Smoke Sessions Records Launches with
New Releases by Harold Mabern, Vincent Herring,
Javon Jackson, and David Hazeltine
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Photo Credit: Jimmy Katz
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After surviving for almost 15 years in the white-knuckle world of running a New York City jazz club, Smoke co-owners Frank Christopher and Paul Stache
decided that they were up for yet another daunting challenge, starting a
jazz record label. Awed and inspired over the years by the music all
around them, it was their dream to document and share it beyond the
limited seats of the club. In the spring of 2013, they quit dreaming and
instead recruited their friend Damon Smith to help turn the dream into a reality, Smoke Sessions Records.
The
label's initial focus is on the music and musicians associated with the
club. Guided by the golden age of independent jazz labels like Blue
Note, Prestige, and Riverside, Smoke Sessions'
ambitious plans are to release 10 to 20 new titles annually with 9
scheduled (one per month) through September 2014 and another full slate
arriving starting again in January 2015. The first four titles are Harold Mabern's Right on Time (available now), Vincent Herring's The Uptown Shuffle (available now), Javon Jackson's Expression (available now) and David Hazeltine's For All We Know (available April 8). Also arriving in 2014 are new titles from Louis Hayes, Jimmy Cobb, Cyrus Chestnut, Orrin Evans, and Eric Reed.
Initially, the label planned to record live performances at Smoke
exclusively, but future titles starting this year will also include
studio sessions.
All
Smoke Sessions releases are produced using vintage techniques and audio
paths - i.e.; Rupert Neve-designed mixing consoles (Amek-Angela),
Studer mastering decks, and Manley tube equalization - in combination
with modern high definition recording techniques. Label co-founder
Stache records the sessions then works closely with GRAMMY® Award-winner
Roman Klun to mix and master them. Each releases features original photography by Jimmy Katz,
as well as an original 2,000-word artist interview. The limited edition
200-gram audiophile collection was mastered for vinyl by celebrated
engineer Kevin Gray and includes a classic "tip-on
style" gatefold record jacket. Smoke Sessions titles are available on
deluxe compact disc albums and as high resolution digital downloads; a
200gram audiophile vinyl compilation celebrating the first four releases
is also available.
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"He blends the soul of Memphis with the madness of Manhattan and a life experience as
one of the music's outstanding pianists to create musical muscle that immediately
draws you in and a sensitivity that keeps you there. Anytime is the
right time for Harold Mabern!" - WBGO
The label's first title, Right On Time, is by the jazz piano eminence Harold Mabern.
It's a fitting debut for Smoke Sessions as Mabern's frequent presence
at Smoke over the years was instrumental in making it a major jazz
destination. While most people his age are enjoying retirement, Mabern
is still happily in the trenches in the sixth decade of his illustrious
career. Clearly, he still has a lot to say.
Recorded over the weekend of his 77th birthday celebration in March 2013, Right on Time--which
he dedicates to his idol, and fellow Memphis piano giant, Phineas
Newborn, Jr.--captures all of the highlights of his two nights at Smoke
with bassist John Webber and drummer Joe Farnsworth,
one of his two working trios. Mabern knows a thing or two about putting
together a balanced musical program and he draws on an extensive
repertoire for this title including classic blues, swinging standards,
moving ballads, and modal tempests.
Always on the lookout for material from outside the jazz box, Mabern opens Right on Time
with Peter Brown's disco hit "Dance with Me." He finds another
surprising gem in plain sight with the well-known Theme to Laverne and
Shirley "Making our Dreams Come True." He also includes some of his
favorite composers-Richard Rodgers, Thad Jones, Henry Mancini, and Hoagy
Carmichael-and delivers an unusually melancholy and particularly
beautiful rendition of "Don't Get Around Much Anymore." There is a
blistering, bebop reading of "Cherokee," as well as "Seven Steps to
Heaven" conceived during his time with Miles in the '60s and his own
beloved original, "Edward Lee" dedicated to trumpeter Lee Morgan.
Finally, he builds the ebulliently swinging "Blues for Frank 'n' Paul
'n' All" from another unlikely source-the outgoing message on his
answering machine. It was a melodic fragment that proved so popular with
fellow musicians that he "finished it" with an ending and now dedicates
it to the entire Smoke family.
Many consider Mabern the very definition of a "jazz master," and Right On Time
is just the most recent evidence that it's high time that the National
Endowment for the Arts officially makes him a Jazz Master, too.
Harold Mabern · Right on Time
Smoke Sessions Records · Release Date: January 7, 2014
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"Alto saxophonist Vincent Herring drives his quartet through a straight-ahead set
that packs a wallop with a double-fisted bout of unrelenting swing." - Downbeat
Vincent Herring's
M.O. is well known-he means business. Not that you can tell from the
pure joy that emanates from his horn, but like Bird, Cannonball, and
Stitt, there is purpose, meaning, and, yes, a little gravity in every
note he plays. Herring describes his time spent studying with bebop
master Phil Woods as a pivotal moment in his development. It instilled
in him a sense of responsibility to assume the mantle of a vital
artistic tradition, which, for the past quarter century, is exactly what
he's done. With his no-holds-barred solos and unerring aesthetic
compass, he's made more than a few great records during that time, but
his latest release on Smoke Sessions, The Uptown Shuffle might just be the best one yet.
Like so many classic jazz records, The Uptown Shuffle
arrives with a rousing opener, Herring's aptly titled "Elation." He
explains that he wrote this theme over 20 years ago to express a feeling
of just pure joy. It was never exactly how he wanted it though, until
just recently. It might also be the perfect introduction to his quartet.
