Craig Pedersen Quintet - Approaching the Absence of Doing (MYSTERY AND WONDER 2017)

“A taut work in which composition and improvisation engage almost violently at times, the music winning.” Stuart Broomer, Point of Departure

Drawing influence from the work of Cecil Taylor, Joane Hetu, Joe McPhee, David S. Ware and John Coltrane, the Craig Pedersen Quintet’s Approaching the Absence of Doing is a 7-part suite ranging from full-out intensity to the near-pastoral. Rapid fire trumpet lines, wailing saxophone squeals, punching bass articulation, and duel pummelling drums serve to push and pull against Pedersen’s compositions. This is music that often sounds like it’s falling apart and being put back together, only to fall apart again - held together by the indisputable fact that this band works together as a tight unit.

Formed in 2011, the Craig Pedersen Quartet came together to perform the compositions of Montréalbased trumpeter Craig Pedersen. Approaching the Absence of Doing saw the unorthodox addition of a second drummer.

Recorded by Howard Bilerman at Montréal’s iconic Hotel2Tango, mixed by Mark Molnar, and mastered by Harris Newman. The LP and CD jacket were designed by Bennett Bedoukian at Oh!

Underworld, and the LP pressed at Canada’s own Precision Pressing in an edition of 300.

Track listing:

1. Intervention (4:01)

2. Part 1 (1:11)

3. Blowing (4:44)

4. F-ery (3:51)

5. Introduction (4:33)

6. Part 2 (6:14)

7. Approaching (4:04)

Craig Pedersen, trumpet

Linsey Wellman - alto saxophone

Joel Kerr - double bass

Bennett Bedoukian - drums

Eric Thibodeau - drums

Buy here

Craig Pedersen - Solo Trumpet (MYSTERY AND WONDER 2017)

Setting out to work with clarity of musical and human values, openness to the mystery of something bigger than himself and the desire to explore the relationship between these values and specific musical languages, Craig Pedersen’s Solo Trumpet (2016) presents two short pieces condensed from months of ongoing solo practice and performance.

Borne out of research into the expressive qualities of semi-fixed musical languages, with Side A exploring silence, held notes, timbre and slow movement, and Side B exploring a particular combination of trumpet mute technique, half-valving and articulation, there was also clear intention to share in some of the qualities that moved him in the work of the great American guitarist, Loren Connors.

From this practice came works that he notes, “I don’t recall trying to specifically create.” In many ways, months of work came to fruition in a beautiful, tiny, unexpected way.

Recorded and mixed by Craig Pedersen, and mastered by Harris Newman, the jacket was designed and handprinted by Popolo Press, and pressed at Canada’s own Precision Pressing in an edition of 165.

Track listing:

Side A

Side B

Craig Pedersen

all music by Craig Pedersen

recorded and mixed by Craig Pedersen, November 2016.

Mastered by Harris Newman at Greymarket Mastering

Printing and design by Popolo Press

Buy here

Sound of the Mountain (Amplified Clarinet & Trumpet) MYSTERY AND WONDER 2017

“..like wind, far away, but with a depth like a rumbling of the earth.” from Yusanari Kawabata’s “The Sound of the Mountain”

A duo featuring the hollowed-out sounds of Elizabeth Millar and Craig Pedersen on amplified clarinet and trumpet, Sound of the Mountain comes from a strong history of improvisation and extended performance techniques, offering their audience long-form deep listening experiences through the sculpting of vitalized breath.

Drawing influence from the works of Pauline Oliveros, Keiji Haino, Toshimaru Nakamura, and Isabelle Duthoit and Franz Hautzinger, Sound of the Mountain’s debut album Amplified Clarinet & Trumpet evokes a vast range of textures, from silence and spaciousness to rumbling bass and saturation. The duo works with closely-mic’d instruments and minimal equalization, avoiding the use of effects pedals and loops, such that their constant physical attention drives the music. The whistles and creaking of metal and reed anticipate the more dense moments of distortion and feedback in pieces that can be appreciated as discreet moments, or longer forms.

Recorded by Thierry Amar at Montréal’s iconic Hotel2Tango, mixed by Sound of the Mountain, and mastered by Harris Newman, the LP and CD jacket were designed and handprinted by Popolo Press, and the LP pressed at Canada’s own Precision Pressing in an edition of 300.

We acknowledge the support of the Canada Council for the Arts, which last year invested $153 million to bring the arts to Canadians throughout the country. Nous remercions le Conseil des arts du Canada de son soutien. L’an dernier, le Conseil a investi 153 millions de dollars pour mettre de l’art dans la vie des Canadiennes et des Canadiens de tout le pays.

Track listing:

LP:

Side A (18:10)

Side B (15:56)

CD / Digital:

1. A-Part 1 (4:15)

2. A-Part 2 (4:49)

3. A-Part 3 (9:06)

4. B-Part 1 (9:09)

5. B-Part 2 (6:47)

Sound of the Mountain is:

Elizabeth Millar, amplified clarinet

Craig Pedersen, amplified trumpet

Available on 12-inch vinyl, CD and high-quality digital download.

Packaging designed and letterpressed by Kiva Stimac at Popolo press.

recorded by Thierry Amar at Hotel2Tango

mixed by Sound of the Mountain

mastered by Harris Newman at Greymarket Mastering

All music by Sound of the Mountain

Buy here

Sound of the Mountain 2017 from Sound of the Mountain on Vimeo.

