Monday, June 23, 2014

NETHERLANDS: TabulaRasa – LutherJazz

TabulaRasa – LutherJazz

Vrije improvisatie op muziekstukken gecomponeerd door Maarten Luther zelf!
Alex Coke - saxophone, flutes, piccolo
John Dikeman - saxophone
Wilbert de Joode - bass
Onno Govaert - drums

spelen enkele delen van wat, samen met andere stukken, moet gaan “samengroeien” tot een CD project “LUTHERJAZZ” dat de verschillende composities die Luther zelf heeft gecomponeerd bewerkt als “FreeJazz” of “FreeImpro” of in andere experimentele en grensverleggende muziekstijlen.
Daag je uit om dit mee te maken…

Intro by John Dikeman:

This quartet started as an initiative of Andreas Wohle, the pastor of Maarten Luther Kerk, to present original compositions of Martin Luther within a modern jazz context. Treatments of the material may sound reminiscent of Ornette Coleman, the modal work of John Coltrane or might be completely abstracted and used as a spring board for non-idiomatic improvisation.

Friday, June 20, 2014

RARE NOISE TO RELEASE INDIGO MIST & INTERSTATIC IN AUGUST


RARE NOISE  
TO RELEASE  
INDIGO MIST & INTERSTATIC  
IN AUGUST
 
CUONG VU AND RICHARD KARPEN
JOIN FORCES ON
ELECTRO-ACOUSTIC PROJECT

INDIGO MIST Indigo


Provocative Ellington/Strayhorn Tribute,
That The Days Go By And Never Come Again,
Scheduled for August Release on RareNoiseRecords


AVAILABLE IN STORES AND ONLINE AUGUST 4, 2014
AND THROUGH RARE NOISE RECORDS
ON CD, VINYL AND HI-RES DIGITAL DOWNLOAD


Cuong Vu
trumpet
Richard Karpen
piano
Luke Berman
bass
Ted Poor
drums


Ivan Artega
Live Electronics iPad Performers
Shih-Wei Lo

Douglas Niemela

Joshua Parmenter

 

 
ABOUT THE LABEL - RareNoiseRecords was founded in late 2008 by two Italians, guitarist/arranger/ producer Eraldo Bernocchi and all-round music nut Giacomo Bruzzo. Located in London, the label was created to present a platform to musicians and listeners alike who think beyond musical boundaries of genre. For further information and to listen please go to www.rarenoiserecords.com.


New York, June 18, 2014 - Trumpeter-composer Cuong Vu has established himself as a distinctive voice on the new music/improvising scene for his adventurous work over the past 20 years with the likes of guitarist Bill Frisell, Pat Metheny and Laurie Anderson as well as his four recordings as leader.

Composer Richard Karpen has earned accolades for his work in the classical field as well as for being a cutting edge sonic experimenter of the highest order. Joined by innovative bassist Luke Bergman (their faculty colleague at the University of Washington) and Vu's longstanding bandmate, drummer Ted Poor, these two kindred spirits push the envelope in a myriad of provocative ways on That The Days Go By And Never Come Again. An extended suite that pays tribute to the indelible composing team of Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn in a most uncompromising fashion, their extraordinary RareNoiseRecords debut under the collective name of Indigo Mist is unlike any Ellingtonia you've ever heard."
                 
Says Vu, "The whole record, to me, is a tone poem that is deeply affected by their music, even to the point where as we were at the apex of experimenting, Duke and Billy were always in the room with us and we had to come to terms with their presence. I feel that we've respectfully paid homage to them by taking our own connection to them and sprinkled that all over the record like a mist."

The unlikely duo of New York-based improviser-bandleader Vu and Seattle academician Karpen crystallized when they met at the University of Washington. As Vu explains, "One of the things that I did when I became a new faculty here was to research my colleagues, mainly just to get to know about the various interests of the School of Music faculty and get a feel for how I would move about within that musical community. Once I started reading about Richard, I was immediately interested because his work was on the forefront of electro-acoustic music as well as being a composer from the Western Classical Art Music tradition.  Much of classical music had such an impact on how I interfaced with music while I was doing my bachelors of music that I've always been interested in working with a serious composer at some point. Then when I heard his music I was completely blown away and knew that I had to work with him, if not to just make music together somehow, then to at least learn from him."
                 
Adds Karpen, "It is very unusual for a 'classically' trained composer like me, with my particular background and continued interest in experimental music and several decades of very deep involvement in the development of computer music both as a composer and as a programmer, to be head of such a School of Music. And it seems to me to be just as unusual for someone coming from a jazz background like Cuong, who is deeply involved in breaking through artificial boundaries through many kinds of experimentation, would be on the a faculty of such a school. The chance that both of us would be at the same place at the same time, and with one of us heading this school, seems to be one chance in millions!                                                                                                                  
                 
The provocative tone poem kicks off with a torrent of drums from Ted Poor entitled "L'Heure bleue." While traversing the kit with power and precision, Poor's drumming is sonically enhanced to give it the effect of rolling thunder, gently falling rain or a phalanx of drummers.  

