NoBusiness Records - Jazz Label from Lithuania

No Business Records - The Origine

Started in 1997 as a second hand music shop under an unpretentious name “Thelonious” our glorious enterprise developed considerably to embrace other music related activities – namely carrying out concerts, producing and releasing recordings. For these purposes an NGO “Thel” (concert management) was opened in 2004 and “No Business Records” (music releasing) – in 2008.

Since the beginning “Thelonious” has been a special place on the city map – “a must visit” for anybody interested in jazz and improvised music. It didn’t take long before a community of dedicated fans united around the shop and it turned into some sort of club. Friendly relationship with local musicians has been established.

By 2004 our love to music and an experience gained from listening and collecting records prompted an exciting idea: to invite our favourite artists to Lithuania. The NGO “Thel” was established and the first concert was successfully carried out. 

A list of our guests includes some of the most innovative and creative musicians of our time:

Piotr Mamonov – Solo programme,

Leonid Feodorov, “Aukcyon”,

William Parker, Matthew Shipp – Duo Performance,

Max Nagl, Steven Bernstein, Noel Akchotй, Bradley Jones – Big Four,

Vladimir Volkov – Volkov Trio,

Joe McPhee, Dominic Duval, Jay Rosen – Trio X,

Kruzenshtern I Parohod,

Sergey Letov – Sax Mafia,

David S Ware – DSWQ,

Jameel Moondoc, Roy Campbell, Hill Green, Klaus Kugel,

Mats Gustafsson,

Tatsuya Yoshida (Ruins), Kawabata Makoto (Acid Mothers Temple),

Liudas Mockunas, Stefan Pasborg, Jacob Riis – Rod Planet,

Roman Stolyar and Ilia Belorukov,

Barry Guy and Mats Gustafsson,

Howard Riley, solo...

We take every chance to document these memorable encounters. A documentary was filmed about Russian legendary musician and actor Piotr Mamonov (Zvuki Mu) during his visit to Lithuania. It has been shown on Vilnius TV.

Another documentary created by our crew was released on CIMP in DVD format in 2007. It is “The train and the river” about Trio X. The film contains extensive conversations with Joe McPhee, Dominic Duval and Jay Rosen; fragments of concert performance in Lithuanian Congress Hall and material filmed in the streets of old city.

Lithuanian State Television was invited to film a concert by Matthew Shipp and William Parker in Lithuanian Philharmonic. Unfortunately this exceptional video is not available for release at present. Some of the concerts appeared on TV in a music programme “Dюiazo pasaulis” (The world of jazz).

Apart from that we have recorded other concerts in audio and/or video format. Some of them might appear on NoBusiness records in a due time.

We are full of hopes and excitement. More concerts, more recordings is what we are looking for and who knows what encounters the future holds?!

NoBusiness Records - Who We Are

Valerij Anosov is a co-founder of “NoBusiness Records”.

Danas Mikailionis is a co-founder and producer of “NoBusiness Records”.

Liudas Mockūnas is a multi-reeds player and composer; a co-founder of “NoBusiness Records”.

Oskaras Anosovas is responsible for visual presentation of “NoBusiness Records” and creates all designs for NoBusiness releases.

Arūnas Zujus is a sound engineer for “NoBusiness Records”.

Max Micheliov is NoBusiness website designer.

GREAT LABEL

The Hot Sardines - French Fries + Champagne (2016)

The Hot Sardines

“one of the most delightfully energetic bands on New York’s ‘hot’ music scene” – Downbeat

Announce New Album French Fries & Champagne

Available June 17 on Universal Music Classics

Featuring Duet With The Award-Winning Alan Cumming

“When I Get Low I Get High”

Premiered By Blackbook Today

North American Tour Dates Confirmed Including Central Park Summerstage, Newport Jazz Festival + More

“leaders of New York’s vintage jazz revival” – CBS This Morning: Saturday

Formed by bandleader Evan “Bibs” Palazzo and lead singer “Miz Elizabeth” Bougerol, The Hot Sardines have announced their sophomore studio album, French Fries & Champagne, out June 17 on Universal Music Classics. The record comes on the heels of their critically lauded self-titled debut album, which was named one of iTunes’ best jazz albums of 2014 and spent more than a year on the Billboard Jazz Chart, debuting in the top 10 alongside Michael Bublé and Tony Bennett & Lady Gaga.

