New Sony series celebrates the 40th Anniversary of CTI Records

Although CTI was founded by Creed Taylor as a production company in 1967 (as a kind of jazz division of A&M Records), and became an independent label in late 1969, when its first releases hit the U.S. stores, only in 2009 the 40 years of the label were celebrated in Japan with the "CTI RVG Collection," a SHM-CD series of 20 items produced for reissue by Creed's himself and remastered by the legendary engineer Rudy Van Gelder, with liner notes provided by such jazz historians like Ira Gitler and Arnaldo DeSouteiro.

And only now, in late 2010, the 40th anniversary of CTI will be celebrated in the USA thanks to Sony Music, that controls the rights of the heyady of Creed Taylor's catalog between 1970 and 1980.

Twelve classic CTI albums from the 1970s will be reissued, most of them remastered for the first time using original two-track ¼-inch analog master tapes. They will be packaged in softpack sleeves that replicate the original LPs.

Six titles will be issued on October 12, 2010 by Sony Masterworks, all previously released on CD with different mixes (except Hubert Laws' Grammy-nominated "Morning Star") and all featuring Ron Carter:

Freddie Hubbard: "Red Clay" (featuring Joe Henderson, Herbie Hancock, Ron Carter, Lenny White)Stanley Turrentine: "Sugar" (feat. George Benson, Ron Carter, Butch Cornell, Lonnie Liston Smith, Richard "Pablo" Landrum, Freddie Hubbard)Chet Baker: "She Was Too Good To Me" (arranged by Don Sebesky, feat. Paul Desmond, Bob James, Ron Carter, Steve Gadd, Jack DeJohnnette, Hubert Laws et al)Antonio Carlos Jobim: "Stone Flower" (arranged by Eumir Deodato, feat. João Palma, Ron Carter, Urbie Green, Harry Lookofsky, Joe Farrell, Hubert Laws, Airto Moreira, Everaldo Ferreira et al.)Hubert Laws: "Morning Star" (arranged by Bob James, feat. Billy Cobham, Ron Carter, John Tropea, Ralph MacDonald et al.)Kenny Burrell: "God Bless the Child" (arranged by Don Sebesky, feat. Hugh Lawson, Richard Wyands, Freddie Hubbard, Hubert Laws, Ron Carter, Billy Cobham, Airto, Ray Barretto et al.)
Then, on January 25, 2011:
George Benson: "White Rabbit" (arr. by Don Sebesky, feat. Herbie Hancock, Ron Carter, Billy Cobham, Airto, Hubert Laws, John Frosk, Gloria Agostini)
Deodato: "Prelude" (feat. John Tropea, Jay Berliner, Ron Carter, Stanley Clarke, Ray Barretto, Airto, Hubert Laws, Marvin Stamm, Bill Watrous)
Milt Jackson: "Sunflower" (arr. by Don Sebesky, feat. Freddie Hubbard, Jay Berliner, Herbie Hancock, Ron Carter, Billy Cobham, Ralph MacDonald)
Paul Desmond: "Pure Desmond" (feat. Ed Bickert, Ron Carter, Connie Kay)
Jim Hall: "Concierto" (arr. by Don Sebesky, feat. Roland Hanna, Chet Baker, Paul Desmond, Ron Carter, Steve Gadd)
Ron Carter: "All Blues" (feat. Joe Henderson, Roland Hanna, Richard Tee, Ron Carter, Billy Cobham)

Sony will also be releasing, on Oct 12, the 4-CD box set "CTI Records: The Cool Revolution - A 40th Anniversary Collection," with each track remastered using the original two-track LP masters, containing 39 tracks on 4 themed CDs ("Staright Up," "Deep Grooves/Big Hits," "The Brazilian Connection," "Cool and Classic") and lavishly illustrated 20-page LP-sized booklet with rare photos and new liner notes.Featuring the label’s legendary roster of jazz stars, the four discs offer an overview of the golden decade (1970-80) in which CTI’s signature sound and style were born, with each disc highlighting an aspect of CTI’s personality.Then, the most eagerly awaited item, scheduled for release on October 26:
"The California Concert,” the legendary Hollywood Palladium concert of 1971 – a CTI All-Stars live event featuring most of the amazing CTI roster – returns in a newly remixed and remastered two-disc edition that includes 90 minutes of music rarely heard and never-before released.October 26 also brings 180-gram vinyl LP reissues of 4 classic CTI albums using the original gatefold sleeve designs accompanied with digital download cards: Red Clay by Freddie Hubbard, Stanley Turrentine’s Sugar, White Rabbit by George Benson and Prelude by Deodato.
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Press Release:
CTI RECORDS 40th ANNIVERSARY
CELEBRATED BY MASTERWORKS JAZZ WITH MULTIPLE RELEASES

