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

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Jazz, Portland Jazz Festival

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

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African American, Claudio Roditi, Jazz, LIONEL LOUEKE, New Releases

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.”

Featured Album 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 Music Releases

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…?

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European Jazz, Jazz, Piano, Stefan Aeby Trio

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

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African American, Jazz, Saxophone, Wayne Escoffery

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 ::..