Broadening its already impressive palette, the jazz collective combine covers and originals as they effortlessly channel New York speakeasies, Parisian cabarets and New Orleans jazz halls. Alan Cumming pairs with Elizabeth for a mischievous take on “When I Get Low, I Get High,” a song popularized by Ella Fitzgerald. The album title track is one of several originals on the album, including Evan’s instrumental homage to his old neighborhood, “Gramercy Sunset,” and  “Here You Are Again,” a woozy, country-leaning track written by Elizabeth. Jazz standard “Comes Love” starts as a minuet before vocalist Elizabeth, singing in her native French, conjures up spirits from the roaring ‘20s. The Hot Sardines even upend Robert Palmer’s 1985 classic “Addicted To Love” with Elizabeth’s cool vocals and hot horn arrangements.

Produced by Eli Wolf (Elvis Costello, Norah Jones), the collection celebrates the duality of The Hot Sardines with the album title reflecting both their glamorous and gritty sides. Influenced also by such greats as Dinah Washington, Louis Armstrong and Billie Holiday, Evan and Elizabeth began playing open mic nights and small gigs and by 2011, they headlined Midsummer Night Swing at New York’s Lincoln Center. The band will take their captivating live show on a national tour this summer in support of French Fries & Champagne. In the hot jazz movement, The Hot Sardines stand apart for their innovation, verve and the sheer joy they bring to music, both new and old. Be sure to catch their mesmerizing performance at one of their scheduled appearances, which includes Central Park Summerstage, Newport Jazz Festival and much more.

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National Tour Dates

7/29: Portsmouth, NH @ The Music Hall

7/30: Newport, RI @ The Newport Jazz Festival

7/31: Canadensis, PA @ The Skytop Lodge

9/28: Redbank, NJ @ The Count Basie Theater

10/1: Boston, MA @ Berklee Performance Center

10/4: Albany, NY @ The Egg

10/9: Newark, NJ @ NJPAC

10/20: Muncie, IN @ Ball State U, Emmons Auditorium

10/21: New Albany, IN @ The Ogle Center, Richard K. Stern Concert Hall

10/22: Jasper, IN @ Jasper Arts Center

10/25: Chicago, IL @ City Winery

10/27: Minneapolis, MN @ Dakota Jazz Club

10/28: Mason City, IA @ North Iowa Area Community College

10/29: Des Moines, IA @ Des Moines PA,- Temple Theater

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

For more information on The Hot Sardines, contact:

Sarah Avrin, sarah@girlie.com, 814-777-0709

Phoebe Wilson, phoebe@girlie.com, 562-773-5335

Olga Makrias, olga.makrias@umusic.com, 212-333-1485

New Video From Nána Simopoulos

The Pathway is an original composition and one of the tracks from Nana's new CD "Skins".

The lyrics were inspired by the sufi woman poet Mahsati Ganjavi who lived in Azerbaijan in the early 12th century.  

Nana Simopoulos on guitar and vocal, Sam Malieri (D'Addario endorsed artist),

Manos Loutas on bass, Solis Barkis on percussion and voice and

Michalis Orfanides on drums.

Cinematography: Spiro Katopodis, EYEFIXstudio

Editing: Nasimo Studios, LiquidBody Media

Nána Simopoulos - Skins (2016) JAZZ PROMO SERVICES

Skins: An Exciting New Release from Internationally Acclaimed 

Guitarist/Singer/Composer Nana 

Nana Simopoulos, the internationally acclaimed multi-instrumentalist, singer, composer and educator, is set to release Skins, her seventh recording, on June 20, 2016.

Skins  features eight Simopoulos originals, brilliantly performed by a band of world-class jazz musicians and first-class world musicians, including saxophonist Dave Liebman and sarangi maestro Ustad Sultan Khan. The beautifully recorded album draws from sources and influences spanning centuries and the globe, with the composer referencing various cultures and her own past.

The CD title, Skins, is taken from a piece Simopoulos wrote for a performance in which a dancer used projections of different skins on her body, creating virtual costumes. The title could apply to Simopoulos herself—the artist is a musical shape shifter who has explored diverse forms of expression with sound, including musical theater, film scores, and dance scores for a range of styles including ballet and tap, as well as accompaniment for spoken word and poetry.  She is deeply immersed in the music of India, Greece, South America, Africa, and Asia. Simopoulos is known for putting her own distinctive stamp on each performance and composition.

