In any successful partnership, both parties must be self-assured, while enabling the best of each other. And they should surround themselves with people who will support, encourage and inspire. Such it is, with Mike Melito and Dino Losito. Friends and colleagues of long-standing, they're veterans of the legendary "thruway of funk" that spans Upstate New York, from Niagara Falls and Buffalo, to Rochester, Syracuse and Albany, and every place in-between. For generations, some of the swingingest musicians in Jazz have come from that hotbed, from Stanley Turrentine and J.R. Monterose to Mel Lewis and Frankie Dunlop. The Jazz Upstate has always been characterized by a take-no-prisoners, honest-to-goodness respect for soulful expression. Joined here by tenor saxophonist Larry McKenna, whose contributions to the Jazz Scene in Philadelphia (another Jazz crucible) are well-known, and first-call New York bassist, Neal Miner, Melito and Losito have turned in a date that is at once creative but relentlessly swinging, original but steeped in tradition, elegant but funky as all get-out. Sit back, spin the record, and enjoy.

Formed in 2008, Triology is a jazz trio featuring three of Canada's most sought after jazz musicians

Classical Music

Jason Marshall returns with an incredibly soulful date featuring some of New York's finestincluding pianist Marc Cary, bassist Gerald Cannon and drummer Willie Jones III. Recorded at the studios of Rudy Van Gelder in Englewood Cliffs New Jersey and produced by Jeremy Pelt. Jason has developed a style that encompasses the whole of African-American music.

Underrated pianist Kirk Lightsey steps into the spotlight to lead an extraordinary quartet featuring Mark Whitfield - guitar, Santi DeBriano - bass and Victor Lewis - drums, through a spirited program of tunes from Dave Brubeck to Tony Williams and McCoy Tyner. Recorded live at New York's venerable Smalls Jazz Club this record is part of the Smalls LIVING MASTERS SERIES.

MORE INVENTORY ON THE WAY! BLACK, 180 GRAM VINYL. Unreleased recordings by an unsung hero of bebop jazz piano. Limited edition, hand-numbered 2xLP set is pressed on 180-gram vinyl with 100 minutes of music. Packaged in a gatefold sleeve with an extensive booklet with essays and photos. Consists of 2 shows recorded in Baltimore, MD, disc one recorded at The Madison Club in August 1966 & The Famous Ballroom in February 1967.

The compositional style known as contrafact has it's roots in classical music but has grown in the jazz world over the decades. Contrafact songs feature new melodies written over classic chord structures & song forms. Bay-area pianist/composer Adam Shulman presents arguably THE quintessential jazz album utilizing contrafact, with an all-star NYC band, recorded in the most legendary of studios.

Brin Charette is an organ player who has deeply studied the tradition of the instrument and the legends that came before him, yet is constantly pushing the envelope of the instrument's role in modern jazz. This new album, his 20th as a leader, sees Brian focussing on originals inspired by the classic role of the Hammond B3 in jazz & some of it's originators, including Larry Young and Jimmy Smith.

Limited 180gm vinyl LP pressing. Get Ready marks a return to the roots of the group: a live recording in the comfort of our local club purely for the joy of playing for our fans and supporters. With the social effects of the pandemic lingering in our communities this recording was a chance for us to celebrate togetherness and the special energizing effect of making music with a live audience.

Eric Alexander & Ledonne Mike - Together / Saxophone titan Eric Alexander and Hammond maestro Mike LeDonne come together for an incredible duo record on Cellar Music. With the two principals featured in both solo and duo formats, 'Together' is tethered by the supreme musicianship for which LeDonne and Alexander are known, as well as the comfortable tug of trust and bandstand familiarity. Featuring both original compositions and standards, this recording showcases a special musical dialog between these two modern masters who's long standing friendship and talent enables them to communicate with a kind of musical clairvoyance.

A Time For Love is a wonderful snapshot of this rapidly developing artist. There are many highlights on this recording. One of them is "On A Misty Night", an elegant song written by Tadd Dameron. It's a perfect composition for Erena and the group. She tips her hat to Sonny Stitt weaving dynamic lines into the fabric of the song. The solos on this tune are wonderful from everyone in this strong crew of first-rate musicians. Listen to Lewis Nash's ride cymbal throughout this track and you will understand why he is considered one of the best! The title track on A Time For Love is a superb song that brings out the best playing in everyone. I love David Hazeltine's melodic musical statement on the tune. Erena comes through with her passionate alto melting into the core of the song, grooving hard throughout. "88" is a heartfelt, upbeat song written for Yasohachi "88" Itoh. In his lifetime he produced recordings for Art Farmer, Roy Haynes, Clark Terry, Count Basie, Hank Jones, Tony Williams, Abbey Lincoln, Terumasa Hino, and many more. Yasohachi's love for jazz and ear for excellent talent moved him to record and produce Erena first three records. He surrounded her with some of the world's best jazz musicians - including Kenny Barron, Christian McBride, Jimmy Cobb, and Ron Carter - and introduced the world to Erena Terakubo in grand fashion! If A Time For Love is your introduction to Erena Terakubo, enjoy going on a musical journey. You will be moved by her skills and passionate sound. As Phil Woods said to after hearing her for the first time, "Who the hell is that?" It's Erena Terakubo! The traditions of this music are in good hands. Through her passion, creativity, and dedication, Erena has already become a world-class jazz musician.

