He may not have known it before, but Toronto-born, New York-based guitarist Matthew Stevens, prized for his forceful, distinctive electric sound was an ideal candidate to make an album fully devoted to solo acoustic guitar: the intimate, unadorned, straightforwardly titled 'Pittsburgh'. September 2020, Stevens was hunkering down in his wife's family's hometown of Pittsburgh, while navigating his way through the crisis. He had with him a vintage Martin 00-17, a small-body mahogany guitar. Practicing daily on the Martin, he began generating a series of short song "starts" - ideas and sketches he thought might lead somewhere. Then one rainy Pittsburgh day, Stevens' bike slid out from under him and he broke his right elbow. Rather than getting derailed musically, he became immersed in a creative process that led straight to 'Pittsburgh': a document of those short song "starts" from the notebook, now hatched as completed compositions. "Playing this music became a big part of my rehab," Stevens recalls. As the album took shape, it became clear to Stevens that he was headed in the direction of a wholly unaccompanied recital, with no overdubs or sound layering of any kind. Just him and this special Martin, two Neumann U89 mics and enough peace of mind across two separate sessions to make 'Pittsburgh' the triumph that it is. 1. Ambler 2. Purpose Of A Machine 3. Buckets 4. Can Am 5. Foreign Ghosts 6. Northern Touch 7. Cocoon 8. Ending Is Beginning 9. Blue Blues 10. Broke 11. Miserere
He may not have known it before, but Toronto-born, New York-based guitarist Matthew Stevens, prized for his forceful, distinctive electric sound was an ideal candidate to make an album fully devoted to solo acoustic guitar: the intimate, unadorned, straightforwardly titled 'Pittsburgh'. September 2020, Stevens was hunkering down in his wife's family's hometown of Pittsburgh, while navigating his way through the crisis. He had with him a vintage Martin 00-17, a small-body mahogany guitar. Practicing daily on the Martin, he began generating a series of short song "starts" - ideas and sketches he thought might lead somewhere. Then one rainy Pittsburgh day, Stevens' bike slid out from under him and he broke his right elbow. Rather than getting derailed musically, he became immersed in a creative process that led straight to 'Pittsburgh': a document of those short song "starts" from the notebook, now hatched as completed compositions. "Playing this music became a big part of my rehab," Stevens recalls. As the album took shape, it became clear to Stevens that he was headed in the direction of a wholly unaccompanied recital, with no overdubs or sound layering of any kind. Just him and this special Martin, two Neumann U89 mics and enough peace of mind across two separate sessions to make 'Pittsburgh' the triumph that it is. 1. Ambler 2. Purpose Of A Machine 3. Buckets 4. Can Am 5. Foreign Ghosts 6. Northern Touch 7. Cocoon 8. Ending Is Beginning 9. Blue Blues 10. Broke 11. Miserere
He may not have known it before, but Toronto-born, New York-based guitarist Matthew Stevens, prized for his forceful, distinctive electric sound was an ideal candidate to make an album fully devoted to solo acoustic guitar: the intimate, unadorned, straightforwardly titled 'Pittsburgh'. September 2020, Stevens was hunkering down in his wife's family's hometown of Pittsburgh, while navigating his way through the crisis. He had with him a vintage Martin 00-17, a small-body mahogany guitar. Practicing daily on the Martin, he began generating a series of short song "starts" - ideas and sketches he thought might lead somewhere. Then one rainy Pittsburgh day, Stevens' bike slid out from under him and he broke his right elbow. Rather than getting derailed musically, he became immersed in a creative process that led straight to 'Pittsburgh': a document of those short song "starts" from the notebook, now hatched as completed compositions. "Playing this music became a big part of my rehab," Stevens recalls. As the album took shape, it became clear to Stevens that he was headed in the direction of a wholly unaccompanied recital, with no overdubs or sound layering of any kind. Just him and this special Martin, two Neumann U89 mics and enough peace of mind across two separate sessions to make 'Pittsburgh' the triumph that it is. 1. Ambler 2. Purpose Of A Machine 3. Buckets 4. Can Am 5. Foreign Ghosts 6. Northern Touch 7. Cocoon 8. Ending Is Beginning 9. Blue Blues 10. Broke 11. Miserere
