Fred Wesley & The CTI Project

We also hope to see a release by Fred Wesley & The CTI Project, after their successful appearance in Europe this past Summer. The band members are Taz Modi (keys), Chris “Phatty” Hargreaves (bass), Gareth Parry (gtr), Chris Sykes (drums) and Mark Ellis (saxes). This group, formed to dig out their favourite grooves and play them live, pays a long-overdue mark of respect to one of the most important labels and sounds in music history.

Although Fred Wesley never recorded as a leader for Creed Taylor, he took part in many CTI sessions, most notably on albums arranged by his maestro during the James Brown years, David Matthews. Wesley's solo on "Knock on Wood," from George Benson's "Pacific Fire," can be heard on the best-selling CD compilation "CTI Acid Jazz Grooves," produced by Arnaldo DeSouteiro.

(CTI Project's guitarist Gaz Parry)

Ron Carter & The NEA Jazz Masters @ Flushing Town Hall, November 16th, 8pm

Tomorrow, Friday, November 16, 2012, 8pm @ Flushing Town Hall, NY
Five NEA Jazz Masters Jimmy Heath, saxophone; Barry Harris, piano; Ron Carter, bass; Curtis Fuller, trombone; Jimmy Owens, trumpet, with Tootie Heath, drums, play a concert of classic standards from the Great American Songbook.
The concert is dedicated to Phoebe Jacobs, Executive Vice President, Louis Armstrong Educational Foundation, who passed away this year.

Members please call (718) 463-7700 ext. 222 to purchase your tickets.

$40/$32 Members/$10 Students with I.D.
Package Price: $120/$100 Members (Table seating for 2, Wine & Snacks)
Pre-concert Panel Discussion at 7PM (Free with tickets to 8 PM show)

Flushing Council on Culture and the Arts
137-35 Northern Boulevard, Flushing, NY 11354

Crystal CD of the Month - "Bob James: Alone - Kaleidoscope"

Crystal CD of the Month
Bob James: "Alone / Kaleidoscope by Solo Piano" (Harman) 2012

Produced by Bob James for Tappan Zee and Yasohachi "88" Tooth for Eighty Eight Inc.
Recorded @ Sony Music Studios (Tokyo, Japan) on April 2, 3 & 4, 2012
Distributed by Harman International Japan Co. Ltd.

ボブ・ジェームス「アローン」
Crystal CD
販売価格：50,000円(税込)
音が見える. . . 極上の音楽を、究極のガラスCDで!
製品情報
ボブ・ジェームス「アローン」Crystal CD
50,000円(税込) カートに追加   “BEST QUALITY” レコーディングからマスタリングまで一環した〈ＤＳＤ〉録音方式を採用。また、ディスク内の乱反射した赤色レーザー光を吸収する〈グリーン・レーベル〉の採用。シルヴァー・スパッタリングでよりクリアーで中低域の充実した音像、リヴァーヴ感や奥行き感たっぷりの音空間をクリエイトすることに成功。現在、再現できる究極のCDサウンド・クォリティを実現。

DSD (Direct Stream Digital) 最新技術による高速１ビット・デルタ・シグマ方式の録音システムで、従来のハイビット録音以上のDレンジや、100KHzまでもの超高音域の録音を可能とした、先進的かつ理想的な高音質録音方式です。

SILVER SPATTERING 従来のCDにおける反射膜のアルミ・スパッタリングに代わって、より反射率の良い銀合金を使用したシルヴァー・スパッタリングを採用。

GREEN LABEL CDを再生する際に照射される赤色レーザー光は、ディスク内で乱反射し、読み出された信号に混ざって音質に悪影響を与えることがあります。従って、レーベル面に緑色の特殊なコーティングをすることにより、この無駄な乱反射を吸収し、音質向上効果を図っています。

Blu-spec CD of the Month - "Michel Legrand and Friends"

Blu-spec CD of the Month
"Michel Legrand and Friends" (RCA/Sony) 1975/2012

Produced by Norman Schwartz
Arranged by Michel Legrand
Featuring: Michel Legrand (acoustic piano, Fender Rhodes electric piano), Ron Carter (acoustic bass), Grady Tate (drums), Joe Beck (electric guitar), Randy Brecker (trumpet) & Phil Woods (alto sax)

CD Reissue of the Month - "Charles Mingus"

CD Reissue of the Month
Charles Mingus: "The Black Saint And The Sinner Lady/Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus" (Impulse) 2012

"Impulse 2-0n-1" Series Produced by Matthias Künnecke & Douglas Payne

Classical CD of the Month - "New Directions In Classical Music"

Classical CD of the Month
"New Directions in Classical Music" (Deutsche Grammophon) 2012

Featuring: Max Richter, Francesco Tristano, Spark, Benyamin Nuss, Hilary Hahn & Hauschka

Blu-ray of the Month - "Pat Metheny: The Orchestrion Project"

Blu-ray of the Month
Pat Metheny: "The Orchestrion Project" (EagleVision) 2012

Directed by Pierre Lamoureux & François Lamoureux
Produced by Pat Metheny
Co-Produced by Steve Rodby
Mixed by Pete Karam

You've never seen anything similar before. This superb 3-D Blu-ray -- filmed by Grammy and Emmy Award winning directors Pierre & François Lamoureux at the former St Elias Church in Greenpoint, Brooklyn in November 2010 -- features guitar wiz Pat Metheny performing with the Orchestrion, a vast collection of mechanical instruments that surround Pat Metheny in this atmospheric setting.

The focus of the performance is the "Orchestrion Suite," a work written specifically for this combination and debuted on Pat Metheny's Orchestrion album released earlier in 2010. Added to this are other tracks from across Metheny's prolific career going right back to "Unity Village," from his debut solo album "Bright Size Life" in 1976 and including other tracks from the seventies, eighties and nineties. This is a unique collaboration between a master guitarist and the pinnacle of mechanical music.
Tracklist:
Disc One
1) Unity Village
2) Orchestrion Suite: Entry Point / Expansion / Soul Search / Spirit Of The Air / Improvisation #2 / Sueño con México / Stranger In Town Bonus Tracks: Improvisation #1 / 80/81 Broadway Blues / Tell Her You Saw Me / Antonia
Disc Two - An additional disc with over an hour of bonus material:
1) The Making Of The Orchestrion Project 2) Interview 3) Original EPK 4) Studio Session: Orchestrion 5) Studio Session: Expansion

DVD of the Month - "João Donato 1975"

DVD of the Month
João Donato: "MPB Especial 1975" (Discobertas) 2012

Filmed for director Fernando Faro's "MPB Especial" TV show in December 1974, and broadcasted on Brazilian TV in 1975, it's now commercially available for the very first time on DVD format by Marcelo Froes' Discobertas label, who should win an award for this historic release.

