Ancestral Echoes by Paul Goodnight (Art)

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African American, Art, Paul Goodnight

Art has been Paul Goodnight’s saving grace in his recovery from his traumatic experience in Viet Nam when he lost his ability to speak from seeing the horrors of war. Though some thought he had lost his mind, he knew he hadn’t and began to communicate with his drawings of the horrors of war. —Grandpasart.com

-))- Ancestral Echoes by Paul Goodnight [Giclee on Canvas] -))-

Paul Goodnight - Ancestral Echoes

..:: Source: Grandpasart.com ::..

Roland Vazquez Band -][- The Visitor [Review]

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Drums, Jazz, Professor, Roland Vazquez

Roland Vazquez - The Visitor

Roland Vazquez Band -][- The Visitor – [Roland Vazquez Music, 2010] – Review –

With a number of notable recordings under his belt over the years, California native Roland Vazquez pauses for just a moment to record another marvelous album titled “The Visitor.” Furthermore, the gifted Vazquez born in 1951 decided to become a musician after seeing percussionist Mongo Santamaria perform 1963.

As anticipated, Vazquez compositionally stayed on course culturally in the vein of Latin Jazz as he decidedly encrypts his definitive signature on seven poignant gems. Not only that, Vazquez surrounds himself with top-tier talent as he scored and arranged these wonderful pieces in the framework tailor-made perfectly for a large ensemble as the opener “Urantia” superbly illustrates his direction which was inspired by his visit to Greece.

Vazquez drumming and musicianship are noted, his prolific writing skills as expected with this record are realized through the splendid arrangements coupled here are simply breathtaking as featured on “The Visitor” features the gifted Joel Fraham on tenor and Luis Perdomo plays piano.

Kenny Kirkland -][- Kenny Kirkland [GRP/Verve]

Tags

African American, Jazz, Kenny Kirkland, Piano

Greetings jazz aficionados, after a brief pause from the blog I’m delighted to return and feature an extraordinary musician of his generation pianist Kenny Kirkland. Like many of you, I dearly miss him. With his GRP debut, as imagined … Kenny’s compositions and arrangements encompass a wealth of angular shapes and shifting tones attached to a chorus of complex melodies has undoubtedly left an infinite impression on those of us that had the pleasure of hearing him as a soloist and ensemble player. By chance, if you don’t have this recording please if you will do your ears a favor and pick up this gem by Kenny Kirkland … you want regret it. —Rob Young | The Urban Flux

Kenny Kirkland (Verve, 2009)

Kenny Kirkland -][- Kenny Kirkland – [GRP/Verve, 1991/2009]

One of the best definitions of musician is “student of music“. Kenny Kirkland exemplified this statement. As a musician, Kenny could fit any groove, any mold, any group. His playing with Sting, Branford Marsalis, and Wynton Marsalis is completely different stylistically, yet unmistakably Kenny. Considering the great musicians Kenny was recruited to play with: Dizzy Gillespie, Elvin Jones, Sting, Branford Marsalis, Wynton Marsalis, and Kenny Garrett (to name a few); and considering his rhythm section mates: Jones, Jeff ‘Tain’ Watts, Bob Hurst, Eric Revis, and Nat Reeves; it is evident just reading these names that Kenny was at the top of the list of many jazz musicians. This cd, remarkably Kenny’s only solo release, is a superb example of his versatility and love of all styles of music. His use of synthesizers and differing styles shows his versaltility as a pianist and his playing exemplifies his brilliance. Not to mention the sidemen on this date, Branford, Tain, Roderick Ward (aka Kenny Garrett), Christian McBride and Jerry Gonzales.

