Urban Elements | New Dimensions

Tags

Funk, Jazz, Latin Jazz

Urban Elements | New Dimensions – [Connective Records, 2008]

Urban Elements

Urban Elements, The vanguard of young jazz musicians from two continents are getting down to business in the eclectic new group Urban Elements. The collaboration between the most up-and-coming players from Chile/South America and Sweden/Europe creates new flavours of modern jazz in a mixture of hardcore be-bop, organic fusion, Latin-jazz, funk and contemporary grooves. The musicians express themselves freely and with extraordinary technique and swing. The musical conversation in the group is on the highest level and the music sparks of fire and drags the listeners in to new dimensions of musical landscapes.

The material is written by Swedish stellar saxophonist Fredrik Kronkvist and the prolific Chilean trumpeter Sebastian Jordan with a strong foundation from vast vinyl-collections and fresh visions into the future. Drummer Felix Lecaros has a unique swing and playfulness that leaves you breathless and pushes the band in forward motion together with bassist Rene Sandoval and pianist Martin Sjöstedt.

Check out this burning new band and get amazed by the flow of new contemporary jazz.

Source: Myspace.com

Pianist Danilo Pérez Signs with Mack Avenue Records

Tags

Danilo Pérez, Jazz, Latin Jazz, Piano

Danilo Perez

Mack Avenue Records is proud to announce the signing of Grammy winning pianist Danilo Pérez. The signing was made official at the 2009 Detroit International Jazz Festival, where Pérez returned to active performing with the Wayne Shorter Quartet after a three month layoff due to a torn achilles injury.

An extraordinary Panamanian artist, composer and educator, Pérez is among the most influential and dynamic musicians of our time. In just over a decade, his distinctive blend of Pan-American jazz (covering the music of the Americas, folkloric and world music) has attracted critical acclaim and loyal audiences.

“It has been a long journey full of unexpected twists up to now and I am looking forward to the next chapter of my life,” Pérez says.

On his return to the stage at this year’s festival, Pérez reflects “I miss these guys so much; Wayne, Brian and John. They are such a big part of my life. I am looking forward to travel to more unknown places with them.”

“Danilo is an artist of uncompromising artistry,” says Mack Avenue Records President Denny Stilwell. “We are pleased to have him as a member of the Mack Avenue family and look forward to an album that will mark a new beginning in his expansive career.”

Pérez has recorded and performed with the likes of Wayne Shorter, Steve Lacy, Roy Haynes, Jack DeJohnette, Charlie Haden, Michael Brecker, Joe Lovano, Tito Puente, and Wynton Marsalis, among others.

He plans to release his debut Mack Avenue Records album in 2010.

Source: DLMedia

Roberto Fonseca | Akokan

Tags

Latin Jazz, Latin Music, Piano

Back in 2007, a friend called drooling with excitement about this hot Latin Jazz piano player from Cuba named Roberto Fonseca. Once this gem was in my procession, I listened carefully with decrement to his sophomore effort titled Zamazu. After this meeting, I new it was just a matter of time before this guy would return with another prolific project. ~ The Urban Flux

Roberto Fonseca

Roberto Fonseca | Akokan [Enja Records]

With the release of “Zamazu” (Enja Records 2007), Roberto Fonseca reached the international stages and is now recognised as one of the most talented and charismatic musicians of the last few years.

We first got to know Roberto as Ibrahim Ferrer’s pianist and all who had the opportunity to be present at one of those concerts were impressed by his unique way of playing the piano, one that combines precise rhythm with intense emotion. Emotion that invaded our hearts, making us feel the passion of his music. “Zamazu” confirmed this and now he returns with a new solo record “AKOKAN” (which means heart in Yoruba), this album will be released in May 2009.

Samuel Quinto Trio | Salsa´n Jazz

Tags

Jazz, Latin Jazz, Piano

Here’s a little salsa & jazz by pianist Samuel Quinto to kick off September with …

Samuel Quinto Trio

Samuel Quinto Trio | Salsa´n Jazz [Samuel Quinto Trio]

Samuel Quinto is an exceptional piano player, his virtuoso, often percussive playing, often with a continuous “tumbao”, the rhtyhmical bass figure, accompanying the other soloists improvisations as well as his own, is intoxicating. His compositions, influenced among others by Michel Camilo, Chick Corea and Gonzalo Rubalcaba, are original own melodies which can have – like “on call” – different colourings, depending on the ethnic or geographic origin of theme, dance or title.

