Bon Voyage Organisation - (Loin des) Rivages (March 4, 2022)

"Our last album, La Course (2020) was released during the lockdown. Inspired by the feedback from listeners, who received the music with special attention, the idea and need for (Loin des) Rivages was born. We got out of confinement to join the musicians in the studio."

Bon Voyage Organisation is above all the story of the construction of an ensemble, the quest for harmony, through music, between beings. A central leitmotiv in Adrien Durand's composition and production work for almost ten years.

Emancipated from all constraints and affirming the radical choice - previously initiated with La Course - of an entirely instrumental sound, (Loin des) Rivages was recorded over five days in June 2020 at Jean-Benoit Dunkel's Studio Atlas (Air) and mixed the following summer by Adrien Durand in his Parisian studio, Bureau 12. It was an orchestrated performance considering that all ten tracks were played live, gathering up to thirteen musicians in the same room.

This close collaboration allowed Adrien Durand and the members of the ensemble to transcend themselves. Together, they deliver the incredible energy of Sentier des Orpailleurs (and Adrian Edeline's superb solo), the depth of melancholy of Apacheta (co-written and co-arranged by Adrien Durand and Gustave Rudman), and the originality of Et s'éveillent...

Inspired by the great explorers of the soul: Sun Ra, Moondog, Coltrane - a cover of his Naïma actually opens the album - Adrien Durand mixes humanity’s first instruments (the percussions and the winds) with its latest ones (the mixing tables and the synthesizers). Thus, he continues the most interesting yet rewarding artistic journey: The journey inward, far from the standards of civilization, in the heart of what some can take for madness, reaching into a jungle of the soul so marvelously represented in Clément Vuillet’s artwork.

This is not an intellectual record but rather a spiritual effort, because, as Adrien Durand likes to repeat in his concerts: "Let us step into music as we step into a sanctuary." 

1. Naïma

2. Yuseef (Trouver le soleil dans chaque jour de pluie)

3. Pyramis

4. Et s‘Eveillent

5. Première vue d‘Apacheta

6. Les Joncques

7. Les Pêcheurs

8. Apacheta

9. Le Sentier des Orpailleurs

10. Passage

Rhythm Section :

Adrien Durand : Piano, Bass Synthesizer, Organ, Synthesizers, Vibraphone.

Maxime Kosinetz : Additional Synthesizers on Yuseef.

Adrian Edeline : Acoustic and Electric Guitar.

Pedro Barrios : Congas, Percussions, Cavaquinho, Vibraphone.

Wendy Killman : Drums, Timbales, Glockenspiel.

Arnaud Biscaye : Drums, Marimba, Kayambe, Triangle.

Additional Musicians :

Emma Broughton : Alto & Bass Flute.

Julien Cavard : Soprano Saxophone, Flute.

Arnaud Sèche : Alto & Soprano Flute.

Adrien Soleiman : Tenor & Baryton Saxophone.

Tanguy Jouanjan : Trumpet, Flugelhorn.

Malvina Meinier : Baldwin Harpsichord (Apacheta).

Gustave Rudman : Solina String Synthesizer (Apacheta).

All tracks Composed & Arranged by Adrien Durand except :

Naïma composed by Saint John Coltrane arranged by Adrien Durand & Julien Cavard; Yuseef composed by Adrien Durand & Maxime Kosinetz, Woodwind arrangements by Adrien Durand & Julien Cavard; Et S'éveillent arranged by Adrien Durand & Pedro Barrios; Apacheta composed & arranged by Adrien Durand & Gustave Rudman; Le Sentier des Orpailleurs Woodwind arrangements by Adrien Durand & Julien Cavard

Recorded @StudioAtlas June 2020

Engineer : Maxime Kosinetz

Assistant engineer : Michael Tainturier

Mixed by Adrien Durand @Bureau12

Produced by Adrien Durand for L’Invitation Musicale

Mastered by Antoine "Chab" Chabert

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Etubom Rex Williams - Ubok Aka Inua (March 4, 2022 We Are Busy Bodies)

Originally released in 1976, Ubok Aka Inua is the fifth album by legendary Nigerian saxophonist and band leader, Etubom Rex Williams.

The album features Psychedelic Shoes and One Woman Is Enough Trouble, both heard on countless funk and soul compilations.

The album was restored from the original tapes by Noah Mintz and artwork restored and recreated by Steve Lewin.

"Etubom Rex Williams occupies the genuine space of legend of Nigerian Highlife. His incredible professionalism, vast body of work and huge personality, established him as a veritable force of the genre quite early in his career. A case quite similar to another teenage prodigy of Highlife Music, Sir Victor Uwaifo. However any accolades he earned were well deserved and based on a platform of hard graft and genuine love for his art. He like Uwaifo, straddles the Inter-generational gap between the old masters of Highlife such as Bobby Benson, E.C.Arinze, Inyang Henshaw, Dr Victor Olaiya etc and the latter generation of Eddy Okweddy, Orlando Owoh, Tunji Oyelana, Eric Akaeze, Osayomore Joseph et al." - Ed Keazor, Music in Africa

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Trioglodyte with Karen Hu - Jazz from the Underground Nightclubs of Aotearoa Vol. 7 (March 3, 2022 Kiwijahzz)

1. Old Gospel

2. Black & Tan Fantasy

3. Look Down

4. Der Leiermann

Trioglodyte

Jeff Henderson - alto / baritone saxophones, clarinet

Eamon Edmundsen-Wells - bass

Chris O'Connor - drums

with special guest

Karen Hu - drums

Recorded live at the Wine Cellar, Tāmaki Makaurau, Aotearoa - New Zealand on February 4, 2021 by Rohan Evans

Mixed and mastered by Jeff Henderson

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Jas Kayser - JAS 5IVE (April 15, 2022 jazz re:freshed)

Following in the footsteps of UK jazz heavyweights, Nubya Garcia, Ashley Henry & Kaidi Tatham, London-based, Berklee-trained drummer/composer and Jazz FM's Breakthrough Act of 2021, Jas Kayser unveils her much anticipated debut album in 2022 for Jazz re:freshed's iconic 5ive series.

