AVAILABLE NOW: Marcel Camargo Offers a Look Into the Mind of Antonio Carlos Jobim on "Behind Jobim," Featuring Gretchen Parlato

AVAILABLE NOW:

MARCEL CAMARGO Offers a Look Into the Mind

of Antônio Carlos Jobim on Behind Jobim,

Featuring Gretchen Parlato

First Studio Recording from Ongoing Concert Series, 

The Brazil You Never Heard 

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

 

Stream Tracks from Behind Jobim

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.

"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: Behind Jobim EPK - featuring Inara George

Marcel Camargo Album Release Performance:

** August 30 / The Sayers Club / Los Angeles, CA

** 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

###

Canada ù; Flute News - July 2014 - Bill McBirnie

(1)  REVIEWS - (i) JAZZIZ, (ii) JAZZTIMES & (iii) DOWNBEAT:

I’ve been lucky because, despite my being a rather unknown-Canadian-indie-jazz-flutist, Bernie Senensky and I have received “honourable mentions” in all three of the major US jazz publications in the past year:  (i) Jazziz, (ii) JazzTimes and (iii) Downbeat.  (…Now I guess it’s back to relative obscurity for us here in Toronto!… :-)  Anyway, here are citations from each publication (including the most recent review of the new recording, Find Your Place, which appeared in Jazziz):

(i)  JAZZIZ

The Bill McBirnie Trio

Find Your Place

"...An effervescent, joyous quality pervades the Bill McBirnie Trio's Find Your Place…[It] showcases a wide range of grooves, from bop and bossa to gospel and swing…Those new to McBirnie will be amazed at his imagination and originality on this exceptional album."  (MARK HOLSTON, Spring 2014)

(ii)  JAZZTIMES

The Bill McBirnie/Bernie Senensky Duo

Opening for Eliane Elias at the TD Toronto Jazz Festival

"Best Opening Act - Eliane Elias delivered a solid, opening-weekend show at the Old Mill Inn, focusing squarely on selections from her recent Chet Baker tribute, I Thought About You. But it was the dynamic opening duo of pianist and composer Bernie Senensky and flutist Bill McBirnie that, battling a cacophony of cutlery, truly set the expansive dining room aflame and, ironically, provided far more satisfying dips into the Brazilian songbook. For the uninitiated, check out their 2005 pairing on Paco Paco." (CHRISTOPHER LOUDON, 7/8/2013)

(iii)  DOWNBEAT

The Bill McBirnie/Bernie Senensky Duo

Opening for Eliane Elias at the TD Toronto Jazz Festival

"…Toronto’s deep pool of local talent was on display at dozens of events…Opening for Eliane Elias, flutist Bill McBirnie proved a passionate and eloquent improviser with sure-footed support from pianist Bernie Senensky. Their set included works by Antonio Carlos Jobim and Clare Fischer and a show-stopping finale penned by Senensky that [McBirnie] said was inspired by Hermeto Pascoal and Charlie Parker.” (ALLEN MORRISON, 7/16/2013)

 

(2)  A SPECIAL GIG WITH THE MCBIRNIE BROS. AT THE REX!:

The McBirnie Brothers (Jim on piano, Rod on drums and me on flute) haven’t played at The Rex in years.  So this is a special occasion, especially for me, because I hardly ever get to play with them.  I admit that I usually don’t get out to Jim’s regular Saturday sessions either (but then I figure those sessions are going to continue, like clock work, for the next 40 years…just as they have for the past 40 years plus!…(So I will get my chance soon enough, I’m sure! :-)  By the way, Rob McBride will be with us on bass (…and I understand that Rob is working on changing his last name in preparation for the gig!… :-)  So come out and heckle, if you must, because it’s certainly a rare opportunity for you to take a run at all of us, at once!

