#OA2 Records

[donospl]

Co w jazzie piszczy [sezon 2 odcinek 30]

premierowa emisja 21 sierpnia 2024 – 18:00 Graliśmy: Sam Braysher feat. Sara Dowling “That’s Him” z albumu  “That’s Him: The Music of Kurt Weil” Andromeda Turre “Geosphere” z albumu “From Earth”     Individuation “Multiple Worlds” z albumu “The  Phenomenal” – Mother Brain Records Kronthaler “Night” z albumu  “Some call him Johnny Grey” –  BMC Records Erik Friedlander “D’Arce (Mod 2)” z…

[burlveneer-music]

Ben Morris - Pocket Guides - folk + big band (and some King Crimson sounds in “Edvard” - as heard on djPeter’s show on WVUD last night)

Writing for his large, uniquely-voiced ensemble, and with Influences ranging from traditional Norwegian folk music, modern jazz, and contemporary classical music, composer/pianist Ben Morris' dynamic debut surprises and captivates. With his core group—Zosha Warpeha on Norwegian Hardanger fiddle and violin, Juan Olivares on clarinet, Dan Montgomery on bass, Evan Hyde on drums, and Ben on piano—he was invited to premier four original pieces at the Newport Jazz Festival in 2019, setting in motion the inspiration to expand the ensemble & compositions to create "Pocket Guides." With visions of bustling foreign cities, Norse mythology, tundra and waterways, Morris's music is cinematic, surprising and visceral, the rich textures reflecting his experiences living and studying in Norway, Korea, Florida, Texas, New Jersey, and now Colorado.

David Bernot — tenor, alto, and soprano saxophones, flute Juan Gabriel Olivares — clarinet and bass clarinet Derek Ganong — trumpet and flugelhorn Magnus Murphy Joelson — trombone Jack Bogard — violin and mandolin Zosha Warpeha — hardanger fiddle and violin Joy Adams — cello Jonah Udall — guitars Ben Morris — piano and melodica Dan Montgomery — bass Evan Hyde — drums Sam Gautier — percussion John Boggs — voice (4)

Composed, arranged, and produced by Ben Morris (ASCAP) “Bubble in a River” text by E.H. Gombrich (1909-2001)

Front cover art by Ryan Schröder Cover design and layout by John Bishop Released on OA2/Origin Records

[diyeipetea]

HDO 407. Goldings - Bernstein - Stewart, Danny Green Trio, Romain Pilon [Podcast]

HDO 407. Goldings – Bernstein – Stewart, Danny Green Trio, Romain Pilon [Podcast]

Tres grabaciones a tres temas por cada una de ellas, nuevamente sirven para armar un programa de HDO. En la entrega 407 suenan la nueva grabación del veterano trío (son ya más de 25 años trabajando juntos), formado pro el organista Larry Goldings, el guitarrista Peter Bernstein y el baterista Bill Stewart: su título es Toy Tunes, la publica el sello Pirouet y además de temas propios de cada uno…

[rich4a1]

Ben Markley Big Band with Ari Hoenig Ari’s Fun-House

Ben Markley Big Band with Ari Hoenig Ari’s Fun-House

Ben Markley Big Band with Ari Hoenig Ari’s Fun-House OA2 Let’s introduce you to the two collaborators. Renowned Philadelphia-born drummer Ari Hoenig, who plays drums on all seven tracks, has over a dozen recordings as a leader plus many more as an accompanist on many other sessions. He is a formidable composer and award-winning educator currently on the faculty of New York University (NYU).…

[jazzworldquest-blog]

USA: RICH PELLEGRIN- DOWN(ORIGIN ARTS 2019)

PERFORMERS: R. Scott Morning - trumpet Neil Welch - tenor saxophone Rich Pellegrin - piano Evan Flory-Barnes - bass Chris Icasiano - drums Mizzou New Music Ensemble (6-7): Erin Spencer, flute Jeremiah Rittel, clarinet Britney Stutz, violin Korin Wahl, viola Rachel Czech, cello José Mart'nez, percussion Taylor Burkhardt, percussion Rich Pellegrin, conductor (6) Stefan Freund, conductor (7) All compositions by Rich Pellegrin  For his third OA2 recording, composer/pianist Rich Pellegrin presents his decade-old quintet performing five enigmatic compositions - from the raw intensity of "Trial" to the mystical, inscrutable hues of the title cut, "Down" - along with an extended alternate version of "Down," recorded with a contemporary classical ensemble at the University of Missouri - the Mizzou New Music Ensemble. Together, eleven diverse musicians create a radiant texture of interweaving lines, extending the vital, collaborative focus for which the band is already known. OA2  via Blogger http://bit.ly/2GyzD19

[podilatokafe]

Electric Squeezebox Orchestra – The Falling Dream (OA2 RECORDS February 16, 2018) Republic of Jazz For their second recording, the Electric Squeezebox Orchestra went into the legendary Fantasy Studios in Berkeley, CA for a marathon two-day session, capturing the band's eclectic spirit through 9 original compositions along with an arrangement of McCoy Tyner's 'Señor Carlos.

