WVIA Public Media Revives
the Legacy of CHIAROSCURO RECORDS
Two Albums Set for September 24 Release:
Phil Woods and The Festival Orchestra - New Celebration
Bill Mays and The Inventions Trio - Life's A Movie
Forged in equal parts of brilliant artistry, sterling quality and loving commitment, Chiaroscuro Records was
a model for all independent labels looking to express the highest
levels of jazz creativity. Following the donation of the label to
Pennsylvania's WVIA Public Media in 2010, WVIA has maintained and grown worldwide sales of approximately 150 CDs culled from the extensive catalog.
Now through the efforts of Chiaroscuro's
A&R Director, senior producer and WVIA jazz host George Graham, the
label is ready to add its first new additions in a decade to
Chiaroscuro's remarkable repertoire - the first recordings that were not
created under the sweeping vision of its founder and principal
producer, Hank O'Neal. "Chiaroscuro is such a legendary jazz label, and
O'Neal is a producer that everybody loved to work with, so I feel I have
some very big shoes to fill." George can take satisfaction in
continuing the label's legacy of highest artistic integrity with a pair
of releases by two truly brilliant artists - legendary saxophonist Phil Woods & The Festival Orchestra and eminent pianist Bill Mays' Inventions Trio.
"Andrew
Sordoni who was a major creative force alongside Hank O'Neal, put their
collective hearts into preserving the music of Chiaroscuro's treasure
trove of fine Jazz recordings. They created a home where the label would
be respected and kept alive. Chiaroscuro is expanding into
non-traditional areas and this seems a perfect fit for our future," said
Tom Curra, President/CEO and Executive Producer.
Phil Woods' New Celebration is
the long-awaited follow-up to his 1997 Grammy® Award-nominated
release Celebration, and features many of the same players, along with a
number of other world-class musicians from Woods' Poconos home region
comprising the 18-piece Festival Orchestra. All but two
of the compositions - Johnny Mandel's "Here's to Alvy" and Al Cohn's
arrangement of Raye & de Paul's gorgeous "You Don't Know What Love
Is" (featuring vocalist Najwa Parkins) - were specially
written and arranged by Woods for this recording, which was done in
April of 2012. Woods' extraordinary writing creates an ideal setting for
his solo virtuosity, as well as some excellent contributions by other
members of the orchestra. But more than being a launching pad for solos,
the arrangements display a mastery of context that makes each piece a
fully conceived and compelling musical story. Woods' longtime friend
Quincy Jones contributes liner notes for the CD, Woods' second album as a
leader on Chiaroscuro.
Life's a Movie is the third project by Bill Mays' highly imaginative Inventions Trio, and his first recording for Chiaroscuro. Featuring the versatile and impeccable Marvin Stamm on trumpet, and the excellent young classically-trained and vividly swinging cellist, Alisa Horn,
the Inventions Trio embodies the essence of synergy and masterful
interplay that is so important to successful "chamber" jazz. The album
is centered around an imaginary soundtrack - the title suite - that
beautifully displays Mays' compositional and conceptual skills. There is
also a heartfelt tribute to the immortal Bill Evans with a medley of
four Evans' originals; a tour of Spain with the trio's version of
Joaquin Rodrigo's "Concierto de Aranjuez" (which earned a permanent
place in jazz history through Miles' Sketches of Spain) and Chick
Corea's own classic "Spain," inspired by the same piece; and a
three-piece medley from the utterly unique Thelonious Monk.
For more than 30 years Chiaroscuro Records had been staunchly dedicated to recording the finest artists in Jazz. With its Grammy® Award-nominated
With
these two additions to Chiaroscuro's storied history, the label is
clearly moving into a clear continuation of its high ideals. As Graham
further points out: "The Chiaroscuro/WVIA combination is also what I
think a unique arrangement -- a jazz record label donated by its owners
to a Public Broadcasting station both as a repository for the label's
remarkable archive, and as a means of providing some income in
these austere times for Public Broadcasting."
WVIA Public Media's mission statement states the organization "is
a catalyst, convener and educator, using media, partnerships, powerful
ideas and programs to improve lives and advance the best attributes of
an enlightened society."
Hank
O'Neal's progeny and lifelong commitment to expression at its purest
level seems to have found its rightful home for its continued pursuit of
excellence.
For more information on Chiaroscuro Records, please visit: chiaroscurojazz.org
Phil Woods & The Festival Orchestra · New Celebration
Bill Mays and the Inventions Trio · Life's A Movie
Chiaroscuro Records · Release Date: September 24, 2013
For more information on Phil Woods, please visit: PhilWoods.com
For more information on Bill Mays, please visit: BillMays.net
For media information, please contact:
DL Media · 610-667-0501
Matthew Jurasek· matthew@dlmediamusic.com
Don Lucoff · don@dlmediamusic.com
Information and press materials (including album covers, promotional photos and bios)
on all DL Media artists can be found at our new website: dlmediamusic.com
