Drummer Mike Mitchell Reinvents Himself as Blaque Dynamite, Encourages and Embraces the Unorthodox on Hydra Rock/Hip-Hop/Jazz Debut Record

In a world of constant repetition and formulaic goals, there stands one young man's quest to exist however he wants, in any manner he deems fit. The mundanities of life hold back the true potential of this creative genius until he reinvents himself as a boundless force to be reckoned with: Blaque Dynamite. He is a guy who makes things come to life. He is a verified badass: "You gotta look badass. If you don't look badass, it's going to be hard for you." He is that guy.

With his debut album Killing Bugs, the drummer/vocalist/producer cleans out his closet and defeats the "insects" that plagued him in order to present to the world a worthy adversary keen on fighting off the transgressions of his own life: past, present, and future. But like many of the crusaders that preceded him, the tale begins with self-reflection, before Blaque Dynamite (a.k.a. Mike Mitchell) was fully realized and evolved into a more mature state of being. "I was a dick. No one else but me."

It is that admission of self-awareness which sets him apart from the rest of the crop: those who are unable to recognize their destructive qualities and grow from such realizations. With the advent of this reinvigorated spirit, Blaque Dynamite creates the same way he lives, by opening his heart and his ears to allow the unorthodox to happen. The man and the music are inseparable, with no clear beginning or end to the way he lives or crafts an album.

"For me personally, when I listen to recordings with two or three things in a row that sound similar, I get bored. To keep my attention, it needs to be changed," he explains. "The way I record is not for me to make an album for people, I'm making an album to explain to people where I come from musically. There are billions of people on earth, so there should be billions of different ways to express music."

The drummer cast the album as if it were a visual movie, with each song serving as its own scene. He's joined by special guests including vocalist/keyboardist Jon Bap, flautist Elena Pinderhughes, emcee Lord Byron, and guitarist/keyboardist Ben Hixon alongside longtime collaborators including vocalist Marissa Caggiano, keyboardist King Jojo, saxophonist Jonathan Money, guitarist Rami Ackerman, bassists Gax Merl and Matt Ramsey, and percussionist Ethan Worland. Now, envision a road trip were no one actually leaves the city limits, with many different personalities within the same vehicle battling for control but not one prevails.

The music presented on Killing Bugs has its own inner conflict to deal with. Instead of many personalities battling for control of the same vehicle, a vast array of musical genres -- spanning rock, hip-hop, jazz, and more -- compete for their own recognition in an unexpected harmonious statement. The songs themselves are the individual heads of the Hydra, and the album is its inscrutable body.

The complexity of the songs and the differences of emotions they bring from track to track demand undivided attention, much like the focus needed to defeat the many headed beast of mythos. "From song to song, everything goes from style to style," Blaque Dynamite explains. "If you continue to listen, you get more comfortable with it. Things happen in waves."

Blaque Dynamite is the pseudonym for award-winning drummer Mike Mitchell, born November 12, 1994. He began playing drums at just two-years-old, and by age 11 he already had a number of endorsements from various drum companies; and then he went on to attend Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts in Dallas, TX, a school that also fostered the talents of Norah Jones, Erykah Badu, and Roy Hargrove. Mitchell began touring the world with legendary bassist Stanley Clarke (a role which he retains) before he graduated high school, and has now toured the seven continents of the world with the likes of Erykah Badu, Derrick Hodge, Christian McBride, Christian Scott, and others, and even performed on a global stage at the 2012 International Jazz Day performance with Herbie Hancock.  

Blaque Dynamite · Killing Bugs

Ropeadope Records · Release Date: November 10, 2017

BlaqueDynamite.com

Fred Astaire's Greatest Jazz Recording, "The Astaire Story," Returns As Deluxe 2CD Set For 65th Anniversary Via Verve Records/UMe

In 1952, the famous dancer, singer and film star Fred Astaire teamed up with the brilliant pianist Oscar Peterson and an all-star jazz sextet to record jazz versions of many of the songs that he helped introduce and make famous in the 1930s and '40s. The original program, The Astaire Story, was an innovative three LP set comprised of 38 selections including three features for Astaire's tap-dancing and the rousing instrumental "Jam Session." In celebration of its 65th anniversary, the album will be released October 20 via Verve Records/UMe as an expanded 2CD version and digital collection boasting 41 tracks including a previously unreleased alternate version of "I Won't Dance," one of Astaire's trademark numbers (recorded with Peterson three years later) and three examples of Astaire's famed dancing. The album is presented in a novel way and has been reassembled to give it the shape of a soundtrack. The two "Blues" serve as bookends while the "Jam Session" is featured as an intermission.  Throughout, Astaire talks a little and sings a lot. 

While Astaire had made recordings as early as the 1920s, usually performing with studio orchestras, The Astaire Story is unique in that he is joined by a freewheeling combo comprised of Peterson, tenor-saxophonist Flip Phillips, trumpeter Charlie Shavers, guitarist Barney Kessel, bassist Ray Brown and drummer Alvin Stoller. The musicians, drawn from producer Norman Granz's Jazz At The Philharmonic, perfectly complement Astaire's vocals and the music swings throughout.

Astaire, who passed away 30 years ago in 1987, performed on Broadway as early as 1917 and had his big breakthrough in 1924 when he and his sister Adele were featured in "Lady, Be Good," the first Broadway musical by George and Ira Gershwin.  A household name ever since he began starring in movie musicals with Ginger Rogers (starting with 1934's "The Gay Divorcee"), Astaire was the epitome of class in his dancing, singing and acting. While his dancing gained the biggest acclaim, he was a personable singer who perfectly placed his notes, always swinging. Such composers as George Gershwin, Irving Berlin, Jerome Kern and Cole Porter loved to have him introduce their songs in the movies because, while sticking to the lyrics and the melody, he uplifted every tune that he interpreted with his phrasing and classy personality.

