Charlie Parker says it all...

R.I.P.: Jack Bruce

So sad... Listening now to "Are You The One? Are You The One?" with John McLaughlin, Jack Bruce and Tony Williams, a real power-trio reunited on this track from one of McLaughlin's best albums ever, "Electric Guitarist." Rest in Peace.

Great evening under the stars in Downtown LA

Thank you Killing Kittens USA... Great evening under the stars in Downtown LA!

Jack DeJohnette Trio's Fall Tour

If you are in Europe this Autumn, don't miss the Jack DeJohnnette Trio -- featuring Ravi Coltrane on sax and Matthew Garrison on bass -- dates in Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Spain and Italy.

Arnaldo DeSouteiro Bio / Jazz Station Records (JSR): Address & Contact Information

            (Arnaldo DeSouteiro during a recording session in 2014)

"People are going to talk about you, especially when they envy you and the life you live. Let them. You affected their lives, they didn't affect yours... you will eventually lose someone you love & love someone you never thought you'd find..."

Arnaldo DeSouteiro - Short Bio

Music Producer (with over 380 albums to his credit according to the All Music Guide), Voting Member of NARAS-GRAMMY and Jazz Journalists Association (NY), Member of LAJS (Los Angeles Jazz Society), Musical Philosopher, Journalist, Jazz & Brazilian Music Historian, Publicist, Public Relations, Composer (having written successful jazz & pop songs, some dance hits like "O Passarinho" for the Italian TV reality show "La Pupa e Il Secchione", and "Samba da Copa" for the "2006 World Cup" in Germany, plus many other soundtracks for movies, soap operas & TV series in the USA -- PBS, BET, Universal Cable etc --, Europe and Asia), Lyricist (he wrote lyrics to Dave Brubeck's "Broadway Bossa Nova" at the invitation of Brubeck himself, among other songs), Arranger, Percussionist, Keyboardist, Programmer, Educator (conducting clinics and panel sessions worldwide as the first Brazilian member of IAJE-International Association of Jazz Educators during its existence). He has also acted as consultant for several companies and jazz festivals all over the world.

Founder and CEO of JSR (Jazz Station Records), a Division of Jazz Station Marketing & Consulting - LA, Calif. Most recently, founded LaCalifUSA Pictures and JSR Casting in 2007 for movie & TV productions featuring music & fashion.

Produced the acclaimed CD compilation series "A Trip To Brazil," "CTI Acid Jazz Grooves," "Brazilian Horizons," "Focus on Bossa Nova," "Focus on Brazilian Music Grooves", "Bossa Nova Singers," "Bossa Nova Guitar","Jazz Rock" etc.

Produced special compilations for Quincy Jones ("Summer in the City - The Soul Jazz Grooves of Quincy Jones"), Chick Corea ("Electric Chick") and Deodato ("Do It Again - The Fantastic Jazz-Funk of Eumir Deodato"), all released by Verve/Universal. His latest CD for Verve is "Bossa Nova USA," released last May, featuring Dave Brubeck's title track performed by Quincy Jones.

Supervised and/or Directed TV specials featuring João Gilberto, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Dizzy Gillespie, Chuck Mangione, Flora Purim & Airto Moreira, Miles Davis, Dom Um Romão, Eliane Elias, Diana Krall, Eumir Deodato, Bjork et al. Worked with producers Creed Taylor, Yoichi Nakao, Susumu Morikawa, Matthias Kunnecke, and photographers Pete Turner, Victor Skrebneski, Robert Mappelthorpe, Duane Michals.

Mr. DeSouteiro has also worked in his native Brazil for TUPI-FM radio station (as musical programmer-DJ as well as hosting his own show, "Jazz Espetacular"), Manchete TV network (anchoring & supervising the "Terça Especial" series for which he interviewed such jazz giants as Dizzy Gillespie, Tony Bennett, Chuck Mangione, Airto Moreira, Flora Purim etc), Globo TV network (screenplay, coordination and mix for the TV special "João Gilberto & Antonio Carlos Jobim - O Grande Encontro" in 1992, the last time these 2 geniuses performed together, plus the texts and screenplay for the "Minuto da Bossa" series), and as the jazz columnist for the "Tribuna da Imprensa" (Press Tribune) daily newspaper during 29 years (from 1979 to 2008). Before moving to the USA, he also worked as Brazilian correspondent of "Keyboard" magazine (from 1985 to 1994), as a free-lancer to Billboard, Cuadernos de Jazz, Swing Journal and International Music Magazine, and as entertainment-in-flight programmer for several airline companies like Varig Brazilian Airlines (from 1983 to 1998).