Jazz at Princeton University's 2017-2018 Season – Gerald Clayton, Theo Bleckmann, Archie Shepp, Danilo Perez and more

Jazz at Princeton University Announces Broad and Dynamic 2017-2018 Season

October 14, 2017 – May 12, 2018

Guest artists include pianist Gerald Clayton and his trio, 

vocalist Theo Bleckmann, saxophonist Archie Shepp with 

Amina Claudine Myers, and pianist Danilo Perez

Faculty leading groups include Darcy James Argue, Jazz at Princeton head 

Rudresh Mahanthappa, Trineice Robinson-Martin and Jay Clayton

Jazz at Princeton University, helmed by acclaimed saxophonist/composer Rudresh Mahanthappa, presents a rich and varied 2017-2018 season, October 14, 2017 – May 12, 2018. Highlights include performances by student groups joined by guest artists including celebrated pianist Gerald Clayton, renowned vocalist Theo Bleckmann, saxophone legend Archie Shepp with Amina Claudine Myers, and venerable Panamanian pianist Danilo Perez.  

“I am thrilled to build upon what we started last year in presenting the myriad voices that make up this living art form of jazz,” says Mahanthappa. “We have an exciting season on tap featuring some of the top jazz musicians in the world in performance with students, the continuing great work of ensemble directors vocalist Triniece Robinson and composer/arranger Darcy James Argue, and a new vocal improvisation group led by the world renowned Jay Clayton.”

Jazz at Princeton has five major student ensembles: the Creative Large Ensemble directed by Darcy James Argue, two Jazz Small Groups directed by Rudresh Mahanthappa, the Jazz Vocal Collective directed by Trineice Robinson-Martin, and a new Vocal Improvisation Ensemble directed by Jay Clayton.

2017-2018 Season

Saturday, October 14, 2017 – Special guest pianist/composer Gerald Clayton and his trio join Jazz at Princeton University students.

8:00 pm, Richardson Auditorium in Alexander Hall.  Tickets are $15, $5 for students, available at 609-258-9220, or online at tickets.princeton.edu.

Four-time GRAMMY nominated pianist/composer Gerald Clayton formally began his musical journey at the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts, where he received the 2002 Presidential Scholar of the Arts Award. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in Piano Performance at USC’s Thornton School of Music under the instruction of piano icon Billy Childs, after a year of intensive study with NEA Jazz Master Kenny Barron at The Manhattan School of Music. Clayton won second place in the 2006 Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz Piano Competition.

He has performed and recorded with such artists as Diana Krall, Roy Hargrove, Dianne Reeves, Ambrose Akinmusire, Dayna Stephens, Kendrick Scott, Terri Lyne Carrington, Avishai Cohen, and the Clayton Brothers Quintet. Since 2013, Clayton has toured and recorded with saxophone legend Charles Lloyd. 2016 marks his second year as Musical Director of the Monterey Jazz Festival On Tour, a project that has featured his trio along with Ravi Coltrane, Nicholas Payton, Terence Blanchard and Raul Midón. Clayton’s discography as a leader includes his debut recording, Two Shade (ArtistShare), nominated for a 2010 GRAMMY Award. Clayton also received nominations in 2011, 2012, and 2013. His latest recording is the acclaimed 2016 Combinations. The son of beloved bass player and composer John Clayton, Gerald enjoyed a familial apprenticeship from an early age. He honors the legacy of his father and all his musical ancestors through a commitment to artistic exploration, innovation, and reinvention. www.geraldclayton.com.

Saturday, November 18, 2017 – Jazz at Princeton University Small Groups directed by Rudresh Mahanthappa

8:00 pm, Richardson Auditorium in Alexander Hall. Tickets are $15, $5 for students, available at 609-258-9220, or online at tickets.princeton.edu.

Few musicians share the ability of alto saxophonist/composer Rudresh Mahanthappa to embody the expansive possibilities of his music with his culture. What has materialized is a sound that hybridizes progressive jazz and South Indian classical music in a fluid and forward-looking form that reflects Mahanthappa’s own experience growing up a second-generation Indian-American. The current manifestations of that trajectory include his latest project Bird Calls (2015), which was named #1 album of the year by both DownBeat and NPR Music’s Jazz Critics Poll. Mahanthappa has been awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship, two New York Foundation for the Arts Fellowships, and numerous commissions. He has been named alto saxophonist of the year five of the past six years in Downbeat Magazine’s International Critics Polls and for six years running by the Jazz Journalists’ Association. In April 2013, he received a Doris Duke Performing Artist Award, one of the most prominent arts awards in the world. In 2015, he was named a United States Artists Fellow. In 2016, he was named the Director of Jazz and the Associate Director of the Program in Musical Performance at Princeton University. Agrima, the new recording with his Indo-Pak Coalition, will be released October 17.

Thursday, November 30, 2017 – Special guest vocalist/composer Theo Bleckmann joins the Jazz Vocal Collective directed by Trineice Robinson-Martin

7:30 PM, Taplin Auditorium in Fine Hall. Free and open to the public.

