Luís Barrigas - Songs With and Without Words (2016)
Para este projecto Luís Barrigas escreveu música que tivesse como ponto de partida um conceito de canções com e sem palavras. Nesta música consegue-se identificar a presença da música clássica, do jazz e da música tradicional portuguesa que encontram um espaço comum. Cada canção é uma viagem de cores e imaginários presentes em lugares e pessoas, de histórias que podem ser de qualquer ouvinte. Música para ser ouvida cantada e pertencer ao público.
For this project Luís Barrigas wrote music the starting point of which was a concept of songs with and without words. In this music we can identify the presence of classical music, jazz and traditional Portuguese music which come together in a common space. Each song is a journey of colours and of the imagination present in places and people, of stories for any listener. Music that can be heard, sung and belong to the public.
Released April 21, 2016
01. Just go with it 06:10
02. Song without words I - Les Nymphes 04:49
03. Manhã 06:40
04. Song without words II - Bond Street 04:42
05. Emergir 06:37
06. Song without words III - No song at all 02:11
07. Song without words IV - Dove song 07:50
08. Sweet curly song 05:30
09. Song without words V - O Esotérico 04:57
10. Agora vou-me deitare 04:28
Luís Barrigas - piano
Desidério Lázaro, João Capinha - saxes
Guida de Palma, Sofia Vitória, João David Almeida - voices
Oscar Alvarez Rifbjerg is about to release his first record “Rómpelo”, which he has made as a tribute to his famous grandfather, the great writer and poet Klaus Rifbjerg. The music is based on Oscar Alvarez Rifbjerg’s childhood in Seville and his upbringing with jazz, flamenco and poetry. The stage is set for an exciting and varied evening of jazz and poetry, tinged with the power and ferocity of flamenco, performed by four exciting and talented musicians.
Oscar Alvarez Rifbjerg udgiver nu sin første plade Rómpelo, som er en hyldest til hans berømte farfar, den store forfatter og poet Klaus Rifbjerg. Musikken tager sit udgangspunkt i Oscar Alvarez Rifbjergs opvækst i Sevilla og hans opvækst med jazz, flamenco og poesi. Der er lagt op til en medrivende og afvekslende aften i jazzens og poesiens tegn, farvet af flamencoens kraft og vildskab – fremført af fire meget spændende og talentfulde musikere.
Martin Perret's L'Anderer - Don't Try You Are (2016)
Martin Perret’s music investigates the murder of a mysterious man in an indefinite country just after the war. The location and the time are never explicit. L’Anderer is a stranger, a loner, its the brother Grimm by way of Kafka. It’s the telestic soundtrack to a story of unspeakable evil, darkness and human decay.
It took seven years for Impulse to release Coltrane's "Saturn" from 1974's Interstellar Space, recorded four months before his death. Largely inaccessible to mainstream ears, the outing is a favorite among Coltrane devotees and young gun artists. We'll hear 1:30 minutes from this duet featuring Rashied Ali's drums by way of introducing us to the cover from Brandon Lee Lewis' Lux Hermetica (KemArtS 2016). Next is the most accessible of Coltrane's compositions, "Equinox", from his 1960 Atlantic Coltrane's Sound featuring an unusually subdued solo from pianist McCoy Tyner. Brand new from INTAKT RECORDS In Motion, Richard Poole/Marilyn Crispell/Gary Peacock conclude this half-hour with an easy-to-follow free-jazz rendition of the mutually improvised "Ahzân".
Murray, Allen & Carrington Power Trio - Perfection (Motema 2016) kicks off the second half with "For Fr. Peter O'brien" featuring the leaders' tenor/piano/drums. Brit favorite, Dan Whieldon Trio, follows with a cover of Miles' Nardis (Sidran spelled backwards) from his ASC Records release, Positive Changes. French bassist, Florent Nisse, is next with "H Code" from his 2014 Moose Aux Mages featuring the tenor sax of Chris Cheek and the guitar of Jakob Bro. Miles Davis brings this half to a close with an uptempo take on Raye and DePaul's "I'll Remember April" featuring Davis' muted trumpet, Moffatt favorite Davey Schildkraut's alto and Horace Silver's piano from a 1954 Prestige pressing, Blue Haze.
