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New Jazz News – 5/18/2021

Francesco Amenta – Midtown Walk (Amenta Music International): “New album for the saxophonist and composer Francesco Amenta, with his New York Quartet’s, with Kimon Karoutszos on double bass and Gary Kerkezou on drums. Guest of the band is the American pianist, Cyrus Chestnut, famous musician and well known for years on the American and European jazz scene. The album was recorded and produced by Jhon Lee, legendary double bass player Dizzy Gillespie, Sonny Rollins and many other jazz legends.There are 8 tracks on the album of which 7 are original compositions and an arrangement of a Duke Ellington song,”Come Sunday”….” (http://republicofjazz.blogspot.com/2021/03/francesco-amenta-midtown-walk-march-2021.html) The performance is truly inviting and beautifully presented. Click here to listen to the songs on this disc.

Janet Evra & Ptah Williams – New Friends, Old Favorites (Lotown): “A native of Gloucester, England, Janet Evra is a jazz vocalist, bassist, and composer. Since relocating to western Illinois for college, she has made a home and a base for her musical endeavors in the St. Louis area. Singing in multiple languages, she performs standards from American, French and Latin jazz, while also blending bossa nova, samba, and pop influences to create her own original sound. She released her debut original album ‘Ask Her to Dance’ in 2018 and performs throughout St. Louis several times a week, along with shows throughout the region and festivals overseas.” (https://www.kranzbergartsfoundation.org/resident-musicians/) This appears to be Eyra and Williams’ second release. Players backing Eyra are Ptah Williams (piano), Kendrick Smith (alto sax, flute), Will Buchanan (guitar) and Demarius Hicks (drums). This is a live recording. Click here for an introduction to this new release.

James Francies – Purist Form (Blue Note): “Pianist & producer James Francies follows-up his acclaimed 2018 debut Flight with the expansive opus Purest Form, an eclectic new album that taps into the essence of his artistry across 14 tracks that conjure a world of sounds and textures, interpreting love, grief, frailty, and fortitude. In addition to a core trio of Burniss Travis on bass and Jeremy Dutton on drums, the album features alto saxophonist Immanuel Wilkins, vibraphonist Joel Ross, guitarist Mike Moreno, and vocalists Peyton, Elliott Skinner, and Bilal. Francies’ expression blooms across false borders of genre and style. He nurtures a celestial fascination with melody and texture. “Music, in its purest form, is an honest space we’re trying to get to where there are no preconceived ideas of what we think something should sound like,” he says. “When you really tap into who you are on the inside, musically and as a person, that energy supersedes anything else.” For Francies, Purest Form is more than a recording. It’s an essence. “I hope that what I was trying to go for — an immersive, multidimensional experience — really reaches people. I hope that for 56 minutes, they step into this world of sounds and textures. That’s the idea. And [laughs] I hope it sounds good on every speaker.” (https://www.bluenote.com/pianist-james-francies-returns-with-new-album-purest-form-out-may-21-hear-the-1st-single-713/) Click here to listen to “713” from this new release.

David Friesen & Bob Ravenscroft – Passage (Origin): “With decades of friendship uniting them, two towering figures in music and entrepreneurship – David Friesen, an acclaimed bassist and musical visionary for 50 years, and Bob Ravenscroft, pianist, maker of the Ravenscroft Grand Piano and a force in Arizona’s cultural landscape, elected to surrender control to the musical spirits in creating their first duo recording. With just their instruments, wide open ears, and little forethought, musical themes unfold spontaneously as uncharted areas of harmonic and melodic viewpoints reveal themselves. Movement through the many brief “tunes” unveils a more expansive structure of sound, their harmonious synchronicity offering surprising musical moments along the way.” (https://originarts.com/recordings/recording.php?TitleID=82820)  “The duo presents twenty-five musical vignettes, brief slices of beautiful ambience with running times rolling from just under a minute to near-five minutes. These are succinct statements, a letting go to allow the improvisational moment to take the music where it will. There is the floating introspection of “In The Place Of Calling,” the delicate beauty of “Obedience,” the sharp clarity of focus on “Awareness,” the restless momentum of “Forward.” Friesen and Ravenscroft have played music together for more than thirty years. Their in-the-moment attunement to each other is obvious, and seems effortless and natural. On “Journey,” Friesen slips into a percussive mode on his Hemage bass—an instrument with a distinctive sound, crisper than an acoustic instrument, warmer and more organic than the standard electric bass guitar—while Ravenscroft, playing his namesake piano of his own design, displays a clarity of tone and cleanness of articulation to go along with the richness of the lower-end sound. The presentation of twenty-five individual pieces makes for a cornucopia of musical ideas from the minds of two seasoned and dedicated artists as they lay out their spontaneous sonic path.” (https://www.allaboutjazz.com/passage-david-friesen-origin-records) The performances are tantalizing and wonderful. Click here to listen to two samples of songs on this release.