Samara Joy is a singing star in the ascendancy: the young vocalist attracted attention in 2019 after winning the Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition. Now, the 21-year-old announces her self-titled debut release, which puts her spin on jazz standards from the Great American Songbook. Produced by Grammy-nominated veteran Matt Pierson, she's joined by jazz guitar virtuoso Pasquale Grasso and his trio (Ari Roland and Kenny Washington) for a release that furthers Joy's reputation as one of America's most promising young jazz vocalists. Joy's interpretations balance the breezy-fresh feel of a relative newcomer with a reverence for a tradition she is now undoubtably part of. "But Beautiful", "Let's Dream in the Moonlight" and "Jim" pay homage to Billie Holiday's original versions, and she acknowledges the great Nat King Cole with versions of "It Only Happens Once" and "The Trouble with Me is You". "Stardust" is another nod to Cole, showcasing a talent for storytelling well beyond her years. As she says, "There's nothing like hearing someone who understands sing it to you." Moods range from the happy-go-lucky simplicity of "Everything Happens to Me" to the longing of "Lover Man". Winning the Vaughan award was transformational for Joy. "I was suddenly on the jazz radar. It's still bizarre to think of how fast things have progressed." Since then, Joy has dug deep to discover her jazz roots, without losing sight of the innate simplicity that makes her sound shine. Her first album announces the arrival of a young artist destined for greatness. 1. Stardust 2. Everything Happens To Me 3. If You Never Fall In Love With Me 4. Let's Dream In The Moonlight 5. It Only Happens Once 6. Jim 7. The Trouble With Me Is You 8. If You'd Stay The Way I Dream 9. Lover Man (Oh Where Can You Be?) 10. Only A Moment Ago 11. Moonglow 12. But Beautiful
'Guardians of the Heart Machine' - the debut Whirlwind release from tenor saxophonist Seamus Blake - symbolizes and protects the importance of creating music with feeling, blending his considerable experience in contemporary jazz with three exciting players originally from the French scene - pianist Tony Tixier, double bassist Florent Nisse and drummer Gautier Garrigue. Available on a high quality, 6 panel digipack with a velvety soft-touch laminate finish and 180 gram, 12" 2x Gatefold LP (4 sides of music - A, B, C, D) - comes with download code containing the digital album in multiple formats. Guardians Of The Heart Machine / Vaporbabe / Sneaky D / I'm OK / Lanota / Wandering Aengus / Betty In Rio / Blues For The Real Human Beings / The Blasted Heath
Walter Smith III and Matthew Stevens are two musicians at the forefront of developments in jazz and improvised music, listing the likes of Terence Blanchard, Ambrose Akinmusire, Esperanza Spalding and Christian Scott as collaborators. The pair started working together in 2017, and four years later, they're back for the third iteration of their highly commended In Common project. Previous guests include Nate Smith, Linda May Han Oh and Marcus Gilmore; on 'In Common 3', Kris Davis takes the piano chair vacated by Micah Thomas, and completing the lineup are two legends of the game - Dave Holland and Terri Lyne Carrington. What's new, third time around? "It's longer, freer, and yet more spontaneous," says Smith. The successful In Common formula - inventive 'one-page songs' written with specific musicians in mind - disguises the through-line that uniquely shapes this record: "The spotlight is on the community of musicians as a whole," Smith comments. "The general vibe is sculpted by the musicians' interpretations of what we bring in." Davis' influential presence means the project leans into the aesthetics of free improvisation for the first time; the resulting soundworld lends itself to electronic manipulation, another first for the series. The span of fifteen tracks showcases the duo's knack for reinvention, slipping into unfamiliar contexts without losing sight of the album's focused essence. Smith is keen to emphasise the standalone nature of the divergent In Common recordings. Some aspects carry through though, like their commitment to remembering lost influences - opener 'Shine' serves as both a thank you and an acknowledgement to McCoy Tyner, Wallace Roney, Chick Corea, Jimmy Health and Ellis Marsalis. That introduces the remaining fourteen tracks, that divide nearly exactly into spontaneously constructed ideas that introduce fully composed tracks. Shine / Loping / Oliver / Hornets / Orange Crush / After / Lite / For Some Time / Shutout / Reds / Variable / Prince July / Dust / Familiar / Miserere