The Astaire Story has the 53-year old Astaire, at the peak of his powers, singing such songs as "Puttin'On The Ritz" (which has some rhythmic interplay with drummer Stoller), "The Continental," "Let's Call The Whole Thing Off," "'S Wonderful," "Cheek To Cheek," "Dancing In The Dark," "Top Hat, White Coat And Tails" (which concludes with Astaire's heated dancing), "I Won't Dance," an uptempo "No Strings" that features Peterson taking a celeste solo, and "A Foggy Day." He also reminisces a bit about some of the numbers. 19 of the tunes are from Astaire's movies with Ginger Rogers and the program includes ten songs by Berlin and eight composed by Gershwin. A special treat is hearing Astaire perform two of his own compositions: "I'm Building Up To An Awful Letdown" and "Not My Girl." On the latter, the multi-talented Astaire takes a very credible chorus of stride piano.

With solos sprinkled throughout by Peterson, Phillips, Shavers and Kessel and inspired singing by Astaire, the performances on The Astaire Story are as irresistible as the film performances of the great dancer-singer.

The Astaire Story Track listing

DISC 1

1. Overture: The Astaire Blues

2. Isn't This A Lovely Day

3. Puttin' On The Ritz

4. I Used To Be Color Blind                                                            

5. The Continental                                                                                                          

6. Let's Call The Whole Thing Off                                                                              

7. Change Partners                                                                                                         

8. 'S Wonderful                                                                                                 

9. Lovely To Look At                                                                                                       

10. They All Laughed                                                                                                       

11. Cheek To Cheek                                                                                                       

12. Steppin' Out With My Baby                                                                  

13. The Way You Look Tonight                                                   

14. I've Got My Eyes On You                                                                                      

15. Dancing In The Dark                                                                                                

16. The Carioca                                                                                                 

17. Nice Work If You Can Get It                                                                 

18. New Sun In The Sky                                                                                                

19. I Won't Dance                                                                                                            

20. Fast Dances (ad lib)                                                                                

DISC 2

1. Intermission: Jam Session For A Dancer                                                            

2. Top Hat, White Tie And Tails                                                                  

3. No String, I'm Fancy Free                                                                                        

4. I Concentrate On You                                                                                               

5. I'm Putting All My Eggs In One Basket                                                               

6. A Fine Romance                                                                                                           

7. Night And Day                                                                                                             

8. Fascinating Rhythm                                                                                    

9. I Love Louisa                                                                                                 

10. They Can't Take That Away From Me                                                               

11. Medium Dances                                                                                                       

12. You're Easy To Dance With                                                                  

13. A Needle In A Haystack                                                                                         

14. So Near And Yet So Far                                                                                          

15. A Foggy Day (In London Town)                                                                           

16. Oh, Lady Be Good!                                                                                  

17. Slow Dances (ad lib)                                                                                 

18. I'm Building Up To An Awful Letdown                                                             

19. Not My Girl                                                                                                

Bonus Tracks

20. I Won't Dance                                                                                                      

21. Exit Music: The Second Astaire Blues    

Jazz great, former Oscar Peterson drummer Alvin Queen, denied entry into USA

Mount Vernon, New York native Alvin Queen was recently notified that U.S. Homeland Security will not allow him to enter the United States to perform at a prestigioius, long-planned concert in Washington.

Mr. Queen, the former drummer for Oscar Peterson, whose career includes memorable collaborations with a veritable who’s who of music royalty, including Nina Simone, Horace Silver, George Benson, Ruth Brown, Buddy DeFranco, Wynton Marsalis, Billy Taylor, Wild Bill Davis, George Coleman, George Braith, Larry Young, Harry Sweets Edison and Johnny Griffin, was set to perform at a concert in Washington, DC on November 15th, 2017, at the behest of The French-American Cultural Foundation.

The evening, entitled “JAZZ MEETS FRANCE,” has Wynton Marsalis as its Honorary Chairman, and Dr. David Skorton , Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution , is Master of Ceremonies. The event marks the centenary of the US entry into WWI and specifically honors the Harlem Hellfighters . Ironically, these were the African-American soldiers who served in WWI, and who introduced jazz music to France and the rest of Europe, yet whom were never officially honored, until now.

Mr. Queen, who has held a Swiss passport for thirty years, was informed this week that, due to a run-in with the law as a youth, a half century ago, while a minor, he would have to apply for a Waiver from the U.S. Dept of Homeland Security, despite the fact he was born in the USA. This would take months, making it virtually impossible to participate, barring Presidential decree, and we know that’s unlikely. But this is not “fake news.”

“Sadly, this doesn’t surprise me one bit,” comments Mr. Queen, 67, from his home in Geneva. “I’ve spent months preparing for this concert. Dozens of others are also implicated in its planning. Funny thing, I gave up my U.S. passport to make life simpler at tax time. I never dreamed I would one day be denied entry, and with such ridiculous reasoning. I am frankly disgusted to be disrespected in this way, after a half century devoted to music.”

Mr. Queen, who until 2016 held dual citizenship with the United States and Switzerland, has previously worked numerous times for the US State Department as a Cultural Ambassador, and participated in numerous tours of Brazil, Africa and Japan. Queen also performed at the American International Jazz Day in Paris several years ago.