The interview is a complete mess, though. There are many mistakes about song titles, composers, dates etc. João Donato even omitts essential names in his musical career. Not a single word about people like Luiz Gonzaga (his first and main influence who led him to play accordion), Dolores Duran (the great singer-songwriter from the 50s who played a pivotal role in the development of Brazilian music in the pre-Bossa Nova days and, not coincidentally, was Donato's girlfriend at that time), and Luiz Bonfá (the master guitarist who was the first to record Donato's first hit, "Minha Saudade," with Donato on accordion back in 1955).

Not even Milton Banana and Tião Neto -- the members of his historic trio heard on the landmark albums "Muito À Vontade" and "A Bossa Muito Moderna de Donato e Seu Trio", and who also toured a lot with him from the early 60s in Europe to the late 80s at the Alô Alô nightclub in Rio  -- are mentioned. Neither his brother Lysias Enio, Donato's best lyricist ever... Donato mentions many jazzmen he admires, but forgets to talk about all the guys with whom he recorded in the USA (Cal Tjader, Tito Puente, Mongo Santamaria, Eddie Palmieri etc) and that were exremely important to his career.

The musical performances (mono sound and black & white image), however, are simply astounding, starting with a superb version of the funkified tune "Flor de Maracujá" (co-written by Lysias Enio, btw, and originally recorded by Gal Costa). Donato sings and plays solo acoustic piano (I wish he could have used Fender Rhodes too!) throughout the program -- except for some songs played on his first instrument, the accordion --, and the Brazilian genius was at the height of his powers.

Other highlights: a surprising & dreamy rendition of Tommy Dorsey's hit "I'm Getting Sentimental Over You," Antonio Carlos Jobim's "Outra Vez," and many of Donato's own gems like "Que Besteira," "Até Quem Sabe," "A Rã (The Frog)", "Lugar Comum" (previously recorded in 1962 as "Índio Perdido" and then soon to be re-recorded with Gilberto Gil's lyrics) and "Chorou, Chorou" (lyrics by Paulo Cesar Pinheiro and the opening track from the 1973 "Quem É Quem" album).

This is an essential item for Donato's fans, and his best DVD ever --alongside his collaboration with the late Bud Shank filmed in 2006, "Ao Vivo No Rio de Janeiro." One of the top DVD releases of 2013, indeed.

It's available in the U.S. through Dusty Groove, and that's what they say:
http://www.dustygroove.com/item.php?id=xq757z5x9p&ref=browse.php&refQ=kwfilter%3DDonato%2BDVD%26amp%3Bincl_oos%3D1%26amp%3Bincl_cs%3D1
An amazing live performance from the legendary Joao Donato – captured here at the height of his 70s revival years, but with a spirit that hearkens back to his classic work of the bossa generation! The setting is spare and stark – classic Ensaio footage from TV, with a strong focus on Donato's face and hands as he sings and plays piano – and even a bit of accordion on a few tracks too! Tunes are a mix of older bossa compositions and some of the new grooves Donato was cutting in the 70s – but all tracks are done in this spare mode that's really wonderful – and quite different from Joao's studio work of the period. Titles include "A Ra", "Carangue Jo", "Ate Quem Sabe", "Lugar Comum", "Chorou Chorou", "Outra Vez", "Mimi", "Levanta Poeira", "Flor De Maracuja", and "Que Besteira". (DVD is NTSC, All region.)

Vocal CD of the Month - "Alice Francis: St. James Ballroom"

Vocal CD of the Month
Alice Francis: "St. James Ballroom" (Universal) 2012

Instrumental CD of the Month - "Russ Nolan: Tell Me"

Instrumental CD of the Month
Russ Nolan: "Tell Me" (Rhinoceruss) 2012

Featuring: Russ Nolan (tenor sax), Art Hirahara (acoustic piano & Fender Rhodes), Michael O’Brien (acoustic & electric bass), Brian Fishler (drums), Zach Brock (violin & producer)
Recorded on March 8, 2012
Recorded, Mixed, and Mastered by Paul Wickliffe
Recorded at Charlestown Road Studios, Hampton, NJ
Mixed & Mastered at Skyline Productions, Warren, NJ

Forget about the old young lions that made jazz retreat and fall back in time, deleting all the "fusions" & experiments previously set by the innovators of the 60s and 70s. Forget about the new team of arrogant American musicians (praised only by jazz magazines) who live in ego-trips and seem to be in an eternal competition with fellow jazzmen to see who plays/records the most "complicated" music on the planet. And, since Russ Nolan is a sax player, please forget about these ultra-boring pianoless sax/bass/drums trios that perform the perfect soundtrack to be heard in hell.

On this new disc, Nolan tells me about a jazz that is pure joy, enthusiasm and rhythmic energy (elements that seem to have dissappeared from the contemporary jazz scene). Yes, "contemporary jazz" because it's played and created today by people like... Nolan! and a few other "crazy" musicians that have the nerve to break the mold and, therefore, are ignored by jazz snobs/purists.

An inspired composer and very creative arranger, who has no prejudice for other musical genres, showcasing his passion for latin-jazz (ie, the Afro-Cuban rhythms he grew up with), Nolan provides strong originals and great jazz renditions of high-quality pop tunes by such stars as Stevie Wonder ("Creepin'", the B-side of the "Another Star" single) and John Lennon ("Nowhere Man," from the Beatles' "Rubber Soul"). "Man in the Mirror," Glen Ballard/Siedah Garrett's hit written for Michael Jackson's Quincy Jones-produced "Bad" album, is another highlight.

Nolan's treatment to one of Weather Report's anthems, the haunting Joe Zawinul ballad "A Remark You Made" (from one of their seminal albums during the Jaco Pastorius heyday, "Heavy Weather"), is a daring testament of musical audacity. Jazz purists shall also avoid Nolan's version of Oliver Nelson's signature tune, "Stolen Moments," that can maybe cause a heart attack on those pathetic figures.

The members of Nolan's band are top (although not yet famous) players too. Art Hirahara sounds superb throught the album - recorded in a single day, btw, on March 8, 2012, something that helps to explains its contagious sense of spontainety -, specially when the keyboardist uses that delightful Rhodes sound. But all the band deserves recognition for doing a great job. Not only our "instrumental CD of the month," but certainly one of the "best jazz albums of the year" in the forthcoming Jazz Station annual poll. Now, let's join Nolan and the guys -- Art Hirahara, Michael O’Brien, Brian Fishler and special guest violinist/producer Zach Brock -- LIVE, celebrating the CD release of "Tell Me' at The Kitano Hotel, Thursday, December 13th, 2012, with sets at 8 & 10PM. featuring Art Hirahara, Michael O’Brien, Brian Fishler and special guest Zach Brock. Be happy!
*************
Press-Release:
Russ Nolan’s music is often described as High-Energy Modern Jazz that both satisfies the intellect of its musical peers and speaks to everyone on a soulful level. Called a ‘renaissance man’ by those close to him, he has taken his experiences in sports, martial arts, business, after-school program volunteering, music education, and other activities to relate to a wider audience. Russ is an accomplished and active Salsa dancer in NYC and has used his inspiration on the dance floor to craft this fascinating "Tell Me."
In the ten years since his move to New York City from Chicago, tenor saxophonist/composer/arranger Russ Nolan has made great strides in advancing his musical career. He immersed himself in the scene, playing and collaborating with a wide range of musicians. He made his first recordings as a leader-the quartet date "Two Colors" (2004) and the much-praised "With You in Mind" (2008), on which he was backed by the Kenny Werner Trio. And, less typically, he hit the dance floor, becoming an active and accomplished salsa dancer.