Aaron Parks, Thomas Fonnesbaek, Karsten Bagge - Groovements (Stunt Records 2016), a piano trio, gets the third half started with a cover of Cedar Walton's "Bolivia". Paolo Fresu & Omar Sosa tackle Peter Gabriel's "What Lies Ahead" from their new Tûk Music release Eros. Paolo's trumpet and Omar's piano are backed by the members of Quartetto Alborada. French percussionist Manu Katché performs the title track from his Anteprima Productions 2016 release, Unstatic, featuring Tore Brunborg's tenor and Jim Watson's piano. Dublin's The Kevin Brady Trio concludes this half with a romantic take on Arnheim and Tobias' "Sweet and Lovely" from the Irish drummer's 2016 LRP Music release, Common Ground. Bill Carrothers' piano is impressive.
The Songbook Sessions - Ella Fitzgerald (Emerald City Records 2016) gets romance started with Jane Monheit's cover of Rodgers and Hart's "Where or When" featuring the retro-sounding trumpet of Nicholas Payton. Thanks to Juan Duran Uña, we'll hear Bill Evans' take on Wright and Lewis' "Baubles, Bangles & Beads" from Bill's 1968 Some Other Time featuring DeJohnette on the drums and Eddie Gomez on the bass. For some unfathomable reason the next number made me think of the British Bulldog, Winston Churchill and his relationship with his wife, Clementine, his "Pussy cat". Giovanni Francesca's Rame from Auand Records last year is that number, and the tune is "Tuba" featuring, along with the guitarist, Fabrizio Bosso on trumpet.
Also from Juan, we'll hear Jobim's Aguas de Março from Getz & Gilberto's '76. Getz plays the tenor and João Gilberto sings and plays the guitar. One of my all-time favorite vocalists was Mary Ann McCall, Downbeat magazine vocalist of the year back in the late forties. She will cover Ellis/Carter/Friego's "Detour Ahead" with Woody Herman's Third Herd. Award-winning vocalist in her own right, Nnenna Freelon brings this half-hour seduction to a close covering Shapiro/Campbell/Connelly's 1929 hit, "If I Had You" from her 2003 Concord Live.
A special thanks to KZMU's Music Director, Serah Mead and the troops @ RoJ for their help putting the show together: Agenor (BRA), Chris do Brasil (BRA), Domi & Victor (SPA), GAB (BEL), JR (SPA), Javi (SPA), Jazzzz61 (SPA), Lira (BRA), Luisa, Menos Que un Perro (ARG), Marcos (BRA), Melokan (VEN), Raz (ISR) and Sonia (SPA). Also friend, Raul Boeira, the Brazilian based in Passo Fundo and Spain's Javier Carrete.
Internationally acclaimed violinist, educator and composer Elektra Kurtis is inspired by living music as well as iconic composers like Bartok, Stravinsky, Bach, Thelonious Monk and other 20th century composers.
The WGHS Instrumental Music Program receives, on average, less than $700 a year from Guildford County. That amount is supposed to fund six performance groups – supplying sheet music, covering travel costs and competition fees, repairing instruments, and equipping the classroom. As a reference, sheet music for single song for one of these groups averages about $100.
Raising the money to fund all these groups, and their activities, one of the primary function of the WGHS Band Boosters. The group is always looking for new ways to do this. Last spring, one of its members suggested the Stinger Jazz Band produce and sell a CD to raise money. Kiyoshi Cater, the director of Instrumental Music as Western Guilford needed no convincing. “What a great opportunity for our students. This is not just a chance for them to showcase their talents, but a wonderful learning experience as well. Studio recording is not an opportunity that most high school musicians have. If this were a break even proposition, it would be well worth it, but to have it make money for the WGHS Music Program, it’s a no brainer.”