[connorrenwick]

The Wrensilva Loft: Mid-Century Style, This Century Technology

Memories of my parents late 60s/early 70s mid-century stereo console came flooding back upon laying eyes on the Wrensilva Loft record console system. Combining the aesthetics of “then” with the technology of “now”, the Loft plays the part of tasteful throwback, one embellished by a list of wireless connectivity features that invites listeners to switch between the pleasures of analog to the convenience of digital streaming at the turn of a switch (or app).

Closed up, the Loft’s solid North American Walnut hardwood with gloss white acrylic detailing looks like a handsome side table.

The steel shelf below offers storage for up to 120 records; thoughtfully a capture tray is integrated for record brush, mobile device, and other small accessories.

Belying its compact size (28″W x 33″H x 18″D), the Loft is rated for 300 watts per channel delivered by the company’s own Wrensilva Class D output amp (featuring IcePower by Bang & Olufsen). The fully decoupled belt driven turntable keeps vibration at bay between motor and OA2 precision Gimbal tonearm tipped with an Ortofon 2m Red MM Cartridge, a welcome detail for the discerning aesthete audiophile.

And while vinyl may have entrenched itself as a popular audio medium again, San Diego-based Wrensilva astutely recognizes modern day listeners value flexibility in source material and output options. Thus, the Loft is equipped to play wirelessly with and through the SONOS line of speakers; an integrated Wi-Fi system for streaming online music services, internet radio stations, podcasts, etc. A 3.5mm audio jack keeps it old school, alongside a set of RCA inputs for connectivity with other older components requiring a cable connection.

Optional Wrensilva 2-way bass reflex speakers with LF Driver- 6″ Nomex cones and HF Driver- 1″ Textile domes complement the system in either white or black front finish.

The Wrensilva Loft doesn’t come cheap at $2,999 (and $1,499 extra for matching monitor speakers and stands), but factoring the system’s all-inclusive package, it might be the sort of splurge that lasts a lifetime.

via http://design-milk.com/

from WordPress https://connorrenwickblog.wordpress.com/2017/03/17/the-wrensilva-loft-mid-century-style-this-century-technology/

[jazzworldquest-blog]

USA: Rosana Eckert Offers Diverse Array of Song Stylings on "Sailing Home," Due June 21 from OA2/Origin Records

Rosana Eckert

Offers a Diverse, Accomplished Array of

Song Stylings on

"Sailing Home,"

Set for June 21 Release by OA2/Origin Records

   Vocalist-Composer-Arranger Collaborates

With Celebrated Vocal Artist & Songwriter Peter Eldridge

On Her Fourth Album

  CD Release Shows at Kitchen Cafe, Dallas, 6/21-22

            June 4, 2019

Vocalist-composer Rosana Eckertchannels her eclectic musical influences into a similarly eclectic collection of tunes on her long-awaited fourth album, Sailing Home, set for a June 21 release on OA2/Origin Records. The album is a collaboration with Peter Eldridge, the highly sought-after vocalist, songwriter, and keyboardist, who in addition to producing and playing keyboards on the album cowrote three of its 11 tunes. Eckert (and Eldridge) also wrote with her husband Gary Eckert, a poet, composer, and multi-instrumentalist who plays percussion on three tracks.

  Sailing Home is Eckert's first recording since 2010's Small Hotel. The lifelong Texan has spent the past nine years since then raising her young daughter but also working as a live performer, as well as behind the scenes as an arranger, clinician, studio singer/voiceover artist, book author, and principal lecturer of vocal jazz in the prestigious Jazz Studies program at the University of North Texas. "Rosana is so known and honored as an educator, and rightfully so," says Eldridge, a longtime friend of Eckert's. "But I wanted her to also see herself as a major artist, shaking off the educator title a bit while recording this project."