Limited 180gm vinyl LP pressing in gatefold jacket. Includes digital download. Samara Joy is a singing star in the ascendancy: the young vocalist attracted attention in 2019 after winning the Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition. Now, the 21-year-old announces her self-titled debut release, which puts her spin on jazz standards from the Great American Songbook. Produced by Grammy-nominated veteran Matt Pierson, she's joined by jazz guitar virtuoso Pasquale Grasso and his trio (Ari Roland and Kenny Washington) for a release that furthers Joy's reputation as one of America's most promising young jazz vocalists. Joy's interpretations balance the breezy-fresh feel of a relative newcomer with a reverence for a tradition she is now undoubtedly part of. "But Beautiful", "Let's Dream in the Moonlight" and "Jim" pay homage to Billie Holiday's original versions, and she acknowledges the great Nat King Cole with versions of "It Only Happens Once" and "The Trouble with Me is You". "Stardust" is another nod to Cole, showcasing a talent for storytelling well beyond her years. As she says, "There's nothing like hearing someone who understands sing it to you." Moods range from the happy-go-lucky simplicity of "Everything Happens to Me" to the longing of "Lover Man".
Rich Brown bought his first six-string bass in 1999, "Everyone made fun of me" he recalls with a characteristically warm smile - since then he's established a reputation as first-call player for the leaders of an impressive variety of adventurous projects, from Steve Coleman to Rudresh Mahanthappa to James 'Blood' Ulmer. Over the past two years, whenever time allows, he's been paying regular visits to the studio of his friend, the guitarist and producer Elmer Ferrer. Away from the pressures of the commercial industry, Rich seized the opportunity to explore and expand the vocabulary of his instrument. 'NYAEBA' took shape: written and performed entirely on the bass guitar. Rich drew inspiration from the many remarkable musicians he's supported as a bassist, or encountered in the richly multicultural music scene in his adopted hometown of Toronto. Throughout the album, the commitment to melody and story ensures that the technique, though prodigious, never overshadows the tale. Each tune was built up with multiple tracks in the studio, with no looping or sequencing involved. The sonic versatility on display is astounding, but the album retains the organic, intimate feel of a performance. This album will no doubt sit comfortably among the essential solo bass albums, showcasing what's possible on the instrument. While many solo bass records center the instrument itself, what's unique about Rich's approach is that he puts the composition and music first, using the electric bass as the vehicle. With a focus on texture, movement and melody, and a striking range of voices, this is not your average electric bass album. A1. Ukudlala A2. The Sum of Our Tears A3. Heart of a Lonely Woman A4. Nyaeba (The Griot) B1. Kalagala Ebwembe B2. Sowetoeira B3. Turiyasangitananda - The Transcendental Lord's Highest Song of Bliss (A Meditation for Alice Coltrane) B4. The Kingdom of Heaven is Within
Gareth Lockrane's reputation as a flautist, composer and arranger ensures that he's in constant demand for a wide range of top-end musical projects, from international touring stars to Hollywood movie soundtracks, but he's equally renowned for his dedication to education and mentorship. It's an attitude of total engagement that somehow also includes time for a constant process of exploring, writing and arranging his own music. The Gareth Lockrane Big Band has been the vehicle for that music since the band's formation in 2008. Following on from their 2017 debut 'Fistfight At The Barn Dance' the new album 'Box Of Tricks' was honed on the bandstand and recorded in a single day in Livingston Studio. It presents the all-star band romping through a set of original compositions that effortlessly blend the sincerity and freedom of improvisation with an intricacy of detail and precision of delivery that delights and astonishes at every turn. All the tunes balance rich, deep arrangements with spontaneous improvisation from the array of star soloists. 'Box Of Tricks' is a state-of-the-art modern big band record that's also deeply personal, combining Gareth's favourite influences from Eddie Harris to Louis Cole, Quincy Jones to Wayne Shorter, and bringing together a genuine community of players into a compelling whole. A1. All the People A2. Box of Tricks A3. Dennis Irwin B1. Memories in Widescreen B2. Grooverider C1. Captain Kirkland C2. Plan B D1. Leviathan D2. Lockup!