Mr. Queen has held a U.S. passport, and regularly worked under the auspices of the American government, for over fifty years of his life. Like many citizens, he’s had brushes with the law, but these have never impeded his ability to enter and exit his native country. A one-time DWI charge and a minor drug offense both resulted in not guilty charges.

For this occasion, the US State Dept had only to apply for an “O1B Work Visa” in order for Mr Queen to enter in the United States. This was done correctly, but after the process was completed, fingerprints matching a 1967 FBI file were dredged up and presented as a reason to prevent him from entering the USA. So now we can see that the infamous “travel ban” is not limited to citizens of Sudan, Syria, and Iran. It extends to a then 16-year-old drummer who once sat in with John Coltrane.

How can you process someone fifty years later for charges that occurred when they were a youth, a mere child? And why punish this now acclaimed adult, a leading light on the international jazz scene, who is now 67 years old? He obviously forged a path and created a fabulous life for himself. Adds Queen, “I feel this is more about racial profiling than anything. It’s all about trying to control everyone. I am not a criminal and in fact never was. When I became a Swiss citizen, I “became a criminal” again in the eyes of US law enforcement. If I was undesirable fifty years ago, why have I been issued a fresh passport every ten years for the past six decades?” Indeed, this is the question.

For now, those wanting to experience Alvin Queen’s jazz mastery will need to follow him to Montreal, Canada, where he is set to give a master class with pianist Wray Downes on Friday, Nov 3rd at 1:00 pm (free and open to the public) at Concordia University and then a full concert with his trio the following evening, at Upstairs Jazz Bar & Grill , on Saturday, Nov 4th, for two sets, at 7:30 and 9:45 pm.

Queen has the last word. “If someone wants to apologize to me and make this right, fine. But I’m not holding my breath.

In the meantime, I’ll bring my music, this American art form, to every other country in the world. I know they like me in Canada. I’ll start there.”

This coming week Alvin will be featured on The Jazz Network Worldwide http://www.thejazznetworkworldwide.com with a sneak peek of two singles from his CD re-issues of "Mighty Long Way" and "I Ain't Looking' At You" slated for late fall 2017.

The official website for Alvin Queen is http://www.alvinqueen.com to learn more about his current engagements and all things Alvin.

NEW RELEASES: JOOLS HOLLAND / JOSE FELICIANO - AS YOU SEE ME NOW; JAMILA WOODS - HEAVN; MINDI ABAIR AND THE BONESHAKERS - THE EASTWEST SESSIONS

JOOLS HOLLAND / JOSE FELICIANO WITH THE RHYTHM & BLUES ORCHESTRA - AS YOU SEE ME NOW

New album due out in November featuring a series of duets between Jools Holland and Jose Feliciano.  Tracks incluce: As You See Me Now; Treat Myself; Just To Be Home With You; Honeysuckle Rose; One More Drink; Midnight Special; Hit the Road Jack (feat. Ruby Turner); In My Life; Let's Find Each Other Tonight; You're So Cold (feat. Rita Wilson); Baby Can I Hold You; Believe Me When I Tell You; Feliz Navidad; and Happy New Year.

JAMILA WOODS - HEAVN

A fantastic debut from Chicago soul singer Jamila Woods – the kind of artist that makes us very proud to be located in the Windy City! Woods is an extremely inventive lyricist – strongly inspired by poetry, but also immediately trying to communicate in a wider spectrum with her sound – at a level that's maybe even smarter and more sophisticated than you'd guess from her look on the cover, which might make you think that she's just another pretty face in mainstream music! Instead, Woods seems ready to reinvent the role of the female singer in soul music – getting help from hip collaborators who include our hometown hero Chance The Rapper, as well as Nico Segal, Saba, Lorine Chia, and Noname. Titles include "Bubbles", "In My Name", "Popsicle", "Assata's Daughters", "Blk Girl Soldier", "Emerald Street", "Breadcrumbs", "Stellar", "Holy", and Good Morning" – plus "LSD", a tribute to our city's great lakefront!  ~ Dusty Groove

MINDI ABAIR AND THE BONESHAKERS - THE EASTWEST SESSIONS

2017 release. Mindi Abair and the Boneshakers return with a powerhouse blues rock album, produced by Kevin Shirley (Led Zeppelin, Aerosmith, The Black Crowes, Joe Bonamassa) and recorded at this historic Eastwest Studios in Hollywood. Mindi Abair is a two time Grammy Award nominated saxophonist, vocalist, author, and National Trustee for the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. Mindi was the featured saxophonist for the 2011 and 2012 seasons of American Idol, performed with the rock band Aerosmith for their 2012 Summer Tour, joined Bruce Springsteen and Max Weinberg for a night at the Beacon Theater and played with Paul Shaffer and the CBS Orchestra three times on Late Show with David Letterman.

JIMMY WEBB - JUST ACROSS THE RIVER

Recorded in Nashville with a stunning group of multi-platinum legends, this newly recorded collection of some of the greatest songs in pop and country music history features Jimmy Webb and friends at their most romantic, poignant, lyrical, and inspiring. Each track stands alongside (and in some cases, surpasses) the beloved original hits. The music is contemporary, yet classically timeless. 

The arrangements serve the songs, and the incredible vocal performers who collaborate with Jimmy of the album of his lifetime. The critical acclaim composer Jimmy Webb has received during his more than forty years of success is as remarkable as the accomplishments they honor: Webb is the only artist to ever receive Grammy awards for music, lyrics and orchestration; he is a member of the National Academy of Popular Music Songwriter's Hall of Fame and the Nashville Songwriter's Hall of Fame; and, according to BMI, his 'By The Time I Get To Phoenix', (sung on the new album in duet with Glen Campbell - the first time the two have ever recorded together) has been the third most performed song in the last fifty years. 

