Category Archives: United States

USA, MA: New Bedford JazzFest Presents: Feel the Funk!

Posted on by

New Bedford JazzFest (NBJF) proudly announces JazzFest 2024: Feel the Funk! on Saturday, November 23, from 8:00 10:00 pm. Doors will open at 7:00 pm. JazzFest 2024 will offer two live bands and the space for folks to groove and dance, as well as a cash bar and snacks available for purchase. New Bedford JazzFest is excited to host its event in its newly renovated venue, the historic Steeple Playhouse, located at 159 William Street in downtown New Bedford.

General admission tickets are $25 in advance, (until November 15) and $35 from November 16 until 2 hours before the doors open on November 23. All tickets are available at newbedfordjazzfest.com or steepleplayhouse.org. The festival takes place rain or shine, as it is indoors. The building is completely accessible to all, and there is free parking on the street, as well as in the adjacent parking lot and Elm Street Parking Garage.

This year’s headliner is the Brian Thomas and the BT Allstars featuring Melissa Bolling. The New England based band delivers a fast-paced, power-packed feast that they dub Big Band Funk.
Opening the show will be Joaquim Santos and The Dope Lotus, who will fill the dance floor with distinctive soulful vocals and tight funky grooves, all grounded in authentic musical roots. General admission seating will be available behind the dance floor.

World Music Mix: Sarantos(USA) – Hate to see you Happy

Posted on by

Sarantos – Hate to see you Happy
Sarantos
“Hate To See You Happy”
ISRC: QMHDU2300010

Sounds Like: Leonard Bernstein (West Side Story)
Mood: enthusiastic
Genre: comedy, classical, folk, world
130 BPM, fast tempo, Musical Key D Major / Eb Major
Lead inst: Vocals
Track Length: 2:37

Sarantos says, “Inspired by the theatrical genius of Andrew Lloyd Webber, “Hate to See You Happy” brings playful wit and a dash of dramatic flair. And yes… it’s part of a musical I’m secretly crafting!

Sarantos – Hate to see you Happy (Original Mix)
This song is inspired by Andrew Lloyd Webber. It’s playful, witty and yeah, it’s part of a musical that I’m writing.

MTS

World Music Mix

USA, Austin, TX: Dreaming Hildegard-A Collaborative Work by Christopher Hynes and Alex Coke

Posted on by

Cloud Tree Gallery presents the world premiere of Dreaming Hildegard, the latest collaborative work by Alex Coke and Christopher Hynes. Inspired by 11th-century mystic and visionary Hildegard of Bingen, Hynes’ paintings and Coke’s music create a world of sight and sound that is spiritual, meditative, and thought provoking. This show is not to be missed!

On opening night, Friday Oct. 11th at 8pm, MAE trio (Masumi Jones, drums, Alex Coke, flutes, tenor saxophone, and Elaine Barber, harp) perform the World Premiere of Coke’s Dreaming Hildegard for the opening of Hynes’ art show.

Opening Reception: Friday, October 11
doors at 7pm, music at 8pm
Art on display in the gallery
Oct. 11 – Nov. 2, 2024,
Monday thru Saturday 12-5pm.

WorldMusicMix: Billie Davies(USA)-Thinking of Marie Laveau

Posted on by

Billie Davies-Thinking of Marie Laveau

Billie Davies to release a single, recorded in 2016 in New Orleans at her Terrytown studio, scheduled for release on September 27, 2024.

“Thinking of Marie Laveau”
Closing of a series of original albums and mostly freely improvised music that was created in New Orleans: “Hand In Hand In The Hand Of The Moon”, “On Hollywood Boulevard”, “Perspectives”, “Whadeva” and “On Hollywood Boulevard (Live at The Mint in New Orleans), there was one that still had to be published and preserved for the future.
A piece of music, a work of art, created very spontaneously in 2016. It was created there with her very favorite musicians living in New Orleans and with whom she recorded many beautiful works of art and performed with many times as a trio/quartet/quintet. She wanted it published, she wanted it preserved for eternity.
Billie Davies decided to close of her time in New Orleans and the music that was created there with her magical trio with “Thinking of Marie Laveau”, one of the very first original works she recorded on her electronic drumset, they played and recorded it so very well in 2016. The same trio she later recorded “On Hollywood Boulevard” and “Perspectives” with, the same trio she performed with all over New Orleans.
While Billie and Evan were waiting for Oliver to get ready, Billie just suddenly started this play on her toms in a certain kind of a rhythmic/melodic way and a few beats later Evan got inspired and started playing the trombone and the keys… and a little bit later in the music you can hear Oliver joining in… as if everything was meant to be this way.
A totally spontaneous and freely improvised creation in the moment.
Billie was thinking and expressing her momentary feelings on the drums and as if Evan could read her thoughts he expressed an atmosphere and melodic accents as if it were meant to be, poetry. When one lets this music in, when one surrenders to it, one can see people dancing around a fire at midnight, one feels the secret inner belly of spiritual New Orleans, one feels the primeval and tribal spirits and energies that are still present today, it makes one think of Halloween and Mardi Gras… brought to your ears and fantasies by these very talented musicians in a very sultry, sensuous, rhythmic and magical way.

