10th Annual Independent Music Award
"Songs of California" has been nominated for an Independent Music Award in the Contemporary Classical Category!
Monday, February 28, 2011
Roxy Coss Moves Up the Jazzweek Chart
Roxy Coss Moves up the Jazzweek Chart
to #23 and Holds Strong for 8 Weeks
Coss is proving to be a breakthrough talent on the New York City Jazz scene, which is arguably the best in the world. All About Jazz said, [Roxy Coss is] “enterprising, impressive, meticulous, poised, and centered.” These qualities are clear as she takes a front and center role in the album, without sounding overbearing or overdone.
With a strong vision, she unpretentiously allows the music to develop organically and speak for itself. Roxy plays Tenor and soprano Saxophones as well as Flute on the recording, and is joined by Kate Miller on Trumpet and Flugelhorn, Justin Kauflin on Piano and Rhodes, Ryan Brennan on Guitar, Kellen Harrison on Bass, and Shawn Baltazor on Drums. This roster is comprised of musicians Coss played with during her studies at William Paterson University, as well as in her long-time residency at the Manhattan Restaurant 181 Cabrini. The sextet presents unique, tasteful performances proving that these young and energetic musicians can offer a new take on what Jazz is today.Marty Williams holds strong for 8 weeks with Jazzweek
San Francisco Gem Marty Williams
Holds strong for his 8th week at Jazzweek
Bay Area jazz pianist and vocalist, Marty Williams, was called “The Catalyst” by San Francisco Chronicle critic Phil
Elwood. Anna deLeon of Anna’s Jazz Island recently said: “Marty Williams is one of the Bay Area’s treasures. His
piano playing and singing are passionate, humorous, and unique. Think Oscar Brown Jr. plus Mose Allison plus
Monk with just a dash of Redd Foxx! Yes, unique!”
Marty’s formal training came well after he received his “calling” -- he tells the story of a snowy night in Milwaukee
listening to Ahmad Jamal’s album “Voices” as a turning point for him. Listening to that album and pondering the
questions a young man faces in his life, Marty knew his destiny was to play the piano. As with so many great jazz
pianists, Marty’s spirit taught him to play the music he felt.
Through his career Marty has played at numerous venues and with many other notable musicians in the US and
abroad. He has been part of the San Francisco jazz scene well over 25 years and plays regularly with world-class
musicians, guitarist Eric Swinderman, bassist, Ruth Davies and drummer, Ranzel Merritt. His most significant influences
include Hampton Hawes, Les McCann, Ahmad Jamal, Thelonious Monk, Ramsey Lewis, Herbie Hancock,
Shirley Horn, Miles Davis and Junior Mance, just to name a few...
The Reggie Pittman & Loren Daniels Quartet Land on their 4th Jazz Chart
The Reggie Pittman & Loren Daniels Quartet
Chart on their 4th Jazz Chart
Elizabeth Woodbury Kasius Charts at Jazzweek World
Her first week in promotions with Jazzweek Elizabeth Woodbury Kasius makes the Chartbound Chart on
Jazzweek's World Album Chart.
Jazzweek's World Album Chart.
The original repertoire of HEARD is the work of composer-arranger-pianist ELIZABETH WOODBURY KASIUS, who brings a wide array of styles --jazz, world and classical music-- into her captivating soundscape. Her inspirations come from her diverse experiences and interests; often drawing from her travels, and the raw and powerful sources that nature provides. Heard’s dynamic and eclectic lineup of musicians gives Elizabeth a multitude of talents and textures to compose for as they develop their many-colored musical tapestry.
Elizabeth received her formal musical training at the University of Washington and Cornish College of the Arts in Seattle, where she studied ethnomusicology, piano performance and composition with Brazilian pianist Jovino Santos Neto, trombonist Julian Priester and Big Band leader/trumpet player Jim Knapp, as well as with Nigerian Juju musician IK Dairo. She received her BA in African Studies from Brown University. Elizabeth has also been a member of the Brazilian drumming group, The Berkshire Bateria for 10 years, where she has studied with Sambista, Jim Weber.
