WTJU 91.1 FM

7/19/2022

New Jazz :

Charles Lloyd Trios – Chapel (Blue Note): “Blue Note Records has announced Trio of Trios, an expansive new project by the legendary saxophonist and NEA Jazz Master Charles Lloyd. As a sound seeker, Lloyd’s restless creativity has perhaps found no greater manifestation than on his latest masterwork which encompasses three albums each presenting him in a different trio setting. The first album in the series, Trios: Chapel, will be released June 24 and features guitarist Bill Frisell and bassist Thomas Morgan. The second, Trios: Ocean, arrives September 23 featuring pianist Gerald Clayton and guitarist Anthony Wilson. The third, Trios: Sacred Thread, comes out November 18 and features guitarist Julian Lage and percussionist Zakir Hussain.” (https://www.bluenote.com/charles-lloyd-to-release-expansive-trio-of-trios-series/) Click here for a sample from another from this release.

David Francis – Sings Songs Of The Twenties (bluJazz): “Something must have been in the air a century ago, as David Francis shows through his song selection. Each of the songs he interprets is 100 years old, and each one still sounds fresh. Francis has a voice with elements of casual Dean Martin, hip Michael Franks and seductive Boz Scaggs. He teams up with a trio and mixes relaxed and swing on “Honeysuckle Rose” while showing some swagger with the pianist on “If I Could Be With You (One Hour Tonight)”. He bounces over the crisp sticks on a peppy “Just You, Just Me” and is cozy around the bowed bass on a stately “Mean To Me”, getting deep into the groove on “Oh, Lady Be Good”. He’s comfortable in his own skin, delivering a nice piano duet before sliding into “Somebody Loves Me”, giving service to music that ages excellently, not needing any extra polish.” (https://www.jazzweekly.com/2022/06/david-francis-sings-songs-from-the-twenties-pas/) Click here to listen to samples of the songs on this disc. 

Jeremy Manasia – Butcher Block Ballet (blujazz): “Pianist Jeremy Manasia has a wide ranging post bop feel on his piano and expresses himself well on this exciting trio date with Ugonna Okegwo/b and Charles Ruggiero/dr. He shows his allegiance to bop masters with some rich Monk ideas on the hard swinging title tune driven along by Ruggiero’s sticks, while he boogaloos like Vince Guaraldi on the pulsating “Simply Put”. Lyricism a la Chick Corea is sly on “Tony’s Tune” and he swings lyrically to Ruggiero’s cymbals on “House Rules> Okegwo displays his wares on the gentle and classy romantic “Curitiba Girl” and the team gets dark and grooving on the confident “Swea Peas’ Savvy Sauve” as Manasia taps into his inner Gene Harris. Lots of fun and impressive interplay, with the team turning on a dime.” (https://www.jazzweekly.com/2022/06/jeremy-manasia-trio-butcher-block-ballet/) Click here to listen to a song from this release.

Randy Napoleon – Puppets: The Music of Gregg Hill (OA2): “Known as a forward-thinking musician with a passion for the jazz tradition, guitarist Randy Napoleon is an Associate Professor at Michigan State University. He is currently touring as a leader after twenty years of road apprenticeship with some of the most celebrated musicians and groups of our time. Napoleon cut his teeth touring with pianist Benny Green, The Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra, Michael Bublé, and a thirteen year tenure with Freddy Cole. He has also performed with artists across the jazz spectrum such as Bill Charlap, Natalie Cole, Monty Alexander, Rodney Whitaker and John Pizzarelli. Napoleon has performed or arranged on over seventy records. He arranged as well as performed on Freddy Cole’s seven most recent records including the Grammy-nominated releases, Freddy Cole Sings Mr. B and My Mood Is You. He performed on The Clayton Hamilton Orchestra: Live at MCG. Napoleon is featured on Buble’s Grammy-nominated CD/DVD Caught in the Act.Napoleon has played on The Tonight Show, Late Night With David Letterman, The View, The Today Show, and The Ellen DeGeneres show as well as TV shows in South America, Europe and Asia. He has performed across the globe at notable venues including Royal Albert Hall, The Sydney Opera House, The Hollywood Bowl, and Lincoln Center.” (http://randynapoleon.com/biography/)   Click here to hear some samples from this release.