The accomplished and versatile Simopoulos studied piano as a child and went on to study guitar with Ralph Towner, Joe Diorio, and Pat Martino; she also has performed and recorded on sitar, bouzouki, didgeridoo, kora, synthesizer and other instruments. She is intrigued by the sonic potential offered by found objects such as tools and construction materials, and has written site-specific pieces utilizing them. Simopoulos has played with jazz legends including Don Cherry, Charlie Haden, and Billy Higgins; world music icon Nana Vasconcelos; and appeared with the New York City Opera and RAI Symphony Orchestra. She’s performed in venues from the intimate Café Sabarsky to the imposing Cathedral of Saint John the Divine to the open-air Montreux Jazz Festival.

Besides Simopoulos’ unique musical tone of voice and point of view, Skins proudly flaunts jazz, New Age and world music influences, drawing from lyrical inspiration from sources as diverse as the Persian Sufi poet Rumi and a Native American shaman known as Owl Woman. There’s a sensual and spiritual feel in the lyrics and delivery throughout that can be interpreted – and enjoyed! – on many levels.

The result is an earworm-laden recording that is distinctly beyond category, in the best possible way. Among the highlights are:

 “For No Reason,” a straight-ahead cooker with a dynamic guitar line brilliantly played by Simopoulos, along with her flowing vocal of lyrics inspired by writings of the Sufi poet Hafiz.  “Inside” and “Let Fire Burn Me” are both Eastern-flavored pieces inspired by Rumi. “Inside” features a gorgeous, introspective wood flute and saxophone solo from Dave Liebman, a veteran musician at the peak of his powers. “Let Fire Burn Me”  shines with layered vocals, a supple, gliding rhythm and subtle drive. 

The words of the haunting and understated “Merely to Know” are based on a poem by Kojiju, a 12th century Japanese Buddhist nun; Simopoulos wrote the lyrics recently and paired them with the melody of “Till We Meet Again,” a composition of hers originally recorded in the 1980s.

 “The Pathway” was fueled by the writings of a 12th century female Sufi poet; Simopoulos set the words to “Elements,” another of her tunes from an earlier recording. With a lilting melody and insightful lyrics, the road to enlightenment has rarely sounded so appealing!

For Skins, Nana Simopoulos has assembled a band of world-class jazz musicians and first-class world musicians, including:

Saxophonist Dave Liebman, who has has worked with jazz icons such as Miles Davis, Elvin Jones, Chick Corea, and McCoy Tyner. Run the numbers on him and you’re sure to be impressed: In his half century as a professional musician and educator, the NEA Jazz Master has appeared on more than 500 recordings with some 200 as a leader; he’s written hundreds of tunes, and earned dozens of awards.

The late Ustad Sultan Khan was a master of the sarangi, a bowed multi-stringed instrument, which he performed alongside Ravi Shankar, George Harrison, Zakir Hussain, and on numerous movie soundtracks for films made in his native India and other countries around the globe.

Bassist Mary Ann McSweeney cites the legendary Ray Brown as an inspiration. At age 16, McSweeney played the Monterey Jazz Festival with the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis big band. She’s an alumna of bands led by Dizzy Gillespie, Joanne Brackeen and Lee Konitz, and has worked with conductors including Leonard Bernstein, Lalo Schifrin, and John Williams.

Royal Hartigan is a renowned drummer, percussionist, pianist, tap dancer, and educator. He studied with iconic jazz drummer Ed Blackwell, and is a Fulbright award winner, the author of “Blood Drum Spirit,” a massive analysis of world drumming traditions, and a professor at the University of Massachusetts/Dartmouth.

Bassist Manos Loutas, drummer Michalis Orphanidis, percussionists Jamie Haddad, Solis Barki and Greg Beyer; saxophonists Charlie Tokarz and Dimitri Vassilakis and singers Caryn Heilman, Markos Simopoulos and Davi also offer strong contributions.

Skins has been a long time in the making—this is Simopoulos first new release since 2001—but the fine results justify the wait.

www.nana.net

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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.” 

Patrick Cornelius - While We're Still Young (2016)

Source & Label:

Genre: Contemporary Jazz

GAB's rating: ★★★★★

“While We’re Still Young is as close to a musical self-portrait as I’m capable of creating. It’s simultaneously a multi-generational tribute album, a gathering of close friends, and a starkly personal expression of who I am as an artist and individual.”
— Patrick Cornelius

While We’re Still Young is the sixth and latest album by the critically acclaimed, award-winning saxophonist and composer Patrick Cornelius ​which ​brings together seven of the most accomplished young artists in contemporary jazz in order to breathe life into a suite of new original music inspired by the universally-treasured poetry of English literary icon A. A. Milne.

