USA: Walt Weiskopf European Quartet on tour

European Quartet Hits International Jazz Circuit 

For the third year, I am happy to announce that the Walt Weiskopf European Quartet (WWEQ) will be hitting the international jazz circuit throughout Europe and Scandinavia in early 2019.

Starting January 17, I will be teaming up with three of Europe's finest and most sought-after jazz musicians: pianist Carl Winther, bassist Andreas Lang, and drummer Anders Mogensen, to commence a two-week tour in Malmö, Sweden, with other performances following throughout Denmark, Sweden, Germany, and France.
 
My fellow players have attracted world-wide attention with their talents touring with jazz greats Jerry Bergonzi, Tim Hagans, Adam Nussbaum, Jeff "Tain" Watts, Greg Hutchinson, and David Liebman, to name a few.
 
At the end of our tour, WWEQ will record our second album in Copenhagen, so be on the lookout for that international release later in 2019.

WWEQ Tour Schedule:

• 1/17 - Malmö, Sweden, Sodergaten 14
• 1/18 - Tallinn, Estonia, Philly Joe's
• 1/19 - Vilnius, Lithuania, Jazz Cellar
• 1/21 - Odense, Denmark, Danish National Academy of Music/Posten
• 1/22 - Møllergade, Svendborg, Denmark, Harders
• 1/23 - Berlin, Germany, Zig Zag Jazz Club
• 1/24 - Berlin, Germany, A-Trane Jazz Club
• 1/25-26 - Paris, France, Sunset-Sunside Jazz Club
• 1/30 - Hamburg, Germany, Fat Jazz
• 1/31 - Brandbjerg, Denmark, Brandbjerg Højskole
• 2/1 - Göteborg, Sweden, Bellevue Jazz Club
• 2/2- København, Denmark, JazzCup Jazz Club

USA: Guitarist Blake Aaron grooves and shakes his way to number one

Guitarist Blake Aaron grooves and shakes his way to number one

“Groovers and Shakers,” featuring saxophonist Darren Rahn, tops the Billboard,

Groove Jazz Music and RadioWave singles charts.

ALISO VIEJO (20 November 2018): It was destined to be a hit from the start and now Blake Aaron’s “Groovers and Shakers” is number one on three national singles charts: Billboard, Groove Jazz Music and RadioWave. The first song written and produced collaboratively by the R&B/contemporary jazz guitarist and saxophonist Darren Rahn was rushed into production and shipped to radio stations last summer when Aaron’s label and radio promoter heard the potential for a chart-topper after being sent a demo by the duo. In fact, “Groovers and Shakers” bumped the single Innervision Records had originally scheduled for release by Aaron in late July. 

The No. 1 single that will appear on Aaron’s forthcoming sixth album, “Color and Passion,” pays tribute to the people behind the music, the family of fans, the radio programmers and the concert promoters who keep jazz alive and thriving. “Groovers and Shakers” is the fifth single that previews the album following “Riviera Nights,” “VIVID,” “Godfather Brown” and “Summer Ride.” All five have spent time on the Billboard singles chart. In addition to crafting music to complete his own collection, Aaron is in the studio producing material for trumpeter Preston Smith, his labelmate.

Next month, Aaron will perform a holiday show at Herb Alpert’s Vibrato in Los Angeles on December 21. The guitarist is part of a 2019 package tour booking dates now as The Soul Patrol. Aaron will share the stage with vocalist Larry Braggs (Tower of Power, The Temptations) and saxophonist Tom Braxton.  The Soul Patrol debuts with a California run starting on January 10 at Yoshi’s in Oakland, January 12 at Humphrey’s in San Diego and January 13 at Spaghettini in Seal Beach. Aaron opens for seminal urban-jazz saxophonist Najee, a frequent collaboration partner, at the Empress Theatre near San Francisco on February 21. 

For more information, please visit www.BlakeAaron.com.  

USA: NEW FACES- STRAIGHT FORWARD (POSI-TONE 2018)

straight Forward Josh Lawrence - trumpet Roxy Coss - tenor sax Behn Gillece - vibraphone Theo Hill - piano Peter Brendler - bass Vinnie Sperrazza - drums PayPal - The safer, easier way to pay online! Posi-Tone Records unveils a carefully curated presentation of "New Faces" and keeps the musical message focused "Straight Forward." This album is certainly not just another blowing date. This new music intentionally combines the individual talents of emerging Posi-Tone leaders into a cohesive camaraderie of artists that work together as a unified collective to consciously create a series of meaningful musical presentations. This "New Faces" group (trumpeter Josh Lawrence, vibraphonist Behn Gillece, saxophonist Roxy Coss, pianist Theo Hill, bassist Peter Brendler and drummer Vinnie Sperrazza) was carefully assembled and supervised by producer Marc Free, given the collective mission, and then sent off together to explore a wonderland of melodic mysteries and harmonic possibilities. The entire series of succinct performances included on this album are deliberately intended to provide accurate practical auditory insight and representation of the musical aesthetics and operational ethos of Posi- Tone Records. Highlighted by a sparkling diadem of performances, the album's engaging program takes us on an entertaining musical journey, and revisits some repertoire gems from the label's previous releases, along with some fresh cuts from the artist's dazzling compositional catalog. Sit back and enjoy the intelligent and beautiful sounds emanating from these talented "New Faces" as they work inclusively to move the music dialog "Straight Forward" toward a more delightful today and a brighter tomorrow
POSI-TONE

