Monday, June 19, 2017

Jaco Pastorius - Truth, Liberty & Soul - Live in NYC: The Complete 1982 NPR Jazz Alive! Recording Coming from RESONANCE RECORDS (2017)



Previously unreleased live album by electric bass genius Jaco Pastorius and the 
Word of Mouth Big Band featuring special guest, harmonica virtuoso Toots Thielemans 
Recorded at Avery Fisher Hall in NYC on June 27, 1982 
as part of George Wein's Kool Jazz Festival

First official release authorized by the Jaco Pastorius Estate, 
Warner Music Group and NPR Music 
of the Entire Concert from start to finish, including over 40 minutes of material 
not aired on the original NPR Jazz Alive! broadcast

Includes a massive 100-Page book with NINETEEN written pieces! 
Essays by Metallica bassist Robert Trujillo, producer Zev Feldman, Jaco Pastorius authority 
Bill Milkowski, original recording engineer Paul Blakemore; plus interviews with Jaco 
son 
John Pastorius, musicians Peter Erskine, Bob Mintzer, Randy Brecker and more.

Deluxe limited edition 3-LP boxed set available for Record Store Day on April 22, 2017 
& deluxe 2-CD set and digital editions available May 26, 2017.

Resonance Records proudly announces the release of Jaco Pastorius: Truth, Liberty & Soul Live in NYC: The Complete 1982 NPR Jazz Alive! Recording , a first-time release comprising more than 130 minutes of extraordinary, high-fidelity, ground-breaking music presented from beginning to end exactly as it happened at Avery Fisher Hall on June 27, 1982. This is the second historical release from NPR's Jazz Alive! radio program, following 2016's acclaimed Sarah Vaughan Live at Rosy's, which captured "the Divine One" in New Orleans on May 31, 1978.

The brightest star in the electric bass firmament, Jaco Pastorius burst onto the national scene in 1976 with his audacious self-titled album on Columbia Records, featuring a lineup of top jazz musicians. With his extraordinary fretless electric bass playing as the centerpiece, Jaco Pastorius created an immediate sensation with the public and the media. Jaco was a revelation; no one in jazz had ever played electric bass that way before.

In Jaco's work with Weather Report and beyond, the self-described "greatest bass player in the world" (an assessment shared with virtually the entire music world) established a new identity and role for his instrument and became the torchbearer for a new way of playing both technically and conceptually. But behind it all was an ever-present R&B and Latin-influenced groove and a screaming rock-'n'-roll attitude that he refined and incorporated into sophisticated jazz harmonic structures.


His legacy as a bass innovator continues to this day, nearly thirty years after his death in 1987. In addition to his extraordinary virtuosity, Jaco was also developing into an accomplished and sophisticated composer and arranger and those talents that are gloriously on display on this album.

Resonance is able to release this album thanks to the work of Tim Owens, producer of Jazz Alive!, a weekly syndicated NPR program that aired on public radio stations across the U.S. from 1977 to 1983. Jazz Alive!'s mission was to record the best live jazz being performed around the country and present those recorded performances to the public over the air.

In 2011, noted jazz producer and label executive Michael Cuscuna introduced Resonance's Zev Feldman to Owens. When they met, Feldman saw a piece of paper with a list of tapes on it and at just quick a glance the words "Jaco Pastorius" leapt right off the page.

Feldman loves Pastorius's music; he regards Jaco as a hero. From the moment he noticed there was a recording of the Jaco Pastorius Kool Jazz Festival concert out there, he was determined that Resonance would release it. Now, more than six years later, after negotiations with all the many parties who held rights to the music and the recording including NPR, Warner Music Group and the Jaco Pastorius estate Feldmans dream is finally coming to fruition. And we at Resonance could not be more thrilled.

We were blessed to have the original recording engineer, multi Grammy award winner Paul Blakemore, on board to revisit and remix from the original 24-track tape reels more than three decades after capturing it live at Avery Fisher Hall. And in addition to the exceptional sound quality, were elated to say the set includes more than 40 minutes of music that was not broadcast on Jazz Alive! at the time, therefore has never been available to the public, even in bootleg form. This is the complete concert, start-to-finish.

