IN CONVERSATION: ENRICO PIERANUNZI ON VOYAGE IN TIME

Voyage in time (a suite in nine movements) is conceived in the likeness of the suites of dances typical of the Baroque era. Some titles (Minuet, Courante, Pavane) may surprise the listener who associates our names with Jazz music. It is certainly true that our three previous albums were all Jazz albums. However, this fourth encounter - our second album for Challenge Records, after Common View (2020) - is a completely different recording, both in terms of line-up and material. The movements, composed by Jasper and arranged together during our recording session, reflect our shared love of classical music and combine classical forms with a very open improvisational approach. The result is a sort of journey back and forth between the musical languages of our time and of times past. A very special Voyage In Time, in fact, in which you are all invited to take part.

REVIEW:

Somsen has written a nine-part suite in which the two bring their musical storytelling to sparkle along the formal lines of baroque dances... Everything else is illustrious art of playing, is a fine feeling for the breath of the counterpart.

-- Jazzthing

This record is the result of musical encounters between Chiara Pancaldi, a young and passionate Italian Jazz singer, and the great piano player Cyrus Chestnut. The result is a brilliant, swinging, and warm record with one of the greatest rhythm sections of the worldwide Jazz scene!

Marimba/vibes veteran Steve Hobbs releases his strongest release in his 43-year career on Challenge Records. The recording is centered mostly around cutting edge originals by Hobbs encompassing modern mainstream examples of post-bop, Latin, Funk, Calypso, and more... arranged and performed with the typical creative and hard edged energy you are used to hearing on his past New York Recordings. Hobbs centered the music around marimba, dedicating the recording to his mentor and late friend Bobby Hutcherson. This is the group's third recording. It's a hot all-star group consisting of Steve Hobbs, Adam Kolker, Bill O'Connell, Peter Washington, and John Riley. The group's first album, released in 2007, was nominated Jazz Recording of the Year by the Jazz Journalists Association of America and made it to #3 on the Jazz Week Jazz Chart. Next in 2010 the group released the critically acclaimed Vibes Straight Up, which hit #1 on it's second week of airplay on Jazz Week and remained at #1 for seven weeks! "This album is a beautiful tribute to Bobby Hutcherson. The playing is masterful, the compositions beautiful, and show a Bobby Hutcherson influence... in essence, a heartfelt and touching tribute." (Ron Miller)

Classical Music

Classical Music

Classical Music

This album was recorded during the 2nd Covid lockdown. Circumstances were against us, as the two shows we planned to do before recording were cancelled, and we felt like we weren't fully prepared to go into the studio. At the beginning of the recording, the atmosphere in the studio was filled with uncertainty; we didn't know if we would manage to do everything we wanted. But soon after we started playing, we began to relax and focus on the music, and some magic started to happen. After two intense days of recording, we weren't sure if what we had was any good, but after hearing it with fresh ears, we were happy with the final takes. (Antonio Moreno Glazkov)

Eric Ineke: “When Pekka Pylkkänen invited me in 2017 to play a couple of concerts with him in Finland and Estonia, I immediately responded with an enthusiastic YES!! Having played together before, I knew the music would be great and swinging! Pekka got the idea of putting together a repertoire of tunes written by some of the great Jazz legends I played with during my earlier career. During the concerts, we all felt that it worked out really well and that we should at least put some of the repertoire in the can for the right moment to release it on album. Well, that moment came five years later. I have a close connection with at least five of the tunes, because I toured in the past with their composers…”

Patty Lomuscio writes: “My dream has finally come true, to make a record in NY with jazz legend, maestro Kenny Barron. I have always loved jazz and New York is its home. It all started by chance, thanks to the friendship that links me to Joe Farnsworth, the king of swing, caused by a situation that we never wanted or imagined we would have to face during the lockdown. After an exchange of music and emails, the much desired project came true and was realized in the most important jazz recording studio in the world, the Rudy Van Gelder Studio. The common denominator for the songs is love and the sensations experienced during that forced isolation, being alone in the house, uncertainties, the desire to overcome everything through love. I am particularly attached to the only Italian song that I contributed, written by an extraordinary musician and friend, Mario Rosini, a song whose meaning is very close to my father. The pieces we have chosen resonate beautifully thanks to the piano touch of Kenny Barron, the deep sound of Peter Washington, the poignant notes of Vince Herring and the pressing rhythm of Joe Farnsworth. I have added in my own emotions that I have tried to convey with my voice. I am amazed and happy at the results!”

For the first time on Challenge Records well-known Supertramp Saxofonist John Helliwell releases his brand new album with compositions of Peter Gabriel, Richard Davies, Andy Scott, Paolo Fresu and many more arranged by Andy Scott. John Helliwell is an English multi-instrumentalist known for his versatility and his on-stage presence. He got his start with The Alan Brown Set, with whom he began playing in 1966. He joined Supertramp in 1973. He has been featured on recordings by artists such as Pink Floyd, Jean-Jacques Goldman, and Diana Ross. On his solo release, he brings all of his experiences to the table to present an exciting lineup of music inspired by jazz, blues, rock, gospel, and funk.

