Paquito D'Rivera added another accolade to his successful career the 2014 Grammy for his album "Song for Maura"

In one of the most brilliant careers of some Latin American musician, for the world, Paquito D'Rivera overcame a Latin Jazz stars such as Wayne Wallace, Omar Sosa, Roberto Fonseca and vocalist Buika feeling of the moment. 

D'Rivera was to support "Song for Maura" the Brazilian Trio Corrente and thus add valuable prizes to those already obtained, the Grammy 2014 goes to showcase the great artist. 

Hear it live with the theme of the same name from Barranquijazz Album Winner 2013 (Colombia). 

¡¡Viva The Latin Jazz!!

Guitarist Jack Hertzog friends with excellent musicians in various scenarios today premiering their new album "Throwback"

Jake Hertzog @NAMM Appearing and performing at Aalberg Audio Booth 7627 during the entire show (Jan 23-26th) with special guests Eric Udel, Hayes Greenfield, John Mader and more!  Also performing with Eric Udel at the GHS Strings booth Friday 24th at 3:45pm Jake Hertzog Trio special San Francisco showcase for Aalberg Audio at RUNWAY.  January 30th 6-8:30pm 1355 Market St. Suite #488 San Francisco Special guests John Mader and Dewayne Pate NEW Zoho CD Watch our new live version of "Hands On"  from the new Zoho album THROWBACK. What The Press Is Saying About Jake Hertzog's "Throwback" The expectations have been set high for Jake Hertzog since he had gotten off to such a nice start to his career. Throwback meets those lofty expectations. - S. Victor Aaron, Something Else Reviews Throwback emerges as a major milestone in Hertzog's young career - Glenn Astarita, All About Jazz  Zoho Media Contact: Jim Eigo Jazz Promo Services T: 845-986-1677 E-Mail: jim@jazzpromoservices.com http://www.jazzpromoservices.com/

Gypsy Jazz con la sazon de Ole Swing en Madrid el 25/01/2014

CONCIERTO DE 

OLE SWING
Canción Española + Gypsy-Jazz & Swing

Sábado, 25 de enero de 2012 a las 22:30 h
en la Sala García Lorca, Fundación Casa Patas.
Cañizares 10, 2ª planta, 28012 Madrid.
Teléfono reservas: 91 429 84 71.
Entrada: 15 €.

Paco Rivas (Guitarra), Fernando Bellver (Guitarra), Raúl Márquez (Violín) y Gerardo Ramos (Contrabajo), cuatro de los músicos más importantes de la última generación del Jazz español, formados en la interpretación de distintos estilos y géneros musicales – Jazz, Blues, Rock, Flamenco - y cómplices habituales de figuras de la talla de Jorge Pardo, Diego “El Cigala”, Joaquín Cortés, Antonio Serrano,Jerry González, Rafael Amargo, Eva Durán, Pasión Vega, Antonio Carmona, La Cabra Mecánica, Tito Alcedo o Nono García, unen sus fuerzas en OLE SWING, uno de los proyectos más originales, apasionantes y personales de la música popular española en los últimos años. El reto no es pequeño: Hallar el punto de encuentro entre dos líneas musicales paralelas, el nexo imposible entre dos territorios a un tiempo cercanos y remotos: La Copla – nuestra Copla - y el chispeante Gypsy Jazz francés del periodo de entreguerras (también conocido como “Jazz Manouche”), que el mundo enteró conoció a través de la colosal figura del guitarrista Django Reinhardt y su mítico Quinteto del Hot Club de Francia. Así, clásicos inmortales de ADN profundamente cañí como“Ojos Verdes” (Miguel de Molina), “El Emigrante” (Juanito Valderrama), “Pena, Penita, Pena” (Lola Flores), “La Morena De Mi Copla” (Concha Piquer), y hasta piezas “serias” de profundo sabor español como “El Amor Brujo”, de Manuel de Falla, se ven mágica y deliciosamente transformadas en irresistibles piezas de Swing parisién, sin perder un ápice de su esencia y su maravillosa singularidad. Mención aparte merecen las participaciones especiales de la cantaora Eva Durán en una deliciosa interpretación de “Te Lo Juro Yo” llena de embrujo arrabalero, y Toni Zenet, recreando magistralmente - como solo él sabe - esa pieza eterna y legendaria que es “La Bien Pagá” Dos estilos nacidos en tiempos turbulentos, al calor de los focos de los clubs nocturnos, que han sobrevivido a los incontables vaivenes de los tiempos y las modas, profundamente arraigados en el corazón del Pueblo. Dos mundos aparentemente alejados, que comparten, sin embargo, la pasión, el desgarro, la verdad, y la orgullosa arrogancia características de las músicas callejeras, que los cuatro componentes de OLE SWING, más que “fusionar”, re-inventan y re-construyen desde sus mismos cimientos. Una música nueva, viva y dinámica, que combina la fuerza rítmica del Swing con la intensidad emocional de la Copla y la urgencia vital de las tendencias musicales contemporáneas.

