Author Archives: JWQ

USA: Venerable Jazz Rockers Squirrel Nut Zippers to Take Fans on a Musical Journey to the Birthplace of Jazz with Special Run of “Jazz from the Back O’ Town” Shows

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Iconic Jazz Rockers Squirrel Nut Zippers (SNZ) have announced that they will be taking fans on a magical, musical voyage to the birthplace of Jazz as they present “Jazz from the Back O’ Town” – a four-show love letter to the prodigious New Orleans neighborhood known simply as the “Back O’ Town.”


Kicking off November 8 in Greenwich, RI at the Greenwich Odean and running through November 11 in Woodstock, NY at the legendary Levon Helm Studios, these intimate, yet devilishly-entertaining shows, will explore the late 19th Century through the Roaring 20s NOLA Jazz scene as the Zippers provide a delightful view into this mystical era with reverent, yet exciting, renditions of such seminal classics as Jelly Roll Morton’s “Animule Ball,” Louis Armstrong’s “Back O’ Town Blues,” and many others.

Tickets for the SNZ “Jazz from the Back O’ Town” shows go on sale Friday, August 18 at www.snzippers.com.

During the “Jazz from the Back O’ Town” shows, the Multi-Platinum band will also perform favorites from their own catalog, adapted and arranged to more closely echo the sounds of 1920s New Orleans. Additionally, SNZ founder Jimbo Mathus will lend his humorous, insightful musings on both the musical history of one of America’s most fascinating cities and the stories and inspirations behind many of the Zippers’ most beloved songs.

Official dates for SNZ “Jazz from the Back O’ Town” shows are as follows:

Nov. 8 Greenwich Odean East Greenwich, RI
Nov. 9 Higher Ground Burlington, VT
Nov. 10 Buffalo State Performing Arts Center Buffalo, NY
Nov. 11 Levon Helm Studios Woodstock, NY

“Jazz From The Back O’ Town” will provide a uniquely-historic look at the origins and evolutions of SNZ over the course of their career and the role the music of 1920s New Orleans has played in forming and shaping their sound. Not so much a period piece as a living “peek-behind-the-curtain” of inspiration and celebration. And it makes for a very entertaining evening!

For the most up-to-date information on the band visit:
www.snzippers.com
https://twitter.com/snzippers
https://www.facebook.com/SNZippers
https://www.instagram.com/snzippers/
# # #

About Squirrel Nut Zippers
The Platinum recording artists have sold over three million albums to-date with their watershed album, Hot (1996), making them a household name. Recorded in the heat of New Orleans, fueled by a smoldering mix of booze and a youthful hunger to unlock the secrets of old-world jazz, this pivotal release was just the beginning for the band.

Since then, SNZ has unveiled such hits as Beasts Of Burgundy (2018), which debuted at #4 on the Billboard Jazz Albums Chart, and Christmas Caravan (1998), which went on to sell a quarter of a million copies and reach #12 on the Billboard Holiday Albums chart.

Their most recent record Lost Songs of Doc Souchon debuted in late 2020. It featured 10 tracks – a combination of newly-penned Zippers songs, along with a few tunes from past times – and has received acclaim from fans and critics alike.
Since reactivating in mid-2016, SNZ have been performing to packed houses across the country and around the world. As Mathus has said since the band’s re-launch, “it’s not a reunion, it’s a revival.”

World Music Mix: Hakim Jamal(UK)-As She Awakens (2023)

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Hakim Jamal-As She Awakens

Hakim Jamal(UK)-As She Awakens
Composer: Paul Ashley Wheatcroft
Label: TalkingHead TV Recordings (2023)

On June 21st 2023, a child was born in Algiers. She has not had a simple start to life – her parents are separated by distance, although she is much loved. We keep communication open and we give her what we can in the ways we can, until we can see her. This I also do with my two other grandchildren, but sadly often with little success.
I wanted to give her a gift that would be memorable, and with the skills I have, I created this for her and about her. It was inspired by a video taken of her by her mother as she was waking up one day.
But it’s more than that – children from her part of the world, and I include the Middle East as well as North Africa suffer daily deprivations and injustices. Children of her precise background find themselves even this week caught up in the awful racist theatre of hate that is France.
Yet they remain at heart just children – alive, trusting, hungry, loving, naturally happy – wherever they are.
In my opinion it is our responsibility to make sure they are taken care of; and so this song is for them too. I hope it makes you think of children you know and ways in which you can be kind to them. Peace.