It was Nolan's experiences as a dancer over the last five years that led to the conception and execution of  "Tell Me," released through his own Rhinoceruss Music. "On the dance floor, you key off of a rhythm," he says. "Getting it into my body helped my sense of time. I became a lot freer with rhythm." Latin rhythms assert themselves in unexpected places and in unexpected ways on the new album, produced by and featuring violin sensation Zach Brock. "Russ and I began our musical relationship over ten years ago in Chicago," says Brock. "I feel privileged to have worked on both the production and performance aspects of this recording. The band is top-notch, the music is both challenging and accessible, and the bandleader is a truly inspiring soloist, writer, and arranger."

Nolan is a powerful tenor player who strikes a soulful balance between a classic, hard-edged sound and the airier tones and textures popularized by Michael Brecker. As an arranger he applies his distinctive touch to an array of material including Joe Zawinul's "A Remark You Made," John Lennon's "Nowhere Man," and, most strikingly, Oliver Nelson's jazz standard "Stolen Moments," treated as an Afro-Cuban 6/8 undercurrent. "The singer I wrote it for didn't like 6/8, so I kept it for myself," Nolan says of the dynamic chart.

For the new disc, Nolan put together a strong quartet comprised of Art Hirahara, the San Francisco native whose second album, Noble Path, was released last year on Posi-Tone; bassist Michael O'Brien, who plays with Brazilian guitarist Sandro Alberti; and drummer Brian Fishler. (producer/violinist Zach Brock appears on three tracks.) "We're a band," Nolan says. "We've spent a lot of time together. These guys may not be well known yet, but they can really play."

Russ Nolan, 44, was born and raised in Gurnee, Illinois (halfway between Chicago and Milwaukee), where he was a star basketball and baseball player and also played in the school marching and jazz bands. After a few semesters at Northern Illinois University, Nolan ended up in the vaunted jazz program at North Texas State (now known as the University of North Texas). He became friends there with fellow saxophonist Jeff Coffin, with whom he played in a three-tenor band also featuring Larry Panella. Back in Chicago, however, he played very little music from 1994 until the end of the decade.

Then he was contracted to play in the orchestra that backed singer Kurt Elling at Mayor Richard M. Daley's big millennium bash. That was where he first met Brock, with whom he subsequently played in a quintet of musicians associated with the Bloom School of Jazz. Yet the Windy City was never the right fit for Nolan. The more he studied and played with visiting New Yorkers including Chris Potter, Kenny Werner, and Dave Liebman -- and the more they encouraged him to move to the Big Apple -- the more he knew he had to go East if he was going to make anything of his career.

He made the move six months after 9/11, settling in Sunnyside, Queens. It wasn't easy getting gigs, but being in the jazz capital of the world rejuvenated him. (He also met his wife, Luz, while pursuing his salsa dance muse.) "Playing here is everything I could have hoped for," he says. "There's such a strong sense of community that phrases like 'Hey, let's try this' and 'I think this would work better here' help create the dynamic and progressive music this city is known for."

Anna Mjöll live in LA tonight @ Vibrato

Don't miss Anna Mjöll, the Icelandic Jazz Princess, live tonight @ Herb Alpert's Vibrato (2930 Beverly Glen Circle, Bel Air, CA 90077). Backed by the impeccable Pat Senatore Trio!
For tickets, please call (310) 474-9400

Photo by Arnold Björnsson (2012)
Make-up & hair by Idunn Jonasardottir

Box Set of the Month - "CTI Best Selection"

Box Set of the Month (10-CD box set)
"CTI Best Selection" (CTI) 2012

Original Albums Produced by Creed Taylor
Includes
Jim Hall: "Concierto" (arranged by Don Sebesky, featuring Roland Hanna, Paul Desmond, Chet Baker, Ron Carter, Steve Gadd)
Eumir Deodato: "Prelude" (arr. by Deodato, feat. John Tropea, Jay Berliner, Ron Carter, Stanley Clarke, Billy Cobham, Airto, Ray Barretto, Marvin Stamm, Hubert Laws)
Chet Baker: "She Was Too Good To Me" (arr. by Don Sebesky, feat. Ron Carter, Jack DeJohnette, Steve Gadd, Bob James, Hubert Laws)
Bill Evans: "Montreux II" (feat. Eddie Gomez, Marty Morell)
George Benson "In Concert-Carnegie Hall" (arr. by David Matthews, feat. Ronnie Foster, Hubert Laws, Wayne Dockery, Marvin Chapell, Ray Armando, Johnny Griggs, Will Lee, Steve Gadd)
Art Farmer & Jim Hall: "Big Blues" (arr. by David Matthews, feat. Mike Mainieri, Michael Moore, Steve Gadd)
Stanley Turrentine: "Sugar" (feat. Butch Cornell, Lonnie Liston Smith, Ron Carter, Billy Kaye, George Benson, Freddie Hubbard, Richard "Pablo" Landrum)
Astrud Gilberto: "Gilberto with Turrentine" (arr. by Deodato, feat. Ron Carter, Joao Palma, Dom Um Romao, Sivuca, Airto Moreira, Bob Mann, Gene Bertoncini, Hubert Laws, Sam Brown, Toots Thielemans, Russell George, Dennis Seiwell)
Antonio Carlos Jobim "Stone Flower" (arr. by Deodato, feat. Joao Palma, Ron Carter, Airto, Everaldo Ferreira, Harry Lookofsky, Joe Farrell, Hubert Laws, Hermeto Pascoal)
Hubert Laws: "The Rite of Spring" (arr. by Don Sebesky, feat. Bob James, Ron Carter, Jack DeJohnette, Gene Bertoncini, Stu Scharf, Wally Kane, Jane Taylor, Dave Friedman)

Blu-spec CD of the Month - "Michel Legrand Recorded Live at Jimmy's"

