Mark Weinstein arouses passions with new CD "In Jerusalem"

"Over time Mark Weinstein has been identified as a fine performer of Latin Jazz, now shows a new side where brilliantly relates the Hebrew music with Jazz". Luis Raul Montell, Jazz Global Beat - Jazz Caribe

In his career, Mark Weinstein has performed, composed and arranged straight ahead jazz, salsa, Afro-Caribbean music, tangos, Afro-Cuban jazz, bossa novas, African folk songs, and other types of World Music. In each situation, the flutist successfully turned the music into jazz and played in his own style rather than feeling that he had to merely recreate the original versions and traditional forms. For his latest project, Mark performs melodies from the world of Hasidic music, transforming the traditional pieces into creative jazz while retaining their essence. 

"I was in Israel doing academic work with some Palestinian educators," remembers Mark. "At the time I met guitarist Steve Peskoff, we did some playing together, and it felt very good. A year later when I returned to Israel, I asked Steve if he could put together a rhythm section for this project. I had always wanted to perform Hasidic music. Their songs were written for people to sing, so they often have strong and unforgettable melodies. On these melodies, I don't play my flute in a post-klezmer style but instead create in my own voice, which is jazz.

" Mark was very impressed by the players who Steve Peskoff brought to the project. "The musicians surprised me. I had played with percussionist Gilad Dobrecky in New York but Steve, his son drummer Haim Peskoff and bassist Gilad Abro are also superb players." The quintet quickly formed a tight and very attractive group sound that made it seem as if they had been playing together for years. Their concise solos, enthusiastic reactions to each other's ideas, and knack for embracing the traditional melodies while making the music sound fresh and contemporary, make this a special set of music. 

The CD begins with Berditchever Nigun, a popular melody associated with the Hasidim from Berdichev a town in Northern Ukraine. Nigun is the Hebrew word for melody. Mark plays with plenty of spirit (he uses his technique to serve the music rather than vice versa) and there are spots for each of the musicians. Steve Peskoff's laidback guitar contrasts effectively with the energetic flutist.

Repozarás, which is played in 7/8 time, is a song for the Sabbath, which in English means "Thou Shall Rest." Mark solos over the infectious rhythm and comes up with consistently creative ideas that are complementary to the haunting melody. Mizmor l'David, a nigun of the Modzitz Hasidim, was composed in the middle part of the 20th century and is usually sung to the words of the 23rd Psalm. This adventurous treatment has modern harmonies contributed by Steve Peskoff (whose quiet but harmonically advanced solo recalls Jim Hall in spots), a heated improvisation by Mark, and close interplay by the drummer and percussionist both as accompanists and during their colorful tradeoff.

In addition to the five traditional pieces, Mark Weinstein contributed two originals and Steve Peskoff brought in one of his songs. Mark's Yaakov u'Malka is named after his parents Jack and Mollie Weinstein (Yaakov and Malka are their Jewish names) and is a lyrical waltz that stays melodic even when swinging hard. Peskoff's Adayin Chashoock (which in English is "It's Still Dark") is the most modern composition of the set, giving the quintet an opportunity to stretch out. 

Ozidanie is a Russian waltz that was popular in the early part of the 20th century. As with the other selections, the music has been significantly re-harmonized, making it a very viable piece for jazz improvisation while keeping the melody close by. Mark Weinstein's Hebrew name is Meir and his Meir's Nigun is a scalar piece that challenges the musicians while being accessible to listeners. The final selection, Breslov Nigun, is the most spiritual of the album. The melody, which closes the album, is often sung without words before studying the Cabalistic text, the Zohar. 

The musicians put a great deal of passion into this emotional performance. 

One of the top flute players in jazz today, Mark Weinstein made his mark during the early part of his musical career as a trombonist. He was in Eddie Palmieri's first trombone section, wrote arrangements utilizing trumpets and trombones that became influential in defining the sound of New York salsa bands, and was an aggressive player whose Cuban Roots album (with Chick Corea on piano) is considered a classic. In the 1970s and '80s he changed direction, earning a Ph.D. in philosophy, becoming a college professor, and switching to the flute. "The flute gave me the possibility to play with much more harmonic complexity and subtlety than the trombone. My goal became to play with the drama of Miles Davis in the 1960s and the harmonic fluency of John Coltrane; they are my inspirations.

"For the future Mark says, "I want to stay with Jewish music for a while, for there is so much more to explore. The Hassidic repertoire of music is enormous." One looks forward to future chapters of Mark Weinstein in Jerusalem. 

Scott Yanow 



Notes of Mark Weistein:

Flutist, composer and arranger, Mark Weinstein began his study of music at age six with piano lessons from the neighborhood teacher in Fort Green Projects in Brooklyn where he was raised. Between then and age 14 when he started to play trombone in Erasmus Hall High School, he tried clarinet and drums. Playing his first professional gig on trombone at 15, he added string bass, a common double in NYC at that time. 

