Deanna Witkowski Quartet and Brenda Earle’s Sacred Voices

Request for Critics/Calendar/Interviews
Contact: Kari Gaffney
kari@kargiaffney.com

Pianist/composer/vocalists Deanna Witkowski and Brenda Earle share a sacred jazz double-bill at Cornelia Street Café on Thurs, Sept 10 at 8:30 pm

What: Deanna Witkowski Quartet and Brenda Earle’s Sacred Voices
with Felipe Salles, soprano and tenor sax; Ike Sturm, bass; Scott Latzky, drums (Deanna Witkowski Quartet); Julie Hardy, Jonathan Kline and Nathan Hetherington, voices; Keith Ganz, guitar; Ike Sturm, bass; Jared Schonig, drums (Brenda Earle’s Sacred Voices)

When: Thurs, Sept 10 from 8:30-10:30 pm


Where: Cornelia Street Café, 29 Cornelia St, New York (A, B, C, D, E to West 4th; 1 to Christopher St)

Cost: $10 admission

More info: 212.989.9319; http://corneliastreetcafe.com; http://deannajazz.com; http://brendaearle.com

Witkowski has combined the spirituality of the soul and heart with the spirituality of jazz…she continues the work of Mary Lou Williams who was the first major jazz artist to compose for liturgical purposes. This music is 'healing to the soul'.
-Rev. Peter F. O'Brien, SJ, Executive Director of The Mary Lou Williams Foundation

Witkowski's playing is consistently thrilling, and her musical imagination seems boundless. -All Music Guide

[Earle is a] a breezy delight. -Time Out New York

Earle’s keyboard work throughout embodies lyrical melody, deft harmonies and smart pacing. -The Toronto Star


Pianist/composer/vocalists Deanna Witkowski and Brenda Earle join forces in an evening devoted to their sacred jazz works on Thursday, September 10 at 8:30 pm at Cornelia Street Café, located at 29 Cornelia Street, New York. Witkowski’s quartet featuring saxophonist Felipe Salles, bassist Ike Sturm and drummer Scott Latzky will perform at 8:30 pm; Brenda Earle’s Sacred Voices featuring vocalists Julie Hardy, Nathan Hetherington, and Jonathan Kline, guitarist Keith Ganz, bassist Ike Sturm, and drummer Jared Schonig will play the second set at 9:15 pm; and both Witkowski and Earle will present a collaborative set at 10 pm.

Both Earle and Witkowski began composing sacred music while working as church music directors: Witkowski, in 1997, when she moved to New York with a position at All Angels’ Church on the Upper West Side; and Earle, in 2006, when she began working at Trinity Episcopal Church in Cliffside Park, New Jersey. Each has composed two Mass settings and numerous hymns and Psalm settings; Witkowski's work initially focused on a gospel choir, while Earle drew from her background in jazz and contemporary music. Besides showcasing their current sacred music, Witkowski and Earle will each contribute one new piece for collaborative set, where each will compose a new setting for the Magnificat (the New Testament canticle where the Virgin Mary proclaims God's liberation).

Brenda Earle

Originally trained as a pianist, Brenda Earle started singing in her early twenties in an effort to better connect to her songs and audiences. As a pianist, she has performed and/or recorded with Donny McCaslin, the Numinous Ensemble, Dick Oatts, John Riley, Wycliffe Gordon and the DIVA Jazz Orchestra. In 2007, Earle’s piano playing was recognized when she was selected as a finalist at the Mary Lou Williams Jazz Piano Competition. She has performed at the Kennedy Center, the Ravinia Festival, the Clifford Brown Jazz Festival, the Toronto Jazz Festival and in clubs and festivals across the US, Canada and New Zealand. Earle’s Sacred Voices Project encompasses original settings of Psalms, the Catholic Mass, gospel music and unique arrangements of spiritual works, which combine her diverse influences which range from jazz to rock to Brazilian and classical traditions. Her exciting and intriguing vocal writing features some of the top emerging artists in New York City.