  "I had some songs I'd been performing for a while and I knew they needed a fresh ear to make them special and different," says Eckert. "Working with Peter was inspiring, natural, and very fun. . . . It was his idea to make this a guitar-driven album rather than piano-based, which had always been my approach before." (Eckert at left with Eldridge and engineer Tre Nagella.) 

  That concept, combined with Eckert's omnivorous musical inspiration, creates a bright spotlight for guitarist Corey Christiansen. Its shifting directions -- from the gentle but steady swing of "Garby the Great," to the tender wistfulness of "Someone Else's Life," to the hard-edged New Orleans funk of "Coriander Stomp" -- provide him both ample solo space and opportunities to demonstrate his remarkable stylistic versatility.

  Not to be outdone, the other core members of the band (Eldridge, bassist Young Heo, and drummer Steve Barnes) also submit superlative performances throughout. So do guests Daniel Pardo, whose beautiful alto flute work illuminates the ballad "Empty Room" and bossa nova "Lovely Ever After"; Brian Piper, who dives into the gutbucket with his piano solo on "Coriander Stomp"; and Ginny Mac, whose accordion provides the secret sauce for the Tex-Mex shuffle "Waiting."

  Eckert, however, is the one who ultimately embodies Sailing Home. She wrote or cowrote all of its songs save one ("Empty Room," which Eldridge and Gary Eckert wrote together) and imbues them with her combination of powerful instrument, vast palette, and infallible technique. It is her performance that ultimately defines each song, bringing the sweet contentment to "Sailing Home," brash confidence to "For Good," exquisite warmth to the haunting "Meant for Me."

  Rosana Calderon Eckert was born in 1974 in El Paso, Texas and grew up on the singers that her Mexican-American parents loved. Living on the U.S.-Mexican border, she was also immersed in the musical traditions of both countries, as well as their cross-pollinations. She studied French horn in high school, winning four all-state honors -- as well as the scholarships that allowed her to enroll at the University of North Texas's (UNT) highly respected College of Music as a classical theory and French horn performance major.

  "On a lark," Eckert auditioned for the University of North Texas Jazz Singers, the school's premier vocal jazz ensemble, in her junior year. She was accepted and eventually became section leader, lead soprano, featured soloist, and arranger, later singing with the school's One O'Clock Lab Band and various other ensembles; chosen to tour with the Sisters in Jazz Collegiate Sextet; and selected for the Thelonious Monk Aspen Jazz Colony. She completed this shift in her musical trajectory by becoming the first vocalist in UNT history to earn a master's degree in jazz studies. The school then hired her as its first private jazz voice teacher.

  Meanwhile, Eckert began a parallel career as a working musician in nearby Dallas, performing with her own jazz band and doing commercial singing and voiceover work. She also began writing her own songs, which ultimately led to the creation of her 2003 debut recording At the End of the Day. It was followed by Two for the Road (2007) and the acclaimed Small Hotel(2010).

  Rosana Eckert will perform CD release concerts at the Kitchen Cafe, 17370 Preston Rd. #415, Dallas, on Fri. 6/21 and Sat. 6/22. 

    Photography: Teresa Jolie 

      Rosana Eckert "Sailing Home" CD promo 

        Web Site: rosanaeckert.com 

                    Media Contact:

Terri Hinte 510-234-8781 hudba@sbcglobal.net terrihinte.com  

via Blogger https://ift.tt/2S3pq0a

[diyeipetea]

Jazz Para Ti (Programa 013. 2018-05-15) [Podcast]

Jazz Para Ti (Programa 013. 2018-05-15) [Podcast]

La cantante Deanne Matley abre el programa número 13 de Jazz Para Ti: estrenamos su grabación Because I Loved (autoeditado). Music Is (Okeh), grabación en solitario de Bill Frisell suena a continuación. Al guitarrista le siguen el Danny Fox Trio (The Great Nostalgist -Hot Cup Records), Robert Diack (Lost Villages -autoeditado), Danny Green Trio plus Strings (One Day It Will– OA2 Records), Romain…

[jazzworldquest-blog]

USA: Bay Area Guitarist George Cotsirilos to Release "Mostly in Blue" (OA2 Records), Jan. 19

San Francisco Bay Area Guitarist/Composer

George Cotsirilos

To Release "Mostly in Blue,"

His Sixth Album,

January 19 on OA2 Records

  CD Features His Working Trio of

Bassist Robb Fisher & Drummer Ron Marabuto +

Pianist Keith Saunders

February CD Release Shows  

Planned for Several San Francisco &

East Bay Venues

  January 3, 2018

      Jazz guitarist/composer George Cotsirilos had previously recorded mostly in a trio setting with longtime associates Robb Fisher on bass and Ron Marabuto on drums. For his forthcoming sixth CD, Mostly in Blue, he expanded to a quartet, with pianist Keith Saunders, to shake up his approach a bit but also in the interests of being true to the music he was hearing in his head. OA2 Records will release the new CD on January 19.

