José James | Black Magic

José James | Black Magic – [Brownswood Recordings, 2010]

José James - Blackmagic

I have been living with “Black Magic” for the last two weeks and for me the challenge was letting go of my attachment to “The Dreamer” and letting “Black Magic” introduce itself to me on its own terms. In many ways “The Dreamer” is a hard act to follow – it is a nearly flawless debut carefully crafted to be a timeless classic. The challenge with “Black Magic” is that it is concerned with the “now’ enlisting cutting edge producers and collaborators from the global dance underground like Moodymann, Flying Lotus, DJ Mitsu the Beats, and Benga to give an identity to the project. Such a strategy begs the question of whether or not it will hold up in the coming years or become dated. IMHO I don’t see this happening because underpinning the project is a dedication to high aesthetics and a reinforcement of the qualities that initially attracted me to Mr. James’ music – there’s quality writing, musicianship and production all on offer here.

Available Today–Simpatico Trumpet Master Claudio Roditi’s New Release on Resonance Records

Roditi’s New CD Follows His 2009 Grammy-Nominated Brazilliance X 4

Claudio Roditi - Simpatico

In the wake of his acclaimed and Grammy-nominated (in the “Best Latin Jazz Album” category) 2009 Resonance Records release, Brazilliance x 4, trumpet/flugelhorn player Claudio Roditi has created Simpatico, another tuneful showcase for his patented blend of Brazilian samba and bossa nova with straight-ahead jazz. But where last year’s recording included works by such Brazilian legends as João Donato, Durval Ferreira, and Johnny Alf, Simpatico spotlights both Roditi’s playing and his composing talents.

“To me,” Roditi remarks, “the main difference of this album from everything else I have done is that for the very first time these are all my compositions, all twelve of them. There are some new pieces, some a little older, but these are mostly things I haven’t recorded, and some of them I haven’t played live.”

Joe Henderson | In Japan & Power to The People

Joe Henderson| In Japan – [Fantasy Records, 1971]

Joe Henderson - In Japan

This CD will amaze you. It’s a recording of a 1971 date in Tokyo, and it ranks right up there with the great live jazz recordings of Parker, Coltrane, Dolphy, Davis, Mingus and others. Henderson, backed by a group of Japanese musicians, blasts through 45 minutes of music that will leave you wondering why this release ever went out of print.

His solo entry on Monk’s “‘Round Midnight” sets the release off, and after pianist Hideo Ichikawa joins him, Henderson shows why why he’s the best living saxophonist since Coltrane. He honks, he bleats, but he never loses the essential beauty of the tune. It’s a wonderful tribute to Monk, equal to Coltrane’s great solo on the tune while he was with Miles.

Throughout, the Japanese bandmates prove equal to the task of playing with Henderson. Ichikawa, in particular, is powerful on electric piano, particularly on the set closer, “Junk Blues.”

Henderson is the rare player who managed to listen to all of the major influences — Parker, Young, Hawkins, Coltrane – and absorb them all without losing his own voice. Thankfully, as of this writing, he is still with us. Everyone should listen to this release as a tour-de-force of tenor sax playing, released at a time when people were ready to dismiss jazz as a viable form. Not so quick, the Japanese said. They finally reminded us that some of our best products — such as jazz and Joe Henderson — are homegrown. –Tyler Smith

David Ashkenazy | Out With It

David Ashkenazy | Out With It – [Posi-Tone, 2009]

David Ashkenazy - Out With It

David Ashkenazy goes beyond with his latest release “Out With It” available now from Posi-Tone. Moving boldly forward, drummer, Ashkenazy is joined on the mission by a veteran flight crew of saxophonist Joel Frahm, organist Gary Versace, and guitarist Gilad Hekselman. The sky is the limit as the session takes off swingingly,quickly breaks the sound barrier of the safe and familiar, and heads harmonically for escape velocity off into space.

Featuring a stellar lineup and a balanced program of songs and styles from the straight ahead to the more modern and avant-garde, David Ashkenazy’s “Out With It” will certainly fascinate serious jazz enthusiasts with detailed constellations and compositions while also bringing pure melodic delight to casual listeners tuning in from space stations, satellites, and home bases everywhere.

..:: Source: Posi-Tone.com ::..

Rogue Honors Portland Jazz Festival’s Bill Royston With Release Of Jazz Guy Ale

Portland Jazz Festival

Since 2004 the Portland Jazz Festival has brought world class jazz to the Rose City, showcasing iconic jazz performers from across the world. From February 21st-28th, the Portland Jazz Festival will fill up venues throughout Portland providing more than 20,000 people with more than 75 unique jazz events.

In honor of the Seventh Annual Portland Jazz Festival, Rogue Ales has released its seventh limited edition bottle of Jazz Guy Ale which previously featured artistic renditions of jazz performers including a pianist, guitarist, bass player, saxophonist and trumpet player. This year however, Rogue decided that the Jazz Guy Ale bottle will celebrate a living Rogue and Portland’s own jazz guy, Bill Royston.

New Music [Jazz] Releases for 2/9/2010

Hello everyone, welcome to week two of February 2010! As always, I’m elated to share with you “simply the best jazz you never heard.”