Produced over 380 albums and sessions featuring: Luiz Bonfa, João Gilberto, Dom Um Romão, Ithamara Koorax, Thiago de Mello, Dexter Payne, João Donato, Palmyra & Levita, Mario Castro-Neves, Jorge Pescara, Paula Faour, Fabio Fonseca, Claudio Roditi, Rodrigo Lima, Hermeto Pascoal, Don Sebesky, Anna Ly, Carlos Barbosa-Lima, Pascoal Meirelles, Yana Purim, Pingarilho, Nelson Angelo, Marcelo Salazar, Ron Carter, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Steve Swallow, Herbie Hancock, Hugo Fattoruso, Larry Coryell, Sadao Watanabe, Jurgen Friedrich, Eloir de Moraes, Gazzara, Deodato, Jadir de Castro, Azymuth, Marcio Montarroyos, Sivuca, Laudir de Oliveira, Marcos Valle, Jay Berliner, George Young, David Matthews, Lew Soloff, Alphonso Johnson, Gene Bertoncini, John McLaughlin, Claus Ogerman, Raul de Souza, Gonzalo Rubalcaba and many others.

Produced and supervised CD reissues of albums by Ron Carter, Hank Crawford, Johnny Hammond, Sergio Mendes, Hubert Laws, Grant Green, Idris Muhammad, Joe Beck, Esther Phillips, Lonnie Smith, David Matthews & Whirlwind, Phil Upchurch, Tennyson Stephens, Miucha, Flora Purim, Carlos Lyra, Tamba Trio, Ivan Lins, Raul de Souza, Trio 3-D and many others. As annotator, he wrote liner notes and press releases for albums by Toots Thielemans, Hank Crawford, Stan Getz, Ella Fitzgerald, Pat Metheny, Eliane Elias, Carlos Barbosa-Lima, Jeff Linsky and dozens of others for labels like RCA, CTI, Kudu, Milestone, Fantasy, Verve, Columbia, Irma, Alfa, JVC, Caju, Sonet, Paddle Wheel, JHO, Mercury, Imagem etc.

Mr. DeSouteiro also had the honor to be associated with some of the world's greatest photographers like Pete Turner (who did the cover photo for Jorge Pescara's CD "Grooves in the Temple," released on his own JSR label and featured on Turner's new book "The Color of Jazz"), Victor Skrebneski (the CD reissue of "Upchurch/Tennyson"), Bruce Weber (Esther Phillips' "For All We Know"), Robert Mappelthorpe ("Brazilian Horizons"), Alen MacWeeney, William Cadge, and Duane Michals (many of the CTI CDs) and so on. He has appeared in several movies and TV series such as the Award Winning documentary movie "Beyond Ipanema," for which he was interviewed alongside Creed Taylor, Lalo Schifrin, Wayne Shorter, Gene Lees and Norman Gimbel.

Jazz Station Marketing & Consulting, JSR Casting, LaCalifUSA Pictures
CEO & Founder: Arnaldo DeSouteiro
Address:
JSR - LA
9930 Liebe Dr.
Los Angeles, CA 90210

JSR - NY Address:
Arnaldo DeSouteiro
PO Box 1338
Radio City Station
New York, NY 10003

Jazz Station Records (JSR), a division of Jazz Station Enterprises
CEO & Founder · Los Angeles ·
Address:
Arnaldo DeSouteiro
Jazz Station Records - LA
1545 Wilshire Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90017
JSR - NY
PO Box 1338
Radio City Station

(PLEASE, DO NOT SEND UNSOLICITED MATERIAL; any unsolicited CD or promo packets will be returned. If you wish to submit material, please contact us through comments on this post or through Facebook. Thx!)
https://www.facebook.com/arnie.gilberto

People are going to talk about you, especially when they envy you and the life you live. Let them. You affected their lives, they didn't affect yours... you will eventually lose someone you love & love someone you never thought you'd find...

