Hey Claudio,
Just a friendly reminder of all the releases and tours I'm currently working on. I have a little something for everybody.
Singer-songwriter Bill Gable, African jazz artist Gino Sitson, Klezmer Hip-Hop from Socalled, Noura Mint Seymali on tour, Latin electronica from Axel Krygier, Bass inspired jazz from Honeybird, Reggae jamband Treehouse!, Raya Brass Band (Balkan Brass) touring alongside Zeb and Sandaraa (Pakistan meets Balkan), South Italian sounds from Newpoli, Afro-Latin rhythms from iemanjo, and The Ladies of Latin Jazz, Grupo Cha Cha in Chicago.
Check the links below for streams and more info, or ask me on specific concert dates or release details. Would love to hear if anything looks interesting!
Bill Gable - Bill Gable: A Map of Life with No Straight Lines - 04/14/2015 - Release
Straight lines. They’re a man-made conceit – highways, railroads, the quickest distance between two points. But nature likes to meander, to take a slower course. And No Straight Lines is a path that suits musician and singer-songwriter Bill Gable. His new record is inspired by those destinations never quite reached.
Play - Download Album
Gino Sitson - Gino Sitson: The Voice, the Strings, the Global Beauty - 04/14/2015 - Release
It’s the voice. Remarkable, special. Four pure, beautiful octaves that create magic and fly over grooves in virtuoso performances. Gino Sitson is a musical adventurer who uses his voice and body percussion to straddle continents and style on his sixth album, Voistrings set to release April 14, 2015
Play - Download Album
Socalled - Singer-Songwriter, producer-rapper, Socalled goes Peoplewatching on new album - 04/28/2015 - Release
Socalled is back! The singer-songwriter-producer-rapper-magician returns with a fifth collection of songs: Peoplewatching (Dare To Care Records, April 28, 2015). The release date for the vinyl edition has yet to be confirmed.
Play - Download Album
Noura Mint Seymali - Mauritanian Blues; Noura Mint Seymali at Roulette in Brooklyn April 30th - 04/30/2015 - Brooklyn, NY
Noura Mint Seymali, from Mauritania, comes from an ancient family of griots, and she has a commanding, wide-open voice…the pentatonic melodies of her songs had something in common with the blues. But her fusion was particular and selective…She only meets American music on her own terms. +++New York Times, January 13th, 2014
Play - Download Album
Axel Krygier - Crammed Discs is Pleased to Present Argentine Maverick Axel Krygier's new album 'Hombre de Piedra' - 05/04/2015 - Release
The brilliant musician/composter/singer from Buenos Aires, Axel Krygier, tells us the fantastic and hilarious story of a Bigfoot from the Stone Age, who travels through the history of mankind, from its early days to the 2.0 era. A delirious road movie about the paradoxes of civilization.
Play - Download Album
Honeybird - Sweet Freedom: Honeybird’s Nuanced, Charango and Bass-Inspired Proclamation on Out Comes Woman - 05/14/2015 - Release
Honeybird has honed her instinct for finding sweetness in unexpected places, like her winged namesake. From her California roots and early love of punk, coming into her creative own in Rome, Italy and now Brooklyn, Honeybird has chased more powerful engagement with her identity-as an artist, someone bisexual and cross-cultural
Play - Download Album
TreeHouse! - Reggae Jam Rock Group TreeHouse! in New York May 20th - 05/20/2015 - New York, NY
The Myrtle Beach, South Carolina reggae jam rock trio, TreeHouse! explores new depths of rhythms, themes and other elements in their third studio album, Lifted, set to release March 10th, 2015. The band is set to tour most 2015 throughout the East Coast, and Mid-Atlantic, performing hundreds of shows a year.
Play - Download Album
Raya Brass Band / Sandaraa - Raya Brass Band and Sandaraa in Brooklyn, May 23rd - 05/23/2015 - Brooklyn, NY
New York City’s Raya Brass Band and Lahore/Brooklyn collaboration Sandaraa on east coast tour with stops in Kingston, NY; Easthampton, MA; Somerville, MA; Brooklyn, NY; Philadelphia, PA; Baltimore, MD; and Washington, DC.
Play - Download Album
Newpoli - Bridges of the Heart, Bridges of Time: Newpoli Builds Its Bridges on Nun te Vutà- 05/29/2015 - Release
A better life. It’s what makes people leave their homes and emigrate, the sense of outrageous hope that things can be better somewhere else. It’s the tale behind generations of emigration And that sense of movement, of looking ahead, is the inspiration behind Newpoli’s latest album, Nun te Vutà (May 29, 2015 release).