GRAMMY nominated jazz singer and new music composer Theo Bleckmann’s diverse recorded work includes albums of Las Vegas standards, Weimar art songs, and popular “bar songs” (all with pianist Fumio Yasuda); a recording of newly-arranged songs by Charles Ives (with jazz/rock collective Kneebody); and his acclaimed "Hello Earth - the Music of Kate Bush." Bleckmann has appeared as a special guest on recordings by Ambrose Akinmusire for Blue Note Records and Julia Hülsmann’s trio for ECM Records. Bleckmann’s most recent recording Elegy, produced by legendary ECM label head and founder Manfred Eicher, was released in January 2017 on the ECM label. Bleckmann has collaborated with musicians, artists, actors and composers, including Ambrose Akinmusire, Laurie Anderson, Uri Caine, Philip Glass, Ann Hamilton, John Hollenbeck, Sheila Jordan, Phil Kline, David Lang, Kirk Nurock, Frances MacDormand, Ben Monder, Michael Tilson Thomas, Kenny Wheeler, John Zorn, the Bang on a Can All-Stars, and, most prominently, Meredith Monk, with whom Bleckmann worked as a core ensemble member for over fifteen years. He has been interviewed by Terry Gross on NPR’s Fresh Air and appeared on the David Letterman show with Laurie Anderson. In 2015, Bleckmann premiered a new work for the American Composers Orchestra at Carnegie Hall, and in 2016 he brought new work to the New York Philharmonic Biennial and the LA Philharmonic. Bleckmann has consistently appeared in the top-five spots in the DownBeat Critics’ Polls for Best Male Vocalist, and top-ten spots in their Readers’ Polls, and his work on Phil Kline’s “Out Cold” helped place that production on WQXR's Operavore "Best Opera of 2012". In 2010, Bleckmann received the prestigious JAZZ ECHO award from the Deutsche Phono-Akademie in his native Germany.

Internationally recognized as one of the leading pedagogues in gospel and soul voice training and vocal technique, Dr. Trineice Robinson-Martin is a force within the academic, religious, and performance communities. Her pioneering scholarship on gospel vocal techniques and performance practices can be found in Journal of Singing, Teaching in the 21st Century ed. by Harrison and O’Brian; and So You Want to Sing Gospel and in upcoming publications Voice Training for the Gospel Soloist. Creator of Soul Ingredients™, Dr. Trineice holds doctoral and master’s degrees from Teachers College Columbia University in music education with an emphasis in contemporary commercial music vocal pedagogy, and a master’s degree in Jazz Studies from Indiana University-Bloomington.

Her performance experience spans a variety of musical styles, venues and settings: the intimacy of private parties and local clubs, the grand stages of musical arts centers and large music festivals, and international stages. Dr. Trineice Robinson-Martin is the Executive Director of the African American Jazz Caucus, Inc.; serves on the national faculty of Gospel Music Workshop of America, Inc.; and is a certified instructor in Somatic VoiceworkTM the LoVetri Method. www.DrTrineice.com

Saturday, December 2, 2017 – Special guest saxophonist Archie Shepp with pianist/organist/ vocalist Amina Claudine Myers join Princeton’s Creative Large Ensemble directed by Darcy James Argue to perform music from Shepp’s Grammy-nominated recording “I Hear the Sound.”

8:00 pm, Richardson Auditorium in Alexander Hall. Tickets are $15, $5 for students, available at 609-258-9220, or online at tickets.princeton.edu.

Saxophonist, composer, pianist, singer, politically committed poet, and playwright Archie Shepp is a legend. Born in 1937 in Fort Lauderdale, he grew up in Philadelphia, majored in theater at Goddard College and in 1959 moved to New York where he associated with artists such as Leroy Jones (Amiri Baraka), Ishmael Reed, Bob Thomson and William White. Shepp also performed with some of the most important musicians of the sixties: John Coltrane, Lee Morgan, Jimmy Heath, Freddie Hubbard, McCoy Tyner, Frank Zappa, Chico Hamilton, and others. His professional career as a musician began in that decade when he made two recordings with Cecil Taylor. He created the New York Contemporary Five with John Tchicai and made four records for Savoy and Storyville. He recorded for Impulse and made 17 records among which Four For Trane, Fire Music, and Mama Too Tight are regarded as classics. His collaboration with John Coltrane materialized further with the recording of Ascension in 1965. Shepp was involved in the creation of the Jazz Composers Guild, formed by the trumpeter Bill Dixon, which was a major turning point in avant-garde music and included Carla and Paul Bley, Sun Ra, Roswell Rudd, Cecil Taylor and Albert Ayler. In 1969 he began teaching music at the State University of Buffalo where he was the first acting director of their Black Studies program. In 1971 he began teaching at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and retired as Professor Emeritus in 2002. Since 2000 Mr. Shepp has performed frequently in Europe. Since 2004 he has released a number of albums including the 2013 GRAMMY-nominated I HEAR THE SOUND, a new recording of the renowned Attica Blues. In 2016, Shepp received the NEA Jazz Master Award. He continues to compose and record and is preparing a new album to be released in 2018.