Norah Jones – Til We Meet Again (Blue Note): “With a sterling career that boasts nine GRAMMYs, 50 million albums sold, and the most-livestreamed performances of 2020, Norah Jones has accomplished nearly every feat in the music industry. But on April 16th, Blue Note will be releasing Jones’ first-ever live album, ‘Til We Meet Again. The collection presents globe-spanning performances from the US, France, Italy, Brazil, and Argentina that were recorded between 2017-2019. The first single “It Was You,” which is available today, was recorded at the 2018 Ohana Festival in Dana Point, California with Pete Remm on organ, Christopher Thomas on bass, and Brian Blade on drums. Additional musicians featured on the album include bassist Jesse Murphy, guitarist Jesse Harris, flutist Jorge Continentino, and percussionist Marcelo Costa. ‘The 14 songs featured on ‘Til We Meet Again also span Jones’ entire career from her 2002 debut Come Away With Me (“Don’t Know Why,” “I’ve Got To See You Again,” “Cold, Cold Heart”), 2004’s Feels Like Home (“Sunrise,” “Those Sweet Words”), 2012’s Little Broken Hearts (“After The Fall”), 2016’s Day Breaks (“Flipside,” “Tragedy”), as well as her more recent singles series (“It Was You,” “Begin Again,” “Just A Little Bit,” “Falling,” and the Grammy-nominated “I’ll Be Gone”). The album closes with Jones’ stunning solo piano performance of Soundgarden’s “Black Hole Sun,” a tribute to Chris Cornell that was recorded at the Fox Theatre in Detroit just days after Cornell’s death following a performance at the same venue. The record was produced by Jones and Jamie Landry.” (https://www.udiscovermusic.com/news/norah-jones-til-we-meet-again/) Click here and scroll down to listen to samples of the songs on this release.

Gabor Lesko – Earthway (Creativity’s Paradise Music): “Internationally renowned guitarist, and producer with Warner and Universal, Gabor Lesko boasts collab. with Tony Levin, Eric Marienthal, Simon Phillips, Steve Vai, Jimmy Haslip, Gianna Nannini and many others.
His personal style that mixes percussive guitar, Fusion jazz improvisation , with 4 didactical books published and 7 solo Albums released.” “Gabor Lesko, born in 1974, had been growing with music since he was a little boy. Coming from a musician family, he decided to continue in the music tradition and started to study playing classic guitar, piano and orchestra composition with Vilmos Lesko at the Conservatory of Bergamo in Italy. Later, he gained the professional music experiences during his studies of harmony and composition in Budapest and with Franco Cerri at the Civic Jazz School of Milan. Winner of the Berklee college of Music Scholarship, in Boston. He Moved for one year in Usa (1998), where he studied psychoacoustics at the Musician’s Institute (G.I:T:) and met well-known professors such as Joe Diorio, Robben.… Some of his most important projects include motion pictures (RAI Trade, the Italian television), relaxing music (Yoga Journal), music with poetry (“Parole Note”- Universal). 
Moreover, he is an author of 6 albums and didactical publications.” (http://www.gaborlesko.com/portfolio/curriculum/) Click here to listen to a sample Lesko’s work.

Rale Micic – Only Love Will Stay (Whaling City Sound): “Rale Micic’s heartwarming fusion of heritage, taste, and jazz guitar sophistication shines on Only Love Will Stay. Rale Micic is a unique voice in jazz guitar. He combines an absurdly melodic approach and an intricate insight into harmonies, with a sort of deep personal story from his native Serbia. His life experience and heritage exert a soft and loving influence on his artistic approach: the rhythm, tone, and feel of the music of his life.” (https://newworldnjazz.com/rale-micic-only-love-will-stay-whaling-city-sound/) Micic’s choice of Jared Gold on organ is a delightfully cool and hip combination with Micic’s guitar. Johnathan Blake and Geoff Clapp alternate on drums and the overall balance and smooth delivery is fantastic. Click here to listen to samples of the music on this release. Note that songs on this disc begin with “Only Love Will Stay” to the end of the set list.