I would like to end with a quote from Kenny himself on Sting’s Bring on the Night video pertaining to his and Branford’s decision to join the band. “Some people might not like what we’re doing. But I feel, as a musician, you need to play all styles of music”. Kenny definitely did that on this cd, and his genius will be missed greatly. –jkrl | Amazon.com

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

Hart Ramsey -][- Charge It To My Heart (Review)

Tags

Afro American, Hart Ramsey, Keyboards

Hart Ramsey - Charge it to My Heart

Hart Ramsey -][- Charge It To My Heart – [Indie, 2008] – (Review)

Hart Ramsey, a talented music producer and keyboardist shifts his focus from producing and playing for others in favor of releasing his own solo album, Charge It To My Heart. Charge It To My Heart could be summed up as being a ‘smooth jazz’ album for the most part, but with Ramsey’s restlessness for incorporating ideas from idioms outside of smooth jazz, it is more than just smooth jazz. Here, elements of R&B, gospel, and rock cross paths on numerous cuts making Charge It To My Heart quite an enthralling listen throughout. Sure, some‘sameness’ given the repetitive nature of smooth jazz rears it’s ugly head, but given Ramsey’s musicianship and ambition with including so many stylistic turns at times, Charge it to My Heart is never a bore.

The album opens up with the crisply produced “What About Love,”featuring saxophonist Kelley O’Neal. The programming and keyboard work by Ramsey is exceptional throughout and O’Neal’s saxophone solos are both creative and soulful. “What About Love” proves to be a ‘grand’ opener. “Be Attitude,” similarly is inspired, with Ramsey exploiting his piano skills more overtly here than “What About Love.” Smartly, programming is mixed in the background during Ramsey’s solos, adding a nice touch to the production. The slap bass is very appropriate here, setting the ‘attitude’ as the title of the cut prescribes.

Introducing Violinist Majid Khaliq -][- The Basilisk

Tags

Jazz, Majid Khaliq, Violin

Majid Khaliq - The Basilisk

Majid Khaliq -][- The Basilisk – [Indie, 2010]

Majid Khaliq is a violinist and composer cut from a different cloth. He has been described by legendary musician Wynton Marsalis as having “a unique blend of improvisation, groove and technical sophistication.” Although classically trained, Mr. Khaliq’s passion and musical palette ranges from the roots of American jazz music to the greats of the Progressive jazz scene. He is quickly establishing himself as a rising talent in the world of jazz.

As a young boy growing up in the New York area, Mr. Khaliq demonstrated a serious interest in the recordings of Duke Ellington featuring Ray Nance on violin that he heard his father playing at home. At the age of five, his mother enrolled him in violin lessons. From that point on, music has provided Mr. Khaliq with the opportunity to play in some of the world’s most acclaimed educational institutions and concert halls. In 2002, Mr. Khaliq graduated from the Juilliard School with a Bachelor of Music and in 2010 with a Master of Arts in Jazz Performance from Queens College’s Aaron Copland School of Music. —http://www.majidkhaliq.com/biography

Original Release Date: September 28, 2010

..:: Source: Majid Khaliq.com ::..

Rez Abbasi Acoustic Quartet -][- Natural Selection [Sunny Side Records]

Tags

Guitar, Jazz, Rez Abbasi

Natural Selection is the latest project by guitarist Rez Abbasi, this is undoubtedly one of his most lyrically intoxicating sessions which in turn captures his acoustic voice brilliantly … —Rob Young | The Urban Flux

Rez Abbasi Acoustic Quartet - Natural Selection

Rez Abbasi Acoustic Quartet -][- Natural Selection – [Sunny Side Records, 2010]

The blend of the acoustic guitar with vibraphone is one I’ve envisioned for years and that I’ve not heard so far on other recordings. It offered me a fresh perspective from which to write the music for this album. During the compositional process, I was conscious of magnifying the group’s unique chamber-like sound while retaining the essence and subtleties of each player’s unique voice.

In addition, it was important that the acoustic guitar not only be featured on ballads, as it often is, but also engaged in a variety of settings as a viable front line instrument. —Rez Abbasi

Featuring:

REZ ABBASI: Acoustic Guitars
Bill Ware:: Vibraphone
Stephan Crump: Acoustic Bass
Eric McPherson: Drums

ALL COMPOSITIONS BY REZ ABBASI except:
Lament by Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan; Personal Mountains by Keith Jarrett;
Punjab by Joe Henderson; Ain’t No Sunshine by Bill Withers

..:: Source: RezTone.com ::..