Last January, the WGHS Stinger Jazz Band went to Earthtones Recording Studio in downtown Greensboro and recorded their first ever CD, “The Elm Street Sessions”. Benjy Jonson, owner and operator at Earthtones had this to say, “We pushed the boundaries of space and time ... but mostly space. Their horn section (all 16 of them) crammed into my drum room and proceeded to knock my socks off! This ain't just some kids doing it for a grade, this is one killer disc of standards and classics.”
“This was not only a project for the Instrumental Music Department at Western,” says Graham Murphy, Band Boosters president. “The Art Department at WGHS was involved as well. The artwork for the CD was done by students at Western Guilford. Endless thanks go to Music Director Kiyoshi Carter and Art Teacher Kelsey Gagnon-Mathews for taking on this grand project with such willingness and energy.”
So, how did it turnout? “We sold out, all 200 copies. There are still a few “Elm Street Sessions” CDs available online through cdbaby.com. Maybe the coolest part of this project … it is available for download on iTunes, Google Play, and Amazon.” The Band Boosters shared a portion of the proceeds from the project with the WGHS Art Department.
“Our first CD was so well received,” says program Kiyoshi Carter, “we decided to make a Holiday CD. The students began working on Christmas tunes as soon as school started in August.” The jazz band recorded in late October and early November. Their Holiday CD, “Comfort & Joy” debuted at the WGHS Holiday Concert on December 15th. Again, it was a success.
“We sold 2/3 of our inventory that night,” recalls Graham Murphy. “It was really special; we were able to incorporate even more artwork from WGHS students, too. The cover art was done by one of the trumpet players in the jazz band. How cool is that!”
The Stinger Jazz Band is not done yet. This semester, they are returning to the studio to make another CD of jazz standards. “Last spring’s cd featured the seniors in the Stinger Jazz Band, with pictures and commentary from each of them. We hope that the spring CD continues to be an annual event, giving the seniors a unique way to commemorate their time at Western. It is a great way to showcase our student’s talents and raise much needed money for our programs”. Like the two previous discs, they will be sold through the WGHS Instrumental Music Department, the Band Boosters, and available for download online with iTunes, Google Play, and Amazon. The Western Guilford Stinger Jazz Band also has a Facebook page, with videos and commentary, to follow their progress in the studio.
NEW YORK, March 23, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Trumpet player Theo Croker's new album, Escape Velocity, arrives unchecked and un-filtered. It doesn't attempt to fit a single specific musical category, but draws upon the first principle of jazz: to merge and interpret history, styles and ideas and create a unique sound. Escape Velocity (DDB Records/OKeh), due May 6th, and featuring his band DVRK FUNK (pronounced DARK FUNK) is Croker's second album since returning from China where he lived and worked for nearly a decade.
DVRK FUNK includes Anthony Ware on tenor saxophone and flute, pianist Michael King, bassist Eric Wheeler and drummer Kassa Overall. Saxophone player Irwin Hall also plays on the album. Of the group's name Croker explains: "Darkness has been labeled as a negative thing but the outer reaches of space are dark. Where life starts is dark. Dark is an endless possibility, infinite and unknown. That's what we're about."
It is clear from the opening notes of songs like "Raise Your Vibrations" that this is Croker's world. The glistening glow of keyboards and cymbals float around him as he establishes the band's intentions from mission control. "It's a summons for the listeners to open up their minds and to let them vibrate for the rest of the album."
Songs on the album range from spiritual to upbeat, and are sometimes invested with a commitment to with current events. For example: "We Can't Breathe," Croker observes, "That's about Eric Garner. That's about Trayvon. That's about reflecting everything that is going on in the world, but 'It's Gonna Be Alright' is the response to that. No matter what we deal with, remember it's going to be alright." An anthem of succinct horn lines and joyous vocals, Croker's message carries notes of both optimism and melancholy.
"A Call to the Ancestors" and "Meditations" are the results of communing with the spirits. "A lot of people assume that meditation is very calm, a quiet very clear thing," says Croker. "But it can also have a lot of turbulence. When I get to a good point in meditation, I feel like I am traversing through dimensions." Michael King takes advantage of his opportunity to stride across the piano, digging up a rapid sprint over the pounding percussion.
