Thursday, January 31, 2013

Jeri Brown CD Recording at Catalina Bar and Grill Feb. 12th

Jeri Brown
CD Recording
at Catalina Bar and Grill
Tues., Feb. 12th
One Show 8:30 pm
$ 15 cover charge
plus a two drink/food minimum
Doors open at 7:00 pm

Catalina Bar and Grill
6725 Sunset Boulevard 
Los Angeles, CA 90028
(323) 466-2210

featuring
Jeri Brown – vocals
Clayton Cameron-drums
Trevor Ware-elec. & acoustic bass
Woody Woods-piano & keyboards
And Special Guest Mon David-vocals & guitar

"Mercy Rain" is the newest recording album release for label Jongleur Productions to be released in late spring of this year.

Read more about the concert at Jeribrown.com


Jeri Brown is a Canadian-based jazz singer-songwriter and bandleader originally from St. Louis, Missouri. She launched a solo career in 1989 with her premiere CD “Mirage” of 1990 featuring jazz pianist Fred Hersch.  Consistently performing internationally, Jeri Brown has performed at some of the most prestigious festivals and events that include The Kennedy Center, Montreal Jazz Festival, La Villette Jazz Festival, La Vienne Jazz Festival, Montreux Jazz Festival, San Sebastian Jazz Festival, Akbank Jazz Festival, Ottawa Jazz Festival, Atlantic Jazz Festival, Vancouver Jazz Festival, and Toronto Jazz Festival.

Jeri also teaches, mentors and coaches at Montreal’s Concordia University and Jongleur Vocal Arts Performance School.

Even though Jeri Brown recently said she would be stepping away from the spotlight in the new year, she’ll still be on the radar.  Jeri has enjoyed an illustrious career as an award winning jazz vocalist with eleven c.d.s to her credit for Justin Time Records and her own label, Jongleur Productions. A devoted educator, Ms. Brown has coached and encouraged performers for over 30 years. As a way to thank her loyal followers for their support through the years, Brown will be releasing her very first live album in the beginning of 2013. The jazz avant-garde vocal diva will be recording the new CD during her upcoming show at Catalina Bar & Grill in Los Angeles on Feb. 12. The concert is a part of the Storytelling winter leg of Jeri’s First Ladies of Jazz tour.

To include her fans in the adventure, Brown is asking that they share with her the moment that her music first grabbed their attention in a new ‘captured’ essay contest. Fans are being asked to submit a 50 word max. essay of what Jeri’s music means to them — and why. The essays must be submitted by Feb. 11 (11.59 p.m. Pacific time) through the singer’s official website at www.jeribrown.com. Simply go to the ‘Connect’ page to submit your message.  Enter “Catalina”  as Subject. Brown will announce her Top five (5) personal favorite essays on Feb. 12 during a break in the live recorded performance at Catalina’s. >The winner will walk away with two ticket reimbursements to the live album recording, which includes a meet and greet with Jeri Brown, plus a VIP package


“Mercy Rain” will be distributed digitally by Jongleur Productions.             


Watch Jeri Brown Perform HERE














The play of rain of love and reign of love…the door is open….

MERCY RAIN

With a swoop of delight returns this starlet to the international performance stage. In her First Ladies of Jazz series, Jeri Brown presents a glorious blend of contemporary and pop gems. Jeri’s live performance at Catalina Bar & Grill in Los Angeles, features a crack band with Clayton Cameron on drums, Trevor Ware on electric and acoustic bass, and Woody Woods on piano and keyboards along with the extraordinary featured vocalist – Mon David. The title cut – Mercy Rain – focuses on the spirit. “It’s about meeting God or what one imagines pure truth to be. There is a reference to mercy falling like rain in Shakespeare: the quality of mercy is not strained…(from The Merchant of Venice)." There is also a strong reference to the composer’s childhood on the prairie in Alberta. “Feeling the heat build in high summer, and then one afternoon, everything changes, the clouds gather and the heavens open. I think we hunger for real love, real unity. The Sufis say die before you die, find the truth while you are alive if you can, strive to find it not without you but within your heart. So the call is from the heart.” There’s also the play of rain of love and reign of love – the door is open….”  Jeri Brown 
 

Upcoming Concerts:
  • FEBRUARY 12, 2013:  Jeri Brown Live Recording Concert with special guest Mon David, Catalina Bar & Grill, Los Angeles, California
  • February 14, 2013 : Jeri Brown Concert, The Merc, Temecula, California
  • February 15, 2013 : Jeri Brown Club Date, Savanna Jazz, San Francisco, California
  • February 16, 2013 : Jeri Brown Club Date, Savanna Jazz, San Francisco, California
  • March 3, 2013: Jeri Brown Concert, California African American Museum, Los Angeles, California


Jeri Brown: www.jeribrown.com
Meet Jeri Brown on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Jeri-Brown/193847116961
Collin Artists: http://www.collinartists.com/
JONGLEUR PRODUCTIONS Distribution Ltd.: http://jeribrown.com/shop.cfm



Jim Eigo Jazz Promo Services T: 845-986-1677
E-Mail: jim@jazzpromoservices.com
http://www.jazzpromoservices.com/

Ben Holmes Quartet - Anvil of the Lord (Skirl Records 2012)


Musicians
Ben Holmes: trumpet
Curtis Hasselbring: trombone
Matt Pavolka: bass
Vinnie Sperrazza: drums

Tracks
01 - Doodle for Rhapsody
02 - Magic Mondays
03 - Moved Like a Ghost
04 - Kingston
05 - Otesánek
06 - Anvil of the Lord
07 - Malach Hamovis
08 - Song for Creel Thompson
09 - Nada vs. Armitage


http://www.skirlrecords.com/releases.html
http://www.ben-holmes.com

Vlaicu Golcea - Noire de Bucuresti (2013)


Rudy Teianu – voice
full album download: www.vlaicugolcea.ro/noire-de-bucuresti/
Produced by Vlaicu Golcea – 2013
All rights reserved. Only for listening or broadcasting. ©2013 Vlaicu Golcea

L’Orchestre de Contrebasses – Are You Sexperienced (2012)


A NEW TYPE OF CONTEMPORARY MUSIC
"Between institutional approaches to contemporary music and jazz, these musicians and composers have chosen to create a very personal type of music: these prize-winning virtuosi have launched themselves into a new musical dimension created in the image of their multiple inspirations, ranging from soul music and jazz to the latino spirit.
Bowing techniques are rendered even more dynamic, jostled by the rhythms, haunted by the melodies and liberated in their improvisations. The absence of routines, the mastery of the vibrato and the use of the resonant wealth of the instrument confer an original identity on the group." - L’Orchestre de Contrebasses

Wednesday, January 30, 2013

Orpheus Performs with Jazz Legend Wayne Shorter at Carnegie Hall on February 1, 8 p.m.


