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Ro
Nick Russo + 11: Ro
by Michael P. Gladstone
Ro is a wild ride for the guitarist Nick Russo and his group, displaying a number of his original compositions in a variety of settings. The guitarist seems determined to combine his interest in Indian music with jazz. The other eleven musicians also provide different textures for several of these tracks. Nick Russo is from Selden, Long Island and is a graduate of Stony Brook University and Queens College. His now based out of Queens, New York.
Considering ...
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by John Kelman
In an ever-shrinking world, musical eclecticism is now becoming the norm. Still, artists need to be able to channel their varied musical sources into a focused voice. Ro is a broad-reaching affair that demonstrates guitarist Nick Russo's not insignificant improvisational and compositional strengths, but also feels a bit too much like a grab bag. Within this mix of confident blowing, cross-cultural influences and complex composition, Russo feels something like a kid in a candy shop.
Still, that's not to say ...
read moreNick Russo + 11: Ro
by Jim Santella
With varied tastes in the field of modern jazz, guitarist Nick Russo covers a wide range. He loves to interject sensual themes into his work, portraying a romantic vision as well as a consonant landscape that both rest on pleasurable experiences. They're Russo's compositions, and they represent deep feelings.
Miles Griffith sings on three selections, providing unique wordless passages as well as original lyrics. He makes a suitable musical partner for Russo, since they share an appreciation for ...
read moreGuitarist/Composer Greg Chako Trio New Release 'Standard Roots' On May 3, 2024
Source:
Scott Thompson Public Relations
Guitarist Greg Chako’s 17th CD, Standard Roots, contains over 72 minutes of music, with an additional 23+ minutes of music included in the 4 ‘bonus tracks’ on the digital version of the album. The album represents a return to what Greg calls his “roots,” because it features the trio format of guitar, bass, and drums that he began his professional playing career with over 30 years ago. Additionally, Greg says: “I treasure my own song-writing above all else, but I ...
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Single Release: 'Gånglåt Från Halland' From Daniel Stahre's Upcoming Album 'Margin Call II'—A Melodic Sequel With A Nordic Sound
Source:
Daniel Stahre
Gothenburg pianist Daniel Stahre released the Dolby Atmos single Gånglåt från Halland" on April 24, 2024. In May 2024, the second single Swinging" will be released ahead of the forthcoming album Margin Call II—an instrumental fusion of contemporary, jazz and pop. The musicians once again include members of Little Dragon and Franska Trion, with Viktor Turegård on double bass, Erik Bodin on drums and Martin Freidlitz on electric guitar. First up is the Dolby Atmos single Gånglåt från Halland"—a melodic ...
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Backgrounder: Barney Kessel - Kessel's Kit, 1969
Source:
JazzWax by Marc Myers
In the spring and early summer of 1969, guitarist Barney Kessel was on an extensive solo European tour. In each country, he picked up local players for his performances. In two of those countries—France and Italy, he recorded albums. In Rome, two albums were cut for Italian RCA—Reflections in Rome and Kessel's Kit, later known as Guitarra, on RCA's Camden budget line. Kessel's Kit is particularly interesting. For that album, recorded on May 7, 8 and 9 of 1969, Kessel ...
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Backgrounder: Hank Mobley - Poppin', 1966
Source:
JazzWax by Marc Myers
In tribute to Michael Cuscuna, the great jazz-reissue record producer and Mosaic co-founder who died April 19, I thought I'd feature one of my favorite Hank Mobley albums today as a Backgrounder. Michael found Poppin' in the Blue Note vaults when he was there and released the album for the first time in 1980. If not for Michael, we wouldn't have many of the Blue Note albums that we have today that were released under his stewardship. Michael operated assertively ...
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Documentary: Sister Rosetta Tharpe
Source:
JazzWax by Marc Myers
Sister Rosetta Tharpe began recording on the electric guitar in 1941, for her first Decca sides with Lucky Millinder's band. She was one of the first true fusion artists, combining multiple styles of music in her delivery. At this point in time, hundreds of thousands of black Americans were on the move, leaving the farms of the South and Southwest for better-paying manufacturing jobs up North and out West, where blacks' lives weren't at the same level of risk. Since ...
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Elio Villafranca And The Jass Syncopators Take A Musical Journey From Cuba To New York on Friday April 26, 2024
Source:
Cheryl Duncan & Company
TRAVEL THE “CROSSROADS FROM CUBA TO NEW YORK” Elio Villafranca & The Jass Syncopators featuring Brianna Thomas head to City College Center for the Arts for a special concert on Friday, April 26 at 7 p.m. Elio Villafranca & The Jass Syncopators will take the stage at Aaron Davis Hall on Friday, April 26, for a magical musical journey “Crossroads from Cuba to New York.” The 7 p.m. concert, produced and presented by City College Center for the Arts (CCCA), ...
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Encuentro Music to Release Reginald Policard’s Global Jazz Album 'Boarding Pass' in Label Debut
Source:
Dog Ranch Music PR
Called “the most valued Haitian pianist in the jazz scene”, versatile pianist, author, and composer Reginald Policard has evolved through decades of playing different styles of music such as konpa, jazz, latin jazz and fusion to arrive at his personal style. Together with special guests from all over the world, Reginald brings the musical traditions of Haiti, Africa, the Caribbean, Latin America and American jazz to Boarding Pass, an exciting and fresh blend of musical cultures, to be released on ...
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Fela Kuti MFM Zoom Roundtable Discussion Set For April 19, 2024
Source:
Sohrab Saadat Ladjevardi aka SoSaLa
MFM Presents Music Is Essential," a Zoom Roundtable Discussion on the Legacy and Impact of Fela Kuti’s Music and Activism on the African Continent, with Special guests who knew or worked with the godfather of Afrobeat. Date: Friday, April 19, 2024—Time: 4:00-5:30 p.m. ET Venue: ZOOM—Ticket: $5 (up to 100 for sale. Save your seat TODAY!) Get Ticket Zoom host and PR Campaign manager: Adam Reifsteck This event is produced by Sohrab Saadat Ladjevardi aka SoSaLa (MFM President and ...
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Backgrounder: Johnny Alf: Rapaz de Bem, 1961
Source:
JazzWax by Marc Myers
For those in the know, Johnny Alf has long been thought of as the father of the bossa nova. Whether that statement is completely accurate or whether he was merely a significant influence has been hotly debated over the years. Even if the Brazilian singer-songwriter wasn't the bossa's earliest pure exponent, his softly romantic, Johnny Mathis-like vocal style, his jazzy sense of swing and his rich melodies certainly held sway over many of the artists who would become identified with ...
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Internationally Acclaimed Trombonist And Composer Kalia Vandever Joins New England Conservatory’s Jazz Studies Faculty
Source:
Braithwaite & Katz Communications
New England Conservatory’s Jazz Studies Department has appointed Grammy Award-winning trombonist and composer Kalia Vandever to its faculty beginning in the fall of 2024. Hailed as one of the prominent new voices in jazz trombone, Vandever leans into the challenges of her instrument and allows patience and melody to guide her process. The result is a distinctive approach defined by Vandever’s sonorous tone and lyrical improvisational voice. I’m incredibly excited to work with the imaginative students in the jazz department ...
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