Paco Rivas: Guitarra Fernando Bellver: Guitarra Roberto Jabonero: Violín Josemi Garzón: Contrabajo Síguenos en  www.oleswing.es

The Big Picture - A Cinematic Concert, Music Performed by Krakauer

Premiere: Wednesday, January 29, 2014
Extended Run: Wednesdays at 7:30 P.M. on February 5, 12, 19 and Sundays at 2 P.M. on February 2, 9, 16, 23

At the Museum of Jewish Heritage in
Downtown Manhattan

Clarinet virtuoso David Krakauer showcases his new project, The Big Picture, a multimedia production at the Museum of Jewish Heritage in Downtown Manhattan.

Accompanied by original films created for this show, this cinematic concert tells Krakauer's story of cultural heritage in an artful marriage of music and the moving image. The clarinetist re-imagines themes from iconic films with Jewish content from the last 50 years.

Krakauer's sextet delves into sensual, soaring, and daring interpretations of the music from movies integral to our collective memories, such as Fiddler on the Roof, Sophie's Choice, Life is Beautiful, Cabaret, The Producers and Funny Girl.

"The Big Picture is a special kind of project," says Krakauer. "It's a tour through Jewish history, and an exploration of how the movies show us the universality of our individual quests. I want this experience to serve as an opportunity for all. I am privileged to be the tour guide for this incredible voyage."

The Museum of Jewish Heritage, overlooking New York Harbor, serves as a compelling location.

The CD will be released nationwide on February 18, but is available as a special pre-sale at all performances.

The concert line up is David Krakauer, clarinet; Rob Schwimmer, piano, various keyboards and theremin; Sara Caswell, violin; Mark Helias, double bass; Sheryl Bailey, guitar; and John Hadfield, drums and percussion.

Eddie Daniels & Roger Kellaway Receive The Grand Prix de l'Académie du Jazz For "Duke at the Roadhouse Live in Santa Fe"

Eddie Daniels & Roger Kellaway Receive The Grand Prix de l'Académie du Jazz For "Duke at the Roadhouse Live in Santa Fe" (IPO Recordings)

