Tuesday, November 15, 2016

NEW RELEASE:AARON ABERNATHY - MONOLOGUE; BARBATUQUES - AYU; BURAK BEDIKYAN - AWAKENING

AARON ABERNATHY - MONOLOGUE

This album's hardly a monologue – given that Aaron Abernathy's got some great help on the whole thing – from artists who include Phonte, Zo, and Deborah Bond – each of whom add a special slice of their talents to a tune! Yet undeniably, Aaron's the main man on the whole thing – a fantastic funky drummer, a great singer with a nice sort of edge to his voice, and a top-level talent who composed, arranged, and produced the whole thing on his own! There's a chunky sort of electro funk groove on most tunes – a vibe where the keyboards and basslines are bumping the speakers nicely, as the lyrics crackle over the top with a very vibrant energy. We're almost tempted to call the whole thing a Zapp for the 21st Century – but there's a much earthier feel overall – and titles include "Son Of Larry", "Kiss Me Again", "Pretty Kind", "Bachelorette", "AB Is Gone Away", "I Need To Know", and "Play It Cool". ~ Dusty Groove

BARBATUQUES - AYU

Very cool sounds from this unique Brazilian group – an ensemble whose music mostly comes from their voices and percussive sounds made on their bodies! The approach is surprisingly great – and maybe not nearly as squishy as you'd expect – as there's a clean, clear sound to the music – one that almost feels sampled or electronic at times, without any of the hippie-dippy elements that could come from such a project. Instead, the percussive elements at the core really keep things bristling – and seem to infect the vocals too – creating a sharpness throughout, one that's only echoed and magnified when guests artists Nana Vasconcelos, Marcelo Pretto, or Hermeto Pascoal come into the mix. Titles include "Barra Do Dia", "Valsa Manca", "Skamenco", "Kerere", "Ta Na Roda", "Totem", "Eh Eh", "Tudo Fica", and "Samba Lele".  ~ Dusty Groove

BURAK BEDIKYAN - AWAKENING

A rock-solid set from pianist Burak Bedikyan – a player who seems to grow tremendously in the space between each new album! This set features all original material by Burak – songs that can be dark one minute, quietly sensitive the next – with a beauty that's not just captured by Bedikyan's work on piano, but also by the sinewy alto sax of Loren Stillman – who's deft enough to move in all the right ways along the melodies, then open up for his own interpretations on the solos. The rest of the group features the great Donald Edwards on drums and Ugonna Okegwo on bass – and titles include "Ad Infinitum", "Do Not Fear", "Unfair Blues", "All Alone", "Idee Fixe", and "Mother Earth". ~ Dusty Groove


NEW RELEASES: KENYA – SKIN DEEP: THE COLLECTION; NATE LAPINE – QUARTET: VORTICES; JARI HAAPALAINEN TRIO – FUSION MACHINE

KENYA – SKIN DEEP: THE COLLECTION

A sweet collection of work from Kenya – one of the freshest voices on the neo soul scene in recent years – presented here in a set of remixes that only further expand her groove! The album's a great companion to Kenya's studio records – and often has her wonderful vocals stepping up strongly over some more club-oriented grooves – work that's never in a cheap dance music mode, nor just a simple house-ified approach to her songs – and which instead provides some very thoughtful reworkings of her tunes. Titles include "Take Me Away (Tom Glide rmx)", "My Heart (Mark De Clive-Lowe rmx)", "Brown Soul (Edgewood Agents acoustic rmx)", "Makusmile (Tom Glide rework)", "Let Me (Sean McCabe classic soul rmx)", "Never Giving Up (Edgewood Agents rework)", and "Wednesday Girl (Opolopo rmx)". ~ Dusty Groove

NATE LAPINE – QUARTET: VORTICES

A really wonderful album from the hard-burning contemporary Chicago scene – a set that may not get the global attention as some other records on bigger labels, but one that's equally well-deserving of recognition! Tenorist Nate Lepine is at the head of the group, but the whole quartet is a very cohesive ensemble – working with this equally spaces sense of composition and freedom – very much in the spirit of the Chicago scene of players like Mike Reed or Josh Berman, but also with some of the newer, more personal energy we've really been feeling in recent years too! Nick Mazzarella plays alto sax in the group, and the pairing of horns is wonderful – interlocked at all the right moments, but bursting out with individual voices when needed – and given strong support by the subtle bass work of Clark Sommers, and the well-timed drums of Quin Kirchner. Titles include "Ice Shirt", "Youngblood", "Eve Yeti's Ready For Spring", "Aye Lads", "Hennies", and "The Grass Is Rizz". ~Dusty Groove

JARI HAAPALAINEN TRIO – FUSION MACHINE

No fusion here – at least not in the traditional sense – but the album is a really made fusion of drums, electric bass, and tenor saxophone – the last of which is played by the great Per Texas Johansson, with a force that's more than strong enough to match the other two instruments! The electric bass really rumbles with a lot of power here – modes that are much more dynamic than in traditional jazz, but not really rock or familiar fusion, either – and there's an elasticity from the instrument, as played by Daniel Bingert, that really seems to communicated back and forth between the other two points of the triangle. Jari Haapalainen is on drums – driving the whole thing onward – and titles include "Ingrid 20", "Risk For Halka", "Begynnelsen", "Morka Rummet", and "Ich Bin Ein Berliner". (Limited to 300 copies!) ~ Dusty Groove


Monday, November 14, 2016

Jazz Fusion Orchestra BANDZILLA Feat. Guest Appearances By Randy Brecker & Leo Sayer To Release Long-Awaited Second Album “BANDZILLA RISES!”

What happens when a group of top studio musicians get together in their free time? A unique mixture of sophisticated composition, passionate improvisation, scathing social commentary and biting humor, BANDZILLA play furious funk, sleazy soul, punk jazz and heartfelt ballads. Led by acclaimed composer/arranger/guitarist Richard Niles, the 25-piece jazz-fusion orchestra was originally formed in the studio to play on the seminal Grace Jones track ‘Slave To The Rhythm’. Since then, Niles & BANDZILLA have performed and recorded with Paul McCartney, Ray Charles, James Brown, Kylie Minogue, Mariah Carey, Pet Shop Boys, Michael McDonald, Cher and Tina Turner.

Says Richard, “When I formed BANDZILLA, I used the hottest young studio players in London, a band of ‘monsters’: BANDZILLA. We were featured as the house band on a British TV series and released our first album, “Blue Movies” to great critical acclaim. As well as being the ‘go to’ band for some of the biggest artists in the world, we toured with our own music, but eventually it became too impractical to take such a big unit on the road. However, a couple of years ago my friend John Thirkell (who had played trumpet in Bandzilla) called and suggested we do another album. And so, here we are. Bandzilla rises!!!”

