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The Four Seasons
300 S Doheny Dr, Beverly Hills, CA 90048
(310) 273-2222
Thursday, June 27, 2013
Anna Mjoll live in Beverly Hills, tonight!
The Four Seasons
300 S Doheny Dr, Beverly Hills, CA 90048
(310) 273-2222
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Sunday, June 16, 2013
Richard Glaser Quartet featuring Gina Saputo @ The Charleston, this Tuesday, June 18
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2460 Wilshire Blvd, Santa Monica, CA 90403 (310) 828-2115
Classic Jazz from THE RICHARD GLASER QUARTET
Featuring:
RICHARD GLASER (PIANO), CLARENCE "THE LEGEND" WEBB (SAX), GEOFF RAKNESS (BASS), MARK SAN FILIPPO (DRUMS)
****PLUS SPECIAL GUEST VOCALISTS****
6/18 - Gina Saputo
6/25 - Courtney Lemmon
EVERY TUESDAY NIGHT in June: 8:30pm - 11:30pm
No Cover Charge! No minimum! Great bar and menu!
Free Street Parking or $6 Valet
Dinner Reservations recommended: By Opentable at www.charlestonla.com or call 310-828-2115
"LIKE" The Charleston on Facebook for updates and discount offers.
This is definitely the hippest scene on the Westside!
http://charlestonla.com/
DVD of the Month - "Herbie Hancock & Friends"
Herbie Hancock & Friends (Monotone)
Featuring: George Benson, Tania Maria, Marcus Miller, Hugh Masekela, Lionel Loueke et al.
R.I.P.: Sam Most
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(born December 16, 1930 in Atlantic City, New Jersey, USA; died June 13, 2013 in Los Angeles, California, USA)
Although not mentioned in the LA Times obituary (see below), Sam's most famous albums were two sessions he co-led with two other great flutists: "The Herbie Mann-Sam Most Quintet" (Bethlehem, 1956) and "Flute Talk," with Joe Farrell for the Xanadu label. Recorded on January 23 & 24, 1979, and produced by Don Schlitten, "Flute Talk" featured Mike Wofford, Bob Magnusson, Roy McCurdy and Jerry Steinholtz, having received a lot of airplay in Californian jazz stations. Rest in Peace. ****************
Pioneering jazz flutist had a 'peppery' style
OBITUARIES : SAM MOST, 1930 - 2013
Los Angeles Times - June 15, 2013
By Elaine Woo
http://articles.latimes.com/2013/jun/15/local/la-me-sam-most-20130615
Sam Most, a pioneering jazz flutist who performed with a stylistically diverse range of artists, including Tommy Dorsey, Donald Byrd, Herbie Mann and Charles Mingus, died Thursday at the Kaiser Permanente Medical Center in Woodland Hills. He was 82.
Most had cancer, said his brother, Bernard.
Jazz historian Leonard Feather once called Most "probably the first great jazz flutist," who began his career playing with Dorsey.
"Though his sound may not be 'legitimate' by orthodox standards," Feather wrote in the Los Angeles Times in 1978, "he is a rhythmically engaging performer whose peppery, witty style may take hold of a set of chord changes and never let go for a half-dozen beautifully constructed choruses."
Known for his scat singing and inspired improvisations, Most has been cited by younger players, including Hubert Laws and Yusef Lateef, as a major influence. (sic; Mr. Lateef is older)
He also was noted for an unusual ability to simultaneously hum and play notes on the flute, a skill that he said gave his music an airy sound. Many flutists have credited him with being the first to hum and play at the same time. He developed that skill in the early 1950s, after discovering that if he hummed while he played, he made less noise with his instrument. That was desirable when he was practicing in his New York City apartment. "I found that by standing in the closet, playing and humming the same notes, I could hear myself and not disturb the neighbors," he told The Times in 1998.
Most was born in Atlantic City, N.J., on Dec. 16, 1930, but moved to New York when he was 4. His Lithuanian immigrant parents loved to sing and encouraged the musical interests of their children, beginning with his older brother, Abe, who became a noted swing clarinetist.
Drawn to the fast tempos and improvisation in the music of Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie, Sam embraced bebop. He studied at the Manhattan School of Music and was a reed player with Dorsey by age 18. He played piano, saxophone and clarinet, but the flute was his favorite.
In 1953 he released his first recording, "Undercurrent Blues," and, according to the New Grove Dictionary of Jazz, "became established as the first bop flutist." In 1954, he was voted Downbeat's "New Star."
He led his own groups and played in other bands, including Buddy Rich's orchestra, which he joined in 1959. After returning in 1961 from a tour with Rich of Asia and South America, Most settled in L.A. He made more than 20 recordings for labels such as Debut, Bethlehem and Vanguard.
Most, who lived in Tarzana, was a lifelong bachelor. In addition to his brother Bernard, of Durham, N.C., he is survived by two sisters, Fran Tutshen and Ruth Labensky, his twin, both of Long Island, N.Y. His brother Abe died in 2002.
R.I.P.: Babi Floyd
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R.I.P.: Babi Floyd
(born December 16, 1953; died June 11, 2013)
When bassist Will Lee told me the sad news that vocalist and songwriter Babi Floyd had passed away, I remembered that the first time I had heard Babi and Will performing together was on Patti Austin's "Live at the Bottom Line." Produced by Creed Taylor for his CTI label in August 1978, it features an all-star line-up that also includes Michael Brecker, Pat Rebillot, Leon Pendarvis, David Spinozza, Charles Collins and Babi's brother Frank Floyd.
Soon I took notice of other albums that Babi had recorded as backing vocalist for CTI, such as Nina Simone's "Baltimore," Esther Phillips' "Capricorn Princess" and the Yusef Lateef/Art Farmer collaboration on "Autophysiopsychic." Now, my record collection includes dozens of CDs with Babi's vocals; from Michael Franks and George Benson to Brothers Johnson, David Matthews (the great jazz arranger, not the pop star), Ralph MacDonald, Irene Cara, Tom Browne, Bob James' best-selling "Sign of the Times," and even with Keith Richard on "Vingage Winos" and "Main Offender"
Born and raised in the Chicago area (IL, USA), Babi Floyd (aka Bobby Floyd) took a B.A. in English in 1976 from Carleton College, a liberal arts college, and then headed to New York where he was sought out as a studio musician, doing background and step out vocals.
By 1982, Babi had recorded on albums with Nina Simone, Jimmy Cliff, Billy Joel, Frankie Valli, Esther Phillips, Bette Midler, the Neville Brothers, Luther Vandross, Robbie Krieger, Keith Richards, and many more, having also toured with pop acts, most notably as a member of Keith Richards' X-Pensive Winos. Most recently, he was the lead vocalist for producer Danny Kortchmar's Slow leak band.
Babi has sung for national and international television and radio ads, including campaigns for Texaco, Ivory Soap, Cheerios, the Army, Pontiac, Pepsi, and Coca Cola. Throughout the 80s and 90s, he has remained working with a group of commercial advertising voices which Quincy Jones dubbed as the "Super Singers." Babi made a visit to Jamaica in the early 80s and fell in love with the music and culture. Soon thereafter the love was reciprocated as he became the feature vocalist of Air Jamaica's ongoing "One Love" campaign.
He has also written and produced jingles for 3 Tree Productions located in New York City. Babi co-wrote "Friendship" for Erykah Badu, and other songs for Tom Jones. The first commercial which Babi wrote and produced is a national TV spot for Tropicana. He has one solo CD, "One Blood" released in Japan, in which his love and assimilation of Jamaican musical culture is present in a mix of original tunes and covers of several Marley classics. In his songs Babi shares stories, life experiences, moments and memories in the lyrics. He expresses this style in writing for the alternative country folk scene and for gospel as well.
