Dmitri Shostakovich was a versatile composer: popular and serious styles came to him with equal ease and are frequently found together in the same work. In his twenties, before the heavy hand of Soviet officialdom slapped him down in 1936, music of every kind poured out of him: symphonies, operas and full-length ballets but also a great amount of music for film and theatre. Here Andrew Litton leads the Singapore Symphony Orchestra in a program which explores this lighter side of a composer who is otherwise often regarded as unrelentingly serious.

The album opens with Suite for Jazz Orchestra No. 1, which Litton conducts from the piano. Consisting of three brief movements, it is the only truly original work on the disc, written in 1934 for a competition aimed at making ‘Soviet Jazz’ more respectable. The remaining suites are all reworkings of existing music, such as the ballets The Age of Gold – about the adventures of a Soviet football team visiting the decadent West – and The Limpid Stream, portraying a group of entertainers visiting an idyllic collective farm. The Suite for Variety Orchestra is a compilation that the composer made in the late 1950s from three film scores, a ballet movement and four piano pieces. Closing the album is Shostakovich’s 1927 orchestration of a Broadway classic, Vincent Youmans’ "Tea for Two," which had become a hit under the title "Tahiti Trot."

REVIEW:

Entitled Jazz & Variety, this album encompasses four of Shostakovich’s more popular-style suites, mainly drawn from his ballet and theatre scores. These range from the poker-faced, Kurt Weill-like stylization of 1920s dance music, complete with plunking banjo, in the Suite for Jazz Orchestra No. 1 (1934), via the Prokofiev-like burlesques of The Age of Gold – a 1930 ballet about the vicissitudes of a Soviet football team in the wicked West – to the more straightforwardly traditional ballet numbers of The Limpid Stream(1935/45) set on an idyllic collective farm, and the Suite for Variety Orchestra put together from various pieces from the 1950s.

One item, the Waltz from the Jazz Suite, recurs twice: more fully orchestrated in The Limpid Stream, and in yet a third arrangement with a different, more banal middle section, in the Variety Suite. The collection culminates in Shostakovich’s twinkling orchestration of a version of ‘Tea for Two’, entitled Tahiti Trot (1927). Yet, in the middle of all these frolics, the searing intensity of the extended Adagio from The Age of Gold reminds us of the other, tragic side of Shostakovich.

Andrew Litton and the Singapore Symphony Orchestra lavish more care and subtlety on these pieces than the quality of invention in some of the music maybe deserves, additionally flattered by BIS’s spacious recording – though the Jazz Suite might have more bite in a drier acoustic. Still, this is a superior collection for those who relish this lighter, sometimes naughtier side of Shostakovich.

-- BBC Music Magazine

Classical Music

Ray Smith, director of the Brigham Young University jazz ensemble 'Synthesis,' writes of this live release: "Welcome to our musical tour of Finland, Sweden, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania! We are excited to share with you the excitement and musical energy of our live performances for the people of the Baltic States and Scandinavia. Synthesis has had the privilege of sharing America's music- jazz- with many countries of the world, including Japan, China, Brazil, Russia, and much of Europe. We need no translation when we play; people everywhere feel and love jazz, and much goodwill ahs been fostered through our performances. I have tried before to record the band at the end of a tour with no success because of our being jet lagged and brain-dead. We decided this time to bring good microphones and record every concert and see what we could get. Thankfully, Jeff Carter traveled with us to engineer these recordings. It's amazing that he took these sounds from mostly outdoor performances- in shopping plazas and even in the woods. I hope you enjoy the recordings as much as we enjoyed playing these amazing tunes!" Synthesis is a musical melding of some of the finest musicians at Brigham Young University. Drawing freely from the various styles of Afro-American music, the ensemble has become known for versatility, spontaneity, and creativity in performance. The ensemble has toured Japan, China, Scandinavia, Russia, Europe, and Brazil, and has given numerous performances throughout the USA.