Poor then switches to mallets for the evocative title track as Karpen and Vu make their entrance into the mysterious soundscape, beginning with Karpen's sparsely plucked notes from inside the piano and continuing with Vu's electronically treated trumpet and Luke Bergman's sparse bass lines. The piece builds to a thunderous crescendo with Karpen's throbbing bass notes and Cecil Tayloresque cascading in the high register of the piano. Poor's potent free drumming fuels the track while Vu's intuitive keening trumpet wails over the top of the fray. This urgent piece gradually morphs into a haunting treatment of Strayhorn's "A Flower is a Lovesome Thing" that has Vu remaining close to the melody as Karpen pushes the harmonic envelope with his probing piano work. It then flows organically into a thoughtful but uncompromising meditation on Strayhorn entitled "Billy."

An element of swing enters the picture on "Duke," which opens with Poor's hip, syncopated playing on the kit in intimate conversation with Vu's unaffected trumpet worked, Bergman and Karpen enter the conversation near the midway mark and extrapolation ensues until they build up to extreme layers of density and dissonance with Vu reaching into his bag of extended techniques on the trumpet to match the pitch of the turbulent proceedings. At their tumultuous peak, Vu and Bergman lay out and Karpen gradually settles into zen-like repose on the piano, setting up for a sublime reading of Ellington's gorgeous "In a Sentimental Mood," which is played beautifully by Vu and underscored with tastefully restraint by Karpen, Bergman and Poor. This gentle but brief bit of Ellingtonia then morphs into the more mysterioso excursion "Charles" (for Mingus), which in turn leads into a highly impressionistic take on Strayhorn's "Lush Life."
                 
Karpen's furious, rolling bass notes and aggressive stabs at the keyboard next come into play on "The Electric Mist," a frenzied improvisation which has the pianist going toe-to-toe in full-out Cecil Taylor mode with drummer Poor augmenting his urgent attack with some powerhouse playing of his own. The piece ends with an electronic barrage that is purely of the 21st century. The album concludes with a spacious, abstract rendition of Ellington's "Mood Indigo" that begins with the sounds of a gong (or singing bowl) and plucked piano strings penetrating the silence before Bergman and Vu enter with a walking-on-eggshells approach. The familiar theme of this final nod to Ellington is hinted at throughout the course of the piece but not truly revealed until near the end of its eight-minutes in the beautifully warm tones of Vu's trumpet. It's definitely the most challenging music I've been engaged in our musical interests and curiosities, I'm at a place in my life right now where it's crucially important for me to make music that is completely honest and without any external pressures.

"We're trying to do something new and different while flipping the whole idea of playing 'jazz' upside down," says Vu of this Indigo Mist project. "And by choosing this music as our primary subject matter or subject of inspiration, we are addressing jazz in a way that I feel is in reverence and trying to add our own perspective of the greatness what jazz really means to me along with the greatness of these two masters."

TRACKS
  1. L'Heure Bleue
  2. Indigo Mist
  3. A Flower Is A Lovesome Thing
  4. Billy
  5. Duke
  6. In A Sentimental Mood
  7. Charles
  8. Lush Life
  9. The Electric Mist
  10. Mood Indigo
  11.   




INTERSTATIC
TAKES THE GLOVES OFF ON THIRD RECORDING FOR RARE NOISE


ARISEInterstatic

REPRESENTS THE ORGAN TRIO'S
MOST INTENSE OFFERING TO DATE


AVAILABLE IN STORES AND ONLINE AUGUST 4, 2014
AND THROUGH RARE NOISE RECORDS
ON CD, VINYL AND HI-RES DIGITAL DOWNLOAD


Roy Powell
Hammond Organ
Jacob Young
Electric Guitar
Jarle Vespestad
Drums

  


ABOUT THE LABEL - RareNoiseRecords was founded in late 2008 by two Italians, guitarist/arranger/ producer Eraldo Bernocchi and all-round music nut Giacomo Bruzzo. Located in London, the label was created to present a platform to musicians and listeners alike who think beyond musical boundaries of genre. For further information and to listen please go to www.rarenoiserecords.com.


New York, June 18, 2014 - With each successive outing -- first 2011ʼs Anthem followed by their raucous RareNoiseRecords debut, 2013ʼs InterStatic -- the potent Norway-based trio of expatriate Brit organist Roy Powell, Norwegian guitarist Jacob Young and Norwegian drummer Jarle Vespestad has upped the ante on intensity and audaciousness while arriving at a nexus where rock organically meets jazz. Now the powerhouse unit has reached a new level with 2014ʼs superb Arise.

