Jazz Master Michael Wolff Records New Album Swirl At Yamaha Artist Services Piano Salon
The album represents the first time Wolff has reached the top position on the JazzWeek Jazz Chart, and is the latest recording to be made at the prestigious Yamaha Artist Services Piano Salon in Manhattan
NEW YORK (PRWEB) MARCH 07, 2019
Award-winning pianist and composer Michael Wolff’s latest album, Swirl, this week hit Number 1 on the JazzWeek Jazz Chart—the first time Wolff has reached the top position, and the latest recording to be made at the prestigious Yamaha Artist Services Piano Salon in Manhattan.
Released on January 25, 2019, by the Sunnyside Records imprint, Swirl showcases the artistry of Wolff, bassist Ben Allison and drummer Allan Mednard. Hailed as “an uplifting experience” (AllAboutJazz.com), Swirl also presents Wolff as “a resourceful pianist who happens to be charismatic as well” (JazzTrail.net). In its January 2019 issue, Jazziz listed it among its “10 New Jazz Albums You Need to Know About.”
On standard tunes and Wolff originals, the trio offers a clinic on the art of interactive improvisation within clear compositional structures. Its nine tracks begin with “Allison,” an ebullient tune co-written by Wolff and Allison, who brought their history as a working duo to the project. Other highlights include “Metairie,” a sly exercise in mid-tempo swing named for the New Orleans suburb where Wolff has family. “Jenny” was crafted for a friend who has suffered with a disease; when she found it too dissonant, Wolff was inspired to redo it and “write the prettiest melody I possibly can.” And “Tough Ashkenazi” takes its title from a conversation Wolff had with fellow pianist Fred Hersch, in which they shared their triumphant struggles to overcome serious illness.
Wolff’s decision to record Swirl at Yamaha Artist Services stems from his participation there with fellow pianists Andy Milne, Christian Sands and Kenny Werner at a tribute to Erroll Garner on June 18, 2017, as part of the Yamaha Salon Concert Series curated by jazz radio station WBGO. “I loved playing there,” Wolff says. “I had never played one of Yamaha’s hand-built CFX grand pianos. It blew me away. It was just delicious, with a rich sound and very round tone. So, when it came time to record Swirl, I decided I wanted to record there.”
“From the moment Michael walked into our Yamaha New York studios and sat down at the CFX it seemed like he found a real home, and soon thereafter, a real groove,” notes Bonnie Barrett, director, Yamaha Artist Services New York. “Yamaha Artist Services is proud of our collaboration with Michael on this project and we look forward to an ongoing and deepening partnership.”
Raised in Memphis, New Orleans and Northern California, Wolff has been playing professionally since the early ’70s, when he joined Latin-jazz great Cal Tjader’s band. He spent the next two decades gigging and recording with a veritable pantheon of jazz luminaries, including Cannonball Adderley, Tom Harrell, Sonny Rollins, Nancy Wilson and many others. In 1989 he began a five-year tenure as musical director of the house band on Arsenio Hall’s late-night talk show. He made his leader debut in 1993 with a self-titled release on Columbia. Since then he has put out well over a dozen albums with A-list guests such as Freddie Hubbard, Sheila E and Terri Lyne Carrington. During the mid ’90s the nonpareil rhythm section of Christian McBride and Tony Williams anchored Wolff’s records Jumpstart! and 2 AM. Wolff & Clark Expedition, the pianist’s still-active collaboration with drummer Mike Clark, has released two collections of 21st-century hard bop since 2013.
Wolff served as composer, co-producer and screenwriter of the film The Tic Code, which was honored at the Berlin International Film Festival, Giffoni Film Festival and Hamptons International Film Festival. Along with his sons Nat and Alex, he shared a Broadcast Music, Inc. Cable Award for the music on the Naked Brothers Band TV series, in which Wolff also played a feature role.
The Swirl sessions were unique in that they incorporated two sets, with and without a small invited audience. Other than the applause that follows several of the performances, the pristine audio and luscious tone of the CFX transforms the entire album into a singularly excellent listening experience.
For more information about Michael Wolff, please visit http://www.michaelwolff.com For more information about Yamaha Artist Services New York, please visit http://www.yamaha.com/yasi
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About Yamaha Artist Services New York, Inc.
Established in 1987 in New York City, Yamaha Artist Services, Inc. (YASI) provides a wide range of professional services exclusively for performing artists, concert venues, performing arts organizations and educational institutions, representing an unparalleled commitment to the music industry and an invaluable resource for musicians, presenters and educators worldwide.
Established in 1987 in New York City, Yamaha Artist Services, Inc. (YASI) provides a wide range of professional services exclusively for performing artists, concert venues, performing arts organizations and educational institutions, representing an unparalleled commitment to the music industry and an invaluable resource for musicians, presenters and educators worldwide.
Since 2005, Yamaha Artist Services New York has been in the heart of midtown Manhattan on Fifth Avenue and 54th Street, in an historical landmarked 1925 building which originally served as Aeolian Hall, the headquarters of the Aeolian Piano Company. Designed by Warren & Wetmore, the architects of other notable buildings in New York City (Grand Central Terminal, the former Steinway Hall on 57th St.,) the building later became the headquarters for Elizabeth Arden. Occupying over 4,000 square feet, the Yamaha Artist Services Piano Salon features an elegant performance venue seating up to 90 and houses a large selection of concert-ready Premium Pianos of various sizes, including the acclaimed Yamaha CF series (CFX, CF6, CF4,), Bösendorfer, and Disklavier instruments, as well as the innovative AvantGrand hybrid and TransAcoustic pianos. Led by Yamaha’s Chief Concert Technician, Yamaha Artist Services also provides outstanding technical support for concert venues and artists throughout the United States.
The Piano Salon is a state-of-the art, acoustically and technically adaptable environment. It features a wide-screen projection system with custom NEXO stereo sound, remote control cameras and a Newtek Tricaster system for video capture and live broadcast, and a 128 channel Dante-equipped Nuage recording and mixing console for professional audio recording and post production. The Piano Salon also features Yamaha's Active Field Control system (AFC), which uses sound processing technology to optimize room acoustics to suit the desired size of a performance, and can recreate authentic acoustic simulations of other performing arts venues.
It is a versatile space hosting instrument selections for artists, concert venues and educational institutions; rehearsals, recitals, auditions, masterclasses, press receptions, lectures and film screenings. The Piano Salon has been at the forefront of showcasing Yamaha’s groundbreaking RemoteLive and Remote Lesson technologies, a groundbreaking and innovative way of delivering a live performance or pedagogical experience by linking two or more Disklavier pianos together, anywhere in the world, in perfect synchronization with video streaming.
Yamaha Artist Services New York works in close collaboration with other Yamaha Artist Service centers throughout the world, including those located in Japan, China, Russia and Europe, ensuring the seamless and unwavering support of Yamaha Artists internationally, wherever they are performing.