Babi Floyd belongs to a rich musical clan. His father, A.J. Floyd, was a stride piano player who worked as a Pullman Porter performing dining cars of the Santa Fe R.R. and then as a sideman in Chicago playing honky tonk and jazz. Pearl Bailey and Mahalia Jackson were among the artists which he accompanied. Babi's grandfather, E.B. Floyd, played with Louis Armstrong and Sidney Bechet while also performing on the Mississippi river boats. Babi's grandmother, known professionally as Mama Mamie, was a popular nightclub singer in Nashville during the thirties and forties.
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http://www.deefuneralhome.com/pages/show_printable_content.php?siteid=131&action=1&value=12&__=&obituaries_action=2&obituaryid=145520
Obituary: Babi Floyd "The Left Handed Vocal Virtuoso"
BABI BAHA’U’LLAH FLOYD was called home to be with Our Lord and Savior after a monumental struggle with illness, on June 11, 2013.
Babi, a graduate of North Chicago Community High School, class of 1972 and Carlton College (‘76) in Northfield, MN; relocated to the New York City area via Northern California, where he embarked upon a successful, colorful and varied professional music and entertainment career. Babi was sought out as a studio musician doing background vocals, Saturday morning cartoon character voice overs and countless international Radio and TV commercials.
Babi passed away peacefully with his wife, family and special friends at his bedside, in Concord MA. He is survived by his wife Jennifer, three sons Tommie La’Mont (Neary) Proctor-Floyd, Seattle WA; Jermol De’Mar (Lou Ann) Proctor-Floyd, New Milford,CT and Davison Jubilance Wheeler Floyd; One brother Rev Raleigh D Floyd, and three sisters Mateenah (Bette) Floyd-Okanlawon, Stockton, CA; Carole R Floyd-Stewart and Maere M Floyd-Pitts, North Chicago, IL; six grandchildren, Mother-in-law Charlotte Anderson and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins.
He was preceded in death by his parents Anne Mehu and AJ Floyd and one brother Frank D. H. Floyd and Grandparents Rev Raleigh A. and Rosa Lee Davis, and Allison E. and Mamie Floyd.
Service:
Memorial services will be held Thursday June 20, 2013, 6pm at the Anderson Farm, 154 Fitchburg Turnpike Concord, MA 01742;
the New York memorial service location and dates to be determined, and the North Chicago memorial service will be held at the First Baptist Church, 2219 14th Street, North Chicago, IL. Date to be determined. Confirmed dates to be posted on Babi Floyd Facebook page. Services to be officiated by Reverend Raleigh D. Floyd.
SHM-CD of the Month: "Stanley Turrentine: Sugar"
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Stanley Turrentine: "Sugar" (CTI)
Produced by Creed Taylor
Recorded, Mixed & Mastered by Rudy Van Gelder
Cover Photo by Pete Turner
Liner Photos: Chuck Stewart
Album Design: Elton Robinson
Liner Notes: Ira Gitler & Hiroshi Takano
SHM-CD Reissue Produced by Creed Taylor
Featuring: Stanley Turrentine (tenor sax), Butch Cornell (Hammond organ), Lonnie Liston Smith (Fender Rhodes electric piano) Ron Carter (acoustic bass), Billy Kaye (drums), George Benson (electric guitar), Freddie Hubbard (trumpet), Richard "Pablo" Landrum (congas)
Stanley Turrentine's "Sugar", the saxophonist's legendary debut solo LP for CTI, was recorded in November 1970 at Van Gelder Studios in New Jersey, with the sidemen cast mixing Creed Taylor's top choice session men (Hubbard, Benson, Ron Carter) and lesser known great musicians like Butch Cornell, Billy Kaye and Richard "Pablo" Landrum, an excellent conga player who would later be recruited for Freddie Hubbard's "Straight Life" album.
In his liner notes for the original 1971 LP release of "Sugar" (preserved on this new SHM-CD reissue, along with additional text in Japanese), top jazz historian Ira Gitler wrote: "Turrentine has become known for a passionate, robust brand of tenor saxophone out of the swing masters like Ben Webster and Don Byas, touched by Sonny Rollins and the modernists along the way. More than any of its parts, however, is the whole of Turrentine's style; the big, vocal sound with its declarative, upper-register cries, and the powerful, Cadillac drive."
"Both organist Butch Cornell and drummer Billy Kaye are members of Turrentine's present combo. Cornell, Chattanooga born, was found by Stanley in Harrisburg, Pa. He was formerly with Willis Jackson. The particular clarity with which he articulates his lines is refreshing," Ira detailed.
Although previous domestic CD issues by Sony Music included bonus material and were remixed from the 8-track tapes with controversial results, this SHM-CD reissue preserves the original mix by Rudy Van Gelder (who took care himself of the remastering) and includes only the three tracks available on the original LP release: Turrentine's "Sugar," Butch Cornell's "Sunshine Alley" and a 14-minute long version of John Coltrane's "Impressions," often used as the opening theme of the CTI All Stars concerts in 1971.
At the time of the first CD reissue of "Sugar" in the USA market, back in 1987, reissue producer (and former CTI publicist) Didier Deutsch added a previously unreleased studio version of Hubbard's "Gibraltar", recorded in that same session. However, the many unreleased alternate takes of Butch Cornell's "Sunshine Alley" remained lost in the vaults, and were never included in any of the several subsequent CD reissues that came out in the USA, Europe and Japan. (For instance, in the 2002 CD reissue, also produced by Didier for Sony, he replaced "Gibraltar" for a live version of "Sugar" recorded during a CTI All-Stars concert at the Southgate Palace in July 1971.)
The cover art (by album designer Elton Robinson) features a controversial shot by photographer genius Pete Turner. "Back in the 1960s I had done a series for Look magazine called 'Black Is Beautiful.' The image on the cover of Sugar is an outtake from that shoot, of a mother licking a baby’s foot. Some people think it’s a sexual thing, but it’s not" Turner told to Marc Myers' excellent "JazzWax" blog last year.
http://www.jazzwax.com/2008/04/pete-turner-c-1.html
(btw, that pic is included on Pete Turner's latest book, the superb "The Color of Jazz")
"If ever there were a record that both fit perfectly and stood outside the CTI Records' stable sound, it is 'Sugar' by Stanley Turrentine. Butch Cornell's 'Sunshine Alley' is a solid, funky groover, paced by organ and double fours by Kaye. Turrentine and Hubbard stride into the melody and keep the vamp in the pocket, riding out past the blues line into a tag that just revs the thing up even further," jazz connoisseur Thom Jurek wrote in his review for the All Music Guide.
It's interesting to mention that, around the same time of the "Sugar" session for CTI, Butch Cornell also recorded "Sunshine Alley" when doing a sideman date (on November 23, 1970) for Boogaloo Joe Jones' "No Way!" album for Prestige.
"Sugar" was both a critical and commercial sucess, peaking the Billboard charts as #3 Jazz Album, #29 Black and #182 Pop Album! And, needless to say, the original 1970 version of the title track became a CTI anthem, being included in dozens of compilations released all over the world. For additional details, please visit the definitive CTI website created by Douglas Payne: http://www.dougpayne.com/cti.htm
CD Reissue of the Month - "Eddie Palmieri and his conjunto La Perfecta"
Eddie Palmieri: "La Perfecta" (Alegre/Fania)
Original Album Produced by Al Santiago for Alegre Records, a division of Branston Music, Inc.