In addition to teaching composition and piano privately, she has been an adjunct professor for 11 years in the Dance Department at Russell Sage College in Troy, NY, where she works as a dance musician and composer-in-residence. Her collaborations with dancers have also led her to work with the NYC-based Mark Morris, José Limon, and Doug Varone Companies, and the NYC Ballet, and with Saratoga Springs’ TangoFusion. Her work with the Capital-District based Ellen Sinopoli Modern Dance Company has led to numerous Arts-in-Education Residencies in regional elementary schools.
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Roxy Coss is interviewed by WXOU
She is a young and talented up and coming jazz saxophonist based in New York City. Among her many talents she is also an acclaimed composer.
Roxy’s self-titled debut album released in October of this year, featuring eight original compositions on which she plays Tenor and Soprano Saxophones, as well as Flute. “My goal is to explore new musical genres, breaking boundaries and preconceptions of present day music. I want to make music you can feel in your bones, full of honesty, passion, joy, and awareness,” says Coss.
Currently, Roxy is playing with the DIVA Jazz Orchestra, which has taken her to Europe, and on the 10th Annual Jazz Party at Sea, a cruise through the East Caribbean. She also leads the Roxy Coss Quintet, based out of New York. She appeared twice in this year’s Earshot Jazz Festival in Seattle, WA; once as a featured guest with the Garfield High School Big Band at the Triple Door, and once with her own Quartet at Tula’s Jazz Club & Restaurant, which was recorded by Jim Wilke for his radio show, Jazz Northwest on KPLU, Seattle.
Marty Williams is reviewed by All About Jazz
all.about.jazz
Long Time Comin'
Marty Williams | Self Produced (2011)
Marty Williams | Self Produced (2011)
by: C. Michael Bailey
Bay Area fixture Marty Williams does not have a pretty singing voice. It doesn't need to be because it is a commanding one—readily identifiable, friendly, accessible and honest. and worth much more than being pretty. Doubly talented, Williams has a piano style right out of the righteous songbook of Junior Mance, Les McCann, and Gene Harris, full of blues, bluster and block chords that inform every song he performs. Together, the two talents make Long Time Comin' a song stylist's dream: hip and smart.
In the dozen songs covered, Williams spans the width and breadth of 20th Century popular music's golden age. From the 1930 Hollander/Lerner "Falling in Love Again" to 1967's Bacharach/David "The Look of Love," Williams applies his own unique stamp to the recital, making all songs his own. Williams imparts an easy, sure swing to all the songs, seasoned with his churchy-roadhouse piano playing. This is most easily heard on his cover of The Beatles' sinister "Come Together," propelled by bassist Ruth Davies, and supercharged with guitarist Eric Swinderman's wah-wah, Williams need only accent the song, which he does with all his funky grace.
A second example of Williams' viral command of music in his performance is "Compared to What." This song is so iconic—so closely associated with Les McCann and Eddie Harris' nuclear performance at the 1969 Montreux Jazz Festival, documented on Swiss Movement (Rhino, 1969), that covering it is all but unthinkable. But Williams carries it off, with a raging grace and the exquisite soul-jazz piano of which he is a master; the double-fisted vehicle of social protest.
Williams' almost eccentric singing style is best displayed on "Falling in Love Again," "Love for Sale," and "Sunny," where his' vocals remains stylishly behind the beat, in a fractured rhythm recalling Thelonious Monk compositions. Williams achieves perfection in his vocal and piano approach on "Love for Sale" and "Caravan," two of the lengthier pieces on the disc, where his patience and deliberate pacing frame these songs in an architecture conducive to soloing and straight playing. Were these performances any shorter, they would be too short.
It is obvious that Williams enjoys what he is doing, and does it with the relative ease of a true professional. So satisfying is this music, it should be canned and sold as a soul-food staple.http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=38872
Friday, February 25, 2011
Shawn Costantino is reviewed by Cashbox Magazine
Shawn Costantino
Waltz for Anne
by: Christopher Llewellyn Adams 
It's about time for a new jazz renaissance, and Shawn Costantino could be at the front of the pack. "Waltz for Anne," his latest, will remind you of a few good reasons to rekindle your love of music.
