Lars Jansson is a jazz pianist, composer, arranger and educator. He was born in 1951, and grew up in Örebro, Sweden, where he was bored by his lessons at the community music school. In his early teens, a relative lent him records with Miles Davis, Ben Webster, and Mose Allison, creating a solid foundation for his musical education. Jansson's career has been in full flourish since 1970, and he has for the main part been focusing on the trio format. Lars Jansson Trio has long been one of the most renowned jazz groups in his native Sweden and the rest of Scandinavia as well. In 1998, he was nominated for the Danish Jazzpar Prize and he became the first jazz professor in Aarhus, Denmark. He was honored in Denmark with a Grammy in 2001 for "Best International Album," with the album Hope. Lars Jansson Trio are now ready to release their new album Just This. Assisted by Thomas Fonnesbæk on bass and Paul Svanberg on drums, Jansson has created a body of work that deals with various themes of life, and pays tribute to some of Jansson's heroes. Fonnesbæk is a well-respected bassist in his own right, playing with the likes of Justin Kauflin and Alex Riel, and Svanberg, who is Jansson's son, is a widely used drummer on the Danish jazz scene. The album, 13 tracks in total, comes by as a beautiful and diverse collection of tunes that display the collective talents of three very gifted and experienced musicians.

Known for his powerful and emotive voice, vocalist Aditya Prakash is one of the foremost young virtuosos of Carnatic music, the traditional classical style of South India. Growing up in his native Los Angeles, Aditya was rooted in South Indian arts and culture through his immigrant family, yet at school found himself in a distinct minority. He studied Carnatic voice with great dedication from childhood, but kept that passion apart from the public persona he had for his friends. Balancing two worlds in this way leads one to isolation, a feeling of being separate from both cultures. Yet it also drives the creative to find ways to bring these worlds together. The power of his ancestral culture and his formidable talent took the lead when, at just 15 years of age, Aditya was summoned and personally selected by the great Ravi Shankar to tour; soon such respected stages as Carnegie Hall and the Hollywood Bowl appeared on his resum� - but more importantly they enhanced his confidence and his sense of self. Returning to high school, he picked up the lead role in a class production of Beauty and The Beast - surprising everyone, including himself!- and set out on a path toward reconciling the disparate influences in his life. Looking forward to college, he sought the advice of the master, who suggested Aditya commit himself completely to music. Rather than hit the road in a van (as so many do), Aditya chose to study ethnomusicology and music at UCLA, where he gained a broad understanding of western music and met the key players and friends who would help move his vision forward. Aditya was now certain of his Carnatic voice, and ready to explore it's potential for groundbreaking synergy in a jazz context. Aditya Prakash Ensemble has released two explorative and powerful albums, and is now prepared to release Diaspora Kid, it's title a reference to the artist's cross-cultural upbringing in Los Angeles. Prakash carefully selected 24 musicians - from the LA jazz scene and fellow maestros from the Indian classical tradition - to come together and make his vision a r

... one of the most magnificent flutists playing today. Ms. Brachfeld is like a rare bird soaring in a rarefied realm. If you think her music is memorable, it is because her very heart sings & hellip; Raul da Gama. A staple of New York City's jazz and Afro-Cuban scenes over the last five decades, acclaimed flutist Andrea Brachfeld celebrates the sounds of Brazil with this spirited tribute to Antonio Carlos Jobim. Along with arrangements of classics such as "Waters of March," "Girl From Ipanema" and "Ligia," Brachfeld offers a look into her writing partnership with frequent collaborator Bill O'Connell through their Brazil-inspired compositions, "Espa�o Aberto," "Sonhos e Cores," and "Triste e Solitaria."

In Duke Ellington’s tape collection (”The Stockpile”) were several tapes with concert recordings of the band’s performances on tour. One can only guess whether these tapes were required by Duke for some purpose, or were given to him (or his son Mercer) on the initiative of the concert arrangers. At any rate it was a great delight to find a tape box marked ”Ellington – Uppsala 9-11-71” in the collection, containing a tape with a concert at the university town of Uppsala, Sweden on Nov. 9th 1971, the second of two concerts in this very old and very beautiful town founded in the 13th century.