"Love From The Sun" is an homage to and a collaboration with Dee Dee Bridgewater. The renowned jazz diva, who has served as a mentor to Croker for nearly a decade, revisits a song which she first recorded in 1974. Here Croker overlays a live recording he performed with Bridgewater with a new studio performance from the inimitable vocalist.
The organ-driven pop of "Changes" is loaded with rhythmic energy and cosmic textures, a swelling culmination for a telekinetic band. Marching off in style, DVRK FUNK settles down with "RaHspect (Amen)," a tempered farewell that pairs Croker with King's responsive piano.
"We're always pushing our music as far as we can push it," Croker says of the album. "We're not changing the game, we are creating a new version of the game that hopefully is all our own."
For anyone looking to learn the rules, put your headphones on.
About Theo Croker
Theo Croker is a trumpeter, vocalist, composer, and bandleader whose powerful and eclectic take on modern jazz pays respect to the tradition of the music while moving the genre forward.
A native of Leesburg, Florida, Croker is the grandson of the late great jazz trumpeter Doc Cheatham. Croker began playing trumpet at age 11 after hearing Cheatham play in New York City, and by his teens was studying music formally at the Douglas Anderson School of the Arts in Jacksonville followed by the Music Conservatory at Oberlin College.
Croker's musical training has taken him all over the world including Shanghai, China where he took up residency at the House of Blues and refined his style. Shanghai is also where Croker met his mentor, Dee Dee Bridgewater, whom he performs with often.
Escape Velocity is Croker's second album with OKeh Records. His debut, AfroPhysicist, was released in 2014.
Theo Croker · Escape Velocity
DDB Records via Sony Music Masterworks/OKeh · Release Date: May 6, 2016
Sony Music Masterworks comprises the Masterworks, Sony Classical, OKeh, Portrait, Masterworks Broadway and Flying Buddha imprints. For email updates and information please visit www.SonyMasterworks.com
01. Raise Your Vibrations
02. Transcend
03. This Could Be (for the Travelling Soul)
04. In Orbit
05. No Escape from Blues
06. The Right Time
07. A Call to the Ancestors
08. Meditations
09. We Can't Breathe
10. It's Gonna be Alright
11. Because of You
12. Real Episode
13. Love from the Sun (feat. Dee Dee Bridgewater)
14. Changes
15. RaHspect (Amen)
Theo Croker / Trumpet
Kassa Overall / Drums
Irwin Hall / Alto Saxophone / Flute / Bass Clarinet
GUITARIST PETER BERSTEIN IS JUSTLY RENOWNED AS AN INTERPRETER OF OTHER PEOPLE’S MUSIC.
His unerring, relaxed swing, his stunning gift for crafting and developing sophisticated melodies, the un-showy but absorbing narrative arc of his solos, the just plain rightness of his in-the-moment choices—all of these account for his well-established status as one of the most in-demand musicians on the New York jazz scene.
Let Loose, Bernstein’s debut release for Smoke Sessions Records, shifts the focus to Bernstein the composer. Five of the album’s nine tracks stem from the guitarist’s pen. It also features a quartet of artists who are equally well versed in tradition and innovation, who can breathe ecstatic life into these pieces while simultaneously anchoring them with deep roots. Bassist Doug Weiss and drummer Bill Stewart are longtime collaborators stretching back nearly three decades. Gerald Clayton is the newcomer but brings along a reputation as one of the most respected pianists of his generation.
The spirit of the session is pithily captured in the title of the album: Let Loose, a case of simplicity masking complexity. The surface meaning suggests an unbridling of passion, an opening of the floodgates of expression that definitely characterizes the playing of all four members of the quartet. But there’s also the suggestion of the need to allow oneself to be loose, free, open to whatever may come—a guiding principle on the stage as well as off.
Tim Garland is one of the most versatile musicians in the UK. Highly skilled as an instrumentalist, composer and bandleader, Garland has developed a highly original voice with a marriage of diverse influences combined with unique and varied line-ups. With years on the road with Chick Corea’s Vigil, Garland has built a formidable reputation as one of the leading British Jazz musicians, equally at home with an orchestra or small ensemble.
