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©2012
MOONJUNE RECORDS | Union Square, New York, NY 10003
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Thursday, June 28, 2012
Moonjune Records presents the Indonesian jazz-rock trio Ligro
New Release: Lisa Kirchner "Charleston For You" on Verdant World Records
New Release:
Lisa Kirchner "Charleston For You" Verdant World Records Street Date August 1, 2012 |
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 LISA KIRCHNER
shares her artistry in song and songwriting, as she performs an
eclectic brew of crossover classics in several languages, presenting
original music and lyrics in a diverse and expressive album. Kirchner is
a remarkably versatile singer, with a beautiful sound, and eloquent
phrasing. Here she takes the listener on an international voyage across
musical genres in collaboration with seasoned and imaginative players.
Charleston For You on Verdant World Records
Lisa Kirchner has been pushing the envelope, crossing boundaries with every release, performing a diverse repertoire of folk, jazz, French and Brazilian songs, Kurt Weill, pop music, jazz renditions of contemporary classical art songs, her own music and lyrics, and songs on which she has partnered as lyricist with other composers. Charleston For You, is Lisa Kirchner’s fifth solo vocal album, and her first release on her new label, Verdant World Records. Lisa Kirchner’s expressivity and musicality are trademarks of her singing. She has a rare ability to plum the emotional depths of a song and to present its subtle phrasing elegantly. Says Galt MacDermot, with whom she has written and performed several songs on this album, "Lisa finds that subterranean tone in her voice and in the song that raises pop singing to an art." John Michael Koroly wrote of her live performance, "she's got striking range with the ability to emote rage, loss or longing in equally convincing measure... Kirchner is a singer who can galvanize the stage both vocally and physically”. Electronic Link Journey wrote, "…the French songs defy explanation when it comes to intensity and emotion... Her renditions of ‘Ne Me Quitte Pas' and 'Jessie' may be the most heart-wrenching ever." With Charleston For You, listeners may share in the varied repertoire and unique delivery for which Lisa is noted, as she slips effortlessly through performances of Gershwin, Piaf, Janis Ian, Brazilian music and her own and Galt MacDermot’s compositions. Lisa’spenchant for empathetic, and highly skilled musicians is evidenced in these tracks, and Charleston For You, features some of New York’s first class players in jazz, pop,classical, and theater music, with whom Lisa has collaborated throughout her years performing in theater, jazz clubs and cabaret. The formations range from quintets, to duos and her own voice- guitar solo. The musicians include, composer Galt MacDemot, pianists Mark Berman,Tommy Mandel, Phillip Namanworth, and James Weidman, bassists, Jonathan Miller and Lonnie Plaxico, drummers Adam Cruz and Sue Evans, guitarist Ron Jackson, accordionist Walter Kuehr, and saxophonist Paul Ostermayer- leaders, composers, musical directors, and arrangers, who have performed folk, jazz, pop, R&B, and classical music with icons in every genre. In her fluid liner notes Lisa writes, “This is a compilation album made up of tracks I recorded in the late 90’s.The Man I Love, was recorded live at Birdland. The album features some of New York’s finest musicians, inspired and seasoned pros in jazz, pop, classical, rock and theater music, with whom I have been so pleased to collaborate, and whose paths crossed mine early on in music. The song narratives follow the heart on its journey through a jungle of romance and psychology in several languages, traversing the Amazon, haunting the streets of Pigalle, and illuminating the Berkeley sky from the San Francisco Bay to Riverside Drive in cinematic overlay. Phat Hat, was impelled, one hot summer night on Broadway, by a girl leaning against a lamp post in a large brimmed hat. I thought, “she’s grooving in a phat hat.” Weeks later for the first time, I heard the expression “phat.” Thanks to Mac Rebennack, "Dr. John", for kindly providing the lyrics, years ago, and inspiring the performance of Marie Laveau, the tale of a hair dresser rumored to practice spells, buried at night, and dubbed the Voodoo Queen. I am grateful to Galt MacDermot for generously collaborating on, performing, and recording six songs with me, after our run of his show, The Human Comedy, at the Public Theater and on Broadway. Three songs are featured on this album, and three on the forthcoming sequel. The bayou fueled Blue By the River (Port of New Orleans.) Jesse, written by Janis Ian, and permeating the air waves in the days of Be-Ins on the Cambridge Common, and my own song, Charleston For You, animated by a window view of the Hudson River and the Pallasades