The concert in Uppsala, the second on this Tuesday evening, started with the C-Jam Blues as was usual at that time. The tune had sort of replaced Take The A Train as the band’s signature. Norris Turney is heard on the clarinet over the band at the beginning, and Cootie Williams, Paul Gonsalves, Booty Wood, and Russell Procope follow. The centerpiece of the concert was the band’s performance of A Tone Parallel to Harlem or HARLEM as it was also called.

To end the evening properly and bring the audience in a more relaxed mood before leaving the concert hall, Ellington chose to finish the concert alone at the piano, just accompanied by Joe Benjamin on the bass, playing his own arrangement of Billy Strayhorn’s lovely tune Lotus Blossom. As evident from the performance at the Uppsala concert, the band could live up to the challenges, and it was received everywhere with enthusiasm and – love.

REVIEW:

This album, recorded at a concert in the great hall of Uppsala University on November 9, 1971, was found in what Ellington called "The Stockpile," his private tape collection. 

It starts with "C-Jam Blues" which at the time had largely replaced "Take the A-Train" as the band's opening number. One of the more interesting numbers is the little known "Fife," written as a vehicle for Norris Turney on flute and there is also a version "A Tone Parallel to Harlem," the title of which Ellington simply abbreviated to "Harlem." 

"Chinoiserie" is another rarity, the title referring to an artistic passion for things Oriental, which in his erudite introduction Duke links to a statement by the Canadian philosopher, Marshall McLuhan. 

At the other end of the scale, trumpeter Money Johnson comes on like Louis Armstrong for "Hello Dolly." Nell Brookshire lends a hand on vocals, and Ellington shows his age somewhat by referring to her as a "torch singer." 

Those "good old good ones" are there aplenty, with longer versions of "It Don't Mean A Thing If It Ain't Got That Swing" and "Satin Doll." Nell Brookshire vies with Money Johnson for slapstick vocal honors on "I Got It Bad and That Ain't Good." 

Of course Billy Strayhorn's "Take the A-train" couldn't be omitted altogether. It comes in fourth in this particular race for royalties, before "Fife." And the same composer's "Lotus Blossom" is treated to a fine reflective arrangement by Ellington, accompanied only by bassist Joe Benjamin. Ellington said this was the tune Strayhorn most liked to hear him to play.

-- AllAboutJazz.com (Chris Mosey)

2020 release. In making Dizzy Atmosphere, Dave Douglas's tribute to the great trumpeter, composer and humanist Dizzy Gillespie, Douglas said he wanted to explore Dizzy's experimental and wide open mind as well as the influence of his music. This album shines a light on the whole legacy of Gillespie, one of America's finest artists. The original music Douglas wrote swings and shimmers with a grace reminiscent of the great man. Dizzy Atmosphere also contains several imaginative arrangements of Gillespie compositions, including reinterpretations of two key Gillespie tunes 'Manteca' and 'Pickin' the Cabbage.' Douglas's band is also remarkable, featuring fellow trumpeter Dave Adewumi, recent winner of the Carmine Caruso Competition, along with pianist Fabian Almazan, guitarist Matt Stevens, bassist Carmen Rothwell, and drummer Joey Baron. Like his previous explorations of the influential music of Mary Lou Williams, Wayne Shorter, and Booker Little, this album is sure to inspire listeners to hear the music of Dizzy Gillespie in new and interesting ways.

Classical Music

On January 3rd this year one of the greatest contemporary jazz pianists Paul Bley passed away. Bley left a younger generation of inspired artists behind. Greg Burk is one of them, not that he plays like Bley who was his mentor/teacher but he inherited Bley’s nonconformist approach to music. Burk currently a resident of Rome, Italy is no newcomer to the scene. Quite a few of his recordings has been highly acclaimed throughout the world. This strikingly original solo recital is his first release on SteepleChase Lookout with a bonus of a captivating short story by the pianist himself.