Self produced, the collection is the man at his best, delivering exactly the style of art he intended for his audience. The results are stunning, reminding me of instant classics in other genres.
I'll take "Whatever You Do" as the album's best. An honest peer into the soul of the artist, evoking the best self portraits from across the art realm.
Of all of life's decision's, this should be an easy one. Add Shawn Costantino's "Waltz for Anne" to your collection today.
Self produced, the collection is the man at his best, delivering exactly the style of art he intended for his audience. The results are stunning, reminding me of instant classics in other genres.
I'll take "Whatever You Do" as the album's best. An honest peer into the soul of the artist, evoking the best self portraits from across the art realm.
Of all of life's decision's, this should be an easy one. Add Shawn Costantino's "Waltz for Anne" to your collection today.
Jenny Davis is interviewed by Yahoo
Jenny Davis Adds Fodder to Torch Music
By: Susan Frances
The sweet, smooth sounds of torch music have catapulted vocalists like the late Lena Horne and contemporary artists Corrine Bailey Rae and Adele into stardom. Now, singer-songwriter Jenny Davis has embraced this alluring genre on her new solo album Inside You. Comprised of original songs and classic pop and jazz tunes, Inside You is a burst of torchlight embers that act as an aphrodisiac on the ears.
Davis explains about the title track, "My 17 year-old nephew died of Leukemia in 2006. I was writing this tune during his last month. The song was originally about the music and my relationship with jazz. But I find when creating a song, it evolves into its own creation. I'm just a channel. The last verse is about Jonathan, my nephew, and the interactions we had in his final days. The song and album title 'Inside You' represents the feeling, the music, the love, the passion, inside of me; and I'm offering it to you."
From the start, every track on Inside You is treated special in Davis' hands as she examines her reasons for recording John Lennon and Paul McCartney's song "Blackbird" on the album. "I've heard the tune, of course, but never considered performing it or putting it on an album. My co-producer of Inside You, Dan Powell, loves Lennon and McCartney, has heard Chuck and I perform it on a gig, and really insisted we record the tune. We decided to use an acoustic guitar instead of electric, and did one take. It was a keeper. The lyrics are profound to me. We left it in the original key and stayed as true to the melody and harmony as possible. Again, I felt like a channel for this tune and wanted to honor the composition by keeping it as authentic as possible. It is a sweet song with irony in the lyrics, my kind of tune."
She purports that "The theme [of the album] was intimacy and honesty. By featuring guitar, bass and voice, I knew there would be enough space to communicate the honesty in the lyrics. I wanted the listener to really hear each of us individually and the interaction going on in the music. Jazz is a conversation between voices, by voices I mean instruments. We are communicating with each other and having a conversation. Sometimes that conversation is sad, but can turn to happiness in a simple phrase. With this sparse line up of instrumentation, I was hoping the listener could really capture these intimate conversations with clarity. There is subtlety honesty and message that we hoped would come through on the album. Sometimes with jazz, there is so much going on the subtlety gets missed. It wasn't about showing off on burning up-tempo tune with a horn section this time, which is a thrilling experience for a vocalist. And I do love that! But this project was about deep hearing and feeling the tune in a more intimate way, connecting with the passion underneath."
Performing on the recording is Davis' dear friend guitarist Chuck Easton whom she recalls, "I met Chuck Easton in 1995 after graduating from Cornish College of the Arts in Seattle. He and I both live just outside Seattle in Port Townsend, WA. Chuck Deardorf, bass player and music department chair at Cornish suggested I look up Chuck Easton, stating he was the best jazz guitarist around that area. It took me a while to ask him to play as he does have a reputation for being a little grumpy with singers. However, that has never been my experience. He is a pro and we get along great on the bandstand. Over the years we have developed a musical chemistry and rapport. I've learned so much from Chuck, mostly listening to his playing and responding to what I'm hearing. Chuck has an impeccable sense of timing, and swinging in the pocket. By playing together regularly over the past 15 years, I'm fortunate to have learned that skill myself."