Toward the end of 1980, Jaco began recording his second album as a leader, Word of Mouth, which was more oriented toward his own compositions than his debut album had been. The Word of Mouth album features several musicians who also appear on this album: Peter Erskine, Toots Thielemans, Don Alias, Othello Molineaux, Howard Johnson and John Clark, as well as showcasing two Pastorius compositions,"Three Views of a Secret" and "Liberty City."

By 1982 Jaco and Peter Erskine had left Weather Report, and the concert captured on this release represents Jaco with the New York version of his new Word of Mouth big band. The occasion was special for him because Word of Mouth often performed as a sextet with just the core members: Jaco, Peter Erskine on drums, Randy Brecker on trumpet, Bob Mintzer on tenor sax, Othello Molineaux on steel pans and Don Alias on percussion.

On this occasion, Jaco and the core members were joined by a bevy of top-flight New York musicians who were also Jaco's close friends: saxophonists Bob Stein, Lou Marini, Frank Wess, Howard Johnson and Randy Emerick; trumpet players Alan Rubin, Lew Soloff, Jon Faddis, Ron Tooley and Kenny Faulk; trombonists David Taylor, Jim Pugh and Wayne Andre; French hornists John Clark and Peter Gordon; tubist David Bargeron; plus the special guest soloist, harmonica icon Toots Thielemans.

Peter Erskine, Jaco's rhythm partner for the most productive years of Jaco's career, expressed his view of the crucial importance of this release: "I think that this recording more than any other I've heard epitomizes the vision Jaco had for the Word of Mouth band. And that's what's great about it. I would dare say that theres no finer version of what Jaco's musical vision was than this particular concert and recording."


The great bassist Victor Wooten assessed Resonance's release of this album this way: "This is a rare find; like finding a never-before-seen Picasso or Van Gogh painting."

Resonance Records a multi-Grammy Award winning label (most recently for John Coltrane's Offering: Live at Temple University for "Best Album Notes") prides itself in creating beautifully designed, informative packaging to accompany previously unreleased recordings by the jazz icons who grace Resonance's catalog. Such is the case with Jaco Pastorius: Truth, Liberty & Soul Live In NYC: The Complete 1982 NPR Jazz Alive! Recording.


Available as a limited-edition, 3-LP, 180-gram vinyl boxed set exclusively for Record Store Day (April 22, 2017), followed by the deluxe 2-CD and digital sets on May 26, 2017, this release includes more than 130 minutes of music. The CD edition includes a 100-pg book with photos by Tom Copi, Don Hunstein, Rene Perez and Donna Ranieri, and is presented in a 6-panel digi-pak beautifully designed by Burton Yount. The limited edition 3-LP boxed set contains all the same graphic materials and writings contained in a multi-page 12"x12" insert.

Disc One

1. Invitation (13:04) 
2. Soul Intro/The Chicken (9:10) 
3. Donna Lee (13:18) 
4. Three Views to a Secret (6:38) 
5. Liberty City (10:10) 
6. Sophisticated Lady (7:43) 
7. Bluesette (5:31)

Disc Two

1. I Shot the Sheriff (6:55) 
2. Okonkolé y Trompa (15:07) 
3. Reza/Giant Steps (Medley) (10:19) 
4. Mr. Fonebone (10:37) 
5. Bass and Drum Improvisation (14:05) 
6. Twins (2:53) 
7. Fannie Mae (5:55)

WORD OF MOUTH BIG BAND 
Jaco Pastorius - bass, vocals 
Bob Mintzer - tenor and soprano saxophones, bass clarinet 
Randy Brecker - trumpet 
Othello Molineaux - steel drums 
Don Alias - percussion 
Peter Erskine - drums 

SAXOPHONES
Bob Stein - alto saxophone
Lou Marini - tenor saxophone
Frank Wess - tenor saxophone
Howard Johnson - baritone saxophone
Randy Emerick - baritone saxophone