Veteran altoist Andy Fusco makes his belated SteepleChase leader debut here with this 2003 quintet recording showcasing his intense and strong command of the instrument in the bebop tradition. Growing up in New Jersey his interests were music and football. He first studied at the Syracuse University with football scholarship. After almost making it to NFL Fusco diverted his attention to music and landed the lead altosax post at the Buddy Rich Big Band (1978-1983). He has performed and recorded with Gerry Mulligan, Mel Lewis and Walt Weiskopf, to mention a few. Fusco is also a dedicated educator currently a member of the Music Faculty of Kean University, New Jersey. “Andy Fusco is a player's player, a steely-edged bopper whose wide swaths suggest Bird as well as Trane…” (Chuck Berg – Jazztimes) “…we can be grateful for being exposed to yet another substantial jazz man who is on the rise and will hopefully be bringing us much more great music in the coming years.” (Andrew Hovan – AAJ)

Pietro Lazazzara writes: "The work My Art of Gypsy Jazz consists of 14 compositions. 11 pieces are originals that have never been published, while 3 pieces were created by [Romani] music composers. The title of the album fully expresses my vision of traditional "Gipsy Jazz" and it's possible projection into the future. My academic career as a classical guitarist, my Jazz Music and Flamenco studies have contributed to the creation of my compositions. "

He began studying classical guitar at the age of twelve and then he graduated brilliantly at "Tito Schipa" Conservatory in Lecce. In 2008 he obtained, with the highest grades and honors, the Academic Diploma of Specialist level II in Musical Disciplines, classical guitar, at the Conservatory "E. R. Duni" of Matera where he studied under the guidance of Master Clemente Giusto. Also at the Conservatory "E. R. Duni" in Matera he received his degree in Jazz Music in 2009. With the highest marks, he obtained the advanced course in classical guitar at the "Roman Guitar Academy" under the guidance of Maestro Domenico Ascione, an experience that led him to perform in several Recitals in the Capital city.

Classical Music

On the occasion of a concert at the Brucknertage festival St. Florian the great Austrian jazz pianist Rudi Wilfer took on his journey to Anton Bruckner and his IV. Symphony, which would widely circumpass the written music. Wilfer who has found his very own combination of meditation and swing perceived in Bruckner’s music a fascinating modernity, even agelessness. Surely, the pieces were recorded several times, yet no version turned out alike, even though the musical material remained the same. The listener could literally observe how Wilfer’s playing in every instant led to new paths – new harmonies, articulations, voicings. The album consists of two parts, the live recording and the studio recordings which at times shine a different light onto the same pieces, besides the homage to Bruckner also jazz standards like “You Must Believe in Spring” and “What Now My Love”, Viennese pieces like “Liebesleid” by Fritz Kreisler or “In einem kleinen Café in Hernals” by Hermann Leopoldi as well as “Wiegenlied” by Brahms.

The first of The Art Ensemble of Chicago's renowned trio of albums for BYG's Actuel series now returns in a deluxe edition. Housed in a CD gatefold digi-sleeve that echoes the vibe of the original LP, it includes a 16-page booklet and an inner printed wallet, along with a new and insightful essay by renowned author & music journalist John Masouri. This album is the Art Ensemble's most celebrated release, capturing the American avant-garde jazz collective at their most sensational, provocative, and startlingly original in a historic June 1969 session at Studio Saravah in Paris. Recorded in the aftermath of widespread anti-government protests and student riots, this album showcases what happens when four highly intuitive and accomplished musicians-driven by Black Nationalism and dreams of liberation, and armed with an array of diverse instruments-let their inspiration run free. The tracks on A Jackson in Your House challenge us to view music in a different light-not just as a source of entertainment, but as enlightenment, wonderment born of togetherness, courage, beauty, and surprise, all mixed with terrifying honesty.