Orpheus Performs with Jazz Legend
Wayne Shorter at Carnegie Hall on
February 1, 8 p.m.

The Wayne Shorter Quartet
featuring Brian Blade, John Patitucci, and Danilo Pérez

BEETHOVEN: Overture: Creatures of Prometheus
IVES: Symphony No. 3, The Camp Meeting
SHORTER: Pegasus
SHORTER: The Three Marias
SHORTER: Prometheus Unbound

For the full Orpheus season, click here.
Since its founding in 1972, Orpheus Chamber Orchestra has sought to challenge itself by collaborating with some of the most innovative minds in music. Proving that ensemble techniques are centered around constant listening and learning rather than rigid genre constraints, Orpheus has not shyed away from performing with artists from other musical worlds, such as Ravi Shankar, Chris Thile, Brad Mehldau, and now jazz living legend, Wayne Shorter. Continuing their landmark 40th season, Orpheus will appear at Carnegie Hall on February 1, 2013 with Wayne Shorter and his quartet. Together they will explore the intersections and convergences of classical and jazz music by playing several compositions by Shorter arranged for orchestra. Beethoven's Overture to The Creatures of Prometheus and Ives's Symphony No. 3, The Camp Meeting complete the evening's program.

Beethoven composed The Creatures of Prometheus in 1801, just as he was coming to accept his gradual loss of hearing. Little is known about the ballet performed at the Imperial Theatre in Vienna for which the piece was written, but Beethoven's charming overture has become one of the most beloved in the repertoire. Ives's Symphony No. 3, The Camp Meeting-like much of the composer's work-draws inspiration from church music and popular hymns that Ives knew as a child in Connecticut. Filled with complex harmonies and meters, the symphony received its premiere more than 40 years after its composition with the help of composer and Ives devotee Lou Harrison. The piece would go on to win the Pulitzer Prize for Music.

Wayne Shorter, who turns 80 this year, marked a musical milestone in 2007 by joining the Los Angeles Philharmonic and other world-class orchestras to unveil his new symphonic repertoire including striking reworkings of earlier compositions and newly composed material. Since then, Shorter has worked extensively in classical music. The rich harmonic palette and the interaction between orchestra and soloists make the music compelling and interesting to audiences as well as energizing for orchestral musicians. Orpheus will function as a leading voice in the dialogue and interplay with improvisations by Shorter and his quartet.

The Wayne Shorter Quartet is comprised of Wayne Shorter, Brian Blade, John Patitucci, and Danilo Pérez. Drummer Brian Blade has worked with artists such as Joshua Redman, Kenny Garrett, Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, and Bill Frisell. He has also released three solo albums. John Patitucci is a two-time Grammy-winning jazz double bass and jazz fusion electric bass player. His first solo recording reached No. 1 on the Billboard Jazz charts, and he is currently Professor of Jazz Studies at City College of New York. Born in Panama in 1965, pianist Pérez has
influenced contemporary music through his distinctive Pan-American jazz. He currently directs the Berklee Global Jazz Institute at Berklee College of Music; serves as the President of the Danilo Pérez Foundation, which provides outreach music programs to children living in extreme poverty in Panama; and was recently named a UNESCO Artist for Peace.
* * *

A self-governing organization, the Grammy Award-winning Orpheus Chamber Orchestra was founded in 1972 by a group of fellow musicians who aspired to perform diverse orchestral repertoire using chamber-music ensemble techniques. Today, Orpheus continues to uphold this philosophy, performing without a conductor and rotating musical leadership roles for each work. Striving to empower its musicians by integrating them into virtually every facet of the organization, Orpheus is changing the way the world thinks about musicians, conductors, and orchestras. The musical results of this method are extraordinary: The Chicago Tribune cheers, "Orpheus Chamber Orchestra shattered the mold, becoming in the process one of the more memorable events in this festival's 13-year history." And The New York Times raves, "Orpheus, whose string players perform with the physical verve of members of a string quartet, produced a convincingly full-blooded sound." The Los Angeles Times agrees: "A virtuosic whole...they’re fast. They’re together. They’re aggressive. They can be electrifying."

One of the most influential saxophonists and composers in the pantheon of modern music, let alone jazz, Wayne Shorter will celebrate his 80th terrestrial year in 2013. Tom Moon of NPR has noted, "At a time when most musicians are content to collect the lifetime-achievement awards and honorary degrees, Shorter is creating not just some of the most intense music of his career but some of the most intense improvised music available." Shorter has been regarded as a pioneer since his emergence in the 1950s. His trajectory has restlessly embodied continual exploration and unencumbered momentum. Shorter recently re-signed with Blue Note Records, and will release his first album as a leader for the iconic label in 43 years with the February 5, 2013 release of Without A Net, a searing new album with his long-running quartet featuring pianist Danilo Pérez, bassist John Patitucci, and drummer Brian Blade. Reviews of Shorter's recent live performances are exercises in superlative overload. Calling it "the most skillful, mutually attuned and fearlessly adventurous small jazz group on the planet," The Guardian (UK) said that the quartet “celebrates humanity’s hope for harmony.” An entire generation of musicians and fans alike see and hear him as a humble master who has created a timeless vocabulary – as vital as it is unbound.
* * *

To request review tickets to the February 1 concert, please contact:
Amanda Ameer
First Chair Promotion
e: amanda@firstchairpromo.com
ph: 212.368.5949



Jim Eigo Jazz Promo Services T: 845-986-1677 E-Mail: jim@jazzpromoservices.com
http://www.jazzpromoservices.com/

Jazz Legends MICHAEL WOLFF and MIKE CLARK To Release 'WOLFF & CLARK EXPEDITION' Debut CD

 New York, NY – When two of the best musicians on the planet decide to combine their estimable talents to create a band without boundaries, the result is the WOLFF & CLARK EXPEDITION. Dizzy Gillespie famously said that jazz must have “one foot in the past and one in the future.” With the Wolff & Clark Expedition, the music embraces the past, ventures into the future, but remains rooted in the improvisatory present. After several high profile performances in 2012, jazz legends Michael Wolff and Mike Clark, the Wolff & Clark Expedition, are preparing to release their self-titled debut album in February 2013. Performing with creative bassist Chip Jackson, the Expedition's initial outing aims for uncharted, compelling musical territories while still entertaining a wide audience of astute listeners.

From The Beatles to Zawinul, Wolff & Clark navigate a disparate set of beguiling material. They commune with "Come Together," determine "What Is This Thing Called Love," before showing no "Mercy, Mercy, Mercy." Wolff's beautiful composition in 7/4, "ARP," precedes a burning "Flat Out," rout. By the time Horace Silver's "Song For My Father" is proffered, listeners will realize this is not their fathers' jazz trio. This is something very new, quite different...This is exciting, sublime but accessible music.