CD Artwork: Louise Hilton
CD Design: New Line Design
Original Liner Notes: Charlie Palmieri
Additional Liner Notes: Ernesto Lechner
Featuring: Eddie Palmieri (acoustic piano, arranger), Ismael Quintana (lead vocals), George Castro (flute), Barry Rogers & João Donato (trombones), Willie Matos, Joe DeMare, Harold Wegbreit & Dave Tucker (trumpets), Joe Rivera (acoustic bass), Mike Collazo, Chickie Perez, Charlie Palmieri, Manny Oquendo & George Maysonet (percussion), Chivirico Davila, Willie Torres & Victor Velazquez (chorus)
Vocal CD of the Month - "Thisbe Vos: Under Your Spell"
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Thisbe Vos: "Under Your Spell" (Prime Productions)
Produced by Thisbe Vos
Executive Producers: Prime Productions, Alejandro Szita, Michael & Rondi Bellas
Musical Director: Gary Matsumoto
String Arrangements: Jim McMilen
Woodwinds Arranged by Jim McMillen & Thisve Vos
Horns Arranged by Gary Matsumoto
Recorded, Mixed & Mastered by Nolan Shaheed @ No Sound Studio (Pasadena, California, USA)
Liner Notes: Alejandro Szita
Featuring: Thisbe Vos (vocals), Gary Matsumoto (acoustic piano), Henry Franklin (acoustic bass), Donald Dean (drums), Michael Higgins (guitar), Nolan Shaheed (trumpet), Geoff Nudell (clarinet, bass clarinet, alto clarinet, contra bass clarinet, flute, alto flute), Carl Randall (tenor sax) & The Pasadena Strings Ensemble
The follow-up to "Sophistication," Thisbe's CD debut in 2011, "Under Your Spell" brings more of the same. But in a very positive way. The LA-based singer & composer from The Netherlands returned to the same studio in Pasadena taking many of the same musicians who took part of the previous album, id est, the same rhythm section plus the great trumpeter Nolan Shahhed and the fantastic reedman Geoff Nudell, who played only clarinet on "Sophistication" but now used several other instruments that make him an one-man woodwind section. The cover art is very classy too, including detailed bios of all the musicians on the 16-page booklet.
The success of the debut album allowed Thisbe and the executive producers to add a string section in a couple of tunes, with perfect results specially on the romantic title track, "Under You Spell," featuring Carl Randall on tenor sax. Once again, too, although the vocalist offers nice versions of GAS standards like Jimmy Van Heusen's "I Thought About You" (solos by Gary Matsumoto on piano and the legendary Henry Franklin on bass, a musician I admire since I was still in my teens and he was a member of Freddie Hubbard's combo), Irving Berlin's "Always" (after Tony Bennett's a cappella version on his "Bennett/Berlin" project, it became impossible for anyone to beat it) and Fats Waller's "Ain't Misbehavin'," the superlative moments come from her own songs.
Nudell's fabulous overdub work on the opening "Shangai Blues" (written by Thisbe during a visit to that Chinese city) makes it an instant favorite, the album highlight along with the seductive ballad "Under Your Spell." In a completely different musical direction, "Now You Are Here" is clearly inspired by Norah Jones' early years. Nolan Shaheed's muted trumpet steals the show on the bluesy "Just A Fool Over You" (inspired by Jessica Rabbit according to the liner notes), while Nudell once again shines on the coquette "Rue de la Huchette," propelled by the Freddie Green-like guitar of Michael Higgins. Here, there and everywhere, Thisbe's beautiful voice and graceful phrasing make this album a winner.
To order, please visit:
http://www.thisbevos.com/store.php
Instrumental CD of the Month - "Mark Egan, Karl Latham & John Hart: Unit 1"
Mark Egan, Karl Latham & John Hart: "Unit 1" (Wavetone)
Produced by Mark Egan
Recorded by Ron & Jonathan Lorman
Mixed by Mark Egan & Karl Latham @ Electric Fields Studio
Mastered by Phil Magnotti @ Silvermine Studios
Artwork: John Earley
Photos: Ann Boscardin, John Earley, Vincent Isola & Ha-Jo Maquet
Featuring: Mark Egan (electric bass), John Hart (electric guitar) & Karl Latham (drums)
So far the best fusion album released this year, "Unit 1" was actually recorded live at the small Bula club (in Newton, New Jersey) from March to May 2008. Mark Egan & Co. taped three gigs and selected their favorite moments. The result is impressive, a fiery collection of jazz classics - from Thelonious Monk to Wayne Shorter to Weldon Irvine - performed by a power trio that combines creativity, energy, swing and great grooves; something very different from similar groups that seem able only to play loud and say nothing.
Mark Egan belongs to a brilliant generation of bassists, which included such masters as Will Lee, Alphonso Johnson, Anthony Jackson, and of course the late Gary King and Jaco Pastorius. I've been a huge fan of Egan since I bought a copy of David Matthews' "Dune" LP back in 1977, still in my native Brazil. Three years later I saw him playing live for the first time, as a member of the Pat Metheny Group, when they took the "American Garage" Tour to the Rio/Monterey Jazz Festival in August 1980.
Later on, I attended many of his gigs with the Gil Evans Orchestra @ Sweet Basil in NYC, and also had the chance to talk more with him when Creed Taylor invited me, in October 1990, to the rehearsals that the CTI Superband project was doing for the "Chroma" tour in Japan. When I returned to New York in April 1991, Mark was playing every Monday night @ Zanzibar, with an all-star combo led by my late dear friend Joe Beck. For two months, I went there each and every Monday night. More recently, we met in the CTI All Stars concerts in 2009 and 2010.
I've met John Hart only once, in 1987, during some recording sessions with Yana Purim at Deodato's Duplex Sound Studio in NYC that, unfortunately, were never released. Karl Latham is the only one I never caught live, but now I know that I need to do it urgently. Listening to him on "Unit 1" gave me the same goosebumps I felt when I first heard Chris Dave with Bob Hurst a couple of years ago, and Steve Gadd with Joe Farrell four decades ago.
The program on "Unit 1" ranges from Monk's bebop hymns "Epistrophy" and "Bemsha Swing" to Weldon Irvine's funky opus "Mr. Clean," originally written for Freddie Hubbard's 1971 album "Straight Life" and rediscovered during the acid-jazz heyday in the late Eighties, when it became a dancefloor classic in Europe. Curiously, it's also the opening track of the CTI All Stars' "Live at Montreux 2009" CD/DVD, featuring Egan on bass.
Ann Ronnell's "Willow Weep For Me," Miles Davis' "All Blues," Wayne Shorter's "Footprints," and Sonny Rollins' famous calypso "St. Thomas" receive very fresh and astonishing treatments, sandwiched by the opener "Old Folks" and the closing ballad "My One and Only Love," all brilliantly recreated. But maybe the most surprising track is "Footprints," played as a fast & furious "baião" (a rhythm from Northeast Brazil), with Egan using the bass line of Hermeto Pascoal's tune "Jive Talk," often performed by Airto & Flora Purim in the 70s, and recorded on Flora's "500 Miles Hight At Montreux."
The trio interaction is astounding, and that's how all fusion bands should always sound, playing with feeling and emotion, far away from any boring acrobatics. It's almost impossible to highlight the best solos, but Mark Egan's bass flies & slides in a stunning way during his improvisation on "St. Thomas." The fluid lines of John Hart's guitar -- the man is at the pinnacle of his inventiveness, giving lessons of adventurous phrasing and dynamics, always employing the perfect level of distortion -- talk & cry on all tracks, reaching a special degree of confidence & intensity on "Mr. Clean" and "Bemsha Swing." And Latham's drums (what a musical giant!) are particularly hallucinating on "Epistrophy," "Bemsha Swing," "Footprints" and the reggae-ish take on "Willow Week For Me."