Blu-spec CD of the Month
Michel Legrand: "Live at Jimmy's" (RCA/Sony) 1973/2012

Produced by Norman Schwartz for Gryphon Productions
Arranged by Michel Legrand
Recorded live at Jimmy's (New York, NY) on December 8, 1973
Remote recording facilities: Dale Ashby & Father
Edited & Mixed by Phil Ramone
Design: Craig DeCamps
Art Direction: Acy Lehman
Cover Photograph: Charles Stewart (aka Chuck Stewart)

Featuring: Michel Legrand (acoustic piano, Fender Rhodes electric piano, Hammond organ), Ron Carter (acoustic bass), Grady Tate (drums), George Davis (electric guitar) and Phil Woods (clarinet & alto sax)

Vinyl of the Month - "Diana Krall: Glad Rag Doll"

12" Vinyl of the Month (2-LP set)
Diana Krall: "Glad Rag Doll" (Verve) 2012

Produced by T-Bone Burnett
Featuring: Diana Krall (vocals, piano), Marc Ribot (electric guitar, acoustic guitar, 6-String bass & banjo),T-Bone Burnett (guitars), Howard Coward (ukulele, mandola, tenor-guitar, harmony vocals), Jay Bellerose (drums),Dennis Crouch (bass), Bryan Sutton (guitars), Colin Linden (guitars, dobro), Keefus Green (keyboards, mellotron)

CD Reissue of the Month - "Ray Brown & Quincy Jones: The Adventurers"

CD Reissue of the Month
Ray Brown & Quincy Jones: "The Adventurers" (Varèse Sarabande) 1970/2012

Performed by The Ray Brown Orchestra
Arranged by J.J. Johnson, Quincy Jones, Ray Brown, Jimmy Jones, Tom Scott Vocals: Morgan Ames & Sally Kellerman
Featuring: Bud Shank, Larry Bunker, Dave Grusin

Reissue Coordinators: Cary E. Mansfield & Byron Davis
Original Album Producer: Quincy Jones
Musical Coordinator: Morgan Ames
Engineer: Henry Lewy Reissue
Art Direction: Bill Pitzonka
Photos: Buddy Childers

"Music from The Adventurers" is an intriguing re-working of the Antonio Carlos Jobim soundtrack to the trashy 1970 film "The Adventurers," based on a Harold Robbins novel best-seller. Also includes tunes by Eumir Deodato, Ray Brown and Norman Gimbel.

DVD of the Month - "Pat Metheny: The Orchestrion Project"

DVD of the Month
Pat Metheny: "The Orchestrion Project" (Eagle Vision) 2012

Directed by Pierre Lamoureux & François Lamoureux
Produced by Pat Metheny
Co-Produced by Steve Rodby
Mixed by Pete Karam

This superb DVD -- filmed by Grammy and Emmy Award winning directors Pierre & François Lamoureux at the former St Elias Church in Greenpoint, Brooklyn in November 2010 -- features guitar wiz Pat Metheny performing with the Orchestrion, a vast collection of mechanical instruments that surround Pat Metheny in this atmospheric setting. The focus of the performance is the "Orchestrion Suite," a work written specifically for this combination and debuted on Pat Metheny's Orchestrion album released earlier in 2010. Added to this are other tracks from across Metheny's prolific career going right back to "Unity Village," from his debut solo album "Bright Size Life" in 1976 and including other tracks from the seventies, eighties and nineties. This is a unique collaboration between a master guitarist and the pinnacle of mechanical music.

Tracklist:
Disc One
1) Unity Village
2) Orchestrion Suite: Entry Point / Expansion / Soul Search / Spirit Of The Air / Improvisation #2 / Sueño con México / Stranger In Town Bonus Tracks: Improvisation #1 / 80/81 Broadway Blues / Tell Her You Saw Me / Antonia
Disc Two - An additional disc with over an hour of bonus material:
1) The Making Of The Orchestrion Project 2) Interview 3) Original EPK 4) Studio Session: Orchestrion 5) Studio Session: Expansion

CD Compilation of the Month - "Verve Today 2012"

CD Compilation of the Month
"Verve Today 2012" (Verve) 2012

Featuring: Térez Montcalm, Chihiro Yamanaka, Alice Francis, Trombone Shorty, Malia, Bojan Z, Falk & Sons, Ndidi O, Bugge Wesseltoft, Pizzicato One, Hamel, Stéphane Belmondo, Sonny Rollins, Roy Hargrove, Rolf Kühn, Joachim Kühn, Solveig Slettahjell & Morten Qvenild

Vocal CD of the Month - "Amikayela: Being In Love"

Vocal CD of the Month
Amikayela: "Being in Love" (RootsJazz Records) 2012 

Produced by David Belove & Amikayela
Co-Produced by Ray Obiedo
Executive Producer: Dr. Marilyn Gaston
Associate Producers: Carol Dehasse, Crystal Terry & Claire Prymus
Mastered by Bernie Grundman
Graphic Design: What-Design
Photography: Steven Parke

Featuring: Amikayela (vocals), Eugene Friesen (cello), Howard Levy (piano & harmonica), David Pinto, John Wiitala & Esperanza Spalding (acoustic bass), Glen Velez, John Santos & Michael Spiro (percussion), Ray Obiedo (guitars), Jason McGuire (flamenco guitar), Sheila E. (congas & percussion), Carl Wheeler (Fender Rhodes electric piano & Hammond B3 organ), Deszon Clairborne (drums), Roger Glenn (alto flute), Clifton Brockington (flugelhorn), Quartet San Francisco et al.

Instrumental CD of the Month - "Georg Breinschmid: Fire"

Instrumental CD of the Month
Georg Breinschmid: "Fire" (Preiser Records) 2012

Produced by Georg Breinschmid
Edited, Mixed & Mastered by Christoph Burgstaller
Graphic Design & Illustration: Lili Schagerl
Photos: Julia Wesely

Featuring; Georg Breinschmid (acoustic bass, vocals, composer), Roman Janoska (violin), Frantisek Janoska (acoustic piano), Thomas Gansch (trumpet)

DVD of the Month - "Metropole Orkest: Better Get Hit in Your Soul"

DVD of the Month
Metropole Orchestra: "Better Get Hit in Your Soul - A Tribute to the Music of Charles Mingus" (Zyx) 2012

Produced by Gert-Jan Blom
Recorded by Dick Overeem @ Muziekgebouw aan het lj, Amsterdam
DVD 5.1 Mix & Mastering by Paul Pouwer @ Pouwer Sound Studio, Amsterdam

Arranged by John Clayton, Tom Trapp, Outi Tarkiainen, Ilja Reijungoud, Gil Goldstein & Vladimir Nikolov
Conducted by John Clayton
MC & Liner Notes: Sue Mingus

Featuring: Randy Brecker (trumpet), Conrad Herwig (trombone), Ronnie Cuber (baritone sax), Hans Vroomans (acoustic piano), Aram Kersbergen (acoustic bass), Martijn Vink (drums) & Peter Tiehuis (electric guitar)

CD Reissue of the Month - "Allan Holdsworth: Hard Hat Area"

CD Reissue of the Month
Allan Holdsworth: "Hard Hat Area" (MoonJune) 1993/2012

Featuring: Allan Holdsworth (guitars, synthaxe), Steve Hunt (keyboards), Skuli Sverrisson (electric bass) & Gary Husnad (drums)

Recorded by Biff Vincent
Recorded & Mixed by Allan Holdsworth.
Originally mastered in 1993 by Bernie Grundman.
Remastered in 2011 by Chris Bellman, at Bernie Grundman Mastering. Reissue Project Supervisor and Executive Producer: Leonardo Pavkovic 

Originally offered in very limited print and distribution, this great effort has been remastered and repackaged in digipak format (with intriguing new liner notes provided by Barry Cleveland, also) -- finally receiving the marketing and distribution it undeniably deserves.