TRUMPETS
Alan Rubin
Lou Soloff
Jon Faddis
Ron Tooley
Kenny Faulk

TROMBONES
David Taylor
Jim Pugh
Wayne Andre

FRENCH HORNS
John Clark
Peter Gordon

TUBA
David Bargeron 

Special Guest:
Toots Thielemans
(harmonica on "Three Views of a Secret," "Liberty City," "Sophisticated Lady,""Bluesette," "I Shot the Sheriff," "Mr. Fonebone" and "Fannie Mae")


Fred Frith & Hans Koch - You Are Here (INTAKT RECORDS 2017)




Fred Frith is a world renowned improvisor, composer and multi-instrumentalist who has positioned himself on the contemporary music scene between rock and jazz, improvisation and compostition. Experimental saxophonist and bass clarinetist Hans Koch has a similarly superb reputation. In the past few years Hans has dedicated himself to the quieter side of improvisation.

Both musicians have extended the possibilities of their instruments and stepped into new territories. The pair have known each other since the Nineties. As a guest, Frith took part in the “hardcore chamber music“ of trio Koch-Schütz-Studer.

On the new album “You Are Here” they create intriguing sound worlds and fascinating tone structures purely by improvising. It is the music of two mature masters who have worked all their life to develop their own musical language. The duo allows them to make full use of their artistic capability to the great pleasure of the listener.


1. Just a Crack 8:02
2. Strange Is the Night Where Black Stars Rise 12:57
3. Exercises Chronologiques 6:14
4. Lots Out Large 6:20
5. Immagine Prima 1:36
6. Road, Mirror, Forest, Sea 11:43
7. Ever Wonder 7:16

Fred Frith: electric guitar, various small objects
Hans Koch: bass clarinet, soprano and tenor saxophones, spit

Music by Fred Frith and Hans Koch. 
Recorded at the Jazz Campus, Basel, Switzerland / April 23/24, 2016. 
Mixed at Idee und Klang Studio, Basel, Switzerland. 
Engineer: Daniel Dettwiler. Assistant engineers: Jan Sutter & Benjamin Gut. Additional editing: Hans Koch.
Mastered at Headless Buddha Mastering Lab, Oakland, California, Nov 21, 2016. Engineer: Myles Boisen.
Text: Fred Frith. Cover art: Heike Liss. Graphic design: Jonas Schoder. Photo: Daniel Dettwiler.
With warm thanks to Bernhard Ley. Financial support by Migros Aare. 
Produced and published by Intakt Records, Patrik Landolt.


Tim Daisy / Ken Vandermark / Michael Thieke- Triptych (RELAY RECORDINGS 2017)



Triptych documents a first time meeting between three stalwarts from the international improvised music scene: Berlin-based clarinetist and composer Michael Thieke, Multi-reedist extraordinaire Ken Vandermark, and Chicago-based drummer and composer Tim Daisy. These three compositions and five improvisations document multiple approaches to the art of composition and improvisation utilizing an unconventional trio line-up of clarinet, bass clarinet, tenor saxophone, and percussion.


1. At Argyle 04:08
2. KV - MT 02:34
3. Yellow Fern 06:26
4. TD 04:04
5. Tuesday At Noon 06:56
6. KV 02:59
7. MT-TD 04:16
8. MT 01:49

3 Compositions & 5 Improvisations by

Michael Thieke: clarinet
Ken Vandermark: tenor saxophone, bass clarinet
Tim Daisy: drums,percussion,radios  

Recorded on December 6th, 2016 at Experimental Sound Studio Chicago, IL 
Recorded, Mixed and Mastered by Alex Inglizian 
Tracks 1,3 and 5 composed by Tim Daisy (Split Music/ASCAP) 
Tracks 2,4,6,7 and 8 by Daisy (ASCAP) Thieke (GEMA) and Vandermark (Twenty First Mobile Music/ASCAP-Cien Fuegos) 
Artwork by Federico Peñalva


2ª-feira, AXES + MIRRORS - Lançamento duplo com Carimbo Porta-Jazz


Mais recente projeto do saxofonista e compositor João Mortágua, destacado desde o início do seu percurso como um dos valores seguros no jazz nacional. Com esta formação Mortágua irá explorar as texturas de quatro saxofones com duas baterias e sem instrumento harmónico, propondo um resultado contemporâneo, profundamente marcado pela procura de uma linguagem artística própria, com a qual tem vindo a pautar toda a sua exploração musical.

