Monday, April 24, 2017

Anna Mjoll live @ Herb Alpert's Vibrato, May 5

Don't miss Anna Mjoll, the LA-based Icelandic Jazz Princess, live at Herb Alpert's Vibrato next May 5. This month she starts to record a new album at Capitol Studios in Hollywood.
(Anna Mjöll with the Pat Senatore Trio)

Clare Fischer Big Band, led by Brent Fisher, with special guest Laura Dickinson live in LA, May 25

Brent Fischer + Clare Fischer Big Band May 25th at 8pm! Live in concert with special guest Laura Dickinson on May 25th, 8-9pm

Los Angeles Jazz Institute Big Band Spectacular
LAX Westin Hotel
5400 W Century Blvd 
Los Angeles, CA 90045

Festival information and ticket reservations HERE!

Need help finding Clare Fischer Vinyl, older CDs and rare collectibles? All Fischer scores & parts are available for purchase, some now in PDF form! Click here to ask about your favorite pieces or to license Fischer music.
To order more music go to www.ClareFischer.com

Amanda Carr's live broadcast @ WICN, April 28

TUNE in Friday, April 28th at NOON to Live Jazz New England on www.WICN.org online or at 90.5 FM Worcester, when Amanda Carr will be performing with Yvonne Monnett and Genevieve Rose for an hour set of fresh interpretations of songbook classics.

OR COME JOIN THEM IN THE RADIO STATION STUDIO AUDIENCE at 50 Portland St. Worcester!!! Join Pamela Hines as she highlights many of New England's finest jazz musicians as well as major national talent.

More info: http://www.wicn.org/LiveJazzNE

Monday, April 17, 2017

Sunday Dance w/ Matty & Amanda, April 23

Fun. That's about it.. just a lot of fun.

Who doesn’t love a beach club party to dance to all your favorites.. Matty B and Amanda Carr perform and DJ all your favorites and take your requests at the historic The C Note Hull, The South Shore's Best Live Music Club

$10 per person. Full cash bar. . Over 21 to enter. Food welcome or order out for delivery.

CNOTE located at 159 Nantasket Ave. Hull, MA 02045

NEED MORE INFO?: contact@MattBernier.com or 508.514-9595
OR VISIT www.CNoteHull.com

www.MATTYandAMANDA.com

B.J. Jansen's "Common Ground" comes out in June, featuring Delfeayo Marsalis

Innovative baritone saxophonist B.J. Jansen is proud to announce the June 23rd release of "Common Ground", his tenth project as a leader. To mark this momentous occasion, Jansen has assembled an all-star sextet comprised of NEA Jazz Master trombonist Delfeayo Marsalis, renowned drummer Ralph Peterson, trumpeter Duane Eubanks, bassist Dezron Douglas and pianist Zaccai Curtis.

Over the course of a dozen carefully chosen selections, the appropriately titled "Common Ground" aims to explore the musical commonalities among six musical titans who each bring with them their diverse backgrounds and distinctive musical legacies. "We had a common interest in keeping with the tradition while still pushing the boundaries," says Jansen. All members of the sextet have benefitted from stellar mentorships that have colored their idea of the tradition; Jansen by pianist and educator Frank Stagnitta, Marsalis by his father Ellis Marsalis, Peterson by Art Blakey, Eubanks by Mulgrew Miller, and both Curtis and Douglas by Jackie McLean.

On "Common Ground", this musical melting pot gives way to an eclectic program that offers a little something for everybody. "When I wrote the music, I made sure there was something for each musician to latch on to," says Jansen. For the album's two-day recording session last summer, Jansen's approach was decidedly "hands off" as he allowed each musician to find their own groove. "I was really open to contributions from everybody," he says. This on-the-spot approach gave way to some of the album's stand-out moments; one of which is the completely improvised title track. The song "Common Ground" opened up a new portal for Jansen- a change in his compositional process that he is eager to explore.

Change is nothing new to Jansen. Originally from Cincinnati, Jansen's first move was to Philadelphia in 2004, where he found "the heart beat of jazz". After learning on the Philly streets for three years, Jansen relocated once again. This time, he landed in New York City, where he's been a resident for the past decade. After taking part in the downtown jam-session circuit for over a year, Jansen found that his sound was better received in Harlem. "I spent all my time in Harlem," Jansen recalls.
​As Jansen settled uptown, he became a regular at the legendary St. Nicks; a spot he fondly refers to as "one of the last bastions" of the Harlem jazz club scene. He, along with a crew of Philadelphia musicians, began frequenting and eventually sitting in on the regular Sunday gig held by vocalist TC III, son of drummer Bill "Mr. C" Carney and B3 organist Trudy Pitts. Carney's classic "Bucketfull of Soul" is re-imagined on "Common Ground" and played as a testament to that distinctive "Philly vibe". 