Mark learned to play Latin bass from Salsa bandleader Larry Harlow. He experimented playing trombone with Harlow’s band and three years later, along with Barry Rogers, formed Eddie Palmieri’s first trombone section, changing the sound of salsa forever. With his heart in jazz, Weinstein was a major contributor to the development of the salsa trombone playing and arranging. He extended jazz attitudes and techniques in his playing with salsa bands. His arrangements broadened the harmonic base of salsa while introducing folkloric elements for authenticity and depth. The only horn in a Latin jazz quintet led by Larry Harlow at the jam session band at Schenks Paramount Hotel in the Catskills, soloist and arranger with Charlie Palmieri in the first trumpet and trombone salsa band in NYC, arranger and featured soloist along with the great Cuban trumpet player Alfredo Chocolate Armenteros in Orchestra Harlow, and with the Panamanian giant Victer Paz in the La Playa Sextet, and with the Alegre All Stars, Mark’s playing and arranging was a major influence on Salsa trombone and brass writing in the 60s and 70s. 

Mark continued to record with Eddie Palmieri, with Cal Tjader and with Tito Puente. He toured with Herbie Mann for years, played with Maynard Ferguson, and the big bands of Joe Henderson, Clark Terry, Jones and Lewis, Lionel Hampton, Duke Pearson and Kenny Dorham. In 1967 he wrote and recorded the Afro-Cuban jazz album, Cuban Roots for the legendary salsa producer Al Santiago. It revolutionized Latin jazz; combining authentic folkloric drum ensembles with harmonically complex extended jazz solos and arrangements. Chick Corea was on piano and the rhythm section included the finest and most knowledgeable Latin drummers: Julito Collazo, Tommy Lopez Sr. and Papaito (timbalero with La Sonora Matancera). 

In the early 1970’s Mark took time off from music to earn a Ph.D in Philosophy with a specialization in mathematical logic. He became a college professor and remains so until this day. When he returned to the music scene in 1978 playing the flute, he wrote produced and recorded the Orisha Suites with singer Olympia Alfara, the great Colombian jazz pianist Eddy Martinez and percussionists Steve Berrios, Julito Collazo, Papaito and Papiro along with an Afro-Cuban chorus. Unreleased until recently, music from the Orisha Suites became the theme for Roger Dawson’s Sunday Salsa Show on WRVR. 

Mark returned to jazz with a vengeance, working gigs and recording over a dozen CD’s since 1997. Seasoning, his first flute CD experimented with different settings for the flute, including a quartet with vibist Bryan Carrott and Cecil Brooks III on drums and a trio of flute and two guitars with Vic Juris and Rob Reich. In 1998, Mark recorded Jazz World Trios with Brazilian master guitarist Romero Lubambo and award winning percussionist Cyro Baptista. Their exploration of Brazilian themes with classical guitar and percussion contrasted with a freebop trio with Santi Debriano on bass and Cindy Blackman on drums. Jean Paul Bourelly and Milton Cardone completed the set with music based on Santeria themes. The release of Three Deuces in 2000, paired Mark with guitarists Vic Juris, Ed Cherry and Paul Meyers. 

Because of limited distribution and more demand that albums available, Mark rerecorded the material from the original Cuban Roots with new arrangements and the help of such giants of Cuban music as pianist Omar Sosa, percussionists Francisco Aquabella, Lazaro Galarraga, John Santos, Jose De Leon, and Nengue Hernandez. It was co-produced with his nephew, trombonist, violinist and arranger Dan Weinstein for Michael McFadin and CuBop Records. 

 In 2002 Mark had the incredible opportunity to go to Kiev, Ukraine, where his father was born, to record the music of the Ukrainian composer Alexey Kharchenko. Milling Time, the record that they made, stretched his playing in a number of directions, from modern classical music to smooth jazz to Ukrainian folk music. He continued his exploration of his roots with a jazz album of Jewish music with Mike Richmond on bass, Brad Shepik on guitar and Jamey Haddad on drums and percussion. He then turned to Brazil and the music of Hermeto Pascoal’s Calendario do Som, entitled Tudo de Bom with guitarist and vocalist Richard Boukas, Nilson Matta on bass, Paulo Braga on drums and Vanderlei Pereira on percussion. 

In 2005 he began his ongoing association with Jazzheads record recording another version of Cuban Roots called Algo Más, with Jean Paul Bourelly playing electric guitar, Santi Debriano on bass, Thelonious Monk award winning percussionist and vocalist Pedrito Martinez, as well as Nani Santiago, Gene Golden and Skip Burney on congas and batá drums. His next release on Jazzheads was O Nosso Amor with Brazilian jazz masters Romero Lubambo, Nilson Matta and Paulo Braga along with percussionists Guilherme Franco and Jorge Silva. This was followed by Con Alma, a Latin Jazz album featuring Mark Levine on piano, Santi Debriano on bass, Pedrito Martinez playing conga and drummer Mauricio Hererra. Next a straight-ahead album, Straight No Chaser, with guitarist Dave Stryker, bassist Ron Howard and Victor Lewis on drums. A return to Brazilian music, Lua e Sol, saw Romero Lubambo and Nilson Mata joined by award winning percussionist Cyro Baptista. 

