theme music for the new web series, Good Samaritans. Also look for her in the upcoming IFC series, Stan Against Evil.

Offstage, Gwen is Board Governor with The Recording Academy, as well as Atlanta’s Grammy Foundation Ambassador (which preserves the American music heritage). She was also the Johnny Mercer “Artist in Residence” with the former GA Music Hall of Fame and instructor for The Otis Redding Foundation Songwriter Camp

Follow Gwen Hughes on social media via Facebook at /gwenhughesmusic, Twitter @gwenhughesmusic; and Instagram @gwenhughesmusic.

###

Gwen Hughes Media Contact:

Gina McKenzie, gina@gempr.biz, 404-557-8760

Zoho Music Media Contact

Jim Eigo Jazz Promo Services

Ph: 845-986-1677

jim@jazzpromoservices.com

www.jazzpromoservices.com

"Specializing in Media Campaigns for the music community, artists, labels, venues and events.”

Sean Wayland - Foodland (2016)

Label: Seed Music

Source: My Music Base

Genre: Jazz-Fusion/Soft-Rock

GAB's Rating: ★★★★★★★★★★

Reviewers have said "Music Pours easily from Sean Wayland" : limelight CD reviews

"Superman plays for keeps" : Sydney Morning Herald CD review

His was a musical family, his father's love of jazz enabled Sean to hear the music of Keith Jarrett, Chick Corea and others as a young child. His father's mother Muriel Cohen was a concert pianist and the first Australian to perform Olivier Messiaen's Catalogue D'Oiseax publicly. To this day Sean is still entranced by Debussy and Messiaen. Perhaps intimidated by living up to his family's talent, Sean chose to study the violin as a child. His interest in the piano increased and as a teenager he fooled around on the instrument. The fact that he was already an accomplished fiddler and had a busy schedule playing with school orchestras etc meant that he had little time to practise piano. In his final year of high school Sean met jazz pianist John Bostock. www.johnbostockmusic.com

At the time in Australia it was difficult to find out about jazz and John hipped Sean to the music of Miles Davis, Herbie Hancock and John Coltrane. After school Sean spent a couple of years at University studying Electrical Engineering, but the seed had been sown and he came to realise that his calling in life was to be a musician. Sean studied at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music in 1992 and 1993.

He has had numerous piano teachers including Mike Nock, Roger Frampton, Judy Bailey, Paul Macnamara in Australia. In New York he has studied with Barry Harris, Kevin Hayes , Geoff Keezer, George Colligan, Sam Yahel and Bruce Barth. While at the Conservatorium he received the Jack Chrostowski piano award. In 1993 he was a finalist in the National Jazz Piano Awards at the Wangaratta Festival. In 1999 Sean recieved a grant from the Australia Council to study jazz piano in New York which helped him to relocate there.

Sean has worked for a number of internationally renowned musicians including : David Binney, Madeliene Peyroux, Ingrid Jensen, Cornell Dupree, Jesse Harris, Sheryl Bailey, Gerald Hayes, Dale Barlow, Justine Clark, Phil Slater , Jackie Orsascky, Steve Hunter, James Muller and Steve Mckenna...

1. Fried Chicken Modulation 05:53
2. Help Me 04:22
3. The Princess and the Pad 04:59
4. What is it 05:03
5. Foodland 05:13
6. Softly Softly 03:53
7. Thunderbirds 03:56
8. Salad 03:43
9. Im Back 03:58
10.Angourie 06:29
11.Solo piano Brooklyn Recording 06:38
12.Gerry Lopez 03:13
13.Onwards and Sideways 04:35
14.Scum Valley Demo 01:10

Sean Wayland (piano, organ, keayboards)
Nate Wood (drums)
Sam Minaie (bass)
Ben Eunson (guitar)
Kate Kaye - Es (vocals)
James Muller - (guitar solo)
Tim Miller (guitar Solo) 

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Rok Zalokar Trio - Vol. 2 (2016)

Label: Self Released

Source: Rok Zalokar

Genre: Modern Creative

GAB's Rating: ★★★★☆

Rok Zalokar is a pianist and composer from Slovenia, currently living in Rotterdam, leading his trio, playing in experimental pop group Kukushai, playing and singing folk songs with Dvojina(Dual) and much much more!

In 2011 he started his own trio to play  original compositions and they soon gained a national recognition on the alternative scene. The songs that the trio was evolving trough frequent live shows were captured at one point of their existence and the result was debut trio album Vol. 1.(ZARS, 2o13). Since 2008 he was exploring the fusions of rock, jazz & ethno music with a quartet Vsemogocni Mlin, part of their diverse musical universe was released on Arbitrarij ( ZARS, 2012).

His work did not go unnoticed, besides playing some festivals,  Rok was awarded with Jazzon, award for best Slovenian jazz composition and with his trio he won the Jazzon live competition.In the March 2016 he was awarded with prestigious Erasmus jazz prize.