With meditative jazz arrangements, finessed afrobeat fusions and energising studio production, Jas 5ive offers a sincere and candid reflection on themes of identity, self-discovery and family as well as navigating deep questions, from Jas's upbringing to her travels abroad.

1. DARKNESS IN THE LIGHT FEAT. AVA JOSEPH AND GIACOMO SMITH

2. DREAM

3. JAMIE’S BLUES

4. HALF-RACE FACE FEAT. AALVK

5. STUPID ON THE BEAT (INSTRUMENTAL)

Drums - Jas Kayser

Percussion - Joao Caetano

Upright Bass - Daisy George

Electric Guitar - Jamie Leeming

Tenor Sax - Mark Hurrell

Alto Sax - Giacomo Smith

Trumpet - Christos Stylianides

Vocals - Ava Joseph

Spoken Word - Ash Kayser A.K.A Aalvk

Produced by: Jas Kayser, Giacomo Smith, Lewis Durham, Kitty Durham

Date recorded: 13th-15th Sept 2021

Recording by Lewis Durham at Durham Sound Studios, London N.W.1.

Mixed by Lewis and Kitty Durham, Giacomo Smith and Jas Kayser at Durham Sound Studios, London N.W.1

Mastered by L and G Durham at The Exchange Mastering Studios, London N.W.1

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Trombone Shorty - Lifted (April 29, 2022 Blue Note)

New Orleans Icon Trombone Shorty Bottles Explosive Live Show Energy On New Studio Album Lifted

Release Date: April 29th 2022

*Special guests Gary Clark Jr., Lauren Daigle, and The New Breed Brass Band *

Shares New Single “Come Back”

Trombone Shorty returns with Lifted, his first album in 5 years and the follow-up to his Blue Note debut Parking Lot Symphony, featuring special guests including vocalist Lauren Daigle & guitarist Gary Clark Jr. An album that captures the energy of his legendary live shows, Lifted combines classic New Orleans sounds (funk, gospel, street rhythms, Mardi Gras Indian chants & second lines) with modern lyrics, melody & beats to create something fresh & unique. Part Jimi Hendrix, part James Brown and all New Orleans, Troy “Trombone Shorty” Andrews is the bandleader and frontman of Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue, a hard-edged funk band that employs brass-band beats, rock dynamics & improvisation in a jazz tradition.

If the digital album is purchased, you will receive the full album via email on April 29th, 2022.

Standard digital downloads are delivered as MP3 44.1khz/24-bit audio files.

Please note, digital downloads are only available in the U.S.

Photo: Trombone Shorty by Justen Williams

1. Come Back

2. Lie to Me

3. I’m Standing Here (Feat. Gary Clark, Jr.)

4. What It Takes (Feat. Lauren Daigle)

5. Everybody in the World (Feat. New Breed Brass Band)

6. Lifted

7. Forgiveness

8. Miss Beautiful

9. Might Not Make It Home

10. Good Company

Trombone Shorty – 2022 UK Tour dates:

May 20 – Academy 2 – Birmingham, UK

May 21 – SWG3 Studio Warehouse – Glasgow, UK

May 23 – Roundhouse – London, UK

May 24 – O2 Ritz Manchester – Manchester, UK

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Norah Jones - Come Away With Me: 20th Anniversary Super Deluxe Edition (April 29, 2022 Blue Note)

20 years ago, on February 26, 2002, a hard-to-categorize album by an unknown 22-year-old singer, songwriter, and pianist was released with modest expectations. Released by the legendary jazz label Blue Note Records, it wasn’t a jazz album, nor did it resemble anything else on the pop landscape of 2002. But Come Away With Me, the debut album by Norah Jones, would go on to charm the world and introduce one of the greatest voices of our time. The album steadily grew into a global phenomenon, reaching #1 in 20 countries, selling nearly 30 million copies, and sweeping the 2003 GRAMMY Awards with eight wins including Album of the Year, Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best New Artist.

On April 29, Blue Note will release Come Away With Me: 20th Anniversary Super Deluxe Edition, a remarkable 44-track collection that captures the emergence of a singular talent and reveals for the first time the full story of the making of this now-classic album. In addition to a remaster of the original album, which was produced by Arif Mardin, the Super Deluxe Edition also includes 22 previously unreleased tracks including the original demos that Norah submitted to Blue Note, the complete First Session demos she made after being signed, and the first version of the album that Norah made at Allaire Studios with producer Craig Street, most of which has never been heard before and offers a fascinating look at the album that might have been.

The 20th Anniversary Super Deluxe Edition was produced by Eli Wolf and will be released digitally and physically as a 4-LP vinyl set and a 3-CD set, both of which come in premium packaging with an extensive booklet featuring new liner notes by Norah and rare session photos. Standalone 1-LP and 1-CD versions of the remastered original album will also be released. All formats are available for pre-order now. The never-before-released alternate version of Norah’s song “Come Away With Me” from The Allaire Sessions is available to stream or download today.

In February 2002, America was still emerging from the dark shadows of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, and Norah’s voice and music—pure, warm, and reassuring—struck a deep emotional chord with listeners the world over. Norah had moved from Texas to New York City in 1999 after spending two years as a jazz piano major at the University of North Texas. While playing jazz gigs at restaurants around town, Norah also fell in with a circle of singer-songwriters including Jesse Harris and Richard Julian who played often at the Living Room on the Lower East Side and inspired her to broaden the creative pathways she might one day take.