She cites that it was performing with Chuck Easton that became the impetus for recording Inside You. "Chuck Easton and I perform together often in a duo setting; guitar and voice. We are frequently asked if we have an album available of just the two of us. Both of us play in a variety of jazz combos and bands, and our previous albums reflect a bigger sound, not the intimacy of just guitar and voice. So we decided after 15 years of playing, it was time to record some of these tunes and put the music out there for the audience. We added the bass and found that this combination created an intimacy that came through for us on the recording. We got the sound and the honesty in the music we were looking for."
She tells about her bass player Ted Enderle, "Ted Enderle and I began playing together in 2003. He was recommended to me by Chuck Easton, and since that time he is my "go to" bass player. The passion in his playing is 2nd to none. Again his timing is spot on. Timing is so important in jazz, and to me. Both Ted and Chuck are East coast jazz educated. Chuck Easton is a grant recipient of the National Endowment of the Arts, and each is master jazz players."
In the vane of torch music's predecessors, Davis strives to project intimacy through her voice while her musicians do it by emoting through their notes like in the song "Softly" where Enderle's bass is boldly pronounced. Davis admits, "I love the bass and voice together. Over the years I've taken the risk to trust myself and internalize the time, the pitch while at the same time allowing myself to let go enough to really feel the passion in the tune, and most important to deliver that passion. Ted and I have built that trust together over the years. I know he's going to be there for me, yet allow enough space for the tune to soar above us. The intimacy of bass and voice, when in the pocket is a magical room for a singer to enter. It is a sure way to take a familiar jazz standard played the same old way, and really make it my own. Jazz requires that we get into our own creative spirit with these great tunes, and that is what Ted and I were doing with 'Softly'."
Davis' rapport with saxophonist Louis Aissen on the track "Into Each Life Some Rain Must Fall" is equally strong. She provides, "Louis Aissen is a San Francisco tenor saxophone player who moved to our area and began showing up at jam sessions. I love the tenor. And I feel comfortable with the tenor against the tone in my voice. When I decided to record 'Into Each Life Some Rain Must Fall', I knew I wanted a tenor to take the solo after my voice, and Louis came to mind. I knew he could communicate the feel I was looking for, and answer the lyrics. He did an amazing job and I'm so glad he contributed to the conversation in the song with his horn."
Davis determines that there are often three sides to every jazz musician - the recording artist, the live performer and the teacher. She professes, "Most jazz musicians prefer to perform live. That is where the real magic happens. If only I could record each performance! Live music allows our creative expression the freedom to explore and improvise. There is an energy, a passion that comes forth when allowed that freedom. In the studio we have a set plan. The arrangement is planned. Every little mistake is heard and must be corrected. On the bandstand there is no time for such worries, we are on a speeding train that cannot be stopped. It is an exciting ride and there is an element of being able to let go in a way that is difficult to capture in the sterile studio environment. I have found meaning in the term 'recording artist'. It is an art and a skill to get a good, authentic sound in the studio. It takes time and patience. On the bandstand, there isn't that pressure to 'get it perfect'. The imperfections make it perfect on the stand. The studio album is a recorded moment in time that can never be altered once completed. For a changing, growing, evolving jazz musician, listening to myself on a recording is difficult, because I just don't express the song in that way anymore. Jazz requires that we continue the creative process and not deliver the song in the same exact way each time. The recording is the same exact way each time."