Arnaldo DeSouteiro – Biografia ultra-resumida 

Produtor de discos, com cerca de 380 álbuns em sua discografia (incluindo novos CDs, reedições, coletâneas, trilhas sonoras, projetos especiais), conforme consta no All Music Guide, principal e mais acessado website sobre música no mundo. Jornalista e publicitário (formado em Comunicação pela PUC-RJ), tendo escrito para os jornais Tribuna da Imprensa (de 1979 até sua extinção em 2009, com 3.200 artigos publicados), Última Hora, O Globo e O Estado do Paraná, revistas Billboard, Keyboard (USA), Cuadernos de Jazz (Espanha), Swing Journal (Japão), Revista do CD (Brasil) etc. 

Roteirista de shows (João Gilberto, Diana Krall, Ithamara Koorax, Marcos Valle, Eumir Deodato, Bjork etc) e de especiais de TV para as emissoras Globo (Antonio Carlos Jobim & João Gilberto) e Manchete (Dizzy Gillespie, Tony Bennett, Chuck Mangione, Airto Moreira & Flora Purim etc) no Brasil, BET e PBS nos EUA, NHK no Japão (Diana Krall, João Gilberto, CTI All Stars, Dave Brubeck etc).

Nascido no Rio de Janeiro (Brasil) em 1963, radicado em Los Angeles (EUA) desde 1999. Estudou piano clássico e harmonia com sua mãe, a pianista e maestrina Delza Agricola. É membro da Associação Brasileira de Imprensa (ABI) desde 1979, membro catedrático titular efetivo da Academia Internacional de Música desde 1985, membro votante do Grammy-Naras (National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences) desde 2006, membro votante da Los Angeles Jazz Society (único brasileiro) desde 2007, e também único brasileiro que é membro votante da Jazz Journalists Association (sediada em Nova Iorque) desde 2002. Atua como consultor e parecerista para diversas empresas, centros culturais e festivais de música no Brasil e no exterior.

Também foi membro honorário e primeiro membro brasileiro da Associação Internacional de Educadores de Jazz (IAJE – International Association of Jazz Educators) durante 12 anos, até sua extinção em 2008, tendo realizado palestras e "panel sessions" nas convenções anuais realizadas nos EUA. Fundador e Presidente da gravadora JSR (Jazz Station Records), sediada em Los Angeles – EUA desde 2001, uma divisão da Jazz Station Marketing & Consulting. Dirige também a LaCalifUSA Pictures, empresa de cinema que produz conteúdo e trilhas sonoras (composição, produção, seleção) para filmes e séries de TV. 

Produziu discos e sessões de gravação com artistas como Luiz Bonfá, João Gilberto, Dom Um Romão, João Donato, Palmyra & Levita, Mario Castro-Neves, Claudio Roditi, Gaudencio Thiago de Mello, Dexter Payne, Fabio Fonseca, Rodrigo Lima, Hermeto Pascoal, Don Sebesky, Hubert Laws, Marcos Ozzellin, Herbie Hancock, Jorge Pescara, Paula Faour, Anna Ly, Pascoal Meirelles, Yana Purim, Carlos Pingarilho, Nelson Angelo, Marcelo Salazar, Ithamara Koorax, Ron Carter, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Steve Swallow, Herbie Hancock, Hugo Fattoruso, Larry Coryell, Sadao Watanabe, Jurgen Friedrich, Gazzara, Eumir Deodato, Azymuth, Marcio Montarroyos, Sivuca, Laudir de Oliveira, Marcos Valle, David Matthews, Gene Bertoncini, John McLaughlin, Raul de Souza, Hermeto Pascoal, Gonzalo Rubalcaba e muitos outros. 

Como compositor e letrista, tem parcerias com Dave Brubeck (“Broadway Bossa Nova”), Francesco Gazzara (“O Passarinho”), Mamoru Morishita (“Hotaru”) e Fabio Fonseca (“Samba da Copa”, executado na cerimônia de abertura da Copa do Mundo de 2006). 