"Pirâmide quadrangular assente em ripas estridentes. Fusão entre o erudito e o urbano. Ode ao pássaro citadino e à geometria pagã."

Este é o 35º disco com Carimbo Porta-Jazz.

Iremos ainda apresentar o terceiro disco resultante da parceria entre a Porta-Jazz e o Guimarães Jazz, que se orienta por duas premissas basilares: o convite de músicos portugueses a jovens músicos emergentes na Europa, e a interação com outra área artística.

O projeto Mirrors foi desenvolvido numa residência artística que decorreu em novembro em Guimarães, na qual os músicos puderam trabalhar com um artista plástico que produziu uma instalação de espelhos e luzes, explorando assim a sua integração e o seu resultado num espectáculo apresentado e gravado ao vivo durante o Festival.

O Ciclo "FEUP Lança Porta-Jazz" trata-se da parceria entre a Associação e o Comissariado Cultural da FEUP, e reúne os mais recentes projetos editados pelo Carimbo Porta-Jazz numa série de concertos de lançamento dos novos discos. Todos os concertos decorrem no auditório da FEUP e são de entrada livre.


Errol Rackipov Group - Distant Dreams (OA2 RECORDS 2017)



" ...his compositions combine modern jazz and classical elements with the influence of Bulgarian folk music, and his multifaceted arrangements move becomingly from refined lyricism to spirited exaltation...This is a must hear project."  SCOTT ALBIN, AMAZON

The music of "Distant Dreams" is a continuation of the journey the Bulgarian vibraphonist began with his debut recording, "Pictures from a Train Window," where many of the compositions are influenced by the rhythms and melodies of Eastern European folk music, but viewed through modern jazz aesthetics. Mentored and influenced by vibes icons Gary Burton and Ed Saindon, Rackipov's rich eclecticism and life experiences provided him the platform for defining his own space in the elite mallet performance world. "This is a group to be enjoyed for years and years. The right personalities and skill-sets and talents have coalesced into one of the finest debut albums of recent memory." -Travis Rogers, Jr.

1. Odd Times (7:00) 
2. The Dream of the Little Gypsy (6:13) 
3. Shopeto in NY (5:45) 
4. Attitude Problem (5:00) 
5. The Old Watermill (4:44) 
6. Miami - Sofia (via Havana) (6:15) 
7. Bosphorus (5:33) 
8. Todora (to Dobri Paliev) (5:50)


Lubomir Gospodinov - Tenor sax and Soprano sax 
David Leon - Alto sax 
Martin Bejerano - Piano 
Peter Slavov - Acoustic bass 
Ludwig Afonso - Drums

Evan Parker / John Russell / Ian Brighton / Philipp Wachsmann / Marcio Mattos / Trevor Taylor - Reunion (Live from Cafe Oto) FMR RECORDS 2017


On August 14th 2016 Cafe Oto staged a reunion of a group of old friends , the group Stringthing featuring Ian Brighton Electric Guitar, Philip Wachsmann Violin, Trevor Taylor Percussion and electronics and Marcio Matttos cello , with Evan Parker saxophone and john Russell acoustic guitar String thing had not recorded through circumstances since 1988 when they recorded 'Eleven years from Yesterday (FMR02) Coincidently only the second cd in the FMR catalogue


1 Here, And Hear 6:35 
2 Why Did We Leave It So Long ? 31:36 
3 Walthamstow Cheesecutter 15:53 
4 What Else Did You Expect ? 15:43 

Evan Parker soprano saxophone (3,4)
John Russell guitar (3,4) 
Ian Brighton guitar (1,2,4)
Philipp Wachsmann violin (2,4)
Marcio Mattos double bass (2,4)
Trevor Taylor percussion, electronics (2,4)

Thelonious Monk: Les Liaisons Dangereuses 1960



Sam Records/Saga celebrates Monk's centennial with the release of Thelonious Monk: Les Liaisons Dangereuses 1960 – out today (June 16, 2017) in CD/digital format.