That is also why Billie ended up calling it “Thinking of Marie Laveau”, she felt her then, it made her think about her and about New Orleans and it still does.
She has finaly come around to publishing it to a larger audience as a single… Thank you.

—
Title: “Thinking Of Marie Laveau”
Release Artist: Billie Davies.
Release Date: 09/02/2024
Free Improvisation from the studio.
Genre: Jazz, Fusion.
Mood: Sultry, Sensuous, Tribal, Rhythmic, Spiritual.
Musicians & Composers: Billie Davies on electronic drums, Evan Oberla on keys and trombone, Oliver Watkinson on electric bass.
Recording: Mike Davies
Mixing: Mike Davies & Billie Davies
Mastering: Mike Davies
Label: Independent
Distributed in the US and Canada with ReverbNation
Published at ReverbNation, Bandcamp

09/02/2024
Billie Davies PR
http://www.billiedaviesmusic.com

WorldMusicMix

JazzWorldQuest Showcase 2024: PETER XIFARAS: New Album “FUSION”

Posted on by

PETER XIFARAS “FUSION”
Genre-crossing Peter Xifaras is a musical wizard who is an inventive, guitarist, keyboardist, composer, and recording producer. Fusion features Xifaras’ infectious electronic rhythms, solos from trumpeter Shunzo Ohno and electric violinist Xander Nichting, and ensembles that are funky and catchy.

MUSICIANS:
Peter Xifaras – Guitar & Keys, Shunzo Ohno– Trumpet, Xander Nichting – Violin, Max Gerl – Bass, Scott Jackson – Drums & Percussion,
Czech National Symphony Orchestra

In his career, the innovative Peter Xifaras has consistently created music that has made Billboard’s classical and crossover charts, frequently featuring mixtures of genres including spoken word, symphonic music, and jazz fusion. His latest recording, Fusion, blends together Xifaras’ guitar and electronic keyboards with the great Japanese jazz trumpeter Shunzo Ohno, the versatile violinist Xander Nichting, bassist Max Gerl, and drummer-percussionist Scott Jackson, with contributions from the Czech National Symphony Orchestra.

The opener, “Chaos,” has music that is anything but chaotic. The rhythmic vamp sets an ominous atmosphere that is accentuated by Ohno’s wa-wa electrified trumpet which hints at Miles Davis circa 1973. He takes a blazing solo on “Shunzo” over the stirring ensembles and Nichting also has a rewarding
spot. The ensemble-oriented “Wild And Free” finds Xifaras and the rhythm section setting patterns with backing by the Czech National Symphony.

“B Blues” is not actually a blues but a bluesy original with a funky vamp that is one of the release’s highlights, featuring colorful trumpet, violin, guitar and bass solos. “Think Quick” is also particularly memorable including its infectious theme and the melodic solos. “While My Guitar Weeps For Mehdi Rajabian” is a showcase for Xifaras’ guitar. Joined by strings on the medium-tempo dirge, he makes a personal, warm, and emotional statement. This unique outing concludes with more wa-wa trumpet from Ohno on the warm and nostalgic “Till We Meet Again.”

Peter Xifaras has had as wide-ranging a career as his music. He began having guitar lessons when he was nine, played with a rock band as a teenager, and studied classical guitar in college. After graduating, he opened a recording studio and started his record label, Music With No Expiration®. He has since
recorded as the leader of his own symphoneX orchestra®, welcoming guest artists to many of his releases. Xifaras’ music ranges from classical and fusion to cinematic and spoken word with his playing, particularly on guitar, being strikingly original. He is most proud of Children Of Conflict, an award-winning release that focuses on the need for social justice.
Fusion is Peter Xifaras’ latest accomplishment, a continually intriguing and invigorating set that is both creative and quite accessible. For listeners not familiar with his previous work, Fusion serves as the perfect introduction to his innovative music.

