LORRAIN'S LULLABYE

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.

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.

Classical Music

Conceiving her 2020 debut album, vocalist Naama Gheber summoned inspiration from an intimate life on the New York bandstand. Among tapering red curtains, maple bar tops, snares and brushes, the Be'er Sheva-born artist nightly explored selections from the canon of American standards with her fellow artists - music that would become the centerpiece for Dearly Beloved.

One could suppose that, given Cory Weeds' position as owner of The Cellar jazz club and associated label, that his records are mere vanity projects, but if the first album from his quintet didn't convince you otherwise (and it should have), then this one will. It's a solid bop/post-bop recording with pleasant soloing and interesting writing. "Little Unknown One" is suitably sensitive and mellow, while the shuffle "Bailin' on Lou" is energetic without getting frenetic. In fact, you could almost say, given the style of play, that this recording came from the wrong coast. ENJOY!

Alvin Queen - The Jazzcup Caf� Blues - A wonderful live recording from incredible jazz drummer Alvin Queen and his stellar band including Jesse Davis, Danny Grissett and Deron Douglas. New York born Alvin Queen was a prodigy on the drums. He was mentored by Elvin Jones, who called him his "son," he sat in with John Coltrane at Birdland when he was twelve. Alvin has lived in Europe since 1979. In May of 2019 he assembled some finest musicians on the New York scene for a tour of Italy, Denmark and Germany where this was recorded. With Jesse Davis on alto saxophone, Danny Grissett on piano and Dezron Douglas on bass the quartet added Cesar Granados on percussion on a couple of numbers. Alvin named this album after 'The Jaazcup Caf�' in Copenhagen, Denmark. It is a favorite spot for him to hang out and listen to music while drinking coffee. This recording is an example of Alvin's intention to bring his music, this American art form to every other country in the world.

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.

Irv Grossman Sextet - Sound Advice - New York trumpeter Irv Grossman arrives at Cellar Music with a killer sextet configuration. New York trumpeter Irv Grossman arrives at Cellar Music with a killer sextet configuration. The 'Jazz royalty' rhythm section of Dave Hazeltine, Billy Drummond, and Todd Coolman is joined by horn players with a deep knowledge of jazz and a personal chemistry in Sam Dillon, Andrew Gould. Before this recording the band had played mostly famous arrangements of classic be-bop tunes but switched up for the album recording to include some lesser-known gems and some original Grossman compositions.

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.

CONTRAFACTUS

Jazz from The Pacific Northwest combines two previously unissued concert recordings from one of the greatest jazz drummers of all-time, Shelly Manne. The first recording features Monty Budwig on bass, Russ Freeman on piano, Stu Williamson on trumpet, and Herb Geller on flute and alto saxophone recorded at the Monterey Jazz Festival on October 4, 1958. The second recording features Hampton Hawes on piano, Frank Strozier on flute and alto saxophone, Conte Condoli on trumpet and guest vocalist Ruth Price on two tracks recorded at the Penthouse jazz club in Seattle on September 7 and 15, 1966. - The deluxe package includes an extensive booklet with essays by renowned archival producer Zev Feldman and label owner/producer/musician Cory Weeds, plus passages from Tim Jackson of the Monterey Jazz Festival, Charlie Puzzo Jr. From the Penthouse, and engineer/radio host Jim Wilke; interviews from musicians Jim Keltner, Peter Erskine, Ruth Price, Bill Holman and Joe LaBarbera; and rare photos and memorabilia. - New York City-born Manne rose to fame in the 1950s after moving to Los Angeles and is known as a founding father of the "West Coast Jazz" scene. He is highly regarded as one of the most versatile and talented drummers of the day performing with countless legends including Andre Previn, Sonny Rollins, Stan Kenton, Charlie Ventura, Kai Winding and many others. Manne teamed up with Previn and Leroy Vinnegar to produce the first jazz album of a Broadway score for their version of "My Fair Lady, " and he has numerous television/movie credits along with performing and composing scores. His recorded works include numerous albums for Capitol, Atlantic, Impulse!, Mainstream, Contemporary, Flying Dutchman and other international labels.

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.

Keith Jarrett's album, Book of Ways, was recorded on July 14, 1986 in Ludwigsburg, Germany. Rather amazing is the great variety of sound and rhythm - Jarrett played alternately one or two instruments simultaneously. Beyond unmistakable echoes of lute music and Japanese koto, the whole range of modes of expression the clavichord is capable of is being fathomed out. All this has been supported by studio techniques, which recorded the sound of the instrument with rarely heard intensity.

UNFOLDING

Oded Tzur - "My Prophet" / On his album, My Prophet, Oded Tzur - together with his quartet of pianist Nitai Hershkovits, bassist Petros Klampanis and new member Cyrano Almeida on drums - continues on the idiosyncratic musical path he has carved out for himself, a flowing jazz idiom that seamlessly combines multiple forms of expression while delving deeper into the meditative and highly concentrated realm of improvisation.

ZA GORAMI

IMAGINARY CYCLE

Vijay Iyer / Linda May Han Oh/Tyshawn Sorey - "Compassion" / Pianist-composer Vijay Iyer follows his 2021 ECM disc Uneasy - the first to showcase his trio featuring bassist Linda May Han Oh and drummer Tyshawn Sorey - with Compassion, another album in league with these two gifted partners. Compassion, Iyer's eighth release as a leader for ECM, continues his drive to explore fresh territory while also referencing his forebears along the way, two of them long associated with the label. The album was produced by Manfred Eicher and Vijay Iyer.

2023 release. World-renowned actor Damian Lewis is set to release his first ever (mostly) self-penned record. Mission Creep is a collection of rootsy, rock and jazz-tinged songs that evinces a deep love of music, and a deep need to communicate. With music being Lewis' first love, spending much of his years busking and performing music before his success in acting (and following a string of sold out shows), this record has been years in the making and is a welcome return to the world of music.

Ralph Alessi's fourth appearance as a leader for the label follows a singular album run that's been met with nothing but praise from The New York Times to The Guardian. On his new album, Alessi's unique tone is as limber, piercing and present as ever, enveloped by a fresh quartet line-up - pianist Florian Weber, B"nz Oester on bass and drummer Gerry Hemingway - that navigates through the trumpeter's idiosyncratically swinging compositions with a sixth sense.

DRIFTING

Stephan Micus is a unique musician and composer. He collects and studies instruments from all around the world and creates his own musical journeys with them. This is his 25th solo album for ECM and it's sound is dominated by the four-metre long Tibetan dung chen trumpet, an instrument he has recently learned and is using for the first time. It was the thunderous sound of this instrument that led to the album's name and it's nine tracks celebrating deities around the world.

2022 release. Norwegian bassist Arild Andersen, an ECM musician for more than fifty years, is a masterful player who has always welcomed a challenge. His first recording with his new quartet - including rising stars Marius Neset and Helge Lien (both bandleaders in their own right) - is almost entirely improvised. The players make the leap of faith together and find and develop forms in the moment, an object lesson in spontaneous group creativity. Affirmation was recorded in 2021 at Oslo's Rainbow Studio.

2022 release. Melody Gardot and acclaimed pianist Philippe Powell have recorded an intimate album of brooding jazz torch songs. Recorded in Paris in Dec 2021, this intimate new album showcases Melody and Philippe's love of traditional jazz, taking the listener back to it's golden age.