(3)  THE PASSING OF PAUL HORN:

Paul Horn passed away at his home in Victoria, BC on June 29th at the age of 84.  Since childhood, he has been my biggest influence on the instrument.  So for me, this was an acutely affecting event.  As a small tribute, here is a link to one track from my favourite Paul Horn album, Cycle.  This record was released in 1965 on RCA and was not exactly the rip-roaring commercial success that Inside The Taj Mahal turned out to be.  Indeed, Cycle has never been re-issued on CD…and likely never will be…Consequently, if you take the time to listen to this track, then you will detect the sound of “well-worn vinyl” as Paul performs a very touching version of the children’s classic, “HI-LILI, HI-LO”.  I might add that, at this point in his career, Paul was exploring odd time signatures.  However, here he executes an ironic twist by transforming what was originally conceived to be a rather jaunty waltz into a plaintive 4/4 meter.  The band is superb, consisting of Lynn Blessing (vibes), Mike Lang (piano), Bill Goodwin (drums) and Bill Plummer (bass).  The track is about five-and-a-half minutes in length and here is the link:  https://soundcloud.com/extremeflute/hi-lili-hi-lo 

(4)  IN THE WORKS - A NEW RECORDING PROJECT WITH BRUCE JONES - “GRAIN OF SAND”:

I am presently deviating from my “acoustic jazz” path and working on a new recording project with Bruce Jones.  This will be quite different from my more recent recordings (and represents something of a reincarnation of Extreme Flute!  Anyway, Bruce and I are now working on the tracks, but it will take a little while to complete.  The project will be entitled, “Grain Of Sand”.

(5)   …STOP…

I certainly don’t want to be cluttering up anyone’s in-basket (…regardless of what the law says!… :-)  So as always, if you don’t want to receive these periodic updates, then simply return this email with STOP in the subject line and I will remove you from the list.  (Thanks!)

(6)  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., Sept. 6, 2014 at 5:00 p.m.

Private Function

Toronto, Ontario

With STEPHEN GARDNER & BRENDA CAROL

Sun., Aug. 10, 2014 at 5:00 p.m.

Private Function

Toronto, Ontario

With the FERNANDO TAVARES Quartet

Thurs., Aug. 7, 2014 at 8:00 p.m.

Walker House

146 High St.

Southhampton, Ontario

With the CHARLIE BELL Trio

Tues., Aug. 5, 2014 at 7:00 p.m.

The Salty Dog Bar & Grill

1980 Queen St. E. (in the Beach)

Toronto, Ontario

With the GREG PILO Quartet

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

Sun., July 27, 2014 at 12:00 p.m.

The Beaches International Jazz Festival

Woodbine Park (The Latin Square)

Toronto, Ontario

With UN POCO LATINO

Fri., July 25, 2014 at 9:30 p.m.

The Rex

194 Queen St. W

Toronto, Ontario

With THE MCBIRNIE BROTHERS (Jim, Rod & Bill...The first time in years!...)

Thurs, July 24 & Sat., July 26, 2014 at 7:30 p.m.

The Beaches International Jazz Festival at Seagull Classics

1974 Queen Street East

Toronto, Ontario

With BRUCE SMITH & THE SEAGULL ALLSTARS (…Always a fun gig!...)

Brazilian Music Icon Sérgio Mendes Releases Eclectic OKeh Records Debut - "Magic" Available September 9

Brazilian Music Icon Sérgio Mendes Releases Eclectic
OKeh Records Debut - Magic - Available September 9
 

  

"The sound of Brazilian musician Sergio Mendes has been a 

summer soundtrack for generations of listeners." - NPR

 

In a career that spans more than half a century, Sérgio Mendes is an old hand at creating a unique sonic blend that electrifies a mass global audience. His knack for delivering hit after hit has made him the most successful Brazilian musician of his time. A grand conceptualizer, his well-polished talents as a pianist, composer, bandleader, vocalist and producer make him a truly singular artist. With Magic, his debut recording for the storied OKeh label, he triumphs once again, delivering a timely update on the infectious mix of Brazilian rhythms and contemporary styles from his homeland, the U.S. and elsewhere that make the Mendes sound instantly recognizable.