Trio X is one of Sweden's foremost improvisational groups. The trio's distinctive feature is exploratory and boundary-crossing music, and the experienced musicians find inspiration in many genres. Lennart Simonsson, Per V Johansson, and Joakim Ekberg started collaborating in 2002, and since then they have made several recordings, worked with numerous well-known artists, and toured in Sweden and abroad. Trio X is a multi-faceted ensemble that works with many projects, from concerts in jazz clubs, in concert halls, and at major festivals to classroom appearances. Alongside their public concerts, they also play in healthcare and caring institutions. The musicians also teach and provide inspiration for amateur groups. The present album is a showcase of traditional Swedish melodies.

Noted for a distinctive voice, a tender way with a ballad and a fierce sense of swing, singer-pianist Blossom Dearie invested even the most familiar standards with her delightful, one-of-a-kind wit and charm. The selections included here are from the iconic series of albums Dearie made for Verve Records beginning in 1956. Ooh-la-la!

Downbeat: A mega-production without equal. The hard grind for this exceptional double album has in every respect extremely fresh interpretations and solo contributions. Jazz Times: This is an astonishing extended album. Fay Claassen dominates the entirety of this release. Claassen replaces Baker's trumpet revealing her amazing skill at phrasing. This album brought Fay worldwide eurphoric reviews, as well as the first “Chet Baker Award,” a first place in the “All About Jazz” critics poll in New York, the ‘Choc’ from the French magazine “Jazzman” and finally in 2013 her first gold record in the Netherlands. She has, up to this point, published five albums under her own name. As a guest soloist, she can be heard on fifteen additional releases.

We've all experienced it: that special atmosphere before a concert begins. At Copenhagen Jazzhouse, many come early. They reserve the best seats with a piece of clothing and retreat to the bar to buy a beer and exchange a few words with musicians and friends, then return to their seat, anticipation growing. Some look around and notice that all the jazz critics are in attendance. In fact, it seems everyone is here this evening. In the final minutes, lights are dimmed and the intermission music turned off. Lars Thorborg, who runs Jazzhouse, takes the stage and introduces Rosa and the band. It's about to happen! The group comes on stage to enthusiatic applause and there she is - with us, right before us. With no further ado, the tempo is counted off and the concert begins. The band line-up couldn't have been better: Fabio Torres on piano, Paulu Paulelli on bass, and Celso de Almeida on drums and of course Rosa Passos on vocals and guitar. "Imagine you are rocking a baby to sleep. For me, that's Bossa Nova". - Rossa Passos

With Johnny Hodges, the alto saxophone found itself in the hands of a goldsmith. As a member honoris causa of the Duke Ellington Orchestra from 1928 to 1970, Hodges’ delicate phrasing and incomparable talents as an improviser made him one of the most remarkable musicians in jazz history. In this previously unreleased live recording dating from 1961 he plays the great classics in Ellington’s material, titles he always incarnated with an incandescent grace. The Live in Paris collection by Michel Brillié allows listeners to hear previously-unreleased recordings (made at concerts and private- or radio-sessions) by the great 20th stars in jazz, rock & roll and song. These “live” takes, and the artists’ rapport with their audiences, gives these performances an additional soul and sensibility in counterpoint to the rigorous demands of studio recordings. Particular care was taken when restoring the sound of these tapes in order to meet modern standards while preserving the original colors of the period.

After Anette von Eichel opened a small window for the audience in 2001 with her debut release "Welcome To My World" to let people discover a previously unknown vocal talent, the spectacular and official start of her career was in 2004 with the release of "Get Out Now" in the beginnings of Jazz thing Next Generation. She has been teaching at the Academy of Music and Dance in Cologne as a professor of jazz singing since 2010. Nevertheless, she realigns her musical parameters and surprises with releases that stand out from the enormous sea of sound recording media in a pleasantly unpretentious way. After "Golightly" (Double Moon DMCHR 71106) from 2012, a duo album in 2017 and a Mingus project in 2019, "Inner Tide" is now her next work. The album unites a top-class instrumental combo with pianist Sebastian Sternal, bassist Henning Sieverts, drummer Jonas Burgwinkel and saxophonist Jonas Blom, in which the names alone prove that they cannot be reduced to mere accompanists. "This is exactly where I am now," Anettevon Eichel described the core statement of the nine titles of "Inner Tide". For her, it is a sign of the way, as always, when the singer, after a supposedly quieter public phase, comes out into the open again, deeply authentic, prominently, the field staked out with the "Eichel" brand. Or as she puts it laughingly: "Pure Me." Her older albums always featured pieces by others that fit her well. "Now, for the first time everything comes from me, not only the lyrics, but also the entire music. This is a big and important step for me, almost a new phase of my identity. And the result really makes me very, very happy!"