"The first time I heard it I knew I wanted to arrange and record it," Jansen says.
The Philadelphia/Harlem connection is a common thread throughout the recording. In addition to Jansen's aforementioned connection to the Pennsylvania city, Duane Eubanks hails from Philadelphia and Ralph Peterson Jr. comes from South Jersey. "My approach is very much so rooted in that Philadelphia tradition," he says, adding, "...it has been a huge inspiration on me." It was at these Harlem jam sessions that Jansen, amongst his Philly friends, grew to know Dezron Douglas. Of all the tracks on the album, Jansen's "Stacey's Pace" perhaps best encapsulates that Harlem nightlife scene. Ironically, it is also Douglas' favorite track. "It danced the whole way!" says Douglas.
On "Common Ground", Jansen does not just pay tribute to important cities and their respective traditions; he also pays tribute to Sonny Clark and Charlie Parker. Jansen's "Relaxin' with Jessica" is a contra fact on Clark's 1957 "Sonny's Mood" and features some agile piano by Zaccai Curtis and masterful brush work by Ralph Peterson. "The relaxed and swinging tune embodies the traditional Philly Sound that was widely heard on Blue Note recordings in the 50's and 60's," Jansen adds. The ode to his sibling, "Angela's Aggravation", is based harmonically on the A sections of Charlie Parker's "Confirmation".

Jansen chose the previously recorded "Brandon's Blues," as not only a nod to his brother Brandon but as a means for Marsalis to showcase his finesse. Jansen then adds to his list of dedications, by including "Soul Loss", a track inspired by people he's lost in the past. He honors them well with gentle, yet intricate playing as the tightness of the rhythm section allows him to do so. 

As Eubanks notes: "B.J.'s free way of hearing music is what offsets the tightness of the rhythm section. It's giving the horn players freedom to explore and do the things you want to do on your own and having the rhythm section hold you grounded".

With "Common Ground" clocking in as project number 10 for the 36 year old, it can surely be considered something of a milestone- one that is commemorated with an all-star band. In addition, "Common Ground" also speaks toJansen's tenacity to keep making music even when the current climate doesn't make it so easy to do so. 

Ralph Peterson recalls: "The first thing I noticed about B.J. was his hustle game. He's quite the hustler and I respect that." With the superb "Common Ground", it seems that Jansen's relentless hustle might just be paying off. 

R.I.P.: Allan Holdsworth (1946-2017)

(born August 06, 1946, Bradford, West Yorkshire, England;
died April 16, 2017, Vista, California, USA)

 



Tuesday, April 11, 2017

Jazz Station Gallery: Marcos Valle & Arnaldo DeSouteiro

(Arnaldo DeSouteiro & Marcos Valle, April 06, 2017 - Marcos Valle's home)

KUTX presents Jeff Lofton's 1950s Miles Davis Tribute, in Austin, April 29

KUTX's Jazz with Jay Trachtenberg presents 
Jeff Lofton's 1950s Miles Davis Tribute

From the historic Victory Grill in Austin to the New Faces Series at the Iridium in New York, Jeff Lofton's 1950s Miles Davis Tribute has thrilled jazz fans for ten years!
The show features Davis' compositions and interpretations made famous by the first great Miles Davis Quintet during 1950 - 1959, and includes excerpts from "Kind of Blue."

Saturday, April 29- 8:00 p.m.

Tickets on sale now! Click here: https://tickets.austintheatre.org/single/SYOS.aspx?p=2224

Stateside at the Paramount
719 Congress Avenue 
Austin, TX
Jazz trumpeter, composer and bandleader Jeff Lofton studied composition at the University of South Carolina and moved to Austin in 2007 at the age of 40. Since then his career has grown from being mostly unknown, to a local favorite and to national and international recognition. 

"Listen up Miles Davis fans..." from the Austin American-Statesman and "... channels Miles Davis..." from the Daily Texan were some of the early reviews when Lofton arrived in Austin, and debuted the tribute show at the historic Victory Grill. Mostly unknown to the local jazz scene, word-of-mouth drew people to hear his unique sound at small bars in East Austin. Soon his shows were being described as "...crazy good and crazy crowded." (Joe Gross, Austin American-Statesman).
  
In March of 2010 "Jeff Lofton's 1950s Miles Davis Tribute" drew a large crowd at One World Theatre with the help of media sponsor NPR affiliate KUT/KUTX, though competing with opening night of SXSW in nearby downtown Austin.  The show has been also been featured in the New Faces Series at the Iridium Jazz Club in New York, and at the Blanton Museum of Art at the University of Texas along with the "Birth of the Cool" exhibit. As part of the 2011-12 season at The Carver Cultural Community Center in San Antonio, the show was recorded and broadcast for KRTU Jazz 91.7 FM's ten-year anniversary Year of Jazz series. The show has also been presented at the Scottish Rite Theater in Austin; Scat Jazz Lounge in Ft. Worth, The Cultural Activities Center in Temple and the One World Theater in Austin. 

