DRUMMER ADAM CRUZ RELEASES DEBUT ALBUM – MILESTONE – SET FOR RELEASE ON SUNNYSIDE RECORDS, APRIL 12

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Adam Cruz, Drums, Jazz

ALBUM FEATURES A STELLAR LINEUP: MIGUEL ZENÓN, STEVE WILSON, CHRIS POTTER, STEVEN CÁRDENAS, EDWARD SIMON & BEN STREET

Adam Cruz - MILESTONE

Drummer and composer Adam Cruz did not choose the title of his debut album lightly. Milestone is both a professional and personal marker.

“I’ve had a vision to do something with my composing for a long time,” says Cruz. “But I’ve also felt a certain ripening needed to happen. This is a big step for me. I’ve invested a lot of time in practicing and studying, working at my relationship with the piano and developing a compositional voice. I’ve just turned 40 and I’m happy the record is coming out now. There’s a certain amount of growth and maturity that I have gone through, deepening my dedication as a drummer and composer, particularly over the last decade.”

Listen to an exclusive streaming track from the album

Comprising eight original compositions, and featuring a true all star band including Miguel Zenón, alto sax; Steve Wilson, soprano sax; Chris Potter, tenor sax; Steve Cárdenas, electric guitar; Edward Simon, piano, and Ben Street, bass, Milestone, which was made possible by a grant by the Aaron Copland Recording Fund, marks a before and after in Cruz’s development as an artist.

Chicago Afrobeat Project Brings Funk-Infused Dance to Le Poisson Rouge on 2/23/11

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Chicago Afrobeat Project

Afrobeat Lineup Also Features Brooklyn’s Zongo Junction and NYC’s DJ Cloak Dagger

Chicago Afrobeat Project

Now revving up audiences with new renditions of material from its forthcoming CD “Nyash Up,” Chicago Afrobeat Project is set to perform its danceable blend of funk, rock, and unbridled energy to (Le) Poisson Rouge on Wednesday, February 23, 2011.

New York City is one of a handful of cities on the group’s East Coast tour to hear the band’s unreleased material in a live setting. Chicago music media insiders are already buzzing that “Nyash Up” is the group’s best studio recording to date, and the album is set for release in Spring 2011.

THE DREAM CENTER, MULTI GRAMMY® AWARDS NOMINEE KIRK WHALUM AND VICTORY UNIVERSITY TO HOST “IT STARTED WITH A DREAM”

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African American, Jazz, Kirk Whalum, Victory University

PRE-GRAMMY® AWARDS CONCERT AND SERVICE HONORING
GRAMMY® NOMINEES IN ALL GOSPEL MUSIC CATAGORIES (Contemporary, Pop, R&B, Traditional, Rock, Rap, Southern, Country & Bluegrass)
SUNDAY MORNING, FEBRUARY 13

WHAT: Sunday, February 13, THE DREAM CENTER, twelve time GRAMMY® Award Nominee Kirk Whalum and Victory University are hosting “IT STARTED WITH A DREAM.” In celebration of this year’s Gospel GRAMMY® Nominees, the event is a pre awards ceremony, concert and service honoring the nominees and benefiting THE DREAM CENTER’s PROJECT HOPE. “IT STARTED WITH A DREAM” will feature live performances by GRAMMY® Nominees; Vanessa Bell Armstrong, Jeff & Sheri Easter, Forever Jones, Gungor, Israel Houghton Lecrae, VaShawn Mitchell, Karen Peck & New River, Lalah Hathaway and Kirk Whalum with special guest George Duke.

New York Electric Piano -][- Keys To The City Vols. 1 & 2 [Buffalo Puppy Records]

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Jazz, New York Electric Piano, Pat Daugherty, Tim Givens

“Pianist Daugherty, the ostensible leader of the group and composer of all the album’s titles, lays down, by comparison, a rather more traditional Monkish bop that, to employ another eco-analogy, provides vibrant greenery to the otherwise ethereal pieces.” –Matt Marshall | AllAboutJazz.com

NYEP - KEYS TO THE CITY Volumes 1 & 2

New York Electric Piano -][- KEYS TO THE CITY Vols. 1 & 2 [Buffalo Puppy Records, 2011]

Keys To The City Vols. 1 & 2 is New York Electric Piano’s latest effort. The Record Release party will take place Wednesday, March 23rd 2011 at the Mighty Zinc Bar. 3 sets: 9:30, 11:00, and 1:00. $10 at the door.

Just like the universe, NYEP is expanding. The original trio of pianist Pat Daugherty, bassist Tim Givens, and drummer Aaron Comess, which grew to 6 members for their last release, now includes guitarist Teddy Kumpel and hornman Erik Lawrence. After three instrumental releases that probed the Fender Rhodes electric piano sound, 2008’s King Mystery featured vocals, acoustic piano, and a diverse set of Daugherty originals that embraced jazz’s past while exploring its future. The new double CD, Keys To The City, continues this trend and takes the band into new musical terrain.

The expansion began as NYEP played out their 2007 release Blues in Full Moon. Leon Gruenbaum, keyboardist with Vernon Reid and James “Blood” Ulmer, began showing up at the bands gigs. “Leon is one of my favorite players and I invited him to bring his ax and sit in”, Pat says. “He did and has never left!” His axe is an instrument of his own creation, the Samchillian. In the early 90’s Pat and Leon shared the piano chair at vocalist Deanna Kirk’s NY restaurant, a jazz spot that was the center of a burgeoning scene.

For more information about the ensemble, visit http://www.newyorkelectricpiano.com/

..:: SOURCE: NYEP.com ::..

Lars Fiil Quartet -][- RECONSIDERATION [Fiil Free Records]

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European Jazz, Jazz, Lars Fiil Quartet

”The quartet (…) works as a tight unit that in the best possible way presents the original material that has a distinct melancholic tone, but also a touch of unpredictable avantgarde dynamic…” – Jazzspecial

Lars Fiil Quartet - Reconsideration (2011)

Lars Fiil Quartet -][- RECONSIDERATION – [Fiil Free Records, 2011]

These words marked the announcement of the Aarhus-based Lars Fiil Quartet as winners of the prestigious competition Young Jazz in April 2010. This triumph led to long domestic as well as foreign tours, and the quartet’s success continued when they participated in the pan-Scandinavian competition “Young Nordic Jazz Comets” in Helsinki in September 2010. On this occasion, the quartet’s bass player Jens Mikkel Madsen was presented with the award for Best Soloist, an honour which has previously befallen Danish ace guitarist Jakob Bro, among others.

Immediately after this, the group took to the studio to record their debut album, and the result of their work is now to be heard on “Lars Fiil Quartet – Reconsideration”. The album was recorded and mixed in cooperation with Thomas Vang (who has previously worked with Kresten Osgood, Jakob Bro and Søren Kjærgaard, among others) in his studio The Village Recording. It features 9 tracks composed by conductor and pianist Lars Fiil, which are inspired by both the alternative, experimental jazz stage and more Nordic, lyrical sounds.

Reconsideration is the quartet’s first full length album, but in 2009 they released the EP “L.F.K.”, which was well received and was played frequently on the Danish Broadcasting Corporation’s P2.

Aside from pianist Lars Fiil (24), the young group, which was formed in 2007, consists of saxophonist Lis Kruse (26), double bass player Jens Mikkel Madsen (22) and drummer Andreas Skamby (23). —MySpace.com

..:: SOURCE: MySpace.com ::..