Jazz

Sao Paulo Panic - The innovative and experimental idea was seeded at jazzahead! 2019. As Dani Gurgel explains: "I put together a panel at the festival and invited other artists, including Thiago Rabello and Martin Fabricius, to discuss the language of jazz and how it allows musicians to interact regardless of their nationality. Afterwards, we thought it would be great to put into practice what we discussed and to make an album."

Roger Hanschel (WDR Jazzp award 2018) has already released two CDs with string quartets (Auryn Quartet, Frankfurt Contemporary Quartet) as a composer and saxophonist. In order to add another - now jazzy - color to his collaboration with string quartets, and to complete a trilogy, Hanschel has turned to the jazz string quartet String Thing, one of the string pioneers in the field of improvised music and groove in Germany, which has been released in its Founded 30 years ago, his mentors included members of the Arcado String Trio or the Turtle Island Quartet. The string quartet colour is further enhanced here by the double bass. In addition to the jazz colour, Roger Hanschel's experience with Indian music also flows into his compositions - for example in the form of Tihais (three times recurring rhythmic patterns) and Indian scales interpreted in a harmonious way. "For a long time Roger Hanschel has been considered a representative of a saxophone playing that, starting from jazz, developed far beyond its own genre boundaries. His warm and clear tone, his understanding of complex rhythms and finally his own compositions led to the fact that the music of Roger Hanschel is now associated with a clear idea. Like no other he is able to move towards other musical genres without slipping into superficial attitudes, as is often the case with so-called cross-over. His musical movements are deeper and more natural at the same time.

After Creation/Evolution, which musically represented the origin and development of a planet, the four musicians take the listener one step further into an era of technology and machines. This makes the compositions more minimalistic and less arrange

Cesare Pizzetti is a double bass player and composer, born in Milan on August 5th, 1980. He approaches the world of music as a child thanks to his father who is also a musician, playing the trumpet and the classical guitar. He then went on to study the electric bass and then the double bass, an instrument in which he graduated from the G. Puccini Conservatory in La Spezia under the guidance of Maestro Gabriele Ragghianti.Musician and multifaceted composer, in his artistic career he has faced many musical genres: from pop to rock, from traditional Argentine tango to Bossanova, from songwriting to hip hop (with the group Loop Therapy). But jazz is his first great love. Almost ten years after the publication of Contraire (Music Center 2010), his first author’s album, he returns to jazz with It’s Clearing Up Again. Seven original compositions in addition to Broadway, a famous standard from 1940. With him three talented musicians for years active in the Italian jazz scene: Tullio Ricci on tenor sax, Simone Daclon on piano and Vittorio Sicbaldi on drums. The album also features, in the song Via Grossich, the collaboration of Maestro Tullio De Piscopo, a veritable institution in the Italian and international music scene, with which Pizzetti has been playing steadily for the past ten year

Laurence Pike continues in a rich creative vein with the release of Prophecy, his third solo album in as many years. Inspired to write and record in response to the devastating wild fires in his native Australia, the percussionist, composer and producer has created a work for our times. Adopting the working formula of 'one take' studio performances for drum kit and sampler; channelling the moment through Pike's singular, organic use of electronics, and intuitively constructed arrangements. There is an instinctive and emotional resonance here, driven by his reaction to the climate emergency.

Digipak, Limited Edition, Remastered. This edition contains all existing master takes from the Charlie Parker with Strings Verve recordings. That includes all of Bird’s studio masters with strings, which initially appeared on Parker With Strings (Clef Records MGC-675), as well as his professionally recorded Carnegie Hall set, fi rst issued as Midnight Jazz at Carnegie Hall (Verve MV-2562). As a bonus, we have added a rare alternate take of “Laura”.Charlie Parker, alto sax on all tracks, plus:String Orchestras conducted by Jimmy Carroll, Joe Lipman & Neal Hefti.Recorded in New York, 1947-52.Original sessions produced by Norman Granz.

Digipak, Limited Edition, Reissue, Remastered. With Charlie Parker under contract, producer Norman Granz recorded him in a variety of contexts, among them putting Bird’s sax in front of a Latin rhythm section. A couple of sessions, from which eight tunes ended up on the 10” LP South of the Border (Mercury MGC-513), featured Bird with small groups including veteran jazz players with the addition of José Mangual on bongos and Luis Miranda on congas. All of the master takes from those dates, along with Bird’s studio recordings with Machito’s big band, have been included on this CD, which also contains several alternate takes from the sessions. Charlie Parker, alto sax On all tracks, plus: 1-3, 9-10 & 17-18: Walter Bishop, Jr. (p), Teddy Kotick (b), Roy Haynes (d), José Mangual (bongos), Luis Miranda (congas). New York, March 12, 1951.4-8 & 15-16: Benny Harris (tp), Walter Bishop, Jr. (p), Teddy Kotick (b), Max Roach (d), Luis Miranda (congas), José Mangual (bongos). New York, January 23, 1952.11-14 & 19: Machito and His Afro Cuban Orchestra. New York, 1948-50.All original sessions produced by Norman Granz.