She considers, "As a professional vocalist I find I need much time alone to work on new material, mostly by listening and sitting at the piano working out new tunes. There are usually so many projects and songs to work on, I realize there is little time to do it all. But that keeps it fresh and exciting. This really is my true passion, and I find lose myself in all aspects of the job. Whether I'm teaching new vocal students, singing as sub in another band, or just working on new tunes, I love it all. I wish I could say I make so much money that I don't have to worry about other income sources. But any jazz musician, really at any level, needs to have another income source, teaching, or taking gigs that might not be exactly what we want to play, but they the mortgage. Playing music, singing and songwriting is my love, and I'm so fortunate to have this music inside of me. I wouldn't want to do any other profession that would exclude my music. "
She reflects, " I do have moments that are unforgettable to me on the bandstand. Sometimes it's the way I hear a line from the bass, or a drummer's response to the way I sang a phrase that connects us. Often times the players and I know when we were really in the pocket on a tune, and the audience may not respond, but we, the players know the magic that just happened. Those moments are as amazing as receiving an enthusiastic applause from a jazz audience, maybe even more. Sometimes there is someone in the audience that cues into that groove and gets me and the honesty. It's not just the usual 'what a great voice' compliment, which is really nice too. But more of the way they heard the honesty or connected with my passion, and they are moved. To move another human being with my music is the highest compliment, and the deepest joy I have ever experienced. It really is the reason I love to sing."
She describes her opportunities as a professional singer, "I mostly play with my jazz quartet (piano, bass, drums, maybe guitar) and love to have guest players too. Sometimes we invite a horn, trumpet or another vocalist to add to the fun. We're often hired for a variety of events, so I plan the performance accordingly. Sometimes we're playing a festival, where we want to put our best most current material out for the audience, sometimes a club, or party where dancing is requested, so we deliver what the contract calls for. I'm often asked to guest sing with other bands too. Currently I sing with two 18-piece big bands in the 1940's swing, Glenn Miller style. On those gigs, I really need to be in good voice, as many of those songs are quite torch. To prepare for those I try to stay as healthy as possible, working out, avoiding illness, etc."
But don't mistake Ms. Davis for a mere chanteuse. She asserts, "There's more to come. I'm just getting started! I'm driven by my passion for this music. I love jazz and feel privileged to perform with such a high caliber of musicians. Having this music inside of me is the greatest gift I've given myself. It's been a lot of work and study, in the school of Hard Knocks, paying dues, as they say. It's taken 20 years for me to reach this point in the craft, and I'm so excited that there always more to learn. Part of that process is letting go of the ego and getting inside of the creativity. Trusting, being honest, being authentic, and connecting to the passion. That's the order. I'm currently working on some original tunes, and thinking about the next recording project. "
Passion and honesty are virtues that Jenny Davis does not only talk about, but she lives by them and channels these traits into her music. Inside You has songs that not only go inside the listener but also inside Davis' soul, and the connection between artist and audience expresses an intimacy that makes both feel human.
Michael William Gilbert is reviewed by All About Jazz
all.about.jazz
Track Listing: Dark Horizon; Nick's Waking Dream (Interlude); Eyeless in Gaza; Nick Flies Away (Interlude); Sometimes I See the Sky; Origami Riff (Interlude); Dance Myself to Sleep; Nick's Sleeping Dream; (Interlude) Over the Next Rise; Rat Race Redux; Rooftop Meditation; Short Ride Home; (Interlude) Amerikan Dream; Adele at Sunrise.
Personnel: Michael William Gilbert: synthesizers, samplers, loops, & percussives; Peter Kaukonen: guitars (13).
If the NPR radio show, Hearts of Space, were hipper and less ambient, it would fall over itself playing Michael William Gilbert's I Can See From Here. The recording is a 14-part suite, made up of Gilbert compositions synthetically prepared by the composer. Gilbert plays all instruments—that is, synthesizer, computer samples and loops, as well as percussion, and is joined on "Amerikan Dream" by guitarist Peter Kaukonen, the younger brother of Jorma Kaukonen (Jefferson Airplane, Hot Tuna).
Gilbert approaches his task multi-focally, generating first a sonic-rhythmic landscape over which to spread his sound colors: everything from electric piano and Fender jazz bass, to vibraphone and human voices. The mood of the recording is one of perpetual motion.
There is nothing ambient about this music, however. It is kinetic, even hyper-kinetic, always moving. Where ambient music can serve as a background distraction, Gilbert's music demands input of the listener, revealing something new and novel with every spin.
Kaukonen provides a wall of Shawn Lane-like noise that fills in all of the subatomic space between the protons, neutrons and electrons of "Amerikan Dream." This is the longest piece on the disc, and requires the entire time to say what has to be said. Gilbert has created his own sound universe on I Can See From Here, a stylistic mash-up that reveals musical secrets like the fog burning off of a summer's day.