Cornelius’ personal connection to the sweet, whimsical verses in the timeless collection When We Were Very Young spans several generations. Milne’s classic trove documenting the childhood exploits of his son Christopher Robin were read first by his grandmother to his mother as a baby, and then by his mother to him and his brothers in turn. At the birth of Patrick’s own first child, Isabella, the family’s copy of When We Were Very Young was passed down to him, so that he could continue the tradition. “From the very first time I started reading these poems to Isabella, I remember an instant desire to write music inspired by each individual vignette,” the composer recalls.

"Cornelius is a talent worth watching."
★★★★ Jazzwise Magazine

"Eight brilliant musicians... A cheerful celebration of life and youth with finely crafted arrangements leaving beautiful spaces for the soloists."
Culture Jazz (FR)

"Full of richly orchestrated music with elements of Duke Ellington, Gil Evans, Bach and Debussy."
Long Play Newsletter (blog PL)

This work shouldn't just be labelled "chamber jazz" since it's very much more than that. Like its elegant cover, it's actually a work of art."
★★★★ All About Jazz

"Accessible yet intricate themes, lyrically flowing music, great solos and gorgeous ensemble playing, this is an album you will want to play again and again! Highly recommended."

Fatea Magazine

"Cornelius has created a work of genuine substance, the writing often complex, multi-layered yet always adroit, deploying his resources well, the melodic moments often memorable, the solo excursions largely pleasing, the effect at times like a miniature Schneider ensemble."
★★★★ Jazzwise Magazine

"The way this octet shapes the solos as mere extensions of dynamic group play, of something very organic grown from the soil of ensemble communication, is arguably the album’s winning quality."

Bird Is The Worm

"This is a superb album. The writing is brilliant."

Bebop Spoken Here

"Sparky settings for [Cornelius'] own solos and those of a polished ensemble including pianist Gerald Clayton, trombonist Nick Vayenas, and guitarist Miles Okazaki... Debussy, Ellington and Charlie Parker audibly guide Cornelius here."
The Guardian

"An entire album peppered with goosebumps-inducing moments... Cornelius’s music and messages resonate broadly and vividly, reminding any listener of what’s most precious to us all."
Ottawa Citizen

"Much playfulness in the playing... An excellent listen."
The Jazz Breakfast

"His arrangements, intricate with secondary motifs and contrasting counterlines create vivid musical counterparts for Milne's imagery."
New York City Jazz Record

"The engaging music is performed by an octet of Cornelius's colleagues and nicely combines interesting ensembles with inspired ensembles."
Northern Echo

"This is vibrant, highly colourful music full of good compositional ideas and some great playing, with all members of the ensemble contributing strongly."
★★★★ The Jazz Mann

"A joy from beginning to end... Patrick Cornelius takes a giant step forward with this project."

 

 

1. Sand Between the Toes
2. Water Lilies
3. Jonathan Jo
4. The Invaders
5. Lines and Squares
6. Vespers

 

 

Patrick Cornelius - alto/soprano saxes, flute, compositions
Jason Palmer - trumpet
John Ellis - tenor saxophone, bass clarinet
Nick Vayenas - trombone
Miles Okazaki - guitar
Gerald Clayton - piano
Peter Slavov - bass
Kendrick Scott - drums 

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Vasil Hadzimanov Band featuring David Binney: Alive (2016)

Label:

Source: Allaboutjazz

Genre: Modern Creative / Jazz-rock

GAB's Rating: ★★★★★

Critical to the success of this live album by the VHB is the fact that this band is, at its core, a working band. If you have seen VHB live, you will recognize that this album faithfully relays both the showmanship and ingenious punch of this unit. Obviously, this installment of the VHB is a highly maneuverable vessel that is capable of executing a multitude of ideas, be it electronica, African, free jazz or rock ideas. The stage is the right place for this versatile band to record its music as even in a studio setting they need eye contact for the magic to occur.

Recorded during a tour throughout Serbia, Alive appropriately extends and distends jazz and various other forms. For a start, it avoids the Weather Report-styled arrangements which were typical of Hadžimanov's writing style. It opens with "Nocturnal Joy," a lengthy and thoughtful track which many sections make it unexpectedly very exciting. The first section is driven by pulsating keyboards, simple piano melodic lines and jungle beats which dimly have more in common with the band that Hadžimanov has played in parallel to VHB—Darkwood Dub than anything else. After an abrupt stop, there is an alto sax break where saxophonist Binney explores the far reaches of his instrument. This serves as an entrance into a more jovial and freer section.