CTI Records: The Cool Revolution deluxe 4-CD box set available October 12;
New 2-CD version of 1971’s The California Concert arrives October 26
Albums from CTI greats George Benson, Ron Carter, Deodato, Freddie Hubbard, Hubert Laws, Stanley Turrentine and more

Masterworks Jazz celebrates the 40th anniversary of CTI Records, the beloved jazz label founded in 1970 by producer Creed Taylor, beginning October 12 with the release of CTI Records: The Cool Revolution, a deluxe 4-CD multi-artist box set retrospective. Two weeks later on October 26, the double-CD restoration of The California Concert (1971) will be released with 90 minutes of music rarely heard and never before available. The 40th anniversary commemoration will also include reissues of 12 classic CTI albums, plus several collectible vinyl LPs in the coming months.

CTI Records: The Cool Revolution will contain four hour-long-plus discs, each presenting a thematic overview of a particular aspect of CTI: Straight Up Jazz, Deep Grooves/Big Hits, The Brazilian Connection, Cool and Classic. The 39 tracks in the box set – as well as all CTI anniversary edition titles – are remastered (by engineer Dave Darlington) for the first time from the original analogue ¼-inch tapes.

The 2010 edition of The California Concert is the most complete version of the historic Hollywood Palladium all-star concert recorded July 18, 1971. It doubles the content of the original five-song LP release with five additional tracks - three of them previously unreleased - and restores the original concert sequence for the first time. Creed Taylor hand-picked a dream team of CTI artists for the occasion: Freddie Hubbard, Hubert Laws, Hank Crawford, Stanley Turrentine, Johnny Hammond, Ron Carter, Billy Cobham and Airto Moreira.

There will also be a full slate of classic CTI album reissues packaged in eco-friendly softpack sleeves that replicate the original gatefold LP design and their iconic covers with some photos by Pete Turner. Six titles will arrive on October 12: She Was Too Good To Me by Chet Baker, God Bless the Child by Kenny Burrell, Red Clay by Freddie Hubbard, Stoneflower by Antonio Carlos Jobim, Morning Star by Hubert Laws, and Stanley Turrentine’s Sugar. Upcoming January 2011 CD releases include White Rabbit by George Benson, All Blues by Ron Carter, Prelude by Deodato, Pure Desmond by Paul Desmond, Concierto by Jim Hall, and Milt Jackson’s Sunflower.

In the 1970s, CTI, its music, its style and its discriminating quality transformed contemporary jazz. The roster worked almost like a repertory company, in which great musicians took turns in the spotlight and accompanying each other. The albums they and their colleagues created set new standards in their look as well as their sound. “[Creed Taylor’s] plan was ingeniously simple, yet famously maverick: record top-tier musicians, keeping their artistic integrity intact while also making their art palatable to the people. CTI thus achieved that rare balance of jazz and commercialism,” writes Dan Ouellette in the liner notes. CTI surpassed the majors and fellow indies to be named the #1 Jazz Label of 1974 by Billboard. The immediate success of CTI’s recordings has echoed across the decades in a profound influence on jazz, pop, R&B and hip-hop.

CD of the Day - "Juliana Aquino: DiscoBossa"

CD of the Day
Juliana Aquino: "Discobossa" (LAB 344)

Produced by Tuta Aquino
Featuring: Marcio Montarroyos, Leo Gandelman, Wilson Simoninha, Celso Fonseca, Jurandir Santana, Torcuato Mariano, Michel Freidenson, Conrado Goys, Mauricio Germano, Thiago "Big" Rabello, Marcelo Elias, Marcio Arantes, Rubinho Ribeiro, Maguinho, Luis Rabello, Silvinho Mazzucca, Beto Paciello, Ricardo Finazzi, Marcos Levy, Edson Guidetti, Vinicius Dorin, William Magalhães, Graça Cunha, Tatiana Parra, Mafram do Maracanã, Nahor Gomes, Sidnei Borgani, Cassia Carrascoza, Zé Godoy, Paulo Calasans, Cida Souza, Rita Kfouri, Bernardo Goys, Amilcar Rodrigues, Miguel Rocha, Felipe Venancio, Vitor Rocha, Sandro Hiroshi, DJ Memê

Panda Bear Ticket Give Away

With the recently released "Tomboy" single on Paw Tracks and Domino Recording Co. about to drop another teaser single later this month (all leading up to the upcoming Tomboy full-length), our old friend Panda Bear is back in the States to perform a few dates, which includes a stop at Governor's Island on Saturday, September 11, with Teengirl Fantasy and Portugal's Gala Drop, as well as a DJ set from Animal Collective's Avey Tare. And yes, we've got a pair of tickets up for grabs, which you can enter for by emailing giveaway@othermusic.com. They'll notify the winner on Tuesday, September 7.