Webb's 'Wichita Lineman' (performed here with Billy Joel and Jerry Douglas) has been listed in the Top Fifty of MOJO Magazine's worldwide survey of the best one hundred singles of all time, and was singled out in the Oct/Nov 2001 issue of Blender as 'The Greatest Song Ever'. On 'Just Across The River, Jimmy also shares the mike with Mark Knopfler on the classic 'Highwayman'. Linda Ronstadt, who has recorded a multitude of Webb songs throughout her recording career, included four of his efforts on her double platinum album, 'Cry like A Rainstorm, Howl Like the Wind'. She's on board here for a heartwarming, intimate closing duet on 'All I Know', the Webb standard made famous by Art Garfunkel. And that's just the beginning. As a performer Jimmy has released numerous critically-acclaimed albums over the years, earning distinguished reviews in all of the major publications, and unqualified praise following his appearances in concert halls and top cabaret venues. But he has never attempted a project like 'Just Across The River, where his singing and songwriting is celebrated by the collaborations of his peers, like Jackson Browne and Willie Nelson, as well as artists who have revered his music for years, like Lucinda Williams, Michael McDonald, and Vince Gill. There has never been a songwriter like Jimmy Webb. And there has never been an album of his songs like Just Across The River!

NEW RELEASES: RANNY SINCLAIR - ANOTHER AUTUMN; MIKE MORENO - 3 FOR 3; THE VEIN - VEIN PLAYS RAVEL

RANNY SINCLAIR - ANOTHER AUTUMN

Soaked with the vibe and essence of New York City in the 1960s and seasoned with a rich variety of styles from breathy, beatnik pop to moody & magnificent jazz, folk and soul, the singles issued by Ranny Sinclair are uniformly brilliant, soft, sexy soundscapes-uncollected on a single album until now! Sinclair attended Juilliard as a dance major, but ultimately landed a singing contract with Columbia Records. Her issued discography features several tracks that were turntable hits of the era or have since become valued Northern Soul favorites-all those cuts plus the remaining masters capture some of the top talent of the day, recorded in the glorious Columbia New York studios! Her recordings were overseen by Columbia's main jazz and pop producer, Teo Macero, who was also responsible for Dave Brubeck's sessions. Macero apparently suggested the collaboration between the artists on the "Something To Sing About"/"Autumn In Our Town" single, included here. The pianist later reminisced about Sinclair, praising her "gentle, whispery" voice and lyric writing. The dozen masters here include the Columbia singles mixes from the original reels plus several previously unissued recordings, all in mono. Each moment reveals a true vocal artist at the peak of her talents, and well ahead of her time-decades overdue, listen now to the first collection by Ranny Sinclair, available on 180-gram RTI pressed vinyl!

MIKE MORENO - 3 FOR 3

On his third Criss Cross leader date, Mike Moreno convenes drummer Kendrick Scott, who played on his fellow Houstonian's prior Criss Cross outings ('Third Wish' and 'First in Mind') and bassist Doug Weiss, who played on 'Third Wish'. They frame the guitarist's sui generis tonal on a program culled from the corpuses of a multi-generational cohort of heroes: jazz songs by Charlie Parker ("Perhaps'), Wayne Shorter ("The Big Push"), Joe Henderson ("Serenity") and Mulgrew Miller ("For Those Who Do"); Songbook gems by Michel Legrand "You Must Believe In Spring"), Johnny Mandel ("A Time For Love") and Vernon Duke ("April In Paris"); plus one apiece by Radiohead ("Glass Eyes") and Lo Borges ("Clube Da Esquina M.1"). As always Moreno finds fresh pathways through familiar sonic landscapes on a date that is a master class in triological conversation. Personnel: Mike Moreno (guitar), Doug Weiss (bass), Kendrick Scott (drums)

THE VEIN - VEIN PLAYS RAVEL

Since their first UK release in 2014, Swiss trio VEIN have cemented their reputation as an exciting, hugely talented trio who play with passion, drive, finesse and as masters of musical interplay. 'VEIN Plays Ravel' is a collection of compositions by 20th Century French composer, pianist and conductor, Maurice Ravel and featuring star saxophonist Andy Sheppard. In recent years we have seen twins, drummer, Florian Arbenz and pianist Michael Arbenz with bassist Thomas Lähns release three albums here and perform a raft of shows in a number of settings - as a consummate trio and with special edition quartets featuring great American saxophonists Greg Osby and Dave Liebman. Ravel is an obvious choice for VEIN. One of the most enigmatic figures of classical music, Ravel's compositions share common ground with VEIN's musical soundscape. Ravel lived in an era during which tradition transitioned into abstract modernity, just as Vein breaks new ground without rejecting the traditional values of jazz. Likewise, Ravel encompassed many styles of music into his compositions including baroque, Spanish music and jazz. VEIN's influences are similarly multifaceted. VEIN draws its inspiration from Ravel, adds new elements, grooves and improvisations to create a sound that is unmistakeably Vein, yet one that resonates with Ravel's spirit. At the heart of 'VEIN plays Ravel' is Bolero - one of the 20th century's most iconic pieces of music. Here the trio is joined by a horn section with special guest soloist, the British sax heavyweight and one of the greats of European jazz, Andy Sheppard (who also guests on Mouvement de Menuet). Playful (as was Ravel) the piece twists and turns, dips and dives both mournful and swinging, reflective and joyful, the stunning 16 minute piece underscores this magnificent and uncompromising musical work.