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Alekos Galas is reviewed by Jazz Times
Reviewed by: Wilbert Sostre
Musicians: Alekos Gala (bouzouki), Marc Russo (alto saxophone), Abraham Laboriel (bass), George Marks (piano, keyboards), Steve Wood (piano, keyboards, hammond b3, guitar, drum programming), Leddie Garcia (congas, percussion), Alex Acuna (congas, percussion), Nate Wood (drums, bass), Mike Hamilton (guitar), Vik Momjiam (bass track 9), Yervan Kalajian (violin track 1), Dimitri Matsis (drums track 9)
Review:
On Mediterranean Breeze, Greek musician Alekos Galas plays the bouzouki. What is a bouzouki? Do not feel bad if you don't know, I did not know either. The bouzouki is a string instrument of Greek origin similar to the mandolin. Apparently there are two kinds of bouzouki, one with three pair of strings, and the other with four pair of strings. And judging by the album cover, Galas plays the four pair of string bouzouki.
On Mediterranean Breeze, Greek musician Alekos Galas plays the bouzouki. What is a bouzouki? Do not feel bad if you don't know, I did not know either. The bouzouki is a string instrument of Greek origin similar to the mandolin. Apparently there are two kinds of bouzouki, one with three pair of strings, and the other with four pair of strings. And judging by the album cover, Galas plays the four pair of string bouzouki.
From the first track, “Bouzouki Spice”, there is no doubt Alekos Galas is a virtuoso of the bouzouki. His dazzling technique and virtuosity are shown all over the album. And for this album Galas surrounded himself with a group of great musicians, including bassist Abraham Laboriel and percussionist Alex Acuna.
All the music on Mediterranean Breeze was composed and arranged by Alekos Galas. Some of the compositions like "Bouzouki Spice", “Sweet Child" and “Mediterranean Breeze" reflects his Greek heritage. But mostly the beautiful, relaxed melodies and accessible sounds on the release, especially on tracks like "Moon Nights" and "Midnight" can be classified as smooth jazz. At times the music is reminiscent of groups like Spyro Gyra and Fourplay.
Tracks: Bouzouki Spice, Moon Nights, Cielo, One Cloudy Sunday, The Road Home, Midnight, Sweet Child, Mediterranean Breeze, Kymata, Island Rain, Hidden Love
Artist's Website: http://alekosgalas.com/
Marty Williams Continues to Chart at Jazzweek for 7 weeks
Marty Williams Continues to Chart at
Jazzweek for 7 Weeks
I called this CD Long Time Comin’ because it has been…
My musical journey started on a snowy night, long ago and far away, listening to Ahmad Jamal’s album “Voices.” That album touched my soul, it spoke to me, called me to play, and set me off on the journey that has brought me to today. For as long as I can remember, my music has been at the center of my dreams and, at times, the core of my heartache. And since that snowy night, through all that life has had to offer, I have never been able to let go of my dream and my desire to create music that my listeners will love as much as I do.
So here, on Long Time Comin’ I offer you my own voices – on the piano I play and in the words that I sing. I offer you my interpretation of songs I love, songs that in many ways tell the story of my journey. I hope you enjoy this CD as much as I enjoyed making it…
and maybe even a little more.
Peace Always.
Marty
Roxy Coss Continues to Chart at Jazzweek for 7 weeks so far
Roxy Coss Continues to Chart at Jazzweek
For 7 Weeks
Frank Butrey Debuts on the Top Jazz Chart at #1
Frank Butrey Debuts on the CMJ
Top Jazz Adds Chart
Top Jazz Adds Chart
His First Week in Radio Promotions
Hitting the #1 Top Jazz Adds Slot
Peter Scherr Hits the #5 Slot with Son of August
Peter Scherr Has Enjoyed A Successful Run
With His Last CD Jazz Folk, He
Charted At CMJ for 7 weeks
With His Last CD Jazz Folk, He
Charted At CMJ for 7 weeks
His Latest CD, Son of August Is Surpassing His Success Landing on the
#5 Slot at CMJ with Son of August
The idea for this album was simple: I wanted to make music with a saxophones whom I have admired for many years: Michael Blake.