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 11
THE BEACH @ GOVERNOR'S ISLAND, NYC

Sony Holland live @ Charlie O's, tomorrow nite!

LA-based vocalist Sony Holland returns to Charlie O's this Tuesday, September 7 @8PM. With Theo Saunders, Ryan McGillicuddy and Kendall Kay.
Charlie O's: 13725 Victory Boulevard- Van Nuys, CA 91401-2325

Melena live @ Steamers, tonite!

BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND!
MELENA & HER LATIN JAZZ BAND
WITH RAMON BANDA, CARLOS ORDIANO, EDGAR HERNANDEZ, BRIAN SWARTZ AND KAMASI WASHINGTON
LIVE @ STEAMERS THIS SAT, SEPT 4 CALL 714-871-8800 TO RSVP!

Steamers Jazz Club and Cafe
138 W. Commonwealth Ave
Fullerton, CA 92832
714-871-8800
Music is in her blood. Shaped from the rhythms that dance through her veins, Melena Francis Valdes, born in Havana Cuba, has mastered the traditional rhythms that have traveled from Africa to Cuba, to the dance floors of America. Her Afro/Cuban sound is a conversation of me...lodies which she plays with fierce passion, whether on Congas, Timbales, Batas or a range of other percussion instruments. As her musical vision is broad, she combines her talents with those of some of the most accomplished musicians performing today in genres that range from Jazz to Pop.

Melena's formal training began on the drums when she was a teenager. Master percussionist Luis Conte was instrumental in shaping her early development. In 1988, Melena returned to Cuba for the first time since leaving as a child. While in Cuba, Melena studied with the "Conjunto Folklorico Nacional de Cuba". She has also studied with the legendary percussionists and folklorists Mario Jauregui, Regino Jimenez and Lazaro Ros. This experience gave her a solid foundation, offering her a unique sound which is distinctly her own.

During the years 1989 through 1994, Melena started to sit in with various local Latin groups in Los Angeles. Papo Conga was a most essential and important mentor. He first hired her on Congas and later on timbales giving her the opportunity to develop her skills as a percussionist. In 1995, Melena began to work with the late Kenny Kirkland and Jeff "Tain" Watts in a band designed to feature her abilities and that of bassist Nedra Wheeler. This era proved to be a turning point in that it challenged her desire to reach for greater dimensions and expand her percussion abilities in a jazz setting. In the following year, Melena would be found on a world tour with Barry White, which continued for two years.

In August of 1997, Melena returned to Cuba to continue her studies for six months. Her stay in Cuba afforded her the privilege of studying with Roberto Vizcaino Guillot, Miguel "Anga" Diaz, Jose Miguel Melendez and with Master percussionists of Conjunto Clave y Guaguanco. Upon returning from Cuba, Melena recorded a PBS special with John Tesh in Europe called, "One World". From there she toured with Pop/R&B vocalist Macy Gray followed by Julio Iglesias.

In the fall of 2000, Melena returned to Cuba for the third time. This time she traveled to Matanzas and focused her studies on bata drums with Master Daniel Herrera. In Havana she studied congas with Yaroldy Abreu and Adel Gonzales, percussionists with Chucho Valdes and Irakere. Jose "Pepe" Espinosa, percussionist with the Afro Cuban All Stars is also a good friend and mentor. She also had the privilege of playing with the group Irakere as well as several of the local Timba groups in Havana.

In May 2002 Melena conducted a clinic and concert performance at the Percussion Festival in San Juan Puerto Rico. Backup musicians for her live performances included Eric Figueroa, piano and musical director of Batacumbele. She also had the opportunity to play with friends like Richie Flores, Paoli Mejias and Javier Oquendo.

In the year 2004 Melena toured internationally with Latin Pop Artist, Chayanne. In 2005, Melena had the wonderful opportunity to perform at the NBA Finals and several live concerts with the legendary Stevie Wonder. Melena was also blessed to share the same stage with her biggest inspiration, Giovanni Hidalgo. Melena performed with her Afro Cuban band at the Ninth Annual Brownsville Latin Jazz Festival in Texas and also conducted a clinic at the Brownsville University. In 2006, Melena recorded with Peru Negro and was a guest musician on a Live DVD recording with Eva Ayllon. In addition, Melena conducted a master class and performance at the 2006 Montreal Drum Festival. In 2008/2009, Melena peformed alongside JC and Tor Dietrichson and gave two Master Classes at the Seattle World Rhythm Festival.