On Norah’s 21st birthday, EMI Publishing employee Shell White heard her performing at a jazz brunch and arranged a meeting with Blue Note President Bruce Lundvall. A month later Norah was in Lundvall’s office playing him her 3-song demo CD, which included two jazz songs: “Walkin’ My Baby Back Home” and a remarkably self-assured version of the standard “Spring Can Really Hang You Up The Most” that Norah had recorded in her high school band room accompanying herself on piano. The last song on the CD was one of Harris’ that leaned more in a singer-songwriter direction with Harris on acoustic guitar and Lee Alexander on bass.

Soon after, Lundvall signed Norah to a demo deal, and by the time she went into the recording studio she had decided to focus primarily on new originals written by Harris, Alexander, and herself. “The very first song we did in those sessions was one of Jesse’s, called ‘Don’t Know Why’ that we hadn’t yet played live,” Norah recalls in the new collection’s liner notes. “We got it on the first try and it just felt great, one of those magical, easy takes. When we walked back into the control room to listen, [engineer] Jay [Newland] was over the moon. It really built my confidence for the rest of the session and set the tone for what we were going for. After all was said and done, it was this version that ended up on the final record, with only some harmonies and a doubled guitar added to it.”

Lundvall loved what he heard and signed Norah as a Blue Note artist, and she began to prepare to record her debut album. “Cassandra Wilson’s New Moon Daughter had been a favorite album of mine and was a big inspiration for the kind of record I wanted to make,” Norah writes. “Since I loved the instrument choices (beautiful slide and acoustic guitars) and the production, I asked Bruce if I could meet with Craig Street, who produced it. Craig and I met a few times and got along really well. He liked the demos and said we should put those out as the record or use most of them, but I was really excited to explore a slightly different vibe, one I knew he could help me find.”

Norah and Street went into Allaire Studios near Woodstock in upstate New York with some of her favorite musicians including Bill Frisell and Kevin Breit on guitars, Brian Blade and Kenny Wollesen on drums, Rob Burger on accordion and organ, and Alexander on bass. “Nearly everything we recorded felt special. We re-recorded most of the songs from the demos to see where else we could take them,” Norah recalls. But during the mixing session Norah began to question whether they had gone too far with some of the songs and wondered if Street had been right about the strength of the demos.

After delivering the Allaire mixes to Blue Note, Lundvall came to the same conclusion that the new recordings had strayed too far from what was so special about the demos. It was decided that Norah should go back into the studio to start again with Arif Mardin producing. They ended up keeping three songs from the Allaire sessions (“Seven Years,” “Feelin’ The Same Way,” and “The Long Day Is Over”), two from the demo sessions (“Don’t Know Why” and “Turn Me On”), and recorded nine additional songs that hewed more closely to the spirit of the demos. The resulting album became Come Away With Me.

Now, 20 years later, Norah decided to release the Allaire version of the album. “It’s been a bit like time traveling to some alternate universe of the album that nobody ever heard,” she says. “When I approached Craig to tell him about it, he suggested we ask Tony Maserati to ‘balance’ the recordings. This brought my vocal to the front more and I can finally hear my little 22-year-old self trying new things and fitting into the music around me just fine. Re-visiting these sessions after listening to them only once in the last 20 years has been a lovely surprise. I’m so glad to finally re-unite with Craig and get a chance to finish what we started together. I learned a lot from him, and I always think of that time upstate as a sort of dreamy fantasy, and I still get that feeling when I listen to these recordings.”

As Norah reflects back upon Come Away With Me, she says “I was incredibly proud of this album and so thankful to everyone who made it with me…I figured it was a good first try and felt that it truly captured who I was – musically – at that time, which made me the proudest and is all you can really hope for when making a record. In the end I was so thankful that I got to explore a few different paths before putting them all together. No one, including the label, had any idea it would reach the success that it did. I’m forever grateful to Bruce and the very special team at Blue Note for giving me the chance to find my sound through all of it and for never telling me who I had to be.”

Come Away With Me—2oth Anniversary Super Deluxe Edition – Track Listing:

DISC 1

Come Away With Me – 20th Anniversary Remaster

1 Don’t Know Why

2 Seven Years

3 Cold Cold Heart

4 Feelin’ The Same Way

5 Come Away With Me

6 Shoot The Moon

7 Turn Me On

8 Lonestar

9 I’ve Got To See You Again

10 Painter Song

11 One Flight Down

12 Nightingale

13 The Long Day Is Over

14 The Nearness Of You

DISC 2

The Demos

1 Spring Can Really Hang You Up the Most

2 Walkin’ My Baby Back Home

3 World of Trouble

First Sessions Outtakes

4 The Only Time

5 I Didn’t Know About You

6 Something Is Calling You (tabla version)

7 Just Like A Dream Today

8 When Sunny Gets Blue

9 What Am I To You

10 Hallelujah I Love Him So

11 Daydream

All tracks above previously unreleased

First Sessions EP

12 Don’t Know Why

13 Come Away With Me

14 Something Is Calling You

15 Turn Me On

16 Lonestar

17 Peace

These 6 demos previously released as the promo-only First Sessions EP

DISC 3

The Allaire Sessions

1 I’ll Be Your Baby Tonight

2 I’ve Got To See You Again *

3 What Would I Do

4 Come Away With Me *

5 Picture In A Frame **

6 Nightingale *

7 Peace *

8  What Am I To You *

9 Painter Song *

10 Turn Me On *

11 A Little At A Time

12 One Flight Down *

13 Fragile

* alternate version

** alternate mix

All tracks previously unreleased except “I’ll Be Your Baby Tonight” and “Picture In A Frame”

PRE-ORDER

Joel Ross - The Parable of the Poet (April 15, 2022 Blue Note)

Vibraphonist and composer Joel Ross returns with stunning conviction on The Parable of the Poet, an expansive album-length suite composed by Ross which marks his 3rd release for Blue Note following his 2019 debut KingMaker and 2020’s Who Are You?. The Parable of the Poet will be released April 15 on vinyl, CD, and digital formats, and is introduced today with the sublime opening movement “PRAYER” which is available to stream or download now.