IPO Recordings is pleased to announce that Eddie Daniels & Roger Kellaway's recording "Duke at the Roadhouse Live in Santa Fe" (IPO IPOC1024) has been awarded the Grand Prix de l'Académie du Jazz . The award recognizes the best record of the year in France. Photo Eddie Daniels & François Lacharme (President of the Jazz Academy) Photo by Philippe Marchin Links to coverage in the French press Le Monde French Daily Liberation Culturejazz   About Duke at the Roadhouse             A pair of undisputable Jazz masters taking on a slice of Duke Ellington’s unparalleled repertoire for artistic interpretation is in itself a formula for greatness.  But when those masters are men like clarinetist/tenor saxophonist Eddie Daniels and pianist Roger Kellaway, that’s simply not enough of a challenge.  So for their third IPO duet recording Duke at the Roadhouse: Live in Santa Fe, these two brilliant collaborators have selected five of Duke’ most popular compositions (and two more heavily associated with him) as a springboard for unique exploration.  And what better way to pay tribute to a man like Ellington.                       Simply concentrating orchestral works into a duo format is a most formidable challenge.  And adding a third voice to the proceedings in the outstanding cellist James Holland on four pieces is a stroke of genius that adds as wholly different orchestral timbre.  But apart from that, serious thought and focus has gone into each selection, providing an angle of perspective to the Ellington canon that is truly arresting.                      Anyone familiar with the histories of these two artists would not be surprised.  Coming to age during the incredibly fertile period of the 1960s, both men matured in that era’s environment of unlimited exploration, best expressed with a foundation of solid roots in the tradition.  On this wonderful recording, a broad palette of Jazz expression is on full display, but never losing sight of the central mantra of Duke Ellington’s imperative – It Don’t Mean a Thing if It Ain’t Got That Swing!                      The album was recorded live at a benefit concert in New Mexico for a group called “Santa Fe Center for Therapeutic Riding” which utilizes horses to help young people with disabilities. Performing in the beautiful Lensic Theater, the visceral audience response that can be heard after (and sometimes during) each track clearly demonstrates how the music created the spontaneous and intimate aura of a club.                     Daniels focuses primarily on the clarinet, an appropriate choice; not only considering the importance of that voice in Duke’s music and the long history of amazing clarinetists - like Barney Bigard, Jimmy Hamilton, Russell Procope and so many others - but also because Eddie has his own reputation of being one of Jazz’ greatest clarinetists.  Kellaway is one of the extremely rare pianists – along with the late Jaki Byard – who can demonstrate the entire history of Jazz piano within any four bars, moving from barrelhouse and stride elements into explosive Cecil Taylor-like chord clusters in an eye blink, without ever departing from the essence of the musical context.  The sheer virtuosity on this recording is astonishing, but in the greatest tradition of Jazz, only there to serve the music, not the ego.                     From the opening track, I’m Beginning To See The Light, a breathtaking tour de force that embraces so many elements of Jazz expression – abstraction, sheer swing, juxtaposition of unison and counterpoint, complexity, spontaneity, trading 4s, 8s and choruses – the jubilation is in full display.  This is followed by a total contrast in one of Duke’s oldest classics, Creole Love Call.  Dulcet clarinet over a bluesy barrelhouse is interspersed with a free-time airiness in this splendid offering.                   The addition of cellist James Holland on four tracks exponentially alters the atmosphere, essentially cubing the energy not just adding another voice.  All of his parts are written by Kellaway (Roger has been highly acclaimed for his earlier Cello Quartets), but Holland’s feel for Jazz is fully apparent and most essential for the music.  With his presence, Perdido – a piece that is too often tossed off playfully – is treated with a stunning arrangement that is highly dramatic, with an episodic chamber-like exposition.  One of Duke’s most beautiful pieces In A Sentimental Mood becomes a chamber suite, launched by a tension-building rolling rhythm stoked by Latin-grooved ostinato piano and transforming through a vast array of palpable textures and moods. Another early Ellington gem, Mood Indigo receives a daring and unusual treatment, an intricately and lovingly structured blend of clarinet, cello and piano that glides around the theme in bits and pieces, only stating it fully in the closing moments of this highly evocative rendition.      In a Mellow Tone finds Daniels equally formidable on tenor, soulfully stating the theme alongside the plaintive cello.  Unaccompanied tenor and piano solos sometimes fragment the time into delightful abstractions, but never losing Duke’s “mellow” intent. Eddie’s tenor also highlights another beautiful ballad, Sophisticated Lady, opening with a solo excursion that teases the beautiful melody before Roger joins in for an extremely soulful portrait of Duke’s elegant Lady, which deftly shifts back and forth between deep blues and evocative balladry.                Daniels and Kellaway each contributed one original apiece dedicated to Duke.  Eddie’s Duke at the Roadhouse is a swirling unison theme featuring outstanding back-to-back solos in straightforward fashion.  Roger’s Duke in Ojai’s descending pattern initially calls to mind Coltrane’s Giant Steps and is an ideal vehicle for superb interplay by the two longtime collaborators who truly enjoy playing music together.               This exceptional album closes with a fascinating rendition of It Don’t Mean a Thing.  Highly impressionistic, with an almost Baroque approach it settles into a deeply hewn groove that clearly adheres to the title.               This is a marvelous album that offers a most singular interpretation of Ellingtonia.

