LateSet Records debuts its new recording label with a focus on guitarists Peter Mazza, Davy Mooney, Gilad Hekselman and Amanda Monaco. LateSet Records's producer Atsuo Nitta and executive producers Yasuo Sakai and Chieko met these four brilliant Jazz guitarists in New York. Their albums exude the energy of something beyond technique and music theory. They represent the forefront of Jazz guitar standards - with the LateSet Guitar Series, you will discover that the future of this genre has already begun. These albums were previously released in Japan but October 2009 marks their U.S. market debut.
New York is the place where talented musicians gather from all edges of the country and all corners of the world. There is the musical genius, the winner of the prestigious competition, the one who refuses to compromise his or her music for the major recording deal - these are the pure and passionate, who never play for the money, the fame, or the commercialism. There is even the guy in his late-thirties, who gets excited like a kid when he is granted a scholarship for a music school.
Their lives as a professional musician are not as simple as it seems. They run to a music class during their lunch break, and then rush back to their day job as a teacher of an instrument. They end their night performing a gig at a music house or a restaurant for little compensation.
Unknown to tourists and the mass audience, New York City has underground live performances after hours. This is a “Late Set". After the audience that came to “hear" the big name performances leaves to go home, the artists that were mentioned above start gathering at these music houses. Regardless of how many people are actually listening, a real jam session begins. The vibe they create can be intense at times, but often, the music gently flows like a warm breeze that passes through the city late at night. This mellow discovery can only be described as just “cool."
Those who take part in late sets are simply “cool" and the vibes of their music is also “cool". This is what LateSet Records strives to capture. LateSet Records might not be widely accepted in places like Japan where traditional, pristinely beautiful Jazz is preferred. But if you open up to the “cool" artists of late sets with their “cool" sound, you will experience midnight Jazz (Late Set) that is just as powerful as it is mellow and gentle to your soul.
[Careful observation of the four CD covers and tray cards reveals a common visual theme among them. Can you find it?* The answer is at the end of this press release.]
GILAD HEKSELMAN WORDS UNSPOKEN October 6 release
Since his arrival to New York in 2004, Gilad Hekselman has earned a reputation as one of the most promising guitarists in New York. In only four years this native Israeli has shared the stage with many top names from the New York jazz scene including Chris Potter, Mark Turner, John Scofield, Anat Cohen, Sam Yahel, Jeff Ballard, Gretchen Parlato, Avishai E. Cohen, Jeff 'Tain' Watts, Ari Hoenig, Tigran Hamasyan, Aaron Parks, Greg Hutchinson, Reuben Rogers, Franois Moutin and Eric McPhearson.
Gilad was the Winner of the 2005 Gibson Montreux International Guitar Competition. A string of performance dates followed that achievement in 2006, highlighted by the Gibson Les Paul guitar he received from Claude Nobs: he opened for guitar legend Paco De Lucia at the Montreux Jazz Festival, performed at the IAJE conference in New York, at Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola - Jazz at Lincoln Center.
DAVY MOONEY
ASTORIANO
October 6 release
Davy Mooney was born and raised in New Orleans, and educated at the world famous New Orleans Center for the Creative Arts. He also studied guitar with New Orleans guitar guru Hank Mackie and seven-string master Steve Masakowski. Mooney later attended the University of North Texas, where he performed with the One O' Clock Lab Band. He spent the last two years working in the city of his birth with the Thelonious Monk Institute Septet but is now based in New York City.
Some of his 2009 career highlights include a 7-string guitar duo CD with the great John Pizzarelli, Last Train Home, released on Challenge Records; performing as a member of the Brian Blade Fellowship at Lincoln Center; and traveling to India as part of a U.S. State Department delegation -- which included Herbie Hancock, Chaka Khan, Dee Bridgewater, George Duke, Teri Lyne Carrington, Zakir Hussein, and James Genus -- and performing in New Delhi and Mumbai to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.'s pilgrimage to India. http://www.davymooney.net/live/
AMANDA MONACO
I THINK I'LL KEEP YOU
October 20 release
Since moving to New York City, Amanda Monaco has performed with a variety of musical groups, from jazz chamber ensembles and big bands to regular appearances with her own groups at such venues as Birdland, Joe's Pub, and The Blue Note, to name a few.
Amanda's current projects include her quartet, a jazz and improvisational music ensemble that combines free-bop sensibilities with through-composed pieces equal parts textural, adventurous, and whimsical. With alto/baritone saxophonist Michael Attias, bassist Sean Conly, and drummer Satoshi Takeishi, this quartet performs a mix of Amanda's original compositions and modern twists on classic and obscure jazz repertoire. I Think I'll Keep You is their debut CD.
