New Jazz Adds – 11/12/2019

New Jazz Adds – 11/12/2019

Lolly Allen – Coming Home (OA2): “Originally from Westport, New York, Lolly studied on scholarship at the New England Conservatory and received the honor of performing her original composition “Daylight Savings” in the graduation concert.  She received classical training from world-renowned percussionist Gordon Stout at Ithaca College, and has studied improvisation with a host of jazz masters, including Danilo Perez, Dave Samuels, George Garzone, John McNeil, & Cecil McBee….and has performed with top jazz musicians including Terry Gibbs, Bob Mintzer, Rodney Whitaker, Maria Schneider, Donald Byrd, Plas Johnson, Jiggs Whigham, and The Jazz Composers Alliance. In 2016 she was the first woman to be awarded the L.A Jazz Society’s Vibe Summit XXIII Honoree Award.  In 2017, she was invited to present legendary vibist Terry Gibbs with his Hall of Fame Induction at the World Vibes Congress, and was included in the Malletech Publication “Masters of the Vibes”.” (http://www.lollyvibe.com/press.html) This is her second release and it features two original compositions and covers of such gems as Horace Silver’s “The Hippest Cat In Town”, Dizzy Gillespie’s “Bebop”, Jobim’s “O Grande Amor” and Tad Dameron’s “If You Could See Me Now”. Backing musicians include Danny Janklow (alto & Tenor sax), Jordan Richards (bass), with shifting players such as Josh Nelson and Tom Owens (piano), Paul Kreibich and Kendall Kay (drums), Carl Saunders (trumpet), Scott Whitfield (trombone) and Adam Schroeder (bari sax). Click here to listen to a sample song.

Lucas Brown – Skyviews (Self-produced): “Lucas Brown is a performing artist, composer and educator.  He actively performs both Jazz and Classical music and has performed around the US at such venues as Carnegie Hall, the Kimmel Center, the Jazz Standard and the Blue Note, as well as in Europe and Asia.  His compositions have been presented throughout the US and Europe…. he has performed with such Jazz artists as Pat Martino, Eric Alexander, Terell Stafford, and Gerald Veasley.” (http://jekim.org/lucas_brown_website/biography.html) He composed all of the songs on this disc. In addition to Brown’s organ, the players include Elliot Bild (trumpet), Behn Gillece (vibes), Doug Hirlinger (drums), Nick Lombardelli (trombone), Sean Markey (guitar) and Victor North (tenor sax). There are some uniquely beautiful and hip shifts from song to song and during single songs. Click here to listen to samples of the songs on this disc.

Harry Connick, Jr – True Love: A Celebration Of Cole Porter (Verve): Singer Harry Connick, Jr. offers a celebration of the music of Cole Porter offering new arrangements that when blended with his voice enhance the mixture of a new taste of Porter as sung by Frank Sinatra. It’s a first class performance throughout. Songs include “Anything Goes”, “I Love Paris”, “In The Still Of The Night” and “You’d Be So Nice To Come Home To” – 13 in all! Click here to listen to “Just One Of Those Things”, which is also on the disc.

Flying Horse Big Band – Good News (Flying Horse): Jeff Rupert is an accomplished composer, saxophonist, record producer, and recording artist who has been a featured soloist with artists including Sam Rivers, Mel Tormé, Maynard Ferguson, and Benny Carter. He is currently the leader of The Jazz Professors, director of The Flying Horse Big Band, and conductor of the Florida Symphony Youth Jazz Orchestra. Rupert is a Yamaha artist and founder of Flying Horse Records. This is the band’s sixth release and the players are Saul Dautch, Declan Ward, Dylan Hannan, Andy Garcia and Kristian Rey (saxes); Marco Rivera, Matt Pieper, Courtland, Beyer and Randy Le (trumpets); Jeremiah St. John, Christian Herrera, Garrett Gauvin and Matt Kerr (trombones); and Mikal Mancini (keys); Zach Greene (bass, bass guitar); Chris Medina (guitar) and Devon Costanza (drums) with special guests from the UCF Studio Orchestra Chung Park and the Jazz Professors: Jeff Rupert (tenor sax); Per Danielsson (piano); Richard Drexler (bass);  Bobby Koelble (guitar) and Marty Morell (drums). Click here to listen to samples of the songs on this disc.

Erroll Garner – Now Playing (Mack Avenue): “This classic Garner album contains music from some of the last studio sessions of Garner’s longest running trio, with Calhoun (bass) and Martin (drums). After nearly a decade of touring and recording together, they function here as an uncanny musical unit, deftly navigating Garner’s twists and turns. Here are a dozen of his favorite deep cuts from the movies he loved.” (Click here to listen to a sample from this disc.) Click here to listen to samples of the songs on this disc.

Elias Haslanger & Church On Monday – For Being There (Cherrywood): “Over the span of his 25-year music career, native Texan and Austin resident Elias Haslanger has carved a unique and distinguished place in jazz history as a saxophonist, composer, and band leader, whose playing and writing has drawn comparisons to John Coltrane, Sonny Rollins, Ben Webster, and Wayne Shorter. He has performed, recorded, and toured with many world-class artists including Ellis Marsalis, Maynard Ferguson, Christopher Cross, Asleep at the Wheel, Alejandro Escovedo, Charlie Hunter, Sheryl Crow, Doyle Bramhall II, Grupo Fantasma, The Four Tops, and The Temptations, among many others.” (https://www.elijazz.com/bio.html) This appears to be Haslanger’s seventh release as a leader. In addition to Haslanger on tenor sax, the players are Dr. James Polk (organ), Scott Laningham (drums), Daniel Durham (bass) and Tommy Howard (guitar). Kyle Thompson replaces drummer Laningham on two songs. Polk and Haslanger each contribute an original composition to this disc. The interplay is solid throughout. Click here to listen samples of the songs on this disc.

