Monday, June 25, 2018
Saturday, June 23, 2018
News about Bebeto Castilho's interview @ MIS, featuring Arnaldo DeSouteiro on July 4th
Wednesday, June 20, 2018
Dave Chamberlain's Band of Bones live @ St. Peter's Church, NY, June 27
They'll be featuring all the tunes from their new CD, "Picadillo? Yes Madly!"
Only $10 contribution at the door.
Midday Jazz in Midtown Series
June 27th, 2018 1:00PM-2:00PM
St. Peter's Church 54th St. corner Lexington Ave. (Citicorp Building)
Stick Men + David Cross: Latin American Tour 2018 featuring current and former members of King Crimson
Tony Levin, Markus Reuter, Pat Mastelotto + David Cross
Latin American Tour 2018
Audiences in Latin America will experience one of the most unique concert tours in the classic rock and progressive rock scene in recent years. David Cross, the legendary violinist from King Crimson between 1972 and 1974 (and who has also been a member of progressive bands such as Clearlight, Low Flying Aircraft and Radius), has joined forces with Stick Men, the innovative power trio comprised by virtuoso touch-style guitarist Markus Reuter (who also studied guitar under King Crimson's leader Robert Fripp as part of his Guitar Craft courses), together with the current King Crimson rhythm section of drummer Pat Mastelotto and Chapman Stickist Tony Levin (who have been providing the basic foundation of Crimson since 1994 and 1981 respectively).
As such, this lineup is both an amalgam of the historical legacy of King Crimson and a look forward to what the future of progressive music will bring, in the most literal sense of the word progressive. With Stick Men's most recent studio offering, Prog Noir, David Cross's most recent collection Being Cross, and the extraordinary double album Midori where David and Stick Men first collaborated, these musicians demonstrate over and over again how they are constantly reinventing their approach to music. Their unique blend of corrosive heavy metal, classical music, and unorthodox time signatures all conspiring together with an undeniable quest for beauty and melodicity, makes them the most unique band in the current progressive rock scene, and quite possibly also the most satisfying.
Latin American fans will have the chance to enjoy Robert Fripp and King Crimson's historical compositions performed in each case by at least one of the musicians on the original records, allowing for both integrity and authority of the musical interpretations. In addition, audiences will be exposed to select pieces from all five of Stick Men's studio albums to date.
Last, but not least, those who attend these historical concerts will have the unique privilege of witnessing the creation of instantaneous compositions in the form of improvisations: The quartet of Stick Men + David Cross is possibly the only contemporary ensemble with the musical heritage, instrumental pedigree and intuitive chemistry to allow them to create music in the same spirit as the mid-1970s King Crimson that originated the classic albums Larks' Tongues In Aspic, Starless & Bible Black, Red and USA. This is enough reason all by itself not to miss these shows, taking place 45 years after the release of the Larks album and the recording of the concerts that became the Starless album.
For all the above reasons, this is an eminently historical tour. Before this tour, Stick Men + David Cross had only performed seven shows together as a quartet (four in Japan in 2015, plus two on board of the Cruise to the Edge in 2018, and in Uckfield, UK, at The Trading Boundaries in March 2018)). This is an opportunity unlikely to ever be repeated, and quite possibly the next best thing to witnessing the classic King Crimson quartet of the Starless era.
