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New Jazz: 7/12/2022

Dave Bass – The Trio, Vol. 2 (Self-produced): “Pianist, composer and lyricist, Dave Bass, is a great American success story that reads like a riveting bio-pic script. This Cincinnati kid began piano lessons at age seven, and shortly after graduating high school, played in bands that opened for Captain Beefheart and Alice Cooper. He was soon accepted into Boston’s Berklee College of Music, leaving after just a few months to study piano with the legendary Madame Margaret Chaloff. Madame schooled him and other young, immensely talented jazz artists as Keith Jarrett, Leonard Bernstein, Steve Kuhn and Kenny Werner, who understood the importance of developing a signature sound and style. Chaloff taught in the “Russian Technique” – a unique tool for tone production and musical articulation…. During the ’70s and early ’80s, now living in the Bay Area, Dave supported his growing family as a full time musician. Immersed in the vibrant San Francisco jazz and Latin music scene, he led his own group playing often with friends Bobby McFerrin, drummer Babatunde Lea, jazz vocalist Jackie Ryan and others at the legendary Keystone Korner and other well-known venues…. In the mid-80s, after a random slip and fall on the way to a gig caused a seriously damaging wrist fracture, doctors did not offer a promising prognosis for him to ever play piano again. In 2005, after a twenty-year absence from the music scene, and while still a Deputy Attorney General, Dave’s long-forgotten dreams of playing and composing jazz were re-kindled when his own self-discovery coincided with an invitation to play some impromptu solo piano during a private party while the band took a break. This led to Dave being invited to local jam sessions, where he once again fell in love with the deep satisfaction of playing piano, composing, arranging and writing lyrics to tell his stories through music.
In June 2010, he released his first CD – GONE – featuring Mary Stallings and Ernie Watts… . With continued practice and determination Bass has regained, indeed surpassed, his talent.  Click here for a sample of “Tempus Fugit”.

Lia Booth – Life Can Be Beautiful (Matajax Entertainment): “Lia Booth is quickly establishing herself as one of Southern California’s most talked about young jazz vocalists. She has been making a strong impression and building a solid fan base with her fun, dynamic and heartfelt performances. Her daring yet effortless musical style is rooted deeply in the past but with a contemporary sensibility that breathes new life into classic jazz standards night after night…. For 10+ years Lia has been performing in popular jazz venues across LA, OC and Riverside counties, working both with the area’s younger generation of “jazz lions” and with a host of veteran jazz musicians. Most notably, Tony Guerrero, Jeff Goldblum, Crystal Lewis & Arturo Sandoval. Her first album release was in 2018 with jazz guitarist, Will Brahm simply titled “Lia Booth & Will Brahm” Her most recent album release is with her quintet. Released March 31, 2022 from MetaJAX Entertainment and titled “Life Can Be Beautiful”, this album throws her style on a few popul.ar standard tunes while adding some delightful new original songs written by both Lia and Tony Guerrero.” (https://www.hbclub.org/3137954596-lia-booth-life-can-be-beautiful-2022.html) Click here to listen to “Life Can Be Beautiful” from this release. 

Kenneth Brown – Love People (Space Time): “Drummer Kenneth Brown mixes modern soul with vintage post bop on this album with Russell/Gunn/tp, Greg Tardy/ts-cl, Will Boyd/ss, Jamel Mitchel/ts, Darryl Hall/b, Taber Gable/p-key and Candace Ivory/voc, Kenny Springs/voc, Rhea Sunshine/spoken word, and Keith Brown/vocoder-key. The result is a gumbo of classic and 21th Century sounds that feel good to heart and feet.
Springs has a classic soulful baritone not unlike Gregory Porter as he glides over Hall’s electric bass on the hip hoppy take of “Save Your Love For Me” while his read on Michael Jackson’s “Rock With You” is a soul fest as Brown lays down an irresistible groove. Ivory has a sweet tone to her cheery voice, gliding with Boyd’s soprano on the R&B ish “Can’t Give You Anything But Love” and joining with Rhea Sunshine’s upbeat message and rich horns on “Pieces of My Heart”. Tardy’s tenor wails over Brown’s relaxed pace of “Blues Interlude” and joins with Mitchell on the Jazz Messengers-inspired bopper A Place for Togetherness”. Gable mixes stride with Monk as the leader swings out the hip hop of “If You Can’t Hold On” while giving a rich intro to Mitchell and Boyd on the glowing “Full Circle”. Impressive impressions. (www.spacetimerecords.com) Click here to listen to “A Place for Togetherness”, the opening song and an original by Kenneth Brown.