Play - Download Album
Iemanjo - On Iemanjo’s Medicina, Rainforest Soul Meets Afro-Latin Groove - 06/09/2015 - Release
A truly unique fusion of South American shamanic music, Afro-Latin rhythms, soul-tinged vocals and electronic beats, Medicina (June 9th, 2015 Black Swan Records) is the brainchild of singer and multi-instrumentalist Ben Harris, who performs under the name Iemanjo.
Play - Download Album
Gino Sitson - Gino Sitson CD Release show at Zinc Bar June 9th - 06/09/2015 - New York, NY
It’s the voice. Remarkable, special. Four pure, beautiful octaves that create magic and fly over grooves in virtuoso performances. Gino Sitson is a musical adventurer who uses his voice and body percussion to straddle continents and style on his sixth album, Voistrings set to release April 14, 2015
Play - Download Album
Grupo Cha Cha - The Lovely Ladies of Latin Jazz, Grupo Cha Cha in Chicago. Mujeres Unidas! - 06/19/2015 - Chicago, IL
Grupo Cha Cha fills the air with tropical sounds of Cuba, Puerto Rico and Brazil that delight the ears and gets you up to dance! They have been called the “Sly and the Family Stone” of Latin Jazz bands because of their multi-gender and multi-cultural make up. They will be performing throughout Chicago this spring.
Play - Download Album
Thank you, Garrett Baker
Account Manager,
FlipSwitchPR, LLC
Garrett@FlipSwitchPR.com
www.FlipSwitchPR.com
Wednesday, April 29, 2015
e-mail from Garrett Baker
CAPEBANK Jazz @ the Point
This year’s CAPEBANK Jazz @ the Point could be viewed as three jazz festivals rolled into one.
Those in attendance will have an opportunity to sample three distinct jazz experiences between May 14th -17th.
The first will be two performances for those fans of traditional New Orleans jazz. On Friday, May 15 and Sunday May 17 two different groups will perform at Gregory’s Restaurant, 900 Shore Road in Somers Point. On Friday the Midiri Brothers will perform two sets at 8:30 and 9:45 and on Sunday The Rocknsouza Brass Band will perform at 12:30 and 1:45.
The second piece of this great jazz event will be a tribute to “Club Harlem” that will take place at Sandi Pointe Coastal Bistro, 908 Shore Road on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. The line will include Dr. Lonnie Smith, on Thursday 7:30 until 9:00, The Ralph Peterson Unity Project and the Paulette McWilliams and the Nat Adderely Jr. Trio on Friday, rounded off by Kevin Mahogany with the Dave Stryker Organ Trio and Madame Pat Tandy and her trio on Saturday.
The third offering will be Jazz on a Late Sunday Afternoon that will take place on the Music Pier in Ocean City and will feature the Larry McKenna Jazz Orchestra at 3:00 p.m. and The New York Voices at 6:00 p.m.
Ticket pricing is available at www.southjerseyjazz.org/shop.
Gryce and Byrd's Jazz Lab
Reprinted from http://jazzwax.com
In the early 1950s, as the 10-inch LP began rolling out, leaders of jazz recording sessions were given top billing followed by the size of their ensemble. Hence the Miles Davis Quintet, the Thelonoious Monk Quartet and the Sonny Clark Trio. As the decade continued, jazz supergroups formed with multiple star soloists. Names were either created for the group, such as the Modern Jazz Quartet and the Jazz Messengers, or names were fused, like the Clifford Brown/Max Roach Quintet. [Photo above of Gigi Gryce and Donald Byrd in 1957]
In 1957, Gigi Gryce and Donald Byrd formed a supergroup quintet to develop a new, more harmonic approach to jazz. Known as the Jazz Lab, the group was essentially a showcase for Gigi Gryce's original compositions and arrangements. Gryce—like Billy Strayhorn, Tadd Dameron, Quincy Jones and Benny Golson—had a more harmonic and romantic approach that emphasized pretty over power.
As Gryce noted in an interview with Nat Hentoff for the liner notes to one of the group's albums, "The title, 'Jazz Lab,' isn't meant to connote that we're entirely experimental in direction. We try to explore all aspects of modern jazz—standards, originals, blues, hard swing, anything that can be transmuted with jazz feeling. Even our experimentations are quite practical; they're not exercises for their own sake. They have to communicate feeling."