This historic music is now available for the first time outside the context of the film in this collection.  The recording contains all the music utilized in the film, as well as some tracks that were not heard on screen. The recording features Monk's 1959 all-star working band of Charlie Rouse, Sam Jones and Art Taylor, plus special guest French saxophonist Barney Wilen.

The project includes a 50-page booklet with original artwork by Jerome Witz, essays by acclaimed jazz writers Robin D.G. Kelley, Brian Priestley and Alain Tercinet, as well as a complete discography compiled by Daniel Richard, plus never-before-published color and black-and-white photographs and memorabilia from the recording session. 

The project was released on LP for Record Store Day in April and it's already earning high praise:

"...there's a tender intimacy to these solo and quartet recordings, which were made in the company of his wife and close friends." – Giovanni Russonello, The New York Times

"...a fresh discovery...Monk sounds lively and at ease: note the peekaboo feints he plays behind both saxophonists, and the sly rhythmic displacement he slips into his own solo." – Nate Chinen, WBGO

"...they reveal Monk during a dynamic year, in the midst of turmoil, seeming relaxed, playful and at the top of his game." – Larry Blumenfeld, Wall Street Journal

"This is no mere cash grab or vault-scraping; it's an absolutely essential find. Don't miss it." – Phil Freeman, StereoGum

"This new set is among my favorite historical releases of the year and offers material that is sure to delight Monk fans. It also shows off a more chilled side of Monk that will be less familiar to many listeners." – Marc Myers, JazzWax

"There has recently been a spate of archival releases, all important and opportune, but Thelonious Monk – Les Liaisons Dangereuses 1960 is easily the greatest to date." – C. Michael Bailey, All About Jazz

"...this compelling document of a crucial period in the pianist's notoriously under-recorded career can be considered an early birthday present to his fans." – David Kastin, JazzTimes

"Everyone plays as if his hair is on fire. Monk comps in jolts of electricity. His solos start in left field, and it's a rush when he clangs his way back to the melody." – Thomas Conrad, Stereophile

"Most intriguing is the inclusion of French saxophonist Barney Wilen, making this one of only two Monk records to feature dual tenors on the front line." – John Frederick Moore, Jazziz


Monk biographer Robin D.G. Kelley notes: "It is not too much to suggest that Monk transformed what would have been an edgy but relative standard narrative film into avant-garde cinema." 


As T.S. Monk says:   "This is a marvelous release. Thelonious is at his best, with a wonderful array of his best friends, including Charlie Rouse, Sam Jones, and Art Taylor! And there are new tunes too! If you love Monk, you'll surely love this original soundtrack to the award winning French cinema classic Les Liaisons Dangereuses. The entire Monk family is delighted to partner with Sam Records/Saga to make this release possible."


Producer Zev Feldman writes:

"In December of 2014 I was visiting Paris and received a very charming introductory email out of the blue from the head of Sam Records, Mr. Fred Thomas explaining that he and his friend, Mr. Francois Le Xuan of Saga Jazz (producer of the acclaimed 'Jazz In Paris' series) had located master tapes of a previously unissued studio session of Thelonious Monk made in 1959 by a French producer (the one and only Marcel Romano: Miles Davis' "Ascenseur pour l'échafaud.") I was obviously extremely intrigued, and I believe my eyeballs literally left my face upon reading the news. Are you kidding me?! A STUDIO album?!! This was an extraordinary find and I wanted to know more.