Multi-Grammy winner Pat Metheny has called Richard Niles “one of the best composer/arrangers around and a truly exciting musical force.” For his jazz work with Metheny, Bob James, John Patitucci, Martin Taylor, Billy Cobham, Jane Monheit and Bob Mintzer, and his work on over 40 pop hits, Sound on Sound called Niles “the most versatile man in modern music.”

The new album, “BANDZILLA RISES!!!” is an unparalleled musical event - music that defies definition performed by artists beyond category.

Co-producer/trumpet player John Thirkell played with the Buddy Rich and Gil Evans Orchestras as well as on 23 UK & US No.1 records with Artists such as Jamiroquai, Level 42, Tina Turner, Phil Collins and Bruno Mars. Other sublime soloists include Nigel Hitchcock (Tom Jones, Incognito, Mark Knopfler), Mark Nightingale (Clark Terry, John Dankworth) and Steve Hamilton (Billy Cobham, Tommy Smith). Drummer Ian Palmer is the nephew of Carl Palmer (ELP) and has performed with Michael Brecker and Don Grolnick.

Says Richard, “I have worked in many styles - from pop with McCartney, to jazz with Metheny, rock with Michael McDonald and funk with James Brown - and the album reflects this. My songs are driven from the lyrics which might be social commentary, romantic reflections or fantasy stories, using humor to express serious ideas. This is not a traditional jazz record. My artistic imperative is to express myself freely, helped by some of the most brilliant musicians and singers on earth.”

A stellar line up of singers includes Leo Sayer (16 top 10 hits), jazz icon Randy Brecker (The Brecker Brothers), Lamont Dozier Jr. (son of the Motown hit-maker), Daisy Chute (from million-selling vocal group All Angels), Kim Chandler (ace studio singer and vocal coach), Brazilian jazz star Clarice Assad and Polish chanteuse Julia Suzanna Sokolowska. Niles also sings some of his own surprising lyrics.


Friday, November 11, 2016

CURTIS STIGERS CHANNELS THE HIP, SWINGING CHEMISTRY OF FRANK SINATRA AND THE COUNT BASIE ORCHESTRA ON "ONE MORE FOR THE ROAD"

The genre-hopping singer, songwriter, and saxophonist celebrates the 50th anniversary of Sinatra at the Sands with the Danish Radio Big Band on new live recording One More for the Road

50 years ago, magic was made on the stage of the Sands Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, when the timeless cool of Frank Sinatra met the robust swing of the Count Basie Orchestra. Sinatra at the Sands has remained a beloved classic ever since, the perfect marriage of old-school pop and big band jazz.

Singer, songwriter and saxophonist Curtis Stigers has been bringing those worlds together in his own music for the last three decades (along with touches of nearly every other genre one could call to mind), which makes him an ideal candidate to reinterpret Ol’ Blue Eyes’ cherished repertoire for modern ears. On his twelfth album and ninth release for Concord Records, One More for the Road, Stigers captures the rare alchemy of hipness, elegance, playfulness and feeling that made Sinatra’s renditions of these songs immortal while adding his own unique twist.

On One More for the Road, due out January 20, 2017 via Concord Jazz, Stigers finds his own version of that elusive Sinatra-Basie chemistry with the virtuosic and ebulliently swinging musicians of the Danish Radio Big Band. Recorded in the band’s headquarters, the acoustic marvel that is the DR Koncerthuset in Copenhagen, the bristling live recording features the DRBB playing vibrant takes based on the original Nelson Riddle and Billy May arrangements, which can’t help but spark inspired vocal performances from Stigers.

Singing in front of a great band executing flawless reinvigorations of those arrangements “is just extraordinary,” Stigers says. “It’s like sex. I don’t think there’s a more swinging band in the history of music than the Count Basie Orchestra, and then you get these classically trained Danish musicians who have really studied this stuff and played together so much, it makes it easy to fit into that and sing these amazing songs. It’s the most fun I’ve ever had, and I think it shows on the record.”

One More for the Road isn’t meant to be a recreation of Sinatra at the Sands, but uses that classic album as a launching pad for a full-blooded set of Sinatra’s best-loved tunes. Eight of the new album’s ten songs, recorded during Stigers’ now-annual January concerts in Copenhagen, come from that 1966 concert in the Sands’ Copa Room, but the setlist is also supplemented by Stigers’ takes on “Summer Wind” and “They Can't Take That Away From Me.”

Just as the album’s track listing isn’t a carbon copy of its inspiration, Stigers was careful to avoid being a slavish imitation of Sinatra, making each song its own while retaining the essence of the Chairman’s unforgettable interpretations. “Singing these songs live is a lot of fun,” Stigers says, “but going into the recording I had to figure out how to make this not be just the most fun karaoke that you can possibly do with an incredible band. I seldom sing a song the same way twice, so I made the songs my own as much as I could. I try not to sing like Sinatra, but there’s no way that some Sinatra doesn't get in there. There are certain phrasings that he used that work so well with the arrangements that I couldn’t not use them. It’s a fine line to walk, but as a jazz singer and as a recording artist, I’ve always tried to do everything different every time.”

That’s an apt summation of Stigers’ wildly diverse career, which has never stopped taking interesting turns ever since he released his self-titled 1991 debut on Clive Davis’ Arista Records, spawning the hit singles “I Wonder Why,” “You’re All That Matters to Me” and “Never Saw a Miracle.” He also contributed a cover of Nick Lowe’s “(What’s So Funny ’Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding” to the soundtrack of The Bodyguard, which went on to sell more than 40 million copies. During the next decade he released two more genre-blurring albums on Arista and Columbia while touring extensively, always letting his jazz roots bleed over into his pop, soul, blues and Americana endeavors.

As the millennium turned, however, Stigers decided he wanted to more deeply explore those roots. He signed to Concord Records, where his mentor, soul-jazz piano great Gene Harris, also recorded. Beginning with Baby Plays Around in 2001, Stigers has released a series of albums on Concord that explore the full range of his musical interests, often giving a classic jazz spin to rock, pop and country songs by everyone from Sting and Paul Simon to Merle Haggard and Willie Nelson.

His restless imagination has also led him into a variety of unusual opportunities, including recording a version of Cole Porter’s “Well, Did You Evah!” with Seth McFarlane, creator of Family Guy and American Dad, who then invited Stigers to make a cameo in his movie Ted and perform a song in Ted 2. Stigers also co-wrote and sang the theme song for the acclaimed TV show Sons of Anarchy, which earned him an Emmy nomination, and made multiple appearances on The Tonight Show, The Late Show with David Letterman and The Today Show, among other television programs worldwide.