In 2009, Melena was a featured percussionist on the Fox Television Hit "Prison Break" dancing and playing congas alongside actor Amaury Nolasco. Melena is also a featured percussionist with singer/songwriter Janel Parrish, who plays Jade on the Bratz movie.

Her dream is to travel the world and to be a major contributor to the Afro/Cuban music legacy, sharing the richness of this culture with others. Festivals she has performed in the past fronting her own Cuban Jazz Band include: Jazz at Drew, African Village Festival, Latin Music Festival, Puerto Rico Percussion Conservatory, Montreal Drum Festival, Altadena Summer Concert, and more. Melena also conducts workshops and clinics nationally and internationally. She has specialized her studies in the Afro-Cuban tradition and on the Sacred Bata Drums and has taught her students the importance of the history and knowledge of Afro-Cuban drumming and language of the Batas. Melena is someone to be recognized as one of the most accomplished and proficient female percussionist in the music community.

CD of the Day - "Cibele: Las Vênus Resort Palace Hotel"

CD of the Day
Cibelle: "Las Vênus Resort Palace Hotel" (Crammed Discs/ST2) 2010

Produced by Cibelle & Damian Taylor
Featuring: Apollo Nove, Mike Lindsay, Fernando Catatau, Kristian Craig Robinson, Simon Ribchester, Jacob Smedegaard, Matt Robertson et al

Scot Alberton releases "Vibination" @ Live Green Connecticut Festival on Sept. 19

I Love Dubai! Part 1

Win tickets to Christian Fennesz

This Saturday, Moving Sounds Festival, Austrian Cultural Forum New York & Wordless Music are presenting a special performance from Austrian electronic composer and guitarist Christian Fennesz, along with Soap & Skin and Due East. Other Music has two pairs of tickets to give away to this diverse night of sounds, just email enter@othermusic.com to register. They'll notify the two winners this Friday.

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 4
LE POISSON ROUGE: 158 Bleecker Street NYC

Book of the Month - "Brazilian Piano"

Book of the Month
Robert Willey & Alfredo Cardim: "Brazilian Piano - Choro, Samba, and Bossa Nova" (Hal Leonard) 2010

DVD of the Month - "Jaco Pastorius: Trilogue"

DVD of the Month
Jaco Pastorius: "Trilogue" (JazzShots) 2010

Originally released on the MPS label, this legendary performance (taped live at the Berlin Philharmonic on November 6, 1976) was actually led by the late German trombone virtuoso Albert Mangelsdorff, and appears for the first time on DVD under Jaco Pastorius' name for obvious commercial reasons.
Anyway, it's a superb concert in an unusual trombone/fretless electric bass/drums trio that also features Alphonse Mouzon, the original Weather Report drummer who later joined Larry Coryell's Eleventh House band.
All compositions by Mangelsdorff, except "Trio Song" (co-written by Pastorius) and Jaco's famous solo number "Portrait of Tracy."
"Ant Steps on an Elephant's Toe," played as the encore, is considered by Pastorius' historians as one of the best tracks on the revolutionary bassist's discography, and was included on the best-selling CD compilation "Jazz Rock," produced in 2009 by Arnaldo DeSouteiro for Verve.

Compilation of the Month - "The Best of Hugh Masekela"

Compilation of the Month
"Hugh! The Best of Hugh Masekela" (Verve)

28 tracks in a 2-CD set presented by Till Brönner
Compilation producer: Matthias Künnecke
Consultants: Götz Bühler & Douglas Payne
Liner notes by Götz Bühler
Including selections from albums released on the Uni, Mercury, MGM, Chisa, Blue Thumb, Casablanca, A&M and Horizon labels
Featuring The Crusaders, Monk Montgomery, Eric Gale, Larry Willis, Francisco Aguabella, Al Foster, King Errisson, Chuck Domanico, Herb Alpert, Tommy Tedesco, Carlos Vega, James Gadson, Eddie Gomez, Paulinho da Costa, Buddy Williams, Manolo Badrena, Till Bronner et al, plus remixes by Jazzanova, Afrocool and Moritz von Oswald
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For more details, pics and videos, please check this significant text by jazz historian Doug Payne:
http://dougpayne.blogspot.com/2010/07/hugh-best-of-hugh-masekela-presented-by.html

Late last year, I proposed a compilation of Hugh Masekela’s African-oriented recordings to Universal Music, which owned almost all of the recordings the South African trumpeter waxed between 1963 and 1978. To my great surprise, the company gave me the OK, even allowing me to avoid the obvious best sellers (“Grazing in the Grass,” etc.) that had been captured on so many previous - and to my mind, pointless – Masekela compilations.