Whirlwind debut from Estonian pianist and vocalist Britta Virves. Joined by her regular trio partners Jon Henriksson on bass and Jonas Backman on drums, and a captivating guest appearance from Artadi, she's created a set of sparklingly fresh original music that is at once accessible and outgoing, yet still deeply personal. Drawing from her constant searching for her own unique sound she filters her love of rhythm and groove through her Nordic sensibility to create an accessible, compelling blend of excitement and introspection. Growing up on the island of Saaremaa in her native Estonia, Britta Virves was a keen piano student playing a strictly classical repertoire. A chance encounter introduced her to jazz: "I wanted to learn guitar. So I went to my teacher Tit Paulus, and he told me to stay with piano, and introduced me to Keith Jarrett, Herbie Hancock, Bill Evans - my mind was blown - a new world opened up." Britta immersed herself in the music and her talent soon attracted attention. Moving to Sweden to further her studies, she was soon touring Europe with the acclaimed Norrbotten Big Band, under the direction of Joakim Milder, working closely with featured guest vocalist Genevieve Artadi and accompanying Artadi on a duo tour opening for Louis Cole. Each tune on the album draws inspiration from an aspect of Britta's own life. "Simple Things" has the directness of a pop song married to the depth of jazz, as Genevieve Artadi's ethereal vocals float over an insistent backbeat that supports limpid depths of harmony. Other tracks include "Bravery", which showcases the subtlety and dynamic control of the rhythm team
As genre conventions continue to morph and blur, there's a wealth of stunning new music being made wherever groups of musicians have the imagination and ingenuity to transcend the old boundaries and just play whatever comes naturally. Sun Speak are such a group and their album Probiotic Orchestrations is full of music that's urgent, powerful, accessible and humorous, pulling together sounds and textures from the worlds of rock, jazz, electronica, Americana and the outer reaches of progressive music into compelling whole. Guitarist Matt Gold and drummer Nate Friedman first came together as Sun Speak ten years ago amid the white heat of the Chicago experimental scene, where they'd worked with such luminaries as Makaya McCraven and Patricia Barber. On this, their sixth release, they continue to develop their own distinctive sonic world with the aid of fellow Chicagoan Daniel Pierson who joined as engineer/sound sculptor and now increasingly takes a collaborative role as a third member of the band on keyboards. Now the trio are dispersed and live in different corners of the USA, but in 2024 they came together in a remote seaside cabin in New Hampshire, writing and recording every day in an intense undisturbed whirlwind of creativity. Probiotic Orchestrations is the result - a dazzling mix of improvisation and composition, exploring rhythm, colour and texture with the directness of rock and the fearless improvisatory flair of jazz.
As genre conventions continue to morph and blur, there's a wealth of stunning new music being made wherever groups of musicians have the imagination and ingenuity to transcend the old boundaries and just play whatever comes naturally. Sun Speak are such a group and their album Probiotic Orchestrations is full of music that's urgent, powerful, accessible and humorous, pulling together sounds and textures from the worlds of rock, jazz, electronica, Americana and the outer reaches of progressive music into compelling whole. Guitarist Matt Gold and drummer Nate Friedman first came together as Sun Speak ten years ago amid the white heat of the Chicago experimental scene, where they'd worked with such luminaries as Makaya McCraven and Patricia Barber. On this, their sixth release, they continue to develop their own distinctive sonic world with the aid of fellow Chicagoan Daniel Pierson who joined as engineer/sound sculptor and now increasingly takes a collaborative role as a third member of the band on keyboards. Now the trio are dispersed and live in different corners of the USA, but in 2024 they came together in a remote seaside cabin in New Hampshire, writing and recording every day in an intense undisturbed whirlwind of creativity. Probiotic Orchestrations is the result - a dazzling mix of improvisation and composition, exploring rhythm, colour and texture with the directness of rock and the fearless improvisatory flair of jazz.