Michael Carvin Experience – art of the trio -(MCE): “At the young age of 77 years, Master drummer Michael Carvin releases his latest album,”art of the trio” by The Michael Carvin Experience. A collection of stellar arrangements from the American Songbook MCE brings the presentation of the Trio format back to the scene through class and sophistication…. Michael Carvin is a drummer of extraordinary talent, inventiveness and technique. His mastery affords him the ability to handle any musical situation and to skillfully pass on his knowledge of the instrument to an ever increasing number of students internationally. Born in Houston, Texas, Carvin’s musical training began at age six with his father, one of the top drummers in Houston. By the age of twelve,Carvin began playing professionally and won what would be the first of five consecutive Texas rudimental championships. Mr. Carvin’s diverse career has included two years as a staff drummer with Motown Records and extensive studio and television work on the West Coast. Joining Freddie Hubbard’s band in 1973, Mr. Carvin moved to NewYork where he quickly gained a reputation as one of the most formidable drummers on the jazz scene. A prime example of his work with Hubbard can be seen on the Mosaic Records/Jazz Icons DVD released in fall 2011 featuring Carvin with Hubbard’s very first touring group.In addition to leading his own bands, Carvin’s vast playing andrecording experience includes work with Dizzy Gillespie, Dexter Gordon, Jackie McLean, Hank Jones, McCoy Tyner, Illinois Jacquet, Pharoah Sanders, Bobby Hutcherson, James Moody, Hampton Hawes, Ruth Brown, Johnny Hartman, Abbey Lincoln, Jimmy Smith, Hugh Masekela, Alice Coltrane, Cecil Taylor, Charles Brown, Terumasa Hino, Bobby Watson, Billy Bang, and many others. Michael Carvin has established himself as one of the world’s most respected drum teachers and clinicians. He’s attracted students from Europe, South America, Australia, Japan and India.” (http://www.michaelcarvin.com/biography.html) Click here to listen to the songs on this set.

Tom Collier – The Color Of Wood (Summit): “… one of the best jazz vibraphonists on the planet.” (Scott Mercado, Modern Drummer Magazine) Internationally acclaimed in jazz, classical and pop circles, vibraphonist/marimbist/Professor Emeritus, Tom Collier remains on his incredible musical journey of over six decades with “The Color of Wood”,  a powerful, musically-mesmerizing solo performance. “The Color Of Wood” is a jazz-based marimba album performed entirely on rosewood bars by Collier. The recording features new original compositions written specifically for the marimba, several older previously ensemble-recorded originals, and a few unique arrangements of pop/jazz standards thrown in for fun. While marimba albums are quite common in the classical world, only a scant few jazz marimba albums have been released over the years making “The Color Of Wood” a very unique recording in the jazz canon. While many of the tracks on “The Color Of Wood” were made in one single pass, several other compositions incorporated two, three, or four overdub passes to enrich the sound and artistic intent of the music. In any case, the music was performed entirely on marimba by a single performer (except for the use of a tambourine also played by Collier on one track).” (https://www.summitrecords.com/release/the-color-of-wood-tom-collier/) Click here to listen to segments of all of the songs on this release.    And click here to listen to all of the songs on this release.