Earnestly, I went about crafting what I considered a truly fine set that honored the great legacy of world music that trumpeter, vocalist, songwriter, arranger and producer Hugh Masekela has contributed to the modern music lexicon. My set, tentatively titled African Groove, was a powerful introduction to a signature music style that was not quite jazz, not quite pop, not quite African but quite definitely intoxicating and wonderful and like no one else in the world except Hugh Masekela himself.

Then, German trumpeter/vocalist and Universal Music recording star Till Brönner partnered with the legendary South African trumpeter and vocalist to record “Win the World,” a “We Are the World” styled-anthem tied to the 2010 FIFA World Cup competition held in South Africa. The higher-ups at Universal Music decided they needed a Masekela compilation to help promote the song.

Not quite satisfied with my seemingly unmarketable project, the head honchos OK’ed a budget increase, commissioned an original design, new liner notes, another compiler to be brought aboard and several remixes that were created especially for this suddenly very special project.

Hugh! The Best of Hugh Masekela: Presented by Till Brönner is the result and, all in all, it is a glorious presentation; certainly the best and most comprehensive compilation of Hugh Masekela’s music – and influence – ever put together and one that in some small way I am proud to have been a part of.

The producers left in some of my choices – “U, Dwi,” “Umaningi Bona,” and “Phatsha-Phatsha" from the 1965 album Grrr, “Unhanhia” from 1968’s The Lasting Impression of Hugh Masekela, “Johannesburg Hi-Lite Jive” and “Dyambo” from 1971’s Hugh Masekela and the Union of South Africa, “Languta” from 1973’s Introducing Hedzoleh Soundz, “Excuse Me Please” from 1975’s The Boy’s Doin’ It, and, most significantly of all, the extraordinarily lovely and otherwise unavailable “In the Market Place” from 1974’s I Am Not Afraid - and added some excellent choices of their own, including “Masquenada” from the 1966 album The Americanization of Ooga Booga, Larry Willis’s “Inner Crisis” from 1972’s Home Is Where The Music Is and the perennial “Skokiaan” from the 1977 album Herb Alpert/Hugh Masekela.

The inevitable hits are here (“Grazing in the Grass,” “Ha Lese le Di Khanna,” “Stimela (Coal Train)”), plus the surprisingly 11th hour addition of “Win the World” – which, to be fair, sounds a little out of place here as it might on just about any Hugh Masekela or Till Brönner album – and some peculiar vocal choices including “Child of the Earth” and the absolutely dreadful “You Keep Me Hangin’ On” (I would have preferred this album's "I Can't Dance" if something from this record had to be chosen).

Jonas Gwangwa’s terrific “She-Been” is also included here, but the intended version from the great and little-known 1978 Herb Alpert/Hugh Masekela album Main Event - Live was accidentally replaced here with the version Gwangwa performed with Masekela on the 1971 album Hugh Masekela and the Union of South Africa.

The generous two-disc compilation benefits particularly by four Masekela remixes especially commissioned for this compilation. The highlight is undoubtedly Götz Bühler and Nils Wülker’s tremendous “Languta (Afrocool Remix)," perfectly highlighting the right affectations and elements of Masekela’s great Fela-inspired piece while adding a strong contemporary groove worthy of the great Tony Allen (with whom Masekela recently recorded) and several bits of Masekela’s monologue from the 1965 Village Gate recordings that yielded The Americanization of Ooga Booga and The Lasting Impression of Hugh Masekela. Götz Bühler, incidentally, compiled the final set, so his thoughts on a great Masekela tune are particularly noteworthy.

Also noteworthy is Jazzanova’s invigorating take on “Stimela (Jazzanova Remix),” which keeps enough of Masekela’s original to matter and adds enough aural elegance that is absolutely right for the story that Masekela is trying to tell.

“In recent years,” says Jazzanova’s Stefan Leisring, “we have concentrated on writing completely separate, new songs and also presenting this material live with a band. Therefore, we have made very few remixes over the last three years. For us, it was a challenge to add appeal to Hugh Masekela’s ‘Stimela.’ The number has inspired us so much that we just had to do a remix of it.”

Samon Kawamura’s KaHeDi so completely makes over “U Dwi (KaHeDi Mix)” that it’s difficult to recognize the original in there. Still, it’s a tremendously fun little dance piece that seems somehow more inspired by Masekela than representative of him or his music in any way. Same goes for the altogether unrecognizable “In The Market Place (In The Market Dub)” by Moritz von Oswald, which like too much dub is a sound all its own and maybe something that isn’t quite right for a lot of Hugh Masekela’s work.