Together these three complementary voices create an organ/guitar trio for the 21st century. "The chemistry between the band members is what it always was," says principal composer Powell. "Itʼs three strong-willed, opinionated people working together to make the best music we can. We have regular discussions and disagreements but thankfully few fist fights. And although I write the majority of the material, it is constantly being honed by the group, which is why live work is so important."

Fueled by the remarkably flexible drummer Vespestad (known for his work with Tord Gustavsen, Silje Nergaard, Supersilent, and Farmers Market), Arise shifts nimbly from grungy anthems like "Doozy Mugwump Blues" and "Alexa" to intricate numbers like "Caerbannog" (named after the cave protected by the killer rabbit in the absurdly comedic 1975 film Monty Python and the Holy Grail) to the swinging "Alpha Dog." Powellʼs "Frankʼll Fix It," full of challenging stop-time phrases, is dedicated to one of his major influences, Frank Zappa. "I was lucky enough to be introduced to the music of Zappa and Miles Davis at exactly the same time when I was 13 years old hanging with my hip pen-pal´s family in Germany in ´79," he recalls. "I heard Bitches Brew and Roxy & Elsewhere and my mind opened up and remained that way as I searched for those recordings and others by Frank and Miles when I got back to the UK. I listen regularly to Zappa to this day and probably will never stop, just like I have been reading William S.Burroughs for 30 years and still find profound truths in his work." 
  
Powellʼs dynamic "Wonderfall" carries the influence of the pioneering fusion band Lifetime featuring UK guitar hero John McLaughlin and Newark, New Jersey-based organist Larry Young. "I was never drawn to the Jimmy Smith organ trio sound from his Blue Note Records days in the early ʻ60s," says Powell. "It was only when listening to Larry Young that organ became a serious interest for me and as I grew up listening
to jazz-rock, the whole idea of being locked into a previous eraʼs aesthetic did not appeal. Instead, I loved the sense of freedom and risk-taking that I heard on Lifetimeʼs Emergency!"

For the outstanding, genre-bending guitarist Jacob Young, Arise represents a complete departure from his more pristine outings as a leader on the ECM label. His unhinged wah-wah and distortion solos throughout Arise provide the some of the most explosive moments on this very audacious trio outing. "InterStatic is entirely a different kind of group and differs from my ECM outings in several ways," says the Oslo-based
guitarist. "On my ECM albums we strive for a cleaner, more natural acoustic sound on each instrument. InterStatic is sound-wise almost an opposite to my ECM group. I love both ways of working with improvised music.

Young, Powell and Vespested represent a powerful triumvirate on their third record together overall and second for RareNoise Records. "We have developed a deep respect for each other over the course of our three albums," says Young. "We are three different guys that happen to play some music together, sometimes we have a blast doing it too. Sometimes we disagree, and we can discuss angles of maybe a mix or a tempo or a certain way of how to play a tune, but we have headroom to handle this. In a way, we have learned to deal with each otherʼ s quirks, strengths and moods and we get good at reading each other in the process."

"Open-mindedness should be a pre-requisite of all musicians so we just play whatever we feel like," adds Powell, who also plays organ in the RareNoise group Naked Truth. "At the time of our first release, Anthem, we were mixing the repertoire of a modern jazz organ trio with no distorted sounds with some more rock sounds. We took this further on InterStatic and now on Arise  the gloves are off. We get a real kick out of performing the more intricate compositions to audiences as nothing beats some well coordinated weirdness together with some heavy grooving and soloing!"

All of those elements come together in righteous fashion on Arise, InterStaticʼ s most thunderous and freewheeling outing to date.

TRACKS
  1. Doozy Mugwump Blues
  2. Caerbannog
  3. Alpha Dog
  4. Iwato
  5. Frank'll Fix It
  6. In The Beginning
  7. Doozy (Reprise)





PRESS CONTACT 
Antje Hübner
hubtone PR | New York
phone: 212-932-1667   
 



Thursday, June 5, 2014

Rhinebeck Artist Thomas Cale Announces Blue Notes Art Opening, Featuring Work Inspired by Jazz Greats Such As Sonny Rollins, Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, and Others

Cale's Blue Notes Collection to Be Showcased in Rhinebeck, New York, Located in the Hudson Valley Region of New York State 

Rhinebeck, New York (PRWEB) May 28, 2014

Thomas Cale, artist of Rhinebeck, New York, has announced details of the Blue Notes Art Show, scheduled to open with a reception on Friday, June 27th, 2014, from 6-9pm at the Church of the Messiah Parish Hall, located on Montgomery Street in Rhinebeck, New York. (Hall is located behind the church on the same grounds). This collection of paintings is dedicated to honoring iconic figures who have brought jazz music to the masses through the years. The show is inspired by greats like Sonny Rollins, Louis Armstrong, Chet Baker, and Charlie Parker, among others.