Curiously, Mark Egan decided to eliminate the applauses when doing the mix. So, except for some light noise from the audience, the CD seems to be a studio recording instead of a live one. I only regret that some tracks end in fade-out. But nothing diminishes the excellence of the album, full of joy & excitement.
CD/DVD Box Set of the Month - "Pau Brasil: Caixote"
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Pau Brasil: "Caixote 1982/2012" (Pau Brasil Music)
A massive box set -- including 8 CDs and 1 DVD -- that documents the amazing path of Pau Brasil, one of Brazil's most important instrumental groups ever; specially in a jazz-oriented form of expression, although they never did a straight-ahead jazz album a la Victor Assis Brasil neither grooved in the urban fusion of Azymuth (the only moment, in the entire box, that evokes a distant resemblance with Azymuth is a very nice version of "Bye Bye Brasil," from their 1986 album "Pindorama," a song recorded by Azymuth's keyboardist Jose Roberto Bertrami on his 1983 solo LP "Blue Wave.")
It would not also be accurate to describe Pau Brasil's brilliant career in terms of "evolution," since the group already sounded perfect on its debut self-titled album from 1983 and never followed a tried & tested formula, never repeated anything. One of Pau Brasil's founders and its official leader, virtuoso bassist Rodolfo Stroeter, always took chances by changing the band members and, hence, also the group sound on each new record.
Pau Brasil always traveled through different musical territories, merging the jazz freedom with complex harmonic structures, a huge variety of Brazilian rhythms (such as baião, xote, jongo etc, never limited to bossa nova or samba) and adventurous arrangements. Don't even dream to think to label them "fusion," because they somehow managed to escape from all labels, creating a highly personal identity and had the nerve to transmute it incessantly.
Most of the CDs -- originally released by different labels from Brazil and abroad that agreed to license their masters to this set, made possible through a partnership of Pau Brasil Music with the giant Brazilian corporation Petrobras that sponsored a deluxe limited edition of 1,500 copies -- reappear with previously unreleased bonus tracks. Some of them recorded in studio, some during gigs or radio broadcasts during promotional tours of the albums, always relating to their original content. The box also includes a 146-page booklet with lots of rare photos and extensive liner notes by renowned music critic Carlos Calado.
All albums still sound fresh and amazing, standing the test of time. Among the band members during three decades were keyboardists Nelson Ayres and Lelo Nazário (who did the impeccable digital remastering of the CDs), drummers Bob Wyatt, Azael Rodrigues, Zé Eduardo Nazário and Nenê, guitarist Paulo Bellinati, reedmen Roberto Sion and Teco Cardoso, and multi-instrumentalist/songstress (no lyrics, just wordless vocals) Marlui Miranda.
Btw, Miranda shines along with the Nazário Brothers, Teco Cardoso and Rodolfo Stroeter in a splendid DVD titled "Babel" after the album of the same name that was released in 1996. Originally taped for a TV broadcast, it's an invaluable visual document of the band at the height of its creative powers, adding indigenous instruments and moods to create an artistic masterpiece. That's universal music, folks!
Friday, May 31, 2013
Barbara Morrison back @ Steamers, tonight
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8PM-MID $10
ALL AGES 714-871-8800 RSVP!
Steamers Jazz Club and Cafe
138 W. Commonwealth Ave
Fullerton, CA 92832
Critically acclaimed vocalist Barbara Morrison returns to Steamers this Friday. The dazzling Barbara Morrison has been featured on over 20 recordings in almost every genre from traditional jazz and blues to gospel and pop. Her melodic voice, with its two-and-a-half-octave range, are known worldwide, as are her rich, unique, soulful and highly spirited interpretations of both, familiar jazz and blues classics, and original contemporary tunes. Most striking is her ability to belt out down-home, soul-stirring Blues. Breathtaking are her impassioned renditions of old and favorite torch songs.
It comeas no surprise that listeners have experienced the pleasures of Morrison's rich and vibrant tones as the lead vocalist on the movie sound track for The Hurricane, starring Denzel Washington, as well as her vocals on The Duke Ellington Millennium CD, and Johnny Otis's most recent CD, "Ooo Shoo Be Dooo.". Additional credits include the hit NBC TV comedy The Naked Truth, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and The Dennis Miller Show.
Born and raised in and around Ypsilanti, Michigan, Barbara Morrison recorded her first appearance for radio in Detroit at the age of 10. Well known in the Los Angeles area for her duo and trio dates, Morrison also tours extensively across the continental United States, Western Europe, the Far East and "Down Under", wowing audiences with her own band, and opening for such greats as Ray Charles. Additional, she guest stars with the Count Basie Orchestra, the Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra and Doc Severinsen's Big Band. In additional to her gigs with such luminaries, she also performs at renown festivals around the world including Montreaux, Nice, Pori, Carnegie Hall, North Sea, Monterey, and Long Beach. Her Salute to Dizzy Gillespie and her Tribute to Benny Golson, are fondly remembered by Morrison fans that return again and again to share her rare, unique and exceptional vocal gifts.
3rd Anniversary of Mokai Lounge in Miami
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Dr. Lonnie Smith live in Vermont, tonight
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David Foster To Receive His Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, today, May 31
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Emcee: Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, President/CEO Leron Gubler
Guest speakers: Natalie Cole and Dr. Phil McGraw
It's the 2,499th Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in the Category of Recording
WHERE: 1750 N. Vine St. in front of the iconic Capitol Records Building
We are here right now!!! It's "Got To Be Real!"
Ann-Hampton Callaway Sings "The Streisand Songbook" @ Bethesda Blues & Jazz, MD
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When "The Streisand Songbook" opened its smash sold-out run at New York's nightclub 54 Below in September, it was praised for its "swinging fairy tale magic" by The New York Times and hailed as "personal, moving and arrestingly musical" in The Wall Street Journal. The show was honored with two BroadwayWorld.com New York Cabaret Awards for "Cabaret Show of the Year" and "Best Tribute Show." Callaway will be joined by an all-star trio that will feature Ted Rosenthal on piano (yesss, the same guy who played with Gerry Mulligan and recorded a fantastic solo album for CTI, "Calling You"), Martin Wind on bass and Tim Horner on drums.
Ann Hampton Callaway is one of the leading champions of the great American Songbook. Her gifts as a singer, pianist, composer, lyricist, arranger, actress, educator, TV host and producer have given her one of the most unique careers in music today. Born in Chicago to an illustrious musical family, Ann's heartfelt singing style blends jazz and traditional pop, making her a mainstay in concert halls, theaters and jazz clubs as well as in the recording studio, on television, and in film. Callaway won the Theater World Award and received a Tony nomination for her starring role in the Broadway musical "Swing!"
She gained international exposure for writing and singing the theme for Fran Drescher's hit TV series 'The Nanny". Ann made her Hollywood screen debut in Robert DeNiro's spy thriller "The Good Shepherd" singing "Come Rain Or Come Shine" and was featured in the soundtrack of Queen Latifah's "Last Holiday". She's written over 250 songs including the Platinum Award winning hits for Barbra Streisand "At the Same Time" and "I've Dreamed of You". She performs the critically acclaimed acts "Sibling Revelry" and "Boom!" with Broadway star and sister Liz Callaway. Ann has recorded 12 solo CD's including her latest celebrated Telarc release "At Last" and is a guest artist on over 40 CDs. Callaway also devotes herself to philanthropic work, writing and performing to benefit many cherished causes. For more information, see her website www.AnnHamptonCallaway .
