JALC Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis to Release New Festive Album: The Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis is releasing Big Band Holidays II. This is a collection of the Orchestra’s elective performances of festive hits, and it is a follow-up to their beloved Big Band Holidays
release from 2015. Among its tracks is a never-before-released version
of “O Tannenbaum” featuring the legendary Aretha Franklin. Big Band Holidays II
will be available on all digital platforms on October 25, 2019, in
stores as a CD on November 8, 2019, and available on 2xLP audiophile
vinyl later in the holiday season.
London-based US saxophonist Jean Toussaint releases
his new album, Live at the Jazz Café, on Lyte Records on 11 October to
coincide with the 100th birthday of iconic hard bop drummer Art Blakey.
As a former member of Blakey’s long-running Jazz Messengers group,
touring and recording with the band from 1982-1986, Toussaint drew on
the music and mentorship he received during his tenure as the
inspiration for his 2018 studio album, Brother Raymond. The new live recording of the music was captured at the end of a UK tour with the saxophonist’s band of trumpeter Byron Wallen, trombonist Dennis Rollins, pianist Andrew McCormack, double-bassist Daniel Casimir and drummer Shane Forbes all featured.
The album gets its official launch at Cadogan Hall, Sloane Square on 23 November as part of the 2019 EFG London Jazz Festival.
New Box Set Celebrates Fred Hersch Trio’s 10th Anniversary:
A new box set celebrating the 10th anniversary of the Fred Hersch Trio –
led by pianist Fred Hersch and featuring bassist John Hébert and
drummer Eric McPherson – is due out October 18 via Palmetto Records. The
box set is simply titled The Fred Hersch Trio 10 Years / 6 Discs and includes five critically acclaimed Palmetto Records releases: Whirl (2010), the double-LP Alive at the Vanguard (2012), Floating (2014), Sunday Night at the Vanguard (2016) and Live in Europe (2018). It also includes new liner notes by Hersch and music historian Ted Gioia.
Roberto Fonseca to Release New Album on October 18th, 2019
Roberto Fonseca Presents Yesun
GRAMMY®-nominated Cuban pianist, vocalist,
multi-instrumentalist, composer and bandleader Roberto Fonseca is set
for the release of his new album, Yesun, October 18 via Mack Avenue Records.
Combining jazz sensibility and deep roots in the Afro-Cuban tradition, Yesun
is the Havana-born artist’s ninth solo album. The record delves into
the music of Fonseca’s homeland of Cuba while keeping its sights set
firmly on the future, weaving in electronic beats, spoken word,
retro-modern keyboards, Fonseca’s vocals and more.
“Yesun is the album I’ve always wanted to make,” says
Fonseca of a record that combines everything from jazz and classical
music to rap, funk, reggaeton and electronic music. “All my influences
are here. All the sounds and vibes that make me who I am.”
“This tune felt very natural to write,” says Fonseca of “Aggua,” on
which he plays grand piano, analog keyboards and percussion, as well as
contributing bossa-nova style vocals. “I wanted to represent my Cuban
roots with a tumbao”-the core rhythm that nourishes salsa, mambo and
Latin jazz-“and I wanted to shake up some stuff.”
Fonseca will tour the U.S. this coming spring in support of the
album, with upcoming shows set for New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, San
Francisco, Boston, Washington, DC, Seattle and Portland.
Yesun is a trio album whose 13 original tracks are bolstered
by Fonseca’s regular bandmates, drummer Raúl Herrera and longtime
double bassist Yandy Martínez Rodriguez. Guests include Grammy-winning
American saxophonist Joe Lovano, lauded French-Lebanese trumpeter
Ibrahim Maalouf, Grammy-nominated Cuban rapper/singer Danay Suárez,
famed Cuban bolero diva Mercedes Cortés and capella group Gema 4.
Yesun follows 2016’s ABUC,
praised for its “incandescent Cuban contrasts” by The Guardian. That
same year, Fonseca served as Artistic Director of the inaugural Jazz
Plaza Festival in Santiago de Cuba. Most recently, he received the
prestigious Ordre des Arts Letters (Order of Arts and Letters) from the
French Ministry of Culture.