at dusk, are songs my parents loved. I sang them for their memorial services – Jesse for my mother, Gertrude Kirchner, and Charleston For You, for my father, Leon Kirchner.” In addition to writing and composing her own songs, and partnering as lyricist with composers Galt MacDermot, James Weidman, and Ron Jackson, Lisa has also written lyrics to instrumentals by Wynton Marsalis and by film, Broadway and contemporary classical composer Paul Chihara. She wrote and sang her own songs, appearing as a regular on NBC’s Another World. She has recorded three albums of standards, one in Paris, from the American Songbook that include French and Brazilian classics, her own songs, and those written with James Weidman, Ron Jackson, and Galt MacDermot, garnering praise from international press and colleagues. Lisa expedited and executive produced the sound recordings of four albums of music by her father, eminent composer, Leon Kirchner, several of which made the Best Classical Album lists in the years of their release. She has recorded a jazz vocal album of contemporary classical art songs, entitled, Something To Sing About, in session with world class jazz and classical players, in a first of its kind release that aired on over 130 radio stations, making several top ten lists and receiving superb press notices. Lisa has played many of New York’s notable venues and has appeared at Gracie Mansion, the White House, at Harvard University and the Harvard Club. She began singing folk music, playing classical piano and studying ballet, modern and jazz dance. A “triple threat”, she was featured in numerous theatrical productions on Broadway, at the Public, Delacorte, La Mama, Westbeth and American Place Theatres. Off- Broadway she originated the role of Irma Vep in Richard Foreman and Stanley Silverman's Hotel For Criminals and its sequel, The American Imagination. Loving to sing harmonies, she improvised vocals with Judy Collins in concert, on recording and on television, and was Collins' featured soloist at Carnegie Hall. Lisa Kirchner has performed under the radar of the general public catching the notice of press and peers. She has persevered, challenging the boundaries of genre, and evolving her musical craft at the highest level. Her approach is from the heart, and her affinity is with the material. Charleston For You, represents a journey of musical collaboration and a celebration of song across genre and in three languages. |
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Saxophonist/Composer Matthew Silberman Paints Pictures of Evocative Characters on Debut Album, "Questionable Creatures" - Available September 11 on DeSoto Sound Factory
Saxophonist/Composer Matthew Silberman
Paints Pictures of Evocative Characters on
Debut Album, Questionable Creatures
Available September 11 on DeSoto Sound Factory
Matthew Silberman
Questionable Creatures
Ensemble Features Two Guitarists -
Ryan Ferreira and Greg Ruggiero - as well as
Bassist Chris Tordini and Drummer Tommy Crane
"Groove,
noise, melodies, compelling improvising, and atmosphere; Matt
Silberman's music has all the elements in place for a rich listening
experience." - Mark Dresser
An
Indiana Jones-like explorer dashing through an Egyptian tomb. A
Midwestern hip-hop phantom. An elderly Eastern European woman speaking
in tongues in a synagogue. Troops marching on the battlefield of daily
life. A poet and writer creating waking dreams.
These are some of the Questionable Creatures whose stories Matthew Silberman tells on his debut album as a leader, available on September 11 on DeSoto Sound Factory
(his personal imprint). The Brooklyn-based saxophonist/composer spins
evocative yarns about these colorful characters as well as his own
experiences moving from the seemingly infinite ocean vistas of Santa
Monica, California to the claustrophobic cityscapes of New York.
The
album's unique, eclectic sound can be traced to Silberman's
wide-ranging influences, as well as his penchant for constructing
elaborate narratives through his compositions. But its most direct
source is the unusual make-up of Silberman's quintet, which features two
guitarists along with the leader's tenor and a bass-drum rhythm
section. Dueling axemen are a common sight on arena rock stages, not so
much in jazz clubs.
"The
classic jazz quintet is two horns, piano bass and drums," Silberman
says. "But I was thinking of using one guitarist as another horn player
and the other as a keyboard player. One is dealing a more with textures,
chords and comping, the other more with playing lines and melodies."
The
idea was partially inspired by Silberman's love of more forward-looking
rock music, bands like Blonde Redhead, Sonic Youth, and Radiohead, who
wield their guitars in the service of texture and atmosphere as much as
crunching power chords and fluid melodies. The concept became a band
after he'd met guitarists Ryan Ferreira and Greg Ruggiero.
