Rob Mazurek Quartet "Father's Wing" - Rob Mazurek (piccolo trumpet, electronics, bells), Kris Davis (piano), Ingebrigt H�ker Flaten (double bass), Chad Taylor (drums)

HEAR THE LIGHT SINGING

Art Ensemble of Chicago "The Sixth Decade - From Paris to Paris" Roscoe Mitchell, Famoudou Don Moye, Roco Co�rdova, Erina Newkirk, Moor Mother, Nicole Mitchell, Hugh Ragin, Simon Sieger, Jean Cook, Eddy Kwon, Tomeka Reid, Brett Carson, Junius Paul, Silvia Bolognesi, Jaribu Shahid, Dudu` Kouate�, Enoch Williamson, Babu Atiba, Doussou Toure�, Steed Cowart

Features Rob Mazurek, cornet; Chad Taylor, drums; Noel Kupersmith, bass; and Jeff Parker, guitar.

This project assembles jazz players Joseph Jarman, Kalaparusha Maurice McIntyre, Adegoke Steve Colson, Malachi Favors & Kahil El'Zabar - they are several leading members from the early days of the Assoc. For the Advancement of Creative Musicians - here they swing explosively in the Chicago avant garde style.

Hamid Drake & Bindu - "Reggaeology" - Drake Hamid (drums, frame drum, tabla, voice), Maddox Napol�on (voice, beatbox), Parker Jeff (guitar), Albert Jeff (trombone, Hammond organ), Bishop Jeb (trombone), Abrams Joshua (double bass, guimbri)

Formed in 1990 by saxophonists Pat Mallinger and Cameron Pfiffner, Sabertooth explores a variety of musical genres in the quartet format of two saxophones, drums (Ted Sirota) and organ (Pete Benson). The band's repertoire includes many original compositions; some inspired from various ethnic origins. In addition, the band often performs standards and jazz classics. Sabertooth continues an extended residency at one of Chicago's premier jazz clubs, the famous Green Mill Lounge. The band has been playing to capacity audiences every Saturday evening for ten years. This energy is represented on Live at the Green Mill, recorded June 23, 2007.

SUNSET CAFE STOMP - LIVE

Twelve piece band playing six fresh new compositions with amazing charts written by leader, tenor saxist Keefe Jackson. Project Project is Josh Berman, Jaimie Branch, trumpet; Jeb Bishop, Nick Broste, trombone; Marc Unternahrer, tuba; James Falzone, clarinet; Guillermo Gregorio, alto sax/clarinet; Keefe Jackson, tenor sax/bass clarinet; Jason Stein, bass clarinet; Dave Rempis, alto and baritone sax; Anton Harwich, bass; Frank Rosaly, drums. The Fayetteville, Arkansas native moved to Chicago in 2001 and garnered much critical acclaim with his 2006 release Ready Everyday (Delmark 571). Stylistically could be described as Mingus meets AACM!

Trumpeter Billy Butterfield could play pretty ballads and heated Traditional Jazz with equal skill. Butterfield's career goes back to the 30s; he became famous while playing with Bob Crosby's Orchestra (37-40) taking the main solo on the original "What's New". He also worked with Artie Shaw, Benny Goodman, World's Greatest Jazz Band and had his own big band. Butterfield did extensive studio work in the 50s and 60s, occasionally emerging for trad dates with Eddie Condon and this exciting live album with Andy Bartha's band. Take Me to the Land of Jazz is 68 minutes of pure joy.

Pianist Jodie Christian has recorded with Chet Baker, Stan Getz, Gene Ammons, James Moody, Sonny Stitt, Eddie Harris, and performed with Lester Young, Coleman Hawkins, Sonny Rollins, Benny Carter and many others. Although this is his 5th Delmark CD, it is the first to feature Jodie predominantly in a trio setting.

Innovative guitarist & composer Scott Fields makes his Delmark debut with a recording of 5 original compositions inspired by the work of playwright David Mamet. Fields, whose previous ensembles have included such notables as pianists Marilyn Crispell, Myra Melford, and saxophonist Joseph Jarman, finds himself in excellent company here. Drummer Michael Zerang is a stalwart of the Chicago scene and has provided the pulse for the Ken Vandermark Quartet & the explosive Peter Br"tzmann Tentet. Bassist Michael Formanek is a respected composer, bandleader, and bassist.

Trumpeter Yves Francois has been active on Chicago's jazz scene since the '70's. Yves is a huge fan of early jazz and started out as a jazz/blues trumpeter. He is still active today as Yves Francois et Rocambu Jazz, a swinging group that still plays jazz & blues but also highlife and Caribbean. In the '80's Yves issued two LPs, in tiny quantities, on Franz Jackson's Pinnacle label. The sessions were recorded in '81 and '86 and feature two of Chicago's greatest tenor sax players, Franz Jackson and Eddie Johnson. Delmark acquired the masters which are now available on CD for the first time. Contains many previously unissued tracks and a new mix. With Special Guests Franz Jackson, Eddie Johnson and Odie Payne, Jr..