Steadfast in his commitment to skewing perceptions of improvisation and written composition, Ross explores new territory with his 8-piece Parables band, bringing together young artists of sharply defined expression: Blue Note labelmate Immanuel Wilkins on alto saxophone, Maria Grand on tenor saxophone, Marquis Hill on trumpet, Kalia Vandever on trombone, Sean Mason on piano, Rick Rosato on bass, Craig Weinrib on drums, and special guest Gabrielle Garo on flute.

The album embodies Ross’ collaborative spirit. His lyrical aesthetic activates an ebb and flow from one movement to the next. Moments of intentional discourse drive sections of collective melody and spontaneous counterpoint. “This band is more than just the instruments,” says the Chicago-born, New York City-based artist. “Every person on here means something to me. They’re all my friends. Everybody involved committed themselves to the vision.”

Ross’ vision for the music is at once explicit and mysterious. He seeks to express themes present in parable tellings and retellings, while leaving each story’s particulars open to interpretation. Each title of the 7-movement suite references an emotional decision or experience for Ross. But in the studio he focused on fresh interpretations, allowing his past experiences to exist without dictating the band’s present treatment of the music. “I told them, ‘This is what the music is and this is how I want you to approach it — let everything we play be inspired by the melody.’ Not much else was decided,” says Ross, who enjoys “blurring the lines between melody and improvisation,” in part, as a way to facilitate communication and meaningful musical discourse.

Obscuring divisions between scripted and spontaneous is more than a romantic notion. For Ross, it’s truthful and intrinsic. Each composition he explores on The Parable of the Poet represents a near intact improvisation, some dating back to 2017, all of which emerged during creative sessions with his friend and colleague, saxophonist Sergio Tabanico. “We would record it, then I would go back and flesh out the composition,” he says. “I tried my best not to change any harmonic information or add too much more than what was already there. I just tried to organize the information in a manner that would yield sensible improvised group interaction, while giving enough direction.”

That choice prompts striking moments of deep listening and self-orchestrating among Ross and his fellow artists. The first movement “PRAYER” sets a tone of rumination and collective inquiry. Apart from Ross’ tender solo introduction, the piece exercises restraint. “There’s no one person who’s taking the mic,” says Ross. “Everyone has a moment of playing the theme,” kindling shared navigation and discourse.

1. PRAYER

2. GUILT

3. CHOICES

4. WAIL

5. THE IMPETUS (To Be And Do Better)

6. DOXOLOGY (Hope)

7. BENEDICTION

Joel Ross - Vibraphone

Immanuel Wilkins - Alto Saxophone 

Marquis Hill - Trumpet

Maria Grand - Tenor Saxophone

Kalia Vandever - Trombone

Gabrielle Garo - Flute

Sean Mason - Piano

Rick Rosato - Bass

Craig Weinrib - Drums

JOEL ROSS – 2022 TOUR DATES:

April 8: Annenberg Center – Philadelphia, PA

April 9: Kupferberg Center for the Arts – Flushing, Queens

April 14: Jefferson Center – Roanoke, VA

April 15: Christina Cultural Arts Center – Wilmington, DE

April 16: BlackRock Center for the Arts – Germantown, MD

April 23: Cullen Theater at Wortham Theater Center – Houston, TX

April 24: Duet – Tulsa, OK

May 7: Capitol Bop – Washington, DC

May 8: Creative Alliance – Baltimore, MD

May 10: Robin Hixon Theater – Norfolk, VA

May 13-14: The Jazz Gallery – New York, NY

June 25: The Cube – Detroit, MI

June 28: Victoria Jazz Festival – Victoria, BC

June 29: Vancouver Jazz Festival – Vancouver, BC

June 30: Earshot Jazz Festival – Seattle, WA

July 6-24: European Tour TBA

August 11: The Lodge Room – Los Angeles, CA

August 12: San Jose Jazz Festival – San Jose, CA

August 13-14: Telluride Jazz Festival – Telluride, CO

August 17: Myrna Loy Center – Helena, MT

September 20: Musical Instrument Museum – Phoenix, AZ

September 22: Outpost Performance Space – Albuquerque, NM

September 23: SFJAZZ – San Francisco, CA

September 24: Monterey Jazz Festival – Monterey, CA

September 26: For the Love of Jazz – Reno, NV

October 14: University of Chicago – Chicago, IL

October 16: Wisconsin Union Theater – Madison, WI

PRE-ORDER

Melissa Aldana - 12 Stars (March 4, 2022 Blue Note Records)

GRAMMY-nominated saxophonist and composer Melissa Aldana joins the Blue Note Records family with the release of 12 Stars, her debut album as a leader for the legendary label following her appearance on the acclaimed 2020 album by the collective ARTEMIS. The Brooklyn-based tenor player from Santiago, Chile has garnered international recognition for her visionary work as a band leader, as well as her deeply meditative interpretation of language and vocabulary. 12 Stars grapples with concepts of childrearing, familial forgiveness, acceptance, and self-love, and was inspired by her deep interest in tarot. The album was produced by guitarist Lage Lund, who also performs as part of a remarkable quintet with Sullivan Fortner on piano and Fender Rhodes, Kush Abadey on drums, and Pablo Menares on bass.