Lofton was recently featured in Japanese Airlines magazine, and as an American Icon in a national ad campaign for Macy's. Lofton opened TEDxAustin in 2012 accompanied by pianist and composer Graham Reynolds, he was voted Best Horn Player '13-'14 and Best Jazz Band '10-'11 at the Austin Music Awards during SXSW; January 15, 2009 was named "Jeff Lofton Day" by the City of Austin; and he was inducted into the Texas Music Museum. Lofton's debut at Snug Harbor in New Orleans included renowned drummer Jason Marsalis.

For more information visit JeffLofton.com.

Russell Malone live in California, April 15

   (Russell Malone with Mark Egan during a CTI All Stars concert)

Saturday, April 15, 2017 - 8:00 pm
$35 students $25

RUSSELL MALONE QUARTET
RICK GERMANSON -PIANO
LUKE SELLICK -BASS
WILLIE JONES III -DRUMS

VENUE: Moss Theater (New Roads School at The Herb Alpert Educational Village)
3131 Olympic Blvd. Santa Monica, CA 90404

The Moss Theater is a beautiful performance space. Acoustic design by Yasuhisa Toyota (Disney Concert Hall). KJAZZ 88.1 - official media sponsor.

Jazz/Pop Songs Needed

ORIGINAL, VINTAGE JAZZ/POP SONGS Recorded in the 1960’s or before are needed by the CEO of a Music Licensing Company that’s building a new catalog for Film, TV, Video Game, and TV Commercial placements. This active and fast-growing Music Library is looking for authentic sounding, Mid-to-Up Tempo Jazz/POP Songs in the stylistic range of the following references:

“Fly Me To The Moon” by Doris Day
“L-O-V-E” by Nat King Cole
“I put a spell on you” by Nina Simone

NOTE: There’s some debate as to whether some of the references are truly Jazz. Wikipedia says 2 out of 3 are, but we think you would have found these songs on Pop charts back in that era. In any case, this company isn’t looking for music that’s exactly like the references, so much as music that could have been heard at a party back in that era. If you’ve got anything that dates back to that era, and conjures up images of skinny black ties and martinis, you might have just what they need!

Please submit original, well-crafted Jazz/Pop songs with solid musicianship and awesome vocals. You can submit old masters or demos for this pitch. The recording quality is not expected to be on par with today’s broadcast quality! They’re much more interested finding music that sounds authentic to the time period!

Do NOT copy or rip off the referenced artists or songs in any way, shape, or form. Use them as a general guide for tempo, tone, and overall vibe. Broadcast Quality is needed (great sounding home recordings are fine).

This company offers an EXCLUSIVE deal. You’ll split all upfront sync fees 50/50. They’ll get 100% of the Publisher’s share, and you’ll get 100% of the Writer’s share. You must own or control your Master and Copyright. Since this is an EXCLUSIVE deal, please be sure the material you submit for this pitch is NOT already signed with any other Libraries or Catalogs. Please submit one to three Songs online or per CD. All submissions will be screened on a Yes/No basis - No full critiques. Submissions must be received no later than 11:59PM (PDT), on Monday, May 1st, 2017. TAXI #Y170501VJ

Danielle Wertz & Tal Cohen: "Intertwined"

Danielle Wertz was named one of eleven semi-finalists in the 2015 Thelonious Monk International Jazz Vocals Competition, and placed third in the 2017 Mid-Atlantic Jazz Vocal Competition. She is a 2015 DownBeat Student Music Award recipient and was named the inaugural winner of the Washington Women in Jazz Festival (WWJF) Young Artist Contest in 2012.

Tal Cohen was named the winner of the Barry Harris National Jazz Competition in Detroit, Michigan, and in 2015 he was named the 2015 winner of the coveted Freedman Jazz Fellowship in Sydney, Australia. Available April 21, 2017
Featuring: Danielle Wertz: vocals, Tal Cohen: piano, Jaime Oehlers: tenor sax

CD Release Event: The Arts Barn in Gaithersburg, MD
Address: 311 Kent Square Road, Gaithersburg, Maryland 20878-5727

Danielle Wertz is a jazz vocalist from Falls Church, Virginia. She holds a Bachelor's Degree in Jazz Vocal Performance from the University of Miami's Frost School of Music, and studied under the direction of Dr. Kate Reid. Danielle was named one of eleven semi-finalists in the 2015 Thelonious Monk International Jazz Vocals Competition, and placed third in the 2017 Mid-Atlantic Jazz Vocal Competition. She is a 2015 DownBeat Student Music Award recipient and was named the inaugural winner of the Washington Women in Jazz Festival (WWJF) Young Artist Contest in 2012.