That feeling was captured on five albums by the Jazz Lab in 1957, excluding three tracks on Columbia's Jazz Omnibus, a compilation of music from new artists on the label, and the Jazz Lab at Newport, which was recorded in July 1957 and included three tracks from the group's live appearance joined by three tracks by Cecil Taylor.
In 1957, the relative newness of the12-inch LP enabled record companies to take risks on newly formed jazz groups with novel concepts. Unfortunately, the Jazz Lab was a short-lived experiment, dissolving in the fall of 1957. Based on Gryce and Byrd's discographies, the group folded as Gryce began pulling in more arranging work and Byrd started working more feverishly for Blue Note as a leader and sideman. In addition, the flurry of labels that recorded the Jazz Lab—Columbia, Riverside, Verve, RCA and Jubilee—probably indicates that no single company was interested in a prolonged relationship with the group.
Ultimately, the Jazz Lab accomplished what it had set out to achieve—to transform the sound of hard bop that Art Blakey and Clifford Brown/Max Roach were pioneering. In Gryce and Byrd's hands, jazz sounded more sophisticated and sexy—more French, if you will—rather than bombastic and searing.
After the Jazz Lab in 1957, ensembles began to move beyond the bump, beats and unison horns of R&B. Instead, jazz started to make room for a gentler school of East Coast jazz that had a cooler touch exemplified by Ahmad Jamal, Bill Evans, Eddie Costa, Don Elliott, Tony Scott, Hal McKusick, Clark Terry and others. The Jazz Lab approach also paved the way for the seductive, harmony-rich sound of the Jazztet (1959-62), a sextet co-founded by Benny Golson and Art Farmer, and the Quincy Jones Orchestra (1959-1961).
JazzWax tracks: You'll find the Complete Jazz Lab Sessions here.
JazzWax clips: Here are tracks from Jazz Lab, recorded in February 1957...
A special JazzWax thanks to David Langner.
Used with permission by Marc Myers
Toronto Jazz Fest ....
.@agoodmanjazz one of the top Torontonians to watch https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oj8iJrjvgy4 … Check out the Chamber Quintet Thurs!
Complete Tony Bennett/Bill Evans ....
Marc Myers
@JazzWax
"Complete Tony Bennett/Bill Evans" on vinyl — I score each track for Tony or Evans at JazzWax... http://bit.ly/1JNx5UU
2015 Tony Award Nominations
By THE NEW YORK TIMESAPRIL 28, 2015
Best Musical
An American in Paris
Fun Home
Something Rotten!
The Visit
Best Play
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
Disgraced
Hand to God
Wolf Hall: Parts 1 and 2
Best Musical Revival
The King and I
On the Town
On the Twentieth Century
Best Play Revival
The Elephant Man
Skylight
This Is Our Youth
You Can’t Take It With You
Best Leading Actor in a Play
Steven Boyer, ‘Hand to God’ (In Performance Video)
Bradley Cooper, ‘The Elephant Man’
Ben Miles, ‘Wolf Hall: Parts 1 and 2’
Bill Nighy, ‘Skylight’
Alex Sharp, ‘The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time’
Best Leading Actress in a Play
Geneva Carr, ‘Hand to God’
Helen Mirren, ‘The Audience’
Elisabeth Moss, ‘The Heidi Chronicles’
Carey Mulligan, ‘Skylight’
Ruth Wilson, ‘Constellations’
read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/28/theater/theaterspecial/2015-tony-award-nominations.html?_r=0#
Tuesday, April 28, 2015
Jon Regen: Stop Time CD Release....
Davey Faragher – Bass
Pete Thomas – Drums
Remarkable. Infectious. Soulful. Just some of the words critics have used to describe Stop Time, the new album by singer, songwriter and pianist Jon Regen, out April 28, 2015 on Motéma Music.
Produced by Mitchell Froom (Crowded House, Paul McCartney), and featuring Davey Faragher and Pete Thomas from Elvis Costello’s band the Imposters, Stop Time finds Regen at the peak of his songwriting and pianistic powers, with ten original tunes that brim with humor and heart. Songs like “I Will Wait,” “Morning Papers” and “Stop Time” prove Regen a master of the sticky lyric and the penetrating piano hook, recalling the work of forbears like Billy Joel and Randy Newman while simultaneously showcasing Regen’s singular take on modern love. In the words of storied Rolling Stones keyboardist Chuck Leavell, “Stop Time never stops pleasing the ears.”
