Trioen har Morten Elbek, kendt som både altsaxofonist og guitarist i det Århusianske musikmiljø, i front, og han bliver bakket op af trommeslageren Johnnie McCoy og ikke mindst bassisten Jonathan Bremer, som blandt andet er kendt for sit samarbejde med Niels Lan Doky. Mathias Heise gæsteoptræder med kromatisk mundharpe på tre af numrene. Det særlige ved STAR EYES er, at kernen i sounden konsekvent er den spanske guitar. Den giver forlener numrene med antydningen af en latinsk stemning og i den henseende er harpen og guitaren et indlysende match. Alle numrene på pladen hører til blandt jazzverdenens mest kendte standards, bortset fra det knap så kendte titelnummer, STAR EYES, og et enkelt originalt nummer skrevet af Morten Elbek.
The Carsten Dahl Experience is back with a new album, their fourth since their formation in 2007. It all began when renowned Danish jazz pianist Carsten Dahl decided to gather some of his favorite musicians from the Danish jazz stage for a line-up in what he called a “spiritual and musical vision pointing in a lyrical direction and towards abstract music” - a group whose aim was to grow wings with the creation of music. On Caleidoscopia, they manage to levitate once again.
The Carsten Dahl Experience consists of Carsten Dahl on piano, Jesper Zeuthen on altosax, Nils Davidsen on bass and Stefan Pasborg on drums. Even though they’ll be celebrating their decennial playing together next year, their friendship and understanding of one another doesn’t make their music trivial in any way; rather, it forces them to reach higher and more complicated grounds in order to bring forward musical surprises. It’s improvisational jazz at it’s best: The music multiplies and splits up in colourful patterns and rearranges itself into ever-varying themes and motifs; like the myriad of colours and form-shifting patterns you see when looking through a kaleidoscope.
"The quartet is the closest Denmark comes to having a Jazz super group. Here, Dahl's music gets the response it requires. [...]. It's in the contrasts between quiet moments and explosive instants that the album finds its greatest strengths. According with the album title, beauty appears kaleidoscopically in a wealth of musical colours."
Award winning jazz pianist/composer Carl Winther (b. 1984 in Denmark) has already established himself in the international elite instrumentalist circuit of younger generation. Growing up in a musical family with his father, renowned trumpeter Jens Winther (1960 – 2011) Carl embarked on his professional music career while still a teenager performing and recording with Billy Hart, Jerry Bergonzi, Bill Evans, George Garzone, Adam Nussbaum, Dick Oats, and Doug Raney to mention a few. “Carl Winther is an enterprising and original pianist and composer. He has toured all over the world, and is a representative of the high standard of Danish jazz internationally.” (Quintonic – album review)
First Word are proud to present ‘OnePointOne’ from Myele Manzanza, recorded live at the legendary Blue Whale in Los Angeles. The son of a Congolese master percussionist, New Zealand born Myele first gained international attention as one third of NZ soul act, Electric Wire Hustle. After six years of performing, recording and touring with the band that he formed, he left in 2013 in order to release his solo debut One (BBE). By this time Myele had become an in-demand musician, culminating in 2014 when he joined dance music pioneer Theo Parrish as the drummer of his live outfit The Unit. As a drummer and a sideman he continues to tour internationally and collaborate with a broad range of artists including Mark de Clive-Lowe, FW label-mate Ross McHenry, Sorceress, Amp Fiddler, Miguel Atwood-Ferguson, Marcus Strickland, Recloose, Jordan Rakei and most recently joining Australian contemporary dance company, KAGE, in their forthcoming dance and drum based performance Out Of Earshot.
His roots in jazz and African rhythm, (as well as his childhood love of hip hop and dance music) bring a uniquely diverse take to his music. This is evident on OnePointOne, where he fuses a traditional jazz trio with a string quartet, underpinned with an undeniable hip-hop swagger. The album features the stellar talents of pianist/programmer Mark de Clive-Lowe, and the Quartetto Fantastico string quartet led by Miguel Atwood-Ferguson (Suite For Ma Dukes), virtuoso bassist Ben Shepherd and guest vocalists Nia Andrews and Charlie K. The dynamic rendition of City Of Atlantis was deftly arranged by Miguel Atwood-Ferguson and captured in a stunning live video by Eric Coleman of Mochilla (Timeless, Suite for Ma Dukes)
As well as live takes on some of the material from his debut album, there are covers of Theo Parrish, Jill Scott and the late, great Bobby Hutcherson, capturing an intimate performance from a fearless artist at the hub of the resurgent West Coast Jazz scene.
On 'U-Turn', Fabrizio Graceffa is reunited with is longtime quartet featuring drummer Teun Verbruggen, bass player Boris Schmidt and trumpet player Jean Paul Estiévenart. The quartet is extended with first class musicians Nicolas Kummert (sax) and the young French trombonist Edouard Wallyn.
U-Turn is the second album by Belgium / Italian guitarist Fabrizio Graceffa. As on his previous album ‘Stories’ the influence of his musical heroes like Pat Metheny, John Scofield, Bill Frisell but also Jimi Hendrix and B.B King is clearly present. It is eclectic roadtrip through American and European jazz, folk, country, rock and even some classical elements. Like a musical road movie the music fits excellent while travelling!