  "I started hearing a little different sound connected to the tunes I was writing," Cotsirilos says. "It seemed more amenable to a quartet, with a little more harmony underlying the melody line."

  The trio tested out its chemistry with Saunders, a mainstay of the New York jazz scene with whom the guitarist had never played but both Fisher and Marabuto had. "When we first got together, it wasn't hard to tell it was working," he says. "We kind of jelled immediately. In the studio, even before we started playing tunes, when we were playing to get the sound, the chemistry was there. It's stunning how quickly Keith was there, on top of everything." Every track on the album was recorded in one or two takes.

  In addition to six Cotsirilos originals, the repertoire includes a luminous arrangement of the Harry Warren-Mack Gordon classic "I Wish I Knew," where Saunders's presence liberates the stylistically wide-ranging guitarist to play legato more than he usually does. Another highlight is a feverishly fast performance of the Charlie Parker classic "Crazeology."

  The band worked as their own producers in collaboration with engineer Dave Luke, a decorated veteran of Fantasy Records with whom Cotsirilos had worked several times. "We wanted the album to have a live feel," says Cotsirilos, and this live-in-studio sound can be heard as much in the playing as in the engineering, whether on Bird's bebop burner or the guitarist's slinky "Ms. Luna," written for his "troublemaking" cat.

  "Blue Dusk," another Cotsirilos original, is a darkly shimmying tune with a swaying movement that puts the listener in the best kind of mood to greet the evening. And then there's "Down, Not Out," which in speaking to and for the underdog in these agonizing times suggests a cure for the melancholy many people are feeling today.

    George Cotsirilos was born in Chicago in 1951. Under the influence of his aunt, a classical music devotee, he chose violin as his first instrument. His involvement in jazz was elevated when an uncle who'd played drums with the Woody Herman Orchestra took him to hear Louis Armstrong. Seeing Oscar Peterson and Erroll Garner play at Chicago's venerated London House turned him on to the piano. But during his teen years, with local notables including the Butterfield Blues Band and Michael Bloomfield making a national noise, he became strongly involved in blues guitar.

  In 1969, Cotsirilos enrolled at UC Berkeley as a sociology major. He taught himself blues riffs, using his background in piano to improve technique. A turning point for him came when he commenced music studies with Warren Nunes, a phenomenal jazz guitarist and prolific writer of guitar books.

  Nunes shifted Cotsirilos's attention to jazz and had him listen not just to great guitarists such as Wes Montgomery and Joe Pass but also luminaries on other instruments, among them John Coltrane, Sonny Rollins, and Bill Evans. Cotsirilos studied classical guitar privately as well through the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. 

  Music wasn't the only thing vying for Cotsirilos's future. Born into a family of lawyers -- his late father, George, Sr., the son of Greek immigrants, was a prominent Chicago defense attorney -- Cotsirilos acquired a law degree with thoughts of getting involved in social causes. He became an assistant public defender, then moved on to a successful criminal defense practice in San Francisco and a faculty position at the University of California at Berkeley School of Law, where he taught criminal trial practice for fifteen years. At the same time, Cotsirilos continued to practice, perform, and record jazz, releasing co-led quartet and quintet albums featuring venerated drummer Eddie Marshall, and, in 2003, his first solo album, Silenciosa. He subsequently released three trio recordings with Fisher and Marabuto.

  While he finally retired in recent years from practicing and teaching law, he has remained deeply involved in music. "I have done what I have for a number of reasons, both personal and socio-philosophical," he reflects. "Involvement in criminal law, while still trying to maintain and grow as a musician, was a life experience that was intense, often very rewarding, but also frenetic. Music, which was always there as a salvation, really, remains and now gets my full attention."          

  The George Cotsirilos Quartet will be performing CD release shows at the following: 2/10Bird & Beckett, San Francisco; 2/18 St. Albans Church, Albany, CA; 2/25 Chez Hanny, San Francisco.  