8 Bonus Tr. - Incl. Booklet With Up-To-Date Liner Notes

The release of Nerio Papik Poggi‘s latest collection dedicated to Italian music is still fresh. Despite this, the Roman producer presents us, for the summer, the new volume of his collections of classic Italian songs revisited in his typical Nu Jazz Lounge sounds. After the volumes dedicated to Bruno Martino, Mina and Lucio Battisti, in this new collection, we find tributes to various classics of Italian music. All made with the usual collaborators.

Berlin-based Swedish saxophonist Otis Sandsjö returns with the eagerly-awaited sequel to "Y-OTIS". On "Y-OTIS 2", released by Helsinki's We Jazz Records on July 24, Sandsjö and his close associate, bassist/producer Petter Eldh (of Koma Saxo), deepen their vision of genre-bending, forward-looking "liquid jazz" of tomorrow. The core group also includes Dan Nicholls on keys and Tilo Weber on drums, and also featured on the album are Swedish jazz greats Jonas Kullhammar (of Koma Saxo) and Per "Texas" Johansson, cellist Lucy Railton and trumpeter Ruhi-Deniz Erdogan. Diving deeper into "Y-OTIS 2", you'll find details and ideas galore. The album is an inviting and inspiring audio mosaic, which links back into the previous Sandsjö/Eldh collaborations, namely "Y-OTIS" and "Koma Saxo". The result is a balanced album which quenches your thirst while making you more thirsty in the process. In other words, the many micro moods and sonic levels herein invite repeated listening, while the underlying rhythmic approach is informed as much by hip hop and electronica as by jazz, making the music approachable in a very natural way. It seems unnecessary to pull the album apart by name-checking individual tracks but just for the sake of easy introduction, the single cuts "tremendoce", "ity bity" and "abysmal" offer one idea of signposts along which to navigate. "tremendoce" brings in Swedish jazz great Jonas Kullhammar (of Koma Saxo) and Per "Texas" Johansson, introducing an infectious flute loop integrating into the Y-OTIS sound, making it organic to the bone. "ity bity" could be built on a new wave synth sample (but it's not) and "abysmal" brings more serene, even ambient-sounding sonic pathways onto the map. It all belongs together, and makes for a sound that is instantly recognisable and constantly fresh. This is "Mauerpark liquid jazz" for the new decade. "Y-OTIS 2" will be released by We Jazz Records on vinyl, CD and digitally. The vinyl comes in two versions: standard black edition in a heavy-duty tip-on sleeve and a special "PSYCORE edition" on glow in the dark green vinyl in a heavy-duty tip-on sleeve. The CD comes in a cardboard digisleeve

After offering us a taste in the summer of 2019 with the beautiful single 019, the first Orange Combutta album finally comes out today. The project was born from an idea by Giovanni Minguzzi (drums) who, starting from the trio with Davide Tardozzi (guitar) and Lorenzo Serasini (bass), expanded the training, to create a collective that would allow him to experiment in various directions: between the musicians involved stand out esteemed and well-known names in the experimental field such as Paolo Raineri (Ottone Pesante, trumpet) and Vincenzo Vasi (OoopopoiooO, theremin, voice and other small instruments), alongside musicians coming mainly from the jazz environment such as Gabriele Carbone, Federico Squassabia, Massimo Morganti, Giacomo Bertocchi, Sebastian Mannutza, Nicola Nieddu. Later the group is enriched with the arrival of the producer Mattia “Matta” Dallara (Amycanbe, Lucifour M, Mack, Jestofunk …) and MYK L (Michele Ducci of M + A, present here in the voice in 5 tracks), last piece to make the Orange Combutta sound: soul hip-hop rhythm, orchestral synthesis, live electronics, samples, a surrealist theremin, ethereal voices and dreamy melodies, all looking at the imaginary of the films of Spike Lee, Wes Anderson, Sergio Leone and Hayao Miyazaki. Thanks to the breadth of the collective of musicians, the project can develop through the dialogue between electric and electronic sounds on one side, acoustic and orchestral on the other. Many of the songs were born in the rehearsal room starting from micro ideas by Minguzzi, Tardozzi and Serasini: four chords and a bass ride, which were then developed and arranged, albeit without bringing them to a classic song shape, leaving free the compositional experimentation and orchestration. The orchestral micro-section is made up of a very unusual ensemble: the winds are composed of trombone, trumpet and alto sax (sax which if necessary becomes a flute, clarinet or bass clarinet), while the strings are composed of 2 5-string violins, which allow a wider sound range having both the extension of the violin and that of the viola. Orange Combutta is an atypical collective. Their music wants to be an example of how a myriad of small suites can help describe a cohesive and personal sound, in which multiple microcosms represent colorful facets of a musical universe, which manages to make their oxymorons vibrate together. In Vol.pe I from the first song to the last, fragments are embedded which immerse and re-emerge subsequently: they are scenic and emotional sinkings, created by many instrumental and vocal contributions, in which the use of varispeed & family was fundamental. We could call it Harmonic Schizophrenia.