The sizzling "Is There A Jackson...?" leads to Wolff's soulful intro to Brother Nat's "Hummin'." After church, the trio tears up Gamble and Huff's "For The Love Of Money" before winding down with the gorgeous ballad "Elise," Michael's homage to his late Mom.

Expedition: A journey undertaken by a group of people with a definite objective; or the group undertaking such a journey. So it is with the fearless, tuneful negotiations of the Wolff and Clark Expedition. Although the name may recall other explorers from another era, Wolff and Clark are thoroughly modern: They blaze musical trails, fresh and fertile, with sounds not previously heard.

Says Wolff & Clark, “We have been playing together for  many years – We share the same vision, energy and excitement for jazz music, for improvisation. The musical goal of The Expedition is to utilize well-known tunes in addition to intriguing originals and to deconstruct them, then reconstruct them as vehicles for self-expression. We believe it is time to bring modern sensibilities and styles of playing (and writing) to music that comes from the Blues and the roots of Jazz to create fresh rhythmic and harmonic/melodic adventures.”

“The Wolff & Clark Expedition is what happens when great musicians come together and mean business, but sound like they're having fun doing it!” - Vinnie Colaiuta

Performing together since the 1970's, both Wolff and Clark have each had stellar music careers. Michael Wolff is an internationally acclaimed pianist, composer and bandleader, and is best known for his melodically fresh and rhythmically compelling piano style. Wolff made his recording debut in 1972 with Cal Tjader, and went on to record with Cannonball Adderley, Nancy Wilson, Sonny Rollins, Tony Williams, Christian McBride and many others. As pianist and music director for jazz singer Nancy Wilson, Michael wrote orchestral arrangements and conducted more than twenty-five major symphony orchestras worldwide. From 1989 to 1994, Michael served as the bandleader for the Aresenio Hall Show, which heightened his visibility and gave him the opportunity to perform with many established artists such as Ray Charles, Phil Collins, Whitney Houston, Patti LaBelle, Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock and saxophonist/President Bill Clinton. Michael Wolff has released twelve critically acclaimed solo albums as a leader, 'Joe's Strut' being the most recent. He was a recipient of the BMI Music Award for television composition and was also the winner of the Gold Disk Award in Japan for piano. On Feb 23, 2012 Michael performed a solo piano concert at the University of Toledo, in Toledo, Ohio, as part of their Art Tatum solo piano concert.

Drummer Mike Clark is a true percussion legend - Mike Clark gained worldwide recognition as one of America’s foremost jazz and funk players while touring and recording with Herbie Hancock’s group in the early 1970’s. Mike became known as a major innovator through his incisive playing on Hancock’s 'Thrust' album, which garnered him an international cult following. While often referred to as the “Tony Williams of funk,” Mike, a JAZZ musician, has, in fact, become one of the most vital to ever sit behind a set. He has performed with jazz greats Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Tony Bennett, Bobby Hutcherson, Christian McBride, Joe Henderson, Woody Shaw, Wallace Roney, Donald Harrison, Nicholas Payton, Fred Wesley, Vince Guaraldi, Chet Baker, Larry Coryell, Eddie Henderson, Geri Allen, Billy Childs, Chris Potter, Bobby McFerrin, Al Jarreau, Dave Liebman, Oscar Brown Jr., Lenny White (Mike has a two-drummer band with Lenny called "New Brew"), Mose Allison, Gil Evans and his Orchestra and many more luminaries. Mike is currently finishing his forthcoming solo CD 'Indigo Blue', which features Randy Brecker, Christian McBride, Donald Harrison, Rob Dixon and Antonio Farao.

Says Wolff & Clark, “Together, we have years of combined experience playing with many of the greatest jazz artists of all time, so we share an innate understanding as to how to play at a consistently very high level, with a mutual feel for improvised music. Since we both spent time in the Bay Area, and since we've been friends and band mates for many years, The Expedition is a natural result of our shared, cumulative experiences.”

“It's a joy to hear musicians with so much experience approach the music with such great passion.” - Fred Hersch

Together they bring a combination of swing and groove to a unique deconstructive take on classic jazz, popular standards, and original compositions that creates a freedom in the sound to electrify listeners and audiences worldwide. With their collective vast experience, Wolff and Clark can play with anyone, anywhere, always defying boundaries of genre, mingling and mixing with a kaleidoscope of changing players, keeping the music interesting and dynamic. As such, they are excited to present their VIP (Very Impressive Players) List: Dependent upon the gig, they invite one or several musicians from a roster of colleagues to join them - Jeff Berlin, Larry Coryell, Steve Wilson, James Genus, Christian McBride, Donald Harrison, Randy Brecker, Wallace Roney, Tom Harrell, Alex Foster, Lenny Pickett, Seamus Blake and others constitute explorers willing to join the Expedition's adventures.

Wolff & Clark states, “We strive to take all listeners on unparalleled musical journeys, to unexplored sonic realms. W&C adheres to past musical traditions while pushing the envelope further into the future. We hope to bring great improvised music to as many intrepid listeners as possible; we know that Jazz can be highly entertaining! So hold on tight and join the Expedition...!”

On this expedition, the possibilities are limitless.

The WOLFF & CLARK EXPEDITION Release February 19, 2013
Random Act Records, USA

The Wolff & Clark Expedition CD can be purchased at Amazon.com, iTunes, and at most music stores.

For more information:
Random Act Records: www.randomactrecords.com
Michael Wolff: www.michaelwolff.com/
Mike Clark: www.mikeclarkmusic.com/
Wolff & Clark Expedition Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/pages/Wolff-Clark-Expedition/256266051109019

Press inquiries: Glass Onyon PR, PH: 828-350-8158glassonyonpr@gmail.com

website: www.randomactrecords.com
Label: Random Act Records

BOOK: Tribute/Tributo/Hommage OSCAR ALEMÁN. The swing jazz guitar master



More than 240 pages, more than 150 amazing pictures, full discography and filmography.
Hardcover. This is a limited edition book!

El talento y la trayectoria de Oscar Alemán merecían una obra donde se plasmara la trascendencia que tuvo como jazzman en su paso por Europa y en Argentina.

"Tributo a Oscar Alemán es el primer libro sobre la vida y la obra artística de este músico, ilustrado con gran cantidad de fotos inéditas"

Este trabajo es el resultado de años de investigación y de pasión por el jazz. Muestra todas las etapas de la vida de Alemán: su dura infancia en el Chaco, Buenos Aires y Brasil; su primer trabajo como profesional en el dúo Les Loups, junto a Gastón Bueno Lobo; su estadía en Europa, tocando solo, con diversas bandas e incluso arreglando y dirigiendo la orquesta de Josephine Baker. Su retorno a Argentina, donde fue el rey de la noche porteña durante largo tiempo. El ocaso de los años sesenta, en los que el nuevo rock & roll lo dejó fuera de batalla. Y, finalmente, su triunfal regreso y reconocimiento en la década del setenta.