While it might not have been the set I would have done (I certainly would have gone with a better title), Hugh! The Best of Hugh Masekela is one of the best compilations that anybody has thus far attempted of Hugh Masekela’s music.

The set represents only a small fraction of the South African trumpet player’s music, but it takes in his most prodigious and productive years, mostly in America, during his exile from his homeland, and captures a lot of the music he is best-known for to this day.

Such a career retrospective is important for someone who has been recording and performing for over half a century (!) and has contributed much more to world music and the world of music than his available recordings would seem to indicate. Viva Bra Hugh!

Vinyl Reissue of the Month - "Eumir Deodato: Deodato 2"

Vinyl Reissue of the Month
Eumir Deodato: "Deodato 2" (CTI)

Produced by Creed Taylor
Engineered by Rudy Van Gelder

Pressed on 180 gram vinyl, this is the first expanded LP issue of "Deodato 2," adding three bonus tracks not included in the original 1973 release and previously available only on the CD reissues produced by Didier Deutsch: "Do It Again," "Latin Flute" and "Venus."
Oddly, the "new" LP cover art deletes Alan MacWeeney's original cover pic and replaces Bob Ciano's original album design for a banal Raymond Meier photo used on another CTI album, Charles Fambrough's "The Proper Angle," in 1991...! The track-sequence is completely different too.
Featuring: John Tropea, Stanley Clarke, John Giulino, Billy Cobham, Rick Marotta, Rubens Bassini, Gilmore Degap, Joe Temperley, Hubert Laws, George Marge, Romeo Penque et al.

Vocal CD of the Month - "Laurie Antonioli: American Dreams"

Vocal CD of the Month
Laurie Antonioli: "American Dreams" (Intrinsic Music) 2010

Highly challenging approach & adventurous singing & creative phrasing throughout the album, one of the best vocal jazz releases of the year.
Highlights: "Just a Dream," "Samba Nada Brahma" and "Vienna Blues," three songs co-penned with Austrian piano master Fritz Pauer (Art Farmer, Kristin Korb); the Ornette Coleman-ish "Stimulus Plan," written by Paul Nagel, once again with Antonioli providing the sharp lyrics; and notable renditions of the standards "Moonlight in Vermont" and "Oh, What a Beautiful Morning" that would make Carmen McRae proud.
The interactive band -- Matt Clark (pianos), John Shifflett (bass), Jason Lewis (drums), Sheldon Brown (soprano & tenor saxes, bass clarinet, harmonica) and Dave McNab (guitars) -- sounds impeccable, with reedman Brown shining specially on bass clarinet, but also contributing a truly perfect tenor solo on "Oh, What a Beautiful Morning."
My dear friend Mark Murphy always praised about Laurie. Now I know why.

For more details, bio and pics, please check:
http://jazzstation-oblogdearnaldodesouteiros.blogspot.com/2010/06/laurie-antoniolis-forthcoming-cd.html

Instrumental CD of the Month - "Art Pepper: Unreleased Art, Vol. V"

Instrumental CD of the Month
Art Pepper: "Unreleased Art Vol. V - Stuttgart" (Widow's Taste) 2010

2-CD Set Features Art's "Comeback Band": Milcho Leviev, Bob Magnusson, Carl Burnett. 130 minutes of first-class jazz! Recorded live "somewhere" (nobody recalls the name of the venue, not even Art's widow, Laurie Pepper, who toured with him, nor the fans who sent her the tapes!) in Stuttgart, Germany, on May 25, 1981. Repaired & remastered by audio wiz Wayne Peet @ Newzone Studio. A great job, since the tracks came from three different sources, and the audio quality varies a lot. But what matters is the superior musical quality of all the performances contained herein.

Highlights: the album opener, "True Blues", featuring Bob Magnusson's fat & warm bass sound in a perfect solo; a bossa-tinged version of "Yours Is My Heart Alone,"(“Dein ist mein ganzes Herz”), originally written in 1929 by the Hungarian classical composer Franz Lehar for “The Land of Smiles” (“Das Land des Lächelns”), one of a series of operettas he wrote for renowned tenor Richard Tauber, and a "song" which later became popularized by Frank Sinatra -- and the Bulgarian pianist Milcho Leviev performs a stunning solo; a non-mellow (yes, it's possible) version of "Over The Rainbow"; a tender ballad written for Pepper's daughter, "Patricia"; his clarinet tour-de-force on "Avalon"; a 24-minute funky jam titled "Make a List, Make a Wish," once again with Leviev almost stealing the show; and, of course, "Cherokee."
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Thanks to the generosity of obsessive jazz collectors worldwide -- and their sub rosa recordings -- Laurie Pepper is able to bring Art Pepper's luminous and funky improvisations of one night in Stuttgart to the rest of the world nearly 30 years later.