AVISHAI COHEN PUSHES THE BOUNDARIES OF JAZZ ON NEW ALBUM "1970"

1970 is arguably the most personal recording that Cohen has made so far in his career, as the title refers to the year he was born. This album pushes all boundaries of jazz, we are dealing with the closest we can get to POP with Avishai. Unity, compassion, and togetherness have been recurrent themes in Cohens work to date, and he gives full vent to those feelings in the new album, especially with the piece "Song Of Hope."  

He also sketches out a more confessional emotional landscape with "My Lady" and "Move On", where he broaches the joy of love and the pain of heartbreak, drawing on the vocabulary of classic songwriters such as Stevie Wonder. In one of the most interesting artistic decisions on the album, Cohen puts his stamp on the timeless gospel anthem, "Sometimes I Feel Like A Motherless Child". This new work reveals more layers of his artist’s personality as he approaches familiar and unfamiliar territories both in terms of material and arrangements. 1970 was a significant year and '1970' is a significant album in 2017.

  

Avishai Cohen, born in Kabri, Israel on April 20th, 1970, grew up in a multicultural family whose roots were found in Spain, Greece and Poland. The electric bass put a spell on him when his teacher introduced him to the music of bassist Jaco Pastorius. Back in Israel, Avishai joined the Music and Arts Academy in Jerusalem to further explore the bass universe. At the age of 22, having served for two years in an army band, he decided to take a big step and moved to New York City.

In 1997 a call from Chick Corea changed everything. Avishai had passed one of Coreas friends a demo tape without particular hope of being noticed. Chick listened to it in his car and called Avishai back a few weeks later, blown away by its freshness. As a member of Chick Coreas New Trio and a co-founder of Coreas ensemble, Origin, for over six years, Avishai became an integral part of Chicks music and received the opportunity to fine-tune his skills as a bassist and composer. Performing with Chick Corea played an important part in shaping his musicianship, which led Avishai to consider Chick as a teacher, colleague and friend.

Starting in 1998, Avishai Cohen has released 16 studio albums reflecting his extraordinary and multitalented artistic personality, ranging from Latin rhythms to electronics and Jazz.

Terry Gibbs: 92 Years Young ~ Jammin' at the Gibbs House

Terry Gibbs began his career at the age of 12 after winning the Major Bowes Amateur Hour Contest and subsequently began touring professionally. He spent many years as a drummer and percussionist playing gigs until his affinity for bebop motivated him to turn down a scholarship to Julliard as a timpanist and return to the vibes. Six decades of inspirational vibe playing and technique, Gibbs is recognized as one of the best ever to grace the genre of bop. 

After World War II, Gibbs toured with Chubby Jackson, Buddy Rich and Woody Herman. He co-led a sextet with Louie Bellson and Charlie Shavers; and in 1950, he formed his own band for Mel Torme's TV show. In 1951, he joined the Benny Goodman Sextet. Subsequently, he toured with his own quartet where he won acclaim as "# 1 Vibraphonist in the world," in both the down beat and Metronome polls from 1950 to 1955. Gibbs also played a role in breaking down the sex barrier in music, using pianists Terry Pollard, who he often featured in vibe duos, Pat Moran, and Alice McLeod, who later married John Coltrane.

  

Settling in Los Angeles in 1957, he formed his big band known as "The Dream Band" in 1959. Comprising top notch LA talent such as Mel Lewis, Joe Maini, Frank Rosolino, Conte Candoli and Richie Kamuca, the band was named "Best Band in the World" in the Downbeat '62 Critic's Poll.

  

Gibbs returned to New York in the early sixties only to move back to LA to take a position as Music Director for the Regis Philbin Show. This gave him the opportunity to compose the music and conduct a sextet. He later served as Music Director/Composer for the ABC TV show, Operation Entertainment and for Steve Allen, building a substantial ASCAP rating. Gibbs also taught Steve Allen to play the vibes. 

Gibbs, throughout his illustrious career has enjoyed world acclaim playing with greats such as clarinetist Buddy DeFranco, Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Horace Silver, Max Roach, Art Blakely, Elvin Jones and Tito Puente. Co-leading a quintet, he had an unprecedented nomination in four categories of the Playboy Jazz Poll: Best Vibraphonist, Best Quartet, Best Big Band and Best Band Leader. His association with DeFranco spanned 18 years.

"92 Years Young." Sometimes that's an exaggeration. On the other hand, when applied to vibraphonist Terry Gibbs it may well be an understatement. Gibbs was indeed a mere six months shy of his ninety-second birthday when "Jammin' at the Gibbs House" was recorded in his living room in April 2016. Close your eyes, however, and it's the 1940s again, and Gibbs is jammin' with Woody Herman's Second Herd, or the '50s, and he's presiding over his high-powered Dream Band in Los Angeles. In other words, as people often reassure nonagenarians, he "hasn't changed a bit." In this case, however, it's more truism than solace. While Gibbs has no doubt changed a bit, as has everyone his age, that bit is wholly imperceptible to the human ear. ~ Jack Bowers, All About Jazz

With 65 albums to his credit, winner of 3 major jazz polls and creator of 300+ compositions (recorded by Gibbs, Nat Cole, Les Brown, Cannonball Adderly, Count Basie, George Shearing, etc.), Gibbs has left an indelible mark in the world of vibes.