Never before entirely released concert recorded on 9 November 1969 at the Berlin Philharmonie. These emotionally intense concerts are all the more remarkable because of the artists high wire act, a balance constantly maintained throughout between her professional savoir faire (a vocal technique at the apex of her art and her interpretive skills) and her emotional abandonment to the moment as she gives her all. The entire performance, with Vaughan pouring out her heart, seems in hindsight at once perfectly timeless in terms of its formal classicism yet thoroughly in the fleeting moment. At the end of the day, these recordings are invaluable. As Vaughan explores the most lyrical, emotional aspects of her art, she overwhelms her listeners as she bares her soul. Her virtuosity in using her imagination to deploy all her technical skills and the extraordinary range of her tessitura are restrained rather than ostentatious. She literally reaches the stars and gives us a unique lesson in music as a form of the art of living.

CONTENTS:

• Charles Strouse, Lee Adams: A Lot of Livin' to Do
• Lennon & McCartney: And I Love Him
• Bacharach: Alfie
• Burton Lane, Alan Jay Lerner: On a Clear Day
• Mel Mitchell, Stanley Applebaum, Rita Mann: Passing Strangers
• Erroll Garner, Johnny Burke: Misty
• Gus Arnheim, Abe Lyman, Arthur Freed: I Cried for You
• Rodgers, R: Babes in Arms: My Funny Valentine
• Gerald Marks, Seymour Simons: All of Me
• Walter Gross, Jack Lawrence: Tenderly
• Howard, B: Fly Me to the Moon
• Sammy Cahn, Jule Styne: Time After Time
• Martin, Hugh: The Trolley Song (from Meet Me in St Louis)
• Webb, Jimmy: By The Time I Get To Phoenix
• Rodgers, R: No Strings: The Sweetest Sounds
• Jimmy van Heusen, / Johnny Burke: Polka Dots and Moonbeams
• Rube Bloom, Johnny Mercer: Day in, Day Out
• Gilbert Bécaud, Pierre Delanoë, Carl Sigman: What Now, My Love
• Jack Lawrence, Stan Freeman: I Had a Ball
• Webb, Jimmy: Didn't We?

Since the release of The Pendulum album (SCCD 31826) of 2017, Mike Richmond has been performing increasingly more of cello than his main instrument double bass. Cello’s greater flexibility and singing timbre seem to have captivated Richmond, whose previous cello album “Tones from Joan’s Bones” SCCD 31851 was highly acclaimed by critics as well as by public. Here on this latest album Richmond’s cello again gets the front-line to perform the Great American Song Book repertoire. “The warmth and roundness of sound Richmond achieves makes his cello an ideal front-line instrument …. the sound of a cello is ideal in jazz and the only surprise is that it hasn’t been used in this capacity a lot more often than it has to date. Richmond is an adventurous and imaginative soloist and here he gets to do much more than just provide a bass line”. (Derek Ansel – Jazz Journal on SCCD 31851)

The music of the early 20th century French Avant-gardist Erik Satie for a jazz album makes perfect sense when its interpreters/performers are cornetist Kirk Knuffke and his long-time partner pianist Jesse Stacken. They both share their musical background in unconventional new/free jazz as well as classical training. The Knuffke/Stacken duo has released a series of highly acclaimed albums with music by renowned composers of jazz. “This is nostalgia made vibrant, played with precision, depth, good taste and a leisurely refusal to overcrowd its sonic space.” (Martin Longley – AAJ on SCCD 31677 Mockingbird)