La obra se completa con su discografía, jam sessions y su filmografía, y está ilustrada con fotos inéditas provenientes del archivo Haynes (cuyo material sobre Oscar Alemán fue adquirido por los autores), del archivo personal de Carmen Vallejos (esposa de Oscar durante mas de diez años) y su familia y de otras fuentes.

Autores:
Guillermo José Iacona
Estanislao María Iacona
José Alberto Iacona
http://www.tributoaoscaraleman.com.ar

Jazz Recording Artist, Nicolas Bearde, Releases "Spirited" 4th Album, "Visions," on the Right Groove Record Imprint - Just in Time for Valentine Concert



Visions reflects the continuing journey of jazz vocalist, actor and educator Nicolas Bearde. This enticing collection of originals and jazz standards covers a wide range of material and speaks volumes about Bearde's diverse musical influences.

One of today's premier male jazz vocalists, Nicolas Bearde returns to the studio for his fourth album release, Visions. Produced by long-time collaborator, grammy musical director, and songwriting partner Larry Batiste, Nicolas hits the jazz trail with this largely up tempo offering of jazz classics, sweetened with a touch of late night R&B.
Visions features a large and varied roster of all-star musicians, including renowned bassist Alphonso Johnson (Weather Report), pianist David Garfield (George Benson), drummer Will Kennedy (Yellowjackets) and sax man Gary Meek (Airto). Along with Jon Lucien’s samba gem “You’re Sensational”, produced by bass legend Alphonso Johnson and popular jazz standards such as Errol Garner’s classic “Misty”, given a hip shaking swing infusion here with David K. Mathews’ (Etta James, Santana) gritty and growling B3 accompaniment, Nicolas gets his groove on with a funky, horn-driven arrangement of Gene McDaniels’ legendary composition, “Compared to What”. Bringing different shadings to his work, Nicolas tests the waters in new approaches to the jazz music that has intrigued and inspired him since he first fell under the spell of jazz greats like Miles Davis and John Coltrane. The Doug Carn straight ahead arrangement of Maurice and Verdine White’s inspirational piece “Mighty, Mighty” simply smokes with Marcus Shelby’s churning bass line, drummer Deszon Claiborne’s rapid-fire stick work and Glen Pearson’s fiery piano. The set is topped off with the title track, Stevie Wonders plaintive plea for understanding “Visions”, featuring the elegant guitar stylings of Bay Area staple, John Hoy.
Release Date: February 5, 2013
1. Falling in Love Again 4:16
2. You’re Sensational 4:31
3. Misty 4:58
4. Everything must change 5:11
5. The Best Things in Life are Free 2:14
6. (and) It all goes 'Round and ‘Round 5:34
7. If you were Mine 4:22
8. Never Let me Go 4:32
9. Mighty, Mighty 5:23
10. You Better Go 3:25
11. Compared to What 5:07
12. Visions 5:26
Valentine's Day Concert
Thursday, February 14th, 2013 - 8pm ( doors open at 645p )
The Uptown Body and Fender in Oakland's thriving Arts and Entertainment District
401 -26th St, Oakland, CA 94610
Tickets: $25 in advance - http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/279569
Tour dates are planned for the East Coast, Europe, Croatia and Russia beginning June 2013, and radio play has already begun in Germany, the UK, Switzerland, Australia and Canada, as well as in many parts of the US -http://smoothjazz.com/jazzblast/GreenStream/nicolas_bearde.htm
Visions will be available at iTunes, Amazon.com and at all major digital download sites on February 5th, 2013. Nicolas Bearde’s entire catalog, can also be found at major retailers throughout North America distributed by City Hall Records and in the UK distributed by Expansion Records.
For more information, promo requests or to set up an interview, please contact:
Darlene Miller
darlene(at)nicolasbearde(dot)com
510-547-8400

The Wayne Shorter Quartet - Without a Net (AbstractLogix 2013)


Wayne Shorter (sax); Danilo Perez (piano); John Patitucci (bass); Brian Blade (drums)
The legendary jazz saxophonist and composer Wayne Shorter will make his triumphant return to Blue Note Records after 43 years with the February 5, 2013 release of Without A Net, his searing new album with his long-running Quartet featuring pianist Danilo Perez, bassist John Patitucci, and drummer Brian Blade.
Shorter—who will be entering his 80th year in 2013—first recorded for Blue Note in 1959 as the precocious 26-year-old tenor saxophonist (and prolific composer) in Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers, which brought him to the attention of label founder Alfred Lion who eventually signed him to his own recording deal. Shorter went on to make a spectacular run of classic albums for Blue Note between 1964-1970 including Night Dreamer, Juju, Speak No Evil, Adam’s Apple, Schizophrenia, and Super Nova during a period of time that also paralleled Shorter’s years with Miles Davis, first as a member of the trumpeter’s trailblazing quintet, and later as a part of Davis’ early fusion masterpieces.
Without A Net is a 9-track musical thrill ride that consists of live recordings from the Wayne Shorter Quartet’s European tour in late 2011, the one exception being the 23-minute tone poem “Pegasus” which features the quartet with The Imani Winds recorded at Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles. The album features six new Shorter compositions, as well as new versions of his tunes “Orbits” (from Miles Davis’ Miles Smiles album) and “Plaza Real” (from the Weather Report album Procession). The quartet also reinvents the title song from the 1933 musical film Flying Down To Rio, which film buffs (such as Shorter) know as the first on-screen pairing of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers.
AbstractLogix

Tuesday, January 29, 2013

JazzWorldQuest Featured Musicians

JazzWorldQuest Featured Musicians

USA, NYC: The Music of Now Marathon Saturday, Feb. 2 4pm - midnight


logo
ComposersNow_ecard

The Music of Now Marathon

Saturday, Feb. 2

4pm - midnight

Kicking off the fourth annual citywideComposers Now Festival (under the leadership of composer Tania León) is Symphony Space’s genre-busting music marathon Music of Now, curated by composer and Symphony Space Artistic Director Laura Kaminsky.
4-6pm:
Composers: Libby Larsen, Octavio Vazquez, Susan Botti, Anna Weesner, Errollyn Wallen, Jakov Jakoulov
Perfomers: Cassatt Quartet, Poulenc Trio, Ensemble Pi, Errollyn Wallen
6-8pm:
Composers: Angélica Negrón, Bernard Rands, Yosvany Terry, Martha Mooke
Performers: Angélica Negrón, Nuiko Wadden, Shayna Dunkelman, Ursula Oppens, Yosvany Terry and his Bohemian Trio, Martha Mooke
8-10pm:
Composers: Mimi Stillman, Polina Nazaykinskaya, Jessie Montgomery, Jane Ira Bloom, Huck Hodge
Performers: Nouveau Classical Project, Mimi Stillman, PUBLIQuartet, Jane Ira Bloom with Dean Johnson and Bobby Previte
10pm-midnight:
Composers: Fang Man, Shirish Korde, Adam O’Farrill
Performers: Mimi Stillman, Deepti Navaratna, Jan Müller-Szeraws, Amit Kavthekar, Jonathan Hess, The O’Farrill Brothers Band