Magic spotlights the distinct talents of a large cast of both emerging and established Brazilian and North American musicians, vocalists, composers and producers. The eclectic line-up of multi-faceted collaborators underscores how Mendes has been so successful at forging fruitful partnerships since he emerged as a young jazz pianist in Rio de Janeiro in the early 1960s. Present to help Magic radiate its special distinctive charm are such one-of-a-kind artists as will.i.am, putting his producer's genius to work on one track, and singer John Legend. Among Mendes' Brazilian guests are vocalists Milton Nascimento, Carlinhos Brown, Ana Carolina, Seu Jorge,Maria Gadú, and Gracinha Leporace, Mendes' lovely wife and a noted vocalist from the bossa nova days. Also on hand is guitarist Guinga, one of Brazil's most accomplished string masters and composers. Recording sessions in Los Angeles, Salvador, and Rio de Janeiro involved a host of top flight musicians from both countries.

"I like to do things that are kind of bold, fresh and unique. That gives me a lot of pleasure," Mendes says of the creative process that has been central to his success. "I'm very curious and intuitive, and I also love to learn new things - I have no formula. I believe in the magic of the encounter... and that is what my life has been about, and also this album. For me, the most important thing is the melody. Then the arrangement. It's all about how you present the song. That plays a big role in what I do."

On Magic, the three-time Grammy® Award-winner taps the entire range of music styles he has explored, from samba jazz to hip-hop. The session's focal point is the exuberant "One Nation." "When I began the album last year," Mendes notes, "I went to Salvador to work with Carlinhos Brown and write a song for the World Cup. It represents the joy, the rhythm and the excitement of fútbol as seen through a Brazilian eye." "Atlântica," by one of Mendes' favorite composers, is an example of what the musician looks for to perform. "When Guinga played that song for me two years ago, I couldn't get the melody out of my head," he comments. "The harmonies and chord changes are incredible. The beautiful thing about the album is that I have songs from composers like Guinga and Toninho Horta and my friend Milton Nascimento, who wrote his tune just for this album."

Photo Credit: Andrew Southam

Maria Gadú, a young singer, guitarist and composer from São Paulo, is another Magicrevelation. "I met her about three years ago and said 'let's do a song together!' What a wonderful experience it was working with her." And, although he included songs like "Só Eu," a melodic beauty by the late maestro Moacir Santos, his theory teacher in Rio 50 years ago, Mendes also contributed more original works than on any previous album. "The songwriting aspect of this album gives me tremendous pleasure," he adds.

    

"Sometimes you have no idea of how younger people really appreciate your work and how knowledgeable they are of what you've done," Mendes comments on his collaborations withwill.i.am and John Legend, "I like those experiences very much. I love reaching out and ending up with something that's bold and different. That's why I called the album Magic. Everything on it is magical."

Born and raised in Niterói, a city across Guanabara Bay from Rio de Janeiro, young Mendes studied piano at a local conservatory. An interest in North American jazz led him to Copacabana's fabled clubs of the late 1950s, where he performed with his first trio. In 1961, he formed the Bossa Rio Sextet, a groundbreaking group that was his first of many artistic coups. "Those were the days of the bossa nova when it was mostly performed by a guitarist and a singer," he recalls today. "I came up with the idea of using two trombones and a tenor sax, and it was a revolution. People loved the sound because it was totally different." In the two years that followed, he took the group to New York City to perform at the historic bossa nova concert at Carnegie Hall in 1962. He recorded albums with such jazz greats as Julian "Cannonball" Adderley, Phil Woods and Hubert Laws, and continued to work closely with his mentor, famed composer Antônio Carlos Jobim.