Deanna Witkowski

Winner of the Great American Jazz Piano Competition in 2002, Deanna Witkowski has been praised for her rich fusions of jazz, Brazilian, and Afro-Cuban music. Her fourth recording, From This Place (Tilapia Records, 2009), marries ancient and modern sacred texts with the richness of jazz. The recording’s core quartet (Donny McCaslin, John Patitucci, Scott Latzky) is broadened by the addition of guest vocalists Laila Biali, Peter Eldridge, and Kate McGarry. This soulful, genre-defying work has widened Witkowski’s audience base with media interviews on National Public Radio’s Weekend Edition Sunday, Interfaith Voices, National Catholic Reporter, and Busted Halo. In May 2009, Witkowski presented Moving with the Spirit: The Sacred Jazz of Mary Lou Williams at the Kennedy Center’s Mary Lou Williams Festival; in 2008, Moving was been presented at Duke University and the International Association for Jazz Education conference. Since 2005, Witkowski has been the pianist in the BMI/New York Jazz Orchestra; she has also performed and/or recorded with Lizz Wright, Vanderlei Pereira’s Blindfold Test, James Finn, the Schumacher/Sanford Sound Assembly, and Joseph C. Phillips’ Numinous.

Foundations and Tres Muse Reviewed Today at:

Something Else Reviews

Click Here to read the entire review

For Tres Muse, Moretti retains just the "Marty squared" rhythm section from Foundations and stretches out a little more in this chordal instrument-free set of eleven Moretti originals. With only a sax, bass and drums, one has the freedom to choose from an abundance of styles to play, or an endless combination of styles. In a recent interview, Moretti was asked to describe his musical style in three words and he replied "soul, latin and swing." There's strains of those music forms present on Tres Muse, and then some.

The record that ushered in a record company of the same name, Foundations is the result of three, like-minded veterans of nearly every style of music imaginable getting together to make music that's fun for them to make. For these three, "fun" is a contemporary minded rendering of the soul-jazz and hard bop found on so many classic Blue Note records. It reminds me a bit of two other artists who are taking similar routes with their music that we've covered here recently: Derrick Gardner and Dave Siebels.

Mia Vermillion - IBC Finalist In Duo Category

We are pleased to announce that Mia Vermillion and Orville Johnson are the winners of the Washington Division for the IBC Challenge in the Duo Category. Mia and Orville will be competing in Memphis, TN in January for the final competition. The 2010 International Blues Challenge will be in its 26th year of competition and will feature Blues musicians from around the world competing for cash, prizes, and industry recognition. The Blues Foundation will present the 26th International Blues Challenge January 20-23, 2010 in Memphis, TN. The world's largest gathering of Blues acts represents an international search by The Blues Foundation and its Affiliated Organizations for the Blues Band and Solo/Duo Blues Act ready to take their act to the international stage. In 2009, 100 bands and 60 solo/duo acts entered, filling the clubs up and down Beale Street for the semi-finals on Thursday and Friday and the finals at the Orpheum Theater on Saturday. 2010 is expected to have at least that many in 2010.

For in depth information please visit:
http://www.blues.org/ibc/#ref=ibc_index

Mia is quickly gaining recognition as a fiery newcomer, with her latest CD Alone Together With the Blues; she is quickly garnering critical praise and recognition. This competition is just another honor in the list of accomplishments for Mia. She is still in radio promotion for this wonderfully inspiring disc and we are continuing to go for adds with the Roots Music Report and Living Blues Radio Chart. We are currently scheduling interviews for Mia; please do not hesitate to contact me directly. Thank you again for all of the support you wonderful Blues programmers have given Mia thus far, we are deeply appreciative for your programming and dedication to this wonderful genre!

Mia’s Electronic Flash Kit:
http://www.karionpresskits.com/miavermillion/miavermillion.html

This Book Should Be in Every Jazz Student's Library

"Jazz Harmony and Improvisation Scores and Recordings of Original Tunes" authored by noted Herbert Silverstein,MD and Richard Drexler. This book is a welcome addition to Jazz Education. The writers of this method help to close the void of books that focus on helping the students of jazz piano to better understand the various techniques of improvisation and chord voicing. This book should be in the library of every student of jazz. It is also a very good reference for the jazz educator looking for another approach to teach jazz harmony and improvisation. It is well worth the cost. Very well thought out. Excellent recorded original tunes.