Jim Eigo Jazz Promo Services 272 Ste Route 94 S #1  Warwick, NY 10990 T: 845-986-1677 / F: 845-986-1699 E-Mail: jim@jazzpromoservices.com  Web Site: www.jazzpromoservices.com/

The Matthew Finck Jonathan Ball Project NYC CD Release Party Tonight @ The Cutting Room 8:00 p.m.

The Matthew Finck Jonathan Ball Project NYC CD Release Party Tonight! Monday, January 20th, 2014 8:00PM $15 @ The Cutting Room 44 E. 32nd ST.  New York , US 10016 Purchase Tickets HERE   featuring Matthew Finck-guitar Jonathan Ball –saxophone, Jay Anderson-bass Adam Nussbaum-drums New CD The Matthew Finck Jonathan Ball Project "It's Not That Far" CLICK HERE TO LISTEN NOW

Matthew Finck guitar Jonathan Ball saxophone Randy Brecker trumpet tracks 2, 5, and 7 Jay Anderson bass, Adam Nussbaum drums Produced by: Matthew Finck and Jonathan Ball Track listing: 1. It’s Not That Far 5:58 (Jonathan Ball) 2. Gentle Soul 6:47 (Matthew Finck) 3. Levin’s Impression 5:24 (Jonathan Ball) 4. I Thought You Had Gone 4:57 (Matthew Finck) 5. Conundrum 5:17 (Jonathan Ball) 6. East 86th 6:29 (Matthew Finck) 7. Geppetto 7:27 (Jonathan Ball) 8. The Way You Look Tonight 5:27 (Jerome Kern) 9. Get Up! 4:25 (Matthew Finck) Matthew Finck, guitar, and Jonathan Ball, tenor saxophone, with their new album “It’s Not That Far,” continue the vast and varied range of collaborations between their instruments, expanding their conversations, and on three tracks, enriching their sound with the trumpet and flugelhorn of Randy Brecker. Their collective experience reaches back deep to the blues, gospel, and R&B, is grounded in bebop, and draws from sources as disparate as funk, rock, Bossa Nova and fusion. Matthew Finck (b.1972), has collaborated in the past with Roswell Rudd, John Medeski, and Steve Wilson among many. Jonathan Ball (b.1968), has teamed up with Ira Coleman, Randy Gillespie, Giovanni Hildago, Charles Flores, and Dafnis Prieto, to name just a few. Randy Brecker (b.1945), with two dozen albums under his belt as a leader, and countless albums as a sideman, displays versatility and flawless storytelling that speaks for itself. The rhythm section, anchored by Jay Anderson (b.1955), bass, and Adam Nussbaum (b.1955), drums, delivers a percussive and unerringly consistent pulse that is highly textured and finely layered. Both Jay and Adam have played, and continue to play with, a virtual “Who’s Who” in jazz, performing locally and around the world. Jay notably so with Red Rodney, Joe Sample, and the Maria Schneider Orchestra; Adam with Stan Getz, Dave Liebman, Michael Brecker, and John Scofield. The nine tunes on the album “It’s Not That Far,” are the result of an inspired collaboration between all musicians involved. In Jay and Adam, the co-leaders engage a rhythm section that contributes vast musical experience, complexity, and depth. “From the beginning we knew we wanted Jay and Adam to anchor the group. The music simply would not be what it is absent their contributions. The two day recording session was a pure joy from our perspective; relaxed, collaborative, and exciting all at the same time. They are a perfect foil for any creative musical endeavor. Their advice and sensibilities are priceless and what you get is an interplay 30 years in the making.” The nine tracks offered here prove the case in point convincingly. While this album marks a major milestone in the careers both of Matthew and Jonathan, as performers and as composers, it also allows a look forward. Future collaborations are already being sketched out; maybe change the sound texture a bit, perhaps add a Hammond B3 to the mix. Up next is developing original compositions, exercising and fine-tuning them on the bandstand until they’re ripe and ready  or the next recording. Live audiences will be in good hands, and so is the legacy of the collaboration between jazz guitar and tenor saxophone. Be on the lookout for the next Finck-Ball partnership production – it’s not that far.