While the music on "Hard Hat Area" may seem a logical extension of the sophisticated, highly idiosyncratic style of jazz-fusion that Allan developed on his previous seven albums, it possesses a major difference: it was recorded by the guitarist's touring band, which had refined the material by performing it live before entering the studio.

The album was recorded on a 32-track Mitsubishi digital recorder at Front Page Recorders in Costa Mesa, California, not far from where Holdsworth resides. Overdubs and mixing were done personally by Allan at his home. The natural sum of the preparation, performance and recording processes is a more seasoned, organic feel. A truly superb album, from one of progressive music's all-time greatest treasures -- available, once again.

Vocal CD of the Month - "Chris Conway: Time Traveller"

Vocal CD of the Month
Chris Conway: "Time Traveller" (Oblong) 2012

Produced & Arranged by Chris Conway
Graphics by Zorpinda Zorpin
Photos: Calvin Hewitt, Georgina Sear & James Conway

Featuring: Chris Conway (vocals, acoustic & electric 9-string guitars, acoustic piano, Fender Rhodes, keyboards, tin & twin & low whistles, theremin, kalimba, bodhran, drum programming, percussion), Dan Britton, Kate Easton, Georgina Sear & Linda Shanovitch (vocals), Dave Everitt (ocals, acoustic guitar), dele McMahon (violin), Neil Rabjohn (cajon drum), Tim Sketchley (glockenspiel) & Baluji Shrivastav (tabla)

Chris Conway's latest songs album is a mellow reflection on time - amongst other things. There are songs of time travel, wishes, love, madness, paranoia, parents, farewells, and more. It's brimfull with his big warm sound, harmonies and mellow lyricism. There is quite a bit of ground covered - piano ballads, Celtic folk, folk, jazz, bossa nova, even acapella.

Instrumental CD of the Month - "Brubeck Brothers Quartet: LifeTimes"

Instrumental CD of the Month
Brubeck Brothers Quartet: "LifeTimes" (Blue Forest) 2012

Produced by Brubeck Brothers Quartet & Scott Petito
Engineered & Mastered by Scott Petito
Mixed by Chris Brubeck, Scott Petito & Mike DeMicco
Art Direction & Design: Vanessa Briceño

Featuring: Chris Brubeck (bass trombone & electric bass), Dan Brubeck (drums), Chuck Lamb (piano) & Mike DeMicco (guitar)

Since the early 1970s, Chris and Dan Brubeck have performed and recorded frequently with their father Dave in Two Generations of Brubeck, the New Brubeck Quartet, and Trio Brubeck. Now, on the Brubeck Brothers Quartet's new CD LifeTimes, they and "honorary brothers" Mike DeMicco (guitar) and Chuck Lamb (piano) have chosen to honor Brubeck père by reimagining a number of his best-known songs.

"Dave Brubeck's music is rich with challenging chord progressions and beautiful melodies," says Chris. "Dave is one of the biggest inspirations in all our lives, and we all thought it was time to salute his compositions, adding the BBQ's fresh approach to some of his most enduring tunes."

Those would be "Jazzanians," which first appeared on Trio Brubeck (1993) and was written in honor of the like-named multiracial South African student band led by eldest brother Darius Brubeck; "Kathy's Waltz," introduced on Dave's Time Out (1959) and named for his only daughter; "My One Bad Habit," inspired by a remark Ella Fitzgerald made to Dave ("My one bad habit is falling in love") and first sung by Carmen McRae on Dave and Iola Brubeck's 1961 all-star album The Real Ambassadors; and "The Duke," an Ellington tribute first recorded by Dave in 1955 and heard here in an arrangement with "a little bit of half time and double time from the first bar," says Dan, "with those grooves alternating throughout the track."

Also included is Dave's biggest hit "Take Five" (composed by Paul Desmond), which Dan kicks off with a second-line New Orleans groove in 5/4, along with two originals by pianist Lamb ("Go Round," "The Girl from Massapequa") and one by guitarist DeMicco ("Prezcence").

LifeTimes, BBQ's fourth CD and their first since 2008's Classified, is the latest chapter in the brothers' near-lifelong series of collaborations. Chris (b. 1952) and Dan (b. 1955) benefited from early exposure to the family business: the Brubeck Quartet regularly rehearsed at the Brubecks' Connecticut home, and drummer Joe Morello would leave his practice set behind. "He let me bang around on 'em," Dan recalls. "I used his drums all through high school."

Chris, who started on piano at age 5 and trombone in fourth grade, met Trummy Young, Louis Armstrong's trombonist, while Young and Armstrong were working with his parents on The Real Ambassadors and years later, as an adult, got to know Young. "He and Paul Desmond really shaped my ears," says Chris.

In addition to recordings and performances over the years with their illustrious father, Chris and Dan have recorded together with pianist Andy LaVerne (for Blackhawk); made two albums with brother Darius featuring Larry Coryell; and pursued their own very different individual paths. Chris, a self-taught arranger and composer, has had compositions commissioned and performed by orchestras around the world, including the Boston Pops, Baltimore Symphony, and Czech National Symphony Orchestra; he also tours and records with the blues-roots group Triple Play. Dan's résumé includes work with Coryell, Roy Buchanan, the Band, and the Dolphins, a group he co-founded with Mike DeMicco. Mike and Chuck Lamb first played together 30 years ago in Chuck's fusion group, Dry Jack. The intertwining pasts of the BBQ have helped them to forge a unique musical bond.

The Brubeck Brothers Quartet is touring this summer in support of LifeTimes, with shows scheduled as follows: 7/24 Gate House Cafe, Southbury, CT; 7/26 View Arts Center, Old Forge, NY; 7/27 Infinity Hall, Norfolk, CT; 7/28 Summer Arts Festival, Huntington, NY; 7/29 Oswego (NY) Harborfest; 7/31 Machias Bay Chamber Concerts, Machias, ME; 8/1 Strand Theater, Rockland, ME; 8/2 Rockport (ME) Opera House (second half of concert: BBQ will perform Chris's Vignettes for Nonet with the Bay Chamber Concerts woodwind quintet); 8/25 Vancouver (WA) Wine & Jazz Festival; and 10/5 Fredfest, Fredericksburg, VA. (Photo of Chris and Dan by Stephane Colbert.)