If the digital album is purchased, you will receive the full album via email on March 4th, 2022.

Standard digital downloads are delivered as MP3 44.1khz/24-bit audio files.

Please note, digital downloads are only available in the U.S. 

1. Falling

2. Intuition

3. Intro to Emilia

4. Emilia

5. The Bluest Eye

6. The Fool

7. Los Ojos de Chile

8. 12 Stars

Hi-Res Digital Disclaimer:

FLAC files do NOT work in iTunes/Apple Music players or on most portable music players without additional software. If you’re unfamiliar with FLAC files we suggest that you download the WAV files instead. More information on FLAC can be found here or here.

Melissa Aldana: Tenor Saxophone

Lage Lund: Guitars & Gizmos

Sullivan Fortner: Acoustic Piano; Rhodes 

Pablo Menares: Bass

Kush Abadey: Drums

Follow Melissa Aldana

Facebook: https://bluenote.lnk.to/mawebID

Twitter: https://bluenote.lnk.to/matwtID

Instagram: https://bluenote.lnk.to/maigID

Listen to Melissa Aldana

Spotify: https://bluenote.lnk.to/VFUOOqFNID

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Amazon Music: https://bluenote.lnk.to/maamzID

Subscribe now: https://bluenote.lnk.to/subscribe

#melissaaldana #12stars #bluenote

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Dan Bruce's :Beta Collective - Time To Mind the Mystics (April 29, 2022 Shifting Paradigm Records)

This project explores the interaction between humanity and technology. At its core is the idea that our embrace of technological innovation cannot come at the sacrifice of generational knowledge and ancient wisdom.

1. Time To Mind the Mystics

2. Blueprint

3. Insignificance (A Love Song)

4. Slant

5. The Walk 07:01

6. You vs. You (For Bill Frisell)

7. Not Knowing

8. Moth Flame Blues

Dan Bruce - electric guitar, nylon string guitar, Ableton Live programming

Chris Coles - alto/tenor saxophones, vocoder

Brad Wagner - soprano/tenor saxophones, bass clarinet

Caleb Smith - trombone

Will Wedmedyk - vibraphone

Theron Brown - piano, Fender Rhodes, melodica

Aidan Plank - acoustic bass, electric bass

Anthony Taddeo - drums, percussion

Joel Negus- synthesizers (Mystics and Slant)

Recorded by Ian Anderson a Kent State Stark Studios

Mixed and Mastered by Brian Schwab

Produced by Dan Bruce and Joel Negus

Cover Artwork by Oscar H. Gresh

Layout and Design by Hannah Taddeo

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Gabrielle Ducomble - Les chansons de la Brasserie (April 22, 2022)

Now a firm favourite in her adopted UK, talented vocalist Gabrielle Ducomble brings a special blend of Gallic charm and sophistication to the British jazz scene.

Singing in English and her native French, Gabrielle performs Parisian-style jazz and tango, putting a contemporary spin on songs by Edith Piaf, Jacques Brel, Serge Gainsbourg and Astor Piazzolla, plus her own original material.

1. Je M'en Fous Pas Mal

2. Les Champs-Élysées

3. La Bicyclette

4. Ménilmontant

5. Syracuse

6. Mon Homme

7. Paroles, Paroles

8. Les Amants D'un Jour

9. Rimes

10. Mon Manège à Moi

Gabrielle Ducomble - Vocals

Rob Updegraff - Guitar

Ben Hazleton - Double Bass

Richard Jones - Violin on Tracks 2, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9

Dave Shulman - Clarinet on Tracks 1, 3, 7, 10

Recorded at Slipway Studio Richmond in September 2021

Sound Engineer: Simone Filiali

Mixing and mastering: Simone Filiali

Photography: Michael Garrett

Album release April 22, 2022

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Malcolm Earle Smith - Vocal Intent (April 22, 2022)

Vocal Intent fulfils Malcolm Earle Smith's long held desire to make a vocal album; in contrast to previous releases, where he is also also featured as trombonist. ‘Leaving my horn respectfully in its case this time has given me more space to develop my vocal style', he says. 'In particular, I've always had a passion for scat singing, and for this recording I've explored making a closer connection between vocal improvisation and the mood of the song'. Vocal Intent also makes a strong connection with Malcolm's passion for teaching. Featured alongside him are four of his former students – all now highly respected artists on the UK jazz scene and beyond. 'My students have always inspired me, and working together on this project has been very special, not to mention a lot of fun!'

'....an electrifying vocal performance which is completely captivating’

- Nick Lea, Jazzviews 2020

1. Stompin' at the Savoy

2. Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams

3. Confirmation

4. Don't take your Love from Me

5. I Had the Craziest Dream

6. Just in Time

7. Time on my Hands

8. Dream Dancing

9. Old Fashioned Love

Malcolm Earle Smith (vocals, leader, arrangements)

Leo Richardson (saxophone)

Chris Eldred (piano)

Conor Chaplin (bass)

Douglas Marriner (drums)

Recording: Nick Taylor at Porcupine Studios, July 18th 2019

Editing, mixing and mastering: Alex Bonney, November 2012/January 2022

Photography: Hollin Jones

Artwork: Rich Stoney

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Paul Edis announces 1st March vinyl launch show for 'The Still Point of the Turning World

“A brilliant young pianist”

- The Guardian

TICKETS AVAILABLE HERE

LISTEN TO ‘THE STILL POINT OF THE TURNING WORLD’ HERE

Lateralize Records is proud to announce the long-awaited vinyl release of The Still Point Of The Turning World, the mesmerising new album by British jazz pianist, Paul Edis. The album will be performed in its entirety in a special concert at London’s beautiful Hampstead Parish Church on 1st March.