Jim Eigo Jazz Promo Services 272 State Route 94 South #1 Warwick, NY 10990-3363 Ph: 845-986-1677 / Fax: 845-986-1699 Cell / text: 917-755-8960 Skype: jazzpromo jim@jazzpromoservices.com www.jazzpromoservices.com

NEA 2014 Jazz Masters’ investiture photo gallery

Jamey Abersold’s “Ornithology” onstage at the Allen Room, Jazz at Lincoln Center; photo by Sánta István Csaba

Anthony Braxton; photo by Sánta István Csaba

Soledad O’Brien

However, many controversies could arise from the program. The most notable within the Allen Room itself as the evening unfolded concerned new Jazz Master Anthony Braxton’s 40+ minute peroration. I’ve followed Braxton’s music for more than 40 years, and wonder what else than a long, spirited, self-referential improvised speech one could expect from a musician whose first record release, For Alto, was a two-LP set of solo sax improvisations? If a stage manager had wanted Braxton to conclude, co-MC Soledad O’Brien could have easily been asked to step up and help Braxton offstage. But the producer’s advance message to each Master receiving their Award was: “It’s your show . . .”

Prior to the program that was streamed, many formerly inducted Jazz Masters participated in a group photo:

rear row, from l. – Randy Weston, Jamey Aebersold, Anthony Braxton, Keith Jarrett, Richard Davis
2nd row: Eddie Palmieri, Dave Liebman, Muhal Richard Abrams, Jimmy Owens, Dan Morgenstern, Kenny Barron
Front row: Candido, Annie Ross, Jason Marsalis, Sheila Jordan, Jimmy Heath, David Baker
at side: NEA Senior Deputy Chairman Joan Shigekawa

 It was more fun to meet the Masters up close and personal –

Richard David, bassist

Jamey Aebersold, saxophonist and educator

Keith Jarrett, improvising pianist

Eddie Palmieri

Cecil Taylor, pianist

from l.: Annie Ross, Dave Liebman, Jon Hendricks, Jimmy Owens, Sheila Jordan

Music highlights included a beautiful rendition of the late Master Frank Wess’ composition “Placidtude” –

Jimmy Owens and Kenny Barron

Joe Lovano and young musicians drawn from JALC circles performed “Blue Bossa” by the late Jazz Master Kenny Dorham –

bassist Yasushi Nakamura, Lovano, drummer Mark Whitfield Jr. 