"Its an honor to be featured on The Jazz Network Worldwide". ~ Terry Gibbs

"This feature means a lot to me, Terry and my father Chubby Jackson were very dear friends and this is my way of paying homage to their friendship as well as honoring Terry's evergreen talent. I know my Dad would totally be diggin' this recording." ~ Jaijai Jackson, The Jazz Network Worldwide

Visit THE JAZZ NETWORK WORLDWIDE "A GREAT PLACE TO HANG" at: http://www.thejazznetworkworldwide.com/?xg_source=msg_mes_network

SOUL REIGNS SUPREME ON SYLEENA JOHNSON'S REBIRTH OF SOUL

The iconic Etta James once said about authentic soul and blues music, "You can't fake this music. It's how you connect to the songs and to the history behind them."  Syleena Johnson is one of those undeniable talents whose unfaltering truth shines through every note she sings. Undoubtedly one of the best singers of her generation, Johnson has collaborated with everyone from Kanye West and Common to Anthony Hamilton and R. Kelly. In recent years she has enjoyed mainstream exposure appearing on such television shows as TV One's  "R&B Divas: Atlanta" and WE TV's  "Marriage Boot Camp: Reality Stars" and  as of last month, Syleena is featured on the new TEGNA Media/ TV One daily live talk show "Sister Circle." On November 10, 2017 Shanachie Entertainment will release REBIRTH OF SOUL, a recording that Syleena has long wanted to bring to fruition. Conceived and produced by her father, the legendary soul/blues singer and producer Syl Johnson, whose original hit version of "Take Me To The River" was covered by Al Green and Talking Heads. Everyone from Jay-Z and Kanye West to Wu-Tang and Usher has sampled Syl Johnson's recordings.

REBIRTH OF SOUL features Syleena Johnson's searing interpretations of classic R&B songs, mainly from the Fifties and Sixties, recorded in real time with live musicians just the way "real music" used to be made. As Syl Johnson notes,"People don't use live musicians much anymore; but every musician brings his heart to a recording." Recording in Chicago, Syl Johnson's long-time base and Syleena's hometown, the sessions include musicians who played on hit R&B recordings there over the years and a majority of the album features songs associated with Chicago artists, songwriters or record labels. Syleena shares, "The inspiration behind REBIRTH OF SOUL is my father. I wanted to honor him and classic soul music in a time when auto tune and electronic beats reign supreme. While I am not against this kind of creative musicianship, there is so much more to the real thing. True Soul music tells stories...stories that can heal a nation." The songs on REBIRTH OF SOUL, hand-picked by Syl Johnson, run the gamut from lesser-known gems such as Betty Everett's "There'll Come A Time," Johnson's own "We Did It" and Bettye Swann's "Make Me Yours" to such landmark hits as "Chain of Fools" and  "I'd Rather Go Blind," done definitively by Aretha Franklin and Etta James respectively. Syleena manifests an uncanny ability to get inside of each song, digging deep to deliver passionate performances that bring a fresh spark to even the best known selections. "For each song I channeled the emotions of the record," Syleena confides. "I put myself in the mind of each storyteller and in doing this I was able to merge myself into the story of each record. This is how I was able to put my own personal stamp on each record." A stand-out track is Syleena's version of her father's 1969 Black Power anthem (Is It Because I am Black) originally arranged by Donny Hathaway, which seems all-too-relevant today. "It has been made apparent that we are still dealing with some of the same issues today as we have in the past," Syleena notes. "The state of our country shows how this song can still resonate even now. This is also a testament to how Soul Music still lives on."

The authentic feel of REBIRTH OF SOUL stems from Syl Johnson's production, arrangements by longtime Chicago bandleader/arranger/ keyboardist Tom Washington, and in-the-pocket playing by such musicians as recently deceased drummer Mo Jennings, whose credits include the likes of Muddy Waters and Howlin' Wolf and, bass extraordinaire Bernard Reed, who  was a member of the Artistics and who worked extensively with Chicago producer Carl Davis. Reed's credits include work with everyone from The Chi-Lites and Barbara Acklin to Little Richard and Howlin' Wolf. Saxophonist Willie Henderson who is also on REBIRTH OF SOUL played and produced hits by the Chi-Lites, Barbara Acklin and Tyrone Davis. Interestingly, it was Syleena's first collaboration with her father since his 1994 recording BACK IN THE GAME when she was just a teenager. "The process of creating music with my father is not a difficult one. It's actually the only space we get along perfectly," confides Syleena. "Music is our strongest tie, and no matter what, he has always respected that particular bond inside of studio walls. He is very creative as an artist and he loves music with his true heart."

Syleena Johnson grew up outside of Chicago and one might say music chose her, although she was initially discouraged from getting into the business by her father. Her mother, incidentally, became the nation's first Black female police commissioner. Syleena released the independent album LOVE HANGOVER in 1996. A Jive Records executive immediately offered Syleena a recording contract upon hearing her demo tape. The dissolution of a relationship with an abusive boyfriend provided raw material for her major label debut album, CHAPTER 1: LOVE, PAIN & FORGIVENESS, in 2001, which yielded the hit "I Am Your Woman," penned by fellow Chicagoan R. Kelly, and led to critical acclaim as an exceptional new voice on the R&B scene. Her follow-up, CHAPTER 2: THE VOICE, which featured guests such as Busta Rhymes, yielded the hit "Guess What" and was hailed as one of the best R&B albums of the year. Meanwhile, Kanye West tapped Syleena to handle the vocals on the Top Ten worldwide hit "All Falls Down," which also garnered her and West a Grammy nomination and four VMA nominations for the video. With momentum building, Syleena released CHAPTER 3: THE FLESH, which featured guests R. Kelly, Anthony Hamilton, Jermaine Dupri, Common and Twista-a mark of respect from her peers-as well as the hit "Another Relationship." Subsequently she also scored a hit with Cam'ron and Kanye West with "Down & Out" and appeared on albums by DMX and Shawnna. Syleena released CHAPTER 4: LABOR PAINS on her own Aneelys Records in 2008,. The album opened with sounds from the birth of her and her husband's first child, a son. In 2011 she gave birth to their second son. CHAPTER 5: UNDERRATED followed and featured the single "A Boss" and a stunning duet with Tweet, "Angry Girl." In 2012 Syleena released the ACOUSTIC SOUL SESSIONS EP and the following year she joined forces with Musiq Soulchild for the reggae album 9INE. CHAPTER 6: COUPLES THERAPY followed in 2014, coinciding with her national profile via the reality show R&B DIVAS ATLANTA and MARRIAGE BOOT CAMP, as well as an appearance with her family on IYANLA: FIX MY LIFE.  With the release of REBIRTH OF SOUL, Syleena Johnson reaffirms her place as one of the most dynamic singers of her generation, rooted in the great soul tradition and uniquely capable of moving it forward.