STICK MEN with DAVID CROSS
TONY LEVIN stick
MARKUS REUTER touch guitar
PAT MASTELOTTO drums
special guest DAVID CROSS violin, keyboards
Aug 24, Fri - São Paulo, SP, Brazil (Club Carioca)
Aug 25, Sat - Niteroi, Rio De Janeiro, RJ, Brazil (Teatro Municipal) 2 shows
Aug 28, Tue - San Miguel de Tucumán, Argentina (Teatro Alberdi)
Aug 30, Thu - Mar Del Plata, Argentina (Teatriz)
Aug 31, Fri - Buenos Aires, Argentina (ND Teatro)
Sept 1, Sat - Rosario, Argentina (Vorterix)
Sept 3, Mon - Montevideo, Uruguay (Las Trastienda Club)
Sept 5, Wed - Cordoba, Argentina (Teatro del Libertador San Martín)
Sept 6, Thu - Santiago, Chile (Teatro Nescafé de las Artes)
Sept 8, Sat - Lima, Peru (Teatro Municipal)
Sept 13, Thu - Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia (Teatro Centro Boliviano Americano)
Sept 14, Fri - La Paz, Bolivia (Teatro 16 de Julio)
Sept 18, Tue - Guatemala City, Guatemala (Teatro Lux)
Sept 19, Wed - San Salvador, El Salvador (venue TBA)
Sept 20, Thu - Escazú, San José, Costa Rica (Jazz Café)
Sept 23, Sun - Mexico City, Mexico (Centro Cultural Robert Cantoral)
Sept 24, Mon - Monterey, Mexico (Escena Monterrey)
STICK MEN
TONY LEVIN stick
MARKUS REUTER touch guitar
PAT MASTELOTTO drums
Sept 25, Tue - Dallas, TX, USA (Sundown @ Granada)
Sept 26, Wed - Houston, TX, USA (Dosey Doe Woodlands)
Sept 27, Thu - Austin, TX, USA (One World Theater)
For inquiries, Leonardo Pavkovic: noanoamusic@moonjune.com
Exclusive European booking contact by Swex Booking & Productions
For inquiries, Francesco Grieco: livetdv@gmail.com
www.swexbooking.com
https://stickmen.bandcamp.com
https://stickmen-moonjune.bandcamp.com
https://tonylevin.com
http://patmastelotto.com
http://www.markusreuter.com
Saturday, June 2, 2018
Big Band CD of the Month - "Dave Chamberlain's Band of Bones: Picadillo? Yes, Madly!"
Dave Chamberlain's Band of Bones: "Picadillo? Yes, Madly!" (BB Productions BBP0004)
Rating: ***** (musical performance & sonic quality)
Produced by Dave Chamberlain
Recorded, Mixed & Mastered by Paul Wickliffe
Recorded @ Charlestown Road Studios (Hampton, NJ)
Mixed & Mastered @ Skyline Productions (Warren, NJ)
Photos & Graphic Design: Angel Rosado
Liner Notes: Gary Walker
Arranged by Mark Miller, Chris Rinaman, Jake Lentz, Milt Kaback, John Yao, Max Seigel
Featuring: Dave Chamberlain (leader, trombone, flute), Robert Edwards, Charley Gordon, Sara Jacovino, Nate Mayland, Matt McDonald, Chris Rinaman, Mark Patterson (tenor trombone), Max Seigel, Dale Turk (bass trombone), Antoinette Montague (lead vocals), Kenny Asher (piano), Dick Sarpola, Jerry DeVore (bass), Mike Campenni (drums), Wilson “Chembo” Corniel (congas & percussion), Mark Patterson (bongos), Mercedes Ellington (voice - special guest)
Vocal Jazz CD of the Month - "Elisabeth Melander: Reflections Of A Voice"
Elisabeth Melander: "Reflections Of A Voice" (Prophone PCD164)
Rating: ***** (music performance & sonic quality)
Produced by Elisabeth Melander & Anders Hallbäck
Mastering: Ray Staff @ AIR Studios (London)
Photo: Christian Nordström
Design: Leon Hamnede
Featuring: Elisabeth Melander (vocals), Hakan Rydin (piano), Lars Danielsson (bass), Terje Sundby (drums & percussion), Göran Klinghagen (guitar), Anders Bergcrantz (trumpet), Inge Petersson (tenor sax) + Anna Blomkvist Grane, Mirja Bjuhr, Katarina Hverén, Karolina Weber Ekdahl (string quartet). Sten Ingelf (horn arrangement on "The Voice Inside" and string arr. on "A Song Of Joy")
One of Sweden’s great jazz voices is back along with some of the country’s top musicians. A soulful unique voice, warmth and emotions characterize this mix of original compositions and exciting interpretations of music by Chick Corea, Miles Davis, Blossom Dearie, and George Gershwin. The album has reached more than 1,5 million streams on Spotify.
