JazzWorldQuest Showcase 2021: Utopia(USA/Japan)-Imaginably

Imaginably is the 2nd album of Utopia, NY based duo project formed by Japanese musicians Yuto Mitomi (sax) and Yuto Kanazawa (guitar) who share the same first name.

The first track Karatachi no Hana is written by Japanese composer Kosaku Yamada in 1925, Mitomi originally arranged this piece for his octet and later he started to play together with Kanazawa. Title track Imaginably is the original composition by Yuto Mitomi, other tracks are a collection of jazz standards and pop covers.

First two tracks are played in a similar aesthetic, free improvisation based on the melody and form. It is a similar approach to their influence, the music of Paul Motian trio with Bill Frisell and Joe Lovano. Mitomi and Kanazawa focused on listening to the momentum of each other’s performance and improvised freely along with the flow of the melody.

In contrast to the first two tracks, I Want You Back, Black Bird, Dralice and Isn’t She Lovely have steady rhythms with the styles of Funk, Latin, Country and Brazilian Music. Mitomi and Kanazawa express their respect and love for jazz with Thelonious Monk’s Ugly Beauty and Cliff Burwell’s jazz standard Sweet Lorraine that was written in 1928.

Their unique repertoire was formed while performing gigs in NYC and touring in Japan where they play music for audiences who love all genres of music. Utopia’s intention on this album was to introduce jazz and improvisation to a broader audience with the familiar melodies and cultural music. Mitomi plays tenor and soprano sax and Kanazawa plays Brazilian 7 string guitar on this album.

Their mutual friend pianist Noah MacNeil gave notes to the album inner cover; For both standards and cover songs, there is no limit to what one could imaginably play.

Album Release Date: 3/12/21 on major streaming websites.
Pre-release available at Bandcamp on 3/5/21. 

Yuto Mitomi (Tenor & Soprano Saxophone)
yutomitomi.bandcamp.com

Yuto Kanazawa (Brazilian 7 string guitar )
yutokanazawa.bandcamp.com

Recorded by Jason Borisoff
at Conveyor Recording Studio in Brooklyn NY, on January 21st, 2020

Mixed & Mastered by Yuto Kanazawa
Art designed by Yuto Kanazawa,

Special thanks to Noah MacNeil,
noahmacneil.bandcamp.com

USA: In Support of Music For Love, Son of Michel Petrucciani Speaks About “Cantabile 2.0

Earlier this year, Music For Love released a charity project entitled Music For Love Vol. 1. The opening track “Cantabile 2.0” by Fabrizio Bosso and Pablo Nannucci, aka Roc Flowers is inspired by the great jazz pianist Michel Petrucciani “Cantabile.” “Cantabile 2.0” adapted modern hip-hop texture on top of existing melody ideas, drawing influences from jazz standards and funk. Soon after its release, the tune received support from Michel Petrucciani’s family. Alexandre Petrucciani, the younger son of the jazz master, was impressed by Pablo Nannucci, aka Roc Flowers’s hip-hop fusion, “I’m very happy that people still care about his music enough to make stuff around it. It’s really good.”

“Cantabile 2.0” presents a series of butterfly effects from one creative mind to another, stretching into time and space. The song preserves moments of inspiration that continue the conversation between past and future. “This is really a big thing for a young guy like him for his first approach,” the founder and director of Music For Love also expressed high hope for the young artist.

The Petrucciani brothers have been more visible in supporting jazz artists and promoting their father’s music in the past five years. The brothers work as a team, aiming to influence more people. “It’s a link between now and the future, towards new people knowing his music later in life or in time,” said Alexandre.

Michel Petrucciani was exceptional. He was gifted as a musician but special as a person. “A little spark that makes a person shine brighter,” Alexandre described, “he was the person who glues everyone else around him.” Few people knew that the legendary jazz pianist who traveled by plane most days of the year was afraid of heights. Losing Michel Petrucciani was a shock to the family. For them, the loss never heals. “There’s not one day I don’t think about him,” said Alexandre, “It leaves no doubt how much I love my father. He was touring three hundred days a year, but when he was around, he was here 100 percent. He was genuinely happy.”

Memory tends to fade as time passes by, but the love people have for Michel Petrucciani keeps his memory alive. Alexandre expressed his appreciation to tribute concerts and music made in honor of his father, “it’s memory and an honor to be a son of my father,” he said. He has been supporting artists through social media engagement and attending tribute concerts, encouraging young jazz musicians to follow their passion.

Alexandre also inherited his father’s touch with the piano. Although he has never touched a piano until recently, he revealed having a special connection with the instrument. “It’s like I can feel the piano,” he said, “It makes no sense.” He admitted not studying piano with his father was one of his biggest regrets. The early recordings hold a special place in his heart. “I like the Best of the Blue Note Years. That’s my favorite,” said Alexandre, “he (Michel Petrucciani) was younger and had a different energy.”