Stigers has been a voracious listener ever since he bought his first record, Elton John’s Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, when he was just a second grader in Boise, Idaho. While he didn’t come around to Frank Sinatra’s music until later, he remembers the iconic singer always being a presence in the popular culture of his youth. “Sinatra was everywhere,” Stigers recalls.

“Even in the ’70s when he wasn't ‘cool’ anymore for a while, he was still always a part of my world. He didn't really mean anything to me, though, until I got into college and I discovered this record called Frank Sinatra Sings for Only the Lonely that just knocked me out. Suddenly it hit me that the way he told a story was better than anybody ever in popular music. His ability to take the lyrics that somebody else wrote and make them a part of his life, as if they were written about him—that’s what kills me. He becomes that song when he sings it.”

Stigers absorbed those lessons in his own music, always focusing on telling the story of the song, touching and communicating with an audience, rather than showing off his (admittedly prodigious) vocal chops. “The older I get the more I think of myself not as a singer who can do cool things with his voice,” he says. “When I was a kid all I wanted to do was scat sing and prove that I was a great. Now I just want to tell a story. Now I want to have the people in the audience or the people listening to my records feel the same way about these songs that I do, that they’re these amazing little three- or four-minute short stories.”


Tony Bennett Celebrates 90, Standard And Deluxe Edition CDs Available Worldwide December 16

Tony Bennett celebrated his 90th birthday in August and this milestone occasion continues with the RPM Records / Columbia Records release of Tony Bennett Celebrates 90 set for pre-order on November 11th and worldwide release on December 16. TONY BENNETT CELEBRATES 90 will be released as a Standard and Deluxe Edition. The standard CD is a companion to the forthcoming NBC prime-time special, "Tony Bennett Celebrates 90: The Best Is Yet To Come," which airs on December 20th at 9pm ET/9pm PT.  The special was filmed in front of a live audience at Radio City Music Hall on September 15th and features performances by Lady Gaga, Stevie Wonder, Michael Bublé, Andrea Bocelli, Kevin Spacey, Tony Bennett and many others. Additionally, performances by Billy Joel and Elton John were taped at alternate locations and will appear in the broadcast and on the CD. The CD also includes an extended 28-page booklet featuring appreciation essays contributed by President Bill Clinton, Martin Scorsese, Harry Belafonte, Johnny Mandel, Bill Charlap and Everett Raymond Kinstler.  All pre-orders will include an instant grat track of Tony's recording of "I Got Rhythm" from the CD.

"Tony Bennett Celebrates 90: The Deluxe Edition" is a 3 CD set that is an Amazon exclusive, which includes the standard CD as well as two additional CDs featuring rare and previously unreleased studio and live performance tracks of Tony's throughout his career. The set also includes a 28-page booklet with a comprehensive decade-by-decade account of Tony's life and career written by Will Friedwald.

In addition to the new CDs and NBC special, Tony's fifth book, JUST GETTING STARTED, will be released on November 15th. Bennett collaborates with renowned journalist Scott Simon to celebrate the people and places who have helped, influenced and steered him along the way, among them his parents, Frank Sinatra, Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald, Lady Gaga, Pablo Picasso, the city of San Francisco, among others. JUST GETTING STARTED also features over 80 color images of Tony's original artwork and is being released by HarperCollins.

Tony Bennett will also be performing in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, which also celebrates its 90th Birthday this year and "Christmas in Rockefeller Center" both airing on NBC on November 24 and 30th, respectively.

TRACK LISTING FOR TONY BENNETT CELEBRATES 90: (STANDARD)
1. THE LADY IS A TRAMP/Lady Gaga
2. THE GOOD LIFE /Michael Bublé
3. AVE MARIA/Andrea Bocelli
4. AUTUMN LEAVES /Leslie Odom Jr.
5. I'VE GOT THE WORLD ON A STRING /Diana Krall
6. NEW YORK STATE OF MIND/Tony Bennett and Billy Joel
7. I CAN'T GIVE YOU ANYTHING BUT LOVE /Rufus Wainwright
8. A KISS TO BUILD A DREAM ON/k.d. lang
9. VISIONS /Stevie Wonder
10. LA VIE EN ROSE /Lady Gaga
11. CAN YOU FEEL THE LOVE TONIGHT/Elton John
12. THE VERY THOUGHT OF YOU / IF I RULED THE WORLD MEDLEY/Kevin Spacey
13. WHO CARES?/Tony Bennett
14. THE BEST IS YET TO COME/Tony Bennett
15. I LEFT MY HEART IN SAN FRANCISCO/Tony Bennett
16. I GOT RHYTHM/Tony Bennett
17. HOW DO YOU KEEP THE MUSIC PLAYING?/Tony Bennett
18. HAPPY BIRTHDAY/Stevie Wonder

TRACK LISTING FOR TONY BENNETT CELEBRATES 90: THE DELUXE EDITION
CD1
Same as Standard CD listing above
CD2
1. FASCINATIN' RHYTHM
Vocal by Joe Bari (Tony Bennett)
2. ST. JAMES INFIRMARY BLUES
Vocal by Joe Bari (Tony Bennett)/The 314th Army Special Services Band Of the European Theatre
3. VIENI QUI (COME TO ME) Joe Bari (Tony Bennett) with Pat Easton
4. WE MUSTN'T SAY GOODBYE *
5. CLOSE YOUR EYES with The Pastels
6. A BLOSSOM FELL
7. SOMETHING'S GOTTA GIVE
8. WHATEVER LOLA WANTS
9. HEART
10. IMAGINATION* with Ralph Sharon, piano
11. IT'S A SIN TO TELL A LIE *
12. THE HEART THAT BROKE WAS MINE *
13. VANITY *
14. YOU CAN'T LOVE 'EM ALL
15. DAY DREAM with Herbie Hancock, piano; Stan Getz, tenor sax; Ron Carter, bass; Elvin Jones, drums, Bob Brookmeyer, trombone
16. I'VE WAITED FOR A WALTZ*
17. GOT THE GATE ON THE GOLDEN GATE *
18. THIS IS ALL I ASK * with John Bunch, piano
19. (I'VE GOT) BEGINNER'S LUCK * with The Ralph Sharon Trio
20. LOVE YOU MADLY *
(*denotes previously unreleased track)

CD 3
1. THE LADY'S IN LOVE WITH YOU
2. GEORGIA ROSE
3. LIMEHOUSE BLUES
4. I'VE GOT JUST ABOUT EVERYTHING I NEED
5. DON'T WAIT TOO LONG
6. PENNIES FROM HEAVEN
7. BLUE MOON
8. FROM THIS MOMENT ON
9. DON'T GET AROUND MUCH ANYMORE
10. COUNTRY GIRL
11. BROADWAY
12. DAYS OF LOVE
13. I'M WAY AHEAD OF THE GAME
14. QUIET NIGHTS OF QUIET STARS
15. FIREFLY
16. ONCE UPON A TIME
17. CHICAGO (THAT TODDLIN' TOWN)
18. LULLABY OF BROADWAY