On 9/12, the Quartet will embark on a two-week tour of Russia, co-sponsored by the U.S. State Department. The group will be performing by themselves as well as with the Russian National Orchestra (at Tchaikovsky Hall in Moscow) and with various guest artists including saxophonist Igor Butman, flutist Maxim Rubstov, and trumpeter Vladislav Lavrik.

At the Tchaikovsky Hall concert, on 9/17, the group will perform selected tunes with the Orchestra, and Chris Brubeck and Vladislav Lavrik will play Chris's trumpet and trombone concerto, From the Blues to Beyond. Other dates include: 9/14 Igor Butman Jazz Club, Moscow; 9/19 Town Hall concert, Efremov; 9/21 Music School concert, Samar; 9/22 Moscow Conservatory Great Hall; 9/25 Mariinsky Concert Hall, St. Petersburg.

Anna Mjoll live @ Vibrato, tonight

Iceland's First Lady of Jazz, Miss ANNA MJÖLL, a "Vibrato favorite" returns to Herb Alpert's hip & classy club in Bel Air, California, August 18th, 2012 for a "one night only" show.

This event is a near-guaranteed sellout, timely reservations are strongly recommended. Miss Mjöll, accompanied by the amazing Pat Senatore Trio, will be singing songs made famous by the likes of Ella Fitzgerald, Astrud Gilberto, Edith Piaf, Billie Holiday, Marilyn Monroe and more... Call 310-474-9400 for reservations.

Diana Krall's "Glad Rag Doll" on pre-order

Diana Krall's forthcoming album on Verve "Glad Rag Doll," scheduled for release next October, is already available for pre-order.
Just click http://www.amazon.com/Glad-Rag-Doll-Diana-Krall/dp/B008FSCNTK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1345228294&sr=8-1&keywords=krall

The first single, "There Ain't No Sweet Man That's Worth The Salt Of My Tears," is available for mp3 download. http://www.amazon.com/There-Sweet-Thats-Worth-Tears/dp/B008KW1Q3A/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1345228397&sr=1-1&keywords=krall+ain%27t+no+sweet+man

Enjoy!

R.I.P.: Altamiro Carrilho

(born Altamiro Aquino Carrilho on December 21, 1924, in Santo Antonio de Padua, RJ, Brazil; died on August 15, 2012, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)

Brazil's greatest flute player ever. And one of the four best flutists in the history of music, alongside Hubert Laws, Jean-Pierre Rampal and Don Burrows. Besides hundreds of compositions and dozens of albums, he contributed as a producer and musician to such legendary sessions as "A Turma da Gafieira" (featuring Sivuca, Edson Machado, Raul de Souza and Baden Powell, amongst others), "Nova Geração em Ritmo de Samba" (feat. Eumir Deodato, Claudette Soares, Paulo Silvino) and also recorded a not yet released CD/DVD with Raul de Souza in 2011. Rest in Peace.

R.I.P.: Fritz Pauer

(born on October 14, 1943 in Vienna, Austria;
died on July 1sr, 2012 in Vienna, Austria)

The world lost the top Austrian jazzman ever, a great musician I began to admire through his 20-year plus association with another dear late friend, Art Farmer. Besides the many albums listed below, Fritz Pauer also recorded on Farmer's "From Vienna with Art" and appeared on Kristin Korb's "Live in Vienna" DVD. To Art Farmer's "Crawl Space" album, he composed-arranged "Siddhartha" and also scored "Petite Belle." To Farmer/Yusef Lateef collaboration on "Something You Got," he composed "Saudhade" (sic). Among his sessions as a leader, the most famous one remains "Blues Inside Out" (MPS, 1979).

From his official website: www.fritzpauer.info

Fritz Pauer (Piano, Teacher, Arranger, Composer)
Born in Vienna on 14th of October 1943 in Vienna. Started to take private piano lessons when he was 5 years old. Studied violin, guitar and clarinet, but decided to be a professional jazz pianist at the age of 16. Playing in Fatty Georges All Star Band from 1960 to 1962 gave him the possibility to be able to play different styles.

1963-64 recordings and concerts with Hans Koller, Miriam & Oscar Klein.
1964-68 he moved to Berlin/Germany and played at Dug’s Night Club & Jazzgalery as a accompanist for Herb Geller, Johnny Griffin, Don Byas, Booker Erwin, Dexter Gordon, Art Farmer, Leo Wright, Carmell Jones, Pony Poindexter & the Berlin Allstars.
1968-1982 Pianoteacher at the Jazzdepartment, Vienna Conservatory. Arranger & Composer, Member of the ORF-RadioBand (Vienna ) & the Erich Kleinschuster Sextet. Projects & Recordins with Friedrich Gulda.
Fritz Pauer Trio since 1970.
Art Farmer Quartet, Quintet & Duo from 1970 until 2000.
1982-1984 Leader & Piano teacher at the Swiss Jazz School in Bern/Switzerland.
1984-1989 freelance Artist Since
1989 Teacher at the KUG University/Jazzdepartement in Graz/Austria(Interpretation, Begleiten & Korrepetition)

Recent Projects (Recordings & Concerts) Bass Encounters, Ed Neumeister Quartet, Fritz Pauer Solo & Trio, Sheila Cooper/Fritz Pauer Duo, Simone Kopmajer Quartet, Lucia Luzinska "All Time Jazz" Fritz Pauer Trio/Chico Freeman Quartet

Recordings under own leadership:
Fritz Pauer Trio/Beat the Beat-Inmus
Fritz Pauer Trio/The Rambler-Inmus
FP 3 Live at the Berlin Jazzgalerie/MPS-Universal
FP 3 Power by Pauer /MPS-BASF
FP3 Heidelberger Jazztage/MPS-BASF Waterplants/Ego
Fritz Pauer&Band/Animals Talk/Inmus
FP 3 Blues Inside Out/MPS Rolltreppe/RST
FP Trio/Live at The Jazzspelunke Vienna, Vol.1&2/RST
Moods from Wonderland/Jive Music
Fritz Pauer Trio & Apollon String Quartet/Klangburg Concertino/Jive Music Ridin’across the milky way/ORF Polyphone X-Lightsignals/T&F Musik der Juden im Burgenland/Musik der Zigeuner im Burgenland/Der weiße Wolf--KIBU