Artist Thomas Cale says of the series, "My recent exploration of jazz has opened up an entirely new world of art and music that I hadn't been completely familiar with or open to previously. Each new artist, album, and song that I experienced sparked energy and excitement that I felt inspired to share. The music and the musicians have greatly influenced my approach to the artwork in this show. My hope is that the viewer will see and feel this emotion, and somehow share in the excitement of recognizing these truly remarkable artists or, even better, that I managed to capture some of their notes on my canvas.”

Following the opening reception on June 27th, the Blue Notes show will be open through that weekend. The reception is free of charge and open to the public.

For more information, visit caleartworks.com or call 845.750.5808.

Jazz Singer Kathy Sanborn Goes Latin with New Album Fantasia, Releasing June 3rd (via PR Newswire)

Jazz Singer Kathy Sanborn Goes Latin with New Album Fantasia, Releasing June 3rd (via PR Newswire)
Sultry singer's Latin vocal jazz album Fantasia releases June 3, 2014 SAN FRANCISCO, June 2, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Internationally renowned singer and composer Kathy Sanborn releases her new Latin jazz album, Fantasia, June 3, 2014, available through…

CANADA: Flute News - June 2014 - Bill McBirnie

Hi, Everyone:

Here are a few new items, each of which is set out in more detail just below my signature:

(1)  RECENT REVIEWS - “FIND YOUR PLACE”

(2)  RUBEN DIAZ - FLAMENCO MAESTRO - A BULERIAS

(3)  UPCOMING GIG LISTING

Thanks very much…(both for reading and listening!)… 
 
Bill McBirnie - Extreme Flute
Phone:  (416) 652-1541
 
"In theory, there is no difference between theory and practice.  In practice, there is."  (Yogi Berra)


(1)  RECENT REVIEWS - “FIND YOUR PLACE”

The reviews for the new album have been rather slow in coming…but at least they are all favourable…Here are some snippets from a few recent ones:

(i)  “It is clear that these musicians are of very high caliber and qualify fully…on all dimensions, due in no small part to the virtuosity of the leader who simply takes your breath away…Thanks to this talented Canadian flutist, the classic Blue Note ‘60s sound of Jimmy Smith is set in an new dimension, a concept that is realized completely, combining past and present, perfectly.”  Vittorio (MusicZoom, Italy, May 26, 2014))

(ii)  “An ambitious crop of flute players are out there shaking things up nowadays.  Here is one who is taking this instrument into quite different areas. Canadian flautist, Bill McBirnie, isn’t as well-known in American jazz circles, but he’s no slouch…He balances a love of melody with the joy of frolicking as he dashes about with chops-a-plenty in all of his solos…”  Dan Bilawsky (All About Jazz, May 9, 2014))

(iii)  “…[McBirnie’s] earlier albums established him as a virtuoso and his solos here are, once again, a model of creativity and clarity.  His choice of selections for the session…is a balanced cross-section of classics from Cole Porter to Lennon/ McCartney via Horace Silver, Dexter Gordon and Thelonius Monk.  It all works beautifully…This one is a keeper!”  Peter Westbrook  (Pan, Quarterly Journal of the British Flute Society, March 2014)


(2)  RUBEN DIAZ - FLAMENCO MAESTRO - A BULERIAS

A few years ago, I had the good fortune to work with flamenco guitarist, Ruben Diaz, when he was living here in Toronto.  He has since returned to Spain.  Recently, I came across this clip of Ruben which is excellent because it is so characteristic and clear in terms of both seeing, and hearing, what he is capable of (…and he is brilliant!…)  This clip is a little over five-and-a-half minutes.  It is the real deal, a bulerias!  Here is the link: 



(3)  UPCOMING GIG LISTING

[ NOTE:  You can always find a current/updated gig listing at the following link:  http://www.extremeflute.com/contact.html ]

Thurs., Oct. 9, 2014 at 7:00 p.m.
Bloom Restaurant
2315 Bloor Street West (Bloor West Village)
Toronto, Ontario
With the LOUIS SIMAO (guitar & vocals) & DANIEL STONE (cajon)
For reservations, please call (416) 767-1315.

Sun., Sept. 7, 2014 at 6:30 p.m.
Morgans on the Danforth
1282 Danforth Ave. (at Greenwood)
Toronto, Ontario
With STEPHEN GARDNER on keys

Sun., July 27, 2014 at 6:30 p.m.
Morgans on the Danforth
1282 Danforth Ave. (at Greenwood)
Toronto, Ontario
With STEPHEN GARDNER on keys

Mon., June 30, 2014 at 9:00 & 11:00 p.m.
The Montreal Jazz Festival
Outdoor Venue - TBA
Montreal, Quebec
In concert with EMILIE-CLAIRE BARLOW

Wed., June 26, 2014 at 9:00 p.m.
Mezzetta Cafe Restaurant
681 St. Clair Ave. W. (at Christie)
Toronto, Ontario
With the great LOUIS SIMAO (guitar & vocals) - Brazilian!