ANN HAMPTON CALLAWAY will perform "The Streisand Songbook" at Bethesda Blues & Jazz on Saturday June 8th at 8PM. Bethesda Blues & Jazz is located at 7719 Wisconsin Avenue in Bethesda, MD. Tickets are $50.
Wednesday, May 29, 2013
R.I.P.: Mulgrew Miller
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/30/arts/music/mulgrew-miller-jazz-pianist-dies-at-57.html?_r=0
Mulgrew Miller, Dynamic Jazz Pianist, Dies at 57
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Mulgrew Miller performing in New York in 2010.
By NATE CHINEN
Published: May 29, 2013
Mulgrew Miller, a jazz pianist whose soulful erudition, clarity of touch and rhythmic aplomb made him a fixture in the postbop mainstream for more than 30 years, died on Wednesday in Allentown, Pa. He was 57.
The cause was a stroke, said his longtime manager, Mark Gurley. Mr. Miller had been hospitalized since Friday.
Mr. Miller developed his voice in the 1970s, combining the bright precision of bebop, as exemplified by Bud Powell and Oscar Peterson, with the clattering intrigue of modal jazz, especially as defined by McCoy Tyner. His balanced but assertive style was a model of fluency, lucidity and bounce, and it influenced more than a generation of younger pianists.
He was a widely respected bandleader, working either with a trio or with the group he called Wingspan, after the title of his second album. The blend of alto saxophone and vibraphone on that album, released on Landmark Records in 1987, appealed enough to Mr. Miller that he revived it in 2002 on “The Sequel” (MaxJazz), working in both cases with the vibraphonist Steve Nelson. Among Mr. Miller’s releases in the last decade were an impeccable solo piano album and four live albums featuring his dynamic trio.
Mr. Miller could seem physically imposing on the bandstand — he stood taller than six feet, with a sturdy build — but his temperament was warm and gentlemanly. He was a dedicated mentor: his bands over the last decade included musicians in their 20s, and since 2005 he had been the director of jazz studies at William Paterson University in New Jersey.
If his sideman credentials overshadowed his solo career, it wasn’t hard to see why: he played on hundreds of albums and worked in a series of celebrated bands. His most visible recent work had been with the bassist Ron Carter, whose chamberlike Golden Striker Trio featured Mr. Miller and the guitarist Russell Malone on equal footing; the group released a live album, “San Sebastian” (In+Out), this year.
Born in Greenwood, Miss., on Aug. 13, 1955, Mr. Miller grew up immersed in Delta blues and gospel music. After picking out hymns by ear at the family piano, he began taking lessons at age 8. He played the organ in church and worked in soul cover bands, but devoted himself to jazz after seeing Mr. Peterson on television, a moment he later described as pivotal.
At Memphis State University, he befriended two pianists, James Williams and Donald Brown, both of whom later preceded him in Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers. Mr. Miller spent several years with that band, just as he did with the trumpeter Woody Shaw, the singer Betty Carter and the Duke Ellington Orchestra, led by Ellington’s son, Mercer. Mr. Miller worked in an acclaimed quintet led by the drummer Tony Williams from the mid-1980s until shortly before Williams died in 1997.
Mr. Miller’s survivors include his wife, Tanya; his son, Darnell; his daughter, Leilani; and a grandson. He lived in Easton, Pa.
Though he harbored few resentments, Mr. Miller was clear about the limitations imposed on his career. “Jazz is part progressive art and part folk art,” he said in a 2005 interview with DownBeat magazine, differentiating his own unassuming style from the concept-laden, critically acclaimed fare that he described as “interview music.” He added, “Guys who do what I am doing are viewed as passé.”
But Mr. Miller worked with so many celebrated peers, like the alto saxophonist Kenny Garrett and the tenor saxophonist Joe Lovano, that his reputation among musicians was ironclad. And his legacy includes a formative imprint on some leading players of the next wave, including the drummer Karriem Riggins and the bassist Derrick Hodge, who were in one of his trios.
The pianist Robert Glasper once recorded an original ballad called “One for ’Grew,” paying homage to a primary influence. On Monday, another prominent pianist, Geoffrey Keezer, attested on Twitter that seeing Mr. Miller one evening in 1986 was “what made me want to be a piano player professionally.”
DJ Hanna & Debbie Taylor tonight in Miami!
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Tonight @ Kitchen 305: (Newport Beachside Resort, 16701 Collins Ave North Miami Beach, FL)
The Debbie Taylor Band at 8pm, the fantastic She Djhana aka Miami's DJ Hana on the turntables, then the 4 play event and showcase with Zhantra performing live!
Don't forget Ladies Open Bar 9-11pm, MC Nikko Capria & Rudy Pierre on the mic.
RSVP AT 954/240/2636 .jpg)
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Adrianne Gonzalez & Garrison Starr in Phoenix!
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http://www.buzzwire.com/u-ms/garrisonstarr/events/6-12-2013/house-concert/1413973/
"An Evening with AG, Garrison Starr & Maia Sharp": upcoming tour dates in California!
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Tuesday, June 4, 2013
An Evening with: AG, Maia Sharp and Garrison Starr @ Frank's Place
1432 Fulton Street , Fresno, CA
Ph: 559-264-2848 Set: 7:30 PM, All Ages
Wednesday, June 5, 2013
An Evening With AG, Maia Sharp and Garrison Starr @ Mountain View House Concert Series
Mountain View, CA
Set: 7:30 PM, All Ages
Thursday, June 6, 2013
An Evening With AG, Garrison Starr and Maia Sharp @ Freight & Salvage Coffee House
1111 Addison St., Berkeley, CA
Set: 8:00 PM
Doors: 7:00 PM
All Ages - Tickets: $20
Friday, June 7, 2013
An Evening with AG, Maia Sharp and Garrison Starr @ Room 5 Lounge
143 N. LaBrea, Los Angeles, CA
Set: 8:00 PM, 21+
Tickets: $10
Saturday, June 8, 2013
An Evening with: AG, Maia Sharp and Garrison Starr @ Women Music Home Heart House Concert
Santa Barbara, CA Set: 8:00 PM, All Ages Sunday, June 9, 2013 An Evening with: AG, Maia Sharp and Garrison Starr @ Sculpterra Winery
5015 Linne Rd, Paso Robles, CA
Set: 3:00 PM, All Ages
Tickets: $15 suggested donation
R.I.P.: Ed Shaughnessy
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Ed Shaughnessy dies at 84; renowned jazz drummer
Don Heckman for the LA Times - May 25, 2013
The New Jersey-born Shaughnessy's mutton-chop whiskers and swinging rhythms made him one of the most famous drummers in jazz during his nearly three decades with Doc Severinsen's 'Tonight Show' band.
Ed Shaughnessy, whose mutton-chop whiskers and swinging rhythms made him one of the most famous drummers in jazz during his nearly three decades with Doc Severinsen's "Tonight Show" band, has died. He was 84. Shaughnessy had a heart attack Friday at his Calabasas home, said William Selditz, a close family friend.
While his nightly gig on "The Tonight Show" brought him the kind of drumming fame previously bestowed on giants such as Gene Krupa, Shaughnessy also delved into more far-reaching musical realms.
He studied for three years with legendary Indian tabla player Alla Rakha and played with such cutting-edge artists as bassist/composer Charles Mingus and trumpeter-bandleader Don Ellis. "Ed's one of the only guys I know from his generation who's open-minded enough to try something new," Ellis once told an interviewer.