Thursday, November 10, 2016

MILI BERMEJO AND DAN GREENSPAN CONFIRM THEIR MASTERY IN ARTE DEL DUO

Since first joining forces over a quarter-century ago, vocalist Mili Bermejo and bassist Dan Greenspan have created a recorded library of timeless music with a number of cherished partners.  For those fortunate enough to experience them in live performance, however, the lingering memory of this brilliantly skilled and totally compatible couple is likely to be the moments when they stand alone.  "We have always wanted to make pure music," Greenspan explains, "and have always included duo tunes in our sets."  On October 7, 2016 the pair released their first all-duo program in two decades, Arte de Duo, on Ediciones Pentagrama.

Bermejo, born in Buenos Aires, raised in Mexico City and a professor at Berklee College of Music since 1984, and Greenspan, a New Haven native and classically trained cellist who became one of the Boston area's leading freelance bassists, have created a unique body of music that applies jazz improvisation to original songs and music from throughout the Americas.  Themes of political liberation, environmental responsibility and interpersonal commitment have defined both their music and their career and led them to a major life decison.  "The business changed so much post-9/11 that we had to decide whether we should reinvent ourselves," Bermejo notes.  This led to what Greenspan describes as "an entire creative undertaking of another kind" - a move to New Hampshire, where the couple built their own house.

"We decided to live the right way," Bermejo says of their relocation to a nature reserve.  "It has brought us closer and closer to `do it yourself,' including growing as much of our own food and making as many of our own clothes as possible.  It has purified us, and removed many of our frustrations."  But, Greenspan adds, "For a while, the move replaced music.  Finding opportunities to rehearse in Boston when everyone we worked with had so many other gigs became hell."  The bassist also turned his attention to baking and has built a growing reputation with his Dan's Brick Oven Bread, while a construction accident also left him unable to play for several months.  The future of their performing partnership became unclear.

"But Mili insisted that we couldn't let the music go," Greenspan stresses, and the result is a new focus on the intimate artistry that had previously only been showcased on their 1997 album Duo which was released on Gunther Schuller's GM Records.  "It got us back to the essence of art," he says, "and provides the best opportunity to use all of the classical information that we have."  Yet the new music, developed over a series of monthly gigs at the Lilypad in Cambridge, Massachusetts, takes the pair beyond their previous achievements.  "We didn't want to repeat ourselves," Bermejo adds.  "Now we reduce.  I think of the music like my garden, as being all about beauty after years of work.  And nobody told me how to do it."

The influence of life in New Hampshire is clear in the Bermejo originals "La Casa del Arbol" ("The Tree House"), about "a secret refugeÅ among trees and stars" and "Cosecha" ("Harvest"); but she also contributes two new titles in her string of beautiful love songs, "Los que se Aman" ("Those Who Love") and "No Dejo de Quererte" ("I Don't Stop Loving You").  The duo also links Bermejo's "Décima Muerte I" from their first duo disc and "Décima Muerte II" by the Mexican poet and playwright Xavier Villarrutiga in a medley linked by a powerful Greenspan solo.

Greenspan's bass also launches "Las Orillas del Mar" ("At the Edge of the Sea"), a 13th Century feminist poem with music by Hafez Modirzadeh, the composer-saxophonist who featured Bermejo extensively on his acclaimed 2011 album In Convergence Liberation (Pi Recordings).  "Working with Hafez is the most challenging thing I've done," she notes, "and it has opened both of our minds.  Now I'm improvising more, though not `taking a chorus' in the traditional sense."  This new improvisational freedom is joyously displayed on "Tres Veces Heroica" ("Three Times Heroic"), written by Mexican composer Charlie Dríguez and previously heard on the 2006 live recording De Tierra (Of Earth) (Ediciones Pentagrama), and "End of the Beginning," written for the duo by the Armenian-born pianist and composer Vardan Ovsepian.  "Windmills of Your Mind," by French composer Michel Legrand with Spanish lyrics by Manuel Gurria, was also arranged by Ovsepian.  "Vardan's arrangement got Dan back in shape after his injury," Bermejo notes, adding with a laugh, "it also made me get back in shape."

Two works from Argentina are included, "Equipaje" ("Luggage") by Juan Quintero and "Cambalache" ("Pawn Shop") by E. Santos Discépolo.  The latter, a classic tango, gives Greenspan the opportunity to display his skill with the bow. "Candombe para Gardel" ("Candombe for Gardel"), a tribute to Argentinian tango master Carlos Gardel from the Afro-Uruguayan perspective of Rubén Rada, completes the program.

Arte del Duo is Bermejo's fifth release on Mexico's Ediciones Pentagrama label, which recently received the Independence Award from the Fundación Mediterránea Mar y Tierra in Tarragona, Spain.  "We've stayed faithful to the vision of [label founder] Modesto López: Independence and 35 years of support to Latin American artists dedicated to progressive social change," she notes.
The album will be released at the Lilypad on Sunday afternoon, October 23, where a new audio system created especially for the duo by sound engineer Art Steele will enhance the performance.  "I asked Art for a minimal system, with just two small speakers, Greenspan explains.  "Now my hands are free, just like my mother's were when she sang," Bermejo adds.

Creativity, and the magic that ensues, remain at the heart of Mili Bermejo's and Dan Greenspan's music; and Arte del Duo is their most creative and magical statement to date.


Red Piano Records To Release JC4: Can You Believe It? JC4 is: JC Sanford - trombone, Mike Baggetta - guitar, Dave Ambrosio - bass, Russ Meissner - drums

Let's start by acknowledging the elephant in the room. JC Sanford - the go-to music conductor for the forward-looking bands of John Hollenbeck, Joel Harrison, Alan Ferber and others, including the legendary Alice Coltrane - has been overlooked as a trombonist.

This is partly JC's own doing. For the past decade and more, when not conducting someone else's band, JC has spent much of his energies writing and arranging for his own equally forward-looking large ensembles: first in conjunction with David Schumacher (Edge of the Mind, 2009), then on his own (Views from the Inside, 2014). He wrote and performed and conducted a luminous score to accompany all 143 minutes of the original 1927 silent classic Ben-Hur for the Syracuse International Film Festival. (Forest Hills, heard on Can You Believe It?), became Ben-Hur's theme for that score.) JC also was busy curating "Size Matters," the weekly, much-heralded, cleverly-titled large ensemble series at the Tea Lounge in his Brooklyn neighborhood of Park Slope. 