Born in Belem/Pará, North-Brasil, and raised in Salvador da Bahía. The gospel singing in the Baptist church “Igreja Batista Sinai”, which the family regularly visits, is accompanied by various good piano players, and the seven year old boy is fascinated by them, wants to learn to play everything that they can play, and wants to become a better piano player than the best of them. All alone, only by ear, he teaches himself everything. In his parents’ house there is a piano. The parents encourage him, let him do as he likes. Piano classes are hard to finance, and he anyway doesn’t want to practice scales and the classical canon.

Source: CDBaby.com

The Weekend Spin [Hargrove, Sanborn, Frambrough & Valentin]

Tags

Bassist, Charles Frambrough, Dave Valentin, David Sanborn, Flute, Jazz, Jazz Funk, Latin Jazz, Roy Hargrove

The arctic freeze is seriously kicking the eastern half of the U.S.  Apparently, I forgot to complete this … it’s obvious posting while sleepy isn’t exactly the best thing to do while blogging. Let’s kick off Friday with another diverse mix of “The Weekend Spin,” with four tasty yet challenging jazz titles delve into. Enjoy!

Roy Hardgrove

Roy Hargrove | RH Factor: Hard Groove [Jazz/Funk/Verve/2003]

This is an album that reveals as much about the perspective of the listener as about the music itself. Are you coming at this from a pure jazz perspective? There isn’t too much straight ahead stuff on this album and you may be with the critics that bashed Roy for making something more accessible than typical jazz fare. Hoping for a jazz-hip-hop hybrid? To me this is one of the more successful combinations because Roy toured with the soulquarians and has immersed himself for the past few years in this music. He’s willing to be lyrical when the time comes. I especially enjoy the track “How I Know” for example. I don’t know what neo-soul fans are going to make of this and I’m curious to see how the album does saleswise. I dig the Erykah Badu/Q-Tip combination [some of Q-Tip’s better recent work] “Poetry”. ~ Source: Amazon.com/Souldrummer

Season’s Greetings | 2008

Tags

African Americans, Culture, Jazz, Latin Jazz, New Music

"Happy Holidays"

The Weekend Spin [Jackets, DeFrancesco, Sanchez & Najee]

Tags

Christmas Music, Jazz, Jazz Fusion, Joey DeFrancesco, Latin Jazz, Najee, Organ, Poncho Sanchez, The Yellowjackets

Greeting’s  fellow jazz enthusiast … Friday has finally arrived.  Today we’re kicking off the weekend with another appetizing array of superb jazz. Being that it’s the “Christmas Season,” we thought we’d pull out jazz super-group the “Yellowjackets” and their infallible interpretations of Christmas classics titled “Peace Round.”

Yellowjackets, Peace

Yellowjackets | Peace Round – “A Christmas Celebration” [Heads Up/Christmas Jazz/2003]

Recording a Christmas collection poses some unique challenges. One must make these familiar Christmas songs personal but at the same time respect their original intent and the spirit of the season. We felt we could best do this by capturing lyrical and relaxed performances. We also wanted to render the songs as directly as possible with spare use of overdubbing. Therefore most performances are first or second takes and all but two are just the quartet live. ~ Yellowjackets.com

Irving Cancel | Colour

Tags

Latin Jazz

Irving Cancel

In both the art of painting and music performance the term colour is employed to define the tonal qualities of an art work. In this new musical production “Colour” professor Irving Cancel utilizes  instrument’s sounds to produce an array of tonal colors. A versatile Latin jazz Quartet composed by  Edmar Colón, saxophone, Tito Valentin, piano, José Erick Caban, drums and Irving Cancel, bass will  interpret  subtle harmonies with aggressive and sometimes aleatory rhythms.

A Versatile Latin Jazz Quartet. Subtle harmonies with aggresive rhythms. An array of musical colors to determine tonal qualities. – CDBaby.com

David Sanchez – [Vid of The Week]

Tags

Jazz, Latin Jazz, Saxophone

Greeting’s music lovers and jazz enthusiasts alike we’re honored to have for you this week saxophonist David Sanchez caught “Live” at North Sea Jazz!

Latin Jazz | Commemorative Stamp

Tags

Culture, Latin Jazz

Latin Jazz

On September 8, 2008, in Washington, DC, the Postal Service™ issued a 42–cent, Latin Jazz commemorative stamp.

With the issuance of the Latin Jazz stamp, the United States Postal Service® celebrates the rich musical heritage of the United States of America. The stamp features a bold, graphic design by San Francisco–based artist and Latin jazz fan Michael Bartalos of San Francisco, California. The design conveys the multicultural aspects of the music, its percussive and improvisational nature, and its rhythmic complexity. – jazzhq.blogspot.com