USA: ERIC HARLAND VOYAGER- 13TH FLOOR STUDIO ALBUM (2018)

Voyager began as the creative project of drummer/composer Eric Harland, and has since evolved into a musical collective featuring the compositions of all the band's members. The band is comprised of the leading instrumentalists of a generation: Walter Smith III (saxophone), Taylor Eigsti (piano), Harish Raghavan (bass), and Julian Lage (guitar). 13th Floor is the second studio album from Voyager, a follow-up album to their initial studio release Vipassana. Eric Harland - Drums / Taylor Eigsti - Piano / Walter Smith III - Saxophone / Julian Lage - Guitar / Nir Felder - Guitar / Harish Raghavan - Bass

GSI RECORDS

TUNISIA: Dhafer Youssef - Sounds of Mirror (Anteprima 2018)

 Some dreams last a long time. And hunchs that have value of prophecies. The traveling musician who helped to introduce the oud into jazz, satisfies his dream of Indian music and invites the famous percussionist Zakir Hussain to share some French stages in duet.The symbiosis is quite obvious but a color is missing : a wind instrument. Dhafer Youssef then summons another "soul mate" : the Turkish clarinet player Hüsnü Şenlendirici. The trio sketches in concert the raw material of "Sounds Of Mirrors". The recording starts in Bombay, then in Istanbul where Eivind Aarset, the aerial jazz guitarist from Norway, joins the adventure. If If the disk was, at the very beginning, a tribute to Zakir Hussain and tablas, it actually takes an unexpected direction. « I felt that, working with and from an indian cultural base, we could approach a more universal speech... This recording was such a perfect ode to friendship and fraternity ! When we played together, I had this feeling that souls were connected, perfectly explaining the title of the album « Sounds Of Mirrors », tells Dhafer.
Anteprima

USA: Kelly Green Trio-Volume One (feat. Alex Tremblay & Evan Hyde) (2018)

 

After playing consistently together for a year this trio of highly skilled jazz musicians form a sound together through arrangements and originals that is exciting and unique! We went into the studio after playing together for a year and fresh off our first tour as a trio! Here is the result of hard work and dedication to an art form and a sound. Here is our first review: "Pianist/composer/vocalist Kelly Green released her debut recording, Life Rearranged (Self Produced, 2017) not so long ago by today's output standards. On that recording she revealed herself capable of performing in a variety of formats, with a variety of accompanists. Presently, Green provides us the hopefully-entitled Kelly Green Trio, Volume One, tacitly promising more volumes to come. This is a good thing, because I just figured out the really great thing about Green...well, everything. Mostly, though, Greens voice and singing style are a fortuitous package deal providing beautifully conversational singing with a solid range and certain expression. Volume One is a seven-song collection with six standards and a single, clever original "Daily Lies." The disc opens with a lengthy consideration (9-minutes plus) that is a revelation. Revealed are all of the charms of Green's voice and her orchestral piano style. Bassist Alex Tremblay provides a reliable pulse and excellent solos, as does drummer Evan Hyde . The three easily navigate the Charles Mingus/Joni Mitchell mashup of "The Dry Cleaner from Des Moines" and the deft be bop of Charlie Parker's "Marmaduke" coupled with Fats Waller's "Honeysuckle Rose," appropriate as both are contrafacts of "I Got Rhythm," but it is Green and her wonderfully sardonic, casual and amiable deliver that makes the day. I am so glad there will be a Volume Two." - C. Michael Bailey, ALL ABOUT JAZZ

USA: Joey Arias, Raven O & Sherry Vine-The Lost Bar D'o Record (2018)

 The Lost Bar D'o Record by Joey Arias, Raven O & Sherry Vine © Copyright - Bryce Levan Cushing / Moonfire Tower Records

 This is a recording from the stars of the hit downtown NYC show Bar d'O, which was all the rage in the 1990's. The show was a place where the misfits and queers came together to meet in a small bar in Manhattan and hear their idols sing. Arais, Vine & O. It was an amazing week in the spring of 1998, when Joey Arias, Sherry Vine and Raven O came to Philadelphia and performed several shows, produced by the reckless young provocateur MoonFire Tower. Tower had a reputation for being a trouble maker club kid, with a sly wit and sound determination. He was secretly in love with Joey Arias. MoonFire Tower booked the stars of the hottest downtown show Bar d'O for dates in Philadelphia town, which were a hit, and simultaniously booked a studio in Fairmount to record this record. Soon after this recording, the studio moved, and the recording was lost for many years, over a decade actually. It is many years after that, and finally the entire surving project is being released, on the eve of the 25th anniversary of Bar d'O. Have a great show ladies! We know you will be amazing, the best there ever was! This is slice of downtown NYC history. Enjoy!