"Zulu" is driven by a propulsive beat and a swirling African styled guitar. It's an exhilarating track even more so when Binney starts playing short, hypnotic, repetitive phrases. After a stormy start, the dynamics are slowed down and this section is driven by tribal drums, processed vocal chants and Binney's fierce soloing. Generally speaking, he has a galvanizing effect on the band and his saxophone shines like a beacon amidst the flurry of this ensemble work. All of this moves towards a dramatic ending in the form of a mesmerizing interplay between Hadzimanov and Binney. Both "Odlazim" and "Dolazim" are fluid tracks that are in constant motion and are more volatile in interplay. "Razbolje se Šimšir List" is a Bosnian folk song which the duo of Hadžimanov on acoustic piano and Binney on soprano sax has turned it into a lilting ballad.

The set closes with the lengthy "Otkriće snova," another electronic piece much in the manner of the opening song, but soon morphs into a fusion piece in the manner of "In a Silent Way." In recent years, Hadzimanov has experienced an upward trajectory as an educator, composer, pianist, and keyboardistr. As a result, his compositions are more mature and he has achieved a compositional excellence. He shines brightly both on stage and off, but he allows his band to shine too. His band is playing at the peak of its powers and he has a very balanced relationship with his sideman. What truly shines on this record are the compositions. Delicacy, dynamics, empathy, and a deep affinity is what emanates from these compositions. Alive is easily VHB's best album.  Nenad Georgievski

Nocturnal Joy

Zulu

Odlazim

Dolazim

Tovirafro

Razbolje Se Simsir List

Uaiya

Otkrice Snova

VASIL HADZIMANOV: piano, keyboards

DAVID BINNEY: alto sax

BRANKO TRIJIC: guitar

MIROSLAV TOVIRAC: bass guitar

BOJAN IVKOVIC: percussion, vocals

PEDJA MILUTINOVIC: drums

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Laszlo Gardony - Life In Real Time (2015) SUNNYSIDE RECORDS

present

Laszlo Gardony - Life In Real Time (2015)

Piano Master Laszlo Gardony Expands His Celebrated Trio With A Powerhouse Saxophone Triumvirate of Stan Strickland, Billy Pierce and Don Braden 

On Life In Real Time Coming July 7 on Sunnyside Records

Rather than an all-star blowing session, Life In Real Time introduces an ensemble that breathes, phrases and reacts as one, reveling in the knifepoint balance between structure and freedom afforded by Gardony’s arrangements and bandleading sensibility. Indeed, part of what makes the album so much more than the sum of its considerable parts is the rhythm section’s extraordinary rapport. Gardony’s long-running trio with bass master John Lockwood and drum maestro Yoron Israel has forged a soul-deep bandstand communion over the past 13 years, an almost telepathic bond captured on three critically acclaimed Sunnyside albums. The trio is directly responsible for the loose and limber feel of Life In Real Time, where three immediately recognizable saxophone stars “can feel free to be themselves in the music,” Gardony says.

And what horn players! Most conspicuously, the album marks the reemergence of the great Billy Pierce, a player who established himself as a commanding improviser during his years with drum legends Tony Williams and Art Blakey (who called Pierce “my best tenor player since Wayne Shorter.”) He sounds more formidable than ever with his thick, muscular sound and driving rhythmic attack. 

While Stan Strickland is best known as a startlingly inventive post-bop tenor saxophonist, he’s a polymathic creative force who also works as a singer, actor and art therapist. Gardony’s longtime friend and Berklee colleague, Strickland contributed memorably to the pianist’s 2011 Sunnyside album Signature Time with Lockwood and Israel. It was Israel who suggested adding Don Braden to the mix. The album’s only Berklee ringer (he’s the director of the Harvard Monday Night Jazz Band), Braden was in Wynton Marsalis’ band, has performed with Freddie Hubbard and Tony Williams, and is featured on some 20 albums as a leader.  

 “I hand-picked the musicians for this band,” Gardony explains. “Don was a great addition to the band, and it clicked so beautifully from the first. All of the bandmembers have had long careers and we’re committed to playing together as a beautiful and meaningful experience.”

Focusing on Gardony’s emotionally charged original compositions, the album opens with his rollicking “Bourbon Street Boogie,” which evokes the raucous, celebratory energy of New Orleans. Pierce takes the first solo, a rhythmic tour de force that makes a compelling case for him as one of jazz’s most under-documented masters. Israel introduces the relentlessly driving “Breakout” with a beautifully calibrated solo passage. The piece builds momentum through a series of tag-team solos until its ecstatically cathartic climax. 