Danielle has performed in many established venues including The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Blues Alley, The Mansion at Strathmore, Bethesda Blues and Jazz, Twins Jazz, Nocturne Jazz and Supper Club, and the St. Petersburg Jazz Philharmonic Hall. She has also had the privilege of working and performing with many renowned musicians including Cyrille Aimée, Gretchen Parlato, Chris Botti, Bruce Hornsby, Michael Bowie, Martin Bejerano, Lena Seikaly, Mark Meadows, and Chris Grasso.

Tal Cohen's unique piano style owes its roots to the Jewish folk songs and classical music he played in his formative years growing up in Israel. After moving to Perth at the age of 16, Tal continued his music studies at the prestigious Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts where he completed a bachelor degree, honours and masters in jazz performance. Yellow Sticker, Tal's first album as a leader, was released in December 2011.

Consisting largely of original tunes, it showcases some of Perth's finest musicians with Jamie Oehlers on saxophone, Chris Tarr on drums and Pete Jeavons on bass. In May 2013 Tal performed a number of shows with world-renowned saxophonist Joe Lovano at the inaugural Perth International Jazz Festival, including a sold-out performance at the Perth Concert Hall. In 2014, Tal Cohen was named the winner of the Barry Harris National Jazz Competition in Detroit, Michigan, and in 2015 he was named the 2015 winner of the coveted Freedman Jazz Fellowship in Sydney, Australia.

Unexpected interpretations of standard jazz repertoire captured in an intimate duo setting. On original compositions, the voice is used as a collaborative instrumental texture rather than as a featured soloist.

Most of the tracks on this album are products of live experimentation ideas that gradually developed into compositions and arrangements. We arrived in the studio without an agenda and played exactly what felt natural and organic in the moment. All laughs and "mistakes" have been left untouched, and what you will hear is an honest representation of what happens when we get together and make music we feel deeply connected to. We feel that the imperfections are what make this album unique.

Scot Albertson Trio live in NY, tomorrow

SCOT ALBERTSON TRIO with Scot (vocals), Dan Furman (piano) & Dave Pietro (sax & flute)
Wed. – April 12, 2017 – 8:00p.m. – 11:00p.m. (doors open 7:30p.m.)
Café Noctambulo at Pangea – NYC
178 2nd Ave. (between East 11th & East 12th Streets) 

Reserv. Tel. # 212.995.0900 – info@cafenoctambulo.com   -  www.cafenoctambulo.com
$15.00 Cover Online Advance Ticket Purchase & $20.00 Food / Drink Minimum – full dinner menu available – Dining 6:00p.m.  –  11:00p.m.

Online Pre Purchase via: www.eventbrite.com/e/scot-albertson-trio-wednesday-april-12-8-11pm-tickets-32361484070
*NOTE - $20.00 Cover at the door on April 12th WITHOUT Pre Ticket Purchase*

Tuesday, April 4, 2017

Today, Matt Holman celebrates the release of "The Tenth Muse"

Matt Holman's new recording "The Tenth Muse" will be officially released on New Focus Recordings on April 7th.

"The Tenth Muse" is made up of 16 compositions inspired by Sappho's writings (as translated by Anne Carson) and features Sam Sadigursky, Chris Dingman and Bobby Avey. Holman's pieces take the fragmentary nature of Sappho's poetry as it has come down to us as a guide for balancing structure and improvisation, clarity and mystery.

"The Tenth Muse" will be presented today, May 4th at the Lily Pad. Cambridge, MA at 7:30pm, and on May 5th at Dimensions in Jazz, Portland, ME at 8pm.
Trumpet Player/Composer Matt Holman Finds Inspiration in Ancient Greek Poetry for Ethereal Modern Chamber Jazz Compositions
The Tenth Muse features Sam Sadigursky, Chris Dingman and Bobby Avey playing music based on the fragmentary, achingly familiar love poetry of Sappho

At a time when our world seems to be plagued by divisiveness, it can be comforting to rediscover and reflect on our shared humanity. In the ancient love poetry of the Greek lyrist Sappho, trumpet player/composer Matt Holman has found a trove of writings whose emotions and sentiments feel as timely and passionate today as they did when they were written, more than 2,500 years ago.