Drummer Ted Sirota relocated to Chicago in 1992 after graduating from Berklee College of Music in Boston. Sirota quickly became very active on the Chicago jazz scene performing with Von Freeman, Jodie Christian, Fred Hopkins, Lin Halliday, Rob Mazurek and many others. As a member of the Sabertooth Jazz Quartet, Sirota has been performing weekly at the Green Mill for seven years now and counting. Ted Sirota's Rebel Souls was formed in 1996 and have since released three albums. "Breeding Resistance" is the Delmark debut for the Rebel Souls which features Jeb Bishop, trombone; Geoff Bradfield, tenor sax; Jeff Parker, guitar; Clark Sommers, bass; Ted Sirota, drums.

What makes this group so important is the relationship that exists between it's members. Bassist Jason Ajemian (Chicago Underground Trio, Lay All Over It, Born Heller) saxophonist Tim Haldeman, and drummer Nori Tanaka are regulars on the Chicago improvisation scene. Joined here by vibist Jason Adasiewicz (Loose Assembly, Exploding Star Orchestra,) trumpeter Jaimie Branch, and guitarist Matt Schneider this prolific, expansive and inventive group becomes a sonic family on this release. The interplay between the players is ceaseless in reawakening the heart of what is jazz today. Like a conversation among old friends it's intimacy is palpable; warm, friendly and at ease.

Even though Dawkins is the chairman of the AACM & uses "avant garde" to describe his music, his ensemble always remains accessible yet vital; it's a surprise that this is their first U.S. release, as they have been together for more than a decade & are regarded as one of Chicago's finest - the album is titled after the enthusiastic response from the audience in Johannesburg, South Africa & Mozambique.

Trombonist Jim Robinson played professionally from World War I onwards. In the 20s he made his first recordings as a member of the Sam Morgan Jazz Band. He gained greater fame with the resurgence of interest in early New Orleans jazz as a regular member of the bands of Bunk Johnson & George Lewis. He also led his own band and was known for his deep, wide-toned & robust tailgate style of trombone playing. This 1965 session, recorded at Preservation Hall, features Johnny Wiggs, cornet; Raymond Burke, clarinet; Bob Greene, piano; Allan Jaffe, tuba; Yoichi Kimura, drums. On CD for the 1st time, it features 12 songs including 2 previously unissued songs & alternate takes.

Pianist Art Hodes' career lasted eight decades, starting in the late 20s and continuing into the 90s. Friar's Inn, near Van Buren and Wabash, was where the legendary New Orleans Rhythm Kings played Chicago in the early 20s. Their series of classic recordings for Gennett ushered in the early Chicago decade of jazz recordings. Hodes had long wanted to do a recording in honor of that early group and brought George Brunis and Volly DeFaut, both members of NORK in the 20s, to the studio for this 1972 session. On CD for the first time, this release features Barney Bigard and Barrett Deems.

Pianist Wally Rose was the original piano player in Lu Watters Yerba Buena Jazz Band, the band that started the Traditional Jazz revival of the 1940s and '50s. He also played with Bob Scobey in 1950-51, Turk Murphy in 1952-54 and spent many years as soloist in San Francisco. In 1953 Rose recorded two influential solo LPs: Ragtime Classics and Ragtime Piano Masterpieces. Rose remained active throughout the '70s and '80s. Whippin' the Keys was recorded at two sessions in 1968 and 1971. The twenty solo ragtime selections were originally issued on two Blackbird LPs (Rose on Piano, Blackbird 12007 and Whippin' the Keys, Blackbird 12010). They are reissued here for the first time.

An inspired soulfulness dominates the four extended compositions that make up this album, the second Delmark release by saxophonist Ernest Dawkins' New Horizons Ensemble. Recorded in Chicago in August of 2002, "Capetown Shuffle" celebrates numerous facets of the African American experience, from the gritty blues and AACM adventurousness of South Side Chicago, to joyful New Orleans marches, to the ancient ancestral grooves of South Africa. It was a special challenge to perform live all new compositions never played before an audience. The awesome results show why NHE shows are unique and flow unlike any other band.

Tenor sax player's 1959 session features the very first recording of Grant Green & young Elvin Jones on drums, also Harold Mabern-piano, Gene Ramey-bass.

Sun Rooms is Jason Adasiewicz's three year old trio featuring Jason (vibraphone), Mike Reed (drums) and Nate McBride (bass). Their debut record Sun Rooms (DMK 593) was named by the New York Times (Ben Ratliff) as one of the Top 10 Pop and Jazz Records of 2010. Spacer was written in the winter of 2011 and slowly shaped through a month long residency at a north side Chicago bar, the Whistler. Engineered by Griffin Rodriguez, Spacer documents 8 new tunes by Adasiewicz, one from McBride, and one from Dutch cornetist Eric Boeren.

This group has been about 2 horns & a drum for twenty years - over the years, drummer Kahil El'Zabar has stretched the boundaries of the band's sound, using trombone, African thumb piano, sax, guitar & other instruments; the music itself reflects African & African-American traditions with dance.

With grace, style, deftness & a knock-out punch, O'Donnell's band defies pigeonholing in a field of swingsters, hipsters & oldsters; they meld hot jazz, jump blues, early rock & swing into one cool package, feat. violinist Andrew Bird, who appeared on the Squirrel Nut Zippers album.

Kevin O'Donnell, Drums; Andrew Bird, violin, vocals; Chris Greene, alto and soprano sax; Josh Bell, tenor sax; Colin Bunn, guitar; Josh Hirsch, bass.