His latest release ‘Songs to the North Sky’, a double album released on Edition Records in May 2014, saw him collaborate with Royal Northern Sinfonia, bassist John Patitucci and percussionist Asaf Sirkis. The second disc, a celebratory expansion of his previous Lighthouse Project, features pianists Geoffrey Keezer, Jason Rebello and John Turville, percussionist Asaf Sirkis and guitarists Ant Law and Don Paterson (who harks right back to Tim’s Lammas days from the early 1990’s).
With a new home at Edition, his continued involvement as Chick Corea’s regular saxophonist and now writing collaborator as well as the acclaimed release of ‘Songs to the North Sky’, saw his musical career took on a new gravitas and vision.
His new album ‘Return to the Fire’, due for release in October 2015, is a special edition vinyl and download only release featuring an all-star British Jazz line-up that celebrates some of the music and the musicians that have inspired Tim Garland’s career.
In May 2016, Tim will release his major new album ‘One’ on 6th May 2016 supported by a significant Arts Council of England funded tour of the UK.
“If we are to bring these influences into our music harmoniously, we must start from the same ONE, that “big bang” of beats that we, in our myriad ways, take as our cue in this dance. While we are here, briefly, our focus on our singular origin, and our interdependence, can bring a little more light into life while we live it. To focus on our separateness would be to do the opposite.” TIM GARLAND
‘Sure footed virtuosity….a dazzling standard’. THE TIMES
‘Formidable and devastatingly creative’. THE GUARDIAN
‘His level of genius is rare’. CHICK COREA
1. Sama'i For Peace 05:37
2. Bright New Year 07:05
3. The Eternal Greeting 05:59
4. Colours of Night 06:45
5. Prototype 05:48
6. The Gathering Dark 07:19
7. Pity The Poor Arms Deal 04:30
8. Foretold 04:20
9. YouKay 08:44
TIM GARLAND
soprano and tenor sax and additional keyboards and percussion
ASAF SIRKIS drums and percussion
JASON REBELLO
piano, Fender Rhodes, Hammond B3 organ and keyboards
ANT LAW
nylon string, 12 string, 8 string and semi-acoustic guitars
with guests
HOSSAM RAMZY
doholla, Egyptian tabla, karkabu (Samai For Peace, Colours Of Night and Foretold)
DIONNE BENNETT vocals (Pity The Poor Arms Dealer)
Released May 6, 2016
Recorded between summer 2015 and winter 2016:
Masterchord Studio - engineer Isa Khan
Woodworm Studio - engineer Stuart Jones
Eastcote Studio - engineer George Murphy
Mixed at Candle On The Moon Studio engineer Anis Finn
Mastered by Andrew Tulloch at The Blue Studio London
all compositions by Tim Garland (PRS/MCPS)
Produced by Tim Garland Music Ltd.
Asaf Sirkis plays Darbouka on YouKay
Bright New Year dedicated to Geoff Taggart
The Gathering Dark dedicated to Don Paterson
Prototype dedicated to Bill Bruford
Full lyrics for Pity The Poor Arms Dealer available at
Cuong Vu Trio Meets Pat Metheny, due May 6, 2016, on Nonesuch Records, joins guitarist, composer, and bandleader Pat Metheny with a trio led by longtime Pat Metheny Group trumpeter Cuong Vu. The album comprises five tunes written by Vu plus one by Metheny and one by Andrew D'Angelo.
The Cuong Vu Trio includes Stomu Takeishi on bass and Ted Poor on drums. Metheny says of his record with the Trio, "This project is something that Cuong and I have talked about doing for years. For as much as I loved what Cuong has brought to my bands along the way, I always wondered what it would be like to join his group for a project, to see what I might be able to offer those guys. Cuong came up with a great set of tunes for the project, and we all met in NYC for a few days and recorded this music quite quickly and spontaneously."