$20 General Admission; 30 and under ( with I.D.) $15

Learn More / Buy Tickets
See more events in the Composers Now schedule
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World Renowned Violinist Daniel Weltlinger's seminal Jewish-Jazz project Zohar’s Nigun "The Four Questions"

World Renowned Violinist Daniel Weltlinger's Seminal Jewish-Jazz Project Zohar’s Nigun
"The Four Questions"  (Rectify Records # 1)
Featuring
Daniel Weltlinger (violin) Daniel Pliner (piano) Simon Milman (double bass) Alon Ilsar (drums)





TO REQUEST A PROMO FOR REVIEW CONTACT:
Jim Eigo Jazz Promo Services
Ph: 845-986-1677 /
jim@jazzpromoservices.com
World renowned violinist Daniel Weltlinger's seminal Jewish-Jazz project exploring the complicated issue of individual human identity within the context of an intensely globalised yet fractured 21st century reality.
 
Zohar's Nigun is a very deep musical concept to do with identity, the fact that whatever ethnic and national background you are from in our hugely globalised world today is what it is and that no-one has a right to hold a grudge against you for it or put a box around what your own identity is.

Answers to Michael Smith's interview in the column of the 'Blow' section of Drum Media (Australia):

Q: You describe Zohar’s Nigun as exploring the complex concept of identity in the 21st century using the analogy of four musicians with Jewish heritage living in Australia. What prompted you to pursue this intriguing idea through the vehicle of music?

A: My idea for Zohar's Nigun came about as a kind of backlash against cliched interpretations of what it 'is' to be Jewish - or of any nationality or culture for that matter. One's identity is of course an entirely individual thing and depends on so many varying factors such as family background/upbringing, country of birth, city/area of residence etc. The name of the band translates as a 'song from deep within' and the album title 'the four questions' is about the four musicians who make up the band and the question of what it means to belong to a Jewish heritage which in itself is an analogy for all people and their respective family and national backgrounds. The music of the band explores these feelings and concepts mixing very old (and not so old) traditional Jewish songs, contemporary Jazz and most importantly original compositions by the four band members.

Q: The context within which you place these four musicians is of course Australia. How does the weight of the Indigenous heritage, overlain by the country’s contemporary increasingly diverse multiculturalism, impact on the traditional music of the Jewish diaspora?

A: I think the Indigenous heritage we have all around us is a huge and generally often overlooked subject matter in our mainstream culture. It really doesn't matter which nationality, religion or culture you are from. Our very being in this country means that we are influenced even at the depths of our subconscious by the Australian Aboriginal peoples (who have been here longer than any recorded history..) and this impacts musically on all of us whether we like to admit it or not. It is a huge irony being born on a land that has had a continued Indigenous presence for thousands upon thousands of years while the religion I belong to - Judaism - has only been around for four and a half thousand years (hmmm let me see Christianity 2000 years or so, Islam 1400 years or so...) The traditional music of the Jewish diaspora (as with many people's traditional diaspora music throughout the ages) is naturally influenced by it's surroundings. That we live in a hugely multicultural country with an Indigenous heritage spanning some 50-60,000 years makes the music of the band - traditional and not so traditional - all the more richer, deep-meaning and beautiful.

Tracks:

Yerushalayim (based on the Naomi Shemer song Yerushalayim Shel Zahav - Jerusalem of Gold)

This first track is deliberately tense sounding and unresolved. This song was composed by Naomi Shemer after the 6 day war at a particularly nationalistic time in Israel's history and I played around with the harmonisation of the song by taking certain phrases and sections of the song and taking ages to resolve to the next chord. The track has a sad waltz feel - like being totally lost in the world -and this is symbolic of the endless strife in the middle east, being in the/a diaspora, the contested issue of Jerusalem, the importance of Jerusalem in Jewish tradition for thousands of years - basically many unresolved conflicting feelings. The fact of the matter is that even though many of us live in the secular world and are far removed from Israel and the continuing conflict all Jews are meant to face the direction of Jerusalem when they pray, Jerusalem is mentioned many many times in the Tanach and it is actually a centre piece of Jewish culture. We say 'Next Year in Jerusalem' every year at Passover which I always feel is such a strange phrase but we nethertheless traditionally say it. It is such a convoluted concept and it is so old and so fragile this concept of the Jewish home land, Jerusalem, etc and it is so sad the situation in the middle east and how much it seems to continue to spiral and how all Jews from way back pretty much all come from this land but are conflicted by varying feelings and opinions on the political situation and their own place in the whole story of the Jewish people.

Kohanim/Aveinu Malkeinu

These are 2 songs that are according to a number of rabbinical sources from the time of the temple so are some 2500-3500 years old. The Kohanim song only gets recited a small number of times a year during holiday festivals such as Passover, Sukkot, Yom Kippur, Rosh Hashana etc but it has always struck me as one of the strangest sounding of prayers. The Kohanim get up, we all wrap our prayer shawls around ourselves to cover our eyes and they chant this strange melody that to my ears has always SOUNDED old. I played with the concept of communication within the band so the violin plays at being the Kohen and the rest of the band chimes in like the congregation of the synagogue. From this song Dan Pliner does an incredibly beautiful Bill Evans style introduction into the much older version of the popular song Aveinu Malkeinu which is a song for forgiveness. In this context, using the violin as an analogy of the personally I ask for forgiveness to the heavens above for my transgressions, for our people, for all people, for the damage being done to our world by greed and corruption, for the destruction of so much beauty in the name of human development and the destruction of the natural order..

Hallel

In response to such dark feelings within the context of forgiveness Aveinu Malkeinu is followed by Hallel - songs of praise to the heavens above and a reflex of positivity and pure optimism in the face and of and despite of so much wrong doing in the world by mankind. The song is self explanatory and the two tunes within the Hallel medley are Odcha and Malecha Hayam which are old traditional songs that we spice up in a more Jazzy contemporary way and have a lot of fun with.

Ma Nishtana

This song sums up the concept of Zohar's Nigun and is in a way also about the origin of the Jewish people. The album title is based on the translation of Ma Nishtana from the Passover seder meal which translates as 'The Four Questions.' In Zohar's Nigun we are four musicians with a Jewish background and this background is an entirely personal thing that can't be neatly summed up or explained. All four of us - like all human beings of any background - have our own interpretations, conflicts, associations with this aspect of our identity. There is also the fact that we are all Australian or have been living in Australia for a long time, which countries our respective families are from, etc which further complicates this notion of identity. The Four Questions are the four musicians in the band and describes how being of Jewish background raises more questions than it does answers. The song starts off simply enough with call and response exactly as happens at the Passover Seder meal and each band member has a turn to take the main melody but as the song progresses it becomes more rowdy and crazy symbolising the seder table getting more drunk, the crazy history of all our families, the crazy irony of being Australians combined with our Jewish heritage etc, what is it to 'be' etc....