Web sites:
http://www.PeterXifaras.com
http://www.Symphony-X.com
http://www.MusicWithNoExpiration.com

JazzWorldQuest Showcase 2024

USA: New Digital album Release. BILLIE DAVIES “On Hollywood Boulevard – Live at The Mint in New Orleans”

Posted on by

“On Hollywood Boulevard – Live at The Mint in New Orleans”
Performed at Music At The Mint in 2017 – brought by The New Orleans Jazz Museum
To be released through ReverbNation and Bandcamp on 08/08/2024.

Album: On Hollywood Boulevard
Album sub title: Live At The Mint in New Orleans
Album Artist: Billie Davies
Lyrics: Billie Davies
Lead sheet melodies: Billie Davies
Musicians: Billie Davies – electronic drums, Evan Oberla – piano/electric keys/synth, Oliver Watkinson – electric bass, Iris P. – vocals.
Genre: Jazz, Nu-jazz, World Jazz Fusion
Recording date: 05/19/2017
Recording place: The Mint at the New Orleans Jazz Museum
Recording engineer: Danny Kadar
Mixing/Mastering: Mike Davies
Author URL: http://www.billiedaviesmusic.com

About “On Hollywood Boulevard – Live at The Mint in New Orleans”

“On Hollywood Boulevard” came about while Billie Davies still lived at 6533 Hollywood Blvd. at The Historic Hillview Hollywood in Hollywood, Los Angeles. She lived there for several years and her many experiences in and impressions of Hollywood Boulevard needed recording. It took from 2012 in Hollywood, the initial conception, to September of 2016 in New Orleans to result in a recorded album of 5 songs that Billie Davies wrote melodies and lyrics for, 1 instrumental improvisation and 1 improvisation with improvised lyrics by IRIS P.

Billie and her husband/recording engineer Mike Davies chose Evan Oberla, with whom she recorded and performed since February of 2015, on keys/synth and trombone and Oliver Watkinson, who became her bass player in the summer of 2015, on electric bass. Billie Davies met Iris P through an introduction by Evan Oberla, during one of their performances at The Dragon’s Den in New Orleans, and was rejoiced to find the perfect vocalist, the perfect chemistry, to record and perform the electric “On Hollywood Boulevard” lyrics and experience.

The Live at The Mint in New Orleans version in 2017 was the third time they performed On Hollywood Boulevard live and according to Billie Davies tradition sounds different from the original recording as nothing can ever be exactly the same every time and needs to be different as it has a different environment, a different audience, a different mood of the day… In Billie’s opinion the best recording and performance of the “On Hollywood Boulevard” album.
This Live recording shows the evolution of the music since the original recording in 2016 … and the music was performed live first at “The Prime Example” in New Orleans during the CD Release Party in December of 2016.

“It is all about life, and my life, on Hollywood Boulevard, and what that boulevard and Hollywood represents to the world, to America. But then again it is also very much about life in general, and how the media has such a big influence on our lives today through the web, TV, movies, magazines, music and its stars.

Whether you call it prostitution or the seduction (touch me, squeeze me, love me) of millions of people every year into the fantasies that are responsible for maintaining one of the biggest brainwash schemes that are basically controlled by Wall Street and Industry & Enterprise, it all lives on Hollywood Boulevard, in Hollywood.
It is a world of Drugs, murder, con artists and thieves.
It is a world of selling the american dream.
It is a world of high end entertainment that most Hollywood Boulevard locals cannot afford or get into, but maybe they work or perform in it.
It is the world of the dream, a last stand of bohemia where poetry is very much alive and where punk rock and rap and hip hop and DJ’s rule.
It is the world where we smell the crack in the hall ways and where thugs and hookers and homeless and hopefuls meet at night…
It is a world of selling the American Dream, selling that fantasy of Disney and Oscars and Grammys. Selling the brainwash of the world.” (Billie Davies)


“All of my music is improvisational… I just evolve into it and with every project comes something different, depending on the subject of the project or album. I do not think of myself playing avant-garde, or avant-jazz or free jazz or nu jazz, I just play what comes naturally to me, in the case of “On Hollywood Boulevard” for example I needed it to sound very electric, almost commercial like because Hollywood Boulevard is a commercial, is very electric and full of neon lights. I wrote lead sheet music and lyrics for that album. It’s all jazz to me.” (Billie Davies).


About Billie Davies

Billie Davies is a drummer and a composer best known for her free, instinctively avant-garde compositions since the mid nineties, and her improvisational drumming techniques she has performed in Europe and in the US. All of her music is improvisational … reminding us sometimes of, as Jerome Wilson put it on AAJ, “the spiritual jazz tradition, as exemplified by John Coltrane, Alice Coltrane and Pharaoh Sanders. Billie Davies’ work reminds you of many different things but in the end, it is its own original beast, as powerful as anything more well-known musicians have created.. Her Music Is It’s Own Original Beast”.