The incredible John Lee's sophomore recording for Cellar Music is a hard swinging, and intricate jazz album. It features multi-instrumentalist, composer and arranger Lee on piano alongside his favorite rhythm section of all time: Kenny Washington on drums and Peter Washington on bass. The album features 3 newly penned original Lee compositions.

One of the finer young tenor players on the New York scene in the last decade, Sam Taylor squares off against Philadelphia's acclaimed tenor man, Larry McKenna on "Along The Way." Taylor and the elder McKenna don't musically spar so much as put their equally rich saxophone sounds to good use in a spirited, cooperative effort in a warm program of standards that suits their unfettered bebop style.

Recorded live at Dizzy's Club, NYC in January 2023, Brandon Goldberg's third album as a leader evokes both a feeling of nostalgia and innovation as his trio puts a fresh spin on beloved classics from the Great American Songbook as well as two fantastic original compositions. Pianist Goldberg has been playing piano and making music since he was three years old. Critics have praised his "unassailable technique, advanced harmonic understanding, a deep sense of swing and, most impressively, a clarity and plethora of ideas executed to near-perfection". He is a 2024 YoungArts Winner with Distinction, a semifinalist in the 2023 Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz International Piano Competition and youngest recipient of the 2022 ASCAP Herb Alpert Young Jazz Composer Award. He is joined for this new album on Cellar Music by the wonderful Ben Wolfe on bass and Aaron Kimmel on drums.

Limited 180gm vinyl LP pressing. In February of 2023 close friends, Cory Weeds and Champion Fulton travelled to OCL Studios just outside Calgary to record a new live, duo album in front of a rapt audience. Their special bond was evident as pianist and vocalist Fulton delivered sophisticated, swinging turns across a set of beautiful tunes, in conversation with Weeds at his expressive best.

Jack Walrath - Live At Smalls - The 8th release in the Smalls Living Masters series sees trumpet legend Jack Walrath delivering six original compositions in the fine company of his long time band of Abraham Burton on tenor saxophone, George Burton on piano, Boris Kozlov on acoustic bass and Donald Edwards on drums. - Jack Walrath's talents have been utilized by Charles Mingus, Ray Charles, Muhal Richard Abrams, Ricky Ford, Sam Rivers, Joe Morello, Mike Clark, Charli Persip, Miles Davis, Quincey Jones, Ray Anderson, Craig Harris, Pete LaRoca, Mike Longo, Elvis Costello, Motown, Larry Willis, George Gruntz, Paul Jeffrey, Gunther Schuller, Hal Galper, the Monk Tentet, Bobby Watson, et al. His Blue Note album, "Master of Suspense" was nominated for a Grammy. - He has written compositions and arrangements for Mingus, Red Rodney, Ira Sullivan, Cecil Brooks III, the Brooklyn Symphony Orchestra, WDR, NDR, UMO Orchestra, Catania City Jazz Orchestra, Charli Persip Superband, Upper Austrian Jazz Orchestra, et al.

Drawing from jazz standards, rock hits & pop classics, Angela Wrigley & her Trio havecreated a body of work that intricately describes the story of love and loss, hope and longing, andwhat it means to deeply and truly be "in love." Angela's own compositions describe these feelingswith poignant accuracy.