The twin trombone frontline is an esoteric but noble tradition in jazz, harking back to the famed 1950s recordings of Kai Windings and JJ Johnson. While respecting the tradition, the internationally renowned trombonists Paul Dunlea (from Cork) and Trevor Mires (from London) are not traditionalists, and their collaborative project Silfra showcases their thoroughly contemporary skills as composers and arrangers to create a fascinatingly diverse set of trombone led music. Silfra is the name of a place in Iceland where the tectonic plates of Europe and America meet and rub together. "I scuba-dived between the two plates and touched them both at the same time," says Dunlea, and the album presents a true transatlantic meeting of talent. The project was conceived after Paul and Trevor worked together on a project at London's famous Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club, and the music was recorded at the legendary New York studio of Rudy Van Gelder with a specially assembled band of their favorite US musicians. For the drum chair, Trevor chose Billy Kilson, famed for his long association with Dave Holland, while Paul selected bassist Ike Sturm (Donny McCaslin) and pianist Jim Ridl (Kurt Elling, Joe Locke). Ryan Keberle contributes a third trombone to some of the sections to create a full, lush sound. The result is a stunning album that combines influences from both the leaders' multi-faceted careers, Paul's Irish heritage, and their deep love of the jazz tradition. Silfra is a beautifully realised album from two master musicians completely at ease in their surroundings
With 'The Rule of Three', the unique generation-spanning entity that is QOW TRIO are back with a barnstorming third album. Building logically on the natural development of their two previous collections, this time the fearless threesome can be heard roaming further than ever before into the uncharted hinterlands where the deep jazz tradition of the classic tenor trio format, laden with melody and swing, ventures into the untamed regions of free improvisation. At the heart of the band is the unmistakable beat of drummer Spike Wells, who this year celebrates his 80th birthday and the 65th year of his extraordinary career at the forefront of jazz in the UK, providing the driving force behind everyone from homegrown heroes Tubby Hayes to Bobby Wellins to visitors like Stan Getz and Roland Kirk and countless others. Riding at his side to represent the current London-based millennial cohort is saxophonist Riley Stone Lonergan, whose intriguing compositions and boundless creative imagination as an improvisor continue to add to his burgeoning reputation. Representing the diversity of tastes and interests and uncompromising creative stance typical of Gen X, big-toned bassist Eddie Myer rounds up the posse. From Ayler to Strayhorn, from be-bop to calypso, from cowboy movie to free-jazz shootout, there's a surprise at every turn, but always delivered with total sincerity and conviction and a driving desire to bring the audience with them every step of the way
Whirlwind debut from Estonian pianist and vocalist Britta Virves. Joined by her regular trio partners Jon Henriksson on bass and Jonas Backman on drums, and a captivating guest appearance from Artadi, she's created a set of sparklingly fresh original music that is at once accessible and outgoing, yet still deeply personal. Drawing from her constant searching for her own unique sound she filters her love of rhythm and groove through her Nordic sensibility to create an accessible, compelling blend of excitement and introspection. Growing up on the island of Saaremaa in her native Estonia, Britta Virves was a keen piano student playing a strictly classical repertoire. A chance encounter introduced her to jazz: "I wanted to learn guitar. So I went to my teacher Tit Paulus, and he told me to stay with piano, and introduced me to Keith Jarrett, Herbie Hancock, Bill Evans - my mind was blown - a new world opened up." Britta immersed herself in the music and her talent soon attracted attention. Moving to Sweden to further her studies, she was soon touring Europe with the acclaimed Norrbotten Big Band, under the direction of Joakim Milder, working closely with featured guest vocalist Genevieve Artadi and accompanying Artadi on a duo tour opening for Louis Cole. Each tune on the album draws inspiration from an aspect of Britta's own life. "Simple Things" has the directness of a pop song married to the depth of jazz, as Genevieve Artadi's ethereal vocals float over an insistent backbeat that supports limpid depths of harmony. Other tracks include "Bravery", which showcases the subtlety and dynamic control of the rhythm team
