Bobby Watson Set To Release Seven-Part, The Gates BBQ Suite, on Lafiya Music – September 14, 2010

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African American, Bobby Watson, Jazz, Saxophone

Self-Produced Album Celebrates Kansas City’s Music, Most Famous Food — And a Watson Family Tradition

“Kansas City is the Napa Valley of barbeque. Gates Barbeque stands alone as king of the valley!” — Bobby Watson

Bobby Watson - The Gates BBQ Suite

Bobby Watson, famed Kansas City-area native, William and Mary Grant/Missouri Endowed Professor of Jazz and esteemed director of Jazz Studies at University of Missouri-Kansas City Conservatory of Music and Dance, and among the world’s premier and most well-respected alto saxophonists, is set to release his long-awaited extended large ensemble work: The Gates BBQ Suite.

The seven-part undertaking — has been like the food he sets to music: a slow, continual process on its way to perfection. Watson began conceptualizing his “dream piece” when he returned to his home city after more than twenty five years in New York to accept the endowed professorship in 2000 to become the Director of the UMKC Jazz Studies Department.

Ultimately, what The Gates BBQ Suite represents is a highly personalized statement and a distinctly respectful musical journey that incorporates the saxophonist’s measurable experience and talent as composer, arranger and performer. It also serves as a provocative aesthetic with a philosophical twist, a commentary and self-reflection. What should not be lost in the undertaking is that Watson chose to feature, poignantly so, UMKC’s Conservatory Concert Jazz Orchestra — his nationally recognized group of jazz students who has previously traveled to Europe as well as domestically to perform. This fall Watson will take the band to Japan for a series of concerts; part and parcel with that effort is the fact that Watson says the group will also perform other dates in support of the forthcoming CD.

New Releases [Jazz] … for the Week of 8/9/2010

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African American, Gerge Duke, Jazz, Keyboards, New Releases, Piano

Hello fellow jazz aficionados, week two of August is here with legendary keyboardist/funk master George Duke’s “Déjà Vu” as the featured “Album of the Week.” As usual, there’s another intricate canvas of what’s -cool- and maybe not so -cool- from a optimistic perspective we don’t usually find in the diet of the chromatic pop music culture. The origin of new music featured each week encompasses various branches of jazz, which exudes a wealth of complex and distinctive styles, insinuating textures, immaculate melodies, and relentless rhythms exalted by the definitive voices of creative artists serves up sounds to quench our immutable thirst for quality music.

Featured Album of the Week

George Duke - DejaVu

George Duke -//- Déjà Vu – [Heads Up, 2010]

When keyboardist-composer-producer George Duke made a return trip to the heyday of funk on his 2008 recording, Dukey Treats, he reminded his fans and the music press of exactly what made the good old stuff so good. DownBeat called it “a wild and crazy album, especially if you’re nostalgic about the guitar-scratching, double-clutching rhythms of James Brown and George Clinton and the bedroom ballads of Stevie Wonder and Aaron Neville.” The Philadephia Enquirer called it simply “a valentine to funk.” Duke returns to that same wellspring for Déjà Vu. The album revisits the synthesizer sound that characterized some of his most memorable recordings from the golden age of funk and soul.

“The whole idea behind Déjà Vu was to take a look back at some of the stuff I used to do that was a little more musically challenging,” says Duke. “In some way or another, whatever happened before always comes around again. It may be a little different, but it will resurface. That’s kind of what this album is – a resurfacing of some ideas I had back in the `70s when I recorded albums with a lot of synthesizers, like Feel and The Aura Will Prevail.

Still, Déjà Vu does feature a few more shades of straightahead and contemporary jazz than its predecessor – as evidenced by fine guest performances throughout the record by trumpeter Nicholas Payton, flutist Hubert Laws and saxophonist Bob Sheppard. “These are three very strong instrumentalists,” says Duke. “We do it here just like we did in the old days. Everybody gets a shot at playing. It’s not just me playing a solo and then we take it out. I try to keep it a little more democratic. It’s the typical jazz scenario of the old days, where everybody gets to play.”

In the final analysis, Déjà Vu is a glance back, but with a very contemporary sensibility – a piece of work that comes together very much in the present, but also conjures up a persistent feeling of something great that came before. “I’ve always considered myself a multi-stylistic artist,” says Duke. “I try to take people on a musical journey, whether it’s on an album or in a show. I think the style of music that you choose to play is really irrelevant, as long as you’re honest about what you’re trying to present.” —Amazon.com

[Classic Jazz Revisited] … features “Like Minds” by Burton, Corea, Metheny, Haynes & Holland

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Chick Corea, DAve Holland, Gary Burton, Jazz, Pat Metheny, Roy Haynes

Flux Classic Jazz Revisited

For those of you whose been with me thus far, you know my original intent was to showcase great jazz recordings from a period that truly impacted music lovers and to ultimately feature some of these innovative figures in jazz from the late fifties through early seventies each week. With that said, “Like Minds” as I hear it is an inviting portrait of gorgeous music articulated by this amazing ensemble of musicians recorded in the late nineties reminded me at this juncture as a music enthusiast I can hardly afford to exclude.