      Photography: Billy Douglas    

      George Cotsirilos "Mostly in Blue" EPK

            Web Site: georgecotsirilos.com Follow:    

Media Contact:

Terri Hinte 510-234-8781 hudba@sbcglobal.net terrihinte.com  

via Blogger http://ift.tt/2my9VOG

[jazzworldquest-blog]

USA: "Phrases," Jazz Vocalist Jeff Baker's 5th Album, Due January 19 from OA2

"Phrases,"

Jazz Vocalist Jeff Baker's 5th Album &

First to Feature His Original Music,

Due January 19 on OA2 Records

  Baker's All-Star Septet Includes

Drummer Brian Blade, Saxophonist Steve Wilson,

Trumpeter Marquis Hill, &

Pianist/CD Co-Producer Darrell Grant

    December 8, 2017

    After a seven-year hiatus from recording, contemporary jazz vocalist Jeff Baker is preparing to release Phrases, his fifth and most ambitious album to date. The new CD, due from OA2 Records on January 19, marks Baker's debut as a composer, with seven of the album's songs featuring his music and lyrics.

  The album takes its title from Baker's use of what he calls "prompts" from favorite works of fiction, poetry, and song, among them texts by Pablo Neruda, J.D. Salinger, and Salvador Plascencia. Those cues could be no more than a line of poetry or a snatch of dialogue, or a real-life verbal exchange that caught his ear.

  "The musical side of composing -- creating melodies, reharmonizing music -- has always come pretty easy to me," Baker explains. "But in attempting lyrics, I always felt burdened by not being Joni Mitchell. How could I express myself without sounding trite or silly? I found that if I gave myself prompts, I could create stories around them and find my voice as a lyricist. My aim was to tell stories in which people could hear their own experiences."

  The deeply reflective, lushly nuanced music on Phrases is performed by a stellar septet whose front line includes alto saxophonist Steve Wilson and trumpeter Marquis Hill. Protean drummer Brian Blade provides the recording with its ebb, flow, and pulse. Pianist Darrell Grant both plays and serves as musical director and co-producer while Baker's longtime friends Clark Sommers and Geof Bradfield appear on bass and tenor saxophone, respectively. Young guitarist Gregory Uhlmann, a former student of Jeff Parker, is one of the album's stand-outs. The listener can hear how the musicians are drawn to the singer in their inspired, beautifully shaped solos.

  Phrases was recorded in Chicago in May 2017 at Vijay Tellis-Nayak's Transient Sound following a live performance at the hip Fulton Street Collective. "Jazz musicians talk all the time about their 'Dream Bands,'" says Baker. "Here I am, getting to record with my actual Dream Band! I wrote this music with these musicians in mind, and I am beyond humbled that they've agreed to be part of this project."

    Born in 1979 in Boise, Idaho, Jeff Baker was 13 when the Seattle-spawned grunge rock movement hit. But while his friends were thrilling to Nirvana and Pearl Jam, Jeff was discovering Dizzy Gillespie's Live at the Village Vanguard. "It was the best thing ever," he says. "I learned every song and taught myself to sing with them. Singing jazz, the idea that a vocalist could be an instrumentalist and take the music to different places on a lark, was a real revelation to me. My goal became to be equal and in line with instrumental players."

  Jeff's teachers and mentors "made sure I had opportunities to experience the music at the highest levels!" Chet Baker (no relation) was a major discovery for him, as were Mark Murphy and Johnny Hartman. The music of wide-ranging artists such as Sting and Peter Gabriel resonated deeply with him, as did that of Bonnie Raitt (whose "Not Cause I Wanted To" he covers on Phrases) and minimalist master Steve Reich, whose influence can be felt in the moving harmonies, piano ostinato, and streaming eighth notes on "People of Paper."

  Baker attended Willamette University in Salem, Oregon, on a singing scholarship, sang in the jazz and classical choirs, and studied opera and musical theater. With plentiful opportunities to perform, he continued educating himself as a jazz vocalist. Backed by Idaho musicians, he recorded his first album, Baker Sings Chet, largely to raise money to attend graduate school. He never went, but working in the studio, he says, "became kind of my graduate school."

  The Chet Baker project, released on Origin Records' OA2 imprint, did well enough to enable Baker to make another record, Monologue, for which Origin head John Bishop hooked him up with versatile Seattle pianist Bill Anschell. It proved to be a fruitful collaboration. Baker and Anschell teamed up on two more acclaimed albums, Shopping for Your Heart (2007) and the gospel-infused Of Things Not Seen (recorded at the same time as Shopping, it was released with re-recorded vocals in 2009).