“The album really began after I met the actor Jeremy Irons at a party in London,” Regen says. “We started talking over ample amounts of wine and soon after, he asked me to play the piano for him. Not wanting to disappoint an Oscar winner, I sat down and started playing a bluesy, New Orleans kind of vamp. Without warning, he grabbed a cello off the wall and started playing it like an upright bass. We jammed together on that one song for nearly fifteen minutes! When I returned home to New York City, I married the bluesy feel of that jam session to a set of lyrics I had written about a guy who becomes dismayed watching his youth slip away. The resulting song “Stop Time” became the anchor for the album that was to come.”
A few weeks later, Regen debuted “Stop Time” to a New York audience that included Motéma Music President Jana Herzen. Intrigued by the song and by Regen’s wit and musicianship, Herzen signed Regen to the label and made plans to record a new album of his original material. When Regen learned that his original producer had to pull out due to a scheduling conflict, a twist of fate led him to Mitchell Froom.
“Right after my producer left, I got an email asking where I had found a particular photo of Mitchell for a profile I had written on him years back in Keyboard Magazine,” Regen recalls. (In addition to his burgeoning musical career, Regen is also a much sought-after music journalist). “I immediately knew he was the guy for the job.” Soon after, Regen reached out to Froom to produce.
“I’ve been a fan of Mitchell’s since I was a teenager,” Regen continues. "I remember literally wearing-out albums he produced for Crowded House and Paul McCartney. The funny thing is, Mitchell actually produced Jimmy Scott’s 1995 album Dream, which I had on heavy rotation for months when I became Jimmy’s pianist back in 2001. His albums always take you somewhere unexpected. Plus, he’s a vintage keyboard freak like me! So it’s a perfect pairing.”
read more: http://subculturenewyork.com/event/jon-regen-stop-time-cd-release/
8 More MPS Jazz Records
Reprinted from http://jazzwax.com
Back in March, I posted about three albums originally released on Germany's MPS label—It's Nice to Be With You(1969) by Jim Hall, Intercontinental (1970) by Joe Pass and Rass! (1974) by Monty Alexander. As noted, Edel AG, an independent German music and entertainment group, acquired the MPS catalog in 2014 and has been re-issuing the label's jazz catalog from in the 1960s and '70s as CDs and downloads. I finally had a chance to listen to a bunch more. Here are eight additional gems...
Count Basie—Basic Basie (1969). Originally entitled Evergreens and recorded for the Groove Merchant label in Chicago, this album wound up being picked up by MPS and renamed Basic Basie. Swinging song choices are spectacularly arranged by Chico O'Farrill, tenor sax solos by Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis, and the Basie band is at its very best. This album has always been one of my favorites by Basie. Go here.
Singers Unlimited & Art Van Damme—Invitation(1973). Former Hi-Lo Gene Puerling and his overdubbing vocal quartet are joined by swinging accordionist Art Van Damme. A perfect match. A shame Singers Unlimited didn't record a few more with Van Damme. Too many of the their albums were heavy on the jolly and light on jazz. This one, however, was a standout. Go here.
Billy Taylor—Sleeping Bee (1969). Pianist Billy Taylor recorded this album in April 1969 just before traveling to Washington, D.C., to perform at the all-star White House tribute to Duke Ellington. It includes a wide range of moods and styles, from original ballads (Theodora) and standards (There Will Never Be Another You and the title track) to blues (Bye Y'All) and soul-gospel (Brother, Where Are You?). Go here.
Elvin Jones Jazz Machine—Remembrance (1978). In the late 1970s, after working with John Coltrane and Art Pepper, drummer Elvin Jones led a powerful quintet known as the Jazz Machine. Here, it included Pat LaBarbera and Michael Stuart (as,ts,sop), Roland Prince (g) and Andy McCloud (b). The band played straight-ahead jazz, with Prince's guitar handling the era's requisite fusion touches. Otherwise, it's a superb example of Jones' majestic power-drumming and two high-voltage saxophone hounds ferociously chasing after game. Go here.
George Shearing—Light, Airy & Swinging (1974). The pianist is captured in the trio format here—featuring Andy Simpkins (b) and Stix Hooper (d). This was his second album for MPS, and there would be eight more. Not a perfect album, since Shearing gets a bit too cute on some of the selections (Too Close for Comfort and Emily, for exaple), but tracks of note include Beautiful Friendship, Love Walked In and Cynthia's in Love. Go here.