Jimmy Heath and Melissa Aldana, winner of the 2013 Thelonious Monk saxophone competition, ended the event with Heath’s “New Picture” –

Melissa Aldana and Jimmy Heath

 Wynton Marsalis,   Jazz Master and JALC managing/artistic director, co-hosted the program –

Tipping Point Marks the Breakthrough for Jason Anick, the Daring and Eclectic Virtuoso of the Jazz Violin and Mandolin

 

"Jason Anick's sheer joy in playing is evident from the first track on Tipping Point.  While tipping his hat to Stéphane Grappelli, Jason maintains his own distinct voice -- especially in his own compositions.  Equally gifted as a musician and composer, Jason attracts new listeners to the violin and mandolin. Tipping Point is an uplifting and refreshing project deserving of countless repeated listenings." - Regina Carter

"Jason Anick has given us some unique contemporary pieces for jazz mandolin.  His playing has a wonderful clarity and creativity and his compositions offer a modern jazz approach to our instrument which is truly refreshing and inspired." - Mike Marshall

Talk to the abundantly gifted violinist and mandolin player Jason Anick and the phrase " jazz without borders" will invariably come up. What the axiom means to Anick is a contemporary jazz that is stylistically inclusive in nature, a jazz that brings whatever it can to the party, unwilling to cut something out of the mix for fear of it not fitting prescribed boundaries. An inviting demonstration of the maxim in action can be found on Anick's second album as a leader, Tipping Point (February 18, 2014). Utilizing both acoustic and electric mandolins in addition to his customary violin, Anick expands his musical horizons; those who associate his name with acoustic Gypsy jazz -- as heard so convincingly on his debut album, Sleepless, in his work with the Rhythm Future Quartet and with Grammy-award winning guitar virtuoso John Jorgenson -- will now find that pigeonholing Anick is fruitless. The album's title spells things out loud and clear: from this moment forward Anick's own music is rooted in the here and now, a time when possibilities reign.

Blending Anick originals that openly incorporate the influences of mainstream jazz, classical, new acoustic music, Gypsy jazz, swing, and hard bop with a wide-ranging swath of jazz classics from the likes of Django Reinhardt, Horace Silver, Hank Mobley and Ornette Coleman (along with a well-chosen standard, "The Night Has a Thousand Eyes"), Tipping Point declares that for open-eared members of the 27-year-old string master's generation, musical exclusion is a dead end. What tie together the various strains of Anick's vision are his extraordinary command of his chosen instruments and the spirited contributions of the like-minded players that accompany him on this musical journey.

To accommodate his concept, Anick uses two distinct ensembles throughout Tipping Point. For his five original compositions, Anick teams up with like-minded pianist Jason Yeager and pairs his violin and mandolins with the alto saxophone of Clay Lyons to achieve an atypical yet thoroughly appealing frontline sound. On the majority of the tunes by others, Anick sticks to violin and surrounds himself with a trio featuring the hard-swinging pianist Matt DeChamplain. (Coleman's blues "Turnaround" unites Anick's electric mandolin with the electric guitar of Lee Dynes.) The differing bands lend the album variety and suggest the unrestricted nature of Anick's current music making.

"There's a home in jazz for everything," Anick states. "I admire the embracing stance that contemporary musicians like Brad Mehldau and Joshua Redman take, allowing other musics to join with jazz. On Tipping Point I'm moving in new directions, trying different musical settings and types of composition. I wanted to show different sides of my playing and my writing. I see all the diverse musical influences as being interconnected.  And there's beauty in interconnections."

The album also points to the Anick's new interest in using imagery to paint his musical pictures. "I try to visualize different aspects of songs," he explains. "Songs can become like musical movies; stories can come from the music and take a listener on a journey."

To that end, Anick never allows his obvious virtuosity to overpower the music's intent. "It's not about displaying technique," he states. "It's about creating a soundscape, an atmosphere for listeners to enter into." The shifting landscapes of Anick's own "Maryandra" and "Inspiration Point" are convincing examples of the leader's ambitions in action.

One of the youngest instructors at Boston's Berklee College of Music, Anick is rapidly making a name for himself in the world of jazz violin and mandolin. In addition to leading his own ensemble and performing with the Rhythm Future Quartet, Anick has been touring and recording with Grammy award-winning Nashville guitar virtuoso John Jorgenson since 2008 when he was recruited while still a senior at Hartt Conservatory. 