We not only meet a singer with her backup, here is a complete jazz group where the voice also is an important instrument. Elisabeth’s soulfulness, her warm expression and feeling together exceptional improvisational skills characterises the group JazzAppear - musicality, spontaniety, collaboration and joy … altogether in one.
Elisabeth Melander writes of this project: “There was no real time for rehearsals so my intention from the beginning was to try to create a diverse, dynamic and harmonious atmosphere where the spur of the moment, playfulness and improvisation would bring the music forward. I wanted to create a “here and now” feeling together with musician friends, who I knew would put their own stamps on the songs…The warmth I feel for these great musicians and friends who gild each song is pure magic.”
"Right from the start it was a wild and daring project. Recorded over three days with top musicians from different parts in Sweden plus the very best Håkan Rydin, close friend and a great pianist. There was no real time for rehearsals so my intention from the beginning was to try to create a diverse, dynamic and harmonious atmosphere where the spur of the moment, playfulness and improvisation would bring the music forward. I wanted to create a ”hear and now” feeling together with musician friends, who I knew would putter own stamps on the songs. It would simply be a room for a bit of mischief and spontaneity. The warmth I feel for these extraordinary musicians and friends who gild each song is pure magic."
"The selections of songs can be likened to an armful of different colored flowers together in a bouquet of sound, tone and words - a mix of my own compositions, standards and other well chosen songs. My voice is my instrument, and as a singer, I have always been open and curious about expressing myself in different genres and styles. With this recording I wanted to challenge myself in different ways, which I think reflect my vocal expression. Therefore the title of the album comes natural".
Elisabeth Melander is a beautiful creative artist spiced with wisdom and a lot of feeling. In her stage presence there is an ease and joy of life, a seriousness and a splash of sadness which grabs and involve her audience.
She was born and raised in Boden, way up north in Sweden, where the home was filled with music and dance. "Playing gramophone, dancing, singing and spinning around, that's fun," wrote Elisabeth's mother in the family album. And the image of the three-year-old actor accustomed to the radiogram is really a sense of how her life as an artist would be.
Her first school years were filled with singing and theatre. She played the recorder, violin and guitar at the municipal music school and joined the string orchestra. Went to dance school and performed here and there. Then after three years classical music studies she continued to the Swedish Academy of Music in Gothenburg where she received her educational degree in classical singing and ensemble. In addition Elisabeth continued her individual musician education with improvisational focus, art music, jazz, composition and rhythm. In 1985 she was called to the Academy of Music in Malmö to establish Sweden’s first education of singing song modern genres ... jazz and rock.
Elisabeth is incredibly curious and strives continuously for her own development. "I think that's why I tried many different genres, songs and instruments."
”My interest for lyrics come both from mom and my grandfather. He was a master of making song ”come alive”. Mom, on the other hand, inspired me to find out what the lyrics were about, making me write poems and small verses. "
If Ella Fitzgerald, Sara Vaughan, Carmen Mc Rae, Monica Zetterlund, Astrud Gilberto, Barbra Streisand, early on were her female role models, the male were Nat King Cole, Frank Sinatra and Chet Baker.
"Pretty soon I got stuck in the 60s and 70s," says Elisabeth. A whole new world with many more genres opened up with artists like Aretha Franklin, Chaka Khan, Ray Charles, Stevie Wonder, Paul Simon, Joni Mitchell, Quincy Jones, Chicago, Blood Sweat & Tears. Chick Corea, Herbie Hancock, Gary Burton, Keith Jarrett, Weather Report, Led Zeppelin, Frank Zappa, Al Jarreau and others.”