Vadim Neselovkyi – Odesa (Sunnyside): “The Los Angeles Times has praised Neselovskyi’s “extraordinary playing” while The Guardian (UK) has called him “the most promising of the young improvisers.” All About Jazz recognized his singular versatility, referring to him as “a strong pianist [as well as] a composer who blends form and freedom in new ways.” Those diverse talents have attracted the attention of revered artists crossing the boundaries of genre, including legendary vibraphonist Gary Burton, who famously enlisted Neselovskyi for his acclaimed Generations Quintet; the prestigious Graz Philharmoniker, which performed his composition “Prelude for Vibes” on their New Year’s program; iconoclastic composer/saxophonist John Zorn, who invited Neselovskyi to contribute to The Book Beriah, the final installment of his quarter-century Masada project; and French horn/alphorn pioneer Arkady Shilkloper, a profound influence with whom the pianist now shares a longstanding duo collaboration…. Whether as a pianist, a composer, an improviser, a soloist or a bandleader, Vadim Neselovskyi creates music that is truly inspired and wholly unique. That explains why his work has been played by jazz greats like Randy Brecker, Antonio Sanchez, Julian Lage, and Gary Burton, as well as classical artists (Daniel Gauthier, whose recording of Neselovskyi’s “San Felio” won an ECHO Classical Award) and symphony orchestras in the United States (Spokane Symphony, Lancaster Symphony) and Europe (New Philharmonic Westfalen, INSO Lviv Symphony).” (https://vadimneselovskyi.com/about) I regret I cannot find from this release.

Matthew Shipp Trio – World Construct (Matt Shipp Music): “Matthew Shipp’s new album is titled World Construct. It’s a fitting title, for in his career of over three decades, he has constructed his own world of jazz. And I’m not just saying that: this press release could be entirely built from the raves of critics. “As Matthew Shipp’s catalog expands, so does our understanding of the depth and breadth of his genius.”1 “A gateway to higher improvisation that is practically without parallel. Matthew Shipp is the connection between that past, present and future for jazzheads of all ages.”2 He “has produced a recording of great beauty and logic, creating distinct performances that are simultaneously shocking and beautiful, equally classic and daring. Shipp has been able to create pieces out of thin air that seem utterly worthy of composition. The music seems to be pulled directly from the realm where mathematics and magic collide. What Matthew Shipp has done is a profound achievement.”3 “Shipp’s music is an intellectual music. Literally, his ‘emotions’ seemingly taking cues from the impulses of his active mind as it instructs him how to move his fingers on the keyboard. Which doesn’t mean his music is coldass or forbidding—a Matthew Shipp recording documents the many conceivable ways a human brain can work its magic. His brain’s capacity for surprise is his subject matter; it fascinates him, keeps him company on cold nights. While it’s obviously true that many of our advanced musicians have mined the fertile ground that lies somewhere between their brains, hearts and limbs, it’s just that Shipp is especially geniuslike at it.”4 “Unleashed with the kind of power imparted to them by his supple fingers, these notes and this music becomes something living and breathing, dancers indeed. Each title is seemingly a trigger which causes the hands—and fingers—of the pianist to leap and fly, and defy gravity not only with notes that ascend, light as air, as if to a rarefied realm. This is clearly the creation of a major composer whose pianism also suggests great cohesion of form and function, and above all, lyricism that sets Mr. Shipp apart in the same way that it did for musicians such as Thelonious Monk and Cecil Taylor.”5 ”Matthew Shipp confirms he is one of the best pianists of his generation. A monumental work that befits a place of choice in the jazz piano pantheon.” (https://www.isrbx.net/3137972873-matthew-shipp-trio-world-construct-2022.html) Matthew Shipp (piano), Michael Bisio (bass) and Newman Taylor Baker (drums). Click here to listen to a song from this new song.