Learn more about M4L: WWW.MUSICFORLOVE.ORG

Stream Music For Love Vol. 1 on all platforms: http://hyperurl.co/musicforlovevol1

Support Ghetto Youths Foundation: www.ghettoyouthsfoundation.org

World Music Mix: Ramiro Pinheiro(Spain)-Viagem Nova

 Ramiro Pinheiro(Spain)-Viagem Nova

Ramiro Pinheiro-Viagem Nova

Composer: Ramiro Pinheiro, Guilherme Guimarães, Hugo Arán
Album name: Sentido(2021)
Label: Fresh Sound Records
Ramiro Pinheiro’s Sentido is highly recommended to any listener having a love for Brazilian jazz. The rich melodies, variety, and top-notch musicianship along with the consistent creativity make this a memorable release.Scott Yanow, jazz journalist/historian [Allmusic.com]
“Viagem Nova” is the third single of “Sentido”, and features the warm singing of Hugo Arán, a subtle rhythmic figure that is heard throughout the piece, and a fine guitar solo.
Hugo Arán [Vocals]
Ramiro Pinheiro [Acoustic Guitar]
Horacio Fumero [Bass]
Nico Correa [Drums]
Arrangement: Ramiro Pinheiro
Producer: Rodrigo Balduino
Recorded & Mixed at Estudio Laietana [Barcelona] by Jordi Vidal
Website | CD Store | Listen

JazzWorldQuest World Music Mix: Kevin Kastning // Sándor Szabó // Balázs Major-First Occurrence Album: Ethereal IV (2021) Label: greydisc

Kevin Kastning - Ethereal IV

Kevin Kastning // Sándor Szabó // Balázs Major-First Occurrence
Album: Ethereal IV (2021)
Label: greydisc

Beyond the deep knowledge of guitars of the three musicians lies a shared artistic sensibility that leads us to a magical universe of uncharted territories. Listening to these 6 pieces infused with a fascinating spatial fluidity you may think about a collection of Pictures at a Cosmic Exhibition.
Creativity and precision merge together in swirls of timeless sonorities.

Ethereal IV was recorded at the end of Kevin Kastning’s 2018 European Tour. The album was recorded in a single day at the Kismaros Concert Hall in Kismaros, Hungary, and features Kevin Kastning on 30-string Contra-Alto guitar, Sandor Szabo on electric guitars, and Balazs Major on percussion.

Kevin Kastning: 30-string Contra-Alto guitar
Sandor Szabo: Electric guitars
Balazs Major: Percussion
Website Bandcamp

JazzWorldQuest Showcase 2021: Russell Ferrante Trio-Album: Inflexion/Label: Blue Canoe Records

Russell Ferrante Trio - Inflexion

Russell Ferrante Trio – Inflexion D
Composer: Russell Ferrante
Album: Inflexion
Label: Blue Canoe Records
Russell Ferrante (YellowJackets founding and current member) releases a beautiful jazz trio album titled, “Inflexion”. Inflexion or inflection comes from the Latin root inflexionem meaning to bend in, to change direction. This music is indeed very personal and intimate and one could say it bends in. Featuring the beautiful interplay from Russell Ferrante, Michael Valerio (bass), and Steve Schaeffer (drums).
Album Promo Video | Blue Canoe Records

World Music Mix: Julien Bigorgne(France)-Album: Monades

Julien Bigorgne-Monades

World Music Mix

Julien Bigorgne(France)-Farout
Composer: Julien Bigorgne
Album:  Monades
Label:  LEM
Monades is the first record of the French jazz flutist Julien Bigorgne. Passionate about traditional Turkish, Indian and African music, Julien Bigorgne has composed 14 instrumental pieces, a bit like the Orientalists, borrowing from these traditional music their colors and rhythms while reinterpreting them. A long work of maturation gives to the compositions a contemporary character that stands out from the clichés too often conveyed by “World Music”.

WebsiteYouTube

JazzWorldQuest Showcase 2020: Switzerland/USA: Florian Arbenz & Greg Osby (Switzerland/USA) -Album: Reflections Of The Eternal Line

Florian Arbenz & Greg Osby - Reflections Of The Eternal Line~1

Florian Arbenz & Greg Osby (Switzerland/USA) -Album: Reflections Of The Eternal Line
 Two masters: Florian Arbenz(drums, percussion) and Greg Osby(saxophones) delivering a symbiotic dialogue stretched over known boundaries. It’s not free jazz according to definitions but rather a journey they took together exploring new sound paths. A work of freedom and precision altogether inspired by the intricate graphical intersections painted by Stephan Spicher . Florian Arbenz moves from percussive heights to impressionistic, subtle textures, changing tempos weaving unexpected sonorities . Greg Osby is right there at the right moment filling spaces, climbing to high registers, at times playful or ecstatic invoking sacred chants punctuated by colorful gongs that gives a spiritual edge to the composition. Expect the unexpected with these two bright complementing talents.
https://jazzworldquest.com/showcase-2020