Tomas Janzon – 130th & Lenox (Changes Music): This appears to be Tomas Janzon’s sixth release and he has a wonderful crew of musicians who share their solo times wonderfully. Janzon’s guitar floats through songs with wonderfully flowing runs that find their way to the center of the song and then floats with vibraphonist Steve Nelson who plays on six of the eleven songs. Those interactions are absolutely the pinnacle of the performance. There are two rhythm sections with which performed on different days of recording: Hilliard Greene (bass) and Chuck McPherson (drums) on one set and Nedra Wheeler (bass) and Donald Dean (drums) on the other. Click here to listen to samples of all of the songs on this set.

Todd Marcus – Trio+ (Striker Street): “Based in Baltimore, MD, Marcus actively leads small ensembles such as the Todd Marcus Quartet, Trio, and Duo as well as his nonet – The Todd Marcus Jazz Orchestra which features his compositions and arrangements for six horns, piano, bass, and drums.” (musicians.allaboutjazz.com/toddmarcus) Marcus mostly plays bass clarinet on this set, but shifting to clarinet on one song. He also composed eight of the twelve selections on this release. The covers are “Neophilia” (Bennie Maupin), “My Foolish Heart” (Victor Young), “How Deep Is The Ocean” (Irving Berlin) and “Invitation (Bronislaw Kaper). The players who accompany Marcus are Ralph Peterson on drums on all but two selections, which are covered by Eric Kennedy; Jeff Reed and Ameen Salem (trading off on bass); and Sean Jones (trumpet on four songs). Click here for an introduction to this disc by Todd Marcus.

Leslie Odom Jr –Mr (S-Curve): “Leslie Odom Jr. is an American actor and singer. He has performed on Broadway and in television and film, and has released two solo jazz albums. He is known for originating the role of Aaron Burr in the Broadway musical Hamilton, a performance for which he won the 2016 Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical and the Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album as a principal vocalist.” (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leslie_Odom_Jr.) This is his second release purely as a singer, yet his singing performances on this disc is clearly centered as a stage performance. This is his forth release over all. Click here to listen to the opening song on this disc.

One O’Clock Lab Band – One O’Clock Lab Band (Lab 2019): “The One O’Clock Lab Band ® is the premier performing ensemble of the University of North Texas jazz studies program…. One O’Clock Lab Band ® maintains its uncanny aptitude for both timeliness and timelessness with the November 22 release of Lab 2019 (North Texas Jazz). The latest installment in an annual series that has continued since 1967, the album features six original student compositions, five of them by members of the 20-piece student ensemble, as well as two standards with new student-penned arrangements.” (oneoclock.unt.edu) The players are Kyle Myers, Patrick Hill, Will Nathman, Addison Jordan, Andrew Duncan (saxophones); Nick Owsik, Eric Diaz, Chris Van Leeuwen, Kazunori Tanaka, Gregory Newman (trumpets);  Nathan Davis, DJ Rice, Drew Kilpela, Ian Calhoun, Tommy Barttels (trombones); Marion Powers (voice); Ethan Ditthardt (guitar); Michael Clement (piano, keyboard); Eric Hitt (basses); and Luke Berger (drums, percussion). Click here to listen to a song from this disc.

Spirit Fingers – Spirit Fingers (Shanachie): “Spirit fingers. The act of gesticulating one’s fingers while holding the hands in the air. An act typically performed by individuals who can’t dance but who want to participate with those who are doing so. Occasionally accompanied by the shaking of the head or upper torso. Similar to jazz hands except that the hands and arms are held steady.” (www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=spirit… ) “Spirit Fingers is a contemporary jazz quartet based in Los Angeles born during the breakout of West Coast Get Down scene that birthed Kamasi Washington, Thundercat, Kendrick Lamar, Miles Mosley, and many others. Their sound combines the very best of early-’70s jazz fusion (complete with ambitious tempo shifts and key changes), hip-hop, pop, and modern funk.” (https://www.allmusic.com/artist/spirit-fingers-mn0003715105/biography) The players are Gerg Spero (piano/composer), Dario Chiazzolino (guitar), Hardrien Feraud (bass) and Mike Mitchell (drums). Their blend is totally vibrant and and invigorating. Click here to listen the songs on this disc.

Andrea Superstein – World’s Apart (Factor): This is apparently Superstein’s third release and it is a fascinating work of art! It seems she has recorded two discs previously. Ten of the thirteen songs on this set are originals. Superstein is supported by John Roney (piano, Rhodes, B3), Remi-Jean Leblanc (bass), Mark Nelson (drums), Jacques Kuba-Seguin (trumpet), Michael Occhipinti (guitar), Eveline Rousseau (harp), Eric Hove (sax), Bryan Deans (cello) and Elizabeth Shepherd (background vocals). The covers are “Angel Eyes”, Don’t Think Twice It’s Alright” and “My Favorite Things” performed in French, as is “Hakol”. The variety is certainly interesting and the performances very cool. Click here to listen to the songs on this disc and the previous one if you like!

Kopasetically,

Professor Bebop

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