  In 2012 Darrell Grant, a distinguished member of the music faculty at Portland State University, helped Baker land a position at PSU, where the singer was instrumental in building what came to be a renowned jazz vocal program. Baker also co-founded and is director of the PDX Jazz Forward Competition.

  "We live in an incredible time for creative, genre-defying music," says Baker. "Artists like Laura Mvula, Becca Stevens, Jacob Collier, The Fellowship Band, and so many others are changing the way we think about jazz and contemporary songwriting. It's a privilege to write and make music at this time. Phrases is my humble contribution to this ever evolving conversation."

          Photography: Steve Korn  

          Web Site: jeffbakerjazz.com    

Media Contact:

Terri Hinte 510-234-8781 hudba@sbcglobal.net terrihinte.com  

via Blogger http://ift.tt/2BQ3yxt

[podilatokafe]

RECORDING: "Phrases," Jazz Vocalist Jeff Baker's 5th Album and First to Feature His Original Music, Due January 19 on Oa2 Records

RECORDING: “Phrases,” Jazz Vocalist Jeff Baker’s 5th Album and First to Feature His Original Music, Due January 19 on Oa2 Records

[podilatokafe]

Adam Shulman Sextet - Here-There (2015)

Adam Shulman Sextet – Here-There (2015)

  2015 OA2 Records Adam Shulman piano Mike Olmos trumpet Patrick Wolff alto saxophone Rob Roth tenor saxophone John Wiitala bass Smith Dobson drums 1. Grant and Green 6:19 2. Shelby’s Sojourn 8:53 3. For an Unknown Lady 10:18 4. Katy 7:39 5. Pearl and Bruno 8:24 6. Dirty 7:42 7. Apartment 6 6:02 8. Easy Living 6:26 ▼

[jazzworldquest-blog]

USA; Idit Shner-9 Short Stories (Oa2 Records 2017)

A fiery and dedicated improviser and composer, saxophonist Idit Shner's latest quartet recording highlights her rich and ongoing relationship with pianist Josh Hanlon and drummer Stockton Helbing, which dates back to the early 2000's when Idit was working on her Doctorate at the University of North Texas. Along with bassist James Driscoll, the quartet tackles a program of Idit's compositions, all based in the jazz tradition but with influences ranging from traditional melodies & rhythms from Zimbabwe, to classical Arabic music, to the Latin-tinged grooves of McCoy Tyner from his early '70s recordings. For the album's lone standard, Billy Strayhorn's 'Passion Flower,' Shner declares her debt to one of jazz's definitive alto stylists with this haunting Ellington band staple, one of Duke's many feature numbers for Johnny Hodges.

  via Blogger http://ift.tt/2eQnNAQ

[podilatokafe]

Republic of Jazz: Errol Rackipov Group – Distant Dreams (OA2 RECORDS 2017) Πηγή: Republic of Jazz: Errol Rackipov Group - Distant Dreams (OA2 RECORDS 2017)

[jazzworldquest-blog]

USA:Brent Laidler- No Matter Where Noir (2017)