By the mid 1960s, it was time for a totally new direction, and Mendes once again created a revolutionary sound that would prove to be pop culture phenomenon for the following three decades. His new creation, dubbed Brazil '66, used two female vocalists to shape ingenious bossa-spiced arrangements of a wide-ranging repertoire that included the latest fare from Brazil, rock and R&B hits, and carefully chosen gems from the Great American Songbook. Significantly, his debut album with the new group, Herb Alpert Presents Sérgio Mendes & Brazil '66, was recently inducted into the Grammy® Hall of Fame.

Throughout his career, Mendes has continued to recharge his passion for creating fresh and innovative music by seeking out challenging partnerships and novel sources of inspiration. Occasionally, the process has been as simple as returning to the elemental Brazilian sound, as he did on such albums as Primal Roots and Oceano. At other times, it has meant embracing the spirit of a universal theme. His album Confetti and its title tune became the anthem for the 1984 Olympic Games while Pelé was the soundtrack for a motion picture about the world's greatest soccer player of all time. Within the past decade, Mendes has also successfully experimented with hip-hop and other of-the-moment styles.

Sérgio Mendes  · Magic 

OKeh  ·  Release Date: September 9, 2014 
 

For more information on Sérgio Mendes, please visit: www.SergioMendesMusic.com

Sony Music Masterworks comprises the Masterworks, Sony Classical, OKeh, Portrait, Masterworks Broadway and Flying Buddha imprints. For email updates and information please visit

 www.SonyMasterworks.com

###

   

 

For more information, please contact:

  

DL Media · 610-667-0501

Amy Miller ·  amy@dlmediamusic.com

Don Lucoff ·  don@dlmediamusic.com

  

Sony Masterworks/OKeh

Angela Barkan ·  Angela.Barkan@sonymusic.com ·  212-833-8575

Larissa Slezak ·  Larissa.Slezak@sonymusic.com ·  212-833-6075

 

SergioMendesMusic.com 

Beverly Taft meets The Nathan Hiltz Orchestra

A warm, fascinating voice, original songwriting including inspired lyrics, a high class jazz combo these seem to be the ingredients of a many stars album and yes, listening to Beverly Taft's new release all these aforementioned merits come alive for real.  Nathan Hillz on guitar is a treat while pianist Adrean Faruggia shines on one piece.  The atmosphere is set to the standard jazz era full of explosive swing with a modern feel.
 It's hard not to have a chemistry with this album which leaves a trail of heavenly harmony.
Beverly Taft sings with self-assurance mastering every nuance with no effort, connecting voice, music and lyrics in the most natural way backed by clear intonation and diction. To listen over and over again.
http://www.beverlytaft.com

Charlie Haden passed away today at 10:11 Pacific time in Los Angeles

It is with deep sorrow that we announce that Charlie Haden, born August 6, 1937 in Shenandoah, Iowa,  passed away today at 10:11 Pacific time in Los Angeles after a prolonged illness. Ruth Cameron, his wife of 30 years, and his children Josh Haden, Tanya Haden, Rachel Haden and Petra Haden were all by his side.

Tina Pelikan

ECM Records Publicity

 
Keith Jarrett: piano
Charlie Haden: double bass

Keith Jarrett and Charlie Haden broaden the scope of their duo project to showcase jazz classics like Thelonious Monk’s “’Round Midnight” and Bud Powell’s spritely “Dance Of The Infidels”. Love songs, however, are to the fore in this selection, with tender versions of “My Old Flame”, “My Ship”, “It Might As Well Be Spring”, “Everything Happens To Me”, and “Every Time We Say Goodbye” as well as versions of “Where Can I Go Without You” and “Goodbye” which are every bit as touching as the Jasmine renditions. “When we play together it’s like two people singing”, said Jarrett of his reunion with Haden. The intentions of the song are honoured, the shades of meaning in a melody or a lyric explored instrumentally. As Charlie Haden put it, “Keith really listens, and I listen. That’s the secret. It’s about listening.” The music of Last Dance was recorded at Keith Jarrett’s home studio