Buddy Rich called Shaughnessy "one of my all-time favorite drummers" — high praise from a musician whose dynamic, virtuosic style contrasted with Shaughnessy's profound belief in the drummer as a vital member of a band's rhythm section.
Times critic Leonard Feather agreed, writing in 1992 that Shaughnessy "does what jazz drummers were originally called on to do: Keep a firm swinging beat and play a supportive role."
An early advocate of bebop, Shaughnessy performed with Aretha Franklin, Jimi Hendrix, John McLaughlin, Leonard Bernstein and the New York Philharmonic, and George Balanchine and the New York City Ballet. For decades, he taught privately as well as conducting more than 600 clinics at high schools and universities.
Edwin Thomas Shaughnessy was born Jan. 29, 1929, in Jersey City, N.J. His father was a longshoreman and his mother sewed in a garment factory. At 12, Shaughnessy started taking piano lessons and continued until his father brought home a drum set two years later.
Still in his teens when he became a regular participant in New York City's thriving jazz scene, he worked with Jack Teagarden and the popular bands led by George Shearing and Charlie Ventura before he turned 20.
He also played in numerous small jazz groups with such big names as Billie Holiday, Horace Silver and Gene Ammons. His big band career began in the 1950s with the Benny Goodman and Count Basie bands. He replaced Buddy Rich in Tommy Dorsey's band.
In the mid-1950s, he was a staff musician at CBS, performing on the Steve Allen and Garry Moore shows. From 1963 to 1992, Shaughnessy was the drummer with Severinsen's band on Johnny Carson's "Tonight Show." In Shaughnessy's 2010 memoir "Lucky Drummer," Severinsen called him "the superb engine that drove our Tonight Show Band for thirty years … with spirit and immense skill."
In the early 1970s, Shaughnessy helped a young singer named Dianne Schuur, who had been blind since birth, arranging for her to appear at the prestigious Monterey Jazz Festival. Her career soon took off.
Tuesday, May 28, 2013
7-inch Vinyl Single/T-Shirt Box Set of the Month - "Miles Davis"
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Miles Davis: "Miles Runs The Voodoo Down/In a Silent Way (Columbia)
A rare treat for Miles Davis fans: a special 7" single with edits of "Miles Runs The Voodoo Down" (from the seminal 1970 album "Bitches Brew" and titled as a reference to Jimi Hendrix's "Voodoo Chile") and Joe Zawinul's title song for the 1969 masterpiece "In A Silent Way," all packaged in a cool limited pic sleeve too. The box also comes with a blue/yellow/red Miles t-shirt – XL, printed on a dark black background. Limited edition. (T-shirt is extra-large, perfect for me!) That's what we call a real collectors' item.
DVD of the Month - "Diana Krall: Live at Montreux Jazz Festival 2010"
Diana Krall: "Live at Montreux Jazz Festival 2010" (Monotone)
Featuring: Diana Krall (vocals, acoustic piano), Robert Hurst (acoustic bass), Karriem Riggins (drums) & Anthony Wilson (guitars).
A great little set by Diana Krall, filmed when she took the "Quiet Nights" tour to Montreux, but played a mixed program that includes tracks from that album (Burt Bacharach/Hal David's "Walk On By"), from the follow-up DVD "Live in Rio" (Irving Berlin's "Cheek To Cheek") and other songs like "Wide River Cross," "Simple Twist of Fate" and a fiery rendition of Tom Waits' "Jockey Full of Bourbon."
CD Box Set of the Month - "Bill Withers: The Complete Sussex and Columbia Albums"
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Bill Withers: "The Complete Sussex and Columbia Albums" (Legacy)
The 9-disc set "Bill Withers: The Complete Sussex and Columbia Albums" celebrates the timeless artistry of an American master. The set includes the nine albums that Bill released between 1971 through 1985. The albums have been reproduced in their original jackets and have been newly mastered from the original analog tapes by Grammy Award-winning engineer Mark Wilder, who worked with Arnaldo DeSouteiro in the remastering of such projects as Deodato's "Live at Felt Forum" and Antonio Carlos Jobim's "Stone Flower."
Withers is a member of the Songwriters Hall of Fame and the recipient of ASCAP's 2006 Rhythm & Soul Heritage Award. His warm, rich and truthful voice speaks to real people, and real life, and he will tell you that it's more important to be real than to be rich.
He was 30 years old when he came out of the U.S. Navy in 1971. He made a living installing toilets in commercial jetliners, and then he decided to give music a try. His first two albums Just as I Am and Still Bill - featured "Ain't No Sunshine" (which became a huge dancefloor jazz hit in the hands of Sivuca) and "Lean on Me." The two singles sold more than a million copies each, and by the time he played Carnegie Hall in 1973, Bill Withers was acknowledged as a great American troubadour. Four decades later, his music still resonates with originality and universality.
The box set includes:
1. Just as I Am (Sussex, 1971)
2. Still Bill (Sussex, 1972)
3. Bill Withers Live at Carnegie Hall (Sussex, 1973)
4. +' Justments (Sussex, 1974)
5. Making Music (Columbia, 1975)
6. Naked & Warm (Columbia, 1976)
7. Menagerie (Columbia, 1977)
8. 'Bout Love (Columbia, 1978)
9. Watching You Watching Me (Columbia, 1985)
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DVD Book of the Month - "Miles Davis: Live in Montreux Jazz Festival 1985"
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Miles Davis: "Live in Montreux Jazz Festival 1985" (WB)
Featuring: Miles Davis (trumpet, keyboards), Robert Irving III (keyboards), Darryl Jones (electric bass), Vince Wilburn, Jr. (drums), Steve Thornton (congas, percussion), John Scofield (electric guitar), Bob Berg (tenor sax, soprano sax, keybaords).
Includes "One Phone Call," "Human Nature," "Something's On Your Mind," "Time After Time," "Code M.D." and "Jean Pierre."
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Book of the Month - "Ron Carter: Building Jazz Bass Lines"
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Ron Carter: "Building Jazz Bass Lines" (Hal-Leonard)
A compendium of techniques for great jazz bass lines including play-along CD featuring Ron Carter. In this book/CD pack, the bass legend illustrates step by step the basic concepts of creating bass lines; constructing lines using non-harmonic tones and diverse rhythms; playing in fast tempos; and developing tone and pitch. The play-along CD with a rhythm section and isolated bass parts, so players can listen to Ron play the sample written lines, practice them with the CD, then create their own lines with the guitar, piano and drums backing them up.
EP of the Month - "Remo Usai: 7 Homens Vivos Ou Mortos, Original Soundtrack"
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Remo Usai & Sua Orquestra: "7 Homens Vivos ou Mortos" (Musidisc)
The modal jazz soundtrack composed by Remo Usai (better known for the "Férias No Sul" score) for a movie directed, in 1969, by Leovegildo Cordeiro. Simply stunning.
Monday, May 27, 2013
CD Reissue of the Month - "João Donato: Sambou Sambou"
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João Donato: "Sambou Sambou" (Él/Cherry Red)
"Sambou Sambou" originally released in Brazil under the title "Muito À Vontade" by Polydor
Original sessions produced by Ismael Correa
Engineers: Sylvio Rabello & Celio Martins
Produced for CD release in the USA by Richard Bock for the Pacific Jazz label
Featuring: João Donato (acoustic piano), Sebastião Neto (acoustic bass), Milton Banana (drums), Amaury Rodrigues (bongos, pandeiro), plus the following personnel on the bonus tracks:
João Donato (trombone, accordion, vocals), Dave Pike (vibes & marimba), Clark Terry (flugelhorn), Kenny Burrell (guitar), Chris White (acoustic bass), Rudy Collins (drums), José Paulo (cabassa, pandeiro), Altamiro Carrilho (flute), Waltel Branco (guitar), Netinho (clarinet), Os Namorados (vocal group) et al.