An educator since 1990, Amanda has served on the faculty of New School University, and presently teaches at the National Guitar Workshop, on the innovative web site WorkshopLive, and at Berklee College of Music. Her book, Jazz Guitar for the Absolute Beginner (Alfred Publishing), is available worldwide.
PETER MAZZA
THROUGH MY EYES
October 20 release
Peter Mazza is a jazz guitarist recognized for his passionate and original compositions as well as his creative and virtuoso interpretations of jazz standards. Blending clean and fluent lines with colorful and inventive chord voicings, he creates imaginative ensemble arrangements as well as lush solo guitar pieces. Born and raised in New York City, he pursued his love for the guitar with the support of his musical family. He obtained a Bachelor of Music from in the Manhattan School of Music and a Masters from Juilliard on a full scholarship. He has taught extensively through the American Institute of Guitar/ISM, The National Guitar Workshop and in his private studio.
Peter began his career by earning the leader's role at a four-night-a week jam session at Augie's Jazz Bar, now called Smoke. He played there with Brad Mehldau, Joel Frahm, Chris Potter, Larry Goldings, Uri Cane, Christian McBride, Larry Grenadier, Greg Hutchinson, Jeff Ballard, and Roy Hargrove to name a few. Currently Peter has a trio that plays modern spins on hard bop repertoire, featuring organist, Brian Charette and drummers Jochen Ruekert or Ari Hoenig. Through My Eyes is Peter's debut recording. The disc presents 8 original compositions and 2 original arrangements of standards. While the pieces draw from jazz, classical, rock, funk and ambient music, it is their evocative and personal nature that fuses them. http://www.petermazza.com/
About LateSet Records:
LateSet Records is formed with its parent label, Spice Records - a Japan-based label that has brought numerous talented musicians to success - and its sister label, Smalls Records - connected with the New York jazz club. LateSet Records strives to be the record label that helps take the music scene to the next level. Planting roots in New York, USA and Tokyo, Japan, LateSet is spreading its distribution capabilities around the world. Together with major labels, such as Colombia Music Entertainment Japan, LateSet will continuously deliver diverse and quality sounds and support its stellar musicians.
* Here's the answer to the question: Bridges. LateSet producer Atsuo Nitta arranged for each CD cover or tray card to feature, in the background, one of New York's splendid bridges. Peter Mazza: Manhattan Bridge; Amanda Monaco: Queensborough Bridge; Davy Mooney: Triborough Bridge; Gilad Hekselman: Brooklyn Bridge.
New York is the place where talented musicians gather from all edges of the country and all corners of the world. There is the musical genius, the winner of the prestigious competition, the one who refuses to compromise his or her music for the major recording deal - these are the pure and passionate, who never play for the money, the fame, or the commercialism. There is even the guy in his late-thirties, who gets excited like a kid when he is granted a scholarship for a music school.
Their lives as a professional musician are not as simple as it seems. They run to a music class during their lunch break, and then rush back to their day job as a teacher of an instrument. They end their night performing a gig at a music house or a restaurant for little compensation.
Unknown to tourists and the mass audience, New York City has underground live performances after hours. This is a “Late Set". After the audience that came to “hear" the big name performances leaves to go home, the artists that were mentioned above start gathering at these music houses. Regardless of how many people are actually listening, a real jam session begins. The vibe they create can be intense at times, but often, the music gently flows like a warm breeze that passes through the city late at night. This mellow discovery can only be described as just “cool."
Those who take part in late sets are simply “cool" and the vibes of their music is also “cool". This is what LateSet Records strives to capture. LateSet Records might not be widely accepted in places like Japan where traditional, pristinely beautiful Jazz is preferred. But if you open up to the “cool" artists of late sets with their “cool" sound, you will experience midnight Jazz (Late Set) that is just as powerful as it is mellow and gentle to your soul.
[Careful observation of the four CD covers and tray cards reveals a common visual theme among them. Can you find it?* The answer is at the end of this press release.]
GILAD HEKSELMAN WORDS UNSPOKEN October 6 release
Since his arrival to New York in 2004, Gilad Hekselman has earned a reputation as one of the most promising guitarists in New York. In only four years this native Israeli has shared the stage with many top names from the New York jazz scene including Chris Potter, Mark Turner, John Scofield, Anat Cohen, Sam Yahel, Jeff Ballard, Gretchen Parlato, Avishai E. Cohen, Jeff 'Tain' Watts, Ari Hoenig, Tigran Hamasyan, Aaron Parks, Greg Hutchinson, Reuben Rogers, Franois Moutin and Eric McPhearson.
