Ben Allison -][- UNION SQUARE – [Abeat, 2012] –

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Abeat, Bassist, Ben Allison, Composer, Educator, Michael Blake, Rudy Royston

Ben Allison, UNION SQUARE

Ben Allison -][- UNION SQUARE –Mp3– [Abeat, 2012]

Bassist/composer Ben Allison is one of a few band leaders working in jazz today who has developed his own instantly identifiable sound. Known for his inspired arrangements, inventive grooves and hummable melodies, Ben draws from the jazz tradition and a range of influences from rock and folk to 20th century classical and world music traditions, seamlessly blending them into a cinematic, cohesive whole.

With his groups The Ben Allison Band, Man Size Safe, Peace Pipe, and Medicine Wheel, Ben has toured extensively throughout North America, Europe, and Brazil, winning fans and building new audiences with an adventurous yet accessible sound and a flair for the unexpected.

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Nnenna Freelon & John Brown Big Band -][- CHRISTMAS – [Brown Boulevard, 2012] –

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African American, Brown Boulevard, John Brown, Nnenna Freelon, Vocalist

The first Christmas album from the six-time Grammy nominee finds her beautifully backed by the John Brown Big Band on ten songs sure to put some swing into your holiday season.

Nnenna Freelon and John Brown Big Band, CHRISTMAS

Nnenna Freelon & John Brown Big Band -][- CHRISTMAS –Mp3– [Brown Boulevard, 2012]

Nnenna Freelon’s mother was a lover of Christmas – the story, the anticipation, the excitement, but most of all, the gathering of her family around her. In her passing, she left her daughter with a gift that has resulted in a dream fulfilled and a holiday album that will extend a mother’s love of Christmas to listeners everywhere.

Venerated jazz vocalist and six-time Grammy nominee Freelon had long wanted to record a holiday album, but couldn’t garner enough interest from her label. So she did what most people do in need of a little help, she turned to a loved one. With a small inheritance received from her mother, she approached John Brown, a long-time member of her musical family, director of Duke University’s jazz program and leader of John Brown’s Big Band. The two, who have shared the stage and collaborated often during their twenty-year friendship, have now joined together to release Christmas, a selection of holiday songs. Brown produced the album and will release it on his own label, Brown Boulevard.

Jurek Jagoda Trio -][- SONGS WITHOUT WORDS – [SOU Productions, 2012] –

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Composer, Jurek Jagoda, Marek Alaszewski Jr., Pawel Gebicki, Pianist, SOU Productions

Jurek Jagoda Trio, SONGS WITHOUT WORDS

Jurek Jagoda Trio -][- SONGS WITHOUT WORDS –Mp3– [SOU Productions, 2012]

The trio consists of the pianist Jurek Jagoda, Marek Alaszewski Jr. on double bass/bass and Pawel Gebicki on drums. In 2010 the band burst onto the polish music scene with the first album “Songs Without Words“. The project features 12 compelling songs composed by Jagoda and as title of the album suggests this music is constructed around tunes. Over one hour of mood music and colourful melodies. The album gets optimistic reviews (polish music magazines, internet blogs, radio stations) and was noticed by the world renowned jazz critic Stuart Nicholson, who chose this record to the top ten in the ranking “Albums Of The Year 2010” of the greatest British jazz magazine Jazzwise.

The Cookers ‘Believe’ Release Party at 92Y Tribeca December 12, Broadcast live by WBGO’s The Checkout

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Billy Harper, Billy Hart, Cecil McBee, Craig Handy, David Weiss, Eddie Henderson, George Cables

The Cookers is tenor saxophonist Billy Harper, trumpeters Eddie Henderson and David Weiss, alto saxophonist Craig Handy, pianist George Cables, bassist Cecil McBee, and drummer Billy Hart.

The Cookers have been touring in support of their “cooking” release Believe since the summer, igniting crowds at major venues and festivals including the Playboy Jazz Festival, the Vancouver Jazz Festival, Caramoor Jazz Festival and more with DownBeat hailing the super-group “a must-see band on the festival circuit.”