Soulful pianist Cyrus Chestnut, Canadian bass newcomer Brandi Disterheft and the reliably swinging drummer Joe Farnsworth
have real chemistry from start to finish. Even when this band slows
things down, as they do on timeless favorites like "Love Walked In" and
"Tenderly," their intensity and passion never waver. Herring frequently
talks about choosing personnel and material based "on a feeling" and
that he used that approach to put together this date. He said he knew
going in that he had the band he wanted and that when they ran down
tunes in rehearsal, the ones included here were the ones that "just
clicked."
The Uptown Shuffle
was recorded live "uptown" at Smoke Jazz Club in front of a packed
house of admirers. There is certainly energy and elation present in
these performances and they do capture the spirit and excitement of a
night out in New York.
Vincent Herring · The Uptown Shuffle
Smoke Sessions Records · Release Date: February 4, 2014
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"Throughout the set he (Javon) runs a streak of intricate lines and swinging turns-of-phrase,
no doubt inspired by his audience and driven by a solid band." - New York City Jazz Record
In 25 years as a recording artist, tenor saxophonist Javon Jackson had never made a live record as a leader...until now. With his new Smoke Sessions title Expression,
the wait is finally over. To an instinctive perfectionist like Jackson,
live recording presents a different set of challenges from a studio
session, but he did learn first-hand from none other than Art Blakey,
after all, to prepare, prepare, prepare and then leave it all on the
stage. In fact, Jackson opens the record with Wayne Shorter's "One by
One" which famously appeared 50 years ago on one of Blakey's many live
recordings, Ugetsu. The results have a natural energy and relaxed
quality that are difficult to capture in the studio. This record
documents some of Jackson's personal favorites and he credits the live
atmosphere for delivering what he feels are his definitive versions.
He
includes modern classics like Stevie Wonder's "Don't You Worry 'bout a
Thing," Donnie Hathaway and Roberta Flack's hit "Where is the Love," and
the timeless "When I Fall in Love," that are trademark Javon-accessible
but enlightening.
The quartet, called the Javon Jackson Band, features bassist Corcoran Holt, drummer McClenty Hunter and, for the first time, Orrin Evans.
One of the busiest pianists in Philadelphia or in New York, Evans fit
in with the group instantly and Jackson valued the fresh approach and
playing that he brought to the music. A striking example of their
rapport is the groove they strike on George Cable's '70s classic "Think
on Me." It's a certifiable hit but there is simply a lot of great music
on Expression. With a record this good, it's a safe bet that Jackson
won't wait another 25 years to make the sequel.
Javon Jackson · Expression
Smoke Sessions Records · Release Date: February 25, 2014
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"He plays with lyricism, occasional cleverness and constant elegance, leading with a
self-assurance that never delves into self-indulgence." - New York City Jazz Record
David Hazeltine
is known for his harmonic sophistication and elegant pianism, traits
that were also hallmarks of Cedar Walton's playing. When Hazeltine
initially set out make what would become his Smoke Sessions release, For All We Know, making a tribute record was the furthest thing from his mind and it should be pointed out that For All We Know
is definitely not a tribute record. Yet, it's hard to ignore the
importance of Cedar Walton's legacy to it. Hazeltine is one of the
important heirs to Walton's piano tradition, so it is only natural that
his gratitude and affection would be dominant themes on this recording.
It is also a special record because it documents what is essentially the
first collaboration between Hazeltine and tenor saxophonist Seamus Blake. It was a partnership that both enjoyed immensely and that worked particularly well with the rest of the quartet, bassist David "Happy" Williams and drummer Joe Farnsworth.
The
album opens with one of Hazeltine's inventive originals, "Et Cedra"
which is also one that was overtly written with Walton in mind. In it's
melodic twists and turns and it's subtle yet unexpected harmonies, it is
quickly apparent why Hazeltine has such a strong following. Other
highlights include Kurt Weill's "My Ship" and Hazeltine's obstreperous
"Eddie Harris" which gives Blake an opportunity to pay some respects of
his own, this time to the funky saxophone master. When For All We Know
concludes with "A.D. Bossa," the realization sets in that although jazz
has lost some of its greatest talents, there is another generation that
is dedicated to keeping the art form vital and alive.
David Hazeltine · For All We Know
Smoke Sessions Records · Release Date: April 8, 2014
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Serving the finest in jazz since 1988
Best known for his work in the celebrated cooperative trio Minsarah (which he founded with Florian Weber and Ziv Ravitz) and his seven-year tenure in the Lee Konitz New Quartet, bassist and composer Jeff Denson has also led a highly regarded quartet featuring Weber, Ralph Alessi, and Dan Weiss.
The sacred music project with White grew out of several hymns that
Denson performed at funerals for his father and his maternal grandmother
who helped raise him, including the title track, performed in three
divergent renditions, and the breathtaking solo arco version of "Amazing Grace."
The session was recorded in one day and all but one track is a first
take, "a really good demonstration of how we share and communicate and
share musical aesthetics. We are both really adventurous and take a lot
of risks. I just wanted to do what we do."
Denson will be working with his trio featuring Joshua White (far left) and drummer Jon Arkin at the following West Coast CD release shows: 5/31 Red Poppy Art House, San Francisco; 6/2 SOhO Restaurant and Music Club, Santa Barbara; 6/3 Jazz at the CAP, Los Angeles; 6/4 The Loft at University of California San Diego, La Jolla; 6/7 Café Stritch, San Jose; 6/8 Duende, Oakland; and 7/25-26 Moody's Bistro, Bar & Beats, Truckee. He'll also be performing with the Joshua White Quintet 6/5 at the Del Mar (CA) Foundation. 