Alvaro Torres – Heart Is The Most Important Ingredient (Sunnyside): “Years of study and travel are blessings not afforded to many. It is precious when the results of these blessings are channeled by an artist into genuine and heartfelt statements. For pianist/composer Álvaro Torres, globetrotting and absorbing musical information from around the world has led him to the root of music’s importance to him, namely emotional expression. Torres’s new recording, Heart Is The Most Important Ingredient, provides a perfect example of the pianist’s affecting art…. Though he is now based in New York City, Álvaro Torres’s time in Copenhagen was foundational in his development as a musician. It provided him with inspiration and fantastic partnerships with Kresten Osgood and Joel Illerhag, which generated his sincere and fantastically played recording, Heart Is The Most Important Ingredient.” (https://www.isrbx.net/3137969867-alvaro-torres-heart-is-the-most-important-ingredient-2022.html)  Click here to listen to a sample of the set. 

Megumi Yonezawa – Resonance (Sunnyside): “One of the powers that music holds is the ability to sway emotions and atmospheres. Hearing music can make a listener remember a special moment, feel a certain way, or have a sensory experience beyond the aural. For pianist Megumi Yonezawa, the atmosphere in a room changes as soon as a musical note has been struck. Yonezawa wants to utilize her command of the musical language to provide listeners with the sense of immersion in the best moments of a day. Her new recording, Resonance, is a collection of original compositions and creatively arranged standards that will transport those who indulge into pleasant mindsets. Originally from Japan, Yonezawa relocated to the United States to study at Berklee School of Music in Boston. Upon moving to New York City, she took the piano chair in Greg Osby’s band on the recommendation of Jason Moran. In 2016, Yonezawa released her debut album, A Result of the Colors, on Fresh Sound New Talent and recently released a collaborative recording with Ken Kobayashi and Masa Kamaguchi called Boundary on ESP-Disk…. Music can be made to fit any situation or mood. Megumi Yonezawa wants to make music that uplifts and situates listeners in a zone of positivity. Her new recording, Resonance, vibrates with affirmative vibraphones that speak to the brilliance of expressivity.” (https://www.rabox.is/3137968317-megumi-yonezawa-resonance-2022.html) I regret I am unable to show a song at this time.

George Gilliam Trio – Many Roads Home (Gilliam Music): “This impressive jazz guitar trio will take you on a musical journey of classic jazz favorites, a rhythmic rendition of a Michael Jackson classic, and peak your intrigue with a Bach composition. Highway 61, completes the ride with a Soulful, Jazzy, Blues.” Click here to listen to the songs on this release. 

Minas – Beatles In Bossa (Blueazul): “Minas is a world music duet comprised of Orlando Haddad and Patricia King. Minas reflects a perfect musical marriage with a stage presence and chemistry that only a lifetime can produce. Drawing on the passionate styles of Brazilian and American roots music, the two create a fresh and innovative sound. With a catalog of 8 recordings released on their label Bluezul and a collection of over 100 songs, they have been building their reputation. Multi-talented as composers, vocalists, and instrumentalists, and equally comfortable in Brazilian jazz, folk, and classical genres, Minas is now bringing their world music approach to the Beatles with their latest album titled Beatles in Bossa…. Minas’ Beatles in Bossa impresses with its natural, vibrant, and heartfelt presence, allowing us to hear and appreciate the colors and textures of the exceptional music of the Beatles through a Brazilian perspective and thoughtful performances.” Click here to listen to songs from this set.