~John "Doc" Bradley, Writer, adjudicator, clinician, performer, lecturer, speaker, consultant, educator, conductor, author, and Past President of the Georgia Association of Jazz Educators. Dr. Bradley was the first Afro-American President of the Georgia Association of Jazz Educators.

Full Biography on Writer
http://www.jazz.com/encyclopedia/bradley-john-dorise

http://www.broc.state.ga.us/legis/2009_10/fulltext/sr762.htm

L' Tanya Mari' Interview on Finding the B Side

Catching Up With L'Tanya Mari

Click link above for full interview

Jazz vocalist L’Tanya Mari certainly knows music. She graduated from Howard University and The University of the Arts with degrees in music business and jazz studies respectively and she is regular performer in the Philadelphia and Washington D.C. metro areas. L’Tanya has been described as a refined singer and a creative arranger so I was glad for the opportunity to ask her a few questions about her musical experiences and her new album A Teardrop of Sun.

Dan Moretti interviews with Finding the B Side

Catching Up With Dan Moretti

Full Interview..click above link

I recently interviewed tenor saxophonist Dan Moretti. Dan has performed with several notable musicians including Aretha Franklin, Mike Stern and Dave Samuels and he lists Sonny Rollins, Michael Brecker and John Coltrane as some of his musical influences. His new album, Tres Muse mixes jazz with influences from New Orleans, the Caribbean and folk music.

Dan kindly shared a little about his musical style, his upcoming project in Italy, and his new album.

Mia Vermillion - IBC Finalist Washington

Mia Vermillion and Orville Johnson have been chosen to compete in the Final Competition for the Washington International Blues Challenge (solo/duo category) held by the Washington Blues Society. The final winners of this competition will be sponsored by WBS to compete in the International Blues Challenge.

The 2010 International Blues Challenge will be the 26th year of Blues musicians from around the world competing for cash, prizes, and industry recognition. The Blues Foundation will present the 26th International Blues Challenge January 20-23, 2010 in Memphis, TN. The world's largest gathering of Blues acts represents an international search by The Blues Foundation and its Affiliated Organizations for the Blues Band and Solo/Duo Blues Act ready to take their act to the international stage. In 2009, 100 bands and 60 solo/duo acts entered, filling the clubs up and down Beale Street for the semi-finals on Thursday and Friday and the finals at the Orpheum Theater on Saturday. There will be at least that many in 2010.

Mia Vermillion - Reviewed by Something Else Reviews

Review By: Pico
Click Here for Review

Mia Vermillion isn't from the Mississippi Delta or even African-American but your ears would never tell you otherwise. This lady from Washington State immersed herself from a young age in the music of Ray Charles, Bonnie Raitt, Billie Holliday and Sarah Vaughan, Lil Green and Ann Wilson (of Heart). She has a vocal style that incorporates these and other influences, but her sweetly sassy expression is her own. As she became a blues singer, she also became a blues songwriter, too.

Dennis Day Reviewed in Jazz Times

Dennis Day is a magna cum laude graduate of the Billy Eckstine/Nat King Cole school of buttery baritones. In Day's case, though, there's a healthy dollop of cayenne, plus a spoonful or two of grit, blended into the butter. On his debut jazz album, the former member of such R&B outfits as the Valiants, the Jades and the Blackbyrds lifts off with a soaring "Caravan" before heading into the vast, gorgeous expanse of his own "African Musings." From there, Day settles into a mixed bag of standards that balances creamy ballads and uptempo finger-snappers. Standout tracks, significantly enhanced by such descerning players as Stefon Harris and Wycliffe Gordon, include a blistering gallop through Lou Rawls' "Trouble Down Here Below," a shimmering "Desafinado" and an imaginative amalgam of "The Trolley Song" and "Get Me to the Church on Time."
~Christopher Loudon, Jazz Times

Kat Walker is Spicing Up the Charts

Kat Walker spices up the jazz charts this week by landing at #31 on the CMJ Jazz Chart issue #1116 and heating up at Jazzweek on the Chartbound chart. This spicy, zesty gumbo of classic new orleans Gumbo is cleverly and rightly named "Jazz Skat Gumbo."