Arturo O’Farrill & The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra – Virtual Birdland (Zoho): “Virtual Birdland is a candle in the darkness, which illuminates what is possible when good people come together to create beauty and meaning in the world. The year 2020 will forever be known as annus horribilis, one of misfortune and misgiving, when the people of the world suffered through an pernicious pandemic. Arturo O’Farrill is the ultimate “artivist,” a terrific blend of artist and activist. When the occasion arises, he rises to it. Instead of cursing the darkness, he creates music and opportunity for all of us to experience. Arturo is a humanitarian who helped to mobilize resources to support the creative community. He made sure that those in the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra had a steady gig, a semblance of normalcy during a time of chaos. While we all hunkered down in our homes, every week we had the Virtual Birdland show to look forward to. This project is indeed an homage to its namesake, named after the iconic Jazz club in midtown Manhattan where Arturo and the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra have had a weekly Sunday night residence for many years. This album is special. It represents many people coming together to create something larger. We cannot be defeated. We cannot be kept down. Because the human spirit will always bring us together. And music will always be a force for unity. This is the seventh album that I’ve been blessed to produce for Arturo. It’s been an honor for Doug Davis, Paul Avgerinos, and me to help bring maestro Arturo’s brilliant artistic vision into the world.”(Kabir Sehgal) Beautiful vibrant music. This is a sample. Keep your eyes on the prize! Click here for a serious slice.

Freda Payne – Let There Be Love (The Sound of LA): “Singer and actress Freda Charcelia Payne was born September 19, 1942, in Detroit, Michigan…. In 1956, while at Hutchins Middle School, Payne appeared on the nationally televised Ted Mack’s The Original Amateur Hour; singing jingles, she was featured on WJR radio’s Make Way for Youth, in addition to many other local television and radio shows. Payne’s mother spurned a contract from the then unknown Barry Gordy. When she graduated from Central High School in 1959, Payne began touring with Pearl Bailey’s musical review and sang with the Duke Ellington Band. Payne’s first album was After the Lights Go Down for ABC’s Impulse Records in 1962… In 1964, Payne joined the Four Tops, Billy Eckstine, and Nipsey Russell on the Quincy Jones Tour…. Stardom for Payne began when she signed with Invictus Records, a label run by her old Detroit friends Brian Holland, Edward Holland, Jr., and Lamont Dozier (formerly of Motown) in 1969. Payne’s smash single Band of Gold, released in 1970, was ranked #1 in the United Kingdom and #3 in the United States; it was her first gold record. Payne’s other hits included Deeper and Deeper, You Brought Me Joy, and the anti-war, Bring the Boys Home. Payne continued to song and eventually moved in to television and movies. Her career has continued to perform singing and performing. Click here for a introduction to Freda Payne’s new release.

Erin Propp & Larry Roy – We Want All The Same Things (Chronograph): “There is nuance in the everyday; in its layers of love, joy, and hurt, and in its emotional currents ever present. Erin Propp and Larry Roy reach into the everyday and blur the edges, creating works that are at once deeply personal and achingly relatable. These are songs that take it all in, that read between the lines, that hear the subtext, that feel it, that say it out loud. Their music rings true with nuance and power, with rare clarity and precision. Erin and Larry’s musical abilities are tools of exacting expression, expertly honed. They reach in to resonate; calling the listener inside, sounding the overtones of our shared experience…. This music speaks to the listener with songs that are powerful but not aggressive, diverse without being in conflict with itself, and offers a vision of a softer world. Erin and Larry’s songs explore the facets of people living alongside one another – the ease and adversity within mutualism, and ultimately the true privilege it is to struggle through life together.” (https://erinpropplarryroy.bandcamp.com/album/we-want-all-the-same-things) Propp’s vocals are beautiful and her lyrics truly stand out. She also covers songs like Carol King’s “So Far Away”, Lauryn N. Hill’s “Tell Him” and Hoagy Carmichael and Ned Washington’s “The Nearness Of You”. This is a beautiful set from beginning to end. Back-up musicians shift from song to song adding bass and drums and at times adding keys, and horns. Click here to listen to the songs (and even an extra in French) that doesn’t appear on the disc)!