Vancouver-born, Brooklyn-based composer and bandleader Darcy James Argue has toured nationally and internationally with his 18-piece ensemble, Secret Society. Argue made his mark with his critically acclaimed 2009 debut Infernal Machines. 2013 saw the release of Brooklyn Babylon, which, like Infernal Machines before it, earned the group nominations for both GRAMMY and JUNO Awards. His most recent recording, Real Enemies, released in the fall of 2016, earned a third consecutive GRAMMY nomination. Secret Society maintains a busy touring schedule, with European, Canadian, and South American tours and four appearances at the Newport Jazz Festival. Argue has also toured Australia and New Zealand leading the Jazzgroove Mothership Orchestra. He has led performances of his music by the WDR Big Band, the Danish Radio Big Band, the Frankfurt Radio Big Band, the Cologne Contemporary Jazz Orchestra, the Big Band Palácio das Artes, and the West Point Jazz Knights. Argue has composed works for chamber duo and string quartet, art songs for Newspeak, and created arrangements for the Atlanta Symphony. In 2015, Argue was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship in Music Composition and a Doris Duke Artist Award. He has received commissions from the Fromm Music Foundation, the Jazz Gallery, the Manhattan New Music Project, the Jerome Foundation, and BAM, as well as ensembles including the Danish Radio Big Band, the Hard Rubber Orchestra, the West Point Jazz Knights, and the Orquestra Jazz de Matosinhos. He is the recipient of grants and fellowships from the New York Foundation for the Arts, New Music USA, the Aaron Copland Fund for Music, Composers Now, the Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation, the Canada Council for the Arts, and the MacDowell Colony.

Amina Claudine Myers is a pianist, organist, vocalist, composer, master improvisor, actress, and educator. She has performed nationally and internationally throughout Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia, and North America. Myers began singing and playing jazz in college and moved to Chicago in the sixties, where she taught in the public schools for six years and composed her first choir for a musical, “I Dream.” In 1976 she moved to New York City and began writing music for theater, acting and composing for a number of off-Broadway productions. Myers has recorded with Archie Shepp, Charlie Haden’s Liberation Orchestra, James Blood Ulmer, Lester Bowie, Sonny Stitt, Anthony Braxton, Henry Threadgill, and others. She has released eleven recordings and composed many pieces for chamber orchestra, chorus, vocal and chamber ensembles, and big band. In 2010 she was commissioned by the Chicago Jazz Institute to compose a jazz orchestra piece in honor of Mary Lou Williams. Recent endeavors include performing original works of jazz, blues, gospel, spirituals, and improvisations for the pipe organ. Myers has received awards from the National Endowment for the Arts, Meet the Composer, and the New York Foundation for the Arts. She was inducted into the Arkansas Black Hall of Fame in 2001 and the Arkansas Jazz Hall of Fame in 2010.

Sunday, December 10, 2017 – Vocal Improvisation Ensemble directed by Jay Clayton

5 PM, Taplin Auditorium in Fine Hall. Free and open to the public.

Vocal innovator Jay Clayton shares her practice techniques and approach to free improvisation as well as fresh ideas for improvising over chord changes. One of the pioneering teachers of improvised vocal music, Clayton served as the director of the vocal department at Cornish College of the Arts for 20 years and was on the jazz faculty at Peabody Institute in Baltimore for 10 years.

Wednesday, December 13, 2017 – Jazz Small Groups directed by Rudresh Mahanthappa

7:30 PM, Taplin Auditorium in Fine Hall. Free and open to the public.

Saturday, February 24, 2018 – Special guest Danilo Perez performs with Jazz at Princeton University Small Groups

8:00 pm, Richardson Auditorium in Alexander Hall. Tickets are $15, $5 for students, available at 609-258-9220, or online at tickets.princeton.edu.

Pianist, composer, educator and social activist Danilo Pérez is among the most influential and dynamic musicians of our time. Born in Panama in 1965, Pérez started his musical studies when he was three with his father, a bandleader and singer. By age 10, he was studying the European classical piano repertoire at the National Conservatory in Panama. After receiving his bachelor’s degree in electronics in Panama, he studied jazz composition at Berklee College of Music. While still a student, he performed with Jon Hendricks, Terence Blanchard, Slide Hampton, Claudio Roditi and Paquito D’Rivera.

He soon toured and/or recorded with artists such as Dizzy Gillespie United Nations Orchestra from 1989-1992, Jack DeJohnette, Steve Lacy, Lee Konitz, Charlie Haden, Michael Brecker, Joe Lovano, Tito Puente, Wynton Marsalis, Tom Harrell, Gary Burton, and Roy Haynes. In 2000, Danilo joined Wayne Shorter to form Shorter's quartet with John Patitucci and Brian Blade. In 1993, Pérez turned his focus to his own ensembles and recording projects, releasing eight albums as a leader, earning several GRAMMY and Latin GRAMMY nominations. In 1996 he was signed by producer Tommy Lipuma to join the Impulse label and recorded Panamonk, a tribute to Thelonious Monk. Providencia, his debut for Mack Avenue Records, was nominated for a 2011 GRAMMY Award.

As a composer, he has received commissions from Lincoln Center, Chicago Jazz Festival, Imani Winds Quintet, Carnegie Hall, and The Banff Centre. Pérez served as Goodwill Ambassador to UNICEF, and currently serves as UNESCO Artist for Peace, Cultural Ambassador to the Republic of Panama, Founder and Artistic Director of the Panama Jazz Festival, and Artistic Director of the Berklee Global Jazz Institute in Boston’s Berklee College of Music. His latest album, Children Of The Light, a collaboration with fellow Wayne Shorter Quartet members John Patitucci and Brian Blade, was released on Mack Avenue in September of 2015.

Thursday, April 19, 2018 – Jazz Vocal Collective directed by Trineice Robinson

7:30 PM, Taplin Auditorium in Fine Hall. Free and open to the public.