Originally we were going to do a tour of China in the summer of 2008, but the 08 Olympics complicated arrangements surrounding this tour to the point where I felt it best to cancel. The record came up, because I still wanted to make music with Mr. Blake, and the easiest thing seemed to be to go to New York, where MB and all those great musicians lived, and do it there.
I wrote most of the music in the scorching month of August 08, hence all of the songs with August in the title. There were a lot of sweaty palms at the piano. I wanted the music to rock, and to stink of jazz. So I chose players that I loved, and whom I knew would be sympathetic to the material I knew that I wanted to have my brother Tony on electric guitar. He is my favorite electric guitarist. Of course I am prejudiced, but I feel that
he is one of the most interesting slide guitarists on the planet. Of course you need all the great ones. But Tony's right up there. I knew that I wanted Mike Sarin on drums. I had played with him once before
in NY with my band Headache, and I knew that he would make the most out of material that straddled jazz and rock, placing his very rhythmic feet firmly in both styles. And I needed another voice as well. I wanted someone that would compliment Tony's beautifully ham-fisted approach with one of literacy, sophistication and incredible urgency. Brad Shepik. Perfect. I'd wanted to jam with him for years as well.
And the choice of studio was clear: Brooklyn Recording. Andrew Taub gets righteous tones, and the staff are very accommodating. They know how to host a creative music session. -Or any kind of session, for that matter. They’ve done some historic stuff there. Yo La Tengo, Death Cab for Cutie, Norah Jones, Rufus Wainwright, etc.
Plus it's just down the street from Tony's house. Andrew Taub, long may you prosper. Last time I recorded in Brooklyn, I did the session within 36 hours of flying in from Hong Kong. We had a marathon day, and though we got some exciting music down, I have hardly ever felt more disembodied than that. So I decided to wait a few days to get my feet on the ground this time. Good idea. It turned out that I would need all the energy that I could muster. We had a day of rehearsals to make sense of about a dozen new tunes.
We did it over at Michael Blake's place in Carroll Gardens. Folks, now that you know, don't go camping out on his front lawn. Fan him on Facebook like reasonable people, ok? Everybody really helped me out, giving musical shape to what were some pretty rough ideas on paper. I made some notes, and that evening, I modified several of the tunes so that they would play better. I can't over stress how much Mike Sarin's ideas for grooves and feels helped to shape this record.
We got to the studio on Sept 4, 2008, and after a bit of confusion, loaded in and set up. It took us quite a while to get rolling. I must admit that I was feeling a bit nervous about the whole thing, and I think Tony wasn't feeling that good either. It was one of those laborious days. However, we were getting some vibes down. It just went a little slower than usual. We worked hard, sweated it out, and drank huge quantities of water and coffee. The guys were extremely patient and helpful. –And they played their asses off.
Andy and I went to Astoria afterwards and had a killer Sichuan meal, which definitely helped to take the edge off. The next day seemed to go a lot smoother. It seemed like we were finding the nature of the songs a bit faster, and were getting better results with fewer takes. We wrapped about 6 pm, because all the young fathers in the band had to go home to their kids.
And then I went home, and I got busy. So busy that I didn't even get a chance to properly review the material that we did until September 09. And I finally got into the mix in October and November. By this time, I had acquired a lot of new and interesting outboard gear for the studio, and it came in very handy on this session. I was looking for a thick, aggressive, colored sound on the rock material, and I wanted to tart up the jazzier stuff as well. I had a lot of fun with it, and since it's my record, I felt I had license to take the sounds as far as I wanted. A lot of people are cautious about changing the tones on their jazz records, and I respect that. But I love a record that has a rich texture. Hair.
Finally at the end of November 2009 it was done, and I had it mastered by Scott Hull at 24/88.2, the original sampling rate. I think that this record came out great, and the other guys on the project dig it too: It’s steamy, bluesy, sexy, sad, rocking, and redolent with the stink of the original jazz cradle... I hope that you pick it up.