ECM

Documentary Film on the Canterbury Scene featuring MoonJune Records

Dear Friends in Music MoonJune Records is joining forces with Zeitgeist Media to help the filmmaking company raise funds in support of the Romantic Warriors - Canterbury Tales documentary's Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign. Many fans of progressive music around the world have enjoyed the efforts of Adele Schmidt and José Zegarra Holder, creators of the documentary series Romantic Warriors – A Progressive Music Saga. The first two installments covered a wide variety of bands, and they're starting on Volume 3, which will investigate the so-called Canterbury music scene, and running a fund-raising campaign on Indie Go Go. I am privileged to be featured in this documentary and it was my immense pleasure to host both Adele and José - whom I consider dear friends for many years – in my office for some filming scenes, and as well to participate in few other episodes: one at the legendary NYC record store DownTown Music Gallery, and the other one at the Rock-In-Opposition Festival at the Maison de la Musique de Cap Découverte in Carmauxi, France, last September 2013, where one of my bands, the Soft Machine Legacy, was performing. I am pretty sure that many of MoonJune fans are aware of this so called Canterbury scene but there are many that need to learn a bit more. Some of my all time favorite artists fit into the scene, such as Soft Machine (pre-fusion period), Hatfield & The North, Robert Wyatt, Hugh Hopper, Gong, Caravan, National Health, Matching Mole, and many more. And my company is named after the tune 'Moon In June' from the legendary Soft Machine's 'Third' album (1970) The film will cover not only the origins and evolution of the Canterbury scene bands and the contributions of my late friends such as Elton Dean and Hugh Hopper, but also highlight two active bands in the MoonJune's catalog: Soft Machine Legacy and The Wrong Object. MoonJune Records is donating the following CDs to the campaign, the inspired Hugh Hopper’s Numero D’Vol album, the fabulous Steam from Soft Machine Legacy, and the delightfully quirky, undeniably bold and adventurous album After the Exhibition from Belgian masters The Wrong Object, which features the greatly talented singer-songwriter Susan Clynes. Zeitgeist Media is offering these CDs as part of four perks in the campaign: Free Bee, Glass Cubes, A Veritable Centaur, and Sol Caliente. The CDs offered as part of these perks (but not necessarily other items of the perk) will be shipped starting at the end of the campaign (July 11). I encourage you to back this project. Backing this project will help bring it to market. Would you be interested to help funding the film "Romantic Warriors III - Canterbury Tales"? Then head on over to IndieGoGo before their July 11 deadline for more info on the film and how to help funding. DIRECT LINK (click on =>): bit.ly/1hz4R7m TRAILER (click on =>): bit.ly/1nsM3ob Thanks Yours in Music Leonardo/MoonJune and please watch two short clips including Yours truly, by clicking on the images here below

WATCH THE TRAILER

Violinist DIANE MONROE & Vibraphonist TONY MICELI To Release Exploratory Duo Album, Alone Together, Available August 19 on Dreambox Media

Violinist DIANE MONROE & Vibraphonist TONY MICELI

To Release Exploratory Duo Album, Alone Together, 

Available August 19 on Dreambox Media

  

Album Celebrates Three Decades of 

Philadelphia-Based Pair's Collaboration

Repertoire Spans Jazz, Classical, Standards, 

Spirituals and Original Compositions

 

"[Diane Monroe's] technique is impeccable and her 

improvisations rich and imaginative." - All About Jazz 

"[Tony Miceli] is a vibraphonist of astonishing virtuosity, musical resilience, and inventiveness. His vibes playing is nothing short of phenomenal." 

- All About Jazz

Stream Tracks from Alone Together

Two of Philadelphia's most revered jazz artists unite for an intimate, exploratory duo session on Alone Together, due out August 19. Violinist Diane Monroe and vibraphonist Tony Miceli have been playing together since the mid-1980s, and the fruits of that three-decade relationship are evident throughout their debut collaboration. The album's thirteen tracks encompass the wide range of the pair's mutual interests, from jazz to classical, standards to spirituals, originals to classics, and even an unexpected TV theme song.