https://hakimjamal.bandcamp.com/track/as-she-awakes

https://youtu.be/uyB2ceVDO74

World Music Mix

JazzWorldQuest Showcase 2023: António Silva Music new album – “Blessings and Inspirations”

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António Silva-Blessings and Inspiration

António Silva Music new album – “Blessings and Inspirations”

Blessings and Inspirations is a compilation of 12 original compositions by António Silva, from styles so diverse as Jazz, Fusion, Classical, Pop and World Music. To give life to this music he was helped by several musicians from 5 different countries. The album is divided into 4 elements. Blessings and Inspirations will be available the 1st of September 2023 to buy and stream in full from Bandcamp here – https://antoniosilvamusic.bandcamp.com/

Further Info and Bio.
António Miguel Dias da Silva was born in Coimbra, city where he began studying the guitar when he was 14 years old. He went on to study Jazz at Bachelor and Masters levels in Lisbon, Helsinki, Stockholm and Aarhus and also the composition system “Equal Interval System” with American teacher Glenn Jordan.
He has recorded 4 albums: Ararur, Mielikki, Up Lift and Súnapsis. Blessings and Inspirations is António Silva newest creation.

Blessings and Inspirations
Chronicles Vol. 1
Air
1 – O espetáculo vai começar
António Silva – Guitar
2 – The chosen one
António Silva – Guitar and Voices; Francisco Brito – Doublebass; Luciano Cuviello – Drums
3 – Glory Day
Sanna Ruohoniemi – Vocals; António Silva – Guitar; Francisco Brito – Doublebass; João Rijo –
Drums
Earth
4 – The Magic Number
António Silva – Guitar; Inês Ochoa – Eletric Bass; João Santiago – Drums
5 – Metal Jazz Groove Thing
António Silva – Guitar; Anatole Buccella – Baritone-guitar; João Rijo – Drums
Water
6 – Ela
7 – Intro
8 – Floating underwater
9 – Cuida de mim
10 – Classical
Tomomi Kato – Piano
Fire
11 – Fantasma
António Silva – Guitar and Voice; Manuel Maio – Violin; Luciano Cuviello – Fretless Bass and Snare
12 – So in Love with You
António Silva – Guitar and Voice

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JazzWorldQuest Showcase 2023

JazzWorldQuest Showcase 2023: Florian Arbenz- Greg Osby- Arno Krijger – Conversation #9 – Targeted

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Florian Arbenz- Greg Osby- Arno Krijger - Conversation #9 - Targeted

“Conversation #9 – Targeted” is the latest release of the series of collaborations with like-minded felow musicians initiated by Swiss drummer Florian Arbenz. While the presence of the renowned American saxophonist Greg Osby is not new on these series, Dutch Hammond impressive organist Arno Krijger came on board for the first time, and it must be acknowledged that he succeeds greatly in making his mark.

We hear six pieces nicely integrated into the tapestry of the album, three of them are originals. The three musicians came together to form a solid band that transmits energy and enables their abilities to soar with crystal-clear clarity.

The opener, Eddie Harris’s Freedom Jazz Dance is once more revisited (it was already included on Arbenz’previous Comversations albums) receiving a powerful treatment, breathtaking saxophone and muscular organ solos powered by Arbenz’s solid, imaginative drumming. Sleeping Mountain, composed by Arbenz, takes listeners on a cosmic musical ride with the saxophone weaving intricate lines that glide through the atmosphere, while the organ provides a rich and textured backdrop sustained by Arbenz’s sensitive drumming, building energy just when it’s needed.
Vertical Hold brings forward Greg Osby as a composer while improvising in full swing backed by Arbenz’s galvanic beats. Seven Steps To Heaven by Victor Feldman, takes off with an energetic drum solo into which Arno Krijger‘s organ gradually slips, the fiery duet that follows has jazz-rock qualities. I Loves You Porgy receives a new sonic aesthetic due to Osby’s fluid lyricism to which the organ adds an enigmatic edge. Old Shaman ending the album a hyper thunderous three way improvisation played with the greatest finesse and beauty.