And yes: intuitively as well as trivially, size does matter. But it's not everything that matters. We can agree that sound matters, too, and we can then hone in on JC's trombone tone. It's one I find I crave even as I'm listening to it, like relishing a friend's voice you haven't heard in years. It's not the effortless sound of a JJ Johnson; not the frictionless tone of JC's mentor, the great valve trombonist Bob Brookmeyer; but also not the extroverted, rough-edged sonority of a Ray Anderson or Craig Harris. JC's tone suggests the human voice in all its expressive texture, occupying about the same conversational range as the voice of this thoughtful, vegan, animal-loving adult male. There's breath in it, not breathlessness.  It's a sound reflective of the understated Upper Midwest ethos of his youth, seasoned with the aesthetic smarts of a Boston-trained city-dweller repelled by all sorts of showboating BS. When JC solos - as you may have heard on Andrew Green's Narrow Margin (2008) or on Views from the Inside - you hear a sound that is (weirdly) distinctive yet familiar, exploratory yet grounded like home.

Aristotle, that ancient student of jazz interaction, notes that the best friendships (like the best bands) are rare because they take time, and men can't know each other "till they have 'eaten salt together'." You can hear that these four musicians have eaten salt together. (Also dim sum; ask David for the best spots in Queens.) Russ Meissner was drumming back in '03 for JC and John McNeil's retro-radical My Band Foot Foot, a group that pays quirky homage to The Shaggs. He and bassist David Ambrosio have recorded as co-leaders for the SteepleChase LookOut series; as JC puts it, their "hookup is so nice." David goes back even further with JC. He plays with a striking authority and solos with a gymnast's controlled intensity, often revealing - as in Ja-chan on Patrol - elastic strands hidden in the melody. Guitarist extraordinaire Mike Baggetta and JC met up in "a series of these weird fancy men's barbershop gigs near Wall Street." They graduated (for less pay) to this distinctly non-barbershop quartet, where Mike "helped give the group a certain dirty personality that I liked." What he does on DumPac? The dirt shines through. 

All the tunes, save one, are JC's: Can You Believe It? captures the scrappy fortitude of JC's beloved 2004 Boston Red Sox team and their astonishing come-from-behind World Series victory. That's BoSox announcer Joe Castiglione opening the proceedings, after which Mike's distorted guitar enters as if on steroids. (Here's looking at you, Manny Ramirez and David Ortiz?) The shifting meter will throw you off like a good slider.

The lovely line of Forest Hills dates from JC's New England Conservatory days. It recalls his peaceful walks in that Boston cemetery with his dog Pepper, who liked to pause and sniff the redolent air.

DumPac is all about that 7/4 drum groove that Russ sets down. Sometimes it's accentuated by its melodic surroundings, but elsewhere - as in the opening of JC's brilliant solo - it seems to hover stealthily in the background.

Ja-chan on Patrol is a stop-and-start, melodramatic tale whose hero is Jazu, JC's mouse-stalking cat. The slide-guitar textures at the end of Mike Baggetta's solo make me think some poor creature's lost her footing, scrabbling across the linoleum.

"Yamete" is one of the first Japanese words JC learned from his wife (the composer/arranger/pianist Asuka Kakitani) since she used it so often while they were dating. David spells out the title with a 3-beat riff after his exploratory solo. Then it's as if JC's trombone noodles around for a translation (or maybe feigns cluelessness) until the insistent 2-beat drum riff teaches him the English equivalent. ("Stop It!")

Easy for You, John Scofield's backcountry line from his 90s album What We Do, gets a stunning rubato treatment from all involved. Try to close your mouth as Mike's guitar weaves echoes of Jim Hall and Chet Atkins together without skipping a thread.

Chico's First Date is JC's tribute to the late Chico O'Farrill. The band approaches this tuneful, Latin-dance feel, AABA structure without a whiff of irony, but you still know that the mystery implied by those minor-key outer sections won't last long. JC's soaring trombone on the major-key bridge - especially on his solo and in the outro - is all jollification and merry-making.  All in all, sounds like a good first date.

Sanford studied at the University of Northern Iowa and the New England Conservatory where he earned a D.M.A. in Jazz Studies. After relocating to New York in 2000, he became involved with the BMI Jazz Composers Workshop under the direction of Manny Albam and Jim McNeely and remained trombonist/contractor of the BMI/New York Jazz Orchestra until 2016. He has also appeared as a trombonist on recordings with such diverse bands as Andrew Green's Narrow Margin, the Andrew Rathbun Large Ensemble, Nathan Parker Smith's jazz/prog rock big band, and Joseph C. Phillips, Jr.'s new music/jazz hybrid orchestra Numinous. His orchestra's album Views from the Inside received worldwide acclaim as well as a coveted recording grant from the Aaron Copland Foundation. In addition to JC4, he's leads the improvisational trio Triocracy featuring saxophonists Chris Bacas and Andy Laster whose new album That's All There Is is due to be released in 2017.

Text used in this press release was excerpted from the liner notes by Bill Day.


NEW RELEASES: MELBA MOORE – STANDING RIGHT HERE: THE ANTHOLOGY - THE BUDDAH & EPIC YEARS; HERBIE HANCOCK – THRUST / MAN-CHILD / SECRETS; HANNAH WILLIAMS & THE AFFIRMATIONS – LATE NIGHTS & HEARTBREAK

MELBA MOORE – STANDING RIGHT HERE: THE ANTHOLOGY - THE BUDDAH & EPIC YEARS

A huge run of greatness from singer Melba Moore – an artist who maybe hit her heights on the late 70s Buddah and Epic Records material featured here! Moore already had a fantastically well-developed voice by the time of these recordings – thanks to time on the stage in a number of key productions, including Hair and Purlie – but the late 70s also shows her really finding the right sort of focus for her unusual talents – maybe pulling back a bit at the right moments, and folding her strength into the overall groove of a tune – spearheaded here with excellent work from producers who include McFadden & Whitehead, Eugene McDaniels, and Van McCoy! CD1 features 17 tracks from her time at Budddah Records, CD2 features 14 more cuts recorded for Epic – and the collection also features some rare b-sides and other material from singles. Titles include "My Sensitive Passionate Man", "Standing Right Here", "I Am His Lady", "This Is It (12" mix)", "Stay Awhile", "So Many Mountains", "Good Love Makes Everything Alright (12" mix)", "You Stepped Into My Life", "Night People (12" mix)", "Next To You", "Rest Inside My Love", "You Stepped Into My Life (special disco mix)", "There's No Other Like You", "Just Another Link", "Night People (12" mix)", and "Burn (UK rmx)". ~ Dusty Groove

HERBIE HANCOCK – THRUST / MAN-CHILD / SECRETS

A trio of heavy-hitting albums from Herbie Hancock – served up together in one collection, with bonus tracks too! First up is Thrust – killer electric work from Herbie Hancock – right on par with his groundbreaking Headhunters set, but a bit spacier too! The album features a Headhunters-solid lineup – with Bennie Maupin on saxes, Paul Jackson on bass, Mike Clark on drums, and Bill Summers on percussion – all grooving wonderfully with Herbie on a set of super-long tracks! Hancock himself handles a host of incredible keyboards – Fender Rhodes, clavinet, Arp, and lots more – all in a lean electric style that still sounds as fresh today as it did way back in the mid 70s – perhaps even more so, given the return to this sort of basic groove that has happened in recent years! Tracks are long, tight, and super funky – and titles include "Actual Proof", "Palm Grease", "Spank-A-Lee", and "Butterfly".

