Recording News

Concord Music Group Reissues Classic Chairman & the Count Recordings

Source: conqueroo
August 28, 2011

By the early 1960s, Frank Sinatra and Count Basie had already cemented their respective reputations as two of the most versatile and enduring entertainers of the 20th century. When these two titans united in the studio for recordings on Reprise—Sinatra's own label, which he'd launched at the start of the decade—the results were historic. The first album was simply titled Sinatra-Basie: An Historical Musical First, a 1963 release that climbed to the top five on Billboard's pop album charts over ...

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Bio Ritmo New Release: "La Verdad" out September 20 + Tour Dates

Source: Press Junkie PR
August 28, 2011

Richmond, VA may not be the typical place that comes to mind when you think of an internationally acclaimed Salsa band, but Bio Ritmo is far from typical. The 10-member band was formed 20 years ago this September originally as a percussion ensemble brought together by two misplaced Puerto Ricans who met at art school combined with a local punk rock drummer. They have evolved over the years and become known as one of the most groundbreaking salsa bands of ...

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Half Note Records Announces Harrison, Mela, Werner Releases, Brecker Events

Source: hubtone PR
August 28, 2011

Half Note Records Announces Three New Recordings:

Kenny Werner & Brussels Jazz Orchestra: Institute of Higher Learning available August 26

Donald Harrison, Ron Carter, Billy Cobham: This Is Jazz available September 6

Francisco Mela & Cuban Safari with Special Guest Esperanza Spalding: Tree Of Life available September 6

The Brussels Jazz Orchestra (BJO), led by founder and Artistic Director Frank Vaganée, once again reinforces its reputation as one of Europe's premier big bands, a group that “manifests love," according to ...

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Soft and Hard Running Bop from Pianist-Composer Falkner Evans

Source: Gapplegate Music Review by Grego Edwards
August 27, 2011

Falkner Evans write some early -mid-sixties style Blue Note hard and soft bop pieces that have a nice solidity. That is, on his CD The Point of the Moon (CAP 1024). The pieces range from a sort of Mobley meets Andrew Hill hipness, to flat-out hard bop, all arranged well for a sextet that includes Matt Wilson, drums, Belden Bullock on bass, Gary Versace on organ or accordion, Ron Horton, trumpet, Greg Tardy on tenor, and of course Evans on ...

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Julio Resende's Piano and Trio Shine Warmly on "You Taste Like a Song"

Source: Gapplegate Music Review by Grego Edwards
August 27, 2011

Portuguese pianist Julio Resende has a kind of poetic touch. His trio date You Taste Like A Song (Cleen Feed 216) waxes that way. A reflective Silencio—For the Fado opens the album with a beautifully glowing balladic-free piece that seems full of saudade longing. The trio has alternating bassists and drummers and they all do good yeoman's service accompanying and abetting Julio's improvisations, getting space of their own as well. The original pieces have something musical to grab onto virtually ...

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Christian Artmann - Uneasy Dreams (Self-Released, 2011)

Source: Music and More by Tim Niland
August 27, 2011

Flautist and composer Christian Artmann studied classical music intensely before hearing the call of jazz. On this album he is accompanied by Jeff Hirshfield on drums, Johannes Weidenmueller on bass, Rubens Salles on piano, Elena McEntire on voice and Luiz Claudio on percussion. Mixing modern jazz with different musical influences from around the world, the band makes for an intriguing sound. The group specializes in unusual textures and contextualization, like on the tracks where wordless vocals and flute combine to ...

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Jen Shyu and Mark Dresser - Synastry (Pi Recordings, 2011)

Source: Music and More by Tim Niland
August 27, 2011

Vocalist Jen Shyu and bassist Mark Dresser are uniquely qualified to perform in a duet setting together. After Shyu began studying with saxophonist and musical theorist Steve Coleman, she was soon invited to join his band, adding a fascinating new dimension to his recent albums. Mark Dresser has had a very successful career in all aspects of jazz and improvisatory music, performing with a wide range of luminaries and recording many albums under his own name, but really seems to ...

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Ernie Krivda Stokes the Flames with "Blues for Pekar"

Source: Gapplegate Music Review by Grego Edwards
August 26, 2011

Tenorist Ernie Krivda has unassumingly been at it for decades, building up a rather voluminous discography of hard swinging jazz with roots in the hard bop of the mid-late '50s through early sixties. Many of those disks are quite fine; many were made for the Cadence-CIMP label complex Bob Rusch heads. And herewith, a new offering [Blues for Pekar (Capri 74110-2)] (dedicated to jazz writer/critic Harvey Pekar) for his quartet-quintet (tenor, piano, bass, drums and an added trumpet/fluegel on four ...

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