 

Pianist Chan Hall Releases "Musical Addiction" Featuring the Single 'That Everyday Chill Song"

Jazz pianist and composer Chan Hall’s soothing grooves provide a vibrant, expansive landscape of poetry in motion; influenced by Herbie Hancock, George Duke, Chick Corea, and George Benson.

His 2011 debut album Dreaming Afterdark has gained buzz throughout the mid-Atlantic jazz community. The project was the culmination of a lifetime of dreams deferred for this jazz keyboardist. And now Chan Hall has released his latest entitled "Musical Addiction" which is a blend of smooth jazz and chill grooves to surely please the ears. 

A native of Wilson, North Carolina, William “Chan” Hall started playing the piano by ear at the age of 15. But it was playing basketball that ruled his teenage years. He dreamed of becoming a superstar athlete at North Carolina State University. At the same time, he was a standout percussionist in his high school concert band. He was featured on the xylophone, vibes, marimba, bass drum, and auxiliary percussion instruments. During those years, his band instructor introduced him to jazz music. He instantly fell in love and even more so when the possibility of playing college basketball vanished. “I got so excited because jazz music is American history. It is European harmonies over African rhythms which make it the most diverse music form in the world. Jazz is free and open for interpretation. The rules can be bent and it is alright,” says Chan.

It was not until a later move to Richmond, Virginia that he took playing the piano and jazz music more seriously. Months of formal classical training followed by private jazz lessons created the genesis of Chan’s distinctive sound. Enrollment in the Jazz Academy at Pine Camp under the direction of world-class jazz saxophonist James “Saxsmo” Gates was the most grueling test of his skills. During Jazz Academy, Chan learned to play with a group of talented musicians as well as further develop his knowledge of music theory. He later went on to study classical music at J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College.

Outside of formal lessons, Chan was even more determined to teach himself. He spent many nights and early mornings mirroring the styles of Chick Corea, Herbie Hancock, George Duke, Jeff Lorber, Robert Glasper, and George Benson. “I am influenced by all of these artists. They all share an art for chord voicing. Plus they have an ability to play emotionally. I wanted to add their strengths to my own style. Listening to them allowed me to think outside of the box,” says Chan.

After playing with various ensembles, including Love Logic, The Santamaria Brothers, Cool Breeze, and Chan’s Elements, he decided to break out on his own. In 2009, a self-reflective talk with his mother caused him to consider a solo project. Shortly after the talk, a debilitating work injury resulted in two weeks off the job. “I started thinking a lot during that time. My mom’s words marinated in my mind. My belief about a solo project grew. I could see my life as an artist versus working so hard at a job I didn’t love,” says Chan.

  

William “Chan” Hall has played for the Richmond Boy’s Choir, blues vocalist Lady E, and numerous churches in Richmond, Virginia. He has also performed on WTVR- CBS 6 Virginia This Morning, at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, and Macy’s.

“My dream of being a jazz musician used to only happen after dark. Now it is happening in the daylight. This is real and I love it”

Keyboardist PETE LEVIN releases new album Möbius feat. LENNY WHITE, ALEX FOSTER, TONY LEVIN, JEFF CIAMPA, CHRIS PASIN, NANNY ASSIS and special guests

Keyboardist-arranger-composer Pete Levin's ninth solo release, Möbius, was recorded live in the studio in two days, capturing the "no boundaries" spirit of Gil Evans. The music explores textural grooves ranging from straight-ahead bop to funk, world-beat, and the experimental. The disc features 10 tracks including eight originals, "I Mean You" by Thelonious Monk & Coleman Hawkins, and "There Comes A Time" by Tony Williams. Anchored by two iconic musicians, Tony Levin (King Crimson, Peter Gabriel, Stick Men) and Lenny White (Return To Forever, Miles Davis, Freddy Hubbard) this high-energy band and the compositions have the spontaneity and dynamics of a 'live' performance. 

The album was recorded in December, 2016, mixed in April, 2017 and slated for the official release in November 2017, and features internationally-known musicians: Alex Foster (Saturday Night Live Band, Jaco Pastorius, Herbie Hancock), Chris Pasin (Ray Charles, Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett), Jeff Ciampa (Dave Matthews, Bill Evans, Harry Belafonte), Nanny Assis (Janis Siegel, Eumir Deodato, Vinicius Cantauria) and guest musicians Jerry Marotta, Erik Lawrence, Rob Paparozzi & Kal David.