Hank Jones—Have You Met This Jones? (1977).Recorded in Germany with Isla Eckinger (b) and Kurt Bong (d), Jones takes on a batch of standards as well as brother Thad Jones's Portions and his own We're All Together. The album highlight for me is Robbins' Nest, played in the block-chord style of Milt Buckner. Go here.
Ira Kris—Jazzanova (1971). When American guitarist Ira Kris and saxophonist and flutist Frank St. Peter moved to Munich, they hooked up with South American guitarist Juan Romero, who was studying there. Bassist Jimmy Woode and drummer Tony Inzalaco were added, and the result was this sexy fusion of jazz and bossa nova. A smart, dynamic album loaded with surprises. Go here.
Patrick Williams—Come On and Shine (1977). Williams of movie soundtrack and TV-show theme fame recorded this nifty orchestral album in '77 that featured some of his TV themes, disco-flavored pop and other tracks with a hip, '70s sound. I just wish the last track, Blue Light, with Tom Scott on tenor sax, ran 8 minutes instead of three. Go here.
JazzWax note: For more information on the MPS re-issues, go here.
Used with permission by Marc Myers
Grammy Winning Snarky Puppy 'Sylva'
GRAMMY WINNING SNARKY PUPPY 'SYLVA' W. METROPOLE ORKEST OUT MAY 26 VIA IMPULSE!/UNIVERSAL MUSIC CLASSICS
Snarky Puppy is the inventive instrumental collective led by bassist, composer andproducer Michael League. Formed in Denton, Texas in 2004, Snarky Puppy’s 11-year “do-it-yourself” career is wildly impressive and admirable. The band scored a Grammy Award in 2014 for Best R&B Performance, and their last album We Like It Here debuted at #1 on the iTunes Jazz chart where it continues to linger a year after its release. Impulse!/Universal Music Classics are proud to partner with the band on their first major label release, Sylva, coming May 26. The ambitious album is a creative departure for the band, who have collaborated with the acclaimed Metropole Orkest (Elvis Costello, Tori Amos and John Scofield) from Holland, and was recorded live in its entirety. As an added bonus for fans, the album will be physically bundled with a DVD that features performances of all six songs with the Metropole Orkest in Dordrecht, Holland, as well as a 20-minute behind-the-scenes featurette.Snarky Puppy has been driving their own home-grown, creative endeavors through independent releases, a tireless touring schedule and an army of impressive musicians devoted to authentic and passionate music-making. The band will tour on the heels of their album release in the U.S. (see schedule below) with exclusive scheduled concerts to perform Sylva live in Rotterdam on April 30 and May 1, and in Paris on May 7 with the Metropole Orkest. They are also doing a handful of special screenings of the concert film, including one in Denton this evening.
read more: https://www.storyamp.com/dispatch/14236/9NBloqWFV_ud81-exbeu2A
Monday, April 27, 2015
Stanley Cowell On Piano Jazz
Marian McPartland hosts pianist Stanley Cowell for this 1999 episode of Piano Jazz, recorded before an audience at NPR's studios in Washington. Known for his brilliant and highly personal approach, Cowell bridges traditional and contemporary styles of jazz. He and McPartland challenge each other in inventive duets, and Cowell performs his composition "Equipoise."Originally broadcast in the winter of 1999.
read more: http://www.npr.org/event/music/401945018/stanley-cowell-on-piano-jazz
La Lanterna di Vittorio ....
Bar Next Door - 129 MacDougal Street, New York, NY 10012
Tuesday 4/28 - 6:30-7:45
Emerging Artists:
Nick Biello on Saxophone with Alex Tremblay on Bass and Jerrad Lippi on Drums
8:30 & 10:30
Feature Group:
Greg Skaff on Guitar with Fima Ephron on Electric Bass and Jonathan Barber on Drums
Wednesday 4/29 - 6:30-7:45
Emerging Artists:
Jonathan Saraga on Trumpet with Matt Dwonszyk on Bass and Jonathan Barber on Drums
8:30 & 10:30
Feature Group:
The Jonathan Kreisberg Trio (guitarist)
Thursday 4/30 - 6:30-7:45
Emerging Artists:
Yehonatan Cohen on Saxophone with Almog Sharvit on Bass and Philippe Lemm on Drums
8:30 & 10:30
Feature Group:
Chris Smith on Drums/leader with special guests- Dick Oatts on Saxophone and Jay Anderson on Bass
Friday 5/1
7:30, 9:30 & 11:30
Joe Giglio on Guitar with Thomson Kneeland on Bass and Eric Peters on Drums http://www.joegiglio.com/news/
Saturday 5/2
7:30, 9:30 & 11:30
East West Guitar Trio with John Stowell, Paul Meyers and Gene Bertoncini
Sunday, April 26, 2015
CD REVIEW: Mathias Eick – Midwest
Mathias Eick – Midwest
(ECM 472 4478. CD Review by Peter Jones)
When midwesterner Pat Metheny first came to public notice in the late Seventies with his recordings for ECM, what people noticed was a certain quality of spaciousness and optimism, almost naïvité. The music was folk-influenced, full of melody, very different in tone to the urban funk route that American jazz had taken during the first part of that decade. In particular, tunes like (Cross the) Heartland and New Chautauqua seemed to catch the mood as white America shook off the humiliations of Vietnam and the Watergate scandal and got ready to elect Ronald Reagan.