Hinei Ma Tov U Ma Naim Shevet Achim Gam Yachad (How good and pleasant it is as brothers to sit together)

If ever there was a traditional Jewish song that sums up so much what could be done to rectify inter communal strife it is this song. The notion to sit (not stand above but to be on the same eye level and sit which is a mark of humility) as brothers together (which is of course an analogy for all human beings) means we are all one. No one human being is better than the other, we are all the same. And how beautiful it is when we can sit together - yachad - not separate. This is for me a really deep concept and it hurts me very much because it is such a simple and kind concept that a lot of people don't cherish. The song goes through all the keys deliberately and this is a an analogy for all human beings being connected, for the stars begin aligned and connected, for music and harmony and sound and time and space being connected and for a simple yearning for mankind to realise that everything is connected and that we are all passing dust in space and time.

Interlude

This is a short half a minute 'scream' from the band, sounding almost like static gone crazy from a radio symbolising the passing of time through the ages and the transition from the previous traditional Jewish songs - Yerushalayim She Zahav to Kohanim/Aveunu Malkeinu to Hallel to Ma Nishtana to Hinei Ma Tov U Ma Naim - to a sequence of four original compositions by the respective four band members.

Ahava Raba

This is my composition. I guess I am the guy with the craziest of backgrounds - French-Hungarian-Israeli having grown up hearing five languages spoken between my parents although was never taught these languages. The title translates as 'Much Love' and is based on the ancient Ahava Raba scale commonly found in European Jewish music. It is a waltz and is a delicate, fragile piece based on my own traditional leanings and the melodies of the synagogues that I have grown up with all my life. It is also a subtle tribute to my late father and the feelings he imbued in me of tolerance towards others and openness of heart.

Galaktoboureko

This is bassist Simon Milman's composition. Simon is a great bass player and was born in Argentina to Argentinian-Russian parents but grew up in Australia. Particularly importantly concerning the concept of Zohar's it is his Dad who is Jewish and Simon has really nothing at all to do with this aspect of his heritage - which is the whole point. Simon's understanding of having Jewish background is entirely different and separate to my understanding - or Daniel Pliner's or Alon Ilsar's - of having this heritage. Simon does have a connection to this heritage in his music perhaps, or his facial features or..something deep down, sub conscious, lurking around. Simon's composition is very lively, is in 7 and alludes to the time that Simon lived in Marrickville (which is where I live these days) and how many of the old Greek ladies from the neighbourhood used to mistake him for being Greek and speak to him in Greek hence the title which refers to a delicacy you can find in many of the great food shops around this area.

The Wanderer

This is pianist Dan Pliner's composition. Dan is one of my favourite musicians (and people) to play with, we have been playing together for 15 years and he has a very large part in putting together Zohar's Nigun. His family is South African born although Dan is born in Australia, and his parents in fact financed much of the recording after hearing us play some years ago. We have been writing music together for a very long time. Like me, Dan is from a traditional family and is a fatalistic, slightly kabbalistic character although he is not as religious leaning as me. This is a typically beautiful composition from Dan and even though the title was an afterthought it brilliantly captures this feeling of being a 'wanderer' - which you can look at as being the Jewish experience, the Australian experience, the musician experience, etc.

Enio's Wedding Dance

Finally we have Alon Ilsar's composition which he has in typical round about Jewish fashion named originally after a different composer - A Moller. This composition comes from Alon's band 'The Colours' which was a tribute band to a band that never in fact existed.. (!!) Alon was born in Israel to a typical secular we don;t like religion very much Israeli family but grew up in Australia and his father is a lecturer in Kabbalistic numerology at Sydney University which might explain things a bit. This composition is a lively middle eastern sounding romp that descends into free jazz madness before ending in a joyful hora - is a lot of fun both to listen to and play and is a great ending to the little journey that is this CD.

Shema

This is the little afterthought track and was for a long while on my mind to include. I recorded this track some time after the initial recordings of the band at 301. It is a field recording which took place at Echo Point in the Blue Mountains late in the evening shortly after a storm when there was no one around. There was a big thick fog around the 3 sisters and I sang to myself Shema which is one of the very oldest of Hebrew prayers. It translates as 'Hear O Israel, the Lord is everywhere, the Lord is one'. My point is not necessarily a religious one but rather a cultural and an ironic point. This prayer has been sung without a doubt through the ages by generations upon generations upon generations of the Jewish people to which all four band members's families belong to. It is a prayer with a subtle underlying cry for peace in the world and I deliberately recorded it in a place of religious significance to the Indigenous people for it is an irony being on this land that has been habited for so many thousands of years by these people. We are on their land - even if it not our fault - and this must always be acknowledged with respect, even if in the most subtle of ways. It seemed fitting to conclude the first Zohar's Nigun CD with one of the oldest of the Jewish people's prayers sung at a place of incalculable age that was habited by a people with an incalculable history.

Website description:

Jazz is a music that can blend in with just about any culture, any country or nation or any people’s traditional music – a truly democratic multilingual art form. ‘Zohar’s Nigun’ (literally a song from the depths of one’s soul) is about the reality that is one’s family origins no matter where in the world one is based.

Using the analogy of four Jewish musicians living in multicultural Australia – a land populated some 40,000 years or more by Aboriginal people – the conceptual point of the band is that every human being has a family heritage that they belong to, and what’s more in our time of mass globalisation belong to in many cases outside of the country that they are living in. No one can choose where their parents are from or what their skin colour or ethnicity is – it is an impossibility. It simply is and is beautiful and meant to be.

Devoid of the usual cultural clichés, four guys with Jewish heritage living in Australia present four very different understandings of an ancient yet ever metamorphosing culture and ethnic heritage. Utilising an at times sharp sense of humour and a deep understanding of history and its endless repercussions the band’s music offers an antidote to prejudice and stereotyping when so many voices lacking reason and balance seem to dominate the mainstream media. Shalom!

Daniel Weltlinger – violin
Daniel Pliner – piano
Simon Milman – double bass
Alon Ilsar – drums

Track listing/CD Linear notes:

Yerushalayim (N Shemer)
Kohanim/Avin Malkeinu (trad)
Hallel (trad)
Ma Nishtana (trad)
Hinei Ma Tov U Ma Naim (trad)
Interlude
Ahava Raba (D Weltlinger)
Galaktoboureko (S Milman)
The Wanderer (D Pliner)
Enio's Wedding Dance (A Moller/A Ilsar)
Shema (trad)

Jerusalem of Gold, an as of yet
unresolved dream paved in
broken promises and blood
to the millenia old lament
of the holy Kohanim and to
Avinu Malkeinu - a prayer for forgiveness
to Halllel - prayers of joy and praise
for the heavens above
to Ma Nishtana - why is this
night different from all other nights?
Who are we? Who am I?
The four questions...so many questions
to Hinei Ma Tov U Ma Naim Shevet Achim Gam Yachad
How good and pleasant it is as brothers to sit together

We are all brothers and sisters as human beings
No one being is better or more deserving than the other
We are all passing dust in time and space...
to four original compositions from four musicians
of Jewish heritage
Living in Australia
A land populated by Aboriginal people
For thousands upon thousands of years
Many many more times older than the three great monotheistic faiths
of Judaism, Christianity and Islam combined...