Guitarist KEVIN EUBANKS Showcases Breadth of Artistic Influences on New Mack Avenue Records Release, “The Messenger,” Available February 19

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Alvin Chea, Bill Pierce, Composer, Duane Eubanks, Guitarist, Joey De Leon, Kevin Eubanks, Mack Avenue Records, Marvin "Smitty" Smith, Producer, Rene Camacho, Robin Eubanks

Kevin Eubanks, THE MESSENGER

Album Features Eubanks’ Working Quartet:
Billy Pierce, Rene Camacho, and Marvin “Smitty” Smith

Special Guest Appearances by Joey De Leon, Jr.,
Alvin Chea, and Brothers Robin & Duane Eubanks

::: Stream Tracks From THE MESSENGER :::

With his second Mack Avenue Records release, The Messenger, acclaimed guitarist Kevin Eubanks continues to explore his own unique musical vision. This vision offers the listener an opportunity to share a musical journey that truly exemplifies where Eubanks is at this stage of his illustrious career; one that, for over three decades, has seen him incorporate into his creative process a willingness to embrace the broad spectrum of his musical experience, while continuing to seek out new vistas.

Nadje Noordhuis -][- Nadje Noordhuis – [Little Mystery Records, 2012] –

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Composer, Little Mystery Records, Nadje Noordhuis, trumpeter

Nadje Noordhuis, Nadje Noordhuis

Nadje Noordhuis -][- Nadje Noordhuis –Mp3– [Little Mystery Records, 2012]

Originally trained as an audio engineer, with a knack for populist melodies and crystal clear sound, Australian-born trumpeter/composer Nadje Noordhuis, best known for her work with Darcy James Argue’s Secret Society and DIVA Jazz Orchestra, released her debut self-titled album, mixed and mastered by the legendary ECM recording engineer Jan-Erik Kongshaug in Oslo, Norway.

See Nadje reviewed in the December issue of JazzTimes, interviewed on The Checkout on WBGO and in January’s Hot House Magazine as well as a future issue of Jazziz.

::: SOURCE: Fully Altered :::

Kenny Barron -][- SWAMP SALLY – [Verve, 2012] –

Tags

African African, Arranger, Composer, Kenny Barron, Latin American, Mino Cinelu, Percusionist, Pianist, Verve

Kenny Barron, SWAMP SALLY

Kenny Barron -][- SWAMP SALLY –Mp3– [Verve, 2012]

This album is quite unique and it deserves your attention even if unfortunately it is out of print actually. Well, if you find it used, you can buy it with confidence. It has been recorded in 1995 and it’s not a common Jazz album with piano, double bass and drums. Here you have the fantastic Kenny Barron at the piano obviously, but he plays keyboards and double bass too and the incredible Mino Cinelu who plays a lot of different instruments (mandolin, banjo, guitar, keys, drums, percussions, additional sounds effects … and he sings too in a couple of tune). It is a collaboration of these two artists exclusively. The result is a very strange album, very entertaining and incredibly well played and written. The world of this album is surely Jazz, but there a lot of different flavours inside that take the music here and there. -[Excerpt: Jazzcat | Customer Review | Amazon]-

::: SOURCE: Amazon.com :::

Allison Au Quartet -][- The Sky Was Pale Blue, Then Grey – [Allison Au Quartet, 2012] –

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Allison Au, composer and arranger, flautist, Humber College, Saxophonist, Toronto

Allison Au Quartet. The Sky Was Pale Blue, Then Grey

Allison Au Quartet -][- The Sky Was Pale Blue, Then Grey –Mp3– [Allison Au Quartet, 2012]

Allison Au is a Toronto-based saxophonist, flautist, composer and arranger. She currently leads the Allison Au Quartet, performing her original music at local venues in the city, such as the Rex Hotel Jazz and Blues Bar, The Emmet Ray, The Gate 403 and the TRANZAC.

In 2011, the Allison Au Quartet was awarded the TD Bank Fellowship in Jazz scholarship to attend the Winter Residency at the Banff Centre. The group returned again for the Winter Residency in February 2012.

Iris Ornig -][- NO RESTRICTIONS – [Iris Ornig Music, 2012 | Review] –

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Helen Sung, Iris Ornig, Iris Ornig Music, Kurt Rosenwinkel, Marcus Gilmore, Michael Rodriguez

Iris Ornig, NO RESTRICTIONS

Iris Ornig -][- NO RESTRICTIONS –Mp3– [Iris Ornig Music, 2012 | Review]

When the door opens with unlimited opportunity it’s time to evaluate, frame and proceed to explore the possibilities. Composer and bassist Iris Ornig from Germany approaches her sophomore album “NO RESTRICTIONS” with a cadence that’s unparalleled, eclectic and remarkably stimulating volume of imposing originals and covers.

Urban Flux Presents: the featured Artist of the week Kevin ‘Wak’ Williams

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African American, Artist, Grandpasart, Kevin 'Wak' Williams

Kevin ‘Wak’ Williams -][- TEE TIME [Limited Edition | Giclee on Watercolor Paper]

Kevin ‘Wak’ Williams, Tee Time

::: SOURCE: Grandpasart.com :::