The combination of violin and guitar as well as classical playing styles and jazz has been on everyone's lips since the inimitable duo Stephane Grappelli and Django Reinhard. An equally deep musical friendship exists between the Viennese violinist Rudi Berger and the Brazilian guitarist Toninho Horta, whose new album Belo Horizonte received the Latin Grammy Award for "Best Brazilian Album of the Year" in 2020. Their first collaborations started in 1988 in the United States, since then the two extraordinary musicians have played over 500 joint appearances to date. This album by the title "Rudi Berger featuring Toninho Horta" presents a cross-section of these years of musical life together, with recordings from Austria, New York City and Rio de Janeiro, from duo to 9-member formation. The compositions by Berger and Horta always transcend genre boundaries and incorporate influences from bossa nova, jazz, but also classical and folk music.

If Salvador Dali ever made a heist movie, then Mexico's Troker would have been the soundtrack. Hailing from the land where tequila has long been it's most famous export, Troker may just be the most important new musical export today. Troker's sound careens between the sublime and the dangerous; a blend where metal riffage merges with powerhouse funk drumming and DJ scratching, with melodic horn lines pull from jazz and mariachi traditions. Troker is a band that cannot be pigeonholed into any one genre. Their albums are almost cinematic; awaken the senses, and provoke powerful emotional reactions from listeners around the world. This proposal looks for adventurous, fearless listeners with diverse tastes in music; an invitation to join a sonic journey that has been curated by a group of creatively crazy musicians - an experience that might tactically be comparable to shock and awe. Troker's artistic mission is to create music that excites the audiences' senses Inspired by MMW and DJ Logic, Troker takes fusion to the next level, pulling in rock and Mexican roots to build an explosive sound. Featured on NPR's Tiny Desk and playing worldwide to growing audiences.

This is a re-release of the Jazzhaus/SWR music bestseller 101703. Upon nearing the age of seventy, Duke Ellington was looked upon as the great historical figure of African American music, honored with academic degrees and appearing on the front pages of renowned magazines. Still, he had to and wanted to perform as much as he could and therefore toured the world with his orchestra, from Japan to North Africa to South America and Eastern Europe. During his travels, he was able to stop off in Stuttgart in March 1967 to present a colorful mixed programme made up of a few tried-and-true pieces and many lesser-known compositions. By Ellington’s standards, it was a modern concert, exuberant in mood and at times mischievous in arrangements, which allowed some shrill coloring. And it also showed that even an ultimately traditional jazz orchestra in the rocky sixties could develop enough charisma to enthrall an audience like that in the Liederhalle. The revolutions were now being made by others, but Duke Ellington remained the brilliant master of the grand musical gesture.

Noël Akchoté, composer/guitarist from Paris, unites supposedly incompatible material on the album "My Choice": Zarah Leander's Nazi-era hit "Der Wind hat mir ein Lied erzählt", Serge Gainsbourg's irony about Nazi refuge in South America "SS in Uruguay", Ornette Coleman's groundbreaking "Street Woman", Kylie Minoque's "Red Blooded Woman" and Paolo Conte's "Via Con Me" and one is amazed, because his choice is genius. It's wonderful, it's wonderful, it's wonderful! Everything comes together to form a new whole. "The strand always grows from it's middle, both sides - I don't believe in styles, nor genres. All proves that the original musical gesture remains the exact same since it first happened. I got hit by Jazz at earliest age because they had all to invent, another Blank Page. As many white pages as individuals, eternally. Because you can't, because it's too high, you will perpetually - Dare, fear, burn & adore. Reproduce. All arts are timing, so are lives. All arts are at present when coming near by. A frame is a length, a text a tone, a sound a height. The biggest lesson one can achieve is to really integrate the fact that by playing, writing, directing, performing, it will always be you and only doing so. Therefore only You can beat yourself at your own games."