JazzWorldQuest Showcase 2022: Mike Miller(USA)- Album: Trust (Blue Canoe Records)

JazzWorldQuest Showcase 2022: Mike Miller(USA)- Album: Trust (Blue Canoe Records)

https://jazzworldquest.com/showcase-2022

Rock and Jazz Guitarist Mike Miller releases a beautiful ten song album titled Trust. Mike is best know for his work with Chick Corea, Boz Scaggs, Bette Midler, Yellowjackets, Quincy Jones and so many more. Mike brings all of his year of experience into this incredible body of work. “Trust” features guest appearances from Jimmy Haslip, Jimmy Johnson, Jimmy Earl, Scott Kinsey, Brandon Fields, Gary Novak, Marilyn Scott, Jeff Babko, Chad Wackerman, Airto Moriera and so many more talented artists. “Trust” is a must have for fans of Mike Miller which features rich original compositions, stellar improvisations and prowess interplay and technique. This is a gorgeous, inspiring album and a must have for music fans everywhere!
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USA: Rest in Peace Dennis Gonzalez 1954-2022

Texas and the world are marking the passing of Dallas musician, teacher, radio DJ and visual artist Dennis Gonzalez who died March 15 2022.

On Tuesday, his son Stefan announced the news of González's passing on social media:

“I'm so sorry to inform you all, family, friends, fans of the music, fellow creatives that our Father, Grandfather, husband, force of love and light, educator, musician, artist, and beloved Shaman, Dennis Gonzalez has left this plane of existence,” Stefan posted on Twitter. “He didn't do it without a fight and was channeling positivity until the very end."

The jazz trumpeter, who toured, recorded and produced music internationally was also a public school educator in Dallas, encouraging creative movement within the music he taught and performed. In addition, Mr Gonzalez also kept a decades long jazz radio program going on radio station KERA called MILES OUT and forged an Oak Cliff based nonprofit, La Rondalla, to provide students access to musical instruments.

He instilled similar values in his sons, Aaron (who plays double bass) and Stefan (who plays drums and percussion) spending a lifetime playing jazz and experimental music with them and many other while making contributions to the community through education and youth programs as a family.

Dennis Gonzalez is survived by his wife, Carol, sons Aaron and Stefan, granddaughter Issy and friends worldwide.

JazzWorldQuest Showcase 2022: Tony Adamo(USA)-Better Than Picasso At MidNite

Well, the blue-jeaned, floppy hat-wearing singing street preacher Tony Adamo is back with a new upcoming album. Here’s the first single from it, “Better Than Picasso At Midnight”, which is essentially polishing, refurbishing, new engine adding remake of the classic “Better Than Anything” and machine shopped, chopped, and hopped by Tony Adamo. The original lyrics are weaved into a new stream of consciousness ones which include references and rhymes ranging from George Benson to Superfly. 

The music itself is a mix of CTI soul with a dash of disco, tasty Breezin’ guitar licks with a mix of wacka wooka by Chris Pimentel, Turrentine toned tenor treats from saxist Rob Sudduth and Crusading keys and beats from programmer Barry Schiffman. 

No one delivers street corner synchronized sermons like Tony A. Start passing the plate!

 by George W. Harris/Jazz Weekly

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JazzWorldQuest Showcase 2022

JazzWorldQuest Showcase 2022: Igor Willcox Quartet(Brazil)-North City

 

Igor Willcox Quartet(Brazil)-North City
With their new single called “North City,” Brazilian drummer Igor Willcox and his band continue their series of jazz fusion experimentation. As in the past the chemistry between the four musicians is flawless and the compositional construction is based on the tasteful balance between acoustic and electric instruments. The song’s structure allows everyone to keep jamming freely throughout the song, the keyboards open the door to an exciting sax line, which is followed by a vivid rhythm section. The groove is warm and lively, dynamic bass lines combined with frequent tempo changes, add energizing colors to the ensemble. Enjoy an entertaining piece of jazz fusion expertly played with heart and soul.
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World Music Mix: Hakim Jamal(UK)-Album: LA Night (2022)

Hakim Jamal(UK)-Neon Sign Album: LA Night 

Composer: Paul Ashley Wheatcroft
Label: TakingHead TV Recordings (2022) 