Strut present a comprehensive 2CD / 3LP compilation of the seminal Oneness Of Juju, led by Plunky J. Branch. Tracing their career from the band’s earliest work in 1970 with South African exiled jazzman Ndikho Xaba in San Francisco, the compilation covers the band’s journey to New York’s loft jazz scene, forming Juju and releasing two landmark albums of hard-hitting percussive jazz on Strata-East. “I saw myself as a cultural warrior,” explains Plunky. “We studied about Africa and tried to infuse our music with an African spirit.” Moving back to his hometown of Richmond, Virginia during the mid-‘70s, Plunky drew in a superb new group of musicians and vocalists and created the band’s new incarnation, Oneness Of Juju, retaining the African influence but fusing his sound with funk and R’n’B on the classic ‘African Rhythms’ album. “We realised that, if we put a backbeat to the Afro-Cuban rhythms, people in Richmond and Washington D.C. could be drawn into it; it didn't change anything about our message.” The change would lead to a series of enduring soul-jazz classics on Jimmy Gray’s Black Fire label, including ‘River Luv Rite’, ‘Plastic’ and ‘Don’t Give Up’ and their biggest crossover international hit, ‘Every Way But Loose’ in 1982, later famously remixed by Larry Levan. The band received renewed interest in their music during the mid-‘80s as Washington D.C.’s go-go innovators cited the band as a major influence and rare groove DJs revived their albums for London dancefloors. ‘African Rhythms 1970-1982’ reprises a compilation released on Strut in 2001 and is newly remastered by Frank Merritt at The Carvery. Both formats feature a 12” sized 4pp booklet featuring rare photos and a comprehensive interview with Plunky Branch within liner notes by Chris Menist

Saxophonist and composer Quinsin Nachoff’s career to date has delivered a boundary-crossing body of work that’s consistently unpredictable, fearlessly innovative, breathtakingly accomplished, and full of creative passion, constantly increasing its scope to encompass ever greater horizons. His new album Pivotal Arc presents his most ambitious project yet: bringing together virtuoso violin soloist Nathalie Bonin with a jazz-inflected unit comprising two established giants of the NY scene, bassist Mark Helias and drummer Satoshi Takeishi, and the stunning young vibraphone player Michael Davidson, and adding a wind and string ensemble conducted by JC Sanford for a concerto that boldly mixes written and improvised sections. A contemporary string quartet performed by the renowned Molinari String Quartet and the extended title piece round out the album. The result is three diverse long-form works that flow naturally together, demonstrating Nachoff’s equally heartfelt facility with the free-flowing language of jazz improvisation, the depth and rigour of classical composition and the direct melodicism of folk forms. The three-part violin concerto is built around Nachoff’s long-standing creative partnership with Nathalie Bonin and showcases her extraordinary range and versatility. “Nathalie’s drive is very intense, her musical interests are really diverse, and she dives into whatever challenge and works at it until she masters it!” The first movement is an imaginary deconstructed and reconstructed Tango that sets the tone, intensity and sound palette for the entire work. After the improvised violin solo, the orchestra ferociously returns with nearly a concerto for orchestra section that gradually winds down to a dream-like cadenza, setting up the second movement. “I love Astor Piazolla and I’d heard Nathalie improvise brilliantly in that setting - Stravinsky also looms large and Weill and Ligeti were very inspiring as well, but the tango was the main focus, twisted and deconstructed in different ways” The second movement is a haunting ballad that sweeps through several tonal landscapes “Where Berg meets Ellington!” A gorgeous improvised violin solo leads into both a written and improvised cadenza that connects to the final movement. It is Balkan-infused and showcases the violinist's virtuosic range and rhythmic strength. The String Quartet represents some of Nachoff’s most intricate writing to date, allowing him to explore his deep attachment to the tradition and his engagement with contemporary iterations. “I like to keep up with what’s happening now in quartet writing and this gave me the opportunity to explore some of those ideas – pitch axis, using quarter tones, etc., but still keeping a jazz influence because that’s a large part of my background” Each of the four movements is a miniature concerto for each member of the quartet. The first movement features Violin II, the probing second movement showcases the Viola, the vacillating third movement is for the Cello and the intense final movement is for Violin I. “It felt like it was improvised, it had this really alive, vibrant feeling to it that is a testament to the Molinari’s exceptional work as an ensemble” The final, titular piece, ‘Pivotal Arc’ is Nachoff’s extended reflection on the critical position we currently find ourselves regarding climate change. It features opening and closing solos from bassist Mark Helias, inspired contributions throughout from Michael Davidson, a call and response solo section between the orchestra and drummer Satoshi Takeishi and an improvisation section moving through a variety of moods for Nachoff’s tenor saxophone. “Mark is so accomplished and so individual, always able to add an element of surprise in any setting! Satoshi is similarly unique: he adds so much energy and always sees the big picture. Michael was phenomenal on both the improvisations and the written sections and JC Sanford was essential to realize the project and get the blend right" With a sonic palette that ranges across the spectrum from Strayhorn and Mancini to Bartok and Berg, this is a stunningly original set of pieces that will cement Nachoff's reputation as a major cross-genre musical force.