Mark took time out from Jazzheads to record an album for Otá records in Berlin with Grammy nominated pianist Omar Sosa playing vibes, marimbas and piano along with Ali Keita on balafon, Mathais Ogbukoa and Aho Luc Nicaise on African percussion, bassist Stanislou Michalou and Marque Gilmore on drums. Back to Jazzheads, Mark recorded Timbasa with the percussion team of Pedrito Martinez and Mauricio Hererra, joined by Ramon Diaz with the young giants Axel Laugart on piano and bassist Panagiotis Andreou. This was followed by Jazz Brasil with NEH Jazzmaster Kenny Barron on piano along with Nilson Matta and drummer Marcello Pellitteri. His most recent album, El Cumbanchero was recorded with a string ensemble and arranged by Cuban piano virtuoso Aruán Ortiz, along with Yunior Terry on bass and percussionists Mauricio Herrera and Yusnier Bustamante.

Next up is an album of tangos with GRAMMY and Latin GRAMMY nominee, bassist Pablo Aslan, and featuring Latin GRAMMY winner Raul Jaurena playing the bandoneon, pianist Abel Rongatoni and guitarist Francisco Navarro that gave name "Todo Corazon" achieved the same recognition from the South American country of Tango, but as usual was mixing with Jazz, this was his last production with Jazzheads.

It did not take long for Mr. Weinstein was back to the studios, now with Zoho Music, and gathering a small but select group of musicians: Aruan Ortiz, piano; Rahshaan Carter, bass; Gerald Claver, and Roman Diaz drums, percussion, publishes "Latin Jazz Underground" something out of the ordinary.

And now "In Jerusalem" are more surprises ... Mark ...!

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Dawan Muhammad relaunches "Consider the Source" and other CDs

"Dawan Muhammad is a gentleman of jazz that not only exposes all his talent to run with solvency various wind instruments, but is a major producer and leader", Luis Raul Montell - Jazz Global Beat

Dawan Muhammad has been a mainstay on the west coast jazz scene for over four decades. From the late 1980’s through the mid 90’s, he worked with drummer Billy Higgins and poet Kamau Da’ood at The World Stage in Los Angeles, a performance gallery for developing young musicians and writers. Muhammad functioned as de facto manager, helping to incubate young groups such as Black/Note and the B Sharp Quartet. Alongside drummer Harold Acey, multi-reedman Dawan also performed weekends at The World stage, in the company of Seasoned veterans like Kevin Toney, and James Leary and “young lions” such as Greg Kirstin and Jesse Murphy. Adopting the name LifeForce, various groups of muscians presented Saturday afternoon concerts followed by workshops featuring Jazz Giants gigging at major venues in the L.A. area, who’d responded to Higgin’s invitation.

LifeForce also participated in recording workshops at LA’s Sonora Studios, shere they laid down the material featured in this CD in two four hour sessions in early August 1992. “They just put microphones in the room and turned on a two track machine,” recounts Muhammad who also notes that the spirit of live recording was unembellished by mixing or overdubbing. “Harold Acey and I were there both days, but one day (pianist) Greg Kirstin and (bassist) Jesse Murphy made it and the next day (pianist) Kevin Toney and (bassist) James Leary made it. It was an opportunity to try some things, so everybody just pulled out what they had and we experimented with whatever felt comfortable. In mastering we alternated tracks between the two rhythm sections.” As it turned out, Kirstin was finishing up a recording session in the same studio with trumpeter Ron Stout and saxophonist James Mahone, so Muhammad wisely recruited both horn players to transform the quartet into a sextet for two of this album’s tracks.

The players presented here also participate in other projects, from Bobby Hutcherson’s rhythm section to quite different realms of R&B, fusion, and acid jazz. Kirstin’s versatility with all types of music has kept him in demand. Murphy is an early call bassist in New York, including extended stints with Vincent Herring and John Scofield. Like Kirstin, Kevin Toney has covered a wide range of musical styles. An original member of The Blackbyrds (organized by Donald Byrd in the early 70’s), Toney has also waxed familiar in smooth jazz and R&B settings. “James Leary is another unsung hero of this music,” says Muhammad about the bassist with whom he’s collaborated since the late 1960’s. “He is a superb musician, who will always have a gig. His innovative approach to music composition and his recordings as a leader and sideman have been overshadowed by his long association with both the Sammy Davis Jr. and Count Basie Orchestras.”