"Neither of them are caught up in trying to match what all our peers are doing on the guitar," he says. "They
both have a really strong voice and clear vision; they know what
they're going for and keep working to achieve that. Greg has a beautiful
sound, really melodic and singing. Ryan has an open and expansive
quality to the way he plays. He creates so much around you without
overwhelming the tonal palette. They both communicate their own
individuality within the context of the music, which I really appreciate
and respect. Getting to play different concepts with the two of them is
amazing, beyond what I could have even imagined."
Both bassist Chris Tordini and drummer Tommy Crane
were classmates of Silberman at the New School for Jazz and
Contemporary Music, so they share a mutual history that shows in their
empathetic interactions. "They're two of my favorite musicians to play
with," Silberman says, "so combining them with the two guitar players
was a dream band for me."
The
quintet initially assembled in 2007, then reconvened after a long
hiatus for a string of shows and rehearsals in 2011. At that point,
Silberman recalls, "the music and our understanding of each other seemed
to grow exponentially with every gig. The music became a living,
breathing entity, and I was really excited to get into the studio."
It
was important to Silberman to achieve this sort of cohesive group
identity. The saxophonist had no interest in rushing out an album with
his name on the cover or in tossing together an all-star band for the
occasion. "I wanted a unique sound as a group, a band that really knew
each other. A lot of people will get sidemen that are amazing players
but haven't necessarily played together, and sometimes the results can
be a little bit tepid or uninspired compared to recordings of people who
have really developed some chemistry."
The chemistry between Silberman and his band mates is evident throughout Questionable Creatures.
Ferreira's howling, distorted textures and Ruggiero's distant chiming
combine with a bass line inspired by early Wu-Tang Clan and a Charlie
Parker-esque melody to unearth the "Ghost of the Prairie"; the dancing
rhythms and transcendent melodies of "Mrs. Heimoff" recreate Silberman's
childhood impressions of an old woman's semi-schizophrenic aura,
chanting in Hebrew, speaking to herself in Yiddish, and seeming to speak
in tongues while davening at the end of the row in his childhood
synagogue.
The
strangely intoxicating "Dream Machine" was inspired by the iconoclastic
poet, writer and artist Brion Gysin, a frequent collaborator with the
legendary novelist William S. Burroughs. Gysin's "Dreamachine" was a
device that projected flickering light patterns onto closed eyelids in
the hopes of altering consciousness. He also pioneered the cut-up
technique, wherein phrases were dissected and recombined to create new
combinations and unexpected meanings. Silberman used that technique with
four short melodies to create his piece.
The
album's closing piece, "The Pharaoh's Tomb," is its most intense, and
in Silberman's view reminiscent of an imaginary Spielberg action epic,
chasing an adventurer or tomb raider through a booby trap-laden pyramid
in search of ancient treasure. Action of another sort is captured in
"The Battle at Dawn," where faint guitar drones fade like mist to reveal
an introspective march rhythm, representing the inner battle between
pursuing dreams and day-to-day drudgery.
"Breathe"
looks back at Silberman's native California, pulsing with the rhythm of
the ocean and seeming to depict a drive on L.A.'s Pacific Coast
Highway. "Growing up so close to the beach, being right by the water,
right on the edge of everything, there's almost a physical feeling that
it applies to your body. It's the feeling you get looking out at the
water as it spans all the way out to the horizon as opposed to
buildings. I think that manifests itself in my music through a cross
between the openness and infinity of Santa Monica versus the intensity
and energy of New York."
Silberman
was raised around music. His mother was an opera singer, while his
father was a huge music fan who constantly played classic Motown around
the house. Silberman began taking piano lessons at the age of six, then
picked up the clarinet in the fourth grade. A few years later he
switched to the saxophone and his fate was sealed. "As soon as I picked
up the saxophone I just couldn't put it down. That was pretty much when I
realized I wanted to play music for the rest of my life."
After
graduating from the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts,
Silberman took a year off to spend time with his family and to further
hone his craft, but New York was always the goal. By the time he left
L.A. he'd taken on two regular weekly gigs, frequented jam sessions
regularly, and shared the stage with the great drummer Billy Higgins, as
well as Nancy Wilson, the Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra, and Patrice
Rushen.