On his new album, The Tenth Muse (due out April 7 on New Focus Recordings), Holman bridges the ancient with the modern through 16 ethereal compositions inspired by Sappho's writings (as translated by Anne Carson). Holman's pieces take the fragmentary nature of Sappho's poetry as it has come down to us as a guide for balancing structure and improvisation, clarity and mystery.

Holman's stark but enticing music is brought to life by a gifted quartet well versed in exploring heady concepts with impassioned vigor and airy sensitivity: Holman, saxophonist, clarinetist and flutist Sam Sadigursky, vibraphonist Chris Dingman, and pianist Bobby Avey.

Holman initially discovered Sappho's poetry through his wife, who introduced him to the Greek poetess during the early days of their courtship, the intoxicating period when every aspect of taste and personality is a new discovery. The words that survived from antiquity seemed to reflect his own feelings across a gulf-spanning millennia, while the significant portions that had been lost over time added a sense of entrancing uncertainty.

"I was astounded at the beauty of these fragments," he recalls. "What exists today is so minimal that the spaces between the words prompt the brain to fill in words and phrases, almost like erasure poetry.  Looking at Sappho's work and finding these beautiful poems, I almost ache on some of them wanting to know what those words were that we'll never know. For me that was really powerful."

It also resonated with Holman's instincts as a composer/improviser, whose own muse subsists on the relationship between the written and the spaces left open for spontaneous invention. To further distance the compositions from his own instincts, Holman devised different systems of cryptograms for each piece - pitches and rhythms associated with specific letters or words (the best known example being J.S. Bach's coding of his own name into compositions using notes associated with its four letters).

"You have a certain language and certain licks that are characteristically you, which is a good thing, but when you're trying to create something new you want to start fresh," Holman explains. "I wanted to have another element outside of my own tendencies. You have to search really hard to find it, almost like it's the composer's secret, but I think it adds more depth."

The music for The Tenth Muse (the title comes from Plato's adulatory name for the poetess) was written during a residency at the Brush Creek Foundation for the Arts in Wyoming in August 2013. He spent the month working in a refurbished schoolhouse dating from the early 20th century on a scenic 30,000-acre ranch offering outdoor activities and teeming with wildlife. "I had an incredible piano and nature right outside my door," Holman describes. "Deer would walk by all the time. There was time and there was a vastness to being in Wyoming that allowed a real focus of purpose and connection to nature, a quality that is present in Sappho's work. All of these poems come from an individual voice, so I strove to capture in the music this sense of solitude. I wanted the music to sound intimate, as if it came from a single individual even if there are moments where it's multidimensional."

The Tenth Muse premiered at Dave Douglas' FONT (Festival of New Trumpet Music) in September 2013. The music is remarkable for its intimacy and fluidity, sliding effortlessly between the composed and the improvised with grace and elegance, though not without a full-blooded urgency. The unusual instrumentation provides an expansive palette, which Holman seizes on in a variety of ways. His trumpet and Sadigursky's woodwinds are supple and soaring, tethered by the resonant power of Avey's piano and softened by the gauzy luminescence of Dingman's vibes.

"I sought to evoke the full range of themes in these fragments," Holman says. "Some are passionate and devotional, related to love, and others reflect on the awe-inspiring aspects of nature or the power of dreams. Over the course of two millenia, the human condition has remained fundamentally the same. We are still beholden to our desires, still marvel at a vast sky, still suffer over love both in its anticipation and in its loss. In this day and age, we are inundated with images and reminders of what divides us from each other.  Sappho's poetry draws for us the connection between the ancient and the modern, reminding us that even something as simple as a fragment can speak to the depths of our shared humanity."

Based in New York City, trumpeter Matt Holman has distinguished himself as a composer, conductor, bandleader and top-tier soloist in many of the leading jazz ensembles of our time. Along with his adventurous chamber-jazz recordings, Holman has performed and/or recorded with Darcy James Argue's Secret Society, the John Hollenbeck Large Ensemble, Fred Hersch's Leaves of Grass, Bang on a Can's Asphalt Orchestra, the Joel Harrison Large Ensemble, the JC Sanford Orchestra, New York Voices, Kenneth Salters Haven, the Anna Webber Quartet, Matt Ulery's Loom, Andrew Rathbun, and more.

He has earned international performance and composition awards including the International Trumpet Guild's Jazz Improvisation Competition, the Carmine Caruso International Jazz Trumpet Solo Competition, and the 13th annual BMI Foundation's Charlie Parker Jazz Composition Prize/Manny Albam Commission. A dedicated and passionate educator, Holman currently teaches at Manhattan School of Music and Hunter College.