Returning to the ten tracks of ingenuous, handsomely handled jazz before you here, you might consider the music’s source, which seems to reside in an empathetic group consciousness, a unity of purpose and approach which every working musician seeks but doesn’t always find. Consider also the sound of the leader manifest though a virtuosi variety of instruments. On Jimmy Heath’s “Gingerbread Boy,” Muhammad’s tenor lines are hip but spare, helping the music speak for itself. Harold Acey follows the leader in a similarly understated mode, as does bassist Jesse Murphy, and, it’s all in a “Blue Noteish” sense of fun. James Leary’s melodically modest compositions (“Over and Over” and “Remember To Smile”) on which he also sustains the bass pulse, are enhanced with lovely arrangements featuring Muhammad’s birdsong flute on the former and sweet soprano sax on the latter. The soprano also directs a good-natured reading of Monk’s “Eronel,” before pianist Kevin Toney ramps up the players for his “Chase,” post-modern in style, but as accessible as it is exciting. In the standard songbook on Matt Dennis’s “Everything Happens to Me,” Muhammad touches his tenor with a human voice, letting the unheard lyrics shine through, soulful and tender. Drummer Acey invokes an affecting incantational solo to introduce his “Ace in the Whole,” and provides artful commentary on the fascinating interchange between Greg Kirstin’s piano and Muhammad’s flute on the latter’s “Gumbo,” (for extra credit, see if you can spot the melodies of “Brownie Speaks,” “Oleo,” “Dexterity” and “C.T.A.” over “rhythm changes, spontaneously added to the stew by the instrumentalist). The team spirit spreads to the horn section on the title track and on Kirstin’s “The Art of End,” expanded to include Ron Stout on trumpet and James Mahone on alto sax alongside the leader’s tenor.

Don’t be surprised if repeated listenings to this album cause you to plumb the source of your own positive energy. That’s what jazz should be doing!

Jeff Kaliss

www.lifeforcejazz.bigcartel.com

www.katesmithpromotions.com

katesmithpromotions.kate@gmail.com

"The Secret of the Song Cathi Walkup" new CD and next presentation

'The ease with which Cathi Walkup sings and how that transmits his passion for Latin rhythms make it be one of our beloved "Ladies of Latin Jazz"' - Luis Raul Montell, Jazz Global Beat

“THE SECRET OF THE SONG, LYRICS OF CATHI WALKUP” 

This CD is part one of a two part project. This separate CD contains 15 new songs, never before released, with music written by Cathi and five very fine instrumentalists and singers. Part two is the SONGBOOK of the same name, with newly minted charts for these 15 songs as well as 10 previously recorded songs, and two CDs (Disc I and Disc II) containing all 25 original songs, as well as a separate section which contains articles by seven lyricists about their process, including BOB DOROUGH, SHARMAN DURAN, LORRAINE FEATHER, JULIET GREEN, CATHI, BARRY WARREN and ANDREA WOLPER. The separate Songbook will be made available to teachers, schools and jazz camps.

These are songs to delight and inspire, from stompin' blues to sambas and stirring ballads, all in the key of life:

1. BLUES IN THE NIGHT (3:37) An anti-blues - it's better to be alone than with the wrong person. 2. BROTHERS, SISTERS (4:25) A Caribbean flavored anthem for acceptance and understanding.
3. CLAYPSO FACTO (2:54) A fun, "Listen to your heart" calypso.
4. CAT BACK BLUES (4:00) You can leave but I want the cat back.
5. DAVE DON'T MIND THE RAIN (4:54) Sometimes a chance remark can change your whole perspective.
6. DON'T TOUCH MY BISCUIT (3:02) Basically, it is foolhardy to get between me and a carbohydrate.
7. DON'T YOU KNOW? (4:56) A lovely Bossa, evocative of early Jobim.
8. FAREWELL MS. MOSEKA (4:23) A tribute to the great Abbey Lincoln.
9. HOPELESSLY OPTIMISTIC (2:52) A phrase uttered by the awesome Bob Dorough at a panel on songwriting. It stuck in my brain and I had to write the song.
10. IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT (2:47) A Mose Allison-style blues and my gift to my husband, Jim Eckford, on the occasion of our 20th anniversary.
11. SAIL AWAY (5:17) A gorgeous ballad about the journey of life.
12. SHANNA'S SONG (2:45) An ode to the wonderful singer/pianist Shanna Carlson.
13. SHE PLAYS WITH THE CATS (3:08) The tradition and the cycle of jazz.
14. THE SECRET OF THE SONG (5:28) Your life is your song, how you sing it determines the quality of your life. 15. WHERE'S ARMANDO? (2:07) A rhumba - just for fun!

BIRD'S NEST JAZZ

Waterpark Lofts, 2875 Glascock Street, #109

Oakland, CA 94601

510-534-6163

PRESENTS

'UNDER THE INFLUENCE'

CATHI WALKUP vocals

with John R. Burr, piano, Ron Belcher, bass, Jim Zimmerman, drums 

& Kristin Strom saxes

SUNDAY AUGUST 30TH 5-7, doors 4:30

Notes of Cathi Walkup:

“Cathi Walkup – A hip and funny vocalist, a savvy songwriter with a gift for socially incisive lyrics... with gorgeous tone, bop-ish rhythms, deftly swinging phrasingand artful use of space... The vocalist conjures up a world lush in ambiance and rich in character.” - Donna Kimura, Jazzreview.com

Cathi has been described as "The thinking person's jazz singer" and "...a natural comedian" for her wit and ease onstage. In "The Jazz Singers, The Ultimate Guide" (Backbeat Books), respected jazz journalist Scott Yanow proclaimed her "an important bop oriented singer. . . an excellent lyricist."