So Zohar's Nigun
A song from deep within
One cannot choose who they are.
It is an impossibility.
It just is and is beautiful and
meant to be...
Shalom...


The CD is available on
CDBaby

For Interviews and Promos contact:
Jim Eigo Jazz Promo Services T: 845-986-1677 E-Mail: jim@jazzpromoservices.com
http://www.jazzpromoservices.com/

SPAIN, BARCELONA: Conciertos Arco y Flecha/ febrero y marzo 2013


FEBRERO 2013

Donny McCaslin Group "Casting for Gravity"
1/02/2013 23è Festival de Jazz de Granollers

Romano, Sclavis, Texier
7/02/2013 Salón de Actos de la Facultad de Medicina, Aula de Música de la Universidad de Cantabria, Santander
 8/02/2013 Auditorio Museo Guggenheim Bilbao, 365 Jazz Bilbao


 Brandlmayr, Kurzmann, Vandermark
17/02/2013 Soulbar Parazzar, Brujas (Bélgica)
18/02/2013 Atelier de l'Òpera, Abaixadors 10, Arco y Flecha, Barcelona
20/02/2013 OCCII, Ámsterdam (Holanda)
22/02/2013 Klangfestival, Gallneukirchen (Austria)
24/02/2013 Klub Dragon, Poznan (Polonia)

Ballister

28/2/2013 Jazz Room/La Cova del Drac, Arco y Flecha, Barcelona


MARZO 2013
Uri Caine Ensemble "Goldberg Variations"
8 & 9/3/2013 Caixaforum, Barcelona
10/3/2013 Sevilla

Digital Primitives
1/3/2013 Nattjazz, Bergen (Noruega)
2/3/2013 Trix, Amberes (Bélgica)
3/3/2013 Ecurie de L'ilôt, Cave 12, Ginebra (Suiza)
6/3/2013 Centro Cultural del Matadero, Huesca
8/3/2013 Artacts'13, Festival für Jazz und Improvisierte Musik, St. Johann in Tirol (Austria)
9/3/2013 Jazz Bayreuth, Bayreuth (Alemania)
11/3/2013 Muzicadevest, Oradea (Rumanía)
12/3/2013 Cafe Mir, Oslo (Noruega)

 Made to Break
1/3/2013 Maribor (Eslovenia)
2/3/2013 Blue Tomato, Viena (Austria)
4/3/2013 Kulturverein Waschaecht, Wels (Austria)
5/3/2013 Madrid, sala por confirmar
6/3/2013 Jimmy Glass Jazzbar, Valencia
7/3/2013 Kafe Antzokia, Bilbao

www.arcoyflecha.es

Ginny's Supper Club Launches Exciting New Jazz Series with Jazz Master Benny Golson and Double 2013 Grammy Nominee Bobby Sanabria


G&J Productions will present two new premier jazz series at the beautifully intimate Ginny’s Supper Club, sister venue to Marcus Samuelsson's Red Rooster in Harlem. These new series add a rich distinction to Ginny's eclectic music programs.

During Black History Month, the sister venue of Marcus Samuelsson’s Red Rooster restaurant—Ginny’s Supper Club (310 Lenox Avenue, between 125th and 126th)—premieres two jazz series that evoke Harlem’s storied past and reflects its diverse present.
From February 21-23, the internationally renowned jazz composer and tenor saxophonist Benny Golson returns to Harlem with his quartet for “The Jazz Masters Series.” Latin Jazz percussionist and multi-Grammy nominee Bobby Sanabria leads Quarteto Aché for the “JazzPlus” series on Feb. 7th and 8th.
“We’re proud to add these superb series to our existing menu of musical offerings,” says Derek Fleming, Director of Business Development for the Marcus Samuelsson Group. “As with the Red Rooster, we strive to present a pleasurable mix of high quality food, cocktails and fine hospitality with musical entertainment that honors the rich cultural traditions of Harlem.”
The “JazzPlus” series will present rising stars and established jazz artists who integrate jazz with other genres, such as R&B, Classical, Caribbean, and—as in the case of Bobby Sanabria—Latin. “The Jazz Masters Series” will feature globally respected, award winning artists who have achieved the highest distinction of jazz artistry.
The two series are produced by Greg Thomas and Jewel Kinch-Thomas of G&J Productions.
Through such programming, Ginny’s Supper Club presents premier jazz in the midst of downhome sophistication and cosmopolitan flair. As a Harlem Supper Club for the 21st century, Ginny’s represents the diverse cultures and multinational flavor of New York while maintaining the spirit of Harlem. In the same manner that the Red Rooster is ecumenical, combining cuisine with American, Asian and European influence, music at Ginny’s Supper Club is eclectic, yet remains grounded in the forms and styling that derive from the capital of black America.
Ginny’s Supper Club     February 2013 Music Mix (call 212 421-3821 for reservations)
Craig Harris & Tailgater’s Tales Ensemble Sat. Feb. 2: Trombonist 8/10 pm $15
Patience Higgins (Harlem Legends Series) Wed. Feb. 6: Saxophonist 7/8:30/10 pm
Bobby Sanabria & Quarteto Aché (JazzPlus Series) Thurs/Fri. Feb. 7 & 8: 8/10 pm $20
Chinese New Year w/Fred Ho & The Celestial Green Monster Big Band Sat. Feb. 9: 8/10 pm $25
Vy Higgensen’s Gospel for Teen Choir (Gospel Brunch) Sun. Feb. 10, 17, 24: 11 am-3 pm $39.99
Blue Nefertiti from Les Nubians (Le Cabaret Noir) Wed. Feb. 13 and 20: 8 pm (2/13) 7:30/10 pm (2/20) $20/$45 includes gourmet pre-fixe meal
Valentine’s Day with Maya Azucena Thurs. Feb. 14: 7 /8:30 pm
Benny Golson Quartet (The Jazz Masters Series) Thur/Fri/Saturday, Feb. 21-23: 8 /10 pm $30
Bill Saxton (Harlem Legends Series) Wednesday, Feb. 27: Saxophonist 7/8:30/10 pm
About Bobby Sanabria: Jazz drummer, educator and bandleader Bobby Sanabria has been nominated for seven Grammy Awards, with two in 2013: Best Latin Jazz Album for Multiverse and Best Instrumental Arrangement, “Afro-Cuban Jazz Suite for Ellington.” His diverse experience includes tenures with such legendary figures as Dizzy Gillespie, Henry Threadgill, Tito Puente, Paquito D’Rivera, Ray Barretto, Mongo Santamaría, Arturo Sandoval, Chico O'Farrill, Candido, Larry Harlow, and the Godfather of Afro-Cuban Jazz, Mario Bauzá.
About Benny Golson: This NEA Jazz Master is an eloquent elder statesman of jazz whose body of originals forms a core part of the modern jazz songbook. Among them: “I Remember Clifford,” “Whisper Not,” “Killer Joe,” “Stablemates,” “Blues March,” and “Along Came Betty.” Mr. Golson has recorded over 30 albums and written over 300 compositions. A recipient of a Lifetime Achievement Grammy Award and a Kennedy Center Living Jazz Legend honor, his career spans six decades—from his early years with John Coltrane, Dizzy Gillespie and Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers and his work with The Jazztet, to his compositional brilliance for M*A*S*H, Mission Impossible, and The Cosby Show theme.
About G&J Productions: G&J Productions is a full service arts events and production management partnership run by Greg Thomas and Jewel Kinch-Thomas, who together bring over 20 years of experience to their enterprise. Jewel is the former artistic and executive director of the Riverside Theatre in upper Manhattan. Greg, a multi-media journalist and producer, served as a consultant with the National Jazz Museum in Harlem, and is the jazz columnist for the New York Daily News.
Ginny’s Supper Club
310 Lenox Avenue (between 125th and 126th)
Tickets & Info. 212 421-3821
http://www.ginnyssupperclub.com
New York, NY (PRWEB) January 24, 2013