Gardony puts on his arranger’s hat for a joyously funky version George Shearing’s standard “Lullaby of Birdland.” Braden takes a stutter-stepping solo that turns the melody inside out, and then Gardony gives a masterclass in groove, maintaining a rumbling ostinato throughout his solo with an undulating left-hand line doubled by Lockwood’s bass. Another highlight is the haunting version of the spiritual “Motherless Child,” a song he’s explored often as a member of violinist Matt Glaser’s celebrated jazz-meets-bluegrass band The Wayfaring Strangers. “After playing it with Matt many times I started to hear something, a reharmonization that’s partially inspired by the way that Richie Havens sang it at Woodstock,” Gardony says. “I thought it would be perfect for Stan’s bass clarinet. You can tell what song it is, but I wrote this long form and the melody crystallizes at the end.” 

Strickland’s bass clarinet is featured again on Gardony’s West African-derived ballad “New Song,” a tune introduced as a trio piece on the album Dig Deep. With its meditative, cyclical feel, the ravishing melody calls out for lyrics. The album closes with “Out On Top,” another piece from Dig Deep that gains momentum as it hurtles toward a deliriously celebratory all-horns-on-deck conclusion. This was one set that clearly left the audience wanting more (in fact, there’s a bonus track from the concert available on iTunes). 

Born in Hungary, Laszlo Gardony displayed an early aptitude for the piano. By five he had started improvising, devising little tunes inspired by the blues, pop and classical music he heard around the house. Immersed in the European classical tradition while growing up, he was drawn to progressive rock as a teenager, and spent countless hours improvising blues-based music at the piano. He investigated gospel and studied jazz, a passion that soon overshadowed his classical pursuits. “We had jazz and African music classes at the Conservatory,” Gardony recalls. “There were some very knowledgeable people and a lot of records. When it came to jazz it was a tiny community, but very inspiring.”    

After graduating from the Bela Bartok Conservatory and the Science University of Budapest, he became one of Europe’s most sought after accompanists and released his first albums as a leader. Possessing a powerful sense of swing, a strong feel for the blues and a firm command of post-bop vocabulary, he gained invaluable insight by sharing festival stages with Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers and Abdullah Ibrahim, among others. 

A full scholarship to Berklee brought him to America in 1983, and a faculty position at the school upon graduation kept him stateside. He made his US recording debut with the acclaimed 1988 album The Secret (Antilles) featuring Czech bass great Miroslav Vitous and drummer Ian Froman, but it was his 1st place win the following year at the Great American Jazz Piano Competition that catapulted him into the national spotlight. He seized the moment with 1989’s brilliant release The Legend of Tsumi (Antilles), a trio session with bassist Dave Holland and drummer Bob Moses. “Being with Dave and Miroslav was such an education,” Gardony says. “If you really immerse yourself in those moments, it can change you, whether it’s one concert or a week-long gig.”   

In many circles Gardony is best known as a master of the trio format. He introduced his present band with Israel and Lockwood on the 2003 Sunnyside album Ever Before Ever After, and it’s gained recognition as one of the finest working bands in jazz. But he’s equally impressive alone at the piano, the format he first explored on 1993’s acclaimed Changed Standards and returned to again on his last album, 2013’s Clarity (both on Sunnyside). After the probing introspection of a solo recital it seems fitting that Gardony returns with a bandstand bash that captures some of jazz’s most eloquent raconteurs inspiring each other to ever more vivid tales. In short, Life In Real Time is jazz that’s the real deal.  

www.lgjazz.com

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Black Art Jazz Collective - Presented by the Side Door Jazz Club (2016)

Source & Label:

Genre: Post-bop

GAB's Rating: ★★★★★

It is easy to misconstrue a name, especially when it is so obviously tied to politics and racial identity. Born during an important period of Black identity in the arts in the early 2010s, Black Art Jazz Collective brings together an accomplished ensemble of young African American musicians who felt that it was necessary to celebrate Black culture in a positive way. The focus on camaraderie between members who grew up playing music together comes through in their music.

The Collective was co-founded by drummer Johnathan Blake, saxophonist Wayne Escoffery and trumpeter Jeremy Pelt. All graduating from esteemed music programs in the Northeast at the same time, the three quickly became ingrained in the New York jazz scene as leaders and invaluable members of ensembles led by legends like Tom Harrell, Bobby Hutcherson, Wayne Shorter and Ron Carter.