An album that will delight any listener willing to hear three virtuosos unleashing their imagination and skills.

Bandcamp

JazzWorldQuest Showcase 2023

JazzWorldQuest Showcase 2023: Pilc Moutin Hoenig-YOU Are The Song (Justin Time Records)

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Pilc Moutin Hoenig - You are the song
Pilc Moutin Hoenig
Nouvel album YOU Are The Song
Sortie le 12/05/2023 chez Justin Time Records
Le pianiste Jean-Michel Pilc, le contrebassiste François Moutin et le batteur Ari Hoenig se retrouvent pour un nouvel album intitulé YOU Are The Song. Cela faisait douze ans que les trois musiciens de jazz n’avaient pas enregistré ensemble. Avec ce disque qui sort le 12/05/2023, ce trio légendaire se reforme et retrouve son interaction musicale miraculeuse.

Pour la petite histoire, l’album YOU Are The Song a été enregistré en une session unique, sans aucune préparation et ne comprend que des premiers jets. On y retrouve des compositions originales et des standards réarrangés comme Impressions de John Coltrane, Dear Old Stockholm magnifié par Miles Davis et John Coltrane ou Straight No Chaser de Thelonious Monk. Moins free que leurs improvisations d’autrefois, les séances de cet album explorent et expérimentent une expressivité nouvelle, témoignant de l’évolution artistique des trois musiciens.

L’idée de réunir le trio Pilc Moutin Hoenig était dans l’air depuis quelques temps et a pu se réaliser au studio Big Orange Sheep, à New York grâce au label Justin Time Records. « C’était une belle occasion de s’associer avec une maison de disque qui comprend notre manière de jouer, c’est-à-dire notre traitement du rythme et notre façon de composer ensemble à travers l’improvisation », a expliqué Jean-Michel Pilc. 

 Pour regarder la vidéo de Dear Old Stockholm :https://youtu.be/5RT1qEACl28

L’ensemble légendaire Pilc Moutin Hoenig émerge à nouveau avec son premier album en douze ans, intitulé YOU Are the Song et produit par Justin Time Records. Le trio, composé du pianiste Jean-Michel Pilc, du contrebassiste François Moutin et du batteur Ari Hoenig, entreprend d’emblée un assemblage dynamique et enivrant de pièces originales (Thin Air, Searing Congress) et d’interprétations au tempo réharmonisé et mouvant de standards tant aimés. Ce n’est pas du free jazz, comme certains auditeurs qui ont suivi les trois décennies de carrière du trio peuvent le supposer. Cet album, au cœur émotif et au fil duquel les trois artistes tiennent rôle de chef, suit des formules mélodiques, s’alimente d’une vitalité rythmique unique, se livre à des cabrioles de terrain de jeux et s’aventure dans des territoires sonores inexplorés.
L’album fut enregistré en direct, sans superposition sonore, au studio Big Orange Sheep, à Brooklyn, le 11 juin 2022. Ce fut un projet spontané, sans préparation. « C’est un album important pour nous », dit Pilc. « Nous avons tant évolué en tant que trio. Aujourd’hui, nous sommes différents de ce que nous étions il y a dix ans. » Il ajoute : « Ce fut la séance en studio la plus facile de ma vie. Nous avons simplement commencé à jouer, sans nous arrêter, pendant presque trois heures. À la fin de la séance, nous avions enregistré assez de musique pour réaliser deux ou trois albums. »
Étant donné le lien qui existait entre Pilc et Jim West, le président de Justin Time, l’idée de reconstituer le trio PMH, plus de dix ans après sa dernière réunion, flottait dans l’air.  « Ce que nous faisons, c’est de l’improvisation pure. Il n’y a aucune résistance dans la musique lorsque nous sommes ensemble, tous les trois. »
Les trois membres s’accordent à dire que YOU Are the Song reflète le dynamisme expressif de leur trio : « Plutôt que de parler de musique, nous laissons la musique parler à travers nous. Plutôt que de jouer de la musique, nous laissons la musique jouer avec nous. Plutôt que de jouer une chanson, nous devenons cette chanson, et nous vous invitons tous à faire de même. »
 
www.jeanmichelpilc.com | Facebook | Twitter

JazzWorldQuest Showcase 2023

JazzWorldQuest Showcase 2023:The Scornful Four (Australia) Album: Jazz in Meanjin 001: Live at Can You Keep A Secret?