The new album from Hakim Jamal is inspired by the work of the great and sadly underrated Japanese Jazz-Funk musicians of the 1970s and 80s. It’s Hakim’s most uptempo album today, comprised of mostly instrumental dance/disco music with some stunning individual solos. Streaming 

Hakim Jamal-Neon Sign

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JazzWorldQuest Showcase 2022: TriTone Asylum(USA) – The Hideaway Sessions(Blue Canoe Records)

 

TriTone Asylum is based in Southern California. Spear-headed by Peter Sepsis (bass) and Philip Topping (EVI). Through their unique instrumentation, they have masterfully developed an electro acoustic sound that melds Jazz, funk, and music from around the world. TriTone Asylum’s music reflects the varied musical landscape of the sounds and street rhythms of Los Angeles. Their original songs are influenced by a variety of artists including Freddie Hubbard, Herbie Hancock, Weather Report, Pat Metheny, as well as artists from the ECM Label.

TriTone Asylum- Grasshopper

EVI: Philip Topping
Saxophone: Ian Vo, Allen Mascari, Gary Herbig
Guitar: Andy Waddell
Keyboards: Mitch Forman, Henri Wilkinson
Bass: Peter Sepsis
Drums: Dave Johnstone
Percussion: Baba Sisso
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JazzWorldQuest Showcase 2022

JazzWorldQuest World Music Mix: Jacopo Ferrazza Quintet(Italy)-Fantàsia

 

After his solo experience in ‘Wood Tales’ (published on Feb. 2021) Jacopo Ferrazza comes back as a band leader, guiding a quintet with two very special guests, Fabrizio Bosso (trumpet) and Marcello Allulli (sax).

A dreamlike world emerges from Ferrazza’s compositions and is outlined by the right balance between modern jazz, chamber music and electronic music.

Jacopo Ferrazza Quintet – Fantasia

The nine tracks of ‘Fantàsia’ follow a narrative that resembles a sequence of disjoined dreams appearing in an unorderly fashion nonetheless composing a greater holistic story.
As the music unfolds, introspective lyrics written by Ferrazza himself describe the thoughts of a WWII soldier, briefly before his death during the Normandy landings (La Course), as well as Siddharta’s concept of the cyclicality of time (River Theatre) and again the surreal tail of a time-travel vortex (Blue Glow).
Interstellar voyages, synesthetic worlds and the theme of afterlife are also part of ‘Fantàsia’, the latter being a topic very dear to Jacopo Ferrazza, especially after his record ‘Rebirth’ (Cam Jazz 2017).

Starting from his approach to the acoustic sound of the double bass, the Italian musician develops an accurate overall aesthetic to his compositions through electronics and pianist Enrico Zanisi contributes greatly to this intent thanks to his extensive use of synths, becoming a fundamental element to creating a precise setting in each track.
The album becomes an intentional screenplay where each element has its specific role, for example Valerio Vantaggio’s drums hold the music’s emotional pulse. Alessandra Diodati, here in her first recording experience, guides listeners through the different layers of the chronicle with her voice. And again Livia de Romanis’ cello represents the fire, a primordial force we find behind the most vivid nocturnal visions. The trumpet played Fabrizio Bosso incarnates an irruptive element which deconstructs all the rules of a well designed world, and last but not least, the Shorter-like tone of Marcello Allulli’s sax has a cathartic and celebrative role in the ending of the record.

The element that leads the musical narrative is Jacopo Ferrazza’s double bass, that always joins his music partners enhancing each role, underlining the different personality of the band’s members and pulling the whole architecture’s strings together.

‘Fantàsia’ is an album that witnesses the vital creativity of Ferrazza, which manifests itself also in his attitude to explore, especially those little shadows of our daily life, where we can find, if we look closely, a magical world waiting to be experienced.

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World Music Mix

JazzWorldQuest Showcase 2022: Nastazio Gkoumas Trio(Greece)-Album: Blurring Mind

 

Nastazio Gkoumas Trio(Greece)-Unspoken Words
Composer: Nastazio Gkoumas
Album: Blurring Mind
Contemporary jazz peace & freedom to the world.
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JazzWorldQuest Showcase 2022