Jazz singer Cathi Walkup is known not only for her rich, smooth alto and rhythmic approach to phrasing, but also for writing lyrics that are by turns witty and touching. Sometimes crafting melodies as well as lyrics, the long time Bay Area resident has also collaborated with exceptionally fine musicians from the Bay Area and beyond, including Shanna Carlson, Hugo Wainzinger,Benny Watson, Gerry Grosz, David Udolf, and Anita Wardell.

At her Sound Room concert, Cathi will perform songs from her forthcoming book (complete with charts & CD) “Witty, Warm & Wonderful: The Lyrics of Cathi Walkup” These include "Dave Don't Mind the Rain," "Farewell Ms. Moseka" (an homage to Abby Lincoln) "Hang Up & Drive" and the ever-popular "Don't Touch My Biscuit" (a bluesy offering of sage advice).

Performing everywhere from tiny bistros to concert halls and jazz festivals--and even the infamous San Francisco bath houses in the 1980's--Cathi's singing career has taken her to England, Mexico, New York, Washington, D.C., San Francisco, Los Angeles, St. Louis, Hawaii, the Pacific Northwest, and, of course, her home base, Oakland, CA.

Cathi has had the honor of playing with Keter Betts, bassist for Ella Fitzgerald for over 20 years, and saxophonist Grover Washington, Jr. Her lyrics have been recorded by noted jazz singers Andrea Wolper, and Benny Watson.

NATIONAL RADIO CAMPAIGN

KATE SMITH PROMOTIONS

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Pianist Fred Hersch Celebrates 60th Birthday with an Array of Fall Event

* World Premiere of Rooms of Light: The Life of Photographs (A Song Cycle) Featuring Words by Mary Jo Salter at Peak Performances @ Montclair State University October 15–18 * Birthday Week with his Trio at the Village Vanguard October 20–25  * New CD Fred Hersch Solo and Solo Performances August 21 at Rubin Museum of Art  & October 29 at NEC’s Jordan Hall, Boston "A master who plays it his way...” — The New York Times “When it comes to the art of solo piano in jazz there are currently two classes of performers: Fred Hersch and everybody else.” – Dan Bilawsky, All About Jazz "4.5 stars… a program so rich you'll want to savor it in increments, enjoying its bittersweetness and poignancy..." – John Corbett, DownBeat on Fred Hersch Solo Fred Hersch, “a pianist, composer and conceptualist of rare imaginative power” (Nate Chinen, NY Times), celebrates his 60th birthday with the world premiere of Rooms of Light: The Life of Photographs (A Song Cycle), a week at the Village Vanguard with his Trio, a new CD Fred Hersch Solo, solo performances in NYC and Boston, and a trio performance at the Chicago Jazz Festival. Hersch, who turns 60 on October 21, kicks off the celebration next Friday, August 21 at 7 p.m. with a solo performance previewing the new CD (out September 4 on Palmetto) at the Rubin Museum of Art. He then heads to the Chicago Jazz Festival for a performance with his superlative trio on Friday, September 4. The world premiere of Rooms of Light: The Life of Photographs (A Song Cycle), commissioned byPeak Performances, takes place October 15 - 18 at the Alexander Kasser Theater at Montclair State University. Hersch collaborated with acclaimed poet/playwright Mary Jo Salter to create the show, a staged song cycle which explores the impact that photography has had on us–how this most accessible of art forms has enriched, compromised and complicated our lives since its invention in 1827. Directed by Daniella Topol, Rooms of Light stars singers Jonathan Estabrooks, Rebecca Faulkenberry, Kathryn Guthrie, Gabielle Starvelli and Michael Winther; the Fred Hersch Ensemble with Sam Sadigursky and Bruce Williamson, woodwinds; Laura Seaton, violin; Lois Martin, viola; Jody Redhage, cello; Matt Aronoff, bass; Ross Pederson, drums; and Fred Hersch, piano. Gregg Kallor serves as music director/conductor and lighting is by Eric Cornwell.  This is Fred Hersch’s third commission from Peak Performances. Hersch continues his birthday celebration with a week with his trio at the Village Vanguard fromOctober 20 – 25.  Joining Hersch are long-time bandmates: bassist John Hébert and drummer Eric McPherson. Hersch returns to New England Conservatory for a solo concert celebrating his new recording Fred Hersch Solo at Jordan Hall on Thursday, October 29. The recital concert celebrates both his birthday and the 40th anniversary of his arrival at NEC as a student. The concert is free and open to the public. As an improviser of unsurpassed lyricism and technique Hersch is at his most intimate and revealing in a solo setting. Fred Hersch Solo, slated for worldwide release by Palmetto Records on September 4, 2015, has already been heralded by John Corbett in DownBeat as “a program so rich you'll want to savor it in increments, enjoying its bittersweetness and poignancy." You can download the full album via the links below: MP3 Download WAV Download In many ways, Solo distills the essence of Hersch’s pianistic expression. Recorded in a jewel-like Catskills church at the 2014 Windham Chamber Music Festival, the set evolves with a compelling internal emotional logic all its own, flowing through Hersch’s familiar solo touchstones (Jobim, Ellingtonia, Monk, originals) that turn into vessels for his supremely graceful invention. His 10th solo recording, Fred Hersch Solo joins an illustrious collection of albums that started with his riveting 1994 addition to Concord Jazz’s Live at Maybeck series. “I firmly believe this may be the all-around best solo album I’ve ever done,” Hersch says. “I liked the piano and the environment of playing in a small wooden church just big enough to get some reverberance. When I consider where I was in terms of the precarious state of my health in 2008 this feels like such a strong and focused statement. Everything has come together going into my 60th year.” Born and raised in Cincinnati, Hersch studied music theory and composition in elementary school and sang in high school theater productions. It wasn’t until he started attending Grinnell College in Iowa that he turned on to real jazz when he was introduced to the music of John Coltrane, Pharoah Sanders, Miles Davis and Chick Corea. But the jazz bug really bit him when he went home for the holidays and happened into a Cincinnati jazz spot. He ended up dropping out of school and earned his stripes on local bandstands, with veteran musicians serving as his professors. After honing his chops for 18 months he enrolled at New England Conservatory to work with jazz piano legend Jaki Byard and made the move to New York City in 1977 after earning a BM with Honors. Hersch quickly gained recognition as a superlative band-mate, performing and recording with masters such as Stan Getz, Joe Henderson, Billy Harper, Lee Konitz, Art Farmer, Gary Burton, Toots Thielemans, and many others. Since releasing his first album under his own name he’s recorded in an array of settings, including a series of captivating solo recitals, duos with vocalists Janis Siegel and Norma Winstone, and ambitious projects. As an educator, Hersch has shepherded some of the finest young pianists in jazz through his teaching at NEC, Juilliard, Rutgers and the New School. A leading force in galvanizing the jazz community in the fights against HIV/AIDS, he produced 1994’s Last Night When We Were Young for Classical Action: Performing Arts Against AIDS, an album featuring the likes of Bobby Watson, Phil Woods, George Shearing, Mark Murphy and Gary Burton. He’s gained the most widespread visibility as the leader of a series of remarkable trios. From his first session with Marc Johnson and Joey Baron, he’s pushed at the limits of lyricism and temporal fluidity with similarly searching improvisers. He has consistently drawn deeply from the music’s most refined players while forging his own approach. He considers his current trio, with John Hébert and Eric McPherson, as his best to date. Hersch will have his Jazz at Lincoln Center debut in January 2016 in the Appel Room with the program Fred Hersch & Friends: Intimate Moments featuring encounters with Anat Cohen, Julian Lage, Sullivan Fortner, and Stefon Harris.  He is also busy at work on a memoir (working title: Good Things Happen Slowly) for Crown/Random House due in stores Spring 2017. www.fredhersch.com Braithwaite & Katz Communications Ann Braithwaite: ann@bkmusicpr.com jazzglobalbeat@gmail.com