••• Due to his very busy touring schedules in 2017/2018 with King Crimson, Stick Men and Peter Gabriel, Tony Levin's will be subbed on live performances by Ira Coleman (Branford Marsalis, Herbie Hancock, Sting),

Upcoming shows:

NOVEMBER 7 - New Hope, PA (Havana)

NOVEMBER 8 - New York, NY (The Cutting Room) - ALBUM RELEASE PARTY

Pianist Deanna Witkowski Presents Trio Arrangements of 14 Hymns on "Makes the Heart to Sing: Jazz Hymns"

Grace, serenity, and rhapsody are on abundant display throughout the 14 songs pianist Deanna Witkowski performs with her trio on "Makes the Heart to Sing: Jazz Hymns," set for release November 3 on Tilapia Records. One would expect this to be the case, given that the source material is not the Great American Songbook, but the centuries-old trove of hymnody used in churches around the world.

Witkowski succeeds in offering a luminously lyrical piano trio session interpreting a spiritually charged body of music rarely investigated by jazz artists. Some of the tunes—like “Kings of Orient (We Three Kings)”—will be immediately recognizable to secular audiences while others will be as familiar to the choirs and congregations of Protestant churches worldwide as the standards of Porter or Gershwin. Her arrangement of “Hymn to Joy (Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee),” the popular Beethoven melody from his 9th Symphony, rises with the grandeur of an Ellingtonian theme.

"Makes the Heart to Sing" is part of a larger project that includes the publication of a folio of Witkowski’s arrangements. “It’s an instrumental jazz trio record, but the mission is to get this music played more widely outside of church,” she says, “and to bring these jazz interpretations into circulation inside churches. The album is almost a demo for church music directors, and the arrangements are meant for congregational singing.”

Witkowski is passionate about the primal, transporting power of group singing, and her trio brings a similar collective ethos to the music on the album. She’s played with drummer Scott Latzky since she settled in New York City two decades ago, having moved there with a full-time job as a church music director after earning her degree at Wheaton College in 1993 and working for four years on the Chicago jazz scene. Bassist Daniel Foose is a more recent collaborator. “Scott’s playing is so sensitive and responsive to every environment,” she says. “Daniel is really soulful and interactive with a groove that’s really deep.”

What’s most striking about the project, aside from the sheer beauty of the trio’s feel and dynamics, is the seamless way the hymns fit the jazz idiom even as Witkowski pays close attention to the contours and meaning of the text. Most of the tracks clock in under four minutes and focus on the group’s irresistibly swinging interpretations of music rather than using the themes as launching pads for extended solos. “Kings of Orient” is set as a waltz whose intensity ebbs and flows and features a Foose bass solo, while “Foundation (How Firm a Foundation)” unfurls with the rolling cadences of a gospel music hit. The aforementioned “Hymn to Joy” adds a taste of laidback funk and soul to the set.

The winner of the 2002 Great American Jazz Piano Competition, Deanna Witkowski has released six critically hailed albums over the past two decades, with each new project revealing a steadily evolving sensibility marked by melodic invention and emotional connection. As an accompanist, she’s toured with soul-steeped vocalist Lizz Wright and held down the piano chair for ten years in the Jim McNeely–led BMI/New York Jazz Orchestra. Her projects as a leader feature fellow heavyweights like bassist John Patitucci and saxophonist Donny McCaslin.

Witkowski’s thoughtful and deeply felt work setting traditional hymns in a jazz context has few precedents. In many ways, her creative identity is built on her gift for gracefully bringing together seemingly disparate elements, though "Makes the Heart to Sing" flows directly from her longtime work in sacred settings.

“Music in a lot of churches is one specific thing, traditional hymns done in a traditional way, or contemporary pop that’s not necessarily written for group singing,” she says. “But there’s this ‘folk music tradition’—hymns—that everybody knows in most Protestant churches. I always draw on my jazz background when I arrange service music, and hymns are an integral part of the repertoire.”

Witkowski also has a long-standing relationship with Brazil, and her next project promises to be equally compelling. As a recipient of a prestigious residency fellowship from the Sacatar Institute in Bahia, Brazil, a nonprofit foundation that sponsors creative individuals of all disciplines, she will spend April and May 2018 at Sacatar doing research related to her upcoming composition and recording, the "Nossa Senhora Suite." Merging elements of Afro-Brazilian ritual chants and text with new music for her quartet plus four vocalists, each movement of the suite will explore a different Brazilian version of the Virgin Mary, including Nossa Senhora Aparecida, patron saint of Brazil, and Iemanjá, goddess of the seas. •

Deanna Witkowski Itinerary

As bandleader:

11/2 Furman University, Greenville, SC (clinic); 11/4 Erskine College, Greenwood, SC (solo); 11/5 a.m. First Baptist Church, Greenville, SC (duo/jazz service); 11/5 p.m. First Baptist Church, Mount Holly, NC (solo); 11/7 NC ArtsMarket, Durham, NC (trio/juried showcase); 11/19 First Presbyterian Church, Rahway, NJ (solo/jazz vespers); 1/21/18 St. John’s Episcopal Church, Richmond, VA (trio/jazz service); 2/6/18 Juilliard Jazz, NYC (pre-concert panel speaking on Mary Lou Williams’s sacred music); 2/23/18 Chopin in the City festival, Chicago (solo/venue TBD)

Choral premieres:

12/3 or 1/17/18 (TBD) ChoralArt, Portland, ME (winning piece in New England Carol Contest); 3/11/18 The Colorado Chorale, Denver (newly commissioned work)

Residency in Bahia:

4/9-6/4 of 2018 Sacatar Institute, Itaparica, Bahia, Brazil