Dana Fitzsimons – Fault Lines (Dana Fitzsimons): “My previous recording, The Cheap Ensemble, was inspired by a Gerhard Richter painting that evoked and amplified then-present feelings of melancholy, nostalgia, restlessness, and agitation. It was also the start of a journey of trying to make honest, personal, and liberated music that, hopefully, continues with this offering. Life moving forward like it does if we’re among the fortunate ones, and change remaining ever constant, after that recording was released, I found myself almost immediately searching for different things in myself and my playing. Clear paths opened leading me to new musical collaborators for this new recording. Pianist Bill Graham (Atlanta, GA) is a busy performer, composer, and educator. He started on the drums and briefly studied composition in college but credits his early musical development primarily to listening to records and gigging, including with his father – pianist and composer Jez Graham. His musical family also includes his sister, percussionist Janna Graham. He is the author of Chord Tone Improvisation: A Practical Method for Playing on Jazz Standards and has a popular instructional YouTube channel. Bassist Brandon Boone (Atlanta, GA) earned his jazz studies degree from Kennesaw State University, was mentored by bassist Kevin Scott and the legendary Colonel Bruce Hampton and toured with Bruce’s band. Also from a musical family, his father was a pianist and music minister in Augusta, and his brother Robert is currently the drummer for the Count Basie Orchestra. While technically commanding on the bass, Brandon always has his ear towards making his voice part of the whole. Brandon co-founded the band Grüt (Ropeadope Records) and is currently touring with the Tedeschi Trucks Band.  This new trio gathered a few times at my house before the lockdown. While the spark was present from the first notes, the pandemic eliminated any possibility of live performances or collective development. We didn’t see each other for two years until we went into the studio. When we reunited, the spark was still there and had a heightened sense of urgency after the long isolation and incubation – raw, strong, and ready to explode out of its confinement. In this recording of our too long delayed musical reunion, composition meets free improvisation, density grinds against sensitivity, ambient sound slips around groove, and pressure builds and breaks free new musical terrain for the trio to explore along these Fault Lines.” (https://www.katesmithpromotions.com/artists/dana-fitzsimons/) Click here to listen to “Number Six” from this new release.

Brian Grace – Long Beach (Jimmy Haslip/Brian Grace): “Brian Grace has played hundreds of live gigs since becoming a professional musician at 19 years old.  Early on in his musical career, Grace spent a total of seven years in various Army Bands playing saxophone and electric bass at military posts including Fort Dix, NJ, Fort Gordon, GA and the 6th Army Band at the Presidio of San Francisco, CA (where it turns out, trumpeter Herb Alpert also spent some time serving).  During his military service, he played for Presidents George H.W. Bush and William J. Clinton as well as Mikhail Gorbachev and a wide host of other politicians and dignitaries.  While in the midst of his regular Army Band duties, he also auditioned for and was selected for the “Army Soldier Show,” a musical theatrical group made up of talented Army soldiers from different posts around world.” (https://briangracemusic.com/music-bio) “Long Beach” is my latest jazz-rock sonic adventure, marrying unforgettable melodies with exquisite rhythms, featuring an All-Star cast of L.A. musicians to help deliver my unique “Prog Jazz” conception.  Featuring the unbelievable rhythm section of Chad Wackerman (Frank Zappa, Allen Holdsworth) on drums, Mike Miller (Gino Vannelli, Boz Skaggs) on guitars, and Grammy winner Jimmy Haslip (Yellowjackets, Jeff Lorber) on bass, plus Grammy-nominated Otmaro Ruíz on organ.  Each tune conveys an original jazz statement unto its own; from the odd-meter intensity of “The Gathering Storm,” to the jazz-reggae melodicism of “Autumn in Long Beach,” to the reflective and pensive “Learning to Live Again,” this harmonious EP is my heartfelt tribute to the funky cool city I call home!” (https://briangracemusic.com/home) Click here to listen to the songs on this new release.

George V Johnson Jr – Walk Spirit Talk Spirit (In Memory of McCoy Tyner) (Your Majesty Music LLC): Walk Spirit Talk Spirit (In Memory of McCoy Tyner)
Click here to listen to this release.