This new album from Norwegian trumpeter Mathias Eick is imbued with a similar spirit, but it goes much further back. Midwest is explicitly intended to reflect the experiences of the million or so Norwegians who emigrated to the American Midwest in the 19th and early 20th centuries, settling in rural towns like Garrison Keillor’s fictional Lake Wobegon and the real-life Fargo, immortalized by the eponymous Coen Brothers film. We have also seen these landscapes in Terence Malick’s Seventies movies Badlands and Days of Heaven.
It’s the participation of folk violinist Gjermund Larsen that gives Eick’s album its distinctive quality. Its melodic ideas are cinematic in scope, evoking the vast emptiness of this part of America. Your mind conjures up images of wagons rolling slowly across the plains.
Beginning with a Lyle Mays-like ostinato piano figure from Jon Balke, the title track takes an unexpected turn halfway through, as Larsen strikes up a vigorous campfire hoedown before Balke returns to his theme, accompanied by a brief double bass solo from Mats Eilertsen. Hem, the gentle waltz which follows, refers to Eick’s Norwegian home village. There’s more ostinato piano in the majestic March, Eick here producing the sort of flute-like tone we have also heard from fellow Norwegian trumpeter Arve Henriksen. Fargo is a personal favourite, very ‘ECM’ in feel, sparse and reflective in the best way.
read more: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TR7yOs03TV8
PAYNE, LINDAL, LIEBOWITZ ....
Eva Lindal, violin
Carol Liebowitz, piano
1. ever since
2. it happened this way
3. unspoken
4. B/E
5. if then
6. glissade
7. preludes
8. holus bolus
9. what we are saying
10. blue flame
11. ’til always
Stephane Grappelli Plays "How High The Moon"
Rare Live in Warsaw 1991 No Need to further describe anymore about Grappelli simply good tune & well played.
Always reminds me what a musician should play and could play on stage.
Jordan Young ....
Jordan Young's "Soul-Tone" Organ Trio
Born in Detroit, MI in 1978 music was always a continuous presence in Jordan's upbringing. His earliest musical influences came from his mother's vast record collection, which included classical, jazz and classic rock. He began to play drums at age ten, immediately falling in love with the instrument. As soon as he was good enough, he started playing in local rock, punk and heavy metal bands. His first experience playing jazz was in high school jazz band, where he was first chair all four years. His exposure to a variety styles at an early age helped him to become the versatile and creative musician he is today.
Eventually, Jordan attended the Jazz Studies Program at The University of Michigan, where he refined his drumming and compositional skills. In Ann Arbor, he was consistently sought out to perform with local groups with styles ranging from jazz to pop to avant-garde. Simultaneously, he was hanging at more jam sessions in the Metro-Detroit Area, which led to gigs with Detroit jazz legends Donald Walden, Marcus Belgrave, Teddy Harris, Jr., James Carter, and Rodney Whitaker. Meanwhile, at the University of Michigan, Jordan was taken under the wing of world-renowned drummer and composer, Gerald W. Cleaver. Studying with Gerald, Jordan really began to dig deep into world of jazz drumming, absorbing himself in the music of master drummers like Art Blakey, Jimmy Cobb, and "Philly" Joe Jones. During the five years Jordan spent at Michigan he dedicated himself to this music: practicing, playing and gigging as much as humanly possible.