Roberto Fonseca – Yesun
1. La Llamada (feat. Gema 4)
2. Kachucha (feat. Ibrahim Maalouf)
3. Cadenas (feat. Danay Suárez)
4. Por Ti
5. Aggua
6. Motown
7. Stone of Hope
8. Vivo (feat. Joe Lovano)
9. OO
10. Mambo pa la Niña (feat. Gema 4)
11. Ocha
12. No Soy de Esos
13. Clave
Soweto Kinch unveils politically-charged album 'The Black Peril'
UK saxophonist, poet and MC Soweto Kinch has unveiled details
of his new album. It’s called ‘The Black Peril’ and takes a deep look
at episodes of civil unrest that followed the end of World War One,
examining race riots that took place in the UK, the US and the Caribbean
in 1919. Soweto says he’s inspired by the sounds of ragtime,
proto-jazz, West Indian folk music and the classical works of black
composers of the period, revisiting a time of momentous social change.
The album features a number of guest musicians including British
stars Jay Phelps, Giacomo Smith, Xhosa Cole and Nathanial Cross - plus
US jazz players Eric Lewis and Gregory Hutchinson. It launches with a
concert at the EFG London Jazz Festival on November 22nd, with
Tomorrow’s Warriors on stage alongside members of the London Symphony
Orchestra and Jazz FM Award winning drummer Makaya McCraven.
Acclaimed Antipodean improvisers announce details of latest long-player
Australian maestros of the crepuscular unfurl, The Necks, release their latest album, Three, on 27 March via Fish of Milk, through the auspices of Rocket, ReR Megacorp and Northern Spy.
According to the trio’s double-bassist, Lloyd Swanton:
“The album will have three tracks – ‘Bloom’, ‘Lovelock’ and ‘Further’ –
all 20-22 minutes long. ‘Bloom’ is dense and busy, ‘Lovelock’
atmospheric and abstract, ‘Further’ is a jazz groove in 5/4.”
Pat Metheny back with epic new album From This Place - Track Preview
The guitar guru returns next year with his ambitious orchestrally-enhanced new album
Multi-Grammy-winning guitarist and composer Pat Metheny is set to return in February 2020 with a new Nonesuch album, From This Place, which will be followed by a world tour throughout the year. The guitarist’s first new solo studio album since 2011’s What’s It All About, and his first band recording since his 2014 Unity Group’s KIN (←→)),
the record comprises original tunes by Metheny (who also produced the
album), and features his touring band of the last few years of pianist Gwilym Simcock, bassist Linda May Han Oh and longtime drummer Antonio Sanchez, alongside guest appearances from vocalist Meshell Ndegeocello, harmonica player Gregoire Maret and percussionist Luis Conte, with The Hollywood Studio Symphony Orchestra conducted by Joel McNeely. See the February 2020 issue of Jazzwise for an exclusive interview with Metheny
Makaya McCraven Reimagines Gil Scott-Heron’s Final Studio Album: Multi-instrumentalist/producer Makaya McCraven is releasing We’re New Again, a reimagining of I’m New Here, the final studio album of legendary singer/songwriter Gil Scott-Heron. I’m New Here was originally released in 2010, a year prior to his death. It was produced by Richard Russell of XL Recordings, the same label that will release We’re New Again on February 7. We’re New Again
was recorded and produced by McCraven in his Chicago home studio and
draws on his electronic, sample-based approach to production, fusing it
with improvised live musicianship.
“Kabir” is a song from an upcoming six-years-in-the-making album by guitar legend John McLaughlin. Is That So?,
due out January 9, finds him revisiting the Indian music tradition in a
freer vein than his famed ’70s Shakti project. To do so, he rekindles
one of his deepest collaborations – that with tabla master Zakir Hussain
– and finds inspiration in the vocal talents of Shankar Mahadevan. As
“Kabir” shows, the album overflows with a sense of spiritual exploration
and documents the encounter between three creative souls keen on
exploring uncharted musical territories.
In February 2020, Craft Records will release Charlie ParkerThe Savoy 10-Inch LP Collection, a four-LP box set that highlights the jazz legend’s career from 1944-1948.