Since
arriving in New York, Silberman has played along a host of greats,
including Roy Hargrove, as well as peers like Becca Stevens, Logan
Richardson, Tyshawn Sorey, Nir Felder and Alan Hampton. While studying
at the New School, he played in a live hip-hop band, and later played in
rock bands (including one he describes as "Irish punk mixed with '80s
synth-pop"), and a country-rock outfit, absorbing as many influences as
he could.
"I
think it was really good exposure to be in situations where you run
into totally different skillsets than you do playing jazz," he says.
"Being in such a tough, unforgiving environment as New York, I needed to
figure out who I wanted to be as a musician."
Questionable Creatures,
despite the suspicion expressed by the title, is the debut of a
musician who has not only decided who he wants to be, but has discovered
exactly who he is.
Music Video
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"Ghost of the Prairie" - Matthew Silberman
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Matthew Silberman's Album Release Performance:
September 25 / ShapeShifter Lab / Brooklyn, NY
For more information on Matthew Silberman, please visit www.matthewsilberman.com
Information and press materials (including album covers, promotional photos and bio's)
on all DL Media artists can be found at our new website:
Tossup-Contents Under Pressure (Tossup Music 2012)
Randy Long Keyboards
Chris Heaney Drums
Camille Devore Lead Vocals
Tim Kobza Guitar
Perrin Isaac Guitar
How It Happened
When we went our separate ways after a successful stint in a college rock band there was no thought of when or where Chris and I would meet again. No inkling that we'd each go on to develop a love of all things jazz, or collaborate in the future. Serendipity, though, brought us back to our hometown in Nebraska, reunited us, and revealed that we had independently developed a common musical language. The musical relationship that had ended so long ago resumed, but on a whole new level.
Even at that, little could we have known as we squeezed jam sessions into little nooks and crannies of time that it would blossom as it did. Our intent, after all, was only to keep ourselves from going crazy! You know, musical therapy for the trials, tragedies, and grind of daily life. But a drum groove would evoke a bass line; the bass line would expose chordal relationships; forms would emerge; melodies appeared; and tapestries of
sound took shape. It was as if, out of the dry, hardscrabble ground that we were scratching..and to our surprise...this creation called Tossup came into being.
The addition of wonderful collaborators enriched it in ways we couldn't have imagined. Chris was excited to ask his friend Perrin, from their New Orleans days, to lay down some guitar tracks We sent him a stereo mix, exchanged a few emails, and before long he sent back the tracks for Time Apart and Romance. His ideas were full, rich, and a pleasure to lay into the mix. I have yet to meet him in person, and we've never even spoken on the phone. Modern technology is awesome : )
My friend, high school classmate, and former bandmate Camille came to mind as an ideal pick for lead vocals. Though studying in New York at the time, we were tremendously pleased when she agreed to contribute. With little direction from us and only a bare rhythm section recording as a starting point, the depth of her creative talent shone forth in the rich harmonies she created. And just as in her own recordings, her vocal skill is undeniable through the rhythm and passion of her expression. How magical to experience the uniqueness of her creation.
You know that rock band Chris and I played in? Guess who the lead guitarist was? Tim! Now a professor of music and consummate musician, writer, performer, and producer, by good fortune and his visits to his folks here in town, were able to wrangle him in. You see, during one of his visits he graciously chipped in. How can you not love his playing? Whether leaning toward avant garde improvisation or a straight lead, he's
excellent in every style.And then the coup de grace: Matt. He was Maynard Ferguson's right hand man for 11 years. When Maynard wanted a small group he picked Matt to join him with just a rhythm section. I can still remember the pain in my cheeks from smiling after our first recording session. The tune was
Nawlins. He had laid down the melody. It was awesome, and I figured he was done. Then came his legendary line "gimme another track!". I listened as he laid down harmony, unrehearsed. Then a 3-piece alto section, same way. Then the baritone punches, all on the fly, and all on his tenor. The dixieland solo section in Nawlins is 3 takes of Matt. I mean, I smiled so much it hurt! And the magic just continued. Most of the sax you hear on the CD followed Matt saying "gimme another track!". After that I learned to prep a good 20 tracks for his sax on each tune before each session began.
