Kirk Whalum -]|[- Romance Language [Rendezvous Music, 2012]

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African American, Jazz, Kevin Whalum, Kirk Whalum, Male Vocals, Saxophone

The multi-talented Grammy Winning saxophonist Kirk Whalum is back, this time he collaborates with warm and inviting baritone of his brother Kevin Whalum unite collectively to unveil their highly anticipated release “Romance Language.” As you can imagine, the title speaks explicitly to the romantics [Maybe the some of us non-romantics can listen and get some pointers?]. The Whalum’s capture this moment by joining their voices to serve up a delicious dish of ten plush yet soulful nuances just in time for Valentine’s Day. —Rob Young | The Urban Flux

Kirk Whalum, ROMANCE LANGUAGE

Kirk Whalum -]|[- Romance Language -(MP3)- [Rendezvous Music, 2012]

The 1963 Impulse! Records LP John Coltrane & Johnny Hartman helped to redefine the renowned jazz saxophonist by pairing him with a singer on a collection of standards, showing that Coltrane wasn’t (or wasn’t only) an avant-gardist bent on playing free jazz. Nearly 50 years later, Kirk Whalum’s Romance Language isn’t going to have the same impact on his career, even though he has recorded the same half-dozen tunes with his brother Kevin Whalum taking the vocals. Kirk doesn’t have Coltrane’s reputation for one thing, and for another, he and Kevin are not trying to re-create the Coltrane/Hartman sound on Romance Language; they just happen to be performing the same songs.

Tord Gustavsen Trio -[|]- The Well [ ECM Records, 2012]

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European Jazz, Piano, Tord Gustavsen

Tord Gustavsen Trio, The Well

Tord Gustavsen Trio -[|]- The Well [ ECM Records, 2012]

It began right after the release of “Returned, Restored” because I had started writing material that already pointed in this direction. It developed very gradually, the repertoire kept adding new aspects slowly – that is how I prefer to develop things actually. In the course of these years I also had two commissions to work on, which turned out to fit very naturally in the material for the album. So even though I feel that “The Well” has become a very unified and coherent album, it still is a mixture of songs written individually and of pieces written as a commission for the Cheltenham Jazz Festival in England 2011 and pieces for the Oslo International Church Music Festival 2011.

The Joel Harrison 7 Releases SEARCH March 27, 2012 on Sunnyside Records

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Christian Howes, Clarence Penn, Dana Leong, Donny McCaslin, Gary Versace, Guitar, Jazz, Joel Harrison, Stephan Crump

Composer/Guitarist Joel Harrison Negotiates Contrasting Textures and Genres on his Stunning New All-Star Septet Album

Featuring Donny McCaslin, Gary Versace, Christian Howes, Dana Leong, Stephan Crump & Clarence Penn

The Joel Harrison 7, Search

Joel Harrison’s latest CD, Search, finds the critically acclaimed composer/guitarist challenging himself compositionally, using extended forms and techniques borrowed from many of his favorite classical composers. The end result transcends style and genre – the writing is stunning, and cements Harrison as one of the most important contemporary composers of the day.

The compositions flow seamlessly, instantly immersing the listener in a coherent, rich, dynamic sound world. Pieces such as “Grass Valley and Beyond” and “The Beauty of Failure” have rich, memorable melodies that stick with the listener long after the album ends. Complex rhythmic motion is a hallmark of the multi-layered, emotionally wrenching “A Magnificent Death,” which Harrison describes as the centerpiece of the record. This 15-minute mini-epic tells the story of a close friend who died in 2009.