The new collection features restored and remastered audio from the
original 10-inch albums along with a booklet containing vintage photos,
rare ephemera, and new liner notes journalist and author Neil Tesser. A number of jazz greats appear on the recordings with Parker including Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie, John Lewis, Bud Powell, and Max Roach.
The 1940s saw Parker and his contemporaries introduce the world to a
new sounds, Bebop, a new style of jazz that would influence music for
generations. The 28 tracks that make up The Savoy 10-Inch LP Collection
are some of the earliest bebop recordings. Notable tracks on the
release include cuts from a November 1945 session that has been referred
to as “The Greatest Jazz Session Ever.” The session featured Miles
Davis, Max Roach, and Curley Russell appearing as “Charlie Parker’s Reboppers.”
The Savoy 10-Inch LP Collection is scheduled for release on February 28, 2020, and is currently available for preorder on vinyl and digital formats.
Charlie Parker: The Savoy 10-Inch LP Collection Track List:
New Sounds In Modern Music, Volume 1
Side A
1. Now’s The Time
2. Donna Lee
3. Chasin’ The Bird
4. Red Cross
Side B
1. Ko-Ko
2. Warmin’ Up A Riff
3. Half Nelson
4. Sipping At Bells
New Sounds In Modern Music, Volume 2
Side A
1. Billie’s Bounce
2. Cheryl
3. Milestones
4. Another Hair-Do
Side B
1. Thriving From A Riff
2. Buzzy
3. Little Willie Leaps
4. Klaunstance
New Sounds In Modern Music, Volume 3
Side A
1. Bluebird
2. Bird Gets The Worm
3. Parker’s Mood
Side B
1. Steeplechase
2. Perhaps
3. Tiny’s Tempo
New Sounds In Modern Music, Volume 4
Side A
1. Constellation
2. Merry Go Round
3. Confirmation
Piano prodigy Joey Alexander released
his debut LP five years ago, at the age of 11, shortly after moving to
the United States from his native Indonesia. Since then, his sound has
been constantly maturing, and his upcoming album Warna – which
means “color” in Bahasa – marks his debut for the legendary Verve label.
On the record, he returns with his all-star trio including bassist
Larry Grenadier and drummer Kendrick Scott. The title track, which mixes
Southeast Asian and African rhythms, is augmented by the talents of
Venezuelan percussionist Luisito Quintero.
Jeff Parker has shared a new single from his upcoming album, Suite for Max Brown,
which is dedicated to his mother. “Go Away” is a lively track and one
of nine originals from the upcoming LP, due out January 24 via
Anthem/Nonesuch. While Parker recorded most of the instruments on the
album, Suite for Max is credited to Jeff Parker and the New Breed, which
consists of Paul Bryan, Josh Johnson, Rob Mazurek, Katinka Klejn, Nate
Walcott, Jamire Williams, Makaya McCraven and Jay Bellrose.. Parker’s
daughter Ruby adds her vocals to the tracks “Build a Nest.”
Thundercat, “Black Qualls” feat. Steve Lacy and Steve Arrington
Musician/singer/songwriter/producer Thundercat announced the release of his new album, It Is What It Is,
and shared its lead single “Black Qualls,” featuring Steve Lacy and
Steve Arrington. This new, funky song references what it means to be a
black American with a young mindset and it emerged from the writing
sessions with Lacy, whom Thundercat describes as “the physical incarnate
of the Ohio Players in one person.” It Is What It Is is executive produced by Thundercat himself and Brainfeeder label-head Flying Lotus, and it is due out on April 3.
Musician/producer Rafiq Bhatia
implements dreamlike and sometimes volatile electronic techniques to
transform cornerstone works by such greats as Duke Ellington and Ornette
Coleman on his immersive upcoming 4-song EP, Standards Vol. 1.
One of the tracks, “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face,” features
Cécile McLorin Salvant, one of the major jazz vocalists of this
generation. This passionate song was written in 1957 by British
political singer/songwriter Ewan MacColl for Peggy Seeger, who later
became his wife, and was a major international hit for Roberta Flack in
1972. Standards Vol. 1 is due out on January 31.
Serpentine, oriental influences and
somewhat sinister tones adorn “The Guru,” a new track from
trombonist/composer Nick Finzer’s upcoming album, Cast of Characters.