Album Notes “Hello?” “Oh Good, you’re still there!” Her voice was a well modulated but somewhat breathless alto with an accent I couldn’t place. “So what can I do for you?” “Your ad in the phone book says you specialize in missing persons, are you good at it?” “I’d like to think so. So who’s missing and how long have they been gone?” “Me. I mean… I don’t know.” Most ‘Persons’ cases start out pretty simple. This didn’t seem to be one of them... I’m often inspired to write music – even if I don’t have something specific to write for. So I usually have a few tunes floating around unused. One fateful day I decided to write a dark ballad for fun. “No Matter Where Noir” was the result. Wow. We knew it was going to be a ‘Title Track’ from the first time Ned played it – he OWNED it! Then it grew into a Concept. Then we played with ideas for a back story… I chose “Southern Gate” and “Meet Me at the Havana Hilton” from earlier projects and set the stage for a whole Noir World in Miami. It fit really well. We needed a nightclub – so the hip swing tune I was working on became “Jamie’s Joynt.” It needed a piano melody and I’m not a piano player, so I asked Jamie to give it a go. He forgot about it for a while and then stuck a hand written chart in my door two days before the session. It’s fantastic! So how should the story begin? Pulled an unused tune out of my pocket, changed the groove, rewrote the melody and it became “Downtown By Nine.” It’s much better this way. Cool. “Sixth Sense” was inspired by Lee Morgan’s “Sidewinder.” It’s something every good detective should have. I love blending voices together. Flugelhorn and guitar are nice. Sax and trumpet particularly are Very Hip – like another of my heroes, Horace Silver used. Vibes are sweet with anything! Honestly? I’d be bored to death if I could only write for guitar. Every Noir Story also needs a nemesis. One night Scott called off “Have You Met Miss Jones” – it was noisy and I mis-heard it. I laughed, thinking that “Heavy Memphis Jones” sounded like a bad dude. Had to do it! Took a long time and several tries to write, but I finally managed the right blend of Killer Joe style and homage to Rogers and Hart in an almost completely original piece. The Mystery Woman and the Intrepid Gumshoe usually develop a romantic involvement – so I needed “Law of Attraction” to indicate that she’s starting to have some feelings. It’s the only contrafact on the disk, but I’m keeping the secret for now. See if you can guess. I’d written “Not Just Another Waltz” a year earlier. It dropped right into the story and we laughed that the existing title fit the narrative on more than one level. Perhaps the Hero has already been around the block a time or two but considers maybe this time could be different. Now - what if they decide to run away together and keep the money? That’s where “Meet Me at the Havana Hilton” was perfect! “Keep Me In Mind” was written for Mark to take us home when things inevitably don’t work out - creating the image of our Leading Man strolling off into the night under the street lamps… I love them all, but if I had to pick a favorite – this was the one that gave me goose bumps during the first playback. I hope you have at least half as much fun listening as we did playing! Brent Mark Buselli (trumpet, flugelhorn) is Director of Jazz Studies at Ball State University and Co-Founder of The Buselli – Wallarab Jazz Orchestra. He has won numerous awards and recognitions, including top 100 CD of the Decade from Downbeat Magazine, and has over forty arrangements published for big bands, brass ensemble, and piano/trumpet. He has nine recordings out as a leader on the Owl studios and OA2 record labels. He has performed with artists such as Bobby McFerrin, Slide Hampton, Jimmy Heath, Slam Stewart, Natalie Cole, The Four Tops, The Temptations, Ben Vereen and has played for four former U.S. presidents. Ned Boyd (saxophones) has been teaching for 25 years. He earned his Bachelor of Music Degree in saxophone performance at the North Carolina School of the Arts and MM in Education from the Eastman School of Music. He has recently appeared with Aretha Franklin, George Benson, Wayne Brady, Michael Feinstein, the Four Tops, Ben Folds and The Indianapolis Symphony. He has also performed with Barry Manilow, Wayne Newton, The Temptations, Rosemary Clooney, Liza Minelli, The Spinners, Don Rickles, Bernadette Peters, and the big bands of Guy Lombardo, Lawrence Welk, the Dorsey Brothers and the Buselli-Wallarab Jazz Orchestra. Mitch Shiner (vibraphone) drummer and vibraphonist, graduated from the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music with a Bachelors degree in Jazz Studies. Currently based in Milwaukee, Mitch is an in-demand performer, active educator, and award winning composer. He performs with groups of all genres and styles, appearing with Tad Robinson, Christian Sands, Arturo Sandoval, John Clayton, Emmet Cohen, Meloney Collins, Everett Greene, Michael Spiro, The Leisure Kings, The MidCoast Swing Orchestra, The Milwaukee Jazz Orchestra and The PostModern Jazz Quartet. Jamie Newman (piano) lives in West Lafayette. He has degrees from Reed College and the Boston University School of Law. He is the accompanist for Purdue University's Dance Division. He also plays jazz piano and organ with various groups in and around Central Indiana, and as a soloist. He used to practice law. Those days are over. Scott Pazera (bass) is currently the Jazz Band director at Wabash College as well as a motivated private instructor, clinician and spirited performer with 30 years experience. He performs publicly with his own ensembles and has appeared