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Something Blue: In The Beginning
by Michael Ambrosino
Jazz is powered by many things. Perhaps most notably, the expansive variety of independent record labels representing some of the more inspiring aspirations of the idiom. Reflecting the grit, passion and often sheer audacity to exist within an industry that makes little room for jazz, independent labels have established an expanse of music that exemplifies the very essence of the art form. For the past 30 years, Posi-Tone Records has championed this independent spirit, shining a light on a rich ...
Continue ReadingBehn Gillece: Pivot Point
by David A. Orthmann
Anyone who has listened to at least some of the Posi-Tone releases from the past several years will recognize the personnel on Pivot Point: vibraphonist Behn Gillece 's eighth date as a leader. Tenor/soprano saxophonist Willie Morris,, pianist Jon Davis, bassist Boris Kozlov and drummers Rudy Royston and Jason Tiemann have made substantial contributions to many of the label's projects situated in various points in the jazz mainstream. To put it bluntly, these guys are incapable of phoning it in. ...
Continue ReadingBehn Gillece: Pivot Point
by Carl Medsker
Posi-Tone will have released 253 albums in its post-bop contemporary mainstream jazz space with Pivot Point by Behn Gillece. Maintaining freshness and avoiding formula could become a creative challenge for any such productive label, but Gillece avoids that potential pitfall through well-written songs, crafty arrangements and excellent musicianship. The sequencing of songs is also thoughtful, varying in meter, style and emotion. Pivot Point is sufficiently complex and intelligent to warrant multiple listenings, but is simultaneously lots of fun.
Continue ReadingWillie Morris: Unbound Inner
by David A. Orthmann
Willie Morris's third release as a leader for Posi-Tone opens with the haunting “Flyover Country," which only includes the leader's tenor saxophone and pianist Jon Davis. Combining improvisation and Morris's earnest, subdued theme, the two-minute 25-second gem doesn't declare any particular stylistic allegiance, nor does it clamor for attention. Instead, Morris's and Davis's partnership evokes a pristine stillness and wistful melancholy yet is purposeful enough to get under one's skin. The track is a refreshing, counterintuitive way to launch a ...
Continue ReadingWillie Morris: Unbound Inner
by Willie Morris
This album is a culmination of much more than just the compositions, the solos, or the time spent in the studio. It is the coming together of many years of life experience between the musicians featured, the producers, the engineers, and hopefully the listeners. It is a small piece added to an ongoing stream of conscious and unconscious desire to find peace within and fully allow ourselves to embody and express who we are. This music centers on people, their ...
Continue ReadingMTB, Renee Rosnes, Darryl Yokley, Willie Morris and more
by Benjamin Boddie
Today's Music--Right Now! Fantastic music by Jacob Wutzke, Harry Drabkin, Jeremy Pelt, Steven Feifke, Michel Petrucciani, Jackson Potter, Darryl Yokley, Mike Boone, Judy Wexler, Liz Cole, Mason Razavi, Eric Lilley, Bruce Harris, Renee Rosnes, Fred Hersch, Jenna Mclean, Jenny Hill, Scott Hamilton, Willie Morris, Kasan Belgrave, Eugenie Jones, Allegra Levy, Jessica Jones, Mafalda Minnozzi and more. Playlist MTB “Angola" from Solid Jackson (Criss Cross) 00:00 Jacob Wutzke “Qwaltz" from You Better Bet (Cellar Music Group) 06:08 Michel Petrucciani ...
Continue ReadingNew Music From Willie Morris, Josh D. Reed, Scott Marshall & More
by Bob Osborne
This show features new releases from Willie Morris, Josh D. Reed, Scott Marshall. Carlos Niño Surya Botofasina & Adam Rudolph, Ethnic Heritage Ensemble, Leo Genovese John Lockwood & Nat Mugavero, PSA, Ivo Perelman Mark Helias & Tom Rainey, This Celestial Engine, and, Franco D'Andrea Franco Tonani & Bruno Tommaso.Playlist Show Intro 00:00 Willie Morris “Moving Right Along" from Attentive Listening (Posi-tone) 01:04 Josh D. Reed “True Love Waits" from No Signs Ahead (Self Released) 08:16 Scott Marshall “That's ...
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