"I've always been fascinated by how two instruments can play together and make a complete picture," says Miceli. "A duo is very personal. It's about as personal as you can get. It's just the two of you, and every note one plays is going to effect the other."

"It's all about blending," Monroe adds, "finding a sound that works individually as well as collectively."

Both Monroe and Miceli have long histories of forging rich collaborations in Philadelphia and beyond. Monroe has bridged the jazz and classical traditions for most of her career. She studied at Oberlin Conservatory, Philadelphia Musical Academy, Michigan State University, 

and the Curtis Institute ofMusic. She toured for more than a decade with the Max Roach Double Quartet and the Uptown String Quartet and performed extensively as a member of the String Trio of New York, all ensembles which fused classical virtuosity with jazz improvisation. Over the course of her career she's played with such renowned artists as Percy Heath, Steve Wilson, Dave Grusin, Joe Lovano, Reggie Workman, Wycliffe Gordon, and Uri Caine, and is currently a member of saxophonist/composer Bobby Zankel's Warriors of the Wonderful Sound big band.

Miceli has been a force on the Philly jazz scene since 1980 while touring the world and mentoring young players as an educator. In 1990 he co-founded the group Monkadelphia, dedicated to playing the music of Thelonious Monk. He is also a member of the PhilOrch Jazz Ensemble, a quartet featuring members of the Philadelphia Orchestra. He has worked with countless jazz luminaries as both a leader and a sideman, including David Liebman, Jimmy Bruno, Ken Peplowski, John Blake, John Swana, Joe Magnarelli, Steve Slagle, Larry McKenna, and many others.

The two first joined forces in the '80s, when Miceli enlisted Monroe to work on jazz arrangements he'd made of classic rock songs - an ongoing interest most recently manifested in his latest group, The Jost Project, which has recorded songs by the Beatles, Simon and Garfunkel, Led Zeppelin, and Aerosmith. They continued to reunite sporadically over the ensuing decades, finally forming a quartet in the mid-2000s. By 2009 they'd begun discussing the possibility of playing duo, but both found the prospect daunting.

"We were kind of scared," Monroe admits. "I was coming from playing with pianists where the whole range of the keyboard was covered, so I was used to hearing all those harmonies. I knew that Tony is such a wonderful harmonizer. He was a great harmonizer, but the issue was that I knew that the vibraphone was also limited, but he had trepidations too. Finally we just said, 'We're gonna do this,' but it was a slow process."

Over the course of the next year the two developed a sound together, and by 2010 began a series of live webcasts from Miceli's basement. These virtual concerts not only placed the pressure of a live situation on the duo's shoulders, but allowed them to gradually accrue a loyal fanbase. "I always felt like we had an audience with the webcasts," Monroe recalls. "I have a very active imagination, so as soon as I get on stage I get scared, no matter where it is. I play differently, hence that's where the growth comes in."

"Over that year, I learned so much about music," Miceli continues. "We really stuck together through thick and thin and finally felt like we could cover all the bases of the music."

The diverse material the duo selected for Alone Together reflects the breadth of their experiences. "We wanted to find interesting, different kinds of tunes that would cross over a little bit," explains Miceli. The album opens with guitarist Ralph Towner's classic "Icarus," originally written for the Paul Winter Consort, which Monroe cites as a longtime favorite. The track exemplifies the beauty of the pair's collaboration, with Monroe wringing deeply-felt emotion from the melody over Miceli's rippling vibes.

Miceli's contribution to the repertoire, "Vince Guaraldi," pays tribute to the pianist and composer best known for his soundtracks to the classic "Peanuts" TV specials, including "A Charlie Brown Christmas" and "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown." Both Miceli and Monroe fondly recalled growing up on Guaraldi's indelible themes. "For a lot of people my age, that might have been their first exposure to jazz," Miceli says. "He wrote beautiful melodies, and as my musical taste grew I began to realize more and more how heavy he was. Thinking of him was a great inspiration for me."