Jazz Bakery presents Tessa Souter B-Day Bash in Santa Monica, April 8

VOCALIST TESSA SOUTER B-DAY BASH
W/ SAXOPHONIST DANNY JANKLOW'S ELEVATION BAND 
featuring Nick Mancini (vibes), Sam Barsh (piano), Benjamin Shepherd (bass) & Dan Schnelle (drums)

Saturday, April 8, 2017 7:30pm
$35 students $25

VENUE: Moss Theater (New Roads School at The Herb Alpert Educational Village)
3131 Olympic Blvd. Santa Monica, CA 90404

The Moss Theater is a beautiful performance space. Acoustic design by Yasuhisa Toyota (Disney Concert Hall). KJAZZ 88.1 - official media sponsor.

Nick Mazzarella releases "Signaling" (w/ Tomeka Reid) & "Triangulum" (w/ Meridian Trio)

Established alto saxophonist Nick Mazzarella ushers in the spring season with two new recordings: "Signaling", a duet with esteemed cellist Tomeka Reid, out April 21st on Nessa Records, and "Triangulum", the debut album from Meridian Trio (featuring contra-bassist Matt Ulery and drummer Jeremy Cunningham), out May 5 on Clean Feed Records. 

With this double release, Mazzarella presents two of the most fruitful collaborations he's been involved with since his emergence on the Chicago jazz scene over a decade ago. "These projects reflect my background in both free improvisation and jazz, and my interest in synthesizing these two traditions in my own playing," said Mazzarella.

On "Signaling", Mazzarella teams up with the virtuosic cellist Tomeka Reid to follow in the footsteps of saxophonist Julius Hemphill and cellist Abdul Wadud to present a collection of duets inspired by avant-garde music of the 1970's. The two Chicago-based musicians first discussed the idea of recording as a duo three years ago when their mutual admiration for Wadud and Hemphill was discovered.

During a rather "informal pre-production period", Mazzarella and Reid listened to the recordings of Arthur Blythe and Roscoe Mitchell, along with Hemphill, Wadud, and others, and continuously discussed musical concepts they wished to explore. Finally, in April 2015, the pair recorded an hour and forty-five minutes of improvisation in one session, which was then paired down to a nine track program of about forty minutes.

"On Signaling, cellist Tomeka Reid and alto saxophonist Nick Mazzarella play their own intensely expressionistic music without feeling the need to push towards more, more, more," says respected writer John Corbett in his liner notes for "Signaling," adding, "Intimate and dialogical, the studio duets by two of the leading lights of the Chicago creative music scene display an undemonstrative quality, a sense of restraint without the fetishistic kind of holding back that has become fashionable in certain enclaves of improvised music, the so-called lowercase approach. Indeed, by those standards - and even in relation to some of Mazzarella and Reid's other outings - these compact conversations might be heard as downright voluble." "Signaling" is a natural fit for Chuck Nessa's Nessa Records, which is celebrating its semi-centennial this year.
Just as this duo strives to exchange creative energies, ideas and concepts with each other, "Meridian Trio", as hinted at in their name, holds the same value at the core of their ensemble. "In Eastern medicine, a meridian is a pathway for life-energy, but it's also a line which divides the eastern and western hemispheres - I see Meridian Trio as a group that explores the 'inside' and 'outside' hemispheres of creative music. We want our music to be a conduit to exchange creative energies between ourselves and our audience," says Mazzarella. A "meridian" is also defined as a high point, and one could consider this trio of in-demand musicians a high point of the Chicago music scene.

Mazzarella formed Meridian Trio in 2014 to play a steady monthly gig at Honky Tonk BBQ, a restaurant in Pilsen, Chicago. He chose bassist Matt Ulery and drummer Jeremy Cunningham for the group knowing that their sensitivity, virtuosity, and inventiveness would make them ideal collaborators for exploring the musical concepts he had in mind. These three musicians are equally capable in their abilities to move in many musical directions - from a "traditional" approach of melody and accompaniment, to completely opening up the music into areas unknown. The monthly engagement at Honky Tonk became a workshop for the trio to find focus, experiment, and develop a repertoire of original material that Mazzarella gradually introduced to their performances as the ensemble became more and more cohesive. In January 2016, Meridian was invited to play a one-month weekly residency at The Whistler, a popular Chicago bar and music venue. Building upon their foundational experiences at Honky Tonk, Mazzarella augmented the trio's book with more new compositions for the Whistler dates, and each of those performances was recorded. The best takes from the month were selected for the trio's debut album, "Triangulum". "These live recordings capture the trio at the culmination of two years of growth and development," says Mazzarella.

Not only is this double release sure to be a significant milestone in Mazzarella's career, both of these collaborations have undoubtedly developed upon Mazzarella's already established persona on the Chicago jazz scene as a veteran of both variety and virtuosity.