The first addition the trio made was the great bassist Dwayne Burno, an individual who really espoused professionalism and dedication to his friends. Being older than the others, Burno’s influence and attention made an impact on all of them. The ensemble also featured trombonist James Burton III (an adherent of the school of Curtis Fuller and J.J. Johnson and another Jackie McLean alum) and the great pianist/composer Xavier Davis.

The Black Art Jazz Collective’s first performance was at Dizzy’s Club Coca Cola in April 2013 with Burno. His passing in the following December was a shock and upset the jazz world, not to mention the Collective. It would prove to be a challenge to find a replacement for Burno. It wasn’t until Pelt recommended Vincente Archer that the group found a perfect replacement, one who had connections to all the members and who was influenced by Burno. 

A great opportunity came by way of Ken Kitchings and Jan Mullen of The Side Door Jazz Club in Old Lyme, Connecticut, namely a two-night gig and an opportunity to record with the venue’s new recording equipment. Kitchings and Mullen had expressed their love of the group and felt that it would be a perfect fit for their debut recording project. The resulting album Black Art Jazz Collective Presented By The Side Door Jazz Club is a tremendous example of the ensemble’s incredible drive, swagger and cohesiveness.

The program begins with Escoffery’s dedication to W.E.B. DuBois, “Double Consciousness,” an intriguingly varied piece with verve. Written during the 2012 election campaign of Barack Obama, Escoffery’s expertly written and arranged “Awaiting Change” is followed by Pelt’s lushly played ballad, “Essence of Beauty.” Davis’s “Salvador Da Bahia” is an energetic Latin piece with some incredible solo spots.

Burton’s “Going Somewhere” is a bright and powerful tribute to Sojourner Truth, while Davis’s “No Small Change” is a subtle but powerful tribute to President Obama. The ensemble’s ‘all killer, no filler’ take on Burno’s “Devil Eyes” will raise some heart rates. The set finishes with the lone live recording, Blake’s sparkling tribute to saxophone great Joe Henderson, “The Shadower.”

Black Art Jazz Collective came together during an interesting time, one of finding new strength and identity within America’s true art form, an African American art form, jazz. This allstar ensemble was able to come together as peers and brothers and, with the help of the wonderful leadership of The Side Door, was able to create a fantastic document of authentic and expertly wrought music on Black Art Jazz Collective Presented By The Side Door Jazz Club.

1. Double Consciousness (Inspired By W.E.B. DuBois) 07:31
2. Awaiting Change (Inspired By Barack Obama)
3. Essence of Beauty
4. Salvador Da Bahia
5. Going Somewhere (Inspired By Sojourner Truth) 08:25
6. No Small Change (Inspired By Barack Obama)
7. Devil Eyes
8. The Shadower (Inspired By Joe Henderson)

Wayne Escoffery - tenor saxophone
Jeremy Pelt - trumpet
James Burton III - trombone
Xavier Davis - piano
Vicente Archer - bass
Johnathan Blake - drums

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July–Dec 2016: Pianist Laszlo Gardony performs in NYC, Boston, Tokyo and more

Internationally Renowned Pianist Laszlo Gardony 

July–December Concert Schedule

Performances in NYC, Boston, Tokyo, and more

Gardony’s 2015 release Life In Real Time earned extensive critical acclaim, including One of the Ten Best Albums of 2015 in the Boston Globe:

“Gardony adds a vivacious live performance to his impressive discography with Life In Real Time… The album mixes inventive originals with fresh, exciting takes on standards, maintaining a thread of inspired improvisation and calibrated group interplay throughout.” – DownBeat, Editors’ Picks

“...these eight tracks contain more than enough musical riches to keep the ears happy and keep the toes tapping.”  – Dan Bilawsky, All About Jazz

“...varied, exuberant, post-bop heaven.” – Jon Garelick, Boston Globe

Internationally renowned pianist Laszlo Gardony is featured in an host of concerts in New York, Boston, Tokyo and beyond between July and December 2016.  The Hungarian-born, Boston-based pianist/arranger/composer will perform in duo concerts with saxophonist Marco Pignataro and with pianist Chihiro Yamanaka, as well as with his own trio, quartet and sextet.  The Laszlo Gardony Sextet is featured in his 2015 release, Life In Real Time, which garnered critical acclaim and was a DownBeat Editor’s Pick.  Concert details are listed below:

Saturday, July 16 – Berkshires Jazz Summer 2016, presented by the Pittsfield Jazz Festival 

8 p.m. – Taft Recital Hall, Berkshire Music School, 30 Wendell Ave., Pittsfield, MA