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The Scornful Four-JAZZ IN MEANJIN 001: LIVE AT CAN YOU KEEP A SECRET?

This recording results from the last-minute thought that such a moment should be captured. This set by newly formed The Scornful Four shows the very instant when an idea became a creation.

With a book full of COVID-era compositions that had yet to fall on any ears, saxophonist Andrew Garton convened a group of musical friends new and old to tackle the task of creating a setting to enrich what previously only existed in his imagination.

Meanjin jazz-royalty Helen Russell on bass (notably of the lauded 90s ensemble Good Bait), the wise-beyond-his-years journeyman drummer Aaron Jansz and young firebrand trumpeter Sharon Nobs all openly brought their dedication and ability to engage deeply with any music they perform and it shows in the freedom and nuance presented in this live recording.

MEMBERS
ANDREW GARTON – BARITONE SAXOPHONE
SHARON NOBS – TRUMPET
HELEN RUSSELL – BASS
AARON JANSZ – DRUMS

Website

JazzWorldQuest Showcase 2023

JazzWorldQuest Showcase 2023: Tony Adamo-Sun Ra Throws a Brick through a Jazz Window

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Tony Adamo-Sun Ra Throws a Brick through a Jazz Window

Tony Adamo: Sun Ra Throws A Brick Through A Jazz Window
By Nicholas F. Mondello/Allaboutjazz
May 7, 2023

When one listens to the work of Tony Adamo, there needs to be a self-understanding that Adamo’s approach to jazz completely abolishes any pre-conceptions of what “singing,” “vocalese,” and “storytelling” are. His efforts are a highly-stylized ultra-hip gumbo of these things, usually overlaid over a swinging, driving rhythmic platform. His is music intense and this track is.

“Sun Ra Throws a Brick Through a Jazz Window” is quintessential Adamo. In this track, we get a three-minute homage to jazz revolutionary Sun Ra with Adamo’s exciting sing-speak verbiage. The Master of the Arkestra, Sun Ra and various members of his unit tend to be frequently mentioned in Adamo’s work. He is an obvious attraction for Adamo and this tune is no exception.

The tempo is a high-grade fever and Adamo blasts his slick lyrics while tenor man Rob Sudduth of Huey Lewis and the News blows freely in the background. It’s a story-song format that has deep roots in both African and other cultures. Ra, of course, embraced multi-cultural textures within a mystical, hyped-up panoply of exotic costumes, sounds, textures, and instrumentation. Adamo, as is his stock in trade, takes on the role of hipster “griot” or tale-teller. The pungency, intrigue, and overall urgency of Adamo’s and his crew’s presentation is beguiling. It is not pretty, but rather, deeply muscular and invigorating.

Like that of the artist of whom he speaks, Adamo’s work is an acquired taste. One has to meet it halfway or more to really appreciate it. When that occurs, you realize that he is a highly talented, super-creative artist carrying heavy presence. Ra might have “broken jazz’s window with a hurled brick,” however, digging Adamo’s take on that extreme image is a vivid scene worth experiencing.

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JazzWorldQuest Showcase 2023

SBO Trio (France) – Discrète élégance / Lune des Fleurs

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SBO Trio – Lune des Fleurs from inzieye on Vimeo.

Thierry Collin : composition et vibraphone
Nicolas Marty : contrebasse
Thierry Bonneaux : batterie

Thierry Collin : ( Vibraphone / Composition )
Nicolas Marty : ( Contrebasse )
Thierry Bonneaux : ( Batterie )
Remerciements à mon éditeur et ami Thierry Durepaire ( Music Box Publishing ) ainsi qu’à Eric Parisi ( Tournage / Montage ) et Jean-Pascal Boffo ( Enregistrement / Mixage ).