Anick celebrates the CD with concerts in Boston, Portland, ME; Old Lyme, CT and NYC:

Thursday, February 6 - One Longfellow Square - Portland, ME

Saturday, February 22 - The Side Door- Old Lyme, CT

Tuesday, February 25 - Regattabar - Cambridge, MA

Tuesday, March 18 - Cornelia Street Café - New York, NY

Ann Braithwaite
Braithwaite & Katz Communications
248 South Great Road
Lincoln, MA 01773
Ph: 781-259-9600
Fax: 781-259-9606

ann@bkmusicpr.com

The excellent drummer Matt Wilson Quartet with John Medeski and Palmetto release Jan. 21 "Gathering Call"

Matt Wilson is renowned for his virtuosic flair as a drummer and his good-vibes positivity as 

a bandleader, not to mention his facility for collaborating with top musicians across the spectrum of jazz - from the mainstream to the avant-garde and virtually everything in between. Wilson scored glowing reviews for last year's release with his band Arts & Crafts, Attitude for Gratitude, an album that DownBeat called "fun, thoughtful, beautiful" and Vanity Fair dubbed "the essence of jazz." For his next offering, the Matt Wilson Quartet is joined by a special guest - keyboard star John Medeski - for the album Gathering Call, to be released Jan. 21, 2014, via Palmetto Records. Wilson and company - with his Quartet featuring reedman Jeff Lederer, cornetist Kirk Knuffke and bassist Chris Lightcap, plus Medeski on piano - have created an irresistibly tune-rich, hard-grooving album steeped in the vintage virtues even as it sounds utterly fresh. Gathering Call rocks and it rolls, it sings and swings, brimming with brilliant musicianship and sly brio.Gathering Call - the Grammy-nominated drummer's 11th album as a leader - features a brace of Wilson originals that range from the raucous, drum-driven title track and Ornette-accented "How Ya Going?" to the atmospheric "Dancing Waters" and elliptically lyrical "Hope (for the Cause)." The interpretive numbers include versions of two Duke Ellington compositions ("Main Stem," the rarely covered "You Dirty Dog") and uncommon tunes by Charlie Rouse ("Pumpkin's Delight"), Butch Warren ("Barack Obama") and Hugh Lawson ("Get Over, Get Off and Get On"), plus the Beyoncé hit ("If I Were a Boy") and a folk traditional ("Juanita"). No matter the material, what DownBeat publisher Frank Alkyer said about the playing on Attitude for Gratitude holds fully true for Wilson and crew on Gathering Call: "You can hear them all smiling behind their instruments."

Wilson - a native of Knoxville, Illinois, born in 1964 - is famous for his big ears and big heart, a gregarious Midwesterner to his bones and never jaded even though he has played on hundreds of recording sessions and on top stages the world over, from historic jazz dives to the White House, from Lincoln Center to festivals and concerts around the globe. About the new album, Wilson enthuses: "The recording really swings-I love 4/4 time, the lift of the beat. But I also love open, atmospheric and expansive environments. My songs welcome collective interpretation, with a piece's character coming about naturally. In my world, there's no separation between swinging and free: no categories. The most important aspect of the music is the common ground, where the sounds and personalities of the cats merge."

The core "cats" on Gathering Call - longtime Wilson confreres Lederer and Lightcap joined by new Quartet member Knuffke - bring "a world of music to what they do," says Wilson. "When it comes to musicians, what I always look for are players who have a great sound and great feel to their playing, which all these guys have in abundance. But I also want players whose default setting is 'yes.' I like musicians who are game - and who bring out the same attitude in me. What makes this quartet special is the quality of trust - we can be game and open and adventurous with each other, so the music flows naturally. We recorded the whole album at Maggie's Farm in one seven-hour day, without much rehearsal, really - we just played the music. It was fun, and I think you can hear that on the record."