Produziu reedições de discos de Sergio Mendes, Flora Purim, Tamba Trio, Ivan Lins, Carlos Lyra, Miucha, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Ron Carter, Idris Muhammad, Hank Crawford, Lonnie Smith, Johnny Hammond, Luiz Bonfá, Phil Upchurch, Tennyson Stephens, Eumir Deodato, Grant Green, Mario Castro-Neves, João Donato, Claus Ogerman, David Matthews, Esther Phillips, Joe Beck, Eric Gale e muitos outros.

Produziu as séries “A Trip To Brazil” (cujo Volume 1 chegou ao primeiro-lugar na parada de world-music na Europa em 1998, superando “Buena Vista Social Club”), “Brazilian Horizons”, “CTI: Acid Jazz Grooves”, “Jazz Club”, e retrospectivas - lançadas mundialmente entre 2006 e 2010 pelo selo Verve – das carreiras de Quincy Jones (“Summer In The City: The Soul-Jazz Groves of Quincy Jones”), Eumir Deodato (“Do It Again: The Fantastic Jazz Funk of Eumir Deodato”) e Chick Corea (“Electric Chick”).

Desde 1981, tem realizado, como free lancer, produção musical para diversas gravadoras, como RCA/BMG, Sony, Verve/PolyGram/Universal, CTI, King, Paddle Wheel, Pausa, Milestone/Fantasy, Warner/WEA, Motor Music, JVC/Victor, Sanyo, Movieplay, Imagem, Eldorado, CID, Alfa, RGE, Mr. Bongo, Terra Música, Blue Moon, Bomba, Cedar Tree, Treasure Trove, Irma, Vivid Sound, Motéma, e Huks Music, no Brasil, Europa, Estados Unidos, Japão e Coréia. 

Entre 1982 e 1984, atuou como assessor cultural do Serviço de Comunicação Social da Petrobras. Em 1983, criou, produziu e apresentou o programa "Jazz espetacular", transmitido pela Rádio Tupi FM. Em 1984, assumiu a responsabilidade da programação de bordo (musical e audiovisual) transmitida nos vôos internacionais da Varig, função que exerceu durante 14 anos. Também nesse período (1985 a 1987), participou da comissão de seleção do Free Jazz Festival. 

Escreveu textos de contracapa para discos de diversos artistas, como Toots Thielemans, Ella Fitzgerald, Eliane Elias, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Jeff Kinsky, Paulo Bellinati e Carlos Barbosa Lima, entre outros. Assinou textos para divulgação ("press releases") de artistas como João Gilberto, Stan Getz, Oscar Peterson, Pat Metheny, Bill Evans, Jimmy Smith, Elvin Jones, Stanley Turrentine e Tony Bennett.

Atuou como entrevistador em depoimentos prestados para o Museu da Imagem e do Som (Rio de Janeiro e São Paulo) por João Donato, Stellinha Egg, Maestro Gaya, Eumir Deodato, Airto Moreira, Flora Purim e Carlos Barbosa Lima. Em 2001, recebeu o prêmio de International Man of The Year, concedido pelo International Biographical Centre, de Londres. Foi o primeiro brasileiro a receber essa premiação, oferecida anteriormente a apenas quatro outros produtores: Arif Mardin, Tommy LiPuma, Quincy Jones e Phil Ramone. Ainda nesse ano, a JSR (Jazz Station Records), de sua propriedade, foi considerada uma das cinco melhores gravadoras de jazz do mundo, em relação publicada na edição de dezembro da revista especializada norte-americana "Down Beat", premiação que se repetiu por quatro anos (7º lugar em 2003, 9º lugar em 2004, 5º lugar em 2005 e 6º lugar em 2006).

Endereços para correspondência:
Jazz Station Marketing & Consulting, JSR Casting, LaCalifUSA Pictures
CEO & Founder: Arnaldo DeSouteiro
Address (Endereço):
JSR - LA
9930 Liebe Dr.
Los Angeles, CA 90210

JSR - NY Address:
Arnaldo DeSouteiro
PO Box 1338
Radio City Station
New York, NY 10003

Jazz Station Records (JSR), a division of Jazz Station Enterprises
CEO & Founder · Los Angeles ·
Address:
Arnaldo DeSouteiro
Jazz Station Records - LA
1545 Wilshire Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90017
JSR - NY
PO Box 1338
Radio City Station

Anna Mjöll back @ Vibrato, tonight!

Miss Anna Mjöll is the sweetest voice in the current jazz scene. Period.