By 1977, when she was 22, Billie was working in the Private Night Club sector as a DJ in Cologne, Germany. That set the stage for a successful DJ career in Belgium a few years later, she remembers “Les Cinq Anneaux” in Knokke, coastal Belgium, where she packed the house every weekend.
Aged 25 Davies started the transition to become a professional musician.
She played and performed in the Netherlands, Belgium, France, Italy, Spain, Portugal and Greece for the next 7 years.


At a crossroads in her musical career, in 1984, while living and performing in the South of France (Montpellier, Toulouse, Biarritz, La Rochelle), Billie ended up receiving a grant from Max Roach to study at Berklee College of Music, this was after he heard one of her tapes she laid down with a bass player she met in Montpellier, France. Billie was however having too much fun in the south of France, living the life of a gypsy jazz musician and therefore decided not to take the offer. In Max Roach’s words: “Hearing from your tape, you could learn more fundamental drumming techniques, but I also hear the natural drummer, so my advice is for you not to worry too much about your technical skill, you will develop your own, I can definitely hear that, but just in case that you might want to study in a good program, please accept my invitation in the form of a talent grant to come study at the Berklee College of Music, all you need to worry about is finding a place to live and some money to survive”.


A move to the United States at 32 gave her an opportunity to play all over the west coast. In 1987 in Oregon, she met and played a few times with Leroy Vinegar, and then later in early 1988 she moved to California, San Francisco where she was mostly active in North Beach and in the Lower-Haight district, where she met and ended up playing a few times with John Handy and played frequently with local jazz notables at their unforgiving jams, in her words: the best learning school she ever had.
In the mid-nineties she recorded “Cobra Basemento”, that included “The Man From Tollund”, and “Dreams”, the infamous boombox recordings, with Saul Kaye and Mike Goodwin. They were preserved for the future in 2004 & 2005.


In 2009 she moved to Hollywood, California and released “all about Love.” with Tom Bone Ralls and Oliver Steinberg and “12 VOLT” with Daniel Coffeng and Adam Levy and the 23rd Los Angeles Music Awards awarded her best Jazz Artist in 2013.
In March of 2014 she moved to New Orleans where she released “Hand In Hand In The Hand Of The Moon”, with Evan Oberla, Alex Blaine, Branden Lewis and Ed Strohsahl, “On Hollywood Boulevard” with Evan Oberla, Oliver Watkinson and Iris P and “PERSPECTIVES II” re-distributed as “PERSPECTIVES” with Evan Oberla, Oliver Watkinson, Ari Kohn, Iris P and Allie Porter.
She was nominated “Best Contemporary Jazz Artist” by the 2017 Best Of The Beat Awards, AND in 2019 they nominated her “Best Drummer”.


In 2020 she recorded “Whadeva” with Damani Butler and Maude Caillat
In 2022 she left New Orleans and made a permanent move to West Palm Beach, Florida.

Discography As leader:
2004: “Cobra Basemento”
2005: “Dreams”
2012: “all about Love.”
2013: “12 VOLT”
2015: “Hand In Hand In The Hand Of The Moon”
2016: “On Hollywood Boulevard”
2018: “PERSPECTIVES II”
2024: “On Hollywood Boulevard (Live at The Mint in New Orleans)”

Discography As A Contributor:
2020: “Whadeva” (Live at Dangerous Art Studios, New Orleans, LA, 2/13/2020), a Damani Butler project.

WorldMusicMix

JazzWorldQuest Showcase 2024: Encuentro Music to Release Reginald Policard’s Global Jazz Album “Boarding Pass” in Label Debut

Posted on by

Ron Kadish, Publicist ron@dogranchmusicpr.com

Encuentro Music to Release Reginald Policard’s Global Jazz Album “Boarding Pass” in Label
Debut

Called “the most valued Haitian pianist in the jazz scene”, versatile pianist Reginald Policard has
evolved through decades of playing different styles of music such as konpa, jazz, latin jazz and fusion
to arrive at his personal style. Together with special guests from all over the world, Reginald brings
the musical traditions of Haiti, Africa, the Caribbean, Latin America and American jazz to Boarding
Pass, an exciting and fresh blend of musical cultures, to be released on May 31, 2024 as the debut
release on the new Encuentro Music label.