Stan Killian – Brooklyn Calling (Sunnyside): “The events of the past two years have led everyone to be on alert for signs of the world returning to normalcy. For saxophonist/composer Stan Killian, his sign was a phone call to get back to work on his favorite occupation: Performing for live audiences. Killian enthusiastically reunited with his longtime rhythm section bassist Cocoran Holt and drummer McClenty Hunter, along with new addition, Paul Bollenbeck, on guitar. Killian’s new recording, Brooklyn Calling, presents music honed and prepared for this group as they returned to their highly polished and exciting performance style. Originally from Texas, Killian has been a fixture on the New York City jazz scene for over a decade. It was on his second recording for Sunnyside Records, Unified, that Killian introduced Holt and Hunter as regular members of his ensemble. His undeniable kinship with these two brilliant musicians led to the evolution of Killian’s composing style and a very strong group identity. Killian became a fan of Bollenbeck’s playing while still in high school. Having heard the guitarist with Joey DeFrancesco and his own mentor, Gary Thomas, Killian was excited at the opportunity to invite Bollenbeck into the quartet for a gig at the 55 Bar. After that first hit, Killian knew that he needed to record this new assemblage…. During the early stages of the pandemic, Killian left New York City for Buffalo. In June 2020, he was called to resume the jam session that he hosted at The Queens Brewery in Ridgewood, Queens and served the greater Bushwick neighborhood of Brooklyn. Killian was ecstatic that he could return to playing so quickly and jumped at the chance to rejoin his compatriots and work on the music that would become Brooklyn Calling….The recording begins with the tentatively swinging “Horizon,” the contemplative solo tenor representing the isolation of the early months of the pandemic before ominous bass and mysterious guitar add to the foreboding feel of the post-Covid world. The shifting time signatures of “Holocene” represent the elasticity of the human spirit, which is needed in today’s ever-changing climate. The title of the wholly “Buy Back” refers to a Covid era bar policy of providing a free drink to patrons who have already bought two. “Shibuya Crossing” is a reflection on Killian’s special relationship with jazz listeners of Japan, who have been incredibly supportive of his art and tours. The tune aurally reflects the angular synchronicity of the pedestrian foot traffic at Shibuya Crossing. The gorgeous ballad “Concept of Peace” reflects on the idea of finding inner peace during the pandemic, the laid-back melody needing to weave itself through difficult harmonic changes in an effort to find resolution. The title track catches the awkward energy of playing for the first time with other musicians after nearly four months away from the stage, a feeling that Killian and these musicians will not take for granted again. The program concludes with “Open Doors,” a hopeful homage to the reopening of New York City as it waltzes back to normal life. The world may never again be the same after the pandemic. The isolation and tension it caused has made the world’s population really reflect on many things they had formerly taken for granted, including coming together to enjoy the company of others and enjoying live music. Stan Killian knows how important these things are, not only for himself and his city, but for everyone. His new recording, Brooklyn Calling, assures listeners that the world is indeed still out there and calling them forth.” (https://stankillian.bandcamp.com/album/brooklyn-calling) Click here to listen to the wonderful songs on this release.

Todd Marcus Jazz Orchestra – In The Valley (Stricker Street): “Recent years have been important for me musically and socially as I’ve explored the incorporation of Middle Eastern music into jazz. This has stemmed from my own journey to dig deeper into my Egyptian ethnicity (my father was Egyptian) and I think it is an insightful reflection of both my American culture (through jazz) and Egyptian culture (through Middle Eastern music). This effort has been a challenging one though as jazz and Middle Eastern music are constructed very differently. While the harmonies in jazz are a crucial element that define its sound, traditional Middle Eastern melodies typically do not use harmony and focus more on unison themes. So in many ways my efforts to merge these two musics is a good metaphor for me as an individual who continues to explore and integrate his American and Egyptian cultures. My early efforts to incorporate Middle Eastern music came years ago after I asked my father for samples and he gave me an album by one of the great Egyptian vocalists Abdel Halim Hafez. This had a major impact on me and led to initial compositions merging Middle Eastern music and jazz…. Recent years have been important for me musically and socially as I’ve explored the incorporation of Middle Eastern music into jazz. This has stemmed from my own journey to dig deeper into my Egyptian ethnicity (my father was Egyptian) and I think it is an insightful reflection of both my American culture (through jazz) and Egyptian culture (through Middle Eastern music). This effort has been a challenging one though as jazz and Middle Eastern music are constructed very differently. While the harmonies in jazz are a crucial element that define its sound, traditional Middle Eastern melodies typically do not use harmony and focus more on unison themes. So in many ways my efforts to merge these two musics is a good metaphor for me as an individual who continues to explore and integrate his American and Egyptian cultures. My early efforts to incorporate Middle Eastern music came years ago after I asked my father for samples and he gave me an album by one of the great Egyptian vocalists Abdel Halim Hafez. This had a major impact on me and led to initial compositions merging Middle Eastern music and jazz…. These compositions and their inspiration are deeply personal and show the continuing evolution of my work as a composer and bass clarinetist. On top of this, the wonderful musicians in my band do incredible work performing this challenging material. The result brings me joy and I hope it does the same for you! (https://toddmarcusjazz.bandcamp.com/album/in-the-valley) Click here and scroll down to hear “Cairo Street Ride” from this release.