Next is the album Man-Child – funky mid 70s Herbie Hancock – one his funkiest albums of the era! Herbie plays a host of cool keyboards – like Fender Rhodes, Arp, and clavinet – and he's joined by a group that includes just about all of the Headhunters – including Paul Jackson on bass and Mike Clarke on drums – plus help from a great array of other excellent guests – including Bennie Maupin and Wayne Shorter on reeds, Harvey Mason on drums, and even some guest keyboards from Stevie Wonder! The album's great – maybe a bit understated than Thrust, but still equally wonderful – and the whole thing's worth it alone for the classic uptempo cut "Hang Up Your Hang Ups" – alongside other cuts that include "Bubbles", "Heartbeat", and "Sun Touch".

Last up is Secrets – soulful 70s work from Herbie Hancock – a record that tightens things up from the Headhunters and Sextant sessions, but which still retains a lot of their depth and charm! Players here including some previous partners – like Bennie Maupin on reeds and Paul Jackson on bass – plus the mighty Wah Wah Watson on guitars, James Levi on drums, Kenneth Nash on percussion, and Ray Parker on additional guitar. Tracks are tightly electric fusion, but still have some of the sharper tones of Herbie's electric work – weird moogy moments mixed into more straight ahead funk – all with a sound that's not unlike some of Ramsey Lewis' best Columbia work of the period. Herbie plays Fender Rhodes, Arp, clavinet, mini-moog, and more – and titles include "Doin' It", "Spider", "Swamp Rat", "People Music", and a remake of "Cantelope Island" that's pretty darn tasty! 2CD set features 8 bonus tracks – all the single mixes of the 45s from all three albums!  ~ Dusty Groove

HANNAH WILLIAMS & THE AFFIRMATIONS – LATE NIGHTS & HEARTBREAK

It's hard to imagine Hannah Williams having any heartbreak with a voice this great – the kind of all-out soul style that grabs you right away with its power, and never lets you go! The set's the second from Hannah and her group, and it's got even more bite than the first – produced with a great ear for the grittier currents in the grooves, thanks to studio work by Malcolm Catto – who seems to pick up the drums and darkness, which allows Williams to really shine her light over the top of the proceedings! The Affirmations are a funky combo, but one who really know how to mix up their groove, too – and titles include "7am To Seville", "Still In My Head", "Tame In The Water", "Dazed & Confused", "Ain't Enough", "Woman Got Soul", "Fighting Your Shadow", and "Callin Me Back".Dusty Groove


NEW RELEASES: ENNIO MORRICONE - MORRICONE 60; BILL LAURANCE - LIVE AT UNION CHAPEL; ARTASKA - COFFEE

ENNIO MORRICONE - MORRICONE 60

We're not sure why Ennio Morricone is making the "shush" sound at us on the cover – as the set's such a wonderful celebration of his music, it makes us want to cheer! The performance here is all new – and features Morricone conducting the Czech National Symphony in a selection of tunes from his classic film scores – in a celebration of his 60 years of giving the planet some of the most beautiful music ever written! The orchestrations are great, and really live up to the spirit of the songs – and there's a recording quality here that's different than some of the other live Morricone albums, which can sometimes flatten the music, and not have that sense of separation and isolation that make the maestro's compositions so great. Titles include "Chi Mai", "Bestiality", "La Califfa", "Death Theme", "Deborah's Theme", "Metti Una A Sera A Cena", "Croce D'Amore", "The Fortress", and "The Man With The Harmonica". ~ Dusty Groove

BILL LAURENCE - LIVE AT UNION CHAPEL

You might know Bill Laurance as the keyboardist with Snarky Puppy – but here, he's something else entirely – a hell of a jazz musician with a mighty rich vision – one that's got just the right sort of heavenly vibe to be recorded in a church! There's nothing churchy about the music – just a great spirit in Bill's vision – as his piano lines pour out effortlessly – cascading in sound, and rising in the company of a sweet little string quartet, which is then driven onward with both drums and percussion! The mix of instrumentation is quite unique – and has a sound that's jazz at the core, but also reaching for other elements too – maybe a bit like some of the young Japanese piano trios of recent years, but also with a wider vision in the use of tone and timing. Titles include "The Rush", "Gold Coast", "Swift", "The Real One", "December In New York", "Good Things", "Never-Ending City", and "Ready Wednesday".  © 1996-2016, Dusty Groove, Inc.


ARTASKA - COFFEE

Soul- Jazz music is given new meaning when it comes to Artaska. She is known for her powerful, yet soulful voice and violin playing. It is impossible to not want to dance and feel good when hearing her grooves. Classically trained since the tender age of 4 years old, Artaska mastered the crafts of violin and singing through the involvement with the Milwaukee Youth Symphony Orchestra and many other orchestras and ensembles infusing her influences in every note. The prodigy-turned-pro might well be the hope for the future of jazz and instrumental music.