Artist Anthony Armstrong -]]- First Day

Tags

African American, Anthony Armstrong, Art

Anthony Armstrong -]]- First Day – [Limited Edition Hand Pulled Silkscreen]

Anthony Armstrong - First Day

Hand Pulled by master printmaker Lou Stovall

..:: Source: Grandpasart.com ::..

[the Weekend spin] … features Rachel Z Trio (Tribute Music of Wayne Shorter) and saxophonist Joe Henderson (Musing for Miles)

Tags

Jazz, Joe Henderson, Miles Davis, Piano, Rachel Z

Greetings jazz aficionados, it’s Friday once again and this time with a cool arctic like breeze fills the air to remind some of us particularly southerns autumn has arrived in full bloom. The weekend spin features two of my favorite artists, pianist Rachel Z and the late Joe Henderson on saxophone serves up two incredible yet somewhat diverse recordings. —Rob Young | The Urban Flux

Rachel Z Trio - On The Milky Way Express

Rachel Z Trio -][- On The Milky Way Express (Tribute Music of Wayne Shorter) – [Tone Center, 2000]

Manhattan-born pianist Rachel Z regards veteran saxophonist Wayne Shorter as a genius, whose music “creates a glimpse into the mystical beauty and nature of life” and offers a “reflection of the life condition of enlightenment and love.” Z, the disciple, honors her teacher lovingly and imaginatively on this straight-ahead tribute to Shorter’s talents as a composer. Z, whose approach to classical studies at age 15 was transformed when she heard Shorter’s music on Miles Smiles, was recruited by Shorter to handle orchestrations for his Grammy-winning 1995 contemporary jazz release, High Life. Here, Z addresses 11 of Shorter’s works in a trio setting, joined by bassist Miriam Sullivan (whose credits include work with Wynton Marsalis and Lionel Hampton) and drummer Allison Miller.

Recorded on two-track, their approach is refreshingly spare, earnest, and spirited, making lasting lyrical impressions with their winning interpretations of “Black Nile,” “Three Marias,” and a sagaciously swinging “Witch Hunt.” A night-and-day departure from her smooth-jazz disc Love Is the Power, On the Milky Way Express has such intelligent playing that it’s simultaneously serene and alert, a lesson in composition taught by Shorter and clearly absorbed by his student. —Terry Wood | Amazon.com

Joe Henderson - So Near, So Far

Joe Henderson -][- So Near, So Far (Musing for Miles) – [Polygram Records, 1993]

Albums that purport to do honor to a musician are always a dicey proposition. The obvious question is, why do we want to hear the music redone? Why not just listen to the original? Joe Henderson’s tribute to the artistry of Miles Davis, “So Near, So Far” answers the question by offering fresh takes on key tunes associated with Miles. Henderson’s goal is not imitation; it’s interpretation.

Henderson has been one of my favorite musicians for a long, long time, but he still managed to surprise me with this album. Discarding the aggressive attack he displayed in the Blue Note years, he plays a lot here in the middle to upper register, and his tone in the upper regions is bell-like, his control flawless.

As the best example, check out his work on “Flamenco Sketches,” a key tune from Miles’ “Kind of Blue” release. After John Scofield introduces the haunting melody on guitar, Henderson enters quietly, sketching the theme so delicately on his tenor that it sounds for a moment like a flute.

Another highlight is “Pfrancing (No Blues),” Miles’ tribute to a dancer. Henderson’s tenor dances on this one, as he builds a perfectly arced solo, pushed along by Scofield.

Al Foster on drums and Dave Holland on bass, both frequent collaborators with Miles, also make strong contributions throughout. This is a well-fused quartet, and all the members exhibit a genuine respect for the music without lapsing into a recycling of the tunes.