Steve Tintweiss & The Purple Why – MarksTown (Inky Dot Media): “Steve Tintweiss, who is still active today, is perhaps best-known for his contributions to the avant-garde jazz scene of the late 1960s/early ’70s when he was considered a very valuable sideman and a stimulating improviser. As a leader, he enjoyed writing strong themes that led logically to free-form solos and exhilarating ensembles. In 1967 he formed The Purple Why, a septet that also included trumpeter James DuBoise, Mark Whitecage on tenor and flute, baritonist Trevor Koehler, drummer Laurence Cook, and both Judy Stuart and Amy Sheffer on vocals. Although the group, which lasted until the mid-1970s, made an impact at the time, MarksTown is the first documentation of the band to be released.It consists of a pair of concert performances from 1968. Steve Tintweiss wanted Purple Why to be socially conscious and part of the late 1960s political movement like many of the rock groups and folk singers. The first half of MarksTown is taken from a performance at St. Mark’s Church that was part of a marathon weeklong benefit for the victims of the Nigerian-Biafran conflict. The Purple Why was the only performing jazz group in a lineup that also included Joan Baez, Joni Mitchell, Pete Seeger, Country Joe McDonald, Jimi Hendrix and many others. The band only had 20 minutes so they performed a medley of some of their pieces. Most memorable are the somber melody of “Ramona, I Love You,” Tintweiss’ bowed bass on “Contrapuntal,” and the fiery trumpet on “N.E.S.W. up/down.”
The second half of MarksTown features The Purple Why at their Town Hall concert of Sept. 14, 1968 where they had more of an opportunity to stretch out. Trumpeter DuBoise creates a particularly strong solo on “Just Be Mine,” the singers and Whitecage are in the spotlight on “Monogamy Is Out,” and the dramatic “Space Rocks” concludes with a memorable outer space ending. Throughout this release, The Purple Why displays a musical personality of its own…. The players were James DuBoise (trumpet), Mark Whitecage (tenor sax, flute), Trevor Koehler (bari sax), Judy Stuart and Amy Sheffer (vocals), Steve Tintweiss (bass, melodica, vocals, composer, leader) and Laurence Cook (drums). I regret I am unable to find a sample from this set.

Dave Weckl Band – Live in St. Louis at the Chesterfield Jazz Festival, 2019 (Autumn Hill): “For more than 30 years, Dave Weckl has developed and maintained a reputation as one of the great living drummers. For this, he has received numerous accolades and honors.Born in St. Louis Missouri, January 8th, 1960, Dave started playing drums around the age of 8. During his high school years, Dave received many awards from the NAJE (National Association of Jazz Educators) for outstanding performances in his high school’s competition-winning jazz band. He was involved with numerous local groups from a very young age while studying with St. Louis-area teachers Bob Matheny and Joe Buerger. At age 16, Dave began to work professionally with local pop and jazz groups. In 1979, he moved to the East coast to study music at the University of Bridgeport in Connecticut. While playing the club scene in New York City with a band called Nite Sprite, Dave started to receive accolades from established studio musicians such as Steve Kahn, Michael Brecker, and especially drumming great Peter Erskine. It was Peter who recommended Dave for his first ‘big gig’ in town with a group called French Toast, forerunner to the Michel Camilo band. From this group, legendary bassist Anthony Jackson recommended Dave for the prestigious Simon and Garfunkel reunion tour in 1983. After this tour, Dave was regularly being called for radio and TV jingles, sound track sessions, and top recording dates with such artists as George Benson, Peabo Bryson, Diana Ross, and Robert Plant. In 1985, Michael Brecker suggested to Chick Corea that he look into Dave’s services for his new Elektric Band. That was the beginning of a seven year relationship with both the Elektric and Akoustic Bands, where nine recordings and three videos were produced, including a Grammy for the first Akoustic Band release.” (https://www.drummerworld.com/drummers/Dave_Weckl.html) Weckl may have slowed down recently, but the fire still burns! Click here to catch Weckl smacking the skins on “Higher Ground”.

Kopasetically,

Professor Bebop