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CD Compilation of the Month - "Fidel Castro: 50 Years of Revolucion!"
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"50 Years of Revolucion!" (Righteous)
Featuring: Fidel Castro, El Gran Fellove, Justi Barreto, Cuarteto D'Aida, Djalma Ferreira and Turma da Gafieira, mispelled "Turma de Gafieira" on the front cover (with Altamiro Carrilho, flute; Zé Bodega, tenor sax; Raul de Souza, trombone; Edison Machado, drums; Sivuca, accordion; Jorge Marinho, acoustic bass; Nestor Campos, electric guitar; Britinho and Paulinho, pianos)
SHM-CD of the Month - "Hubert Laws: The Rite of Spring"
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Hubert Laws: "The Rite of Spring" (CTI)
Produced by Creed Taylor
Recorded, Mixed & Mastered by Rudy Van Gelder
Cover Photo: Pete Turner
Liner Notes: Leonard Feather
Arranged by Don Sebesky
Featuring: Hubert Laws (flute), Bob James (Fender Rhodes electric piano, harpsichord), Ron Carter (acoustic bass), Jack DeJohnette (drums), Airto Moreira (percussion), Gene Bertoncini & Stuart Scharf (acoustic guitar), Dave Friedman (vibes, percussion), Wally Kane & Jane Taylor (basson)
CD-Single of the Month - "Hugo Fattoruso & Albana Barrocas: HA Duo"
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Hugo Fattoruso & Albana Barrocas: "HA Duo" (Sondor)
Featuring: Hugo Fattoruso (composer, keyboards, vocals), Albana Barrocas (drums, percussion)
Produced by Hugo Fattoruso
Engineered by Gustavo De León
The newest project by the "multi-dimensional" keyboard genius Hugo Fattoruso, the "HA Duo" formed with fellow Uruguayan drummer-percussionist Albana Barrocas, debuts with a CD-single that includes two great compositions by Fattoruso: "La Caricia" and "Destinos Cruzados." These and other new tunes will be performed by the "increible" duo this next Saturday, June 1st, at Teatro Casa de la Cultura de Maldonado (see the poster below, please) in a concert organized by Alternativa Producciones.
Internationally acclaimed as the founder of such groups as OPA, Los Shakers and Trio Fattoruso -- as well as for his work in countless albums with Airto Moreira (starting in 1973 with the legendary "Fingers" for CTI) and Flora Purim --, Hugo Fattoruso was a key member (sorry for the pun!) of the LA fusion jazz scene of the 70s, having also recorded with Hermeto Pascoal, Manolo Badrena, Jaco Pastorius, Milton Nascimento, Toninho Horta, Maria de Fatima Fattoruso and The Sweet Inspirations, among others. Besides the cult hits he composed for Airto (two of them, "Romance of Death" and "Wind Chant" were also covered by Harris Simon with Michael Brecker), Hugo co-wrote -- with Osvaldo Fattoruso, Michel Colombier and Nicole Croisille -- a pop radio hit for Flora, "Walking Away."
He moved to Brazil in 1981, joining the bands led by pop stars Chico Buarque, Djavan, Geraldo Azevedo and Milton Nascimento, and recording with Mauro Senise, Yana Purim, Fagner and Luiz Melodia, but returned to his native Uruguay in 1989, becoming a much in-demand keyboardist on the studio scene, recording with such singers as Jaime Roos and Laura Canoura. After a short time in NY, working with Hiram Bullock and Ruben Rada, Hugo once again settled in Montevideo, but keeps traveling all over the world, developing multiple projects with singers Ruben Rada, Pippo Spera, Fito Paez, Pedro Aznar and Jorge Drexler, the Rey Tambor candombe group and Japanese percussionist Tomohiro Yahiro.
[I feel proud for having convinced Milestone/Fantasy to allow me to produce the twofer CD reissue of Opa's albums originally produced by Airto. Both "Goldenwings" and "Magic Time" are superb! IMHO, Hugo Fattoruso, one of the all-time greatest keyboardists, is a genius whose "creativity in the choice of electronic textures and colors was matched only by Joe Zawinul", like I wrote in my liner notes for the CD, back in 1997. And I feel privileged for the chance of having worked with Hugo Fattoruso on albums & live concerts by Yana Purim (from 1981 to 1986), Nelson Angelo (in 1998) and, currently, Rodrigo Lima. I have also included several tracks from Hugo's projects with Airto & Flora in compilations I produced for CTI ("CTI Acid Jazz Grooves") and Verve ("A Trip To Brazil Vol.2"), as well as to feature his recording of "Brejo da Cruz" with Chico Buarque on "A Trip To Brazil Vol.4" in 2005.]
Albana Barrocas started to learn music at age 8, studying piano, harmony and singing. Later on, she fall in love with drums, and her teachers included Irving Carvallo, Gonzalo Farrugia and Hugo's brother Osvaldo Fattoruso (1948-2012), the drummer on both Los Shakers and OPA. She took part in such bands as Distorición Alternativa, Metalmorfosis, S.H.O.C.K., Kirlian, In-Sector, Aqueronte, Coral, Magikasoul and Nucleo Urbano. Now it's time for the HA Duo.
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The next concert:
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CD/DVD Set of the Month - "Hugo Fattoruso: En Concierto"
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Hugo Fattoruso: "En Concierto" (Montevideo Music Group)
Executive Producer: Alejandra Volpi
DVD Directed by Guillermo Casanova
Engineered by Luis Restuccia & Pablo Macedo
Assistant Engineer: Javier Longhi
Cover Photo: Diego Varela
Liner Photos: Patricia Torres
Featuring: Hugo Fattoruso (acoustic piano, accordion, vocals), Ciruela Fattoruso (electric bass), Jorge Osvaldo Fattoruso aka George Fattoruso (drums), Carlos Quintana, Nicólas Mora & Quique Gule (acoustic guitars), Tálita Marquez (pandeiro), Leo Méndez (soprano sax), Martin Morón (trombone), and the members of the percussion trio Rey Tambor: Diego Paredes, Noé Núñez & Fernando Núñez.
This 2-disc set is an essential item for all fans of Hugo Fattoruso. The CD includes only music (except for a story about "Your Star"), while the DVD includes an insightful interview with our hero doing comments about all tracks, plus an extra song ("Mi Cancion") played during the credits, and two bonus videoclips: "Sudestada" (a piano solo theme composed by Jaime Roos) and "Llamadas."
Highlights: the lovely choro "Piano, Pandeiro e Passarinho" (composed in Tokyo but an hommage to his affinity with Brazil, where he lived for many years), the haunting "Milonga de Nagoya" (a piano/guitar duo with Quique Gule), a duo with his late brother Osvaldo Fattoruso (what a drummer!) on "Idea" (co-written with his colleagues from OPA, Ringo Thielmann and Osvaldo), the meeting with his son Alex Ciruela Fattoruso (a great bassist like his brother Francisco) on "Conmigo," the pop ballad "Your Star" sung in English, the romantic song "Historia Real" co-written with Alejandra Volpi and sung in Spanish, "19 Capitales" played as an accordion solo number, and the candombe "Vigilia del Tiempo" performed with Rey Tambor.
