Celebrated Pianist Geri Allen To Debut Ambitious and Diverse Recordings on Motéma

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African American, Geri Allen, Jazz, Piano

Mote'ma Music

Celebrated Pianist Geri Allen
To Debut Ambitious and Diverse Recordings on Motéma

Flying Toward The Sound – (Available March 30th)
Geri Allen & Timeline – Live – (Available June 8th)

Geri Allen - Flying Toward the Sound

It is a sign not only of greatness but vitality when artists repeatedly challenge themselves and their listeners through works that both affirm and expand the legacies of their art form. Geri Allen meets this standard. For all that she has achieved as a composer, performer, and scholar, her two debut releases for Motéma Music–Flying Toward The Sound and Geri Allen & Timeline – Live–vividly document her boundless curiosity, innovation, and commitment to growth and diversity in every aspect of her artistry.

Flying Toward The Sound, (in stores and online March 30) is a monumental addition to the solo piano canon. Conceptually ambitious, virtuosic in its execution and spiritual in its essence, this deeply moving recording reveals Allen in visionary communion with two fine Fazioli pianofortes. As distinguished jazz scholar and author, Farah Jasmine Griffith explains in her liner notes: “Geri Allen conceived of this project in relation to three modern jazz pianists in whom she finds inspiration: Cecil Taylor, McCoy Tyner and Herbie Hancock. Allen does not play their music; instead she plays toward it, around it, through it to her own unique voicing… resulting in a flight of light and sound.” Ms. Allen comments that, “These three pianists are foundational in terms of the modern piano. They informed my choices in abstract ways for this suite. It’s not like playing transcriptions; it’s more about refracting the admiration and love I have for them through my own muse, and letting the music reflect the ways they’ve influenced me through the years.”

New Music [Jazz] Releases for 3/16/2010

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Brad Mehldau, Jazz, Ken Navarro, Kirk Whalum, Tia Fuller

Greeting’s fellow jazz aficionados, we’re back with another lists of what’s hot this week in jazz featuring Brad Mehldau, Ralph Towner, Kirk Whalum, Ken Navarro, Anthony Jackson and featured album of the week by saxophonist Tia Fuller.

Featured Album of the Week

Tia Fuller | Decisive Steps – [Mack Avenue, 2010]

Tia Fuller - Decisive Steps

The astonishingly gifted, Colorado-born, alto / soprano saxophonist / flautist Tia Fuller is at home at all points of the musicverse – from her show-stopping solos as a member of superstar Beyoncé’s all-female band, to her scintillatingly swinging jazz dates and recordings. Her newest Mack Avenue release Decisive Steps, is the long-awaited follow-up to her 2007 label debut Healing Space. It features her Beyoncé bandmate, drummer Kim Thompson; bassist Miriam Sullivan; Fuller’s sister, Shamie Royston on piano and Fender Rhodes; with special guests, trumpeter Sean Jones and bassist Christian McBride (both Mack Avenue label mates); vibraphonist Warren Wolf; and tap dancer Maurice Chestnut.

New Music Releases

Below we have and extended list of this weeks releases, also check out Amazon.com for even more imports and re-issues.

Marlon Simon | In Case You Missed It

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Jazz, Marlon Simon, Percussion

Marlon Simon | In Case You Missed It – [Jazzheads, 2007]

Marlon Simon - In Case You Missed It

Marlon is like good wines (I am French, lol) He gets better with time. Being a NYC Latin Jazz aficionado for many years, just crazy for Jerry Gonzalez and his Fort Apache Band, Rumba and Bop perfectly fusioned.
I discovered first Marlon’s Cd in 1997, “Marlon goes Latin”, Gonzalez brothers were there also..

Since then, Marlon made his own Latin Jazz, the one of the “Nagual Spirits”, with its unique deep emotion and authenticity, with top jazz technique and true Rumbero spirit. After “Rumba a la Patato” and a live in Bolivia, comes this trully accomplished release “In case you missed it”; built around this wonderfull tune written by monsieur Bobby Watson when we was with Art blabey, a tune I looked for so many years..basicaly named “Fuller Love”. This cd is all about Beauty..:)

Marlon simon is one of the “keeper of this flame”, the Latin Jazz masters are not dead. Que viva la Musica! Aché.

..:: Source: Amazon.com ::..

Return to Forever | Live at Montreux 2008

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Al di Meola, Chick Corea, Jazz, Lenny White, Return to Forever, Stanley Clarke

Return to Forever | Live at Montreux 2008 – [Eagle Rock Ent, 2008]

Return to Forever - Live at Montreaux 2008

Return To Forever were at the forefront of jazz/rock fusion in the seventies and like their contemporaries Weather Report and Mahavishnu Orchestra were formed by a former Miles Davis sideman, in this case the great Chick Corea. Return To Forever hit their commercial and artistic peak with a string of albums in the mid-seventies featuring the line-up of Chick Corea on keyboards, Stanley Clarke on bass, Al Di Meola on guitar and Lenny White on drums.

In 2008 this classic line-up reunited for their first tour in 25 years and proved that their musicianship and the chemistry within the band were as strong as ever. This concert was filmed at Montreux in July 2008 with the bonus tracks being filmed in Clearwater, Florida later the same month.