The second half of the show will feature the premiere of Awakening, a multi-movement work that combines jazz and classical influences and features Adam King (double bass), Matt Home (drums) and the Estilo String Quartet.

Nobody sounds quite like Paul Edis or transports you to the places he travels to with his ethereal music. Simultaneously soothing and stirring, rapturous yet relaxed, at times the melodies almost appear to become subservient to the mood on this dreamlike album.

“There’s a certain meditative quality to The Still Point Of The Turning World,” Edis explains. “Compositions like Start Over, Dig Deep and The Way You Make Me Feel are a mixture of reflection, sadness and love. There’s been so much sadness and loss around whilst working on this record, it’s hardly surprising that it sounds so reflective. When I write, the process often starts with a kind of mood that’s almost a meditation in itself.”

After releasing a string of critically acclaimed independent albums, he signed with London-based Lateralize Records and spent a year composing the music for The Still Point Of The Turning World. With a distinctive style that effortlessly blurs the boundaries between Bill Evans, Brad Mehldau and Claude Debussy, Edis is undoubtedly one of the finest British jazz artists to emerge over the last decade.

“The more accomplished you are as a musician, the more you realise that chops and technical demonstrations don’t necessarily say that much. I’m always trying to find the most elegant, simple message in the music. Simple is not the same as simplistic. Picasso could paint incredible things, but he didn’t need to use his technical ability to articulate his emotions. I’ve always tried to get to the emotional essence of the music, but it feels like something new and exciting has happened with this record.”

The Still Point Of The Turning World is an achingly beautiful, impressionistic album that washes over you like a wave of emotion and wells up from places Wordsworth deemed ‘too deep for tears.’

The Still Point Of The Turning World will be released on CD and Limited Edition Heavyweight 180g vinyl on Lateralize Records on 1st March 2022.

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John Donegan - Siamsa Vol 2 (March 1, 2022 Jayde Records)

John Donegan, UK based and originally from Cork, is a modern jazz pianist and composer. He has worked with a variety of artists incl., Art Blakey, Art Farmer, Barney Kessel and more. Musicians Union Magazine review - “An intriguing combination of classic bebop laced with Irish folk melody, this album from pianist John and his saxophonist friend Tommaso Starace is full of sublime lyrical moments”

1. On The Banks Of The Carrowbeg 03:05

2. Tra An Aonaigh (The Beach OF The Fair) 01:28

3. Five To One 06:36

4. Cascade 04:54

5. At The Mouth Of The Blackwater 03:33

6. Veesta 04:49

7. Fan, Gra Mo Chroi. (Wait, Love OF My Heart) 04:12

8. Rince Jazz Beag (A Little Jazz Dance) 04:02

9. Abhainn Bui ( Yellow River) 02:12

10. My Gentle Dream 06:35

11. Tra An Aonaigh ( The Beach Of The Fair) 01:28

12. Tranquility 01:08

John Donegan - Piano & Composer

Tommaso Storace - Soprano Sax

Bernard O'Neill - Double Bass

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Vasil Hajigrudev Sextet (March 31, 2022)

The album you are about to hear is a work of love. I was composing and/or arranging this music especially for these musicians in mind. It was an immense joy creating those songs, I hope it will be a memorable experience for you too when you spend some time listening to it.

1. Life Is Hard And Then You Die

2. Her And The Sun

3. Котешки живот / Cat Life

4. Дъх / Breath

5. Interlude

6. Цветан / Tzvetan

7. The Girl Who Plays Go

8. Temple

Rossen Zahariev - trumpet

Dimitar Liolev - alto sax

Arnau Garrofè - tenor sax

Vladislav Michev - trombone / bass trumpet

Vasil Hajigrudev - bass / compositions

Borislav Petrov - drums

Recorded and mixed by Konstantin Katzarski

Mastered by Dimitar Bodurov

Artwork by Aleksandra Ventova

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Nicola Pisani - Cypriana (March 1, 2022 Dodicilune / Ird)

Prodotto da Dodicilune, distribuito in Italia e all’estero da IRD e nei migliori store on line da Believe, martedì 1 marzo esce “Cypriana”, concerto per voce solista, voce recitante, jazz/traditional ensemble e coro del sassofonista, compositore e direttore pugliese Nicola Pisani.

In Italia si conosce poco del difficile e durissimo percorso intrapreso da Cipro per raggiungere lo statuto di Repubblica Democratica. Questo avvenne nel 1960 con l'Indipendenza conseguita dall'Inghilterra che, subentrata alla dominazione turca sull'isola, represse con violenza inaudita la ricerca di autonomia e libertà del popolo cipriota. Per celebrare il 50° anniversario della fondazione della Repubblica di Cipro è nata questa partitura originale: composta e diretta dal Nicola Pisani (compositore, sassofonista e  docente di Musica d’Insieme Jazz presso il Conservatorio “Giuseppe Verdi” di Milano) è basata su temi musicali selezionati dal repertorio tradizionale cipriota inseriti in un tessuto musicale contemporaneo che si avvale di momenti di composizione estemporanea in scena e include poesie e testi di poeti greci  e ciprioti selezionati ed elaborati in una drammaturgia vocale da Maria Luisa Bigai (regista, attrice, docente di Arte Scenica presso il Conservatorio “San Pietro a Majella” di Napoli).