Tues., June 24, 2014 at 6:30 p.m.
Morgans on the Danforth
1282 Danforth Ave. (at Greenwood)
Toronto, Ontario
With STEPHEN GARDNER on keys

Sun. & Mon., June 22 & 23, 2014 at 7:00 p.m.
Hot House Restaurant
35 Church St.
Toronto, Ontario
With BRENDA CAROL & Clairvoyance

Thurs., June 20, 2014 at 7:00 p.m.
Shops at Don Mills
1090 Don Mills Road
Toronto, Ontario
With The LUIS MARIO OCHOA Quintet (including HILARIO DURAN)

Thurs., June 19, 2014 at 8:00 p.m.
Lula Lounge
1585 Dundas St. W.
Toronto, Ontario
Special Reunion Concert with MEMO ACEVEDO & The Building Bridges Band

Sun., June 8, 2014 at 8:30 p.m.
Mateca Arts Festival (MAF) - World Music & Multi-Disciplinary Art
University of Toronto, Victoria College, Burwash Quad Park
Toronto, Ontario
With DON NADURIAK's Jambanda (including RUSS LITTLE, ROBERTO RIVERON & JOAQUIN NUNEZ HIDALGO)

Sun., June 8, 2014 at 4:30 p.m.
Jazz Vespers - Christ Church Deer Park
1570 Yonge St.
Toronto, Ontario
With BERNIE SENENSKY

jazzColours -- email-zine di musica jazz (Anno VII, numero 6 -- Giugno/2014)



SOMMARIO Giugno 2014 (Anno VII, n.6)
   
  4 - Highlights
  8 - Jozef Dumoulin, effetto Fender Rhodes
16 -  Kirk Knuffke, la coralità della cornetta
21 -  Paal Nilssen-Love, il vulcano scandinavo della batteria
25 -  jazz&arts: Yann Bagot, il jazz nero su bianco
28 -  Recensioni CD
  Focus on: Paul Bley "Play Blue - Oslo Concert"
  I 5 dischi imprescindibili di Emanuele Parrini
35 -  Black&White: Polar Bear "In Each and Every One"
(e inoltre: Thumbscrew, Ensemble Denada, Duboc/Lasserre/Roger, For Living Lovers, Franklin Kiermyer, Harris Eisenstadt, Fire! Orchestra, The Apophonics, PoL0, Get the Blessing, Nicolas Folmer, Pigfoot)
36 -  Eventuali


http://www.jazzcolours.it

MARCEL CAMARGO Offers a Look Into the Mind of Antônio Carlos Jobim on "Behind Jobim," Featuring Gretchen Parlato - Available July 15



MARCEL CAMARGO Offers a Look Into the Mind
of Antônio Carlos Jobim on Behind Jobim,
Featuring Gretchen Parlato - Available July 15

First Studio Recording from Ongoing Concert Series, 
The Brazil You Never Heard 

New York Release Performance Scheduled for
Tuesday, July 15 at Rockwood Music Hall
Cover Art by Adriano Fonseca de Carvalho
"Marcel's music manages to keep a very traditional Brazilian feeling while
moving forward into a new age, with twists and turns that are fresh, unexpected
and very original. I'm a fan! I wish him a long and successful career" - Sérgio Mendes
 
"Marcel Camargo is one of my favorite musicians, I love singing
with him...
he's doing something very special and necessary
with this project...
- Gretchen Parlato
 

Marcel Camargo has made his living as a professional musician in different locations all over the world, working as a sideman to legendary Brazilian, jazz, and pop musicians such as Michael Bublé, Sérgio Mendes, Bebel Gilberto, and Gretchen Parlato. Stepping into the spotlight as a leader with The Brazil You Never Heard, Camargo has created a project to showcase his many musical facets - guitarist, vocalist, composer, arranger and producer.

The São Paulo musician set out to produce an ongoing series of live concerts with companion studio records that feature his arrangements and compositions in the context of a chamber orchestra. While the focus is on Brazilian music, the repertoire embraces music from all over the world, illustrating how Brazil is both influenced by and influential to the international music scene.

Behind Jobim, the first in the series of EPs, aims to take an abridged look into the mind of Antônio Carlos Jobim, arguably Brazil's most internationally renowned composer/songwriter. "When I put together the repertoire, I designed it to mostly feature music that I knew was influential to Jobim," says Camargo. "When I did include his compositions in the set, the idea was to tie those to other pieces by composers that were his heroes." The result is a historical narrative, pointing back to Jobim's favorite classical composers - Debussy, Chopin and Villa Lobos - as well as his predecessors in the legacy of great Brazilian composers - Pixinguinha, Garoto and Radamés Gnattali.