Upon encouragement from his mentors, Jordan moved to New York City to become an active part of the NYC jazz scene. As soon as he arrived, he began studying with world class educator John Riley, earning his masters from Manhattan School of Music. Currently, Jordan resides in Brooklyn, NY. He currently works as a sideman and leads his own groups at many renowned New York City jazz clubs and venues such as Smoke, Smalls, Cleopatra's Needle, Arturo's, Fat Cat, and Carnegie Hall. He is currently on faculty at The Music School of Westchester. He also maintains an active private teaching studio. Since moving to New York City Jordan has played with such jazz luminaries as Wynton Marsalis, Harry Whitaker, Javon jackson, Steve Nelson, Steve Wilson, Donald Brown, Kenny Baron, Rodney Jones, Ed Cherry , Calvin Keys and Peter Bernstein to name a few. He has led a steady gig twice a week with a few different groups at Authentic Bar B Flat in TribeCa. His group performs there on Monday and Wednesday nights. Jordan has also perfomed as headlining artist at world renown Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola for "Jazz At Lincoln Center" in New York City.
Jordan's performance engagements with the The Juilliard School's Artist Diploma ensemble will begin in the fall of 2013 and conclude in the spring of 2015.
Eventually, Jordan attended the Jazz Studies Program at The University of Michigan, where he refined his drumming and compositional skills. In Ann Arbor, he was consistently sought out to perform with local groups with styles ranging from jazz to pop to avant-garde. Simultaneously, he was hanging at more jam sessions in the Metro-Detroit Area, which led to gigs with Detroit jazz legends Donald Walden, Marcus Belgrave, Teddy Harris, Jr., James Carter, and Rodney Whitaker. Meanwhile, at the University of Michigan, Jordan was taken under the wing of world-renowned drummer and composer, Gerald W. Cleaver. Studying with Gerald, Jordan really began to dig deep into world of jazz drumming, absorbing himself in the music of master drummers like Art Blakey, Jimmy Cobb, and "Philly" Joe Jones. During the five years Jordan spent at Michigan he dedicated himself to this music: practicing, playing and gigging as much as humanly possible.
Upon encouragement from his mentors, Jordan moved to New York City to become an active part of the NYC jazz scene. As soon as he arrived, he began studying with world class educator John Riley, earning his masters from Manhattan School of Music. Currently, Jordan resides in Brooklyn, NY. He currently works as a sideman and leads his own groups at many renowned New York City jazz clubs and venues such as Smoke, Smalls, Cleopatra's Needle, Arturo's, Fat Cat, and Carnegie Hall. He is currently on faculty at The Music School of Westchester. He also maintains an active private teaching studio. Since moving to New York City Jordan has played with such jazz luminaries as Wynton Marsalis, Harry Whitaker, Javon jackson, Steve Nelson, Steve Wilson, Donald Brown, Kenny Baron, Rodney Jones, Ed Cherry , Calvin Keys and Peter Bernstein to name a few. He has led a steady gig twice a week with a few different groups at Authentic Bar B Flat in TribeCa. His group performs there on Monday and Wednesday nights. Jordan has also perfomed as headlining artist at world renown Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola for "Jazz At Lincoln Center" in New York City.
Jordan's performance engagements with the The Juilliard School's Artist Diploma ensemble will begin in the fall of 2013 and conclude in the spring of 2015.
sent by: Jim Eigo Jazz Promo Services
e-mail: jim@jazzpromoservices.com
http://www.jazzpromoservices.com
Birdland ....
Upcoming Shows
Mon 4/27Brian Gallagher “All That’s Ahead” featuring Megan Hilty
Mon 4/27
Jim Caruso's Cast Party
Tue 4/28
Joey DeFrancesco with the City Rhythm Orchestra
Tue 4/28
Joey DeFrancesco with the City Rhythm Orchestra
Wed 4/29
David Ostwald's Louis Armstrong Eternity Band
Wed 4/29
Joey DeFrancesco with the City Rhythm Orchestra
Wed 4/29
Joey DeFrancesco with the City Rhythm Orchestra
Hamilton-Madison House presents Meg Okura ....
Hamilton-Madison House presents Meg Okura and the Pan Asian Chamber Jazz Ensemble
Hamilton-Madison House, New York, NY
Wednesday, May 20, 2015 from 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM (EDT)
In Celebration of Asian Pacific American Heritage month, Hamilton Madison House will present Grammy nominated musician Meg Okura and the Pan Asian Chamber Jazz Ensemble featuring Helen Sung and Sam Newsome.
The concert will raise funding to provide scholarships for children in need. The Hamilton-Madison House Music School serves approximately 125 students between ages 4 and 18 in private lessons and ensemble classes. Instruments taught are violin, viola, piano, steel drum and guitar.