T.S. Monk Band – Live: Two Continents – One Groove (Storyville): ““T.S. Monk’s highly anticipated live album Two Continents One Groove is characterized by the steady pulse and groove that the world has come to know and love as the T.S. Monk Sextet Sound. T.S., also known as “Toot”, leads his sextet with an innovative and dynamic approach. Since 1992, the drummer has worked exclusively with his co-players, making the sound of the sextet incredibly tight. When they roll out their arsenal, they soar and swing, and are indeed exciting to hear. In that regard, it might be quite surprising to learn that this is T.S.’s very first live album! “This is my first live recording, ever,” he confirms. “It’s daunting and an uncertain kind of product. Most live albums aren’t that good. I’ve been lucky to always have great people working with me.” The seven songs on the album are taken from two performances at two similar jazz rooms over a two-year period; three are from Harlem’s Jazz Shrines Festival: Jazzmobile presents Minton’s Playhouse at Ginny’s Supper Club on May 7, 2014, while others were recorded at Marians Jazzroom in Bern, Switzerland on April 24, 2016. Drummer, percussionist, composer, producer and bandleader Monk has taken his place in the pantheon of jazz royalty, to which he was born as the son of legendary jazz pianist Thelonious Monk. The two played together for five years, until the elder Monk’s retirement in 1975. The swing is DNA-inherited and absorbed in this master drummer’s persona. T.S. spent the late ’70s and ’80s in various R&B groups, scoring the hits Bon Bon Vie (Gimme the Good Life) and Candidate for Love in 1980 — but by the 1990s he decided to return to his jazz roots. T.S.’s group consists of some of the best jazz musicians in the business, each bringing something special to the table.
Willie Williams on tenor saxophone is the original member of the sextet, who came up under the tutelage of Grover Washington Jr. Additionally, we have the Chicago native Kenny Davis on bass (who has worked with notables such as Cassandra Wilson and Kevin Eubanks), trumpeter Josh Evans, multi-reedist Patience Higgins, Dave Stryker on guitar and pianist and composer Helen Sung, the very first winner of the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz Performance. (With Two Continents One Groove, Monk invites you to follow him to a new promised land. As he states: “If there’s one thing this album is, it’s swingin’! I hope you agree.”
(https://tinnitist.com/2022/06/17/albums-of-the-week-t-s-monk-live-two-continents-one-groove/) Click here to listen to the songs on this disc.

NYO Jazz – We’re Still Here – (Carnegie Hall Weill Music Institute): “NYO Jazz’s first full-length studio album, We’re Still Here, is now available for digital download and on all streaming platform. The album—recorded during the ensemble’s summer 2021 training residency at Purchase College, State University of New York, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic—features Carnegie Hall–commissioned works, a range of classic and contemporary jazz repertoire, and works exploring themes that include social justice, resilience, and the power of music to spark joy…. We’re Still Here, features artistic director and bandleader/trumpeter Sean Jones and special guest Melissa Aldana on tenor saxophone, plus an appearance by trombonist Wycliffe Gordon. One of Carnegie Hall’s three acclaimed national youth ensembles, NYO Jazz—comprising outstanding young musicians ages 16–19 from across the United States—showcases the legacy and bright future of American jazz. Created in 2018 by the Hall’s Weill Music Institute, NYO Jazz annually brings together some of the nation’s finest teen jazz musicians to train, perform, and tour with world-class jazz masters while also serving as music ambassadors for their country. (https://bigtakeover.com/recordings/NYOJazzWereStillHereCarnegieHallWeillMusicInstitute) Click here to listen to samples for songs on this release.

Matt Slocum – with love and sadness (Sunnyside): “With six albums to his credit, drummer/composer Matt Slocum has established the one thing all musicians desire: a singular sound. Surprisingly, that sound isn’t based on Slocum’s drumming, which is often intricate and jewel-like, but on his compositions. Slocum’s last album, Black Elk’s Dream, shared the voice heard on With Love and Sadness: a thoughtful, meditative, at times truly American sound. With Love and Sadness brings a new element, the modern American mind, to bear on Slocum’s music. Conceived during a trip to the Maine wilderness, the album (composed as a suite) reflects the recent, racially induced, justice-pursuing marches in U.S. cities and considers whether the American experiment is perhaps a failure. In his liner notes, Slocum writes, “Most of the piece follows a sonic trajectory moving away from optimism but clinging to a kind of blind hope and beauty (real or imagined) in our collective potential for change.”                                           Joined by pianist Taylor Eigsti, bassist Larry Grenadier, and saxophonist Walter Smith III, Slocum unfurls With Love and Sadness quietly. The album opens with “Prelude.” Lilting, reflective, carefully upbeat, it sets an expanse of possibility. “First Light” pulses gently, Slocum’s dancing drums and Grenadier’s firm hand elevating the group into a kind of foursquare jaunt, lithe rhythms propelling elastic solos. Shimmering cymbal and resonant drums open “An Evolving Alliance,” which feels airy and sun-filled, Eigsti’s marvelous electric piano shifting tones over Slocum’s flowing beats. Electric piano returns on “End of the Season,” Slocum swooshing brushes below a nocturnal image. “Precipice” darts like fireflies; Grenadier’s lone bass charts “An Abandoned Illusion”; “America Revisited” is a lament—a peaceful reconciliation seems nigh. Though the album hints at strife, it never arrives. In its unfurling a kind of rugged optimism appears, a chance for change. If Slocum believes, why can’t we?” (https://jazztimes.com/reviews/albums/matt-slocum-with-love-and-sadness/ Click here to listen to the songs on this new release.