Charlie Dennard New CD "5 O'Clock Charlie" and Live Appearance @ Snug Harbor Jazz Bistro 08/25/2015

Charlie Dennard New CD "5 O'Clock Charlie" and Live Appearance Tuesday, August 25th Shows 8 & 10 pm @ Snug Harbor Jazz Bistro 626 Frenchmen St New Orleans, LA 70116  (504) 949-0696   Charlie Dennard - organ Doug Belote - drums Brian Seeger - guitar Tickets & Info

Artist: CHARLIE DENNARD Title: 5 O’CLOCK CHARLIE Label: DENEAUX MUSIC Artist Website: www.charliedennard.com  UPC Code: 888295283939 Track listing  1. Grant’s Pants 6:06  2. Booby Trap 5:07  3. Back In the Day 5:51  4. Let’s Go 6:14  5. O’Clock Blues 4:48  6. French Lick 6:03  7. Hunch 7:01  8. Blues By Five 5:44  9. Carrot Cake 6:48 10. Suicide Is Painless (M.A.S.H. Theme) 3:38  Production and Arrangements: Charlie Dennard Recorded and Mixed: Word Of Mouth Studios, New Orleans, LA by Tim Stambaugh March-May 2015 Musicians: Charlie Dennard-Hammond organ, Fender Rhodes; Todd Duke-guitar; Doug Belote & Geoff Clapp-drums To follow up on his stunning debut album – the heavily acclaimed From Brazil to New Orleans – the remarkable keyboardist/composer Charlie Dennard has taken a full 180-degree turn with his new album, 5-O’Clock Charlie. Where his first album created a wide angle landscape of cinematic proportion with 20 musicians from all over the world, 5-O’Clock Charlie is a stripped-down and sharply concentrated offering that features his extraordinary organ trio. The results are equally brilliant and utterly joyful.   One thing that is common to both albums is the longstanding “gumbo” approach of New Orleans, Charlie’s adopted hometown. He assembles a wide array of ingredients to blend together into the large saucepot of his musical imagination, layered with loving care and balanced perfectly for a synergy of flavors that are a delight to the palette and continue to resound even after the meal is finished.    The theme song from the classic TV series M*A*S*H is a somewhat unexpected item that plays on a bit of insider whimsy. 5 O’Clock Charlie was an episode of that series about an enemy bomber pilot who provided daily entertainment with his totally inept 5pm bombing runs on the camp. But unlike those efforts, this 5 O’Clock Charlie hits its target dead on bullseye from start to finish.