Marcel Camargo - Photo Credit: Uyen Luu
When it came to recording the album, producing duties were split between drummer Leo Costa and Camargo. "For this EP, we chose to record pieces from the Behind Jobim concert that we felt made the biggest statements about what we wanted to accomplish musically and in terms of creating narratives," reflects Camargo. Those narratives are reinforced by the presence of vocalist Gretchen Parlato, who is no stranger to collaborations with Camargo. "Marcel Camargo is one of my favorite musicians, I love singing with him. He beautifully honors the classic sound we all adore in Brazilian music, but also allows his own voice to shine through...he's doing something very special and necessary with this project," says Parlato. 

The first historical connection is presented on "Lamentos do Morro," which Camargo imagined had a strong connection to Jobim's "Samba do Avião." The composition was re-orchestrated from a solo guitar arrangement by Brazilian guitarist Garoto to bring it closer to the hearts of non-guitar players. "I know Jobim loved Garoto as well and thought perhaps the song might have been of special importance to Jobim," reflects Camargo.

On "Lamento," Camargo incorporates a modern take on the Choro written by one of the genre's most influential composers, Pixinguinha. Originally released in 1928, the tune was described by critic Cruz Cordero as an Americanization of the typical Brazilian style in both melody and rhythm. "We loved this piece and we think Jobim loved it too," states Camargo. "I thought I'd twist this Choro even further with some different harmonies and rhythms that, while still referencing the older style, make the tune seem modern."

Vocalist Gretchen Parlato is featured on three of the album's five songs. On "I Fall in Love Too Easily," Parlato sings a duet with Camargo on guitar in an intimate setting. "We thought this was a nice contrast to the other tunes because of the sparse instrumentation and the improvised interpretation of the composition, whereas the other pieces on this record are very planned out and arranged," notes Camargo.

"Prelude/How Insensitive" brings the classical connection to the forefront by using Chopin's "Prelude No. 4 in E minor (Opus 28)" as an introduction. It is transcribed for a string quartet and made to resolve into the arrangement of Jobim's "How Insensitive," which also features Parlato.

Behind Jobim concludes with "Imagina," reinforcing the inspiration of Jobim and his ever-evolving connection to classical music. The song is said to have been Jobim's first composition from 1947, originally as a homework assignment from his teacher written for solo piano. Although the string quartet is the main sonic force, the harp and celeste are brought in to emphasize the dreamy quality of the arrangement enforced by vocals from Parlato and Camargo.

"A big part of the success of the series lies in the caliber and uniqueness of the groups that I've been lucky to assemble to present the material," says Camargo. Often including string and horn sections with a core rhythm section as well as the harp and mandolin, these large chamber groups have the capability of bringing all the details of a given piece to life while opening the listener to musical moments that might have otherwise passed by unnoticed.

Since the music of Jobim draws from many sources - mainly classical music, Brazilian popular and folk music, and jazz - Camargo creates a set that is very eclectic, yet conceptually cohesive.  

About Marcel Camargo

Born and raised in São Paulo, Brazil to a "musical extended family," Camargo learned to play guitar, percussion and sing with his uncle. At 16, he moved to the United States where he later earned his degree in Ethnomusicology from UCLA while studying under some of jazz' most significant musicians - Kenny Burrell, Billy Higgins, Harold Land, Gerald and Anthony Wilson as well as studying traditional Ghanaian music under master drummer Kobla Ladzekpo. His interests in school were varied but he was particularly attracted to folk music from different parts of the world. Taking full advantage of being in the United States, Camargo focused his studies on America's great folk idiom, jazz.

Currently residing in Los Angeles, working both as a sideman and leading his own group, his main gig has been playing guitar and singing back-up vocals for international pop star Michael Bublé. His other side work has been diverse, ranging from working with Sérgio Mendes, Bebel Gilberto, Tom Harrell and Gretchen Parlato - to performing with R&B/Hip-Hop icons such as Seu Jorge, Flying Lotus, Talib Kweli and Pharoahe Monch as well as touring and recording with artists like Macy Gray, Quadron, and Missy Higgins.

As an educator, Camargo has lectured on a variety of musical subjects while teaching at institutions such as the California State University Northridge, Shepherd University, the Larchmont Music Academy in New York, the French-American Lyceum Kennedy, and the South Pasadena Music Conservatory in California. 