Recordings as Sideman:
Multiple Koller/MPS
Cosy Jazz/Oskar Klein Quartet/Amadeo-RST
Fatty George/Villion/Preiser
Morning Song/Don Menza Septet/MPS-Universal
Fatty George/Neuss Testament/Preiser
Annie Ross & Pony Poindexter & Berlin All Stars MPS/Universal
Intrnationaler Wettbewerb für Modern Jazz/Preisträger-Amadeo
Erich Kleinschuster Septet (Art Worker)/Moon
Johannes Fehring BigBand/Preiser
Friedrich Gulda Trio/Fata Morgana/Universal
Klaus Weiss Quartet/Mythologie/BASF
Klaus Weiss Sextet/Sunbirds/BASF
Klaus Weiss Orchestra/I just want to celebrate/BASF
Art Farmer/Gentle Eyes/Mainstream
Klaus Weiss Sextett/Zagara
Friedrich Gulda’s Reunion Band/MPS-BASF
Erich Kleinschuster Sextet-Live/Fade Out-Ariola
Piano Conclave-George Gruntz/Atlantic
Erich Kleinschuster Group/Columbia
Leo Wright/Live Jazz bei Freddy-Wunderteam
Rolf Ericson-Johhny Griffin Quintet-
Sincerely ours/Four Leaf Clover Peter Herbolzheimer All Star Big Band-Jazz Gala Concert 79/Rare Bid BID
Hans Koller Trio/Continued Talks/
Sandra Hans Koller&the Int. BrassComp./L+R Koller-Bauer-Artmann-Pauer/Hirn mit Ei
Art Farmer Quintet/Foolish Memories/Bellaphone
Klaus Weiss Quintet/Salt Peanuts/Jeton
Art Farmer & Fritz Pauer/Azure/Soul Note
Jenny Evans/Easy/Koala
Karlheinz Miklin Quartet / Next Page / SOS
Karl Ratzer/Gumbo Dive/RST
Waltz for Ann/L+R
Charly Antolini-Charly Augschöll Quartet-On the Beat/Jeton
Art Farmer Quartet/Jazzette
Karlheinz Miklin Quartet/SOS-Desicions /SOS:Last Waltz/Acoustic Music
Cornelia Giese/Rainsong/Lembrança/PG Records
Art Farmer Quintet/Live at Jazzland/Koch
Jazz Jazz Big Band Graz/Here & there/Mons
JBBG plays the music of Bob Brookmeyer/Mons
Wayne Darling presents the art of bass,Vol.2
Tales of Love&Longing/Candid
Lucia Luzinska/(un)covered/Pavian

Compositions: (See also Recordings/FP 3&Solo/Art Farmer/Johnny Griffin/Kh.Miklin/Erich Kleinschuster etc.)
Balletmusik: Der Clown/Voyage Klavier:Three
Poems/Meditaionen/Doblinger-Figaro Mit Nachhall/Rhythmische Studie/Variation-Kleine Sonate(Takacs)/3Klavierstücke Mit Phrygischer Secunde Concerto für SYO/BIG BAND&COMBO Fritz Pauer/Laurie Antonioli Songbook
Arrangements: The Music of Abdullah Imbrahim(ENJA)

Publications: Modale Suite,Saxofon Duette/Quartette-Advance Music Modal Forces Vol I+II/Domicile
AWARDS:
1966 International Competition for Modern Jazz. 1st Price for Jazzpiano. 2003 Goldenes Verdienstzeichen der Republik Österreich
2004/2005 Nomination for the Hans Koller Price.
2008 Staatspreis (Würdigungspreis) für Musik

Fritz Pauer passed away on the first of july 2012. He leaves a gap which will never be filled. We will miss him forever

Anna Mjoll returns to Vitello's, tonight!

Anna Mjöll Live @ Vitello's, TONIGHT!!
Friday, Aug 10, 8pm, only a few seats left!
Anna Mjöll (vocals), Lew Soloff (trumpet), Steve Hass (drums), Edwin Livingston (bass) & Dennis Hamm (piano)
call 818-769-0905 for res.

Vitello's Jazz & Supper Club
4349 Tujunga Avenue
Studio City, CA 91604

CD/DVD Set of the Month - "Return To Forever: The Mothership Returns"

CD/DVD Set of the Month
Return To Forever: "The Mothership Returns" (Eagle Records) 2012

Producer: Lenny White
Co-Producers: Chick Corea & Stanley Clarke
Executive Producers: Terry Shand & Geoff Kempin

Featuring: Chick Corea, Stanley Clarke, Lenny White, Jean-Luc Ponty & Frank Gambale

DVD of the Month - "Down The Rhodes / The Fender Rhodes Story"

DVD of the Month
"Down The Rhodes - The Fender Rhodes Story" (Triads Music) 2012

Featuring: Herbie Hancock, Chick Corea, Bob James, David Paich, Eumir Deodato, George Duke, Dave Grusin, Greg Phillinganes, Les McCann, Ramsey Lewis, Larry Dunn, Ronnie Foster, Quincy Jones, Donald Fagen, Rodney Franklin, Jeff Lorber, Ray Manzarek, Jerry Peters, Patrice Rushen, Joe Sample et al.

CD Reissue of the Month - "Allan Holdsworth: None Too Soon"

CD Reissue of the Month
Allan Holdworth: "None Too Soon" (MoonJune) 1996/2012

Produced by Allan Holdsworth
Reissue Executive Producer: Leonardo Pavkovic
Digitally Remastered by Chris Bellman @ Bernie Grudman Mastering
Liner Notes: Barry Cleveland
Photos: Rick Gould, Glen LaFerman, David Coralnick & Dave Flores

Featuring: Allan Holdsworth, Gordon Beck, Gary Willis & Kirk Covington

CD Compilation of the Month - "Amapondo: Raw and Undiluted"

CD Compilation of the Month
Amapondo: "Raw and Undiluted" (MZA) 2012

Compiled & Annotated by Robert Trunz
Digitally Remastered by Chris Lewis
Sleeve Design, Colouring & Retouching: Nicholas Swabile Hauser

Featuring: Changuito, Airto Moreira, Brice Wassy, Jessica Lauren, Byron Wallen, Duke Norman

Vocal CD of the Month - "Cristina Morrison: I Love"

Vocal CD of the Month
Cristina Morrison: "I Love" (Baronesa Records) 2012

Vocals & Lyrics: Cristina Morrison
Arrangements & alto sax: Christian Hidrobo
Trumpet: Walter Szymanski
Piano: Steve Einerson
Drums: Wiilard Dyson
Acoustic bass: Marcus Mc.Laurine
Electric bass: Alex Alvear
Guitar: Vinny Valentino
Harmonica: Gregoire Maret
Percussion: Sammy Torres
Baritone sax: Alex Harding
Requinto: Nadijio Cevallos
Back up vocals: Nanda Proano
Recorded & Mixed by Alessandro Perrotta @ Bennett Studios- Englewood, NJ
Recording of "requinto" & back up vocals by Pierre Marocco @ Ozland Studios - Quito, Ecuador

This is music inspired by the cross winds, crashing waves and birdsongs of Galapagos where Cristina resides part of the year in her waterfront home-and idyllic spot in Isabela Island, her previous home for 6 years before moving to America.
The result is an exotically honest sound that strikes pure chords which then lackadaisically mellow out. Akin to the high and low energies of a stroll along a beach in Galapagos or to the dawn or dusk sounds of nature.

