This release is the fourth album in the ten-part series “Songs inspired by wandering the globe,” a series based on Mike del Ferro’s worldwide travels. Neapolitan songs, particularly arias by Puccini and Verdi are meshed together with jazz, blues, and Afro-Cuban rhythms to create a truly unique soundscape. Pianist Mike del Ferro is an internationally renowned artist. He has appeared in 116 countries across the globe, with performances varying from solo recitals to contemporary crossovers. Ferro is joined here by guest singer, US born Claron McFadden. Her highly distinctive voice allows her to flow effortlessly between classical and jazz, opera and concert, and traditional and modern repertoire.

Music friends, that’s how trumpet player Jan van Duikeren puts his relationship to drummer John Engels. Inspired by their friendship, Jan started writing tunes for John and asked him for his favorite compositions to record. Their chemistry lead to the establishment of the quartet JvD4 in 2015 and to the recording of Dear John. Even before the recording of Dear john started in June 2015, the quartet was invited to play at Tokyo Jazz festival and some other Japanese venues. Both Jan and John love Jan. Jan performs in Japan almost every year, with Candy Dulfer, Trijntje Oosterhuis or Jazzinvaders. John, who turned 80 this year, experienced one of this career highlights in Japan in 1987, when he recorded a live record with Chet Baker.

Jeff Hamilton writes of this new release: "This instrumentation has long been a favorite in a trio setting. Being a jazz drummer, I never quite understood this! Seriously, these three gentlemen exhibit exactly why. This recording includes the important features required to make this piano, bass, guitar combination operate as smoothly as it should. They are all accomplished musicians who listen to each other, play to make each other sound as good as possible, they are sensitive to each other's' dynamic and intensity ranges, and you hear the joy they have while playing this music. Compatibility is crucial in any group. If it isn't there, the listener will detect that something isn't quite right, perhaps not being able to recognize the problem. This trio's compatibility is exhibited by their time feel, harmonic and rhythmic agreement and overall simpatico. On the beautiful ballad, Letter to Alissa, you'll enjoy the trio's sensitivity which allows the melody and solo ideas to breathe. When the musicians do this, it offers that same relaxation to us, the listeners. While in this relaxed state of mind, their gentle boss nova feel keeps us "there", as well as with Song for Emil. Lex Jasper's compositions blend so well with the other selections, you find yourself thinking that they just might be standards that haven't yet been heard."

This new release is another instrumental funky jazz fusion album by the Dutch band Marutyri. Catchy melodies and grooves with brass riffs, fine keyboards and percussion run throughout the duration of the album. Creation of the Invisible is the second album on Challenge Records by the 8-piece jazz fusion band Marutyri. Their first album Inner Movements received a Dutch Edison nomination for ‘Best Jazz Album National.’ The jellyfish has been an inspiration for this new album. Rik van der Ouw explains: “Nothing lasts forever. Everybody knows this. But there is a bunch of creatures out there who chuckle and point their tentacles at us. Because they know they’ll survive us all. Some members of the jellyfish family can repair themselves after being torn apart by a predator. They call this process ‘symmetrization.’… You could interpret putting an album together as ‘symmetrization.’ Everything starts off torn apart in a sense, and is then put together as a whole. The ideas are there in your head, but they’re all just floating around in there, loose and without purpose. We are creators of music, the invisible art. Even though you can’t see it, you know it’s there…”

Forest Light is the band around Italian singer Marta�Arpini. The quintet is in search of a unique and individual sound that connects the musicians' imagery and intensive playing. They use Marta's material and invigorate a special universe of deep enchantment. The group combines the suggestive atmosphere of the world of the songwriter with the intensive collaboration characterizing jazz, explores unique and individual colors and develops a quaint cross-over language in order to tell meaningful stories through the purity of the "songs". Marta�Arpini�was born in Crema in 1994 and has been studying music since her childhood days. Having graduated in jazz singing from�Civici�Corsi di Jazz in Milano with distinction, she just graduated at Amsterdam conservatory, where she worked on original compositions for her new project Forest Light, semi-finalist of Keep�an�Eye International Jazz Award in March 2018. The Amsterdam-based quintet, lined up with vocals, guitar, vibraphone, double bass and drums, is working on Marta's arrangements and original compositions. "Telling meaningful stories through the purity of the songs" - Marta invites the listener into her world of experiences, her own, charming microcosm; desirable, tender and heartfelt on the one hand, energetic, fresh and effervescent on the other.

Morten Ramsbol writes: "Returning to my home in Denmark in the summer of 2017 inspired me to write new music that would feature some of my favorite musicians and a string quartet. Each morning for two weeks I sat at my piano without an agenda, expectations or plan, apart from allowing myself to "receive" whatever would come to me and document it on my phone. After a few months I sent some finished melodies, chords and sketches to my friend, Austrian drummer, composer and band leader, Reini Schmolzer, whom I met in 2013 when I started working as professor for double bass at the Kunst Uni Graz, Austria. Reini was given the freedom to arrange, orchestrate, and interpret my music and write for the string quartet. In May 2018, Julian Arguelles, Jacob Karlzon, Reini Schmolzer and myself plus the Ingmar Jenner String Quartet met for the first time as a band, rehearsed one day, played a concert in Graz and went to Italy the next morning to record the music. The freshness and vitality can be heard on the recording and I humbly feel that the stars aligned in our favor."

Norway has spawned a plethora of distinctive musicians that have made it their enterprise to merge musical traditions, often from their respective homesteads, with contemporary expression, world music, and improvisational jazz. Tenor saxophonist and goat horn player Karl Seglem looms prominently among these, unquestionably one of the great innovators and visionaries of Norwegian music.

Classical Music

Classical Music

Dear John contains new compositions by Jan van Duikerena nd personal favorites of John Engels. Jan van Duikeren is a steady force in many brass band sections and performs with pop musicians however he's gone primarily unknown until recently. His friendship with drummer John Engels inspired him to record this album and highlight his favorite compositions. Jan performs in Japan almost every year and John, who turned eighty recently, performs live often, most recently with Chet Baker.

Classical Music

Classical Music

Mateusz Sobiechowski, pianist and composer, is an experienced member of the young Polish jazz scene. He leads his own quintet and is co-founder of "Bienczycki/Sobiechowski Duo," "The Forest Tuner," and "Stanislaw Slowinski Quintet." Sobiechowski has participated in numerous master classes and has won several prizes. As part of the Erasmus scholarship programme, he studied for six months in 2014 at the renowned Amsterdam Conservatory in the Netherlands. "Vital Music" is the debut of the Mateusz Sobiechowski Quintet. The music on this album was composed by the pianist and leader and draws on many influences, from contemporary jazz to European classical music. And above all, it is full of improvisation.

Classical Music

Classical Music