Il progetto nasce da un'idea di Yiannis Miralis, (docente del Dipartimento delle Arti/Musica dell’Università Europea di Cipro) ed è stato realizzato con la collaborazione, per la prima volta congiunta, di Ministero della Cultura e dell’Educazione di Cipro, Municipio di Strovolos, Progetto Erasmus,  Liceo Musicale di Cipro, Dipartimento delle Arti dell’Università Europea di Cipro con primo debutto assoluto nel marzo 2011 nel Teatro Municipale di Strovolos/Nicosia di Cipro, in occasione del 50° anniversario della fondazione della Repubblica di Cipro. In Italia viene presentato a Roma, nel 2012, in occasione del Semestre di Presidenza della Cultura Europea affidato alla Repubblica di Cipro, e nell'ambito della Settimana della Cultura Cipriota in Italia. Il concerto, eseguito nell’aula magna dell’Università "La Sapienza”, è registrato live e ora pubblicato nel cd “Nicola Pisani – Cypriana” grazie all’etichetta Dodicilune.

«La drammaturgia di Cypriana nasce dall'intersecarsi e giustapporsi di materiali eterogenei raccolti con una ricerca estremamente personale», spiega Maria Luisa Bigai. «Già dal primo impatto avuto con l'Isola di Cipro nel 2009, durante il mio primo viaggio di scambio Erasmus, emerge nella mia esperienza la pluralità di accenti e la frammentazione. La Città è tuttora divisa in due per quella che è detta 'la questione turca'. E girando per le strade e ascoltando le persone parlare si sente un ottimo inglese e un greco fatto di accenti e ritmi differenti, frammenti diversi per uno stesso orgoglio di appartenenza. Questo t erritorio», prosegue, «ha prodotto una cultura frutto di influenze disparate (gli antichi popoli mesopotamici mischiati con la classicità greca, i francesi del medioevo, Riccardo Cuordileone, i Veneziani, i Turchi presenti sin dalla battaglia di Lepanto e poi rimasti per secoli, gli Inglesi e poi quei Turchi piombati nel 1974 in una vera e propria invasione militare ...) una ricchezza incredibile di immagini e suoni, ritmi e accenti diversi. Parlando con un avvocato greco addetto di questioni internazionali ho avuto informazioni sulle tensioni greco-turche, sul protettorato inglese, sul processo di indipendenza che portò nel 1960 a Cipro finalmente riconosciuta come repubblica indipendente, ma attraverso un processo non incruento. E visitando il celebre Liceo Musicale, ho visto immagini di musicisti poi celebri, insieme a strane foto storiche di ragazzi...che furono impiccati nel 1957 e 1958 perché lottarono per l'indipendenza di Cipro. Una tragedia nel cuore dell'Europa modern a, senza che apparentemente nessuno lo sapesse, mentre a Londra già suonavano i Beatles. Tutte queste voci echeggiano attraverso letture di articoli di giornale, frammenti di lettere private, versi di poeti greci e di poeti greco-ciprioti, traduzioni parziali e commentari, echi e deformazioni – anche personali- insieme a informazioni storiche. 

Il lavoro di ricerca e composizione-scomposizione-ricomposizione creato da Nicola Pisani per la parte musicale, a partire anch'egli dall'ascolto e ritrovamento di echi e melismi storici e tradizionali, insieme a gesti precisi di composizione anche improvvisativa, con la sua richiesta di gesti individuali e fortemente personali in veste di solista, da parte di ogni componente del gruppo, mi ha portata a costruire un percorso a monologo, in una forma che restituisse le molte voci e i molti suoni di una narrazione collettiva. Ho voluto costruire una voce di Corifea, interprete e veicolo tra la parola e il suono di quanto narrabile e di quanto inenarrabile di questa vicenda, sviluppando i sentori, le grida e I sussurri che le singole voci orchestrali, il coro e il canto solista esprimono prima e dopo la parola», continua. «Parole dette, in italiano, inglese, greco cipriota, fino alla dissoluzione in sillabe, lallazioni, grida, parole prese da didascalie, informazioni di giornale, note a margine, frammenti di epistola, righe di diario privato, riverberi poetici liberamente tradotti o echeggiati nel loro suono iniziale o in libere riletture, fino a deformarli in suono, ritmo canto, è il percorso che ho voluto produrre perchè l'insieme dei frammenti diventasse l'albero di una nave fatta di palcoscenico e strumenti orchestrali, e i respiri e I canti vela del grande racconto collettivo che è questo momento tragico della nostra Storia contemporanea europea, tragico non solo perché ha visto la morte terribile di ragazzi giovanissimi impiccati per un'opinione e lotta politica, ma anche per lo scarsissimo riconoscimento che tuttora ha questo capitolo della creazione della nostra Europa attuale».

Docente di Musica d’insieme jazz al Conservatorio “Giuseppe Verdi” di Milano, Nicola Pisani si è perfezionato in Jazz e direzione con Bruno Tommaso, in Musica Contemporanea con Vinko Globokar, in canto corale e direzione con Marcel Couraud. Primo premio assoluto al Concorso Internazionale di Stresa 1991, nel corso degli anni ha inciso per etichette italiane (Splasch, Dodicilune, Lieto Colle, Squilibri) e straniere (Ogun, Leo Record, Losen Record, Yvp ed Enja). Ha collaborato con John Surman, Pino Minafra, Andrea Centazzo, Michel Godard, Paolo Damiani, Sergey Kuryokhin, Steve Lacy, Keith Tippet, Louis Sclavis e con alcune produzioni Rai. Ha diretto e compos to per le orchestre Dolmen, MultiJazz, Minafric, Assemblage, Tromso University, ICO - Bari, Orchestra Nazionale dell’AMJ, Orchestra Nazionale Docenti di Conservatorio, M.A.O. Orchestra. Suona in tutta Europa, USA, Argentina, Marocco, Arabia Saudita. Ha tenuto stage su Improvvisazione e Conduction in Italia, Danimarca, Norvegia, Estonia e Cipro. Coordinatore scientifico del 1° I.P. Erasmus in U.E. sull’Improvvisazione per i Conservatori di Cosenza, Tromso (N), Esbjerg e Aahrus (DK), Tallin (ES), Nicosia (CY), Vienna (A). È stato Presidente dell’A.M.J, fondatore del sindacato musicisti SIAM-CGIL, coordinatore della Conferenza Nazionale Docenti Jazz – AFAM.
L’etichetta pugliese Dodicilune è attiva dal 1996 e dispone di un catalogo di oltre 300 produzioni discografiche (cd, vinili, dvd) di artisti italiani e stranieri. Grazie a Ird e Believe i dischi sono distribuiti in Italia e all'estero nei migliori negozi di musica, nelle principali catene (Feltrinelli, Fnac, Ricordi, Mondadori, Melbookstore) e su 60 piattaforme di download/streaming digitale in circa 80 paesi in tutto il mondo (iTunes, Spotify, Deezer, AppleMusic, Amazon, Qobuz, Tidal).