Never has a jazz artist been able to draw inspiration from the raw nature of Galapagos and inject it with such ease and gusto into her ballads.

Cristina Morrison was born in Miami, Florida. She's a multi- cultural woman not only because of her background that is a mix between Latin America and the United States but also from her "gypsy" life experiences. She has lived in Quito, Miami, Rome, Los Angeles, the Galapagos Islands and currently, New York City.
Cristina's first love was the piano and then she soon grew up to discover performing arts were her passion. Her acting debut onstage was at the age of sixteen and started singing in cover bands, as well. Cristina, for many years, lived between Miami and Quito and after finishing high school moved with her mother to Rome where she attended drama school at "La Scaletta". Here she learned fluent Italian and had her first encounter with playwrights like Tennessee Williams, Arthur Miller, Anton Chekhov and fell in love with the theatre. Meanwhile, she also started listening to jazz: to musicians like Chick Corea, Keith Jarrett and standard tunes, that her father listened to from the American Song Book.
In the early 90's she auditioned and was accepted into the prestigious American Academy of Dramatic Arts, she moved to Los Angeles and graduated a few years later. Since then Morrison has worked mainly as a lead actress in many television films and series based on Ecuadorian literature, she has opened a performing arts theatre that ran until 2003, has played characters of written works by Beckett, Brecht, Fassbinder, Shepard and Bashevis Singer among others. She has also worked as an assistant director for TV and written articles on entertainment.
Musically, Cristina was the lead vocalist of her jazz-blues band called "The Baroness and her Lovers". Her latest work in New York is the recording at Bennett Studios of her first original jazz solo album titled, "I Love". Here she showcases her talent as a singer-songwriter and is accompanied by some great jazz musicians.

Currently, in repertoire, she's portraying five different women roles throughout three generations in the staging of "The Aging of the Plum" written by the Argentine Aristides Vargas. The play has been invited to various theatre festivals to countries like Mexico and Brazil among others to be announced. Cristina also holds under her sleeve a future film production project based on a journalistic chronicle which she bought the rights for.

The press has defined Morrison as an analytical, charismatic, creative, and a free spirited woman and as a chameleonic and versatile actress who works her characters at depth being able to reach her audience.

Instrumental CD of the Month - "Chris Brubeck's Triple Play: Live at Arthur Zankel Music Center"

Instrumental CD of the Month
Chris Brubeck's Triple Play: "Live at Arthur Zankel Music Center" (Blue Forest Records) 2012

Over the past decade, Chris Brubeck (on bass, trombone, and piano), guitarist Joel Brown, and multi-instrumentalist Peter Madcat Ruth have honed a vast and vivid repertoire encompassing Delta blues, Tin Pan Alley standards, New Orleans grooves, jazz gems, and incisive originals. With all three contributing vocals, Triple Play delivers an epic sojourn through American music unlike any other band on the scene.

Their new CD, "Live at Arthur Zankel Music Center," features two Triple Play patriarchs as special guests: piano legend Dave Brubeck and gifted jazz player Frank Brown on clarinet. Recorded in June 2011 at Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, NY, the disc is coming out on Blue Forest Records.
Triple Play grew out of Crofut & Brubeck, an ensemble formed with the innovative banjo player Bill Crofut and Joel Brown on guitar. They produced a series of critically acclaimed CDs for Albany (Unsquare Dance); Telarc (Across Your Dreams, featuring Frederica von Stade); and Koch (Bach to Brubeck, a collaboration with the London Symphony Orchestra that included Chris's symphonic arrangements and compositions).

Following Crofut's 1999 death, Madcat Ruth (whose relationship with Brubeck dates back to their teenage years in the late 1960s) joined Brubeck and Brown to form Triple Play. The group's first Blue Forest CD, 2000's Triple Play Live, documents their roof-raising energy while the second, Watching the World, captures the trio's freewheeling humor, dazzling musicianship, and unpretentious spirit. After seeing the group at the Monterey Jazz Festival, Seattle Times critic Paul de Barros noted, "Triple Play is what jazz always was and always should be about: good-time rhythm, unbridled joy and the sweet release but bittersweet aftertaste of the blues."

As a player, Brubeck divides his time between fretless electric bass, piano, and bass trombone. His desire to increase the horn's visibility led to his first major orchestral composition, "Concerto for Bass Trombone and Orchestra," which he recorded at Abbey Road Studios with the LSO for Bach to Brubeck. The piece has been performed by many orchestras throughout the world including the Pittsburgh Symphony, the Baltimore Symphony,and a televised performance by the Boston Pops. (Chris will appear as soloist when the Orchestre de Bretagne in Brittany, France, performs the Concerto in October 2012.)
The concerto's success led to a steady stream of classical commissions, such as "Interplay for 3 Violins and Orchestra," his Boston Pops commission for Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg, Eileen Ivers, and Regina Carter, which earned him an ASCAP Deems Taylor Award for best composition for television broadcast; and Chris's second trombone work, "The Prague Concerto," recorded by the Czech National Symphony Orchestra and released on the Koch CD, Convergence.
In recent years he's probably spent more time working in orchestral settings than jazz clubs. In a major collaboration with Dave Brubeck, they wrote the score for "Ansel Adams: America," a multimedia composition featuring 100 Adams photos projected above the orchestra. Other recent commissions include "Quiet Heroes: A Symphonic Salute to the Flagraisers at Iwo Jima," narrated by Wilford Brimley; and "Travels in Time For Three" for orchestra and the ensemble Time For Three (two violinists and a double bassist), who will perform "Travels" at Carnegie Hall 3/8 with the Boston Pops.
A new Brubeck Brothers CD will be out soon, and the next Triple Play disc, recorded live in Singapore with the Singapore Chinese Orchestra, is set for late 2012 release.
"I think there's no way to end the confusion or to define what I do," Brubeck says. "I just feel really grateful I have different areas to play in and work in and compose in. The Brubeck Brothers Quartet, Triple Play, and my composing career all complement each other. Triple Play brings me back to my blues,jazz, and rock roots." A recent Los Angeles concert prompted L.A. Times reviewer Mark Swed to observe that the trio "stole the show with its flair and virtuosity" and its "rollicking good fun." "We have a blast," Brubeck admits, "and audiences love the joy we share playing together." That is plain to hear in the exhilarating performances -- and delighted audience response -- heard on the Zankel Music Center CD.