The album draws inspiration from the formative figures we meet
throughout our lives and how their impact changes over time, and this
track reveals a darker side of this concept. “Never meet your heroes,
some say. This piece is an exploration of that very idea,” Finzer
explains via a statement. Cast of Characters is due out February 27 via his Outside In Music imprint.
Drummer Tony Allen & Trumpeter Hugh Masekela Set to Release New Album
Jazz FM had an exclusive first play of 'We've Landed', the lead
single taken from the upcoming release of a new project from legendary
drummer Tony Allen. The album is called ‘Rejoice’ and was recorded with
his friend, the late great trumpeter Hugh Masekela.
Speaking to us ahead of the play, he said the first track is
dedicated to the young people of today. Tony explained, “the lyric
addresses people at seventeen, eighteen, nineteen years old, who are
slowly becoming more mature, finding out who they are and realising that
it’s their generation’s turn to wake up!”
Having first met in the 70s thanks to their respective close
associations with Fela Kuti, Allen, the Nigerian master drummer widely
hailed as the co-founder of Afrobeat (and long-time member of alt-rock
supergroup The Good The Bad & The Queen), and Masekela, South
Africa’s legendary trumpet player, talked for decades about making an
album together.
When, in 2010, their touring schedules coincided in the UK, the
moment presented itself and producer Nick Gold took the opportunity to
record their encounter. The unfinished sessions, consisting of all
original compositions by the pair, lay in an archive until after Hugh
passed away in 2018.
With renewed resolution, Tony Allen and Nick Gold, with the blessing
and participation of Hugh’s estate, unearthed the original tapes and
finished recording the album in summer 2019 at the same London studio
where the original sessions had taken place. Allen and Masekela are
accompanied on the record by a new generation of well-respected jazz
musicians including Tom Herbert (Acoustic Ladyland / The Invisible), Joe
Armon-Jones (Ezra Collective), Mutale Chashi (Kokoroko) and Steve
Williamson.
Tony Allen & Hugh Masekela will release their very special collaborative new album ‘Rejoice’ through World Circuit on 20th March.
Tony Allen will perform songs from ‘Rejoice’ with a specially
assembled band at two intimate shows at London’s Church of Sound on 12th and 13th March, with tickets now available.
This video of Charles Lloyd performing
his “Requiem” was filmed at his special 80th-birthday concert at Santa
Barbara’s Lobero Theatre last March. The concert featured the saxophone
great alongside guitarist Julian Lage, pianist Gerald Clayton, bassist
Reuben Rogers, and drummer Eric Harland, with special guests organist
Booker T. Jones and bassist/Blue Note president Don Was joining the
ensemble midway. The show is documented in a new live album, 8 Kindred Spirit, and this video is part of its limited edition’s accompanying DVD, due out February 14.
Classic Bollywood movies scores,
Spaghetti Western soundtracks, Indian folk and jazz improvisation are
just some of the influences blending into one on Sunny Jain’s upcoming
album Wild Wild West, due out February 21 via Smithsonian
Folkways. The musician/composer has released the title track and
accompanying videos, and says about the song that it is about his
multi-cultural lineage: “The courageousness of all immigrants to leave
their family and home in search of opportunity in a foreign land is a
wild and bold move. One that truly embodies the romanticized ideas the
cowboy has always professed to be.” The video for “Wild Wild West” was
directed by Adeel Ahmed and was filmed throughout various locations,
including Manhattan, Los Angeles, New Delhi, Rajasthan and more.
R&B-based horn section and band
Tower of Power have been rocking their eclectic, soulful and funky sound
since 1968. They are all set to release a brand new album, Step Up,
on March 20. The title track presented here is one of 14 compositions
featured on the LP, and that was written and arranged during a careful
6-year-long process and recorded in the same sessions of Soul Side of Town
(2018). “Lyrically, it’s a call to ‘Step Up’ and do whatever’s needed
to succeed in life’s endeavors,” says Tower of Power’s Emilio Castillo.
“The track has super soulful background vocals and the B3 solo is
completely off the charts!”
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