New Blues:

Brad Absher – Tulsa Tea (Horton): “Brad Absher sounds like the places he’s been. In his warm, Southern soul music, you can hear Tulsa’s earthy dignity and the swampy carpe diem of Lake Charles. Thundering sax with plenty of swing calls up New Orleans, while gritty grooves nod to Houston, and more subdued moments of empathy hint at time spent much farther away. Like two old friends telling us a story, Absher and his electric guitar trade lines with lived-in familiarity that invites the rest of us to listen––and dance.” There is some fine straight-ahead of this set. Click here to have some slices from this disc.

Eric Clapton – Nothing But The Blues (Reprise): “Eric Patrick Clapton was born on 30 March 1945 in his grandparents’ home at 1 The Green, Ripley, Surrey, England. He was the son of 16-year-old Patricia Molly Clapton (b. 7 January 1929, d. March 1999) and Edward Walter Fryer (b. 21 March 1920, d. 1985), a 24-year-old Canadian soldier stationed in England during World War II. Before Eric was born, Fryer returned to his wife in Canada. It was extraordinarily difficult for an unmarried 16-year-old to raise a child on her own in the mid-1940s. Pat’s parents, Rose and Jack Clapp, stepped in as surrogate parents and raised Eric as their own. Thus, he grew up believing his mother was his sister. His grandparents never legally adopted him, but remained his legal guardians until 1963. Eric’s last name comes from Rose’s first husband and Pat’s father, Reginald Cecil Clapton (d. 1933). Eric’s mother, Pat, eventually married and moved to Canada and Germany as her husband, Frank MacDonald, continued his military career. They had two girls and a boy. Eric’s half-brother, Brian, was killed in a road accident in 1974 at the age of 26. His half-sisters are Cheryl (b. May 1953) and Heather (b. September 1958). Eric was raised in a musical household. His grandmother played piano and his uncle and mother both enjoyed listening to the sounds of the big bands. Pat later told Eric’s official biographer, Ray Coleman, that his father was a gifted musician, playing piano in several dance bands in the Surrey area.” Clapton in very fine form in November, 1994. Straight-up and solid blues! Absolutely, this is on the spot! Check it OUT! Here’s a sample of from this set!

Strat Cat Willie & The Strays – On A Hot Tin Roof! – “StratCat Willie Hayes is based in the Southern Tier of New York. He has been playing the blues for several decades in a variety of projects.
StratCat Willie Hayes has been playing guitar, singing, and fronting various projects since 1965. Some of his earliest influences included Mike Bloomfield, T-Bone Walker, Johnny Winter, and B.B. King.
Resisting pressure to form a “more marketable” classic rock cover band, he continued to embrace the Blues and, in 1995, he formed “Blues Plate Special”, a four piece blues band playing originals, as well as covering groups ranging from Little Charlie & the Nightcats to the Paul Butterfield Blues Band. Most recently, he pulled several players together that have been with him for up to fifty years to form “StratCat Willie & the Strays”.Here’s a sample with Willie and friends opening up this party.” Click it at your or with friends!

Steve Strongman Blues Remedy – Volume 1 (Stony Plain): “Already seven albums deep into his career, JUNO award winner Steve Strongman is well known as a solo artist and stellar songwriter within the blues community. For Strongman, the opportunity to work with these musicians and vocalists was a dream come true. As a recording artist and performer, Strongman has been delighting audiences around the world for decades, liberally applying swampy swagger and sweetness to shuffles, blues ballads, and four-on-the-floor chuggers alike. The Strongman Blues Remedy, Volume 1 is his first release on Stony Plain Records and hits stores on June 17, 2022. Join us at the Ancaster Memorial Arts Centre for an exclusive one-night only event featuring Steve Strongman and his stellar band ( Dave King on drums, Colin Lapsley on bass, Jesse O’Brien on keyboards) with very special guests Harrison Kennedy and Dawn Tyler Watson.” (https://www.memorialarts.ca/music/strongman-blues-remedy) Click here to listen to the songs on this new suit! 

Kopacetically,

Professor Bebop