Thursday, November 03, 2016

NEW RELEASES: MR BONGO RECORD CLUB VOLUME 1; WANDA SA - CA ENTRE NOS; SENDY BROWN - SECRETS OF THE SOUL

MR BONGO RECORD CLUB VOLUME 1 (VARIOUS ARTISTS)

2016 release, the first installment in the Mr. Bongo Record Club compilation series - a selection of favorites, recent discoveries and sought after obscurities, which form the basis of our DJ sets and our radio show of the same name. Including cuts by Claudia, Cortex, Dave Pike Set, Fruko, Neno Exporta Som, Connie Laverne, Barbosa and more. The original concept for Mr. Bongo Record Club was a radio show that allowed us to air our treasured record collections, recorded and broadcast once a month. We wanted to create an outlet free from any genre or BPM restrictions, not constrained by the need to beat-mix every record, a space where we could play latest finds alongside favorites. The only self-imposed rule being that it had to be played from vinyl. We have always DJ'd across-the-board, but playing in an eclectic way hasn't always been easy. Recently DJ's such as MCDE, Floating Points, Nick The Record, Leon Vynehall, Four Tet, Jeremy Underground, Antal (Rush Hour), Sassy J and Young Marco - to name a few - have opened things up with very diverse sets to younger audiences; Brazilian samba-rock, next to modern soul, highlife, disco, boogie, jazz, house, techno and beyond. We're seeing a rare groove like sensibility. A shift towards the attitude of legendary club nights hosted by the likes of Mr Scruff and Gilles Peterson, where you could hear house, hip hop, Turkish funk, boogie, jazz, dub and Latin back to back. At the same time it isn't a nostalgic or retro movement, people have a progressive attitude and a thirst for new-old music. It is a vibrant and exciting time - we are proud to be a part of it.

WANDA SA - CA ENTRE NOS

Beautiful work from Wanda Sa – the Brazilian singer who first rose to prominence during the bossa years of the 60s, but who only seems to have gotten better with age! This set is a true testament to all the growth Wanda has experienced over the years – music that has a depth and subtle power she never had in her youth – and which also is a nice change from some of Sa's more bossa-oriented sets of the past decades! There's definitely some bossa nova in the presentation, but the conception is much richer, and the performance much more deeply personal – less concerned with an overall style or sound, and very focused on Wanda's individual performances of the songs. The set features guest contributions from Ivan Lins, Roberto Menescal, Ricardo Silveira, and others – but Wanda's clearly the star of the show here, on titles that include "Fora De Hora", "Fotografia", "Cala Meu Amor", "Entardecendo", "The Nearness Of You", "Uma Simples Cancao", and "Samba Pequeno".  ~ Dusty Groove

SENDY BROWN - SECRETS OF THE SOUL

Spellbound is how audiences frequently find themselves at some point during a Sendy Brown performance. Sendy doesn’t just sing; she creates. Carefully remaining true to the lyric, she moves souls with her passionate interpretations. Sendy is serious about her craft and her debut CD, "Secrets of the Soul," showcases her exceptional talent and her commitment to the art. "Secrets of the Soul" is a fulfillment long-awaited. As a child, Sendy’s voice touched the hearts of the congregation at her father’s church in Jersey City, NJ. At age 11, she was the featured soloist at a standing-room-only church concert. She continued singing the songs of Mahalia Jackson at area churches until she discovered her first Jazz album – a Billie Holiday recording. That led her to Howard University’s School of Fine Arts in Washington, DC, where she became a protégé of Grady Tate. It was at Howard, during a master’s class, that she impressed the legendary vocalist, Betty Carter. When her question to Ms. Carter on the creative process spontaneously became a song, the audience exploded in applause. Ms. Carter answered in song, "You just did it! You just did it!" and complimented Sendy on her voice. "Secrets of the Soul" is the culmination of her work. It is a strong statement and an exceptional display. A work of art from beginning to end, it takes the listener on a sonic journey through a range of emotions. With updated renditions of Jazz classics like "‘Round Midnight," "Skylark" and "When I Fall in Love," this recording will please a range of listeners. Jazz enthusiasts will love the scope of the CD (featuring ballads, Blues, and swinging, up-tempo tunes) as well as the range of her voice, her distinctive lyrical style, her phrasing, and her respect for the tradition. Fans of good music will love the refreshing arrangements and unique approaches to these classics.


NEW RELEASES: LEE FIELDS & THE EXPRESSIONS – SPECIAL NIGHT; CHARLIE HADEN & LIBERATION MUSIC ORCHESTRA – TIME/LIFE; REINER WITZEL & DATFUNK – STEPPIN’ UP

LEE FIELDS & THE EXPRESSIONS – SPECIAL NIGHT

A really fantastic album from the legendary Lee Fields – a set that blows us away every bit as much as his stellar My World album! Like that set, this one's got kind of a moody early 70s vibe – almost a New Jersey soul approach at times, but tinged with more southern modes – mixed with bits of Lee's more familiar funk at others – but often with this moody, almost mellow vibe that's such a fresh take on the territory that Fields has been exploring for years! Lee's lost none of the deep soul elements in his vocals, but there's a shift in arranging styles that's really great – and superbly delivered by the Expressions – a subtle darkness that shows why Fields is really one of the true greats out there in the contemporary funk underground – a true soul singer who's never content to just rest on the laurels of previous success. Titles include "Let Him In", "Lover Man", "Make This World", "How I Like It", "Special Night", "I'm Coming Home", and "Where Is The Love". ~ Dusty Groove

CHARLIE HADEN & LIBERATION MUSIC ORCHESTRA – TIME/LIFE

The last Liberation Music Orchestra effort from the great Charlie Haden – offered up here in a set that brings together two live performances from a time when he was still on the planet, plus three more songs by the group on their own – working under the guidance of longtime musical partner Carla Bley! The set begins with a beautiful reworking of Miles Davis' "Blue In Green" – redone here by Haden and the group as a masterpiece of color and tone – and the record closes with a version of Haden's "Song For The Whales", both recorded with Charlie and the group in 2011. In between are three more new performances, post-Haden – the beautiful titles "Time Life/Silent Spring", and "Utviklingssang" – all of which really live up to that long legacy of amazing colors and tones that the group did so well. The two different slices of music come together beautifully, and make for a surprisingly unified set in the end. ~ Dusty Groove

REINER WITZEL & DATFUNK – STEPPIN’ UP

A great mix of jazzy, soulful and funky grooves from Germany! Reiner Witzel plays sax and flute with Datfunk, a solid group who seamlessly blends the above mentioned styles into a unique sound that's some both relaxed and exciting – never too smoothed out, but rarely venturing into raw funk, either. Nice stuff on the always reliable Unique label! The tracklist has a few great Witzel originals, which fit perfectly with distinctive takes on diverse tunes by Jackie Mittoo, Nat Adderley, Kenny Barron and others. Titles "Get Up And Get It", "Awakening", "Circus Of Deseaster", "Athens After Midnight" , "Lato", "Hummin'", "Hot Tamale", "Sunshower" and "Athens After Midnight Part 2". ~ Dusty Groove


Jazz Vocalist KENDRA SHANK and Pianist GEOFFREY KEEZER team up for "HALF MOON"

Kendra Shank and Geoffrey Keezer's musical association began in 2008 at the Athenaeum jazz series in San Diego, CA when a cancelled flight prevented Shank's New York pianist from making the gig. With just 30 minutes to rehearse, Keezer stepped in with a seamless performance and instant chemistry with Shank that inspired a standing ovation. Kendra called on Geoffrey's trio for subsequent West Coast tours and their musical connection deepened.