CDBABY
http://www.tossup.biz
Mauro Sereno - My Jazz, Vol. 2 (Trj Records 2012)
cdbaby
http://www.myspace.com/maurosereno/music
John Surman-Saltash Bells (Ecm 2012)
John Surman's solo albums occupy a special and important place in his discography. Saltash Bells is the first since 1994 s A Biography of the Rev. Absalom Dawe , and it joins a line of distinguished recordings that begins with Westering Home (Island, 1972) and continues with the ECM albums Upon Reflection (1979), Withholding Pattern (1984), Private City (1987), and The Road To St Ives (1990). In the British reedman s multi-facetted music the solo recordings provide perhaps the clearest insights into his melodic imagination. Before the solo albums, Surman was perceived primarily as a hard-blowing improviser, a young man with a baritone, in search of the next jam session in John s characterization. But working alone in the studio, triggered a compositional response. There has definitely been a voyage of discovery in these solo discs: sometimes they can be a way of accessing personal memories. This was true of the Absalom Dawe album and Road to St Ives in particular and it s the case with this new recording.
Saltash Bells was projected originally as a collaboration with Norwegian photographer and filmmaker Odd Geir Sæther which would explore the English West Country, where the Devon-born Surman grew up. When funding for the documentary failed to materialize, John continued alone, channelling recollections into sound:
The title track was the beginning. People have asked me where the inspiration for the synthesizer loops on my albums comes from and I think I had an insight... My father used to be a dinghy sailor, and on we d go out on a Wednesday evening on Saltash Passage that s the narrowest point between Devon and Cornwall and from across the river there would be the sound of bell ringing practise at Saltash Church. As a kid, I loved the way the sound would echo across the water and all around the river valley. I would find myself inventing melodies as I listened to it. I m pretty sure that s where my fondness for the bell-like tonalities and repeating patterns of the synthesizer has its origin. So the composition Saltash Bells recalls those evenings, with echoing bells, the river going by, gulls turning in the sky... It s that kind of feeling. And it set a tone and direction for the album.
Other specific locales mentioned here include On Staddon Heights , the cliff-tops at the mouth of Plymouth Sound. Whistman s Wood evokes the mysterious petrified forest of Dartmoor, a very strange and rather spooky place - especially on the misty days that you so often get there in the autumn and springtime. And so it goes, ancient haunts inspiring vivid new music.
Surman has long used the synthesizer, in his solo works, as a tool for sculpting texture and atmosphere, and for creating new contexts for improvisation which could be different from playing regular time with a bass player and drummer. Even on the free scene, even if playing with say John Stevens and John Tchicai, I was still working in the world of horns, bass, drums. The synthesizers and the multi-tracking opened up other avenues. A lot has changed of course as I ve gone from simple analog synthesizers to digital synthesizers and from monophonic to polyphonic electronic instruments, with enormous memory capacity. Now that we re in the era of computer software electronics, I needed some help, which is where Pablo Benjamin came in. Surman s son Ben has collaborated often with Jack DeJohnette as engineer, producer and electronics player and both John and Ben were playing together in DeJohnette s Ripple Effect band in the period when the music for Saltash Bells was being drafted: Ben was really a great help with the technical aspects of finding the kinds of sounds I was looking for.
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
Barcelona, SPAIN: Marc Ribot y Los Cubanos Postizos at Arco y Flecha
Marc Ribot y Los Cubanos Postizos
MARC RIBOT, guitarra. ANTHONY COLEMAN, teclado. BRAD JONES, bajo. EJ RODRÍGUEZ, batería, percusión. HORACIO "EL NEGRO" HERNANDEZ, percusión.
Miércoles 18 de julio, Arco y Flecha, Barcelona, sala por confirmar
Viernes, 20 de julio, 47 Heineken Jazzaldia, Donostia
Marc Ribot y Los Cubanos Postizos (aka “The Prosthetic Cubans”) se convirtió en un grupo indispensable a finales de los noventa con sus febriles conciertos a base de arreglos de la música del líder cubano Arsenio Rodríguez, innovador del son montuno, y dos discos muy celebrados por público y crítica editados por Atlantic Records. En el 2011 regresaron a los escenarios por petición popular con Horacio “El Negro” Hernández a la batería y los miembros originales: Anthony Coleman (teclado), Brad Jones (bajo) y EJ Rodriguez (percusión), tocaron de nuevo ante eufóricas audiencias en los escenarios del Festival de Jazz de Montreal, del Fuji Rock Festival de Japón y en el Ellnora Guitar Festival celebrado en el Krannert Center of Performing Arts de Illinois. Este verano en su gira por Europa estarán en Barcelona y Donostia.
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