SWEDEN: Kakafoni's new album on January 30!


Pär Eriksson piano/synth
Tobias Grim guitar
Martin Olsson Bass
Johan Jansson drums
Jonathan Gustavsson trumpet
Pelle Nilsson sax
http://kakafonimusik.se
Label Imogena Records




Trumpeter Brad Goode's "Chicago Red" Due from Origin Records 2/19


Trumpeter Brad Goode's
"Chicago Red"
To Be Released by Origin Records
February 19
 With Guitarist Bill Kopper, Keyboardist Jeff Jenkins,
Bassist Bijoux Barbosa, Drummer Paa Kow, &
Hand Drummer Rony Barrak

Appearing with His Quartet 3/8-9
At the Green Mill, Chicago, &
Performing a CD Release Show 3/22
At Dazzle, Denver


January 29, 2013
 
Brad Goode Chicago RedFor innovative trumpeter Brad Goode, jazz has been a means for him to develop and express his own improvisational voice, without limiting himself to a single sound or style. On his new album, Chicago Red, Goode and a like-minded group of adventurous world-class musicians stretch out on eight Goode compositions -- as well as "St. Louis Blues" and "Vesta La Giubba" from I Pagliacci -- with strikingly original results. The CD, his second for Origin and 13th as a leader, will be released February 19.

Goode has been working on what he calls his Polytonal System of Harmony, which involves improvising over streams of simultaneous chord sequences, for the last 20 years.The music thrives on the pleasing dissonance created by, say, the guitarist playing chords at odds with the chords being played by the bassist. "It's almost like two songs operating simultaneously," says Goode. "The lower chords provide the basic progression, but there is also a logic in the way the upper structure chords relate and resolve to each other."

Or, in the case of Goode's coolly seductive use of polychords on W.C. Handy's "St. Louis Blues," create their own sonic mood. "These chords aren't what we've come to expect in jazz," he says, "but after listening a while, the music makes sense, if the right people are playing it."

The "right people" is how Goode would describe his ethnically diverse band on Chicago Red: Guitarist Bill Kopper and keyboardist Jeff Jenkins are back from Polytonal Dance Party, the 2008 Origin album on which Goode formally introduced the Polytonal System, to take their first-rate contributions a step further. They are joined by Brazilian bassist Bijoux Barbosa, whose mastery of Latin, jazz, and classical forms is right at home in this music; the remarkable Ghanaian drummer Paa Kow, who Goode says "plays the perfect groove"; and hand drummerRony Barrak, from Beirut, Lebanon, who has revolutionized the tabla-like Darbouka, introducing the Arabic drum to Latin music as well as jazz, pop, and western classical.

"I was never thinking in terms of world music when I put the band together," said the trumpeter. "I was drawn to each of these players because of their phenomenal talent. They nailed each song in one take."

In his booklet notes, Goode discusses the "collaborative nature of the improvising" as something that differentiates jazz from most other art forms. "A musician may spend a great deal of time in preparation for the group experience," he writes, " . . . but this work can't anticipate the surprise of the sound and feeling that will happen when a group is assembled. . . . My goal is to approach each performance without an agenda, reacting to the sound and ideas of the band, hoping that my own training will have prepared me to express something that is meaningful and musical within that specific moment." The band on Chicago Red met those challenges -- and then some.

Brad GoodeBorn and raised in Chicago, Brad Goodestudied trumpet at the University of Kentucky, returning to Chicago to get his master's degree in string bass from DePaul University and quickly becoming a regular on the club scene. From 1986 to 1997 he led his own group in Chicago, its members including saxophonists Lin Halliday and Ron Blake, pianists Jodie Christian and Ron Perrillo, guitarist Fareed Haque, trombonist Paul McKee, and drummerDana Hall. The group often was augmented byVon Freeman and Ira Sullivan, and for 11 years appeared weekly at the Green Mill. Goode also toured with the bands of Jack DeJohnette,Curtis FullerEddie Harris, and Ira Sullivanand with the Woody Herman Orchestra.

The trumpeter accepted a professorship at the University of Cincinnati in 1997 and moved to Boulder in 2004 to teach at the University of Colorado. In the tradition of his mentor Von Freeman, Goode leads weekly jam sessions for young musicians looking to learn their craft. Denver/Boulder has provided new musical directions and opportunities, from highlife to salsa, contemporary classical to jam bands. His reputation as a virtuoso trumpeter and as an educator keeps him quite active. Today, he is most often heard as a first trumpeter in big bands and symphony orchestras, and small group jazz appearances are rare. He is planning a series of dates in support of Chicago Red, including a CD release show at Dazzle, Denver, 3/22. Goode will also appear with his Quartet at the Green Mill in Chicago, 3/8-9.

BRAD GOODE (with Bill Kopper, Jeff Jenkins, Bijoux Barbosa, Paa Kow) performing  
BRAD GOODE (with Bill Kopper, Jeff Jenkins, Bijoux Barbosa, Paa Kow) performing "Encryption"
 

 
 
Web Site:
www.bradgoode.com


Media Contact:
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510-234-8781
hudba@sbcglobal.net
www.terrihinte.com
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