1 - Thalasses

2 - Conduction N.52

3 - Insulae

4 - Cypriot Popular Song

5 - Musiki

All compositions by Nicola Pisani

Lyrics by Maria Luisa Bigai (1, 2, 3, 5)

Nicola Pisani, composer, conductor

Maria Luisa Bigai, drammaturgy, narrator

Erica Gagliardi, vocals

Michalis Kouloumis, violin

Piero Gallina, violin, lira calabrese

Ilaria Montenegro, flutes

Yannis Miralis, soprano sax

Elli Michael, alto sax

Alberto La Neve, tenor, baritone sax

Marco Sannini, trumpet, flugelhorn

Giuseppe Oliveto, trombone

Mario Gallo, tuba

Andreas Christodoulou, oud

Massimo Garritano, guitars, bouzouki

Marios Toumbas, piano

Carlo Cimino, double bass, electric bass

Checco Pallone, frame drums

Vassilis Vassilleiou, drums

Alessio Sisca, drums

Giuseppina Conti, choir conductor

Choir “Cantus Vitae"

• PRODUCTION DATA

Total time 54:56 STEREO DDD

(p) 2022 DODICILUNE (Italy)

(c) 2022 DODICILUNE (Italy)

www.dodicilune.it

CD DODICILUNE DISCHI Ed515

8033309695150

• RECORDING DATA

Produced by Nicola Pisani and Maurizio Bizzochetti, Gabriele Rampino, Dodicilune

Label manager Maurizio Bizzochetti (www.dodicilune.it)

Live recorded 1 October 2012 at Aula Magna, La Sapienza University, Rome, Italy

Sound engineer Fabrizio De Rose

Mixed and mastered 20/27 November 2012 at Dedalus Studio, Cosenza, Italy

Sound engineer Checco Pallone

Cover photo by Fabio Ciminiera

Photos by Donato Anselmi, Raffaella Mastroianni, Pino Ninfa, Paola Scirchio

Contact: nicsax16061962@gmail.com, facebook.com/nicola.pisani.5

• EXTRA NOTES

La musica di questo disco è stata analizzata nel libro “Big Band” (Ferrari editore) di Francesco Caligiuri

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ZKHR - Pieces for Double Bass & Piano (March 1, 2022)

Neo-classical music in which all the power and performance potential of double bass are discovered, accompanied by pianoforte and ambient electronical music.

ZKHR announced release of the LP “Pieces for Double Bass & Piano” on March the 1st of 2022. There are not so many compositions for double bass written. The musician promises to expand the abilities of double bass in a fresh new way, to find experimental images and change listener’s  vision of the very fundamental function of this great musical instrument in this work.

The album consists of 9 compositions. Double bass part is recorded by the author, while pianoforte part is recorded by Kamilla Leonenkova, Gnesin Russian Academy of Music student.

The pieces, presented on the record, slide into one another, creating the feeling of an endless story. The composer transmits emotional experience of the persona with the bow movements, describes the world filled with some special sadness and romanticism with the help of sounds. This romanticism is picturesquely unusual, it violates the conservative form and gets exposed in something that comes to be bulky and massive at first sight.

The sounds of double bass and pianoforte slip into the half-light constrained with meditative silence. These sounds fill the whole room peacefully and confidently, distracting the listener from the routine and ordinary things, inviting to the world of melancholy and contemplation upon something really important.

This is exactly the way one can describe atmosphere created by the talented composer Zakhar Zaitsev, who works under the stage name ZKHR and violates classic composing traditions.

The musician successfully combines solo career with participation in diversified projects. One can hear Zakhar’s bass-guitar on the records of the rock bands Target Audience and Animatronika, double bass – on the acoustic records of Solarburst or in combination with nyckelharpa and harp in the folk band Opletai repertoir, pianoforte – in Natalia Drepina and indie-pop singer Daria Loiter’s (the band LOAD’s frontwoman) songs.

ZKHR’s talent has been noticed far outside of Russia. The composer’s debut album “Ride” was critically acclaimed by the international media: Portugal Threshold Magazine, German Kulturform, French totoromoon. Zakhar cooperates with the mexican artist René Villarreal, recorded soundtrack to the advertisement by the Spanish designer Maria Jose Garcia and the Amerrican designer Lory Sun Artistry. After graduating the Popakademie in Baden-Wurttenberg Zakhar Zaitsev started cooperating with the German musician Jon Darco.

The cover has been created by the artist Anna Mikhailova, well-known for her artworks for the books “Herman” and “Fish don’t melt” published in Samokat publishing house, design of the web media portals «Такие дела» (That’s the way it goes”), «Батенька, да вы трансформер» (Oh, dear! You’re a transformer), cooperation with Alexey Kozlov’s jazz club and participation in the international art festivals (Fumetto comix-festival, Typomania, MorsFest, Non/Fiction).

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