Thursday, April 26, 2018 – Vocal Improvisation Ensemble directed by Jay Clayton

7:30 PM, Taplin Auditorium in Fine Hall. Free and open to the public.

Tuesday, May 1, 2018 – Jazz Small Groups directed by Rudresh Mahanthappa

7:30 PM, Taplin Auditorium in Fine Hall. Free and open to the public.

Saturday, May 12, 2018 – The Creative Large Ensemble directed by Darcy James Argue

8:00 pm, Richardson Auditorium in Alexander Hall. Tickets are $15, $5 for students, available at 609-258-9220, or online at tickets.princeton.edu.

Jazz at Princeton University serves to promote this uniquely American music as a contemporary and relevant art form.  Our goals are to convey the vast musical and social history of jazz, establish a strong theoretical and stylistic foundation with regard to improvisation and composition, and emphasize the development of individual expression and creativity. Offerings of this program include academic course work, performing ensembles, master classes, private study, and independent projects.

PORTA JAZZ Ao Pôr do Sol - Pedro Neves Trio - 17 de Setembro - Jardins do Palacio de Cristal

PORTA-JAZZ AO PÔR DO SOL

Domingo, 17 de Setembro 18:30h

Jardins do Palácio de Cristal

- entrada livre -

Pedro Neves Trio

Pedro Neves - piano

Miguel Ângelo - contrabaixo

Leandro Leonet - bateria

O ultimo concerto do ciclo Porta Jazz Ao Pôr do Sol será apresentado este domingo pelas mãos do Pedro Neves Trio. 

05:21 é o 27º disco com Carimbo Porta-Jazz.

05:21 descreve o primeiro momento do amanhecer. A narrativa do álbum sugere o percurso de alguém que atravessa esta hora do dia recorrentemente, enfrentando um turbilhão de pensamentos e sensações que o levam numa viagem alucinante que apenas termina quando por fim consegue adormecer.

Esta é uma história escrita pela mão do pianista e compositor Pedro Neves, ilustrada por Miguel Ângelo e Leandro Leonet.

CUNEIFORM RECORDS: Happy Five Dollar Friday! Today's 1-Day Only $5 album is...

Happy 

Five Dollar

Friday!

Only one day to Buy a Brilliant Album

from the Cuneiform Catalog for Only $5!

This sale ends 11:59pm UTC on 09/16/2017

THIS WEEK'S ALBUM

Fear Draws Misfortune by CHEER-ACCIDENT

HOW IT WORKS:

1) Click the link below which will take you to the above album on Bandcamp

2) Click "Buy Digital Album"

3) Type "10" into the Name your price field (The discount comes next! ;) )

4) Type the word "FRIDAY" into the Discount code field.

5) Click "apply". 

6) Click "Check out now" or "Add to Cart".

That's it! Easy, right?

Click Here To Get 'Fear Draws Misfortune' For Only $5!

CHEER-ACCIDENT is ON TOUR NOW!

September 15

Rock In Opposition Festival - Cap D'ecouverte - Le Garric 81450, France

September 16

la Librairie Compagnon - 8 sentier des écoliers - 69870 Grandris, France

September 17

Une figue dans le Poirier - Girmont Val'D'Ajol - France

September 19

Le 108 - 108 ru de Bourgogne - 45000 Orleans, France

September 20

tba - Metz, France

September 21

Le Grattoir - Gerardmer, France

September 22

Freakshow Art Rock Festival - Würzburg, Germany [with Poil and Le Silo]

September 23

OFF - Offenburgerstrasse 59 - Basel, Switzerland

Omri Ziegele Where`s Africa - Going South (INTAKT RECORDS 2017)

This new album by Omri Ziegele’s «Where’s Africa» trio is in a place where there is unmitigated joy; its movements are feather-light, yet its grooves are earthy. That state of being in which everything can flow freely, the songs, time, like children’s rhymes and rounds, circling until they suddenly lead us out into the open. 

The keyboard transforms itself into a whole battery of tuned drums – it becomes a melodica, a bass, a universal instrument. In addition there is the simmering of the percussion, either with a relaxed timefeel or driving rhythms, over which the alto saxophone can lift raise itself – song-like, hymnic, spiritual, unchained as if in a trance. 

There are moments when everything connects: the joy of the dance and the “petite mort”; devotion and prayer.

Omri Ziegele: Alto Saxophone, Uzbek Flute, Vocals

Yves Theiler: Keyboards, Reed Organ, Melodica, Vocals

Dario Sisera: Percussion, Drums

1. Afreaka (Yves Theiler) 6:47

2. Make Me Mad (Omri Ziegele) 3:31

3. Laughing Your Tears Away (Omri Ziegele) 3:48

4. Will You Marry Me After So Many Years (Omri Ziegele) 2:14

5. Space (Yves Theiler Lyrics by Theiler/Ziegele) 5:38

6. Yesterday’s Tomorrows (Omri Ziegele) 5:35

7. The Milkman Always Paid My Rent (Omri Ziegele) 4:28

8. Camel, Where’s My Land (Omri Ziegele: music and lyrics) 13:36

9. Ithi Gqi (Johnny Dyani) 3:45

Recorded September 22, 23, 2016, at Hardstudios Winterthur by Andreas Neresheimer.