Sienna Dahlen & Bill Coon - Balladextrous "Se balader": a French verb meaning to stroll, wander or roam. In other words, a slow and easy movement through time. Musically-speaking, this is what Sienna Dahlen and Bill Coon set out to experience in early January of 2020 under a misty evening sky in Vancouver, BC. There was really no end goal, only the moment to honour, as living in a jazz ballad means remaining open and vulnerable while navigating silence and shaping time. We strive to sink into the soul of the story, reacting in the ways that the music needs us to do so. We listen and we follow through accordingly. Lovers of the music that was made by people like Ed Bickert and Shirley Horn, (both masters of ultra-relaxed, soulful playing and vocalizing), Dahlen and Coon also feel most at home when residing in the realms of spacious spontaneity. The tempos and vibes on this album run the gamut of sometimes unpredictably minimal and quirky, sometimes "dirgy", sometimes ballroom dance-ballad, sometimes rubato etc. (with the exception of the last song on the record which was included as a sort of tongue-in-cheek clin d'oeil as if to say "yes, we like up-tempos too"!) Each of the tunes on the album,(many well-known and others not as much), has resided in Dahlen and Coon's respective repertoires for decades. "Balladextrous" is a guaranteed mood-setter. It goes down well with a bottle of red shared among loved ones, a hot soak in a bubble bath or, perhaps a long and luxurious drive to the beach to catch the last rays of the sun. Whatever your fancy, we hope you enjoy the ride now as much as we did then. Vinyl LP pressing.

NIGHT CRAWLERS 3

Charles, Play! Showcases the joy of creation and the fun of play with a stellar band composed of Ralph Moore, Peter Washington and Kenny Washington. - Vinyl edition of 'Charles, Play!' pressed on classic black 180g vinyl. Charles, Play! #is pianist Chen's debut album. The album represents how Charles approaches play: both very serious and very fun. Listeners will hear catchy compositions, danceable arrangements, & dynamic solos. Charles, Play! Showcases the joy of creation and the fun of play. The stellar band is composed of Ralph Moore on tenor saxophone, Peter Washington on bass and Kenny Washington on drums. - MUSICIANS: Charles Chen - piano / Ralph Moore - tenor saxophone / Peter Washington - bass / Kenny Washington - drums

The latest album from tenor saxophonist Grant Stewart joins him with trumpeter sensation Bruce Harris Like the vibe in New York City where Stewart lives, the music on this invigorating recording has a dynamic spirit. Along with Harris the set features an all-star quartet with Tardo Hammer on piano, David Wong on piano and Phil Stewart on drums recorded live at the renowned Rudy Van Gelder studios in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey. Includes 8 tracks including some original compositions and the band's take on classics like "I'm A Fool to Want You" originally recorded by Dexter Gordon in the same studio in 1965! Right from the first song there's an expectant anticipation about where Stewart and the musicians will go with the uniquely curated repertoire. They deliver on the promise, with ardent jazz that both honors tradition and sounds timeless.

Ain't No Sunshine is a previously unissued concert recordings from one of the greasiest and funkiest hammond b3 organists of all-time, Brother Jack McDuff. The album features his then working band saxphonists Leo Johnson and Dave Young, guitarist Vinnie Corrao and drummer Ron Davis. - The deluxe package includes an extensive booklet with essays by archival producer and label owner/producer/musician Cory Weeds, plus passages from Hammond organists Delvon Lamarr, Larry Goldings and Brian Charette; and rare photos and memorabilia. LP mastering by Kevin Gray at Cohearent Audio. - A marvelous bandleader and organist as well as capable arranger, "Brother" Jack McDuff has one of the funkiest, most soulful styles of all time on the Hammond B-3. His rock-solid basslines and blues-drenched solos are balanced by clever, almost pianistic melodies and interesting progressions and phrases. McDuff began as a bassist playing with Denny Zeitlin and Joe Farrell. He studied privately in Cincinnati and worked with Johnny Griffin in Chicago. He taught himself organ and piano in the mid-'50s, and began gaining attention working with Willis Jackson in the late '50s and early '60s, cutting high caliber soul-jazz dates for Prestige. McDuff made his recording debut as a leader for Prestige in 1960, playing in a studio pickup band with Jimmy Forrest. They made a pair of outstanding albums: Tough Duff and The Honeydripper. McDuff organized his own band the next year, featuring Harold Vick and drummer Joe Dukes. Things took off when McDuff hired a young guitarist named George Benson.

FINESSE

Adam Scone's "Low and Slow" is all about mood. It is about the rare time of the day when you may find a moment of solace in between the chaos of everyday life. Adam Scone's Hammond organ sound is slow. Ian Hendrickson-Smith's Baritone Sax sound is low. Tsutomu Nakai brings his unique tone on guitar. All are set up by the beautiful playing of Tom Beckham on Vibes and Aaron Thurston on Drums.

2023 release. Short Stories, bassist Vicente Archer's debut album, is a family affair. Vicente brings together long-time friends and collaborators Gerald Clayton on piano and Bill Stewart on drums to dive into stories and songs from his 25 year career making music with luminaries like Robert Glasper, John Scofield, Nicholas Payton and Norah Jones. More than a musical memory box, however, Short Stories is a look at life, and little moments, in sketches of sound.