Violist/improviser/composer Mat Maneri envisages his music as one of activity in stasis, or motion within stillness. His music continues from the lineage of master improvisers Paul Bley and Paul Motian with a sound that is distinctly his own and deve

The sequel to the successful Jazz On The Corner compilation (released 2018), once again compiled by actor Martin Freeman and DJ/Acid Jazz co-founder Eddie Piller. An album full of jazz jewels, a little off the beaten track. Includes lesser known tracks by Nina Simone and Nicola Conte, classics by Roberta Flack, Roy Ayers and The MJQ, and many more.

For Les Brünettes, 4 is much more than just a number: Four artists, singers, songwriters, and performers, all on equal footing, make up Les Brünettes. To our greatest delight, these confident young women found their own way: The female way of A cappella. Juliette Brousset, Stephanie Neigel, Julia Pellegrini and Lisa Herbolzheimer broke the chains and codes of a cappella. Four identities and personalities meet, criss-cross and come together. The outcome is entertaining, seductive, magical, just like life can be… and very feminin! The four artists mix different genres: Funk rhythms and House-Beats meet Rap and Chanson, and mingle with elements of soul and pop-music. What do all the tracks have in common? Groooove!! They do beatbox and body percussion: you’ll hear their hands, their feet, their fingers snaping and even…. kisses!

Baltimorean pianist LAFAYETTE HARRIS JR. is known for an energetic sense of rhythmic vitality, a tasty, full bodied musical approach to the keyboard, and a sensibility drenched in the blues. A staple at the Lenox Lounge in Harlem for a number of year

Karrin Allyson proudly confirms the highly anticipated physical release of Shoulder to Shoulder, a very special and timely album that celebrates the centennial of womens suffrage. In addition to five-time Grammy nominee Karrin Allyson, the sextet al

Wu Hen is the sophomore album from Peckham visionary Kamaal Williams -- an invitation to elevate to a higher state. Cinematic strings from Miguel-Atwood Ferguson and virtuoso saxophone from Quinn Mason are textural additions that make for a deeper, multi-layered experience than previous releases. Bringing groove back to the forefront, Wu Hen oscillates between celestial jazz, funk, rap and r&b reinforced with the rugged beat-heavy attitude of grime, jungle, house and garage – a self-styled fusion Kamaal describes as Wu Funk. New players on this record include LA’s Greg Paul on drums (of Kalayst Collective), Rick Leon James on bass, Quinn Mason on saxophone alongside vocal features from cult rapper Mach-Hommy and Kaytranada collaborator Lauren Faith. Multi-talented renaissance musician Miguel Atwood-Ferguson (who has worked with Ray Charles, Flying Lotus, Dr. Dre, Mary J. Blige, and Seu Jorge) contributes signature strings, which add vivid colour and rich depth, evoking vintage David Axelrod. Kamaal rose to prominence with the hugely acclaimed Yussef Kamaal alongside drummer Yussef Dayes and a catalogue of 12”s for imprints such as MCDE, Eglo, and Rhythm Section as Henry Wu that became essential DJ tools. In 2018 he launched Black Focus Records with the Kamaal Williams debut The Return, which charted in the UK and saw sold out shows and festival appearances across Europe, North America and Asia

"If you asked musicians today where in the world famous recording studios are, they would probably come up with answers: the Abbey Road studios in London, where the Beatles recorded; the Capitol studios in Los Angeles, where Frank Sinatra sang; Hitsv"