George Benson's book signing in NYC, tomorrow

Looking forward to George Benson's signing tomorrow afternoon @ Barnes & Noble NYC, 12pm. Not too late to come out and say hi to one of the greatest guitarists in the music history.

Instrumental Blu-Spec CD of the Month - "George Benson: Good King Bad"

Instrumental Blu-Spec CD of the Month
George Benson: "Good King Bad" (CTI/King) 

Produced by Creed Taylor
Engineered by Rudy Van Gelder @ Van Gelder Studios (Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, USA) in July & December, 1975
Cover Photo: Pete Turner
Album Design: Rene Schumacher

Arranged & Conducted by David Matthews
Featuring: Roland Hanna, Don Grolnick, Bobby Lyle, Ronnie Foster, Gary King, Steve Gadd, Dennis Davis, Eric Gale, Andy Newmark, Sue Evans, Dave Friedman, David Sanborn, Michael Brecker, Randy Brecker, Fred Wesley, Joe Farrell, Frank Vicari, Romeo Penque, Ronnie Cuber, David Tofani et al

Killing Kittens party in LA, Oct 25

This next Saturday, October 25, Killing Kittens invite you to join us this weekend as we host one of our infamous Penthouse parties at one of the LA’s most exclusive addresses.
This luxury hotspot located on the 26th floor in downtown LA boasts two decadent play suites and the most incredible views of the City.

Dress Code: Cocktail dress and compulsory masks
9:00pm till late
Strictly no entry after 11pm

Please RSVP to the following address: tanyaperrin@me.com
parties@killingkittens.com
“The network for the World’s Sexual Elite"

DJ Yvonne Black @ Red Covina, tomorrow night

R.I.P.: Tim Hauser

(born Timothy DuPron Hauser on December 12, 1941 in Troy, New York, USA;
died October 16, 2014 in Sayre, Pennsylvania, USA)

Very sad news. Tim Hauser, a founding member of the famous vocal quartet Manhattan Transfer, passed away yesterday at a hospital in Sayre, Pennsylvania. He was 72 years old and had a cardiac arrest.

This is the official note issued by the group:
"It is with heavy hearts that we share the news of Tim Hauser’s passing with you all… As many of you know, Tim was the visionary behind The Manhattan Transfer. We spent more than 40 years together singing and making music, traveling the world, and sharing so many special moments throughout our lives… It’s incomprehensible to think of this world without him.
We join his loving wife, Barb, his beautiful children, his family, and the rest of the world in mourning the loss of our dear friend and partner in song.
For those of you with tickets to our upcoming concerts, we will continue to tour as scheduled and continue to share Tim’s incredible musical legacy.
Love,
Janis Siegel, Cheryl Bentyne and Alan Paul"

Blu-ray Audio of the Month - "John Coltrane: 1960 Duesseldorf"

Blu-ray Audio of the Month

John Coltrane: "1960 Duesseldorf" (Jazzline/Delta Music)

Featuring: Wynton Kelly (piano), Paul Chambers (bass), Jimmy Cobb (drums)

Special Guests: Stan Getz (tenor sax), Oscar Peterson (piano)

Lindsay Lohan's Grand Theft Auto V Lawsuit Is Getting Intense

Lindsay Lohan strikes again! U go, girl!
Read the full story:
http://kotaku.com/lindsay-lohans-grand-theft-auto-v-lawsuit-is-getting-in-1644774807

Book of the Month - "Herbie Hancock w/ Lisa Dickey: Possibilities"

Book of the Month 
Herbie Hancock with Lisa Dickey: "Possibilities" (Viking Adult)

We were fortunate to receive an advance copy of Hancock's autobiography. 352 pages! What a thrill! More comments soon.

Vocal Blu-spec CD of the Month - "Astrud Gilberto: Gilberto with Turrentine"

Blu-spec CD of the Month
Astrud Gilberto: "Gilberto with Turrentine" (CTI/King)

Produced by Creed Taylor
Recorded & Mixed by Rudy Van Gelder @ Van Gelder Studio (Englewood Cliffs, NJ)
Cover Photo: Pete Turner
Album Design: Bob Ciano

Arranged & Conducted by Deodato
Featuring: Astrud Gilberto, Stanley Turrentine, Eumir Deodato, Ron Carter, Russell George, João Palma, Dom Um Romão, Dennis Seiwell, Airto Moreira, Bob Mann, Sivuca, Gene Bertoncini, Sam Brown, Hubert Laws, Toots Thielemans et al.