Classical Music

Rudy ”Twoleft” Smith is a legendary figure in the world of steel pan and steelband.This album, What Pan Did For Me, offers samples of his many musical faces: the pan man, the jazz musician, the arranger, the pan tuner, the tune smith…Rudy’s life covers most of the development of steel pan as a tuned musical instrument.The first pans were made from biscuit tins and other metal containers and had but few notes.These were the first steel pans Rudy made and played as a very young boy.During the period 1945-55 the steel pan was gradually transformed into a set of instruments from treble to bass made from 55 gallon oil drums.The orchestra made up of steel pans became known as steelband.The original function of steelbands was to provide music for the masqueraders in the famous Trinidad carnival.The bands played the Trinidad calypso music, but very soon began playing other kinds of music.The U.S. had both a naval and air base in Trinidad.The G.I. audience was a different one than the local audience.And they could pay.With the “Yankees” departure in the late 1950s the steelbands had to look for new markets.As a teenager Rudy started to travel with the band Merrymakers, taking steelband to Europe in the wake of the 1950s calypso craze.

Caprice presents the highly anticipated re-release of Rena Rama's live album from the Stockholm jazz club Fasching in 1975. Formed in 1971, Swedish jazz band Rena Rama was noted for mixing jazz, unusual time signatures, and African and Asian folk themes. It's original lineup included Lennart Aberg, Bobo Stenson, Palle Danielsson, and Bengt Berger. Stenson and Aberg had previously worked with Red Mitchell, and Danielsson with Steve Kuhn. Berger had previously studied percussion in India. Stenson had already recorded his first trio LP. This production features Leroy Lowe on drums.

"Avalon is inspired by an ancient Celtic myth of an island in dense fog where the Holy Grail is said to be located, King Arthur is buried and where Excalibur is hidden. I use it as a metaphor for the present time in which we live in which it is not clear to anyone what the world will look like after the pandemic. The single Avalon is a dreamy piece of music that is also used for the exhibition in de Fundatie that will run until the spring of 2021." (Yuri Honing)

Classical Music

“George Gershwin’s extraordinary musical world emerges, caresses us, amazes us and finally overwhelms us in the uniqueness of this recording. Rolff shapes in a contemporary writing, the songs, the musicals, the jazz and the orchestral sound that made Gershwin’s music the pillar on which the ‘American Sound’ is built. “The measure of the greatness of a composer’s work is certainly indicated by its ability to speak to successive generations of performers and listeners. Massimiliano Rolff, in these arrangements for his trio, discovers some hidden facets in these famous songs, such as those penned by George Gershwin that have now entered the Golden Age repertoire of American Song. The album starts off with his work Porgy and Bess, to which a specific and poignant suite is dedicated, and moves on to a series of single songs that were composed for other shows but have survived as stand-alone songs, including great classics and rediscoveries that fit in well.

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.

After more than 30 concerts and many excellent reviews about their first trio albums Tales From The Unexpected and ""European Trio"", the Italian pianist Enrico Pieranunzi and the Dutch double bassist Jasper Somsen recorded their third trio album with the Catalan drummer Jorge Rossy: Common View. The new album is an equal and refreshing collaboration featuring these three masters both as performing artists and composers. Three totally different lives, characters, and backgrounds collide as one Common View.

Enrico Pieranunzi has long been one of the best-known and appreciated personalities on the European jazz scene. Pianist, composer, arranger, he has recorded more than seventy albums under his own name, ranging from solo piano to trio, and from duet to quintet. He has played in concert and in the studio with Chet Baker, Lee Konitz, Marc Johnson, Joey Baron, Paul Motian, Chris Potter, and Charlie Haden, performing at all the most important international festivals, from Montreal to Copenhagen, from Berlin to Madrid.

Pieranunzi's formative years embraced both classical and jazz piano, and the influence of Debussy is readily apparent in the lush romanticism at the heart of his music. Emerging in the early '70s, Pieranunzi's lyrical approach quickly brought him to the forefront of the European scene, and in 1984 he formed a trio with Marc Johnson and Joey baron, the first of several outstanding groups with American musicians. In 1989, 2003 and 2008 he was voted Musician of the Year in the Italian magazine Musica Jazz critic's poll and he was 1997 recipient of the Django d'Or Award for best European Jazz Musician. In the recent years Pieranunzi performed and recorded frequently in the United States.