During her extensive career, Elisabeth has, in addition produced a lot of own concert projects. She has done several recordings, radio and television appearances, and also run her own groups - EMB (Elisabeth Melander Band), Jazzmine, JazzAppear, The Boys And Her Voice, Melander-Bergcrantz Quintet, Elisabeth Melander Trio, and alos member of the groups Lifeline, Mopele, Cosmic Agogo, Nandu, Milfield Band, Jazzsounds Unplugged.
Elisabeth was also engaged as a singer and actor at the Royal Dramatic Theatre in Stockholm for Ingmar Bergman’s production of William Shakespeare’s “King Lear”. The production toured six month playing at many of the national theatres in Europe.
Fantastic musicians that Elisabeth has collaborated with:
Norrbotten Big Band, Ystad Big Band - Monday Night Big Band - Växjö Big Band - Hudiksvall Big Band - Mikael Rådberg Jazz Orchestra - Anders Berglund Big Band plus jazz collaborations with Jan Allan - Anders Bergcrantz - Nils Landgren - Lars Danielsson - Anders Jormin - Joakim Milder - Håkan Broström - Bosse Broberg - Lars Jansson - Helge Albin - Håkan Rydin - Jan Lundgren - Jakob Karlzon - Inge Petersson-Lindbäck - Palle Danielsson - Red Mitchell - Claes Crona - Göran Klinghagen - Bengt-Arne Wallin - Kjell Öhman - Ulf Adaker - Ulf Andersson - Terje Sundby - Lars Beijbom - Christian Speering - Hans Andersson - Yasuhito Mori - Anders Hagberg - Vincent Nilsson - Lasse Lundström - Göran Schelin - Johan Norberg - Mikael Råberg - Steve Dobrogosz - Lasse Bagge - Peter Gullin - Backa-Hans Eriksson - Johan Hörlén - Ulf Johansson - Anders Kjellberg - Rasmus Kihlberg - Lars Lindgren - Anders Persson - Gösta Rundqvist - Gunnar "Helmer Bryd" Svensson - Gunnar "Siljabloo" Nilss On - Petur "Island" Östlund and many many more.
Instrumental Jazz CD of the Month - "Adi Meyerson: Where We Stand"
Adi Meyerson: "Where We Stand" (A:M Records) 2018
Rating: ***** (music performance & sonic quality)
All tracks composed by Adi Meyerson
Recorded, mixed & mastered by Michael Perez-Cisneros @ Big Orange Sheep Studios, Sept 2017
Photos: David Everly
Design: Gil Chen
Featuring: Adi Meyerson (bass), Joel Frahm (tenor & soprano sax), Freddie Hendrix (trumpet), Camila Meza (vocals & guitar on "Little Firefly" and "Where We Stand"), Mike King (piano) and Kush Abadey (drums)
Bassist and composer Adi Meyerson is proud to announce the June 5th release of her debut album "Where We Stand." Alongside the distinct stylings of special guest vocalist and guitarist Camila Meza, the CD features stalwart tenor saxophonist Joel Frahm, trumpeter Freddie Hendrix, pianist Mike King and drummer Kush Abadey. Where We Stand, signified by the title track, and as a whole, represents times of uncertainty and change.
Through this dynamic music, Meyerson displays how these particular moments, although unpredictable and ambivalent, can sometimes also carry a feeling of excitement and anticipation. For Meyerson, the album title feels relevant to her, both as an individual and as a part of the current social climate we all live in today.
Adi Meyerson’s nine-track opus is at once reflective and celebratory. Written over half a decade, "Where We Stand" takes its inspiration from Meyersons’ five years living in New York City, where she has established herself as a staple on the downtown scene. Although difficult to pinpoint specific experiences that inspired these compositions, Meyerson knows that every day and every encounter somehow found its way into the music.