Media Contact Jim Eigo jim@jazzpromoservices.com www.jazzpromoservices.com jazzglobalbeat@gmail.com

Eugenie Jones Singer new CD "Come Out Swingin '" and upcoming shows

Eugenie Jones
"Come out Swingin'"

Featured Artists:
Eugenie Jones/vocal, Bill Anschell/piano, Clipper Anderson/bass,  
D'Vonne Lewis/drums, Michael Powers/guitar, Jay Thomas/
trumpet, sax and Ernesto Pediangco/percussion

Uptempo, Mi-Tempo, Soft Swing, Ballad, Latin and Soulful Jazz in a CD full of passion, feeling, swing, samba, jazz, bolero, sweetness all that in "Come out swingin '" with the compositions and the melodious voice of Eugenie Jones.

Notes of Eugenie Jones:

With her lavishly praised 2013 debut album Black Lace Blue Tears behind her, late-blooming jazz vocalist and composer Eugenie Jones immediately faced questions about whether she was a one-hit wonder or a real contender. Sure, she displayed quick rhythmic reflexes, a silken tone, and real songwriting savvy, but did Jones have what it takes to go the distance, to sustain a career in jazz’s cruelly competitive ring. Her even more impressive second album, Come Out Swingin’, makes a persuasive case for Jones’s status as a heavyweight talent. Seasoned by several years of steady work following the release of Black Lace, the Seattle-area singer displays the rhythmic authority, emotional insight, and melodic invention of an artist who can hold her own in any company.

“With Black Lace Blue Tears behind me I wondered, was that a fluke? Do I really have a gift, can I continue? Almost immediately I started writing again,” says Jones, “and put those questions to rest. This CD was a deliberate attempt to continue to grow and progress. I set that desire for improvement as a bull’s-eye to shoot for and kept that focus through each step of this project.”

For starters, Jones possesses the wisdom to keep essentially the same battle-tested band in her corner, most importantly the incisive and consummately supportive pianist/arranger Bill Anschell. Veteran bassist Clipper Anderson, whose credits include recordings with world-class vocalists Greta Matassa, Gail Pettis, and Janis Mann, and versatile guitarist Michael Powers also returned to action. Two new faces joined Jones’ line up this round. Seattle native, multi-instrumentalist horn man extraordinaire: Jay Thomas; and drummer D’Vonne Lewis, a rising force on the Seattle scene who plays with tremendous poise and spirit.

“I was looking for quality musicians and personalities that would mesh with my own,” Jones says. “Already having had great experiences with the other musicians, I added Jay for his enormous talent and newcomer D’Vonne Lewis for his smooth, yet intense playing ability.”

In this high-energy swing project, it doesn’t take long for the musicians’ combustible chemistry to ignite. Like her first album, Come Out Swingin’ focuses on Jones’s original songs. She announces her rhythmic agenda with the first track, “Swing Me,” a self-possessed celebration of unbridled desire. Her brief, exciting version of the standard “All of Me,” almost serves as a thematic preamble to her slinky “A Way About You,” a song that could easily be mistaken for a sophisticated piece of Bacharach/David.

Jones cast a wide net when it comes to finding inspiration as a composer. She takes the smoldering up a notch with “Sweet Summer Love,” a song that emerged after watching Marvin Ritt’s moody and sweat-streaked 1958 film The Long Hot Summer, a kind of mashup of Faulkner and Tennessee Williams. Her love of cinema returns on “Rain Rain Don’t Go Away,” a seductive song about self-comfort that never lapses into self-pity. She’s at her most sleek and self-assured on “I’m Alright,” a soulful declaration of independence propelled by some tasty D’Vonne Lewis samba-fused trap work.

With a tinge of sweet sass, Jones’s “24/7” brings contemporary sexuality into the discussion while her “I Could Get Lost in Your Eyes” is a beautifully crafted ballad. The final original tune, “Run Devil Run,” opens with an anachronistic needle-drop, then spins a tale of relationship reckoning while veteran guitarist Michael Powers sets a cool swinging tempo throughout.

By closing the album with a searing version of James Brown’s 1966 chart-topping R&B hit “It’s a Man’s Man’s Man’s World” Jones leaves listeners wondering just what else she’s got up her sleeve. Belting R&B with such authority after her sultry jazz vocals, Jones seems to promise more revelations in the future.

“Black Lace was a look into my personality, and begins a story,” she says. “Come Out Swingin’ continues that story. And of course the more you tell a story, the deeper you go. That’s what’s happening here in terms of lyrics and songs.”

Jones’s journey deeper into the music got a relatively late start. Growing up in Morgantown, West Virginia, Jones was bathed in music. She listened as her father led the Friendship Baptist Church choir and her mother sang lead. At home, Jones reveled in the lustrous soprano of her mother, Tommie Parker (to whose memory the album is dedicated). Parker moved in with Jones and her two teenage sons in Bremerton, Washington toward the end of her life, and Jones was once again exposed on a daily basis to the beauty of her mother’s singing. When that voice was stilled, Jones gradually found herself seeking to fill the gathering silence with her own sound.