Miami-based Encuentro Music is a music label project inspired by the traditions and flavors of the
Caribbean. Encuentro aims to be a melting pot and a musical getaway for all The Caribbean, where
artists and creatives, rhythms and sounds, tastes and colors meet and leave a mark of impactful
culture.

Boarding Pass was inspired by the fundamental idea of what Encuentro Music is – a musical meeting
between artists from different countries who all love and are inspired by the music of Latin America,
the Caribbean, and Miami. With its diverse music encounters, Boarding Pass embodies a statement
of what we can expect from Encuentro Music in the future- a message of bringing people together
through music and encouraging them to share and enjoy inspired collaboration.

Born in Haiti, Reginald Policard was introduced to music at the early age of 10. Starting in 1969,
Reginald played in Sugar Jazz before co-founding and leading the famous Caribbean Sextet, which
dominated the music scene in Haiti for many decades.

Reginald’s discography includes sixteen solo recordings and his participation in numerous projects,
including films. His album Vinn Avem was selected to be in the pool of nominees for the Latin
Grammys in 1994. Reginald enjoys playing for his fans and his mastery in the piano comes alive every
time he performs. Reginald has performed and collaborated with well-known international musicians
such as Nicole Henry, Ed Calle, Jeff Carswell, Nicky Orta, Sammy Figueroa, Leo Quintero, Joel
Widmaïer, Richard Barbot, David Fernandez, Sal Cuevas, JeanCaze, Felipe Lamoglia, David Einhorn
and more.

Boarding Pass’s special guests include Cameroonian bassist Richard Bona, who has played and
recorded with a host of modern jazz luminaries from Joe Zawinul to Pat Metheny; legendary
singer Angélique Kidjo; Sammy Figueroa, long regarded as one of the world’s great percussionists,
who has played with everyone from Miles Davis to David Bowie; Haitian-American trumpeter Jean
Caze; renowned Latin percussionist Edwin Bonilla; longtime Erique Iglesias percussionist Gilmar
Gomes; and Miami Sound Machine trumpeter Teddy Mulet.

The May 31 release of Boarding Pass follows the highly successful releases of two singles. Intense in
emotion, Melancholia expertly weaves Caribbean, African and traditional Jazz influences to highlight
the warmth and texture of this distinctive collaboration. Policard’s compositional gifts shine through
in Encuentro Theme. His catchy melodies are steeped in a deep understanding of jazz’s historical and
cultural contexts, especially its Caribbean influences. Bona’s multifaceted musicianship adds layers of
complexity and emotional depth, creating a resonant backdrop that invites listeners into a world of
rhythmic euphoria.

Boarding Pass will be available everywhere on May 31, 2024. Pre-save it here.
Encuentro Music
Harold Staco – A&R management
Info@encuentromusic.com

JazzWorldQuest Showcase 2024

Austin TX, USA Festival: Rich Harney Jazz Festival 2024

Posted on by

Rich Harney Jazz Festival 2024
Friday June 7/Saturday June 8
7pm

First Presbyterian Church
8001 Mesa Blvd
Austin TX 78731

TICKETS

Join us for a Jazz Festival in memory and celebration of award winning pianist/composer extraordinaire Rich Harney.
Featuring an all star lineup of a few of Rich’s friends and collaborators playing his original music, these 2 evenings are a must for anyone and everyone who remembers Rich or is a fan of swingin’ jazz.

Friday Night, June 7 (Rich’s Birthday!) Features:

THE BEAT DIVAS
with
Mady Kaye, Beth Ullman, and Dianne Donovan /vocals,
Mitch Watkins /guitar, Andy Langham /piano, John Fremgen /bass

The ALEX COKE QUINTET
with
Alex Coke /saxophone and flutes,
Bruce Saunders /guitar, Collin Shook /piano, James Suter / upright bass,
and
Masumi Jones /drums

Saturday Night June 8 Features:

ROBERT ABERG TRIO
with
Robert Aberg /guitar featuring Buddy Mohmed /upright bass, Austin Crawford /drums
and special guest Sarah Aberg /vocals

REDD VOLKAERT BAND
with
Redd Volkaert /guitar, Floyd Domino /piano,
Nate Rowe /bass
and
Vin Mott /drums

A memorable weekend of music and fellowship you won’t want to miss!

Tickets are $20 each evening
or $30 for both Friday and Saturday.

Rich’s books and recordings will be available to peruse and purchase, as well as recordings from the weekend’s bands and musicians

The music will be swingin’…the stories will be flowing. Come out to listen and bring a friend !

Can’t attend?
Consider a donation to The Rich Harney Memorial Fund.
in support of musical performances and scholarships
that honor Rich’s contribution to the jazz and worship communities.