Edits by Dario Sisera, mixed by Andreas Neresheimer and Where’s Africa, overdubs by Where’s Africa, mastered by Andreas Neresheimer.

In cooperation with Radio SRF 2 Kultur. 

Cover art and graphic design: Jonas Schoder. Photo: Heinz Unger. Liner notes: Bert Noglik.

Produced by Omri Ziegele and Intakt Records. Published by Intakt Records, Patrik Landolt.

Bill O'Connell / Nico Catacchio / Alessandro Napolitano - The Three of Us (ALBORE JAZZ 2017)

Blue in Green (Miles Davis)

Lost in Taranto (Alessandro Napolitano)

Love for Sale (Cole Porter)

Piccolo Porticciolo (Alessandro Napolitano)

Solar (Miles Davis)

There Is No Greater Love (Isham Jones)

Estate (Bruno Martino)

Bill O’Connell* (piano)

Nico Catacchio (double bass)

Alessandro Napolitano (drums)

*Bill O’Connell appears courtesy of Savant Records

Recorded at XLR Recording Studio, Taranto – Italy, in May 2015

Recording and mixing engineer: Marco Rollo

Mastering engineer: Luca Bulgarelli

Executive producer: Satoshi Toyoda

Tom Rainey Obbligato - Float Upstream (with Ralph Alessi, Ingrid Laubrock, Kris Davis, Drew Gress) INTAKT RECORDS 2017

On this second CD with his band Obbligato Tom Rainey surprises with standards and beautiful love songs like «Stella by Starlight», «What Is This Thing Called Love» or «I Fall in Love too Easily».

Tom Rainey has played in bands with Tim Berne, Fred Hirsch and Craig Taborn, and his own trio with Ingrid Laubrock and Mary Halvorson.

For this ensemble he chose some of the finest players New York has to offer: Ingrid Laubrock, Ralph Alessi, Kris Davis and Drew Gress.

Christian Broecking writes (liner notes): «With Obbligato, Rainey brings two familiar acquaintances from Jazz history to the fore – collective playing and improvising on Standards – the actual material itself, the well-known melodies and chord progressions are not overly taken apart.

With Obbligato he wanted to find his own way of playing the milestones of Jazz history.

1. Stella by Starlight (Victor Young) 5:15

2. Beatrice (Sam Rivers) 6:21

3. What Is This Thing Called Love (Cole Porter) 4:02

4. What's New (Bob Haggart) 10:35

5. There is no Greater Love (Isham Jones) 6:48

6. Float Upstream (Obbligato) 5:23

7. I Fall in Love too Easily (Jule Styne) 4:53

Ralph Alessi Trumpet

Ingrid Laubrock Saxophones

Kris Davis Piano

Drew Gress Bass

Tom Rainey Drums

Recorded at Brooklyn Recording in NYC by Andy Taub on January 19th, 2017. 

Mixed by Andy Taub on January 26th, 2017. Mastered by Alan Silverman at Arf! Productions Inc. on May 3rd, 2017. 

Cover art: Christine Reifenberger. Graphic design: Jonas Schoder. Photo: Peter Gannushkin. 

Liner notes: Christian Broecking. Executive production by Anja Illmaier. 

Produced by Tom Rainey and Intakt Records, Patrik Landolt.

Chris Speed Trio - Platinum on Tap (INTAKT RECORDS 2017)

This new album by Chris Speed's excellent trio with drummer Dave King and bassist Chris Tordini is in many ways Speed's most fully developed and personal work to date. Since arriving in New York in the early 1990s, he has become one of the most vital improvising musicians on the scene through work that has always ranged widely, moving from a jazz base out through various forms of folk, classical and rock music. 

With the formation of this trio Speed has reversed course: moving from these outer explorations back into something that is unquestionably jazz. What is most striking about this record is that the early jazz influences are now fully center stage. Instead of being one of a number of competing musical influences, some kind of feeling of the aesthetic of Lester Young is now at the center of everything. At a time when many jazz players are continuing to look further and further outside the tradition, this is a group returning from other explorations to work deep within the jazz tradition, bringing everything else they've learned back in …

The resulting music is joyful and generous and Speed has an uncanny knack for coming up with tunes that can create a whole worlds behind an often catchy melodic surface. (Anthony Burr, from the liner notes)

1. Red Hook Nights 4:17

2. Arrival High 6:51

3. Buffalo 15 4:31

4. Crossface Cradle 5:28

5. Pretty Much 4:26

6. Crooked Teeth 3:52

7. Platinum on Tap 3:50

8. Stardust 5:31

9. Torking 3:44

10. Spirits 2:41

Chris Speed: Tenor Saxophone

Chris Tordini: Acoustic Bass

Dave King: Drums

Music by Chris Speed keopolo music BMI except "Spirits" byAlbert Ayler and "Stardust" by Hoagy Carmichael. 

Recorded live at Brooklyn Recording on March 3, 2016, by Andy Taub. Assisted by Aurélien Jubault. 

Mastered March 2017 by Huntley Miller HM Mastering Minneapolis.

Cover art and graphic design: Jonas Schoder. Liner notes: Anthony Burr. Photo: Bradley Bambarger.

Executive production by Florian Keller. Produced by Chris Speed and Intakt Records, Patrik Landolt. 

Published by Intakt Records.