Volume V in the Unreleased Art series of Laurie's Widow's Taste label was recorded in Stuttgart, Germany on May 25, 1981, with Art's "comeback" quartet -- pianist Milcho Leviev, bassist Bob Magnusson, and drummer Carl Burnett.

By the time they got to Stuttgart, this band had been touring and playing together nearly nonstop for more than two years. Their communication with each other within the evolution of this music was magical and always surprising. Each hearing reveals new, entertaining, and inspiring subtleties in their musical responses to each other: They listened. That, Art always said, was the key to great jazz.

There are no "new" songs here, but everything, of course, is brand-new and unique to this night. Each of these songs offered Art new worlds, nightly, to explore and conquer. He was determined to fill these final years with the music he hadn't made during the years he'd lost to addiction, imprisonment, and depression.

"True Blues" was an Art original, a usual opener, which starts off breezy but gets hotter and hotter. "Yours Is My Heart Alone" is a medium-tempo waltz Art discovered through Clare Fischer when he went to Japan with Cal Tjader in the '70s. "Landscape" is all Art, pure thrills, named for the view from a bullet train. "Patricia" is Art's tenderest ballad, written for his daughter. "For Freddie" (i.e., Hubbard) is pure, solid, swinging bebop. "Straight Life" is one of Art's earliest tunes and his fastest, and on this night it's played at warp speed. On sweet "Avalon," Art plays his clarinet. "Make a List, Make a Wish" is soulful and erotic. Ever since Art played "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" with Shorty Rogers back in 1951, it's been his song, a hymn to longing. And finally, the concert ends with "Cherokee," "a battle cry, the tune, Art said, to test your chops," Laurie writes in the haunting liner notes.

Since founding Widow's Taste in 2006, Laurie Pepper has released an album every year. The label is based on her musical and aesthetic "taste," and she said she hoped that by manufacturing and selling records she might finally get her "taste" of monies pirates were seemingly accumulating from sales of bootlegs. In fact, she wasn't quite that optimistic. She hoped she might break even. The operation, however, has become self-financing because nowadays the record business, coupled with modern technology, can be a satisfying side business for tiny, independent labels -- even when they purvey jazz.

The Internet is the royal road to a niche audience, and the traffic goes both ways. After the second album was released, Laurie was contacted by a European fan/collector who, once he was sure she wouldn't start screaming at him, told her what he had. And he told her she could have it. The result was the dazzling Volume III.

Now, the same benefactor has come up with the Stuttgart concert. Here, again, Wayne Peet of Newzone Studio remasters, preserves, and polishes the beautiful live sound of this superlative band. At this point, Laurie says, she can't quit. "The fans want more, and there is more. And that would make Art happy. The critics seem to really like everything so far. And finding the photos and memos and contracts, designing the covers and booklets, and telling the stories that the music came from, and even shipping the albums, is just too much fun."

Previous albums from the Unreleased Art Pepper series:
Volume I, Abashiri
Volume II, Last Concert: Kennedy Center
Volume III, Croydon
Volume IV, The Art History Project (3-CD set)

"What separates the great from the merely good is being willing and able to deal with your emotions in public more than demonstrating your musicality and practicing a lot. To never play the same thing twice requires taking risks. Pepper plays the saxophone as though he has nothing left to lose, he already has come back from losing everything. He is betting the bank, his heart is on his sleeve, his fingers are moving on their own, his will is overpowering." --Mike Zwerin, www.mikezwerin.com
This new release is available at Amazon.com and at CDBaby.com.
Web Site: http://www.straightlife.info/

"Jazz 'n' More" - September/October 2010

"DownBeat" - September 2010

COVER
Esperanza Spalding -- The gifted young bassist/vocalist/composer continues her upward trajectory with a modern chamber music project that combines the spontaneity and intrigue of improvisation with sophisticated string trio arrangements. The result is a truly contemporary sound that broadens the listener's cultural experience by thoughtfully weaving together elements of jazz, folk, world and classical music.

FEATURES
Danilo Perez -- In addition to recording a new CD and directing his educational program at the Berklee Global Jazz Institute, the globe-trotting pianist has been touring with an all-star collective honoring his early mentor, bebop king Dizzy Gillespie.

Al Di Meola -- A bona fide guitar hero and virtuoso of the highest order, Al Di Meola's creative output to date is staggering, whether it's with his current World Sinfonia band or his groundbreaking musical endeavors from the past.