After all, this adored music we cherish greatness is processed through the ear, heart and mind of the beholder regardless the decade it derive from. —Rob Young // The Urban Flux

Burton, Corea, Metheny, Haynes & Holland - Like Minds

Gary Burton, Chick Corea, Pat Metheny, Roy Haynes & Dave Holland -//- Like Minds – [Concord Records, 1998]

Though Gary Burton, arguably the world’s preeminent vibes jazz player, is the name at the top of the marquis on this new release from the venerable Concord Jazz label, much of the initial excitement here is the result of the first meeting on record of guitarist Pat Metheny and pianist Chick Corea. Considering the lofty status of both players, it’s hard to believe they haven’t paired before. The rhythm section is rounded out by the venerable team of Roy Haynes and Dave Holland on drums and bass. All five of the players are kindred spirits, having played together frequently through the years, save for the Metheny-Corea combination. The mind meld between Burton and Corea is as tight as can be imagined, with these two players having a long history together.

On “Like Minds” it is Corea and Metheny’s compositional talents that take center stage. Each offer well known chestnuts from their repertoire – in Corea’s case, it is the lilting jazz waltz, “Windows” (perhaps my favorite track), while Metheny’s classic “Question and Answer” is given a fresh treatment. Burton’s “Country Roads” is offered as well and all three composers contribute new pieces for the project. —Solid/Amazon.com

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

Flux Music [Jazz] Essentials … [Garrett, Return to Forever, Sanchez, Clayton & Jones]

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Antonio Sanchez, Gerald Clayton, Jazz, Kenny Garrett, Return to Forever, Sean Jones

Flux Music Essentials

Greeting’s jazz enthusiasts, it’s a pleasure to be with as we delve deeper into the infinite treasures of music to expand the provocative and youthful voices as we encounter them on this wonderful musical exodus of tantalizing yet satisfying blend of original jazz that’s shaken and stirred to perfection from the shelves of “Flux Music Essentials.”

Kenny Garrett - Simply Said

Kenny Garrett -\\- Simply Said – [Warner Jazz, 1999]

The widest range of stylistic and emotional expression of any recent jazz album – beautiful compositions, played masterfully by superb musicians – what’s not to love? Furthermore, this is one of those rare recordings that is a composition in itself; the order of the tunes is carefully chosen so that each complements the previous, and leads you to the next.

Lots of folks put down this CD for being too “smooth jazzy”. Nothing could be further from the truth.

As a contemporary musician, how can he not be aware of and influenced by R&B and funk? Kenny Garrett played with Miles Davis in a funk/jazz setting, and has appeared with Marcus Miller both live and on record. The history of jazz is intertwined with the history of popular music. Don’t forget that all of the so-called “standards” are just pop tunes from Broadway shows. It’s the performance that counts in jazz, and with Kenny Garrett, you will never hear anything but a superlative performance.

This is one of those few recordings that stand repeated (and repeated!) listening, each time revealing something new. I have owned 5 copies of this CD, I keep having to buy new ones because I give them away to my friends, “You have GOT to hear this!”

I own every one of Kenny Garrett’s CDs (and many more upon which he appears). This is his best recorded effort; and that is surely saying something. If I could give it 100 stars, I would. —Steve Keller /Amazon.com

Jeremy De Jesus -||- Semi Formal [Jeremy De Jesus]

Tags

Flute, Jazz, Jeremy De Jesus

Jeremy De Jesus - Semi Formal

JEREMY DE JESUS -\\- Semi Formal – [Jeremy De Jesus, 2010]

The absolutely unique and refreshing sound of this Puerto Rico native and his compositions creates an innovative as well as romantic atmosphere for all of those who love not only Jazz music but the sensual and warm sound of the flute. It blows your mind.

The musicians: Chad Selph (Keys), Charles Burchell (Drums), Zwelakhe Duma (Bass). Special Guests: Don Ngatia (Voice), Andrew Burglass (Guitar) and Marcos Lopez (Percussion). All students from Berklee College of Music and New England Conservatory.

..:: Source: CDBaby.com ::..