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JazzWorldQuest Showcase 2023

JazzWorldQuest 2023: Robin McKelle – Impressions of Ella

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Robin McKelle
Nouvel album Impressions of Ella
Sortie le 02/06/2023 chez naïve / Believe
Robin McKelle revient au jazz avec le disque Impressions of Ella, qui comprend onze standards immortalisés par Ella Fitzgerald. Accompagnée de Kenny Baron au piano, Peter Washington à la basse et Kenny Washington à la batterie, la chanteuse Robin McKelle est de retour au sommet avec cet album dédié à sa plus grande influence musicale, Ella.

Prévu pour le 02 juin 2023 sur le label naïve, l’album Impressions of Ella est un hommage aussi inspiré que personnel à la First Lady of Swing. D’Embraceable You en passant par April in Paris, How High is the Moon, My One and Only ou Taking a Chance on Love, on retrouve sur Impressions of Ella la chanteuse Robin McKelle très inspirée et qui parvient à donner souffle à ces classiques intemporels. L’album révèle une Robin McKelle plus expérimentée et avisée que jamais. Plus de 15 ans après son premier album, elle est enfin prête à affronter la charge émotionnelle de ces standards du jazz.“

Ma voix a mûri, et moi aussi. J’ai senti qu’à ce moment de ma vie, ces paroles avaient un sens pour moi. Impressions of Ella est comme un retour à la maison pour moi. Comme une réunion familiale après des années de séparation. Une reconnexion avec la musique qui m’a nourrie pendant toutes mes années de formation musicale, et qui furent largement influencées par Ella Fitzgerald” a-t-elle expliqué.

Pour regarder et diffuser Embraceable You :https://youtu.be/MP1jZ0m-8zA

De la country au R&B, Robin McKelle a consacré toute sa carrière à explorer l’immensité de la musique américaine. Avec Impressions of Ella, l’artiste chevronnée renoue avec son premier amour : le jazz.

En 2006, son premier album éponyme Introducing Robin McKelle explorait une douzaine de standards intemporels des années swing (“Come Rain or Come Shine”, “Night and Day”, “On the Sunny Side of the Street”). Pour son dernier album, McKelle s’inspire de sa plus grande influence artistique : Ella Fitzgerald. “Cette idée m’est venue parce qu’Ella a été ma première introduction au jazz vocal. J’ai tant appris de sa façon de chanter. Son swing et son interprétation résonnent en moi.”  

Pour donner vie à cette idée, Robin fait appel à un tout nouveau trio de musiciens de jazz renommés : le batteur Kenny Washington, le bassiste Peter Washington, et le grand Kenny Barron au piano. “Je n’étais pas intimidée à l’idée de jouer avec eux, bien que leurs CV soient vraiment impressionnants. Je me demandais simplement si j’allais être au niveau, et si nous allions nous entendre. C’était une chance inouïe de pouvoir chanter à leurs côtés”.

La rencontre entre un chanteur et un musicien est peut-être l’une des unions les plus profondes et extraordinaires de la musique. Kenny Barron, virtuose du piano jazz, le sait mieux que quiconque. Ayant fait ses armes en tant que sideman pour Philly Joe Jones et Dizzy Gillespie, il a enregistré plus de 50 albums, sur plus de cinq décennies.

Avec Impressions of Ella, Robin McKelle ne tente pas de tout réinventer ni de limiter son potentiel d’expression créative. Tout en faisant l’éloge de notre “First Lady of Song”, l’album marque pour Robin un inéluctable passage à l’âge adulte, à un moment de sa carrière où son travail acharné porte enfin ses fruits.

En tournée :

04 Mai 2023 – Bruxelles (BE)

06 Mai 2023 – Courtrai (BE)

17 Mai 2023 – Deauville (FR)
15 Juin 2023 – Chatellerault (FR)
28 Juin 2023 – Ajaccio (FR)
11 Juil. 2023 – Chambery (FR)
14 Juil. 2023 – Maspalomas (FR)
21 Juil. 2023 – Narbonne (FR)
02 Aout 2023 – Marciac (FR)
13 Aout 2023 – Annecy (FR)
12 October 2023 – Reims (FR)
04 Nov 2023 – Bordeaux (FR)
10 Nov 2023 – Rouen (FR)
11 Nov 2023 – Conilhac-Corbières (FR)

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JazzWorldQuest Showcase 2023