"Free is an album I’ve wanted to make all my life. I didn’t know how, I was too busy and I was also a bit afraid of it. And then there was a time when the world seemed to come to a standstill. A time of reflection and contemplation. It gave me the energy to embark on an inner dialogue, spiritually and musically. Free became an inward journey. And on the way I found desolation and fear but also power, joy, passion and infinity. Free is all about unity, about becoming ‘one’, but also about space and time. About what lies deep within and sometimes long concealed.” (Joost Lijbaart)

“The very moment intuition, knowledge and craftsmanship collide as one the chain reaction creates an energy in which a masterpiece is created. The audience senses the quality of the event instantly, without any explanation. On this beautiful album we hear four masters at work in total synergy. Carnet Imaginaire grabs a hold on you, pulls you in and doesn’t let you go until the very end. Once again there’s no explanation needed. Effortlessly the music itself shows the direction. The listener follows the lead of each carefully crafted composition and improvisation, by these wonderful musicians. Clearly a natural choice, the trio’s decision to have pianist Wolfert Brederode as a featured guest turns out to be perfect. Guillermo Celano, Marcos Baggiani and Joachim Badenhorst are true storytellers, creating their landscapes with a wide variety of shapes and colors. I hope you enjoy this album as much as I do.” - Jasper Somsen

REVIEWS:

The extraordinary atmosphere is set in a cozy and enigmatic ambiance, with a beautiful cover of the Edith Piaf's" Hymn a l’amour.

Le Soir (Belgium)

Elegant melodies peel out of stumbled sequences of beats, great melancholic themes grow out of quiet banter, enigmatic voices murmur and lament, tribal beats seek their way in the diffuse sonics of saxophone and guitars.

-- NDR Kultur (Germany)

The Lights Are Always On is pianist/composer Lynne Arriale’s 16th album as leader, and her third recording on Challenge Records International. Lynne’s original music is a suite of compositions that reflect the world-wide, life-changing events of the past two years. On this session Lynne is joined by bassist/co-producer Jasper Somsen and drummer E.J. Strickland, both outstanding, in-demand musicians on the international jazz scene.

Lynne’s ten original, highly evocative compositions begin with the persistent Afro-Cuban influenced “March On,” a tribute to activists worldwide. “The Lights Are Always On” features a lyrical melody in perpetual motion; the foundation of a thematic arc that soars over the entire piece. It is followed by the jubilant, gospel-influenced “Sisters.” Lynne’s dedication to Lt. Colonel Alexander Vindman, “Honor,” is the melding of two engaging melodic ideas; each reinforcing the other. Together they convey the heroic character and unwavering strength of this American patriot. “Loved Ones” expresses joyful appreciation for those who are precious to us. The set continues with “Sounds Like America,” where Lynne creates an optimistic melody and solo, culminating in a celebratory chordal finish.

“The Notorious RBG,” is an exuberant dedication to Ruth Bader Ginsburg, assertively propelled by drummer E.J. Strickland. Following that, Lynne and Jasper deftly navigate the angular harmonic construction of “Into the Breach,” Lynne’s ominous remembrance of the January 6th Insurrection and the heroes that saved democracy on that day. “Walk in My Shoes,” a dedication to civil rights icon John Lewis, reflects the tenacity and strength of this remarkable leader. Lynne begins her solo with two motivic statements, which she skillfully integrates into a cohesive, powerful performance. The album concludes with “Heroes”, a heartfelt ballad composed in recognition of those who enlightened a very dark period in our history, and who embody the greatest humanistic virtues of mankind.

REVIEWS:

This is an album that is drawing on a lot of important messages of solidarity, of resistance, of hope, of joy, and it’s absolutely exquisite… a gorgeous sense of space and melody... This album emotionally, feels very necessary right now… outstanding!

-- A Closer Listen, Jazz at Lincoln Center (Seton Hawkins)

Her last two albums especially reveal how her vision, insight and passion cohere with her sense of being a fellow human and citizen in America, and of the world in very troubled times. Emotional and musical eloquence radiate from her playing with heartfelt ardor and honesty, and focused intensity. We are hearing a sort of heroism at work, her generous spirit and commitment, her exquisitely pointed and expansive testimonies.

-- Culture Currents (Kevin Lynch)

Arriale has great emotional pull, and there are whirlpools and whirlwinds in her playing. There is this pattern in Arriale where she begins with darkness, then everything is bathed in light. This is a strong recording, about strength. She has succeeded in putting us in the hero’s shoes, the light of the powerful mind pushing on through protests, and making change. And she has succeeded in putting us back in our shoes, with this invested strength to go on and change.

-- The Flash Boston (Sofia Marshall)

Inspired by the music of the extraordinary pianist Bill Evans, the Pinheiro - Ineke - Cavalli Trio explores in this new album musical landscapes constructed from delicate arrangements and intricate musical interaction. In this vibrant recording, the trio reaches a new level of maturity and consolidated artistry that appears in the way the group develops musical discourse and improvisation. The album features compositions by Bill Evans, as well as works by Michel Legrand and Leonard Bernstein, all in arrangements by the trio.

Like a lot of elite, Los Angeles-based studio musicians, reedman Bob Sheppard is one of those players whose sound is more familiar than his name. Even though he’s played on dozens of albums during the past 40 years, ranging from guest spots with the likes of Rod Stewart, Joni Mitchell and Leonard Cohen to sideman gigs with Chick Corea, Freddie Hubbard and Peter Erskine, The Fine Line is only his fourth album as a leader. Talk about a late bloomer. Sheppard offers the music here as someone with little to prove, and that casual confidence brings a low-key bravura to the playing. - DownBeat Editors' Pick

 

Click here to read the full review at DownBeat Magazine