Monroe's original piece, "Fleetin' Blues," revisits a composition she originally wrote while in residency at Lafayette College in Easton, Pennsylvania. The piece was inspired by a series of paintings illustrating blues musicians by artist and Lafayette professor Curlee Holton that originally incorporated guitar, electronic loops, and a drum machine but here gets a much more organic treatment.

Both "Bachianas Brasileiras," by Brazilian composer Heitor Villa-Lobos, and Chick Corea's classic "Spain" take advantage of Monroe's classical background and the ability of both to move freely between the jazz and classical worlds. Corea's much-loved piece was derived from Spanish classical composer Joaquín Rodrigo's "Concierto de Aranjuez."

Miceli's extensive experience in the jazz world inspired the duo to include three standards: "East of the Sun and West of the Moon," "Here's That Rainy Day," and the title track, "Along Together". The vibist's deft playing comes as no surprise, but the three pieces provide a stellar opportunity for Monroe, whose jazz playing has often leaned toward the avant-garde, to show off her straightahead chops. Two Monk compositions - "Eronel" and "Misterioso" - allow both to venture further out.

Both are also given a single solo spotlight on the album. Miceli chose the classic country song "Tennessee Waltz," which he places firmly on his "most beautiful tunes ever list." Monroe plays a harrowing rendition of the spiritual "Wade in the Water," which evokes the tune's deeper meaning, a warning to enslaved African-Americans to obliterate their scent when being hunted by dogs. "The mood at the beginning of the piece depicts how scary that was," she says. "Then this melody emerges which is so beautiful and haunting at the same time."

Finally, the disc ends with its biggest surprise - the theme from the original "Star Trek" TV series. Both Monroe and Miceli readily admit to being "Trekkies", but Miceli says that there are more relevant reasons for performing the tune. "The musician has to find ways to bring something interesting to people," he says. "It's not like you can go out and play 'Days of Wine and Roses' and people recall the movie anymore. I think when you play something it's got to move people and invoke memories and feelings, and if you play 'I Remember April' in front of a twenty-something crowd, they don't necessarily have a tie to it. A beautiful melody is a beautiful melody."

Diane Monroe & Tony Miceli: Alone Together

Upcoming Diane Monroe & Tony Miceli Duo Performances:

* Thursday, August 21 / Hawthorne Park / Philadelphia, PA

Friday, September 19 / Chris' Jazz Cafe / Philadelphia, PA  

+ Wednesday, September 24 / Kitano / New York NY

*with Friends

+ with bassist Tony Marino and drummer Jonathan Blake

Alone Together - Track Listing/Composers

1. Icarus (Ralph Towner)

2. Vince Guaraldi (Tony Miceli)

3. Spain (Chick Corea)

4. Fleetin' Blues (Diane Monroe)

5. East of the Sun (Brooks Bowman)

6. Bachianas Brasilieras No. 5 (Hector Villa Lobos, arr. Tony Miceli)

7. Tennessee Waltz (Pee Wee King/Redd Stewart)

8. Here's That Rainy Day (Jimmy Van Heusen, arr. Diane Monroe)

9. Wade in the Water (Traditional, arr. Diane Monroe)

10. Eronel (Thelonious Monk)

11. Alone Together (Arthur Schwartz)

12. Misterioso (Thelonious Monk)

13. Star Trek (Alexander "Sandy" Mair Courage)

Diane Monroe & Tony Miceli · Alone Together

Dreambox Media  ·  Release Date: August 19, 2014  

 

For more information on Diane Monroe, please visit: dianemonroemusic.com

 

For more information on Tony Miceli, please visit: tonymiceli.com

For media information, please contact:

Gina Fabiano  ·  gina@ginafabiano.com/917-568-4670

Jordy Freed  ·  jordy@jordyfreed.com/267-274-7368 

Management & Booking:

Laura Hartmann  · LVanHart Artist Productions

www.lvanhart.com