"We would met up several days later at le Café de l'Olympia over coffee where we got to know each other and discussed this extraordinary find. Fred and Francois were looking for a partner and needed someone who knew the Monk family and was a fellow kindred spirit who shared a passion to present this find in a presentation worthy of a giant. I was honored they were familiar with my work and thought I would be a good fit and collaborator. As we spoke at the cafe, it became clear, we were all three guys cut from the same cloth who loved jazz, an international language in itself.



"Over the next two years, we worked with the Thelonious Monk estate and set out to assemble the cast of voices/words (and photos) to bring together and tell the story of this amazing event in Thelonious Monk's recorded legacy. It just might be one of the greatest journeys and highlights of my life. I'd like to thank the Thelonious Monk Estate for making this project possible, especially T.S. Monk and Gale Monk. I'd also like to thank the rest of the Monk team including Thelonious Monk's grandchildren, Sierre Monk & Thelonious Monk IV, plus Team Monk's Denise Pruitt-Grant, & Julion St. Hill. Finally, I'd like to thank my co-producers Fred Thomas & Francois Le Xuan for inviting me on this journey which I will never forget. And thanks to all of you for supporting this music."

Samuel Jewell - The Journey of Process (2017)


1 The Journey 1:08
2 lilBigunknown 8:45
3 Busyness 7:27
4 The Struggle (Desire & Destiny) 9:59
5 Travail 6:39
6 Forgiveness 2:27
7 A Different Perspective 7:42
8 Grace 7:17
9 Meditate Daily 5:36
10 The State of Being Vulernable 9:13
11 Euphoria 7:25
12 Liberate 3:07

Samuel Jewell - Drums
Anthony Perkin - Piano
Brian Quinlan - Guitar
Runere Brooks - Bass
Shaun Johnson - Trumpet
Irvin Pierce - Tenor Saxophone
Melody Jones - Vocals

Josh Lawrence - Color Theory (POSI-TONE RECORDS 2017)


Josh Lawrence brings a full complement of tones and contrasts to his new record "Color Theory." Featuring a powerful line-up fronted by Lawrence's trumpet, keyboardist Adam Faulk, pianist Orrin Evans, and alto saxophonist Caleb Curtis, everything stays straight forward and swinging hard while the rhythm section of bassist Madison Rast and drummer Anwar Marshall keep everything honest and in the pocket. The music is meant to be reflections of the entire spectrum, and the musical program covers several hues and shades with an exciting and evocative presentation of Lawrence's amazing new original compositions. "Color Theory" features an amazing combination of talents and a highlight reel of brilliant performances. Josh Lawrence is a new star on the jazz horizon and his music is sure to bring bright moments to jazz fans everywhere.


Yellow
Presence
The Ripoff
RED!
The Conceptualizer
Green
Black
An Uptown Romance
Purple (4 Prince)
Blue
On The Yangtze

Caleb Curtis - sax
Brent White - trombone
Orrin Evans - piano
Adam Faulk - fender rhodes
Madison Rast - bass
Anwar Marshall - drums


Stanley Cowell - No Illusions (SteepleChase Productions ApS 2017)


Pianist/composer Stanley Cowell at age 75 is having an on-going renaissance as a performer since his retirement from Rutgers University in 2013. The group presented here is scheduled to have a three-night stint at New York City’s renowned live jazz spot Smokes in May.

This is Cowell’s 15th release from SteepleChase.

“…Cowell’s recording career now spans more than thirty years….an impressive consistency of purpose and the highest level of musical thought.” (Richard Cook & Brian Morton – The Penguin Guide to Jazz)

1 MILANO (John Lewis) 7:57
2 SUNLIGHT SHIFTING (Stanley Cowell) 7:24
3 MISS T. E. & O. (Stanley Cowell) 11:18
4 NO ILLUSIONS (Stanley Cowell) 7:19
5 CELESTIAL WOMAN (Stanley Cowell) 7:22
6 NOSTALGIA FOR HOMELANDS (Stanley Cowell) 5:34
7 LESDODIS (Stanley Cowell) 6:12
8 B MINOR FOLKSONG (Stanley Cowell) 6:55

Bruce Williams alto saxophone, flute
Jay Anderson bass
Billy Drummond drums