Fourplay live @ Yoshi's SF, Oct 4 & 5

Don't miss the chance to see the all-star quartet Fourplay (Bob James, Nathan East, Harvey Mason, Chuck Loeb) at Yoshi's in San Francisco, Oct 4 & 5.
Tix & info: (415) 655-5600.
To watch later at home:
"Fourplay Live in Tokyo," one of the best jazz DVDs ever released.
Recommended by Arnaldo DeSouteiro.

Vinyl Reissue of the Month - "Freddie Hubbard: Straight Life"

Vinyl Reissue of the Month
Freddie Hubbard: "Straight Life" (CTI/Pure Pleasure) 1971/2014

Produced by Creed Taylor
Recorded & Mixed by Rudy Van Gelder
Cover Photo: Pete Turner
Album Design: Bob Ciano
Featuring: Freddie Hubbard (trumpet & flugel), Herbie Hancock (Fender Rhodes), Ron Carter (acoustic bass), Jack DeJohnette (drums), Richard 'Pablo' Landrum (congas), Weldon Irvine (tambourine), George Benson (electric guitar) & Joe Henderson (tenor sax)

Fusion CD of the Month - "Tohpati: Tribal Dance"

Fusion CD of the Month
Tohpati: "Tribal Dance" (MoonJune) 2014

All compositions by Tohpati
Indonesian Vocals on Track 1: Pak Kompyang and Iwan Wiradz
Additional sound samples on intros are from the Tohpati Music Library
Tracks 1 - 7 were recorded live in the studio by Bob Horn on September 12, 2013 @ EchoBar Studios (North Hollywood, Los Angeles), CA
Assistant Recording Engineer: Jones Roma
Track 8 was recorded on March 31, 2014 @ Tohpati Home Studio (Jakarta, Indonesia)
Mixed and mastered by Eko Sulistiyo at Aluna Studio, Jakarta, Indonesia

Produced by Tohpati.
International Release Executive Production by Leonardo Pavkovic.
Cover Painting: Saskia Gita Sakanti
Photos: Pheren Soephandi
Artwork: Melda VNH

Featuring: Tohpati (electric guitar), Jimmy Haslip (electric bass) & Chad Wackerman (drums)
Licensed from Tohpati Music.
© Tohpati Music and MoonJune Records, 2014

For his third release for MoonJune Records [following 2010's Tohpati Ethnomission, "Save The Planet," and 2012's Tohpati Bertiga, "Riot"], Tohpati is joined by renowned maestros, bassist Jimmy Haslip and drummer Chad Wackerman [who appeared together on the Holdsworth-Pasqua-Haslip-Wackerman "Blues For Tony" project]. The result is an album of brilliantly-conceived and -executed music, evidenced by a wellspring of inspired interplay, a delightful chemistry and bursts of intense, spontaneous genius.

On "Tribal Dance," there's no shortage of Tohpati's trademark breathtaking, acrobatic axe-wielding. Towering power chords, distorted spare-note lead lines, unexpected machine gun-blasting sonic assaults, chugging rhythmic grooves, and even a host of elegantly-nuanced jazz phrasings, are all in attendance -- summoned at will, and in omnipotent fashion.

His explosive fretwork often appears as the musical equivalent of a pounching cobra (or one that is coiled and ready to strike!), yet it is his intuitive, prescient interplay with this formidable world-class rhythm section that emerges victorious on this stage. A powerful synergy prevails, as Tohpati locks in with Haslip’s dubmaster basslines and the rubber-limbed, imaginative kitwork of Wackerman. The trio generate wave upon wave of infectious syncopations and robust grooves, gloriously decorating a very special session.