New Blues Releases:

Steve Howell & The Mighty Men – Been Here And Gone (Out Of The Past Music): “Been Here And Gone is another diverse set list from Steve Howell and The Mighty Men. Ranging from country blues to rhythm and blues and ’60’s hits to Appalachian traditional music, this collection of vocals and instrumentals is held together by the stripped-down musical conversation going on inside the playing of the band members. This group of veteran Southern journeymen find a deeply common thread in their renditions of great American music in a way seldom accented these days producing satisfying tributes to great songs and melodies. Been Here And Gone is a wonderful addition to their existing catalog of critically acclaimed music and is a first-class offering.” Click here to listen to “Such A Night” (originally in the 60s by Elvis).    This is Steve Howell.

Harrison Kennedy – Thanks For Tomorrow (Electro-Fi): “Best known as the lead vocalist on the Chairmen of the Board blues classic “I’m the Chairman of the Board,” Harrison Kennedy was born and raised in Hamilton, Ontario, before moving to Detroit to join up with the Chairmen, a group started as part of the new Holland-Dozier-Holland label Invictus/Hot Wax. In the mid-’70s, Kennedy left the group and struck out on a solo career. Over the years he has been able to pull from styles as varied as funk, soul, R&B, folk, rock, and gospel. In 2008, Kennedy was nominated for Best Blues Recording in Canada’s Juno Awards.” (https://www.allmusic.com/artist/harrison-kennedy-mn0000380720/biography) Click here to listen to Harrison Kennedy’s song “Woman”. 

Bernie Pearl – Just The Blues Music (Bee Bump Music): “Bernie Pearl is a native Angeleno who learned the blues from the musicians who frequented the fabled Ash Grove (a folk and blues club run by Pearl’s brother Ed), including Lightnin’ Hopkins and Mance Lipscomb. The Bernie Pearl Blues Band originated in 1984, with Robert Lucas on harmonica. Harvey “Harmonica Fats” Blackston replaced Lucas in 1986, leading to the beginning of a long and fruitful partnership. Fats’ witty songs and on stage radar magnetism is captured on Live at Cafe Lido, an album originally intended as a demo. The high demand for the Live at Cafe Lido album led Fats and Pearl to form Bee Bump Records, with its first release being I Had to Get Nasty. Pearl convinced Fats to work as an acoustic duo, releasing Two Heads Are Better in 1995. The following year, they released Blow Fat Daddy Blow!, dedicated to the memory of Fats’ wife and civil rights activist Johnnie Tillman.” Click here to listen to Pearl performing.