and/or recorded with artists such as Rich Little, Veruca Salt, Ce Ce Peniston, Med Flory (Supersax), Fareed Haque, Henry Johnson, Dave Douglas, Byron Stripling, Rachel Yamagata and many others. He has Bachelor's and Master's Degrees from Indiana University and most recently completed a second Master's Degree in Music Technology from IUPUI. Richard “Sleepy” Floyd (drums – tracks 1,2,4,9,10 & 11) is a drummer, composer, and producer known for his versatility and high level of musicianship. In a playing career spanning more than 24 years, Sleepy has performed and recorded with artists across several genres including 112, DJ Logic, Nicolay, Phonte of Little Brother, Black Milk, Mayer Hawthorne, Rob Dixon, Mystikos Quintet and Fareed Haque. Ultimately a love for hip-hop, jazz, and beat production led to co-founding The Native Sun www.thenativesun.org – who strives to keep the fundemental elements in hip hop alive. Kenny Phelps (drums – tracks 3,5,6,7 & 8) is a self-taught and highly sought after percussionist and an adjunct jazz percussion instructor at Butler University. In 2015, he was inducted into the Indianapolis Jazz Hall of Fame. He has a regular traveling gig with internationally renowned singer Dee Dee Bridgewater - an annual feature of his schedule, including extensive European engagements. Performances include Wynton Marsalis, Eartha Kitt, Michael Brecker, Slide Hampton, Wycliffe Gordon, Chuchito Valdes, and the New York Voices. In 2012 he became Owl Music Group sole CEO, turning the company into a humanitarian arts organization reaching out to young musicians and community organizations who aid victims of sexual assault, domestic violence and the homeless. Brent Laidler (composer, guitar) attended Western Michigan University, majoring in Music Education with a minor in Composition. He owns and operates a band instrument repair business with endorsements from many area universities and symphonies, world class professionals, and three DCI Corps. www.brentsbench.com Brent is a Jazz Clinician, a member of the Indiana Jazz Educator's Association, former President of the Songwriter’s Association of Mid-north Indiana and served as the Choir Director at University Church - Purdue University. He has performed with Broadway artist Michael Mandel, Comedian/Impersonator Rich Little, The Lafayette Symphony, Jazz legend Tony Zamora, Brazilian artist/composer Felipe Viera – as well as vocalists Kirby Shaw, Regina Todd-Hicks, Ly (Tartell) Wilder and Amanda Overmyer from American Idol. Brent has been a staff arranger for two competitive marching bands, written music for commercials, video games and independent films. Working with TMG/5 Artists and Westlake Signal Group, he now has five film scores to his credit – having been seen and heard on Los Angeles Cable Television, the Pan-African Film Festival, and the Kodak Theater in Hollywood. "Then and Now - Single Engine Stations, Volume II" won a Telly Award in the Documentary Category. Dedications Objectively speaking, I’m a composer and then a player. It’s really fun to write songs specifically FOR the people you know will play them and I’m also honored and blessed to have such amazing friends whose talent and input bring out the full potential in the Music. It’s unbelievable… So thank you Everyone who helped to make this project happen! Scott and Jamie are long time friends who teach me something new every time we play. Scott got us in and out of several tunes with awesome suggestions from his vast experience in multiple genres and mastery of groove. Jamie agreed to take the part of noir club owner and band leader and wrote “the melody no one can play.” You can’t ask for a better soloist or accompanist. I mean, just listen. Seriously. Listen. I met Sleepy and Mitch at an open jam session! Not only are they fantastic musicians, but the chemistry was instant. They are reactive, responsive, and know instinctively when to lead and when to follow. From the first time we played, I couldn’t imagine recording this CD without them. It’s been a blast. We definitely need to do it again. What are you guys doing next Thursday? Ned has worked with me for ages. He is simply astounding. It’s a special privilege to work with him on stage – his Love and Joy performing live music is infectious. You really need to feel the energy to appreciate it, and the best part is you never leave a gig without a big smile! Mark has been lots of things – a customer, a friend and now I’m thrilled to share a bandstand with him. He is truly gifted, loves music, loves teaching and is one of the most supportive and encouraging people I know. His solo on the last track transported me back to college when I first discovered Freddie Hubbard’s album “First Light.” You know – one of those jaw on the floor moments… Kenny is my hero. I’ve always loved watching him play – he has so much fun! The couple gigs we’ve done together were a real treat. But when Sleepy had a last minute conflict and couldn’t make the session - Kenny was available and saved the day! He’s a world class musician with international tours, a heavyweight discography, and now dedicates his time and energy to students and education. Amen! Now I know why Everyone recommends Michael Graham at The Lodge Studios! He gets interested and involved in making your project a success. He also makes it look easy – a true sign of mastery. He’s been available sometimes on short notice, but everything is always smooth, relaxed and purposeful. Thanks also to Steven Byroad – it’s been a great experience all around. Special thanks to voice actors Sara Mummey and Dustin Hopkins! http://ift.tt/2sP7E3Y via Blogger http://ift.tt/2sfyO77