Gilad was the Winner of the 2005 Gibson Montreux International Guitar Competition. A string of performance dates followed that achievement in 2006, highlighted by the Gibson Les Paul guitar he received from Claude Nobs: he opened for guitar legend Paco De Lucia at the Montreux Jazz Festival, performed at the IAJE conference in New York, at Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola - Jazz at Lincoln Center.
DAVY MOONEY
ASTORIANO
October 6 release
Davy Mooney was born and raised in New Orleans, and educated at the world famous New Orleans Center for the Creative Arts. He also studied guitar with New Orleans guitar guru Hank Mackie and seven-string master Steve Masakowski. Mooney later attended the University of North Texas, where he performed with the One O' Clock Lab Band. He spent the last two years working in the city of his birth with the Thelonious Monk Institute Septet but is now based in New York City.
Some of his 2009 career highlights include a 7-string guitar duo CD with the great John Pizzarelli, Last Train Home, released on Challenge Records; performing as a member of the Brian Blade Fellowship at Lincoln Center; and traveling to India as part of a U.S. State Department delegation -- which included Herbie Hancock, Chaka Khan, Dee Bridgewater, George Duke, Teri Lyne Carrington, Zakir Hussein, and James Genus -- and performing in New Delhi and Mumbai to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.'s pilgrimage to India. http://www.davymooney.net/live/
AMANDA MONACO
I THINK I'LL KEEP YOU
October 20 release
Since moving to New York City, Amanda Monaco has performed with a variety of musical groups, from jazz chamber ensembles and big bands to regular appearances with her own groups at such venues as Birdland, Joe's Pub, and The Blue Note, to name a few.
Amanda's current projects include her quartet, a jazz and improvisational music ensemble that combines free-bop sensibilities with through-composed pieces equal parts textural, adventurous, and whimsical. With alto/baritone saxophonist Michael Attias, bassist Sean Conly, and drummer Satoshi Takeishi, this quartet performs a mix of Amanda's original compositions and modern twists on classic and obscure jazz repertoire. I Think I'll Keep You is their debut CD.
An educator since 1990, Amanda has served on the faculty of New School University, and presently teaches at the National Guitar Workshop, on the innovative web site WorkshopLive, and at Berklee College of Music. Her book, Jazz Guitar for the Absolute Beginner (Alfred Publishing), is available worldwide.
PETER MAZZA
THROUGH MY EYES
October 20 release
Peter Mazza is a jazz guitarist recognized for his passionate and original compositions as well as his creative and virtuoso interpretations of jazz standards. Blending clean and fluent lines with colorful and inventive chord voicings, he creates imaginative ensemble arrangements as well as lush solo guitar pieces. Born and raised in New York City, he pursued his love for the guitar with the support of his musical family. He obtained a Bachelor of Music from in the Manhattan School of Music and a Masters from Juilliard on a full scholarship. He has taught extensively through the American Institute of Guitar/ISM, The National Guitar Workshop and in his private studio.
Peter began his career by earning the leader's role at a four-night-a week jam session at Augie's Jazz Bar, now called Smoke. He played there with Brad Mehldau, Joel Frahm, Chris Potter, Larry Goldings, Uri Cane, Christian McBride, Larry Grenadier, Greg Hutchinson, Jeff Ballard, and Roy Hargrove to name a few. Currently Peter has a trio that plays modern spins on hard bop repertoire, featuring organist, Brian Charette and drummers Jochen Ruekert or Ari Hoenig. Through My Eyes is Peter's debut recording. The disc presents 8 original compositions and 2 original arrangements of standards. While the pieces draw from jazz, classical, rock, funk and ambient music, it is their evocative and personal nature that fuses them. http://www.petermazza.com/
About LateSet Records:
LateSet Records is formed with its parent label, Spice Records - a Japan-based label that has brought numerous talented musicians to success - and its sister label, Smalls Records - connected with the New York jazz club. LateSet Records strives to be the record label that helps take the music scene to the next level. Planting roots in New York, USA and Tokyo, Japan, LateSet is spreading its distribution capabilities around the world. Together with major labels, such as Colombia Music Entertainment Japan, LateSet will continuously deliver diverse and quality sounds and support its stellar musicians.
* Here's the answer to the question: Bridges. LateSet producer Atsuo Nitta arranged for each CD cover or tray card to feature, in the background, one of New York's splendid bridges. Peter Mazza: Manhattan Bridge; Amanda Monaco: Queensborough Bridge; Davy Mooney: Triborough Bridge; Gilad Hekselman: Brooklyn Bridge.
For more information contact Michael Bloom Media Relations.