REVIEW:

Cultivating language, omitting the unnecessary, letting silence have its say, all this gives the other person room for meaningful nuances. Two congenial partners stand equally at Pieranunzi's side. On the one hand, there is the Dutch bassist Jasper Somsen with his preference for poetically floating tones, and on the other hand the almost inconspicuously acting drummer Jorge Rossy, who forms filigree rhythmic figures.

-- Jazzpodium

Dr. Kristina Nikolic writes: "Even though I follow Don Menza whenever he is on tour in Europe and have witnessed the magic of his concerts countless times, never have I believed that recording an album could be such a relaxing, loving and seemingly effortless occasion. After a couple of weeks on the road, this quartet managed once again (in less than four hours) to preserve on tape what they had been doing together on the bandstand for many years: playing jazz that will touch any soul that is willing to listen. Together with Oliver Kent, Johannes Strasser and Bernd Reiter, all amazing musicians themselves, a self-confessed hopeless romantic Don Menza succeeded, with exceptional honesty, to record eight songs which reflect his beliefs. In this age of Jazz where the brain is often more important than the heart, this album stands out for it's ability to break your heart, make you laugh, make you feel cool, brave, to energize and inspire you."

DHD presents a very energetic show loaded with improvisation, joy, and a lot of groove. The group is in constant search for that distinctive sound that reflects the depth of Afro-Cuban rhythms as well as the beauty of the harmonies and colors that come from jazz. All this constitutes a mix of flavors and experiences with which they try to transport the listener to a supernatural dimension. Their repertoire consists mostly out of original compositions, but also a few Jazz and Latin classics which they arrange in their own way. Established in 2015, the band has appeared at the prestigious North Sea Jazz Festival and has toured around Spain and the Netherlands. In March 2018 the band won the jury award and the public prize at the Leiden Jazz Award 2018 and the best soloist prize at the Erasmus Jazz competition. The group writes: "With this album, we are trying to expand the boundaries of Latin jazz by using influences like modern jazz, odd meters and classical music. The compositions tell a broad storyline, and they take the listener on a journey where playful melodies come and go. We like to use rhythm and polyrhythms to play with the listener's ear, and to express our interpretation of the music. Abriendo Camino means opening the path or leading the way in Spanish. This album represents the break of a new force, a strong one, full of colors, joy, and love..."

Classical Music

Classical Music

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

 

Classical Music

Whether as a soloist or leader of an ensemble, Lynne Arriale’s artistry and influence are profound and have elevated her stature as a composer, arranger, and performer to a renown shared by few other jazz musicians. ‘Give Us These Days’ is ambitious in its conception and its unbridled sense of wonder. Evolved from the creative genius that foretold her reputation as an extraordinary piano poet and composer, the six original tunes and three arrangements on this album chart a new course for the trio. It leads, ever so gently, to the chambers of the heart, there to reflect upon the precious and ephemeral nature of existence. What emerges is the theme of this album, brilliantly illuminated by the title track: Given the unpredictability and impermanence of life, savor each moment. Her playing on these pieces is powerful, informed by rigorous classical training, prodigious technique, and seemingly boundless creativity.

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!”