Marcel Camargo and The Brazil You Never Heard - EPK - featuring Inara George
Marcel Camargo and The Brazil You Never Heard:
Behind Jobim EPK - featuring Inara George


Marcel Camargo Album Release Performance:

** July 15 / Rockwood Music Hall / New York, NY

** featuring Gretchen Parlato


Marcel Camargo and The Brazil You Never Heard
Behind Jobim
 Release Date: July 15, 2014  
 
 
For more information on MARCEL CAMARGO, please visit: MarcelCamargo.com


For media information, please contact:
DL Media · 610-667-0501
Matthew Jurasek · matt@dlmediamusic.com 
  
Serving the Finest in Jazz Since 1988
 
Information and press materials (including album covers, promotional photos
and bios) on all DL Media artists can be found at our website: dlmediamusic.com

###

HELIO PARALLAX - New CD on Bill Laswell's label M.O.D. Technologies








For Immediate Release Please

 M.O.D. TECHNOLOGIES
PRESENTS  

  HELIO PARALLAX

 FEATURING A LINE-UP OF 
DISTINCTIVE GUEST ARTISTS

THE CD RELEASE PARTY WILL BE HELD AT
UNION POOL IN BROOKLYN, NEW YORK ON JUNE 20, 2014.
FOR FURTHER INFO AND SPECIAL GUEST LINE-UP
PLEASE VISIT: http://union-pool.com

AVAILABLE IN STORES AND ONLINE JUNE 17, 2014
AND THROUGH M.O.D. TECHNOLOGIES.
VINYL AVAILABLE AS OF JULY 15, 2014.


Josh Werner
Bass, Double Bass, Guitar, Piano,
Programming, Keys, Vocals

Takuya Nakamura
Trumpet, Keys, Organ, Programming,Horn Arrangements

 Marihito Ayabe
 Dubbing, Mixing, Programming
   
SPECIAL GUESTS
  
Bianca Casady (CocoRosie) Vocals
Dustan Louque
Jahdan Blakkamore (MajorLazer)
Doug Wieselman Saxophones
Troy Simms
Yoshio Kobayashi Drums
Gintas Janusonis
 Raja Kassis Guitar
Namiko Ishikawa  Backing Vocals
Bill Laswell    Dubbing

ABOUT THE LABEL - M.O.D. Technologies - revealing light on the development of new sound experiences in material culture. A multi-directional music / sound / information system. Initiated in 2010 by bassist / producer Bill Laswell and Giacomo Bruzzo, co-founder of the progressive / future music label Rare Noise. M.O.D. - A futuristic hybrid of music exploration - dub / dub step / reggae / world / africa / drum'n'bass / mutant hip hop / avant metal / experimental / vocal music / instrumental / DJ culture and much more. M.O.D. resumes and continues the legacy of AXIOM, the timeless imprint established in 1989 by Bill Laswell with Chris Blackwell, founder of Island Records.
http://www.mod-technologies.com.


New York, June 4, 2014 - With pioneering explorations in time and space, Helio Parallax presents a sound deeply rooted in spiritual expression. It is true analog electronic music (no laptops) with cinematic landscapes (think Blade Runner meets Miles Davis' Elevator To The Gallows sound track) anchored by deep, dub/hip-hop beats - an atmospheric landscape coined "Sci-Fi Dub Noir."


Josh Werner (Wu Tang, Lee Scratch Perry, CocoRosie, Higgins Waterproof Black Magic Band) leads the charge with production and compositions born from futuristic collisionist thought. As Bass Player magazine (March 2014) said, "Josh Werner has re-emerged with a project that spotlights his masterful dub playing."


Multi-instrumentalist and producer Takuya Nakamura (Quincy Jones, George Russell, Arto Lindsey, CocoRosie) blends a new brand of Jazz, lo-fi analog and Hi-fi Digital space techno to his efforts. His ethereal trumpet playing establishing a cinematic dreamscape of sound.


Dub specialist/beat maker Marihito Ayabe (Dub Nomads, Chimp Beams, and Shing02) married hip hop and reggae programming with Atmoshperic Sound Design.


Special guests include Bianca Casady (CocoRosie) LOUQUE and Jah Dan (Major Lazer).



TRACKS

1. Helio Parallax

2. Strange Dream (feat. Louque)

3. Another Broken Human

4. Kilgore Trout Dub

5. Soft Blind Pony Ride (feat. Bianca Casady)

6. Speed of Life (feat. Jahdan Blakkamoore)

7. Frank's Lament (feat. Doug Wieselman)

8. Nocturne For Secret Planets

9. After the Flood

10. Happy Helio     

11. City of Glass

12. New Planet, Old Sun


ADDRESS FOR CD RELEASE PARTY
UNION POOL
484 UNION AVENUE
BROOKLYN, NY 11211
Time: 9PM
Admission: TBA
http://union-pool.com


FOR FURTHER INFO AND GUEST LIST INQUIRIES
PLEASE CONTACT
Antje Hübner
hubtone PR | New York
phone: 212-932-1667 
antje.huebner@hubtonepr.com
www.hubtonepr.com