“Music is a way of telling one’s life story and that’s what I try to do every time I play and compose.”
While “A “D” Train”, written on a flight back to NYC was interestingly given its name as a clever way to help people pronounce the composer’s name correctly, the opening track off the album “Rice & Beans” was written while Meyerson sat on a beautiful beach in Manuel Antonio in Costa Rica. “TNT” was written with some of Meyerson’s closest friends in mind, while “Eunice” was composed for Nina Simone, after the bandleader became inspired by the legendary vocalist’s life and personality. Similar to “A Touch of Grey”, “Holes” and “Unfinished Business”, “Little Firefly” is dedicated to all the people on this planet that left before it was time for them to go.
Although it is the oldest song out of the nine tunes that Meyerson wrote, it became one of the most relevant compositions throughout her life. Featuring Camila Meza on vocals and guitar, “Little Firefly” was also the bassist’s first experience with lyric writing. Written two weeks before recording, the title track of the record became a new door to a new period, musically.
The New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music graduate is thrilled to be joined by this ensemble, who collectively bring her vision to life. Each of these musicians have a unique sound that skillfully and appropriately interprets the music. While Meyerson appreciates the strong, lyrical and energetic frontline of Freddie Hendrix and Joel Frahm, she also admiringly acknowledges both the sensitivity and fire that Kush Abadey and Mike King contribute to the rhythm section.
Special guest Camila Meza adds a distinctive flair that brings this ensemble together. While the accomplished vocalist delivers the title track with sincere emotion and dynamic, Meza also exhibits her versatility and elegance on “Little Firefly”. Upon hearing Meza over three years ago, Meyerson immediately knew she was the perfect person to sing the track.
“I could really hear her singing it. The tone of her voice is so beautiful and unique, with a little bit of that darkness I was looking for for that song.”
In addition to her New York City chronicles, "Where We Stand" also serves as a celebration of life in honor of her late father. Following his untimely death, Meyerson turned to writing as a way to cope. She explains, “it helped me to acknowledge that life goes on and that positive experiences are still part of it.” While this album documents Meyerson’s life experiences throughout the past five years, "Where We Stand" is an album that is very much about the music as a whole. While showcasing each musician in the band, Meyerson simultaneously ensures that the music actively maintains a cohesive collective sound that presents each individual song to the highest standard and authenticity.
Adi Meyerson received her first musical training at the prestigious “Charles A. Smith Jerusalem High School of the Arts” on bass guitar at the age of 14. After graduating from high school, Adi started playing the upright bass in the search of a new sound that was more appropriate for Jazz. Three months later, Adi was accepted to the prominent collaborative program between “The Center of Jazz Studies (CJS)” at the Israel Conservatory of Music and “The New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music”. There she had the Privilege to study and play with some of Israel’s finest musicians such as Amit Golan, Amos Hoffman, Ofer Ganor, Danny Rosenfeld, Erez Bar Noy, Yuval Cohen and many others, as well as the opportunity to carry out the equivalent with international jazz legends such as Jimmy Cobb, Mulgrew Miller, Peter Bernstein and Eddie Henderson.
In August 2012 Adi moved To New York to continue her studies at The New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music, where she graduated from in 2014. She received an opportunity to study with some of the great masters of the style such as Reggie Workman, Ron Carter, Charles Tolliver, Kirk Nurock, Billy Harper, Bob Cranshaw and many more. Since moving to New York, Adi has played with many local greats such as Joel Frahm, Joe Magnarelli, Steve Nelson, Charli Persip and many others around NYC venues such as Mezzrow, Smalls Jazz Club, Fat Cat, Smoke Jazz, Minton’s, Zinc Bar, Dizzy’s Coca Cola, and others.
She has recently toured the US and Central America and recorded with the Champian Fulton band for Positone Records. Adi also leads her own band, The “Adi Meyerson Band” and performs regularly in NYC and the east coast.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