In addition, the Meridian Trio is going on tour:

Saturday, May 13, 2017. 5:00 PM.
MERIDIAN TRIO at Penofin Jazz Festival.
Seabiscuit Barn at Newell Property, 11820 West Road, Potter Valley, CA.

Sunday, May 14, 2017. 7:30 PM.
MERIDIAN TRIO at Bird and Beckett Books and Records.
653 Chenery Street, San Francisco, CA.

Monday, May 15, 2017. 7:30 PM.
MERIDIAN TRIO at Luna's Cafe.
1414 16th Street, Sacramento, CA.

Wednesday, May 17, 2017. 9:00 PM.
MERIDIAN TRIO at Blue Whale.
Weller Court, 123 Astronaut E S Onizuka Street, Suite 301, Los Angeles, CA

Saturday, June 10, 8:30
MERIDIAN TRIO at Constellation.
3111 N Western Ave, Chicago, IL.
**************
MORE ABOUT NICK MAZZARELLA

Nick Mazzarella has been a consistent presence in Chicago's music scene since the early 2000s. His working trio and quintet have served as the primary vehicles for his endeavors as a composer and leader, while as a collaborator or sideman he has performed and recorded with such artists as Tomeka Reid, Makaya McCraven, Avreeayl Ra, Hamid Drake, Joshua Abrams, Ingebrigt Håker Flaten, Rob Mazurek, Dana Hall, Geof Bradfield, and Frank Rosaly. He has released recordings as a leader on Nessa Records, Clean Feed Records, and the International Anthem Recording Company imprint, and has performed throughout the United States and Scandinavia. Mazzarella also curates two concert series: the Anagram Series, presented weekly at Elastic Arts in Chicago, and the Ratchet Series, presented monthly at Cafe Mustache in Chicago.

Arnaldo DeSouteiro - Biography

Arnaldo DeSouteiro – Biografia ultra-resumida 

Produtor de discos, com cerca de 530 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) e da Ordem dos Músicos do Brasil (OMB) 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 JSR Casting e 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, Bjork, Rodrigo Lima, Don Sebesky, Hubert Laws, Fabio Fonseca, 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, Claus Ogerman, Gazzara, Eumir Deodato, Azymuth, Marcio Montarroyos, Sivuca, Laudir de Oliveira, Marcos Valle, David Matthews, Gene Bertoncini, John McLaughlin, Raul de Souza, Hermeto Pascoal, Jadir de Castro, Lew Soloff, George Young, Gonzalo Rubalcaba, Alphonso Johnson 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, China, Taiwan 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).  

Foi entrevistado em vários programas de TV, seriados (incluindo o documentário "Laurindo Almeida, Muito Prazer" exibido pelo canal GNT) e filmes como o premiado documentário "Beyond Ipanema", no qual foi entrevistado ao lado de Creed Taylor, Lalo Schifrin, Wayne Shorter, Gene Lees e Norman Gimbel. Depois de apresentado em diversos festivais de cinema nos Estados Unidos e Europa, "Beyond Ipanema" foi transformado em série de televisão transmitida em território brasileiro pela emissora Canal Brasil em 2014.
Jazz Station Records (JSR), a division of Jazz Station Enterprises
CEO & Founder · Los Angeles 

            (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 530 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 530 albums and sessions featuring: Luiz Bonfa, João Gilberto, Dom Um Romão, Thiago de Mello, Dexter Payne, João Donato, Palmyra & Levita, Mario Castro-Neves, Jorge Pescara, Paula Faour, Fabio Fonseca, Claudio Roditi, Rodrigo Lima, Hermeto Pascoal, Ithamara Koorax, Don Sebesky, Sammy Figueroa, Bjork, 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 photos for Rodrigo Lima's "Saga" and Jorge Pescara's "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
Jazz Station Records (JSR), a division of Jazz Station Enterprises
CEO & Founder · Los Angeles ·

(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... 

Sunday, April 2, 2017

Aurea Agricola & Ernani Agricola

                                 (my grandmother, Dr. Aurea Agricola,
born on December 12, 1894 in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil;
           died on March 24, 1990 in Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil)

                                  (my grandfather, Dr. Ernani Agricola,
               born on August 09, 1887 in Palmas, Minas Gerais, Brazil;
                      died on July 14, 1978 in Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil)
(Centro Municipal de Saúde Ernani Agricola, em Santa Teresa, Rio de Janeiro, RJ)

Blu-Spec Fusion CD Reissue of the Month - "Joe Farrell: Upon This Rock"

Blu-Spec Fusion CD Reissue of the Month
Joe Farrell: "Upon This Rock" (CTI/King)
Rating: ***** (musical performance & sonic quality)

Produced by Creed Taylor
Engineered by Rudy Van Gelder @ Van Gelder Studio (Englewood Cliffs, NJ)
Cover Photo: Pete Turner
Album Design: Sibbie McDonough