Monday, June 2, 2014

Kickstarter: Lennon and the Beatles, a Jazz Tribute - by Ron Aprea


Having recorded with John Lennon in 1974 on the "Walls and Bridges" album, I will be producing my jazz tribute to Lennon and his songs.
Hi!  I'm Ron Aprea,  jazz saxophonist & arranger, and I’ve been recording and producing albums for over 30 years. In 1974, I had the honor of being one of the “Little Big Horns” on John Lennon’s 1974 “Walls and Bridges” album. John was an amazing human being, and my vision is to honor the music and spirit of John Lennon with a jazz tribute album. ( You can read more about my experience with John Lennon below.)
This album will include 12 songs, most of which are Lennon or Lennon/McCartney collaborations, with a gem by George Harrison.
I’ll be writing all the musical arrangements, but here’s what we need to budget for:

  • ·Rhythm section (piano, bass, drums)
  • ·Full string section
  • ·I’ll be on alto sax and flute, and we’ll be inviting world-class horn players to join us
  • Studio time:  Recording sessions & Mixing & Mastering
  • Photography, Artwork
  • CD production and pressing
  • Royalty fees (Harry Fox Agency)
  • Marketing: Radio, PR (probably 1/3 of the budget)
  • Domestic and international distribution
  • Kickstarter fee: 5% of funded project
  • Amazon: 5% of funded project (credit card fees)

I’m confident this project can be completed with $7,500…but I’ve set the Kickstarter goal at $5,000, as this is an all-or-nothing fundraiser.

FYI...please remember that your pledges are not collected or distributed unless we reach 100% of our goal.
Take a look at the rewards that you can have for your support.  They include t-shirts and gifts with reproduced images of two of my favorite souvenirs from my stint with John Lennon (see photo above).  It would be my pleasure to send them to you.  Thank you and  bless you for your generosity!
Read more @ Kickstarter

Jazz and Pop Crooner Spencer Day Readies New CD 'Daybreak' Featuring Both Standards and Originals

Los Angeles, CA - Acclaimed singer/songwriter Spencer Day returns to his musical roots with his fifth full-length album Daybreak, and his first independent album in seven years. His past two albums were released on the legendary Concord/Jazz label. With Daybreak, Spencer has created an album of signature interpretations of well-loved songs from the 1960’s along with five brand-new compositions written in homage of these classic American tunes.

There was a time, a sound, a feel, and a sensibility that defined the California mid-century experience. Spencer calls Daybreak his “top-down Chevy convertible on the Pacific Coast Highway” album, evoking the breezy feel of a sunny Southern California afternoon. Classics including Groovin, A World Without Love, and Never My Love have been re-imagined and interpreted in Spencer’s trademark honey baritone voice.

Spencer Day is widely regarded for his original songs that blend compelling melodies, smart lyrics and lush arrangements. For Daybreak, Spencer has crafted five new works that blend seamlessly with the cover tunes to create a moving tribute to that special time and place that gave rise to so many musical gems. Audiences around the world have enthusiastically supported Spencer for over ten years at venues as diverse as Birdland in New York, the Hollywood Bowl, Jazz Alley in Seattle, the Pacific Rim Jazz Festival in Manila, the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC, Feinstein’s in San Francisco, Tanglewood, the Craig Ferguson Show and at music venues and festivals across the U.S. and worldwide. Spencer has a widely diverse and enthusiastic fan base in the U.S., Asia, Latin America and Europe.

Missing Tonight is the first single from Daybreak to be released to radio, and it reflects Spencer’s roots in the Great American Songbook, with a contemporary, upbeat twist that has become Spencer’s signature sound. Written with legendary composers Bill DeMain and Larry Goldings, Missing, with its jazzy feel and persuasive lyrics, evokes the excitement  of a new relationship and the universal allure of limitless possibilities.

Spencer will tour extensively with his band on his Daybreak CD Release tour beginning May 10th in Georgia and continuing in San Francisco, New York City, Seattle, Los Angeles, and Orange County, Europe, Mexico (2015) and other venues and festivals in the U.S. and abroad.

The album’s first single Missing Tonight debuted tied for # 3 most added on Billboard Magazine’s Smooth Jazz chart the week of its release.

Daybreak will be released “Direct to Fans” via Spencer’s website on Friday May 16th, 2014 and Digitally and Physically, worldwide on June 10th, 2014.

Visit Spencer Day’s Website or Social Media pages for more information about this release and future tour dates. www.spencerday.com

For Physical Distribution Inquires please contact Steffen Franz or Ben Lang at
Independent Distribution Collective at 415-292-7007 or via e-mail
sales@independentdistro.com

For Digital Distribution Inquires contact Jerome Forney at IDCDigital at 415-292-7007 or via
e-mail jerome@independentdistro.com

To Book Spencer Day contact Marvin Edens 916-531-5010 www.spencerday.com

Press and Radio Inquires contact Billy James at Glass Onyon PR at 828-350-8158 glassonyonpr@gmail.com

Radio Inquires please contact Bud Harner 818-788-9577
bud.harner@gmail.com

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