USA/Austin, TX: A Tribute to Carla Bley

Posted on by

Carla Bley Tribute
February 8, 2024
8:30 pm
Soundspace at Cap’t Quacks
5326 Menchaca Rd
Austin TX 78745

TICKETS:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-carla-bley-tribute-tickets-790291632547

Carl Michel and friends will pay tribute to the late iconic jazz composer/arranger/pianist Carla Bley this February in Austin, Texas.
Bley’s Biographer Amy C. Beal described Bley’s music as “vernacular yet sophisticated, appealing yet cryptic, joyous and mournful, silly and serious at the same time.”
Founder of the Jazz Composers Guild in New York during the 60’s, whose members included Bill Dixon, Cecil Taylor, Sun Ra, Paul Bley and Archie Shepp, by the late 60’s Bley’s music was featured on, “A Genuine Tong Funeral” by Gary Burton and her highly acclaimed “Escalator Over The Hill” won a Grand Prix du Disque, France’s most prestigious award for a musical recording.
In 1972, Bley received a Guggenheim fellowship for composition.
Along with Michael Mantler, Carla formed the record label JCOA, later Watt Works. As a leader, she released over two dozen albums. Ms. Bley was recognized as a National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Master in 2015.
Carla Bley passed away on October 17, 2023.

Musicians featured in the upcoming tribute include
Carl Michel, guitar
Alex Coke, saxophone and flutes
Ken George, trombone
Carolyn Trowbridge, vibes
Tex Vortexx, bass
and
Masumi Jones, drums

BIOS

With a distinctive sound and an inclination toward experimentation, Alex Coke exemplifies the traditions pioneered by fellow Texas tenors and jazz flutists, while expanding the possibilities of extended technique. Coke’s extensive discography includes his many projects and his work as a featured soloist with The Austin Jazz Workshop, Greezy Wheels, White Denim, Maryann Price, Accra Trane Station, KlezEdge, Reeds and Deeds, and many, many others.

Guitarist/composer/arranger Carl Michel was a co-leader of the Creative Opportunity Orchestra with the innovative vocalist, Tina Marsh. He has released several projects under the Play On Records label including “Food Of Love,” ”The Carl Michel Group,” “The Carl Michel Group (+),” “Music In Motian: (The Compositions Of Paul Motian)” and with the Alex Coke & Carl Michel Sextet, “The Emissary” and “Emergence”

Trombone was always Ken George’s first love musically. (During and) After graduating from the University of North Texas One O’Clock Lab Band, Ken played with the greats ; Tony Bennett, Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra, Natalie Cole, Ray Charles, Ray Price, and yes, Elvis. Ken was also active in the Dallas recording industry, playing hundreds of jingles and albums over many years.
Even though he had a career in the investment industry, and is today the owner of a digital marketing agency, Ken remains active in the jazz scene, playing with two bands in the DFW area, two more in Austin, and on call for other trombonists in both cities.
Ken lives in Ft Worth with his wife, Angela, and their two dogs, Frazier and Miles.

Carolyn Trowbridge is an Austin-based percussionist who specializes in vibraphone, marimba, steel pan, and world percussion. Carolyn is also an active recording artist and collaborator, performing with live DJs and bands such as Star Parks, Grammy-winning artist Adrian Quesada, Hard Proof, The Azmaris, Simon Says, The Baffles, KP and the Boom Boom, rrunnerrss and The Alex Coke/Carl Michel Sextet. She also leads her own project, Found Memories.

Masumi Jones moved to the US from Japan to study at Berklee College of Music in 1995. In 2008, she settled in Austin TX. Since then she has been playing with many Austin bands such as the Rich Harney Trio, Alex Coke Quartet, Mitch Watkins Trio, Jitterbug Vipers, Sarah Sharp, 35mm, Austin Jazz Workshop, Tapestry Tap Dance Company, and many others.
Masumi’s own group ‘Masumi and the Gentlemen’ had a weekly residency at Lamberts BBQ downtown from 2011 up until 2017 and had live streaming shows weekly at Lunch with Masumi website.
Her Japanese piano trio G.G. (former Groovin’ Girls in 90’s in Boston) was featured in the short documentary film ‘Jazz Abroad’ in 2016, and on the NPR Live Sessions ‘Love Austin Music Profile’ on March 2020.