Artie Shaw -- In honor of the legendary jazz clarinetist's 100th birthday, DownBeat presents an excerpt from the book Three Chords For Beauty's Sake: The Life of Artie Shaw (W.W. Norton), by author Tom Nolan.

Billy Childs -- A feeling of Impressionism pervades the pianist's latest recording project, a collection of classically infused compositions rich in atmospheric timbres and sensations.

SPECIAL SECTION: Indie Life -- Our special section exploring artists and labels bubbling up from the independent music scene will include stories on saxophonist Dan Willis interpreting the works of composer Erik Satie and the Puzzlebox octet in Philadelphia.

PLAYERS
Aaron Goldberg (piano)
Georgia Anne Muldow (voice)
Stanton Moore (drums)
Joel Forrester (piano)

BLINDFOLD TEST -- Steven Bernstein

THE BEAT
· Creative Music Studios digs into archives for new series
· Nikki Yanofsky marketing campaign: yielding results?
· Vinyl Freak
· Caught: Carefusion New York Jazz Festival; Clean Feed Festival in Chicago;
Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey Reinterprets Beethoven in Oklahoma City.

WOODSHED
· Master Class: Mat Marucci on drum soloing
· Transcription: Clifford Brown's trumpet solo on "Joy Spring"
· Jazz On Campus: First official jazz department established in Turkey at Hacettepe University

REVIEWS - Hot Box
Contact, Five On One (Pirouet)
Odean Pope, Odean's List (In + Out)
Rufus Reid, Out Front (Motema)
Marian Petrescu, Live At The Jazz Standard (Resonance)

CD Reviews
Fred Hersch, Whirl (Palmetto)
Stanton Moore, Groove Alchemy (Telarc)
Mike Reed's People Place & Things, Stories And Negotiations (482 Music)
The Resse Project, Eastern Standard Time (In The Groove)
Kahiba, Global Dialects (Intuition)
Raul De Souza E Convidados, Bossa Eterna (Biscoito Fino)
John McLaughlin & the 4th Dimension DVD, Live @ Belgrade (Abstract Logix)
Rhoda Scott, Beyond The Sea (Doodlin)
Ben Goldberg, Go Home and Tin Hat, Foreign Legion (BAG Production Records)
David Weiss Point of Departure, Snuck In (Sunnyside)
Dan Weiss Trio, Timshel (Sunnyside)
Mark Egan, Truth Be Told (Wavetone)
The Wee Trio, Capitol Diner Vol. 2 Animal Style (Bionic Records)
Randy Ingram, The Road Ahead (BJU)
Ranee Lee, Lives Upstairs (Justin Time)
Myron Walden, To Feel and What We Share (Demi Sound)
Sonny Fortune, Last Night At Sweet Rhythm (Sound Reason)
Andreas Oberg, Six String Evolution (Resonance)
Moutin Reunion Quartet, Soul Dancers (Plus Loin Music)
Azar Lawrence, Mystic Journey (Furthermore)
Willie Jones III, The Next Phase (WJ3)
Mark Feldman/Sylvie Courvoisier, Oblivia (Tzadik)
Flip Philipp/Ed Partyka Dectet, Hair Of The Dog (ATS Records)
Barry Romberg's Random Access, Was Shall Why Because (Romhog Records)

Jazz
Jonathan Butler, So Strong (Rendezvous)
Tom Lagana, Schematic (Harvestime)
Gerald Albright, Pushing The Envelope (Heads Up)
Jeff Lorber, Now Is The Time (Heads Up)
Grover Washington, Jr., Grover Live (G-Man/Lightyear)
Yarone Levy, Blue And Yellow (self-release)

Blues
Diabel Cissokho & Ramon Goose, Mansana Blues (Dixie Frog/harmonia mundi)
John Jackson, Rappahannock Blues (Smithsonian)
Little Joe McLerran, Believe Me I'll Make A Change (Roots Blues Reborn)
Matthew Stubbs, Medford & Main (Blue Bella)
Frank Fairchild (Tompkins Square)
Elvin Bishop, Red Dog Speaks (Delta Groove)
Johnny Winter, Live at Fillmore East (Collector's Choice)

Beyond
Kenny Rankin Reissues, Mind-Dusters, Family, Like A Seed, Sliver Morning, The Kenny Rankin Album (Sly Dog Records, a Mack Avenue imprint)

Historical
Stan Getz, Kenny Barron, People Time: The Complete Recordings

Vinyl
Jimi Hendrix new and reissued LPs (Axis: Bold As Love, Are You Experienced, Electric Ladyland, Valleys Of Neptune, First Rays Of The New Rising Sun) on Sony/Legacy.

Book Review
Alan Govenar, Lightnin' Hopkins: His Life And Blues (Chicago Review Press)