If you have not sampled this n'awlins plate, hop on over to CD Baby now - you won't be dissapointed. You can buy the physical CD or download your favorite tunes one by one.

CD Baby Link - Click Here

Powerful Vocal and a Stunning Slide Guitar

Issue #21.02 :: 08/05/2009 - 08/11/2009
Mia Vermillion
"Alone Together With the Blues"
BY J. EDWARD SUMERAU

Mia Vermillion"Alone Together With the Blues"Self-released myspace.com/miavermillion

AUGUSTA, GA - If listeners learn nothing else from Mia Vermillion’s debut record, “Alone Together With the Blues,” they must recognize that this is a severe talent with the vocal chords to build a career.

Accompanied by some fantastic slide guitar, Mia Vermillion spends her debut record reliving the classics of the blues world and demonstrates a set of vocal chords that may leave heads spinning and hands clapping long after the songs conclude. Along with two stunning original numbers, this collection of classics provides a welcome introduction to a smooth new talent.

Among the classics covered here, Vermillion shines the brightest with her renditions of the Mississippi-groaning “In the Dark,” and the sultry incarnation of “In the Evening.” Her splendid vocal literally breathes new life into “When I’ve Been Drinkin’,” and her smooth interchanges between high and low notes on “Walkin’” provide a glimpse of the ghosts of long-gone strolls.
Her originals also add a spark to the creation. Particularly fascinating is the intricate lyricism showcased in “Little Bit of Love,” which pulls on the heart strings like an emotional bandit in search of a home.

Built on a powerful vocal and a stunning slide guitar accompaniment, Vermillion offers a stunning debut that should spark some serious interest in the blues community.

Dan Moretti's Tres Muse to be released in September

FOUNDATION JAZZ RECORDS AND DAN MORETTI RELEASES

TRES MUSE, HIS FINEST JAZZ RECORDING

Veteran tenor-saxophonist Dan Moretti has released Tres Muse, a stirring set of trio performances embodies his hardest-swinging set yet. Teamed with electric bassist Marty Ballou and drummer Marty Richards, Moretti excels in a pianoless instrumental setting reminiscent of Sonny Rollins’, A Night At The Village Vanguard, Volumes 1&2, but with his own musical personality and approach.

Despite the mention of Sonny Rollins pioneering the saxophone-led pianoless trio,Tres Muse is a post bop exploration of modern jazz with hints of other idioms and plenty of creative interplay

within this musical democracy. Moretti’s original music on Tres Muse covers a wide variety of moods and styles.

Consider that the first four selections include hints of New Orleans parade rhythms (“Off The One”), the swinging “Cajun The Squirrel,” electronic tones on “Mumbo Jumbo,” and the

infectious “Fais Do-Do.” The ballad “The Whisper” and the purposeful “Invoke” have prominent roles for Marty Ballou. “Guacamaya” is rhythmically playful cut and features a searing

solo by Marty Richards over the feel of a calypso rhythm. “The Corner,” is a bit Monkish in its melody, “Walk The Talk” spurs some playful squeals by Moretti that will recall Michael Brecker

and Henderson like trills and flurries. “Ready Set Free” is an abstract but memorable ballad. Tres Muse closes with “Leelander,” a folk melody that serves as a deep breath and a musical prayer.

While being full of improvisational surprises, Tres Muse draws from the influences of New Orleans, the Caribbean, folk music and bossa nova, but still maintains its roots in the jazz idiom.

Dan Moretti has created his finest recording to date, affirming his name among the top players of tenor saxophone. Throughout the CD he proves his abilities to create intricate musical

effortless execution of ideas on his instrument and memorable unique compositions.