CD Reissue of the Month - "Hubert Laws: Then There Was Light, Vol. 1 & 2"

CD Reissue of the Month
Hubert Laws: "Then There Was Light, Vol. 1 & 2" (CTI/Wounded Bird) 1974/2014

Produced by Creed Taylor
Recorded & Mixed by Rudy Van Gelder @ Van Gelder Studio (Englewood Cliffs, NJ, USA) in February 1974
Cover Photos: Pete Turner
Original Album Design: Rene Schumacher

Arranged by Clare Fischer, Rodgers Grant, Bob James & Hubert Laws
Featuring: Hubert Laws (flutes), Bob James (acoustic piano & Fender Rhodes), Clare Fischer (Fender Rhodes), Rodgers Grant (acoustic piano), Richard Tee (organ), Ron Carter (acoustic bass), Steve Gadd (drums), Airto Moreira (percussion), Dave Friedman (vibes), Gene Bertoncini (acoustic & electric guitars), David Nadien (violin), Emanuel Vardi aka Manny Vardi (viola) & George Ricci (cello)

These sessions were originally released on a 2-LP vinyl set in 1974, titled "In The Beginning." Two years later, Creed Taylor reissued them in 1976 with new cover art, new photos and as single LPs under the respective titles "Then There Was Light Vol. 1" and "Then There Was Light Vol. 2" of biblical inspiration. Although previously reissued on a digipak CD here in the U.S. by Sony, back in 1997, with its original title (and cover art) "In The Beginning," only now in 2014 we have this first CD reissue using the alternative title "Then There Was Light."
Curiously, a couple of years ago, unofficial vinyl reissues came out as single LPs titled "In The Beginning Vol. 1" and "In The Beginning Vol.2."

No matter the situations and titles, it's a superb and highly creative album that features keyboardists-composers-arrangers Clare Fischer (on his only session for CTI, although he had worked for Creed during the Verve years in the 60s), Rodgers Grant (his second and last session for CTI, after the George Benson "Tell It Like It Is" sessions that also yielded the "I Got A Woman and Some Blues" album released many years later, in 1984) and Bob James, who adapted Erik Satie's famous "Gymnopedie #1," the only track that includes a string trio (violin, viola & cello). My adored friend Gene Bertoncini plays acoustic guitar on the Satie piece, but goes electric on the other tracks. Ron Carter is, as always, truly perfect throughout the album.

Both Fischer and Grant, two late friends of mine, contributed fresh and stunning material. Fischer wrote the exquisite and intriguing title track, while Grant -- who had already written the fantastic title track for Laws' "Morning Star" album -- provided the lush "Reconciliation" and also shared the keyboard parts with Fischer on the latin-tinged "Mean Lene," which features a drums/percussion dialogue between Gadd and Airto. The drummer also shines on my personal favorite track, a splendid version of Sonny Rollins' "Airegin" played as duet between Laws (on flute, alto flute and piccolo) and Steve Gadd (alternating brushes and stick). Beyond words.

Vocal CD of the Month - "Roseanna Vitro: Clarity"

Vocal CD of the Month
Roseanna Vitro: "Clarity - Music of Clare Fischer" (Random Act Records) 2014

All songs composed by Clare Fischer, except "Web of Love" (Inquietação) by Ary Barroso
Produced, Recorded, Mixed & Mastered by Paul Wickliffe
Recorded @ Charlestown Road Studio (Hampton, NJ) on August 26 & September 9, 2013
Additional Recording, Mixing & Mastering at Skyline Productions (Warren, NJ)
Digital artist for front cover: Sarah Wickliffe
Garphic Design: Tom Beckham
Cover Photo, Make-up & Hair: Devon Cass
Back & Liner Cover Photos: John Abbott

Featuring: Roseanna Vitro (vocals & arranger), Mark Soskin (acoustic piano, Fender Rhodes & arranger), Dean Johnson (acoustic bass), Tim Horner (drums), Mino Cinelu (percussion), Brent Fischer (vibes) & Sara Caswell (violin)

Instrumental Jazz CD of the Month - "The Mike Longo Trio: Celebrates Oscar Peterson"

Instrumental Jazz CD of the Month
"The Mike Longo Trio Celebrates Oscar Peterson" (CAP) 2014

Produced by Bob Magnuson
Featuring: Mike Longo (piano), Paul West (bass) & Ray Mosca (drums)

Gina Saputo Quartet @ Steamers, tonight!

Gina Saputo is back @ Steamers (138 W. Commonwealth Blvd., Fullerton, CA) tonight, backed by Matt Politano (piano), Blake White (bass) and Peter Buck (drums). Satisfaction guaranteed!