And find your own adjectives.
Roxy Coss Continues to Chart at CMJ for 5 weeks
Roxy Coss Continues to Chart
At CMJ for 5 weeks
Coss, who has played on stage with the great trumpet legend Clark Terry, brings the experience of tradition to the album, but challenges the boundaries with imaginative and refreshing material. Her compositions push beyond Jazz and reach into the pockets of Soul, Rock, Hip-Hop, R&B, Classical, Funk, Latin, and beyond. The first track, “Wandering One,” features a pretty and relaxed swing melody. Coss takes her time with her solo, starting with a low and breathy rich tone and sparse ideas, until she eventually breaks out into a high-energy, high flying and hard-swinging improvisation. You can feel her channeling an old soul, which is typical of her playing; it provides an appropriate introduction for the other seven tunes on the recording.
“Lately,” the second track on the album, is a back-beat heavy ballad in the style of a neo-soul crooner, but is laced with complex chords reminiscent of the great compositions of Charles Mingus and Wayne Shorter. “A New Time” introduces Coss’ sweet and pure flute tone over a languid, sexy Cha-Cha layered with authentic percussion and the strong thud of the acoustic bass. Clearly her flute is not a “double” instrument; as she commands her prowess through strong, biting quarter notes and flourishing runs throughout the range of the instrument.
Kauflin’s uplifting solo piano on “Enlightenment” sets the mood for a gospel-influenced ballad reminiscent of Coltrane‘s “Dear Lord.” “The Slow Ascent,” lays down a fun, driving funk beat, heading in a more intense and hard grooving direction, until “The Cherry On Top,” which showcases Coss’ strong sense of swing on her Basie-esque flute playing, and the delicate brush work of Baltazor. “I Think So,” a melancholy and rich ballad, features Coss’ liquid Soprano playing in a chord-less trio setting; providing a close look at the interplay between Coss, Harrison and Baltazor. The album finishes with “July,” a strong anthem to the integration of jazz with other genres.
Marty Williams Continues to Chart for 5 weeks
Marty Williams Continues to
Chart at CMJ for 5 weeks
Through his career Marty has played at numerous venues and with many other notable musicians in the US and
abroad. He has been part of the San Francisco jazz scene well over 25 years and plays regularly with world-class musicians, guitarist Eric Swinderman, bassist, Ruth Davies and drummer, Ranzel Merritt. His most significant influences include Hampton Hawes, Les McCann, Ahmad Jamal, Thelonious Monk, Ramsey Lewis, Herbie Hancock, Shirley Horn, Miles Davis and Junior Mance, just to name a few...
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Jenny Davis is reviewed by Gapplegte Guitar and Bass Blog
Jenny Davis, Vocalist, and "Inside You"
by: Grego Applegate Edwards
The new Jenny Davis CD Inside You (CRD 09) made the cut for a couple of reason. The obvious one is that she is a singer of poise. She has a pleasant instrument and she phrases nicely. The second reason is that Inside You is basically a Great American Songbook standards set, but not totally and not typically so. You get some nice versions of "When Your Lover Has Gone," "Green Dolphin Street," and "Softly (As in A Morning Sunrise)" but you also get some lesser-known songs like "Into Your Life Some Rain Must Fall," Jobim's "No More Blues," and contemporary songwriter Rodgers Grant's "Morning Glory." Not exactly typical also is Bird's "Confirmation" with added lyrics that work well, the Beatles' "Blackbird," and a rather attractive Jenny Davis original "Inside You."
Another salient feature on this one is the guitar work of Chuck Easton, who is omnipresent throughout, sometimes as the only accompanist. He plays a very solid chordal line and makes for a very good foil for Ms. Davis' vocalisms. When not the sole instrumentalist, Chuck joins with bassist Ted Enderle. Louis Aissen assists with tenor obbligato on one cut.
It is a most enjoyable journey into the heart of ten songs. Nice work.
Sunday, February 20, 2011
To 100 CD All Time - Carol Morgan & Jennifer Zarine
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