The Phantom Blues Band – Blues For Breakfast (Little Village): “Tribute To Mike Finnigan with very special guests: Bonnie Raitt, Ruthie Foster & Curtis Salgado! For all his considerable musical talents, Taj Mahal has always been shrewd. And smart. In the early 1990s he knew he’d assembled something special in his backing band. He dubbed his secret weapon the Phantom Blues Band. After helping Taj win two Grammys and gain three other nominations, the band members realized they could stand on their own. The Phantom Blues Band began assembling what would become ‘Out Of The Shadows’ in 2006, an album that stretched the band and won raves at every turn. The Phantom Blues Band – drummer Tony Braunagel, bassist/singer Larry Fulcher, guitarist/singer Johnny Lee Schell, saxophonists Joe Sublett, trumpeter Darrell Leonard, and keyboardist/singer Mike Finnigan – has been a resilient unit.At various times, its members have backed just about every marquis band you can name, but they continued to support Taj when he needed them.
On its own, Phantom has recorded ‘Out Of The Shadows’ and Footprints in 2007 for Delta Groove and Inside Out in 2012 and Still Cookin’ in 2020, both for VizzTone. Album after album features the same musicians, although at one point Les Lovitt replaced Leonard on trumpet. It’s a rather remarkable testimonial that these guys who are first-call sidemen for people such as Bonnie Raitt, Etta James, Joe Cocker, Robert Cray, Eric Burdon, and Bob Marley among others, always seem to come back to their nest with the Phantom Blues Band. Unusual allegiance and true camaraderie come to mind as character traits. So it was especially painful during the pandemic shadow in 2020 when Mike Finnigan was diagnosed with cancer. Finnigan held his own place in the music industry. Through the years, he played on hundreds of records and thousands of shows with artists as varied as Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix and Crosby, Stills & Nash. He made it through the album, but succumbed to his illness in August 2021. The Phantom Blues Band wasn’t going to let that knock them out. They recruited veteran Jim Pugh on keyboards (Etta James, Robert Cray, Chris Isaak) and immediately set about to produce an album in tribute to the fallen Finnigan. Schell and Fulcher handle most of the vocals on the new album, which is scheduled for an early summer release on Pugh’s Little Village record label. The band invited two of its long-time musical companions – Bonnie Raitt and Curtis Salgado – to pitch in on the effort.”  Click way down to listen for the songs on this disc. 

Kat Riggins – Progeny (Gulf Coast): “When it came to this record, the key words were ‘ACKNOWLEDGE’ and ‘HONOR,’” contemporary blues/soul singer Kat Riggins proclaims about her new CD, Progeny, releasing June 24th on Gulf Coast Records. “I have always tried to share music in a very transparent and vulnerable way and I’ve learned that I do this most successfully when I connect that little girl that I used to be to the woman that I’m becoming. I mean, when I remember things like how my Mama spoke her heart or how my Daddy’s voice made me feel when he sang Sam Cooke, it empowers me to be wide open and still feel safe. THAT sentiment is what I needed to acknowledge and honor with this project!”
To bring Kat Riggins’ musical vision to life on the new album, Gulf Coast Records founder/guitarist Mike Zito assembled a sparkling list of talented musicians to back Kat’s powerful, sassy vocals, including Mike Zito, himself, on guitars, Matthew Johnson on drums, Doug Byrkit on bass guitar, and Lewis Stephens on keyboards, augmented with special guests Melody Angel on guitar (“Woahman”), Albert Castiglia on guitar (“My City”) and Busta Free on rap break (“My City”).                                                     Dr. Maya Angelou said, “You can’t really know where you are going until you know where you have been.” With this album, Kat Riggins chose to honor that belief by paying tribute to her upbringing. In 12 original songs and a single a cappella gospel interlude, Kat kept with that theme and allowed her Spirit and spirit guides to have complete control when writing these songs. Progeny is compiled of songs about love, pain, passion and anger. It’s Kat’s personal testimony of strength, peace, joy, God and so much more! These songs run the gamut between sweet soul-blues ballads to high-energy blues-rockers, with Kat’s M.O. the same throughout. Whether it’s a blues-funk party scene that moves your booty or a heart- breaking soul stirrer that moves your spirit, Kat wrote these songs to move the listener from a place of truth!
Kat says the fact that by definition, “Progeny” means, “a descendent or descendants of” made it the perfect one word synopsis of the album. Songs like, “In My Blood” and “Warriors” are prime examples of this homage. In “Warriors,” the statement is that no matter what we might face in this life, we won’t face it alone. There are songs about hindsight, about greed and about faith. There’s something for the sweet, sultry, ballad lover who craves a soft, slow groove. Then, there are the high energy movin’ and groovin’ numbers like, “My City” and “Espresso,” a hip-shakin’ song about how the singer’s Love keeps her heart skipping beats. Mrs. Riggins explains, “Overall, Progeny is an acknowledgement of my human existence so far, and with it I hope to honor ancestors like my mother and elders like my father. Now that I’m in my 40s it seems that those two words come up a lot in my conversations with myself. Each time they do, I see a little more growth. (https://www.bluestownmusic.nl/new-release-the-phantom-blues-band-blues-for-breakfast/) Click here to listen to the songs on this set.

Kopastically,

Professor Bebop