As for the Quartet's guest musical foil, the keyboardist of Medeski, Martin & Wood fame is an old friend of Wilson, the two having met in late-'80s Boston while playing in the ace Either/Orchestra. "We always had a nice feel together, John Medeski and I," Wilson explains. "But along with his feel, energy and deep roots in such a wide range of music, John has these incredible instincts that just blew the band away.The leader of the Either/Orchestra, Russ Gershon, used to say, 'Give Medeski a sheet of music, and he'll not only get the notes right away, he'll get the vibe, too.' It's more true than ever - he got the music immediately and played his ass off, really inspiring the band with his sound and spirit."

Reflecting on the chemistry that resulted in Gathering Call, Wilson adds: "It was a union and a reunion, a magical day, really. It's very mysterious how a band gels and how good music happens. The more I do this, the more I realize that you can't bottle the intangible, in-the-moment aspect of welcoming and allowing music. But that's why it's so cool. The mystery of it is the appeal of it for me."

The latest incarnation of the Matt Wilson Quartet joins Arts & Crafts, the Carl Sandberg Project, Trio M (with pianist Myra Melford and bassist Mark Dresser) and the new trio Sifter (with Knuffke and guitarist Mary Halvorson) as the drummer's prime group preoccupations, added to his myriad sideman gigs, education initiatives and broadcast projects. Wilson has been featured on the covers of both DownBeat and JazzTimesmagazines. In 2003 and 2011, he was voted Drummer of the Year by the Jazz Journalists Association. Wilson has been an integral part of bands led by Joe Lovano, John Scofield, Charlie Haden, Lee Konitz, Bob Stewart, Denny Zeitlin, Ron Miles, Marty Ehrlich, Ted Nash, Jane Ira Bloom and Dena DeRose, among others. He has performed with legends of music, including Herbie Hancock, Dewey Redman, Andrew Hill, Bobby Hutcherson, Elvis Costello, Cedar Walton, Kenny Barron, John Zorn, Marshall Allen, Wynton Marsalis, Michael Brecker, Pat Metheny, Bill Frisell and Hank Jones.

Popmatters observed about this very special drummer-leader: "Wilson sees his music as a way to reach out, to communicate. Uninterested in some kind of hip disdain for his audience, he reaches fully across the table to get this music heard by anyone who wants to enjoy it. This kind of playful seriousness about art is a perfect model for a modern mindset: informed but original, daring but joyous."

Ann Braithwaite
Braithwaite & Katz Communications
248 South Great Road
Lincoln, MA 01773
Ph: 781-259-9600
Fax: 781-259-9606

ann@bkmusicpr.com

Attractive Showcase of Truth Revolution Records Sunday...Much Latin Jazz...gozalo!

This is the invitation that makes us reach for Truth Revolution Records Showcase next Sunday 12 wherein Jazz critics and specialists will be able to observe the exponents of this music label, dedicated especially to the executors of Latin Jazz, in all styles. Also will be several hours of excellent camaraderie for all!
Thanks and ¡¡Viva The Latin Jazz!!

Luis Raul Montell



You are invited to the TRrecords Showcase 

FREE Jan 12th in NYC MICHIKO PERFORMANCE ROOM!

This Year TRrecords will presents some of their Grammy nominated world touring artists.

It occurs at the same time as the APAP convention on Sunday, Jan 12th 2014. 

Please feel free to stop in to see and meet these artists.

This is not an open show to the public but by invite only, so we hope you can show up or recommend this showcase to someone you know is coming to the APAP convention.

Thanks and hope to see you there! 

SCHEDULE 

Carlos Abadie - 6:30PM

Sarah Elizabeth Charles - 7:10PM

Aaron Burnett - 7:50PM

Mitch Frohman with the Curtis Brothers - 8:30PM

Little Johnny Rivero - with the Curtis Brothers

                                                        Carlos Abadie

                       Curtis Brothers