NEW Truth Revolution Records Album: Mike Boone Quartet - Beneath the Surface (2017)

Truth Revolution Records announces the release of bassist Mike Boone’s debut album Beneath the Surface on September 15.

FEATURING:

JOHN SWANA, TIM BREY, ANWAR MARSHALL, MEKHI BOONE

“Respected in Philadelphia for his commitment to the jazz scene there, as well as for his dedication to assisting younger musicians, Boone’s years of professional experience has allowed him to immerse himself in the music to the extent that he becomes the instrument to the music’s message.”

As the title suggests, there is more to Beneath the Surface than meets the eye.

For example, Mike recorded the gig in secret unbeknownst to his bandmates. After hearing the outcome he thought, it “felt good.” Also, with some “surgery” it would make an excellent CD.

Beneath the Surface captures the Mike Boone Quartet live at Chris’s Jazz Cafe where local followers listen to the music and cheer the group on at one of the last venue that focuses on jazz.

The repertoire includes covers including John Coltrane’s “Central Park West,” played in 6/8 rhythms with two alternating keys; Freddie Hubbard’s blues-tinged “Byrdlike” and Sid Simmons’ uplifting “Keep the Faith” and Boone’s straight-ahead “B-n-R.”

And original compositions such as the title track, which is built on the chord changes to Joe Henderson’s “Inner Urge;” the lively “Up Jumped Bootsie” and the harrowing, “Angst.” Other tracks include “Firm Roots (insert Pt. 1 and 2).

The band consists of John Swana on valve trombone and EVI; Tim Brey on the piano; drummer Anwar Marshall. Also, drummer Mekhi Boone (Mike’s son) appears on three tracks.

“I’ve known John since my early years in Philly,” says Mike. “He’s my horn player of choice forever. I met Tim and Anwar while they were students at Temple and University of the Arts, respectively. They are the top young guys on their instruments in Philly. We’ve been together for about four years, playing wherever and whenever we can.”

Additionally, Mike started out as a classical pianist and switched to the bass in high school. He graduated from Eastman, where he began playing jazz. Also, he was a member of the Buddy Rich Big Band (1982, ’85, ’86). He moved to Philly in 1984, where he learned about jazz from the “old heads.” Also, he was a member of the house band at Ortlieb’s Jazzhaus for almost fifteen years.

He has worked with Joey Defrancesco, Ben Vereen, Buddy Rich, Leslie Uggams, James Moody, Clark Terry, Joe Henderson, Donald Byrd, Dakota Staton, Al Grey, Shirley Scott, Uri Caine, Orrin Evans and Joe De Francesco. Also, he has mentored countless young jazz players on the Philly music scene.

He taught at the Kimmel Center Summer Program and served as the Professor of Jazz Bass at Temple University.

“Even though the CD has my name on the cover,” says Mike, “it’s a group effort. John, Tim, Anwar, and Mekhi have taken the music and made it their own. It’s different each time, and better.”

For Mike Boone, Beneath the Surface is much more than just a jazz recording. “It could apply to life itself … it’s more about substance as opposed to appearance.” Something to consider as you listen and enjoy the best that Philly has to offer.

By Tomas Peña / JazzDeLaPena

1. Up Jumped Bootsie

2. Beneath The Surface

3. Central Park West 09:09

4. Firm Roots insert pt 1

5. Angst

6. Firm Roots insert pt 2

7. Punjab

8. Byrdlike

9. B-n-R

10. Keep The Faith

This live record from Philly jazz bass icon Mike Boone is his fifth as a leader, and his debut on the TRR label. It’s a well-balanced combination of classic jazz covers and originals, and the EVI (Electronic Valve Instrument) makes for a brand new take on the Jazz Quartet format. 

“On three cuts, my son, Mekhi Boone, is on drums. I've know John [Swana] since my early years in Philly. He's my horn player of choice forever. I met Tim and Anwar while they were students at Temple and University of the Arts, respectively. They are the top young guys (under 30) on their instruments in Philly. We've been together for about 4 years, playing when we can. 

As far as the title, it could apply to life itself. It's more about substance, as opposed to appearance.”

Releases September 15, 2017 

Mike Boone: Basses 

John Swana: Valve trombone, EVI 

Tim Brey: Piano 

Anwar Marshall: Drums 

Mekhi Boone: Drums tracks 4, 6, 9 

Produced by: Mike Boone and 

Sean Svadlenak 

Recorded at: Chris’ Jazz Club, 

Philadelphia, PA (2016) 

Recorded by: Sean Svadlenak 

Edited and mixed by: Mike Boone 

and Sean Svadlenak 

Mastered by: David Lackner/Galtta 

Cover photo by: Mackenzie McAlpin

Un Blonde streams "Good Will Come To You" and premieres re-mastered single on The Fader

Photo: Sebastian Buzzalino / Unfolding Creative Photo

Un Blonde streams “Good Will Come To You”

on CBC Music in advance of September 22nd release on Flemish Eye

Fader premieres “I Felt the Evening Come Through the Window” from the album, now remastered and will be on vinyl for the first time.

A few weeks ago, Flemish Eye announced that they would be working with Montreal-based mastermind Un Blonde, starting with releasing his latest album, the brilliant ‘Good Will Come To You’ on September 22nd. Starting today, Un Blonde fans can stream the entire record on CBCMusic “First Play”.