In January 2015, while Geoffrey was in Manhattan on an engagement with Chris Botti, he and Kendra performed an afternoon concert at a friend's home. The intimate duo setting provided the pianist and vocalist unlimited freedom to create spontaneously in the moment, taking the enthusiastic audience on a magical journey that was captured on this Ride Symbol recording.

The title song "Half Moon," inspired by a lamp hanging over the piano, was completely improvised and reveals Shank at her most vulnerable. Keezer's 88-key orchestra of harmonic and rhythmic virtuosity and Shank's exotic wordless vocalizations are highlighted in Cedar Walton's "Life's Mosaic," while the duo's lyricism shines in this first-ever recording of Jeremy Siskind's "Kneel" (winner of ASCAP's Herb Alpert Young Jazz Composers Award). The chart for "When Love Was You and Me" (Abbey Lincoln/Thad Jones) was given to Kendra in 1994 by her mentor Abbey Lincoln when Kendra visited her Upper West Side apartment -- coincidentally in the same building where this concert took place.

Throughout this diverse and inspired set, Shank and Keezer embody the playful inventiveness of making music as interactive partners, transcending the singer-accompanist mold. "Each time we collaborate brings joyful exploration and new musical discoveries," says Keezer in the liner notes. The album's executive producer, Donald Elfman, writes: "What a pleasure it is to hear jazz musicians who fully savor every moment: sharing their experience of creating, listening and playing off each other, and still improvising in individual voices."

GEOFFREY KEEZER  With his highly regarded discography, unique compositions, and acclaimed performances in a variety of configurations, Grammy-nominated pianist Geoffrey Keezer commands the attention typically reserved for the living legends of jazz. Whether recording with jazz vocalists Diana Krall or Dianne Reeves, touring with trumpet king Chris Botti, or collaborating with pop icon Sting, sax legend Wayne Shorter, guitar wizard Jim Hall, star bassist Christian McBride or vibes master Joe Locke, Geoffrey "has more than enough virtuosity and sheer musical wit and intelligence to weave all of his apparently disparate strands of influence into an original and compelling whole" (Time magazine). His recent release, Heart of the Piano (2013, Motema Records), redefines solo jazz piano as a personal and interactive showcase of melody, energy and groove. Geoffrey Keezer's singular style of intellectually abstract lyricism woven over exotically complex rhythms and harmonies makes him one of the most sought-after artists on the modern jazz scene.  geoffreykeezer.com

KENDRA SHANK  Since her 1992 debut at the Village Vanguard with Shirley Horn, Kendra Shank has become a mainstay on New York's jazz scene, has toured in Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia, Canada and the U.S., and has appeared on NPR's JazzSet and Marian McPartland's Piano Jazz. Her seven critically acclaimed CDs have garnered numerous “Best of the Year” citations and DownBeat poll recognition, with accolades for her "delectable voice" (Time magazine) and "breathtakingly original concept" (Boston Globe). In addition to leading her NY quartet of 16 years with Frank Kimbrough, Dean Johnson, and Tony Moreno, Shank co-leads a duo with guitarist John Stowell and has performed and/or recorded with Abbey Lincoln, Fred Hersch, Larry Willis, Joe Locke, Jay Clayton, Bob Dorough, Gary Bartz, Steve Wilson, Victor Lewis, Matt Wilson, Ben Monder and many more. Kendra Shank mixes modern jazz, standards, world music, folk/pop, and open improvisation, all unified by her soulful storytelling, inventive phrasing, and spontaneous group interplay.  kendrashank.com

1.  Alone Together  6:48 (Howard Dietz / Arthur Schwartz)
2.  The Music is the Magic  7:33 (Abbey Lincoln)
3.  Kneel  8:38 (Jeremy Siskind)
4.  Song of Life  4:58 (Norma Winstone / Fred Hersch)
5.  Half Moon  4:44 (words: K. Shank / music: G. Keezer, K. Shank)
6.  Life's Mosaic  7:31 (John & Paula Hackett / Cedar Walton)
7.  When Love Was You and Me  5:02 (Abbey Lincoln / Thad Jones)
8.  I'm Movin' On  4:52 (Judy Niemack / Kirk Nurock)
9.  Healing Song  4:33 (words: K. Shank / music: K. Shank, G. Keezer)
10.  You Are There  5:58 (Dave Frishberg / Johnny Mandel)
11.  A Weaver Of Dreams  6:08 (Jack Elliott / Victor Young)


Portraits in Jazz ( A Tribute to Wes Montgomery) from Ed Bicket, Sonny Greenwich and more

Ever since his emergence in 1959,​ ​Wes Montgomery​ has been a major influence on other jazz guitarists. Wes was greatly touched by​ ​Charlie Christian's​ single­note bop lines, although by mastering octaves and developing a slightly different sound, he was able to stand out a bit from the influence. On this consistently swinging set, six different Canadian guitarists pay homage to Montgomery​ by performing two songs apiece with a trio; there are eight standards plus four originals in​ ​Montgomery's​ style. All of the guitarists (​Peter Leitch,​ ​ ​Reg Schwager,​ ​ ​Ed Bickert​, Rob Piltch​,​ ​Ted Quinlan​ and​ ​Sonny Greenwich)​ were influenced by​ ​Wes's​ sound, although Greenwich​ has long had his own slightly different style. The trios, except in the case of​ ​Piltch (who utilizes organist​ ​Doug Riley​ in addition to drummer​ ​Bob McLaren)​ , feature the lead soloist accompanied by bass and drums. Of the dozen selections,​ ​Leitch's​ rendition of "If I Should Lose You,"​ ​Quinlan's​ "Wes Blues" and​ ​Bickert's​ swinging version of "Whisper Not" are highlights. This well­conceived tribute set is worth searching for. ~ Jazz Review by Scott Yanow

Track listing
1​ ​Reg Schwager Trio​ - Siblings of Groove
2​ ​Ed Bickert Trio​ ­- September Song 
3​ ​Rob Piltch Trio​ ­- 'Round Midnight 
4​ ​Ted Quinlan Trio -​ ­ Wes Blues 
5 Sonny Greenwich Trio​ -­ The Best Thing for You (Would Be Me) 
6​ ​Peter Leitch Trio​ ­- J.L.M. 
7​ ​Ed Bickert Trio​ ­- Twisted Blues 
8​ ​Ted Quinlan Trio -​ ­ Whisper Not 
9​ ​Rob Piltch Trio​ ­- Descendants 
10​ ​Reg Schwager Trio​ -­ Far Wes 
11 Sonny Greenwich Trio​ -­ Summertime


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