The Vinson Valega Group | Biophilia

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Drums, Jazz, Vinson Valega

The Vinson Valega Group | Biophilia – [Consilience Productions, 2009]

Vinson Valega Group - Biophilia

I’m delighted to introduce you to someone new in my book of jazz, he is an intriguing drummer, composer and arranger named Vinson Valega from Washington D.C. featuring his invigorating quintet (The Vinson Valega Group) on his impressive yet appetizing recording titled “Biophilia” with Consilience Productions.

The opener is the expressive “I Knew You’d Say That,” written by keyboardist Matthew Fries. This gem sets the pace for what is yet to come on this impressive flight called “Biophilia.” What I find interesting is when a virtually unknown musician like Vinson Valega merges his own compositions and arrangements extending his palette by reinventing classics such as Duke Ellington’s “Sunset and the Mockingbird” leaves and indelible imprint to the heart and soul in this music.

2010 Portland Jazz Festival Sells Out Seven Of Eight

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Jazz, Portland Jazz Festival

Portland Jazz Festival 2010

Featured Concerts Including Pharoah Sanders, Mingus Big Band, Luciana Souza, Dave Holland, and Three Acclaimed Groups From Norway

Panel Discussions, Jazz Conversations, Middle School Educational Outreach, Late-Night Jam Sessions
and Local Performances Complemented This Year’s Innovative Festival Programming

Devin Phillips, the young saxophonist who evacuated Hurricane Katrina with the NOLA2PDX program in 2005, took the stage at the Newmark Theater and showed the audience in his adopted hometown that he has the chops to share the stage with the legendary Pharoah Sanders, who welcomed him with open arms. At one point Phillips introduced Pharoah as “my idol”. It was a fitting moment for a festival that encourages the development of young players and Portland jazz musicians.

New Music [Jazz] Releases for 3/2/2010

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African American, Jamie Cullum, Jazz, New Releases

Greeting’s jazz enthusiasts, March arrives with a seasoned mix of noteworthy new releases this week. Consider this, vocalist/pianist Jamie Cullum (Album of the Week), the versatile Dee Dee Bridgewater sings a tribute to Billie Holiday, pianist Bob Mament returns, also guitarist Chris Standring is back in stride, the legendary Ella sings from the “The Cole Porter Songbook,” the fascinating Junior Mance is here and finally The Souljazz Orchestra appears with tasty new vinyl titled “Rising Sun.” —Rob Young

Featured Album of the Week

Jamie Cullum | The Pursuit – [Verve, 2010] – Album of the Week!

Jamie Cullum - The Pursuit

Like the exploding piano on its cover, Jamie Cullum’s long-awaited new Verve album The Pursuit blows away audience and artist preconceptions leaving 14 smoldering tracks that seamlessly run the gamut from swinging standards and yearning singer-songwriter confessionals to 125 BPM house dance tracks and resurrected Broadway ballads.

“It was the right time for me to take myself out of my comfort zone, and to push myself to be bolder,” Cullum says of the album “I wanted to build on the things I’ve already done, but I also wanted to reinvent myself.”

The Pursuit – the English singer/songwriter/pianist/multi-instrumentalist’s third Verve album, and his first in four years – is an expansive labor of love that embraces the full range of the artist’s diverse talents and far-flung musical passions. While it covers more stylistic ground than anything he’s done previously, The Pursuit’s unifying threads are the same musical fluency, emotional commitment and lyrical wit that helped to make Cullum’s prior releases Twentysomething and Catching Tales international crossover smashes selling more than 4 million combined copies worldwide.

Sonny Rollins | Plus 4

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African American, Jazz, Saxophone, Sonny Rollins

Sonny Rollins | Plus 4 – [Prestige/OJC, 1956]

Sonny Rollins - Plus 4

A crackling bit of hardbop from Sonny Rollins — and a session that has Sonny playing with the Max Roach/Clifford Brown group that included Bud Powell’s brother Richie on piano!

Sonny had already made a strong name for himself on albums issued under the Roach/Brown tag at the time, and here the group returns the favor by allowing Sonny to lead, and by giving him a good deal of time in the spotlight! Rollins’ solo ability is risen to a razor-sharp level for the set — really getting fire, and managing to invent at a speed and sharpness that’s simply amazing.

Titles include Sonny’s classic reading of “Pent-up House”, plus “Valse Hot”, “Kiss & Run”, and “Count Your Blessings”.

..:: Source: DustyGroove.com ::..