With 'The Rule of Three', the unique generation-spanning entity that is QOW TRIO are back with a barnstorming third album. Building logically on the natural development of their two previous collections, this time the fearless threesome can be heard roaming further than ever before into the uncharted hinterlands where the deep jazz tradition of the classic tenor trio format, laden with melody and swing, ventures into the untamed regions of free improvisation. At the heart of the band is the unmistakable beat of drummer Spike Wells, who this year celebrates his 80th birthday and the 65th year of his extraordinary career at the forefront of jazz in the UK, providing the driving force behind everyone from homegrown heroes Tubby Hayes to Bobby Wellins to visitors like Stan Getz and Roland Kirk and countless others. Riding at his side to represent the current London-based millennial cohort is saxophonist Riley Stone Lonergan, whose intriguing compositions and boundless creative imagination as an improvisor continue to add to his burgeoning reputation. Representing the diversity of tastes and interests and uncompromising creative stance typical of Gen X, big-toned bassist Eddie Myer rounds up the posse. From Ayler to Strayhorn, from be-bop to calypso, from cowboy movie to free-jazz shootout, there's a surprise at every turn, but always delivered with total sincerity and conviction and a driving desire to bring the audience with them every step of the way
At the heart of saxophonist and composer Alex LoRe's music making is a fearless approach to exploring the fault lines and contradictions within his art: reconciling the timeless post-bop verities explored by his friends and mentors Greg Osby and Bunky Green with his own awareness of the possibilities of the seemingly opposite extremes of through-composition and freedom. His Whirlwind Records debut Evening Will Find Itselfmarks a powerful step forward in his journey to reconcile these tensions to create a music that isn't limited by expectations, always centered around the unapologetic warmth and humanity of his own playing, and carried forward by his band of long-term musical partners: Glenn Zaleski on piano, Desmond White on bass and (relative) newcomer Allan Mednard on drums. 'This album is me trying to find some different sound worlds to exist in, striking a new balance between notated music and improvisation, giving the musicians freedom to explore those worlds'.
Every new release from Quinsin Nachoff is a headline event, a radical combining and recombining of sonic and conceptual innovations, ever-evolving textures, powerful melodies and rhythms, that always open up new vistas for exploration while clearly marking the way back to what has come before. The album Patterns from Nature is an unashamedly ambitious showcase for his remarkable abilities as a composer and orchestrator, working within the space where the heartfelt collaborative improvisation of jazz meets the adventurous rigor of contemporary music and the depth and complexity of conceptual art. As composer, Nachoff created the closely written, intricately detailed scores for a pair of large-ensemble pieces. As bandleader, he oversaw the realisation of those scores by a hand-picked team of remarkable genre-crossing musicians, including pianist Matt Mitchell, percussionist Satoshi Takeishi, bassist Carlo de Rosa, clarinetist Francois Houle, trombonist Ryan Keberle, and the internationally renowned Molinari String Quartet, supported by a large chamber ensemble conducted by JC Sanford. As interdisciplinary collaborator, he worked with physicist Dr. Stephen Morris, whose research into emergent patterns in nature informed the project's structural concepts, and four filmmakers - Tina de Groot, Lee Hutzulak, Gita Blak, and Udo Prinsen - originally conceived alongside them for a multimedia version of the work, resulting in the titular Patterns from Nature suite of four contrasting movements that engage the listener at every level.