Vu, who first heard a cassette of Metheny's Travels as a teenager and credits it for leading him into a career in music, adds: "Pat came to the session and killed it, taking us to different territories. We (the Trio) assimilated his sound into ours and made music that still felt uniquely ours." The trumpeter has played with a wide range of artists, including Laurie Anderson, David Bowie, Dave Douglas, Myra Melford, Cibo Matto, and Mitchell Froom. Vu, a graduate of the New England Conservatory, began his career leading various groups while touring extensively throughout the world. As a leader, he has released eight recordings, each making critics' lists of the 10 best recordings of their respective years. His awards and honors include two Grammys (with Pat Metheny Group). He is currently an associate professor in jazz studies at the University of Washington.
Over the course of more than three decades, guitarist Pat Metheny has set himself apart from the jazz mainstream, expanding and blurring boundaries and musical styles. His record-setting body of work includes 20 Grammy Awards in 12 separate categories; a series of influential trio recordings; award-winning solo albums; scores for hit Hollywood motion pictures; and collaborations and duets with major artists like Ornette Coleman, Steve Reich, Charlie Haden, Brad Mehldau, and many others. His band the Pat Metheny Group, founded in 1977, is the only ensemble in history to win Grammys for seven consecutive releases.
The Unity Sessions, released May 6, 2016, on Nonesuch Records, is taken from a filmed performance with Pat Metheny Unity Group that was released on DVD in 2015; the set comprises 13 songs by Metheny, one he co-wrote with Ornette Coleman, and one well known standard by Ray Noble.
In 2013, for the first time since 1980, Metheny recorded with a band that highlighted tenor saxophone. The resulting Unity Band, which went on to win him his 20th Grammy Award, featured Chris Potter on sax and bass clarinet, longtime collaborator Antonio Sanchez on drums, and Ben Williams on bass. Metheny then took that same ensemble into new territory with the addition of his Orchestrion and a focus on more through-composed material and christened the ensemble Pat Metheny Unity Group. The Group's first record, Kin (←→), was released by Nonesuch in 2014 and was named the best jazz album of the year in the DownBeat Readers Poll Awards. The Group went on a world tour of more than 150 cities; at the end, they hunkered down in a small Manhattan theater to film new performances of music from the original Unity Band, the expansive Kin(←→), and touchstones from the entirety of Metheny's music catalog. The results were released on DVD last year as The Unity Sessions, and now Nonesuch releases the album of the same name.
Over the course of more than three decades, guitarist Pat Metheny has set himself apart from the jazz mainstream, expanding and blurring boundaries and musical styles. His record-setting body of work includes 20 Grammy Awards in 12 separate categories; a series of influential trio recordings; award-winning solo albums; scores for hit Hollywood motion pictures; and collaborations and duets with major artists like Ornette Coleman, Steve Reich, Charlie Haden, Brad Mehldau, and many others. His band the Pat Metheny Group, founded in 1977, is the only ensemble in history to win Grammys for seven consecutive releases.
CD1
Adagia
Sign of the Season
This Belongs to You
Roof Dogs
Cherokee
Geneaology
On Day One
Medley
CD2
Come and See
Police People
Two Folk Songs (1st)
Born
Kin
Rise Up
Go Get It
MUSICIANS
Pat Metheny, electric and acoustic guitars, guitar synth, electronics, orchestrionics
Chris Potter, tenor sax, soprano sax, bass clarinet, flute, guitar
Recorded by Pete Karam and David Oakes at the 52nd St. Project, New York, NY
Mixed by Pete Karam
Mastered by Ted Jensen at Sterling Sound, New York, NY
Guitar Tech: Carolyn Chrzan
Orchestrion Tech and Monitors: Austin Stillwell
Drum Tech: Teo Stoll
Tour Production Manager: Chris Culpepper
Tour Managers: John Nave, Dana Watson (Europe), Jerry Wortman (NYC)
Artist Management: Ted Kurland & David Sholemson for the Kurland Agency
All music composed and arranged by Pat Metheny, except "Police People," composed by Ornette Coleman and Pat Metheny, and "Cherokee," composed by Ray Noble
Antonio Sanchez plays Yamaha drums, Zildjian cymbals and sticks, Remo drumheads, LP percussion and Cympad fets exclusively; Chris Potter plays Rico Jazz Select reeds. Ben Williams appears courtesy of Concord Jazz.