Featuring: Joe Farrell (soprano sax, tenor sax, flute), Joe Beck (electric guitar), Herbie Hancock (Fender Rhodes electric piano), Herb Bushler (electric bass), Jimmy Madison and Steve Gadd (drums), Don Alias (congas)

First CD reissue printed in Japan by King Records of this cult CTI album produced by Creed Taylor & engineered by Rudy Van Gelder, with a cover pic by genius photographer Pete Turner. Three tunes, including the the much-sampled title track (named by Creed Taylor, who loved to use sentences from the Bible; "You are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church" - Matthews 16:18), were recorded in March 1974 with Joe Farrell's pianoless touring quartet at that time, featuring Joe Beck on electric guitar (great use of fuzz pedal, wah wah and other vintage electronic devices), Herb Bushler on bass and Jim Madison on drums.

A fourth track, "I Won't Be Back," my personal favorite, had been smartly saved by Creed Taylor from the "Penny Arcade" sessions recorded in October 1973 (the last time Herbie Hancock played on a CTI date), with the leader shining on flute, Hancock soloing beautifully on acoustic piano, Herb Bushler groovin' on bass, Steve Gadd (whose name, oddly, wasn't mentioned in the back cover of the original gatefold LP) playing as superb as always on drums, and Don Alias adding a latin-spice on congas. Much better remastering than the previous CD reissue by Wounded Bird label in the USA in 2011, when they used heavy compression, something completely unnecessary.

Btw, in June 2008 we had posted about a lawsuit filed by Joe's daughter, Kathleen Firrantello, in the U.S. District Court in New York, regarding unathourized sampling from the tune "Upon This Rock."
http://jazzstation-oblogdearnaldodesouteiros.blogspot.com/2008/06/joe-farrell-sampled-and-rappers-are.html

The rappers Kanye West, Methodman, Redman and Common have been sued by the daughter of the saxophonist Joe Farrell because they used parts from Farrell's composition "Upon This Rock" from 1974 without seeking permission from Farrell's estate (Reuters). The lawsuit will closely look at West's "Gone" from his album "Late Registration" (2005), at Common's "Chi-Chi" from his album "Be" (2005, coauthor and producer: Kanye West), as well as at "Run 4 Cover", a collaboration by the rappers Method Man and Redman from 1999 from their album "Blackout". Farrell's daughter seeks punitive damages of at least 1 million dollars and asks that no further copies of the songs be made or distributed. 
********
CTI's top connoisseur already Doug Payne wrote about this reissue on his Sound Insights blog:
Upon This Rock captures Joe Farrell on record with his own 1974-75 quartet, featuring guitarist Joe Beck, bassist Herb Bushler and drummer Jim Madison. The piano-less assemblage is considerably more rock oriented than previous Farrell outings, no doubt inspiring the album’s title, and driven home by Joe Beck’s consistently rock-edged guitar attack. Still, it’s a quartet that not only sounds comfortable mixing good rock ideas with solid jazz figures, but one that coalesces especially well together. 

Assembling at Rudy Van Gelder’s studio in March 1974, the quartet waxes three numbers included here, the leader’s “Weathervane” (featuring Farrell on soprano sax), the 12-minute funk-rock opus “Upon This Rock” (featuring Farrell on tenor sax and Beck, channeling Jimi Hendrix, overdubbing guitar parts) and Beck’s boogaloo “Seven Seas” (again with Farrell on tenor sax). 

The album’s title track in particular allows all four of the quartet’s members to contribute interesting commentary and is probably a highlight on an album brimming over with highlights. Upon This Rock is rounded out by Beck’s excellent 10-minute bossa fusion, “I Won’t Be Back,” recorded during the Penny Arcade sessions and nicely featuring Farrell on flute, Hancock sublime on piano and Beck, splendid on guitar.

To read the complete post, please visit:
http://dougpayne.blogspot.com/search?q=Joe+Farrell 
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And that's what the guys from DustyGroove say:

Massive music from funky reedman Joe Farrell – quite possibly our favorite of his legendary 70s run for CTI – and that's saying a lot, given how great those records are! There's a lean, edgey groove to the set that's totally great – a lot more bite than usual for CTI, thanks to these wonderfully angular lines from Joe on tenor, soprano sax, and flute – backed up with some wicked guitar work from Joe Beck, who really matches Farrell's energy – in a core quartet with Herb Bushler on bass and Jim Madison on drums. One cut features a guest group – with Herbie Hancock on piano, Steve Gadd on drums, and Don Alias on percussion – and the album includes the massively break-heavy title cut "Upon This Rock", plus "Seven Seas", "I Won't Be Back", and "Weathervane".