“The best way to describe it is a yearning that you’re trying to figure out. What’s that feeling I’m having?” Jones says. “It took me a while to identify what I was missing. I just missed hearing my mom’s voice around the house. And that’s what drew me to singing. I’m also a person who likes to be challenged. I want to feel that I’m something more today than I was yesterday, and music offered that challenge and fulfillment.”

Upcoming Shows:

Aug. 21       Crossroads Bellevue                     Bellevue, Wa/7:00 pm

Aug. 29       The Allison Inn & Spa Resort      Newberg, OR/6:30 pm

Sep.    3        Twins Jazz                                   Washington, DC/8:00 pm

Sep.  10         North West Cellars                      Kirkland, WA/6:00 pm

Sep.  12         The Benson                                  Portland, OR/8:30 pm

www.eugeniejones.com

Kate Smith Promotions
katesmithpromotions.kate@gmail.com        www.katesmithpromotions.com

Terri Hinte: hudba@sbcglobal.net

jazzglobalbeat@gmail.com

Two Hendrik Meurkens CDs up for the Latin Grammy!

SAMBA LITTLE SAMBA & COPA VILLAGE  at the Latin Grammys  Jazz harmonica master, vibraphonist and composer HENDRIK MEURKENS  has two new albums on this year's Latin Grammy ballots.  SAMBA LITTLE SAMBA Hendrik Meurkens' new album with Gabriel Espinosa features an All-Star cast including Anat Cohen, Antonio Sanchez and Tierney Sutton. This is their second album for ZOHO, featuring a World Music approach to Brazilian jazz by adding Gabriel's Yucatacan background to the mix. To Listen - Click Here SAMBA LITTLE SAMBA SAMBA LITTLE SAMBA is listed in  JAZZ - Category 31 - Best Latin Jazz Album  "Hendrik Meurkens...is fast becoming a superstar of his instruments: the harmonica and the vibraphone...On the harmonica he is now the bona fide heir apparent to Toots Thielemans...This partnership with the bassist Gabriel Espinosa has yielded two Zoho albums so far... Both are superb recordings..."   Raul da Gama - latinjazznetwork "Demonstrating yet once more after their initial successful collaboration on Celebrando that you don't need to be a Brazilian to have an authentic feel for Brazilian jazz, Mexican bassist Gabriel Espinosa and harmonica/vibes master Hendrik Meurkens' Samba Little Samba offers an exciting menu of Brazilian sounds..."   Jack Goodstein - Blogcritics  "Meurkens, who stole the show on Celebrando, remains a captivating personality on harmonica and vibraphone...Samba Little Samba is a musical ray of sunshine."  Dan Bilawsky - AllAboutJazz "Hendrik Meurkens has been one of the foremost proponents of the Brazilian genre for decades now...Samba Little Samba serves up another delicious taste of the Brazilian-style with a good measure of swing, song and much, much more..."  Edward Blanco - All About Jazz "It's a cliché to say that music is a universal language, but "Samba Little Samba", the newest CD by Gabriel Espinosa and Hendrik Meurkens shows the truth inside that old maxim...There's been plenty of talk lately about jazz belonging only to blacks and samba belonging only to Brazilians, but "Samba Little Samba" proves those arguments wrong with its very existence."  Tom Cunniffe - Jazzhistoryonline.com COPA VILLAGE A Brazilian Jazz album featuring legendary composer/ arranger/ pianist Antonio Adolfo and Rio-based singer Carol Saboya. This is Hendrik Meurkens' most Brazilian album to date thanks to the wonderful arrangements by Maestro Antonio Adolfo and the soothing voice of Carol Saboya. Featured are some lesser known gems by Jobim, fresh arrangements of AGUA DE BEBER and GAROTA DE IPANEMA, and a few of Meurkens' Brazilian songs, now with Portuguese lyrics by Sergio Paulo Valle and Ana Terra. To Listen - Click Here COPA VILLAGE COPA VILLAGE is listed in BRAZILIAN - Category 37 - Best MPB (Musica Popular Brasileira) Album "[A] super constellation of stellar musicians [in] a tribute largely to the music of Antonio Carlos Jobim, graced by the wonderful musicality of Ms. Saboya, backed by the virtuosity and emotional fullness of Antonio Adolfo and Hendrik Meurkens."  -- Raul da Gama, Latin Jazz Network "three leading voices in Brazilian Jazz . . deliver a wonderful set of original compositions and traditional standards with beauty and grace."  --Chip Boaz, Latin Jazz Corner "This beautiful music flows in the Brazilian breeze, inducing smiles and soothing ears as it flies along. Saboya, Adolfo, and Meurkens prove to be a well-matched set of charmers, delivering seductive and stylish songs in seemingly effortless fashion."  -- Dan Bilawsky, All About Jazz jim@jazzpromoservices.com           www.jazzpromoservices.com jazzglobalbeat@gmail.com