Scofield remarked in the liner notes that he thinks about Miles every time he plays jazz. The beauty of this album is that it captures the spirit that Miles imparted, and a good part of that spirit is the admonition that every jazz musician must take what he learns to find his own voice. —Tyler Smith | Amazon.com

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

Portland Jazz Festival 2011 Announced

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African American, Don Byron, Esperanza Spalding, Joshua Redman, Portland Jazz Festival 2011 Announced, Randy Weston, Regina Carter

Portland Jazz Festival 2011

SFJAZZ COLLECTIVE, REGINA CARTER, DON BYRON,
THE 3 COHENS, RANDY WESTON, JOSHUA REDMAN,
AND ESPERANZA SPALDING
TO HEADLINE THE 2011 PORTLAND JAZZ FESTIVAL

BRIDGES AND BOUNDARIES:
JEWISH & AFRICAN AMERICANS PLAYING JAZZ TOGETHER

The 2011 Alaska Airlines/Horizon Air Portland Jazz Festival presented by US Bank will be held Friday, February 18 through Sunday, February 27 at venues throughout Portland. The week-long festival will include jazz education and outreach along with a series of concerts all supporting the 2011 theme, Bridges and Boundaries: Jewish & African Americans Playing Jazz Together.

Among this year’s headliners are the SFJAZZ Collective, in the world premiere of new repertoire paying homage to African American pop icon Stevie Wonder; NEA Jazz Master Randy Weston, performing solo piano in support of his new release, The Storyteller, and autobiography, African Rhythms: The Autobiography of Randy Weston; celebrated clarinetist Don Byron and his new project dedicated to the great Jewish entertainer, Mickey Katz – a reunion of the groundbreaking and virtuosic klezmer ensemble that recorded Byron’s eponymous Nonesuch album and spearheaded the klezmer revival in the 1990s; a special performance by The 3 Cohens, featuring siblings, trumpeter Avishai Cohen, saxophonist/clarinetist Anat Cohen, and pianist Yuval Cohen; famed African American violinist Regina Carter will return to Portland, presenting her newest project, Reverse Thread, which traces the musical history of African cultures, including tribes of Ugandan Jews; saxophonist Joshua Redman – son of African American saxophonist Dewey Redman and Jewish American dancer Renee Shedroff – leading his new project, James Farm, that includes both African American and Jewish American musicians; and the Portland Jazz Festival’s new Artistic & Community Ambassador, bassist Esperanza Spalding (who will lead her new Chamber Music Society in an exclusive Portland area engagement).

Harold O’Neal -][- Whirling Mantis [Smalls Records]

Tags

Harold O’Neal, Jazz, Piano

Harold O'Neal - Whirling Mantis

Harold O’Neal -][- Whirling Mantis – [Smalls Records, 2010]

Harold O’Neal is an American Jazz Pianist, Actor, Producer, Martial Artist, Bboy, Composer, and Magician. He was born on March, 27th 1981 in Arusha, Tanzania and raised in Kansas City, Missouri. He is the nephew of Pete O’Neal and son of Brian and Mafutari O’Neal. Harold has studied at the Paseo Academy of Performing Arts, Berklee College of Music, and the Manhattan School of Music where he studied with jazz master Kenny Baron. New York City Harold’s career took off when he started touring with Jazz Saxophonist Bobby Watson in 2001.

After arriving in New York City, Harold began to establish a name for himself in the international jazz scene having performed with many jazz greats such as Elvin Jones, Kenny Garrett, Richard Davis, Nicholas Payton, Joe Chambers, Paquito D’Rivera, Roy Hargrove, Ahmad Alaadeen, Jeff tain Watts, Clark Terry, Wynton Marsalis, Marvin Smitty Smith, and many others.

Read more: http://www.myspace.com/haroldoneal#ixzz12I7ztO2i

..:: Source: MySpace.com ::..