“I hope you enjoy listening to these eight concerts as much as we had fun putting them together for you. On the vinyl release we have a selection of songs drawn from the CDs and digital version and some very special bonus tracks, that only appear on the LP’s. In 2013 there was for me a very memorable night in a beautiful small Jazz Club in Cologne, Germany, where I got to play a duo concert with the great Michael Abene. From that concert we selected the immortal standard Cole Porter song “You’d Be So Nice To Come Home To“. The Jazz Orchestra Of The Concertgebouw organized in 2016 a tribute concert to our own Europe’s First Lady Of Jazz, the legendary Rita Reys. One of her favorite songs was again from Cole Porter, which I did in the famous arrangement of Peter Herbolzheimer, “Love For Sale“. The other twospecial bonus tracks we took only on the LP’s are with the great Petar Beets Trio with Martijn van Iterson on guitar and Netherland’s iconic bass legend, Ruud Jacobs. What a pleasure and treat to have been on tour with this outstanding musicians. I love performing with Big Bands and one of the first Big Bands I worked regularly together with is the “Millennium Jazz Orchestra“ of my dear friend and fantastic arranger Joan Reinders. We did a studio album in 2002 and many, many concerts throughout the Netherlands and also in New York. In2019 Joan wrote a wonderful program of all George Gershwin classics and added the famous Matangi String Quartet. It was such a joy to do this program from which we selected “Summertime“ and “The Man I Love“ as special bonus tracks only for the LP version.” - Fay Claassen

This album is a unique musical marriage between double bass player Gianmarco Scaglia, who has released 20 projects in the past, and drummer Paul Wertico, who gained worldwide recognition as a member of the Pat Metheny Group from 1983 to 2001. "I think that music, in most cases, "speaks" much better than the words. This album reflects exactly my personality and my approach to life and to music itself. I am grateful to the musicians, to Paul, Simone and Mirko who shared this vision with me. A special mention to Stefano Amerio (Artesuono) for his precious professionalism." (Gianmarco Scaglia)

This new release features famous standards played by a remarkable ensemble lead by drummer Reinhardt Winkler. The recording features Harry Allen on tenor saxophone, John di Martino on piano, Boris Kozlov on bass. “I’ve selected each song on the album because it speaks to my heart in a very personal way. Making music takes my mind to a special place, filling me with an awareness of being a link in a chain; a chain of ideas and musical approaches that I’m treating with great care while trying to keep them going.” (Reinhardt Winkler)

The paths of Eric Ineke and Tineke Postma crossed several times the recent years. The time was there for an album together. The Charlie Parker centennial was the right moment to make it happen, the man who helped to define the bebop. According to Eric Ineke would never have been an Eric Ineke JazzXpress if it wasn't for Charlie "Bird" Parker. On What Kinda Bird is This? the listener gets known and lesser known material by Charlie Parker, complimented two pieces based on work by Charlie Parker, from the hand of Marius Beets.

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

A skilled drummer with a strong command of polyrhythms and complex meters, Olivier Le Goas is also an accomplished composer with a gift for pleasing harmonies and memorable melodies. The veteran French bandleader showcased his abundant gifts on 2016's acclaimed Reciprocity, which was hailed in a 4-1/2 star Downbeat review as "an appealing sound that has one foot in chamber-like formalism while also exploring heightened realms of improvisation." Le Goas' follow-up, his sixth as a leader, stakes out similarly agreeable and dynamic musical territory: the kind that was favorably compared to the Pat Metheny Unity Group on his last outing. Returning from Reciprocity is rising star American guitarist Nir Felder, whose warm tone and fluid lines are a key component here alongside John Escreet's cascading piano work, Larry Grenadier's resounding bass lines and Le Goas' irrepressible presence behind the kit. Together they navigate the twisting terrain of the drummer-bandleader's fully-realized compositions with sensitivity and aplomb, with a couple of knowing winks to Metheny along the way. Indeed, the album title itself contains a nod to the guitar great's 1982 Grammy Award winning album, OffRamp, while the brightly flowing and cleverly-titled composition "Light Size Dreams" is a sly reference to the title track of Metheny's groundbreaking1976 debut on ECM Records, Bright Size Life. Le Goas readily acknowledges the Metheny influence on those two appealing pieces. "Yes, the album title is directly inspired by that wonderful Pat Metheny album, Off Ramp, and 'Light Size Dreams' definitely has echoes of 'Bright Size Life.' But the fourth movement and coda from 'Light Size Dreams' were also inspired by 'And Then I Know' from the Pat Metheny Group album, We Live Here."