In the 2011, I spent a lot of time in New York city. It had been a good year for me, one tour after another had allowed me to come regularly to NYC. The city was beginning to feel like a second home.
Whenever I had the chance, I would go and listen to one of my favourite musicians, the Brazilian drummer Portinho, who regularly performs in a club on 49th street. That's how I met Klaus Mueller as he plays piano in Portinho's trio.
Working as a session musician for years with so many different artists, I often dreamed of starting up my own project but somehow I'd always end up putting the idea to one side, I didn't feel ready to take that leap.
But over the years, the lingering sense that something was still missing acted as a constant reminder for me to keep looking, eventually something had to give and that's how the trio was born.
Hanging with Klaus one evening, he said to me, 'whenever you want, we can book a studio and record'.
By chance, that same evening, Brandi Disterheft was playing bass with Portinho too. Listening to her play that night and after exchanging a few words with her, I instinctively knee she was the right person, the third link in the trio.
Klaus is an extraordinary musician, Besides being a great pianist and arranger, he's become a great friend. Klaus brings such a positive energy and professionalism to everything he does and when I play with him, I can feel how he always searches for just the right depth and essence of each musical idea that spontaneously comes to him.
His contribution to the making of this album as well as to the arrangements were key to its creation. Music runs through him, he's a true friend.
Brandi was a wonder too, she's such a terrific musician and an exceptional double bassist, and like Klaus, she brought such great energy to our collaboration with her creativity and spark of humour. She brings a wonderful enthusiasm to everything she does and it's one of her many talents.
Thanks to her, I realized that you don't ever just finish an album with the last take, the moment you put away your cymbals and drumsticks.
That's not how it works and Brandi gave me a lot of very practical help and advised me throughout the various stages an album has to go through before it crosses the finish line. Her friendship and trust were invaluable.
The first few times we got together during our days off at Klaus' place. We didn't really rehearse, we just hung out. We'd look briefly at the compositions, chat and drink coffee.
I had this idea to record some grooves that I had in mind but it was Klaus who brought them into the world, producing and arranging the songs enriching the original rhythmic ideas and melodic compositions.
One of my jobs was to deal with time and money and rightly so! When the monent came for us to record, I booked the studio for a few hours, enough for us to play some takes of each song.
In the end, these conditions far from limiting us turned out to be ideal. There was such a great atmosphere that the music just came to us as easily as the friendship had, in a natural and easy flow. Now that we were friends, playing music together took us to a deeper level, that's the gift it brings us. We had such a great time, we always do when we play; I hope people will get that in our music, the way we did when we played those sessions in Brooklyn.
1. Cycles (K.Mueller)
2. Double Blues (K. Mueller)
3. On Green Dolphin Street (B.Kaper / N. Washington)
Stella By Starlight, My Foolish Heart, Johnny Guitar, Beautiful Love – just a few of the iconic American Songbook titles by Victor Young, whose music has been an important part of the repertoire of guitarist Vic Juris for many years. Juris dedicates the whole album here to the undisputed giant of the American film music composer of the last century.
“Two outstanding qualities characterize Vic Juris’ playing. One is his embodiment of the jazz tradition, while always stretching his scope and reaching for new possibilities and concepts. The other is his almost uncanny ability to hear and communicate the totality of the music he is playing, from beginning to end, including what is going on around him in the group and his many references to the jazz legacy.”
This is the second CD Ivo Perelman recorded with Karl Berger. However, on the first CD ( CD LR 712 - Reverie) Karl played piano while this time he played vibraphone. This was the first time ever that Ivo played with vibraphone. Both albums are very different because of the nature of the instruments.
Playing with vibraphone opened the door for Ivo to show his kinder, gentler side. According to Ivo, Karl happened to be more 'European,' more romantic.
01. The Shadowy Path 6:36
02. The Well Of Memory 8:14
03. Twilight 4:22
04. Unspoken Feelings 4:49
05. The Hitchhiker 4:01
06. Pride And Prejudice 2:48
07. Extremely Loud While Incredibly Quiet 1:19
08. Engulfed In Flames 2:52
09. Zen And The Art Of Improvisation 1:51
10. The Sound Of Bliss 6:31
11. Well-Behaved Quarter Notes 4:38
Ivo Perelman tenor saxophone
Karl Berger vibraphone
Recorded at Parkwest Studios, Brooklyn, NY July 2015
Paul Heller has proved that he can serve up classic and modern across a number of albums. And on the album Good Times, Paul Heller displays a new aspect; Good Times grooves like hell. The 10 original compositions really make you want to dance! Paul Heller is a WDR Big Band saxophonist and the artistic director of his own concert series "Next Level Jazz" in Cologne. A true all-star line-up was invited into the Hansahaus Studio in Bonn for this energetic three and a half hour recording session that bubbles over with exuberant playing. He tailor-made nine compositions for the group as well as a bonus track recorded during an overdub session: Jazz piano professor Olaf Polziehn from Graz, Metropole Orchestra guitarist Peter Thiehuis, NDR Big Band bassist Ingmar Heller, and world-class drummer Wolfgang Haffner.