The Adam Deitch Quartet Releases Sophomore LP ‘Roll The Tape’ ft. Wil Blades, Eric “Benny” Bloom & Ryan Zoidis with Special Guest John Scofield

Posted on by
The Adam Deitch Quartet Releases Sophomore LP ‘Roll The Tape’ ft. Wil Blades, Eric “Benny” Bloom & Ryan Zoidis with Special Guest John Scofield

Listen to ‘Roll The Tape’ HERE 
EMBARGOED UNTIL 12AM EST NOVEMBER 10, 2023 

 Beyond his sheer virtuosity and versatility, drummer Adam Deitch has proven to be a musician of perpetual motion. In just over a year’s time, he has been the driving force behind psychedelic funk veterans Lettuce’s eighth studio album ‘Unify’, released a hip-hop beats album ‘TAKE YOUR TIME’, and now returns with the second LP release from his soul-jazz project The Adam Deitch Quartet. ‘Roll The Tape’, available on Deitch’s imprint Golden Wolf Records on November 10, 2023, exemplifies his unwavering commitment to producing authentic music from a broad spectrum of styles, all rooted in his tutelage of rhythmic studies & groove, and his upbringing as a drummer from a young age. The album features organist Wil Blades, Lettuce cohorts Eric “Benny” Bloom on trumpet and Ryan Zoidis on saxophone, and a feature from legendary guitarist John Scofield on the leading single “Mushroom Gravy”. 

‘Roll The Tape’ was a 1-2 punch effort coming off the heels of Lettuce recording their next full-length album as Blades flew in to join Deitch, Bloom, and Zoidis for a session at Scanhope Sound. Written on ProTools in his home studio in Denver, Colorado, Deitch composed and arranged all parts for the quartet and provided demos for the band to learn on the spot, much like the quartet’s debut LP 
Egyptian Secrets. “I’d bring the tunes in, play them on the computer, have the guys learn them as fast as possible, and then ‘roll the tape,” Deitch says of the rigor of the back-to-back sessions and marathon studio effort that contrasted the band’s debut effort recorded in two sessions over the course of five years. While the process may seem overwhelming at first glance, Blades speaks to it being a testament to Deitch’s thorough composition process and wholeness as a musician, “I don’t change much of anything at all. All of the harmonies and voicings are spot on. I grew up as a drummer, so the way Adam plays organ is the way I’m already playing organ.” 

The quartet was formed when Deitch and Blades joined forces to play a last-minute late-night show at Boom Boom Room in San Francisco after Lettuce performed at The Fillmore and Tedeschi Truck Band performed at Bill Graham Civic Center in December 2013. The impromptu after-show featured an array of special guests including Zoidis and Bloom along with Eric Krasno (Soulive), Maurice “Mo Betta” Brown (Anderson .Paak), and James Casey (Trey Anastasio Band) and Kofi Burbridge (Tedeschi Trucks Band), both who left this earth all too soon. After additional performances at New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival and some one-offs, Deitch knew the project had to continue and took the reigns to get the group in the studio. 

‘Roll The Tape’ features ten brand-new songs that transcend the traditional organ trio format and are accentuated by Deitch’s prowess for funk, breakbeat, hip-hop, and electronic music experiences coupled with highlighting the strengths of every musician in the group. “Wil and I are both basketball fans and homies. He is highly skilled with the organ pedals and lefthand bass and is super smart and easy to work with. Zoidis and Bloom always balance each other out with Zoidis bringing a psychedelic vibe with his effects and Benny bringing his wild, crazy Benny attitude as a great musician with great showmanship,” says Deitch. 
The lead single “Mushroom Gravy” is a tribute to Deitch’s Grandma Betty’s chicken mushroom gravy. He cites that she was pivotal in his development as a drummer as her brother and his Great Uncle Dave was the first drummer in their family and helped his father, Bobby Deitch, become a professional musician. The track features John Scofield on guitar, who has worked with Deitch since the early 00s and has keen insight into his evolution as a musician and bandleader. “It’s tremendous fun to play with the quartet because they fully understand where I’m coming from and hopefully I “get” them the same way. I think Adam and I have very simpatico concepts in music,” says Scofield of their musical chemistry. 

Of their collaborative history and Adam’s inherent impact he imparts with his collaborators, Scofield continues, “When I first played with Adam, I knew he was right for me. This kind of chemistry is hard to come by and I’ve only had it a handful of times in my life. Eric Krasno recommended Adam. When we first played together, I liked it so much that I had to change drummers in the band immediately. The result was Uberjam. This period marked a new direction in my career and without Adam, it wouldn’t have worked as well. I’ve heard him improve and get better – more refined- from that original already great drummer that I met way back when. He’s an excellent musician and one of the very best drummers period. Mad skills.” 