CBCMusic calls the album “a veritable sound collage that belongs to no particular genre” and is “ deceptively detailed and layered”.  Listen Here >

Yesterday, The Fader premiered the remastered “I Felt the Evening Come Through the Window” from the album, and the single is also available everywhere on streaming services leading up to the full album release. Un Blonde’s acclaimed album was originally issued in a very limited cassette-only run (on Egg Paper Factory) and sold out immediately. Now newly remixed and remastered, the album will get a full release worldwide digitally and be available everywhere for the first time on vinyl with a bonus download of B-sides.

Pre-order the album here >

Un Blonde is the solo project of Montreal-based musician, producer, and composer Jean-Sebastian Audet. Over the course of a steady stream of self-produced albums and EPs, he laid down the framework for a constantly mutating series of musical environments, which forge highly unique connections between hints of contemporary r&b, cubist avant-funk, low-key soul, indie pop, and confessional songwriting. This heady mixture spilled over into Good Will Come To You, a brilliant, 21-song widescreen presentation of Audet's concepts, which landed him a spot on the Long List for that year's Polaris Music Prize and further cemented his growing reputation as one of the most compellingly original new artists to emerge in recent years. Upon the album’s initial ultra-limited release, The Fader opined that “Jean-Sebastian Audet's layered vocal harmonies are transcendent … they seem to guide him from an apartment and into the streets of Montreal, where he finds his own rhythm in the music, as he has always done.”

The album artwork - an important facet of Audet’s overarching artistic vision - has been reworked for the LP / CD formats and looks better than ever. And, as a bonus for purchasers of the LP version, we are thrilled to include a bonus download-only album of extra material from the ‘Good Will Come To You’ sessions, including B-sides and alternate versions of album tracks. Some eager customers will even be able to find a cassette version of the bonus tracks in limited retailers and in the Flemish Eye online store.

Tour dates

Un Blonde is also supporting ‘Good Will Come To You’  with a series of dates with Flemish Eye label-mate and old friend Chad VanGaalen.

Sep 15 :: Montreal, Québec, Canada :: Pop Montreal Festival

Nov 30 :: Toronto, Ontario :: Lee's Palace *

Dec 1 :: Detroit, MI, USA :: El Club *

Dec 2 :: Chicago, IL, USA :: Empty Bottle *

Dec 3 :: Indianapolis, IN, USA :: Hi-Fi *

Dec 5 :: Pittsburgh, PA, USA :: Club Cafe *

Dec 6 :: Brooklyn, NY, USA :: Rough Trade NYC *

Dec 7 :: Boston, MA, USA :: Great Scott *

Dec 9 :: Ottawa, Ontario :: The 27 Club *

*with Chad VanGaalen

Un Blonde : Good Will Come to You

1 Celebration

2 On My Grind

3 Open Sesame

4 I'm Free

5 Rain Will Not Change

6 I Felt The Evening Come Through The Window

7 Brand New

8 Exercise A

9 Staying In Line

10 In Harmony

11 Who I Am

12 Take Me Higher

13 The Real Way

14 Heat Of The Afternoon

15 A Level Playing Field

16 No Fronting

17 The Time It Takes

18 True Love

19 Look At Me Deep (Mutual Love)

20 Rain Cannot Change

21 Trust Your Judgement

More about Good Will Come to You

Un Blonde is the solo project of Montreal-based musician, producer, and composer Jean-Sebastian Audet, whose world is a constantly mutating series of musical environments, forging brilliant connections between contemporary r&b, cubist avant-funk, low-key soul, indie pop, and confessional songwriting. This heady mixture spilled over into Good Will Come To You, an album released last year as a quick-to-sell-out limited run tape. Now, as the first fruit of his newly-minted signing with Flemish Eye Records, the fully remixed and remastered album will be made available once again on LP and digital formats.

Good Will Come To You is a brilliant, 21-song widescreen presentation of Audet's concepts, which NOW Magazine called his “most focused and fragile record yet” in their glowing 5-star review. The album landed him a spot on the Long List for last year's Polaris Music Prize and further cemented his growing reputation as one of the most compellingly original new artists to emerge in recent years.

The music of Un Blonde is conceptualized, written, and recorded completely by Audet himself in apartments and rehearsal spaces around Montreal, with a very simple and limited recording setup. While some artists might find such a minimal gear setup to be a hinderance, for Audet it is a key part of his ability to most fully express his ideas. “I spend every day waiting for things to say, and saying them right away”, he says, and it’s this 24/7 access - along with his unencumbered and unfussy recording means - that allowed him to explore this process on Good Will Come To You. The Fader noted that “Audet's layered vocal harmonies are transcendent … they seem to guide him from an apartment and into the streets of Montreal, where he finds his own rhythm in the music, as he has always done.”

In the live realm, Un Blonde exists as a series of constantly shifting permutations, adding and subtracting members to find the right sound. Over the years, the band’s live scope has ranged from large ensembles featuring extra drummers, percussionists, and guitarists, to a stripped-down trio that focuses on group improvisation to raise existing material to new heights. Audet’s live accomplices include players from some of the finest contemporary indie acts going, including members of Nap Eyes, Homeshake, Lab Coast, Monomyth, and Tough Age.

Good Will Come To You comes out on September 22nd on LP and digital formats — the former featuring newly reworked album art and a bonus download-only album of b-sides and alternate versions. Un Blonde will be appearing across Canada and the US throughout the rest of the year.