The Swinging Shepherds
Reprinted from http://jazzwax.com
In the final installment of my three-part series on off-the-radar jazz supergroups of the 1950s, I'm turning today to Buddy Collette and His Swinging Shepherds—a West Coast quartet of superb flutists who recorded only two albums for Mercury.
Both albums were arranged by Pete Rugolo (above), who pulled out all the stops in terms of writing complexity, since the four flutists in question were studio pros who could handle anything: Buddy Collette and Paul Horn (fl), Harry Klee (pic,fl) and Bud Shank (pic,fl).
Their first album, Swinging Shepherds, was recorded in Los Angeles in March 1958 and featured a rhythm section comprised of Bill Miller (p), Joe Comfort (b) and Bill Richmond (d,cga). Their second album, At the Cinema, was recorded in January 1959 with Bill Miller and John Williams (p), Jim Hall (g), Red Mitchell (b) and Shelly Manne and Earl Palmer (d).
I'm guessing that the group's name was inspired by the Swinging Shepherd Blues, a Billboard pop hit in early 1958. The jaunty song—written by Kenny Jacobson, Moe Koffman and Rhoda Roberts—was a hit for the Moe Koffman Quartet, the Johnny Pate Quintet and David Rose. I'm also guessing that the idea for the group was Rugolo's, to maximize Mercury's new stereo LP line—with two flutists coming out of one speaker and the other two emerging from the second.
The first album consisted of originals by the four flutists, with Machito added by Rugolo. The second album showcased movie hits of the day. Both swing like crazy, with sublime flute work and solos by the players. The only other jazz album I can think of from the '50s that tried the four-flute format was Billy Taylor With Four Flutes (1959), but it was really a showcase for Billy's piano.
When I interviewed Buddy Collette (above) in 2010, here's what he told me about the Swinging Shepherds sessions...
JazzWax: You made quite a few albums on flute.
Buddy Collette: Yes, it’s an instrument that came naturally to me. Which is your favorite record?
JW: I think Swinging Shepherds and Shepherds at the Cinema. You, Paul Horn, Harry Klee and Bud Shank (above) on flutes—wow.
BC: Oh, yes. those came out beautifully. We played so well, we didn’t even listen to the playbacks in the studio. We all had to go and record on other dates and knew they had come out perfectly.
JW: You and arranger Pete Rugolo on those sessions pioneered the four-flutes sound, didn’t you?
BC: Yes. Before these albums [in 1958 and 1959], most bands used one flute in the woodwind section, with a bass clarinet on the bottom to set off the contrast. But when we used just four flutes in that group and pulled it off, the sound was different and other arrangers picked up on it. [Photo above of Paul Horn]
JW: Which arrangers?
BC: At a recording session with Nelson Riddle (above) one time, I noticed that one of the charts called for four flutes. When I looked up at Nelson, he winked at me and said, “Do you recognize that?” I sure did. We pioneered that sound.
Buddy Collette: Yes, it’s an instrument that came naturally to me. Which is your favorite record?
JW: I think Swinging Shepherds and Shepherds at the Cinema. You, Paul Horn, Harry Klee and Bud Shank (above) on flutes—wow.
BC: Oh, yes. those came out beautifully. We played so well, we didn’t even listen to the playbacks in the studio. We all had to go and record on other dates and knew they had come out perfectly.
JW: You and arranger Pete Rugolo on those sessions pioneered the four-flutes sound, didn’t you?
BC: Yes. Before these albums [in 1958 and 1959], most bands used one flute in the woodwind section, with a bass clarinet on the bottom to set off the contrast. But when we used just four flutes in that group and pulled it off, the sound was different and other arrangers picked up on it. [Photo above of Paul Horn]
JW: Which arrangers?
BC: At a recording session with Nelson Riddle (above) one time, I noticed that one of the charts called for four flutes. When I looked up at Nelson, he winked at me and said, “Do you recognize that?” I sure did. We pioneered that sound.
Buddy died in 2010, Bud Shank died in 2009, Paul Horn died in 2014 and I'm not sure if Harry Klee is still with us.
JazzWax tracks: You'll find both albums by the Swinging Shepherds on one CD (Fresh Sound) here.
JazzWax clips: Here's The Four Winds Blow from Swinging Shepherds...
And here's The Trolley Song from At the Cinema...
Used with permission by Marc Myers
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