Tickets: $25 advance/$30 door

Laszlo Gardony Quartet, with Don Braden (sax); Yoron Israel (drums); John Lockwood (bass)

http://berkshiresjazz.org/upcmng/

Saturday, September 24 – Beantown Jazz Festival, Boston, MA

Free and open to the public

The Laszlo Gardony Sextet with Bill Pierce (sax), Lance Bryant (sax), Stan Strickland (reeds, vocals), Yoron Israel (drums), John Lockwood (bass)

https://www.berklee.edu/beantownjazz

October 17-22 – Concerts in China, traveling with the Berklee Global Institute delegation

With saxophonist Marco Pignataro

Saturday, October 29 – Amazing Things Arts Center, 160 Hollis St., Framingham

8:00 p.m.

Tickets: $20; $18 student/senior; $17 member

The Laszlo Gardony Trio with John Lockwood (bass) and Yoron Israel (drums)

http://amazingthings.org/

508-405-2787

Friday, November 18 – Bar Harbor Jazz Festival

8 p.m. – Criterion Theatre, 35 Cottage St., Bar Harbor, ME

Tickets: $15-20

(207) 288-0829

http://www.criteriontheatre.org/cal/

The Laszlo Gardony Trio with John Lockwood (bass) and Yoron Israel (drums)

Sunday, November 20 – Highland Jazz

2 p.m. – Newton South High School Auditorium, 140 Brandeis Rd., Newton Centre, MA

Tickets: $18 advance; $20 door; $17 senior; $10 student

http://highlandjazz.org/

The Laszlo Gardony Sextet with Bill Pierce (sax), Stan Strickland (reeds, vocals), Marco Pignataro (sax), Yoron Israel (drums), John Lockwood (bass)

December 17-22 – Tokyo, JAPAN

Further details TBA

Two-piano concert with pianist Chihiro Yamanaka

Over the past quarter century Gardony has gained widespread acclaim for a series of inspired albums documenting his trio and his riveting solo recitals. The most recent recording in his treasure-laden discography is 2015’s Life In Real Time, a thrilling live album recorded at the Berklee Performance Center at Boston’s Berklee College of Music (where most of the ensemble is on faculty). The CD was named by the Boston Globe as one the ten best jazz albums of 2015 and earned wide critical acclaim.

Born in Hungary, Laszlo Gardony displayed an early aptitude for the piano. By five he had started improvising, devising little tunes inspired by the blues, pop and classical music he heard around the house. Immersed in the European classical tradition while growing up, he was drawn to progressive rock as a teenager, and spent countless hours improvising blues-based music at the piano. He investigated gospel and studied jazz, a passion that soon overshadowed his classical pursuits. “We had jazz and African music classes at the Conservatory,” Gardony recalls. “There were some very knowledgeable people and a lot of records. When it came to jazz it was a tiny community, but very inspiring.”    

After graduating from the Béla Bartók Conservatory and the Science University of Budapest, he became one of Europe’s most sought after accompanists and released his first albums as a leader. Possessing a powerful sense of swing, a strong feel for the blues and a firm command of post-bop vocabulary, he gained invaluable insight by sharing festival stages with Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers and Abdullah Ibrahim, among others.

A full scholarship to Berklee brought him to America in 1983, and a faculty position at the school upon graduation kept him stateside. He made his US recording debut with the acclaimed 1988 album The Secret (Antilles) featuring Czech bass great Miroslav Vitous and drummer Ian Froman, but it was his 1st place win the following year at the Great American Jazz Piano Competition that catapulted him into the national spotlight. He seized the moment with 1989’s brilliant release The Legend of Tsumi (Antilles), a trio session with bassist Dave Holland and drummer Bob Moses. “Being with Dave and Miroslav was such an education,” Gardony says. “If you really immerse yourself in those moments, it can change you, whether it’s one concert or a week-long gig.”   

In many circles Gardony is best known as a master of the trio format. He introduced his present band with Israel and Lockwood on the 2003 Sunnyside album Ever Before Ever After, and it’s gained recognition as one of the finest working bands in jazz. But he’s equally impressive alone at the piano, the format he first explored on 1993’s acclaimed Changed Standards and returned to again on his last album, 2013’s Clarity (both on Sunnyside). After the probing introspection of a solo recital it seems fitting that Gardony returns with a bandstand bash that captures some of jazz’s most eloquent raconteurs inspiring each other to ever more vivid tales. In short, Life In Real Time is jazz that’s the real deal.

www.lgjazz.com