Kurt Rosenwinkel Partners With Portugal’s Orquestra Jazz de Matosinhos for Our Secret World Releasing on WOM Music – September 7, 2010

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Guitar, Jazz, Kurt Rosenwinkel

An Ambitious Big-Band Reworking of Seven Rosenwinkel Compositions

Kurt Rosenwinkle and OJM - Our Secret World

Kurt Rosenwinkel has always given us music that has conveyed a sense of masterful story- telling & breathtaking imaginative reach. His significance to the ever-evolving jazz tradition in fact transcends the oft-cited lineage of jazz guitar in much the same way that Thelonious Monk and Wayne Shorter both impacted colleagues much beyond the scope of their respective instruments. For what has perhaps distinguished Kurt more than anything is his one-of-a-kind compositional voice – full of mystery and power, marked by an effortless marriage of high complexity and simple, undeniable emotional appeal. These qualities, hallmarks of Kurt’s output from the beginning, are apparent perhaps as never before on a new big band release, Kurt Rosenwinkel & OJM: Our Secret World.

In recent years, Rosenwinkel has had several opportunities to play his music with a number of different big bands, from a Nonet at the Pori Jazz Festival in Finland to the famous Concertgebouw Orchestra in The Netherlands, and he grew tantalized by the expanded textures that a large ensemble could offer his far-reaching compositions. Then in 2007 Rosenwinkel got a call from the Orquestra Jazz de Matosinhos (OJM), a Portugal-based big band with an impressive track record of collaborative projects, ranging from Portology with Lee Konitz and Ohad Talmor, over Orquestra Jazz de Matosinhos Invites Chris Cheek, featuring the acclaimed American saxophonist, to performances with Maria Rita – the highly successful and critically acclaimed daughter of Elis Regina.

Soul Cycle -||- FLIPPED ‘EP’ [Soul Cycle] – Review

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Jesse Fischer, Soul Cycle, Vocals

Soul Cycle - Flipped

– Soul Cycle -//- Flipped – [Soul Cycle, 2010] –

While searching for some new sounds I stumbled onto the music of Soul Cycle’s “Self-titled“ debut album back in 2005. From the onset, I was amazed to hear their encompassing voice throb with confidence and therefore amplified through their impressive tone that contained fresh, resilient and inspiring sounds executed superbly by their poignant dexterity.

In the present tense, keyboardist/producer Jesse Fischer and company returns from Brooklyn, NY in 2010 with another tasty collection of gems on their fourth outing titled “Flipped.” In fact, after revisiting their previous efforts “Urban Organics” (2007) and “Mosaic” in 2009 … I was perhaps, a bit surprised when “Flipped” arrived with what appeared to be a more listener friendly approach in context.

Out of the box “Flipped” incorporates seven unique, enjoyable and soulful songs which features five gifted vocalists on a variety of familiar songs along with the bands imposing interplay to unleash their understated voices with authority. Perhaps, it seems, Soul Cycle’s mission here is to explore audibly and inclusive soundscape. One that essentially embodies a tapestry of fresh, vibrant and intimate flavors similar to groups like Incognito and Brand New Heavies to unveil their signature blend of soulful music with satisfying results.