“Have Faith” is a gospel-inspired mutual favorite of all members of the quartet. “It’s a tribute to a life-changing experience I had playing in a gospel church in 9th grade,” says Deitch. “I ended up becoming the drummer in two church bands in Nyack, NY where I grew up. Playing with an amazing choir watching them sway from left to right and clapping on two and 4 was amazing to observe when I was 16 or 17 and the rest of the band was in their 30s-50s. It put me ahead and really made me improve when I got to Berklee in 1994 and was pretty experienced in gospel, funk, and R&B music.” With a stunning organ intro by Blades, he nods to the influence Tower of Power transmits on the tune, “It’s also a Tower of Power kind of thing and Deitch is a huge Tower of Power guy. I’m a huge Chester Thompson fan, so this song is right up my alley.” 

Not to be confused with the Arthur Schwartz jazz standard, “Alone Together” is an original composition written during the pandemic to express the universal sentiments of everyone being simultaneously isolated. It sees Deitch taking a rare direction with one of the first ballads he’s ever released. “I’m not a huge balladeer,” he explains, “It was peaceful and calming to play this big, beautiful piece with brushes contrasting the funky, hyper music I usually write.” Blades chimes in on the tune being a testament to Deitch’s dedication and musical maturity, “He’s constantly writing music at either 3 in the morning or on the tour bus after For a drummer to write that kind of harmony, it’s another example of him having everything completely fleshed out and finished—it has beautiful harmony and nice horn melody.” 
For anyone who has ever had a conversation with Deitch, looked at his social media, or read any press about him, he is one to give credit where credit is due. “Play on Playa” is an example of that as it is a direct tribute to Soulive, longtime friends, and collaborators of the group who were pillars in establishing the modern funk & soul revival in the late 90s/early 00s as East Coast trailblazers. “I owe Soulive so much. They introduced me to organ trio music, helped Lettuce’s career, and molded us into the musicians we are today,” he proclaims. 

Like ‘Egyptian Secrets’, ‘Roll The Tape’ features two “Language Interludes” where Deitch is playing solo drums. They are homages to ancient African traditions of using drums as a language to communicate anything from warning of intruders to calling over different villages to a ceremony. “These interludes communicate freedom without any sort of song form and create full sentences within the drums,” he says, “Most drum solos I play have some kind of horn hits or backgrounds and this was fun to play without anything else to authentically express how I’m feeling.” 
‘Roll The Tape’ epitomizes Deitch’s strength for surrounding himself with the perfect collaborators for any scenario and his ability to make even mature, serious music, resonate with music lovers from all backgrounds and maintain the ability to have fun. “Even with harmonically dense songs, this music is fun and danceable,” says Bloom, “There are lots of crowd-pleasing elements and these tunes are fun to play live—we can go in so many different directions.” 

‘Roll The Tape’ is available to listen to on all streaming platforms HERE. 

For more information and to stay posted on all of Adam Deitch’s endeavors, visit deitchbeatsdontquit.com.
ABOUT ADAM DEITCH 

On the heels of massive successes with his main projects Lettuce and Break Science, celebrated collaborations with jazz guitar luminary John Scofield, and high-profile hip-hop production placements with the likes of 50 Cent, Talib Kweli, and Redman, GRAMMY-nominated drummer/producer Adam Deitch is slated to unveil Roll The Tape, the second LP from his The Adam Deitch Quartet.  A fluid expression of the funkier side of soul-jazz, Deitch and his curated collective hint at the avant-garde, but stay grounded in warm traditions. AD4 adventures through the vibrant forest of late 60’s Verve and Blue Note cool, respectfully mining the essential elements of what makes a great hip-hop break, and then Deitch reimagines them in his own contemporary context. 

Adam Deitch is among the preeminent drummers in contemporary music today, having been featured in Modern Drummer multiple times, among myriad accolades across several genres for nearly 25 years. The only child born to two funk drummers, Deitch grew up just outside New York City in a home that celebrated all genres and eras of music – not the least of which jazz and its numerous subgenres. As such, Deitch was exposed to a plethora of legendary musicians and generational icons throughout his formative years; he studied at the renowned Berklee College of Music in Boston in the late 1990s before joining Average White Band at 19 years old. He credits the development of his jazzier vocabulary and arranging to studying with a collection of influential teachers during his formative years, a brilliance which rears its ambitious, majestic head on Roll The Tape two decades later. 

CONNECT WITH ADAM DEITCH
Facebook // Instagram // YouTube // Twitter 
Photo by Kory Thibeault
JazzWorldQuest Showcase 2023