Flux Pick of the Week …

Lionel Louke - Mwaliko

Lionel Loueke | Mwaliko – [Blue Note Records, 2010]

Originally from the small West African nation of Benin, guitarist Lionel Loueke has enjoyed a meteoric rise over the past several years. In 28 and 29, he was picked as top Rising Star guitarist in Down Beat magazine’s annual Critics Poll.

His sophomore release for Blue Note, follows up 27’s acclaimed Karibu with a series of searching, innovative, intimate duets with Angelique Kidjo, Esperanza Spalding, Richard Bona and Marcus Gilmore. Loueke also includes three new tracks featuring his longtime trio with Massimo Biolcati on bass and Ferenc Nemeth on drums.

Go to NPR, for and exclusive first listen to Loueke’s forth album as a soloist and second recording on Blue Note Records.

New jazz releases for the week of 2/9/2010, via the folks at Amazon.com.

I’m New Here by Gil Scott-Heron

Mwaliko by Lionel Loueke

Two-Shade by Gerald Clayton

Stefan Aeby Trio | Are You…?

Stefan Aeby Trio | Are You…? – [Unit Records, 2006]

Stefan Aeby Trio - are you ...?

Formed in autumn 2002, Stefan Aeby’s trio is the fruit of a lengthy and critically acclaimed exploration of suitable playing partners. With bassist André Pousaz and drummer Julian Sartorius, the dimension of the sound took a new and creative direction, with strong emphasis on interplay and sound.

The band plays exceptionally original compositions by Stefan Aeby. Lyrical smooth sounding melodies are melted into colourful and rich harmonies. They are often crossing the boundaries of expectations but importantly they still fit into the grooves of the tune as well as into the moods of the rhythmically more free parts.

Dip into just one of Stefan Aeby’s extensive catalogue of emotional journeys and you will be quickly pulled in. Technical terms are not put into the foreground although the talented young trio will leave you stunned.

The central idea of the trio is the interplay, the dialog, the dynamic and energetic communication between the three musicians in both harmonic complexity and the timelessness of the pieces.

..:: Source: Unit Records.com ::..

Wayne Escoffery | Uptown

Wayne Escoffery | Uptown – [Posi-Toe, 2009]

Wayne Escoffery - Uptown

Tenor saxophonist Wayne Escoffery brings it all back home on his latest release “Uptown,” available now from Posi-Tone. With a strong program of new originals, by Escoffery and guitarist Avi Rothbard, and a few familiar melodies, the album also showcases strong showings by organist Gary Versace and drummer Jason Brown who really keeps the session in the pocket.

Avid listeners will certainly agree that the album really swings and is a hard hitting performance that should encourage jazz enthusiasts to go “Uptown” again and again with amazement and delight.

..:: Source: Posi-Tone.com ::..

Human Motion | Human Motion

Meeting new music is a very exciting experience for me, it’s a natural high. Today, while searching for material to post I came across this album titled “Human Motion.” At a glance, the artwork caught my attention as I hesitated and said to myself … man you don’t have time to listen. But soon thereafter, the voice of curiosity prevailed. As always, I’m delighted to share with you another intriguing recording from the infinite treasures of music that awaits us on the Internet. Enjoy! –Rob Young

Human Motion | Human Motion – [Human Motion, 2005]

Human Motion - Human Motion

Human Motion is a Chicago-based jazz quintet that blends traditional jazz language and modern musical idioms, displaying them with raw energy through the original compositions of its members.

Human Motion, formed in the spring of 2005, is a Chicago-based jazz quintet dedicated to playing improvised music, focusing particularly on the original compositions of its members. Led by bassist/composer Jeff Greene, the quintet features trumpeter Matt Holman, saxophonist Doug Stone, pianist Jordan Baskin, and percussionist Jon Deitemyer. With widely varying influences from Charles Mingus and John Coltrane to Bjork and the Roots, each individual brings his life experiences and love of music to every performance to create a cohesive and inspired unit. Human Motion draws from tradition while looking toward the future. Their debut album, “Human Motion“, was released in September of 2005. It features ten original compositions and is available now on CD Baby!, iTunes, and in select Chicago-land Tower Records.

Christian Scott | Yesterday You Said Tomorrow

Christian Scott | Yesterday You Said Tomorrow – [Concord Jazz - 2010] – “Coming March 30th – 2010″

Christian Scott - Yesterday You Said Tomorrow

Concord Jazz presents star trumpeter Christian Scott’s highly anticipated, all-new 10-song collection, Yesterday You Said Tomorrow. The album was recorded at the renowned Van Gelder Studio in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey where legendary Rudy Van Gelder engineered the work. Van Gelder, who is known as one of the greatest recording engineers in jazz history for his work with John Coltrane, Miles Davis and Herbie Hancock among others, says about the new album, “This is one of the best things I have done in a long, long time.” Yesterday You Said Tomorrow was co-produced by Scott and Chris Dunn and marks the young trumpeter’s fourth Concord Jazz release.

Born in New Orleans in 1983, Scott has always been acutely aware of the legacy of jazz and its role within the broader context of 20th century history. Regarding the new album, Scott says, “I wanted to create a musical backdrop that referenced everything I liked about the music from the ‘60s – Miles Davis’ second quintet, Coltrane’s quartet, Mingus’ band – coupled with music made by people like Bob Dylan and Jimi Hendrix. The music from that era just had more depth, whether it was jazz or rock or folk or whatever.