Vocal CD of the Month - "Sherri Roberts: Lovely Days"
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Sherri Roberts with Bliss Rodriguez: "Lovely Days" (Blue House/Pacific Coast Jazz)
Produced by Sherri Roberts
Engineered by Gary Mankin (recording) & Seth Glassman (mixing) @ Alder Sounds, NYC, NY
Mastered by Kevin Blacker @ Blacker Mastering, Brooklyn, NY
Photos: Stuart Brinin
Graphic Design: Tim Lewis
Liner Notes: Sherri Roberts & David Udolf
Featuring: Sherri Roberts (vocals), Bliss Rodriguez (acoustic piano)
This is not an album of singer backed by a pianist. Instead, it's really a rare vocal/piano duo session. With her warm & bright voice, Sherri dialogues with Bliss Rodriguez, who plays in an impeccable and very sophisticated way throughout the CD. Highlights: "What'll I Do" (Irving Berlin), "Nice 'N' Easy" (Lew Spence-Alan & Marilyn Bergman), Michael Leonard's sumptuous waltz "I'm All Smiles" (from the 1965 Broadway show "The Yearling" and later covered by Bill Evans on his underrated 1970 album with Leonard, "From Left To Right"), and Sherri's top performance on the album, "Soon It's Gonna Rain" (Harvey Schmidt-Tom Jones).
There's also an excellent take on Dave Frishberg's "Our Love Rolls On," recorded by the composer on his 1983 LP "The Dave Frishberg Vol.2" for Bill Goodwin's now-defunct Omnisound label. "I originally wrote this for a Burt Reynolds movie," says Dave. "Later, when I saw the movie, I understood why they didn't buy it. The song was totally inappropriate. Nevertheless, I still think of it as 'The Theme From Sharkey's Machine'". Sherri & Bliss do a wonderful job that certainly would make Dave proud.
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Press release:
On her three previous albums, San Francisco vocalist Sherri Roberts collaborated with jazz masters like Phil Woods, Chris Potter, Lew Soloff, and bassist Harvie S, who also presided as producer/arranger for the highly-regarded small-group sessions.
Roberts takes a different tack on Lovely Days, her fourth album as a leader and her second for Blue House Recordings/Pacific Coast Jazz. On the new CD, she chose to work in a duo setting with Bliss Rodriguez, a brilliant but little-documented pianist who, like Roberts, has been a Bay Area resident since the 1980s. The two have been gigging together on and off for the last six years.
In a departure from more typical vocal/piano duos where the focus is strictly on the singer, "I decided to approach this recording as an opportunity to let Bliss stretch out, because I wanted people to experience his inventiveness," says Roberts, who handled CD production alone for the first time. "But I also wanted the album to reflect the kind of experiences I've had on our gigs together. I wanted these songs to unfold as they would as if people were hearing us live. We're feeding off each other emotionally."
The CD takes its title from the opening medley of Irving Berlin's "It's a Lovely Day Today" and "Isn't It a Lovely Day." Roberts and Rodriguez also put their stamp on Harold Arlen's "Hit the Road to Dreamland," Rodgers and Hammerstein's "We Kiss in a Shadow," Dave Frishberg's "Our Love Rolls On," and, from The Fantasticks, "Soon It's Gonna Rain."
Many of the songs, says Roberts, provided the soundtrack to her Southern childhood. "But even though Bliss is twelve years my senior, and from New York City, he grew up with these same soundtracks at a different phase of his life," she says. "They are every bit as much his songs as they are mine."
A leading torchbearer for the less-is-more school of jazz singing, Roberts has listened closely to understated vocalists like Helen Merrill, Irene Kral, and Chet Baker. "Sherri consistently demonstrates her deep understanding of lyric and nuance," says bassist and frequent creative partner Harvie S.
Sherri Roberts's knack for uncovering the roiling emotional undercurrent of a lyric probably stems from her theatrical background. Born in Greenville, South Carolina and raised in Atlanta, Roberts spent her teenage years as an aspiring actor. She earned a B.A. in theater from Antioch College in Ohio, while at the same time exploring her newfound fascination with jazz.
Sherri Roberts with Deputy Relocating to the Bay Area in the early 1980s, Roberts (at left with Deputy) pursued her love of theater, but gradually discovered that she could find more immediate creative release in jazz, investigating characters and an entire narrative arc in the course of a song. Turning her attention to the bandstand, she started sitting in at open mic sessions, learning tunes and honing her skills as a storyteller.
She recorded two acclaimed albums for Brownstone Records, Twilight World (1996) and Dreamsville (1998), with The Sky Could Send You following in 2006 for Pacific Coast Jazz. About the latter CD, Christopher Loudon wrote in JazzTimes: "Stylistically, Roberts bears a significant resemblance to gin 'n' satin seductress Julie London. But where London's voice was distant as a winter moon, Roberts' is all dappled sunshine. . . shimmering delicacy. . . Enchanting."
Bliss Rodriguez was born in New York City in 1945 to parents from the Dominican Republic. Blind since the age of 17, Rodriguez studied at Juilliard and graduated from the Mannes College of Music, then earned his Master's in performance and composition from SUNY's Harpur College at Binghamton. He spent much of the 1970s in Houston, performing with rising star vocalist Roseanna Vitro, and worked on the New York and Los Angeles scenes before settling in San Francisco in 1986.
"From the get-go I felt that Bliss was a real original," says Roberts. "He hasn't really recorded much, if at all. In the duo setting, which is how we work, he's so abundantly creative. It's a setting in which you're both laid bare. As time went on I felt we should try to capture some of this relationship and Bliss's talents. That was the impetus to go into the studio and make this recording."
Instrumental CD of the Month - "John Stein: Bing Bang Boom"
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Instrumental CD of the Month
John Stein: "Bing Bang Boom!" (Whaling City)
Produced by John Stein
Executive Producer: Neal Weiss
Recorded, Mixed & Mastered by Peter Kontrimas @ PBS (Westwood, MA)
Liner Notes: Bob Blumenthal
Photos: Kofi & Amy Poliakoff
Album Design: David Arruda, Jr.
Featuring: John Stein (electric guitar), Jako Sherman (acoustic piano, Fender Rhodes electric piano, Hammond organ), John Lockwood (acoustic bass) and Zé Eduardo Nazário (drums)
John Stein's fourth CD as the leader of a brilliant quartet that features Brazil's top jazz drummer Zé Eduardo Nazário, "Bing Bang Boom!" showcases a new level of interaction between them, as well as between bassist John Lockwood and the group's newest member, keyboardist Jake Sherman, who debuted on the quartet's previous album, "Hi Fly."
Highlights: the ingenious hip-hop groove (outstanding brushwork by Nazário!) on Stanley Turrentine's signature theme, "Sugar"; a medley that beautifully adds a slow-bossa nova pulse to both Charles Mingus' "Duke Ellington's Sound of Love" and Billy Strayhorn's "Chelsea Bridge"; Stein's own "Belo Horizonte," with the guitarist quoting Jobim's "One Note Samba" over Nazário's "sambão" beat in the intro, and Sherman later soloing on the acoustic piano, followed by Lockwood; Richard Rodgers' "Lover," on which Stein's "Jim Hall meets Pat Martino" approach shines with full intensity during a perfectly built solo, followed by Sherman on the Hammond and Nazário loose solo style on the drums; Victor Young's "Delilah," from the 1949 movie "Samson and Delilah," played on top of a tipically Brazilian "maracatu" beat, yet the best jazz version of this tune since the one by the Clifford Brown/Max Roach Quintet in 1954. What else could you ask for?
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