Building a bridge between jazz and experimental dance music, Brotherly were one of the most creative bands to emerge from Britain in the mid-2000s, a collection of their standout tracks is now issued for the first time on limited edition double vinyl and CD/DL as 'Analects', with an eye catching list of guest artists including Kaidi Tatham, Ty, Eska and Donny McCaslin. Tracks: System / Put It Out (feat. Eska) / Raindown (feat. Kaidi Tatham) / World In A World (feat. Jason Rebello) / Requiem / Skin Deep / Hiding Behind Your Lies / Spin Down / Shame / Searching / A Little Trouble / Breather / The Code / Navigator / DTs (feat. Donny McCaslin) / One Sweet Life (feat. Ty)
Zurich based drummer Arthur Hnatek presents his first trio record, 'Static'. Joined by his equally fearless bandmates Fabien Iannone on bass and Francesco Geminiani on tenor sax, this is music created by a classic jazz line-up and steeped in improvisational facility, yet simultaneously utterly unlike anything in the standard jazz tradition. Hnatek is one of a new breed of players who see their music as a continuum stretching between genres, always thinking in terms of links rather than boundaries, possibilities rather than limits. His time spent playing drums with similarly adventurous and unclassifiable artists Tigran Hamasyan and Shai Maestro opened his ears to the possibilities of rhythmic variation: his immersion in electronic music production and the motorik tradition of Jaki Liebzeit alerted him the possibilities of repetition. 1. Monotonous 2. 27 3. Brew 4. MIDI Sans Frontieres 5. Nine B 6. In Three 7. Static 8. Cinque 9. The End
Following the breadth of 2015's live and post-processed electro-acoustic release 'Paradigm Shift', bassist Michael Janisch launches new project Worlds Collide with a band featuring saxophonist John O'Gallagher, trumpeter Jason Palmer, guitarist Rez Abbasi and drummer Clarence Penn. Recorded in Abbey Road's legendary Studio 3, and engineered/mastered by Tyler McDiarmid, it also includes guest saxophonist George Crowley, keyboardist John Escreet and drummer/percussionist Andrew Bain. Another London / An Ode To A Norwegian Strobe / The JJ I Knew / Frocklebot / Intro To Pop / Pop / Freak Out
Fifth album from American trumpeter Andre Canniere for Whirlwind with a new band featuring Brigitte Beraha - vocals, Tori Freestone - tenor saxophone, Rick Simpson - piano & keyboards, Tom Farmer - double bass, Andrew Bain - drums. Andre Canniere is an acclaimed trumpet player, composer and educator currently based in London. Originally from rural Pennsylvania, Canniere spent the first five years of his career in New York City where he worked with artists such as Maria Schneider, Becca Stevens, Donny McCaslin, Kate McGarry, Ingrid Jensen and Darcy James Argue. Since his arrival in the UK, Canniere's profile has been steadily rising, both as a solo artist and a collaborator. In 2012 Canniere released his critically acclaimed debut Forward Space on Whirlwind Recordings ("the new label of the moment" - BBC Radio 2) which Jazzwise hailed as "one of the best recordings in a long time" and listed as one of their 'Best Albums of 2012'. The following year Canniere released 'Coalescence', his second Whirlwind album which was equally lauded by the press and firmly established Canniere as "one of the most compelling artists on the current London jazz scene" (The Scotsman). Suicides / Colours / Erasure / My Star / Arrival / One More Down / Endure
For 'Django-shift' Rez Abbasi chose seven of Django Reinhardt's original pieces and two classic tunes that he was greatly associated with. The arrangements were soon created for a contemporary trio format, with Neil Alexander on organ and electronics and Michael Sarin on drums. The results give a fascinating and original insight into an often-overlooked attribute of Django's genius, his compositions. Rez Abbasi has established an enviable reputation over the course of his fourteen album releases as leader: not simply as one of the finest guitarists of his generation, but also as a musical alchemist with the ability to parlay his continent-crossing range of influences into consistently fresh and innovative compositions and reframings of the tradition. His deep musicality has been applied with equal conviction to contemporary New York acoustic jazz, the Qawwali and Indian Classical traditions of South Asia and the heady fusion sounds of the 1970s. Diminishing / Heavy Artillery / Django's Castle / Anniversary Song / Cavalrie / Hungaria / Douce Ambiance / Swing 42 / September Song