" My musical journey started in the early childhood, I was just one of those kids who really took it seriously with exploring parents' LP and cassette collection. There were all kinds of music, one of them that I was also able to see live a lot, was folk music, so this got me into playing the accordion. The piano and the guitar followed since there was so much different music that I wanted to experience. All those different "musics" along the way were the source of influence for me, and jazz, or more openly - improvised music, offers me a good way to express, connect and evolve those influences. Most of my today's work is oriented or derived from that and playing mostly original music feels like the best choice!"

1. Heart wants to be good 08:30
2. The alternative realities of my father 08:47
3. I hope, soon 05:06
4. I'm... 00:38
5. ...from... 04:41
6. ...old school 04:19
7. Same river 06:53
8. Prelude for towel, sheet and plastic bag 02:03
9. Spartacus 05:57
10.Homebound 09:25
   

Jože Cesar - drums
Dejan Hudoklin - bass
Rok Zalokar - keys 

Andy Fusco - Whirlwind (2016)

Label:

Source: Proper Music

Genre: Post-bop

GAB's Rating: ★★★★★

Veteran altoist Andy Fusco makes his belated SteepleChase leader debut here with this 2003 quintet recording, showcasing his intense and strong command of the instrument in the bebop tradition.

Growing up in New Jersey his interests were music and football. He first studied at the Syracuse University with football scholarship. After almost making it to NFL Fusco diverted his attention to music and landed the lead alto saxophone post at the Buddy Rich Big Band (1978-1983). He has performed and recorded with Gerry Mulligan, Mel Lewis and Walt Weiskopf, to mention a few. Fusco is also a dedicated educator currently a member of the Music Faculty of Kean University, New Jersey.

 "Andy Fusco is a player's player, a steely-edged bopper whose wide swaths suggest Bird as well as Trane." - Chuck Berg, JazzTimes

"We can be grateful for being exposed to yet another substantial jazz man who is on the rise and will hopefully be bringing us much more great music in the coming years." - Andrew Hovan, AllaboutJazz 

01. Acceptance
02. Count's The Thing
03. Waltz For Judy
04. Django
05. The Touch Of Your Lips
06. Whirlwind
07. How About Me
08. In Dominic's Time

ANDY FUSCO, alto sax
JOHN MOSCA, trombone
JOEL WEISKOPF, piano
DENNIS IRWIN, bass
BILLY DRUMMOND, drums

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Joel Weiskopf - Where Angels Fear To Tread (2016)

Label: 

Source: Proper Music

Genre: Hard-bop

GAB's Rating: ★★★★★

Award-winning pianist/composer Joel Weiskopf has long been established in the straightahead jazz scene in the USA and abroad. While he has released a number of leader albums, this is his debut leader outing on SteepleChase.

On this album Weiskopf brings out his time-tested repertoire (all originals plus Bill Evans' "Time Remembered") for a quintet date with his Syracuse compatriots, trumpeter Joe Magnarelli and saxophonist Andy Fusco, plus drumming sensation Jaimeo Brown.

"Joel Weiskopf is a serious jazz pianist with an individualistic style that is an amalgam of a great number of influences from American jazz to Brazilian samba." - C. Andrew Hovan 

01. Patience
02. Breakthrough
03. Came to Believe
04. Love Song
05. Elegy for D Sharpe
06. Lonely Evening
07. Where Angels Fear to Tread
08. Time Remembered
09. Free Fall

Joel Weiskopf (piano)

Joe Magnarelli (trumpet, flugelhorn)

Andy Fusco (alto and soprano saxophone)

Doug Weiss (bass)

Jaimeo Brown (drums) 

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Harold Danko - Lost In The Breeze (2016)

Label:

Source: Jazz Messengers

Genre: Piano Trio

GAB's Rating: ★★★★★

 Harold Danko is a perfect example of a veteran musician who might not be recognized by the average jazz listener but who is composing interesting originals and finding new approaches to others' songs. An underrated but consistently creative modern jazz pianist, Danko has been an asset to many sessions through the years. From the Thad Jones-Mel Lewis Orchestra, Lee Konitz, or as the pianist of choice for Chet Baker.

Many of his CDs have been for the Danish label Steeplechase and fans will discover on our website easy access to the wealth of great music that Danko has recorded for the label since the mid-'90s, which features fresh interpretations of familiar songs along with deserving but lesser-known works. This trio session with Jay Anderson on bass, who steps in replacing Michael Formanek – who is currently involved in his on projects like the fascinating Ensemble Kolossus  - and Jeff Hirsfield on drums perform eight original compositions plus two Duke Jordan tunes, "Paula" and "If I Did - Would You?", which Duke performed on his classic 1974 SteepleChase album 'Flight to Denmark'. This is not a typical piano-bass-drums session, but one where all three players are actively engaged in interplay, rather than just a "follow the leader" date.

01. Fall Splits
02. Homing Instinct
03. Big Squeeze
04. Lost in the Breeeze
05. Salt ‘n’ Sugar
06. Stumble Crush
07. Fish Road
08. Paula
09. If I Did - Would You?
10. Singularity

HAROLD DANKO, piano
JAY ANDERSON, bass
JEFF HIRSFIELD. drums

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