Jazz-Inspired Singer-Songwriter Valeria Matzner Finds the Tender Side of her South American Soul on Anima

Uruguayan-born singer-songwriter Valeria Matzner walked into the studio with a book full of ideas. But she had no idea what final shape they would take. “Twenty minutes before the recording session, I announced that I had an idea and want to work on it. Our engineer was so patient with me. I wanted it to be very soft and tender. South American singing is not about showing off your instrument, your technique, it’s about singing the damn song,” Matzner states. “I don’t want to show I have a pretty voice. I want to tell a story.” 

Matzner went in and nailed it, crafting the tender ballad “Amor y Soledad.” The track channels vulnerable sway and intimate appeal of Anima (release: May 16, 2018), Matzner’s first solo album and first recording after immigrating to Canada and diving into jazz. The Montevideo native explores the softer side of her musical soul, filtered through a firm commitment to songwriting and a new-found perspective on her South American past. 

“A lot of the songs on this album took a lot of reaching to write. I found myself able to write faster, upbeat songs easily. But writing ballads, I resisted that,” she muses. “I had to embrace the tender and vulnerable part of me. In this part of my life, I’m getting more in  

Matzner’s music wasn’t always so gentle in its approach. Though she grew up with classical training, singing as a chorister in the national choir, she and a friend would slip away from rehearsal to hang out with the guys at a local record store, asking for mixtapes. Matzner soon added hard rock and punk to the Latin, tango, and Brazilian music she heard her parents play at home.

  

When the Seattle sound swept the world thanks Nirvana and Pearl Jam, Matzner knew what she had to do. She started her own band, Blue Angel, with friends. Playing in a band meant writing your own songs: “If you played someone else’s music, you were considered a fake. You weren’t contributing anything,” recounts Matzner. “I showed some ideas that I had to a friend of mine, and I started writing my own music.” Over time, the band’s sound morphed to incorporate more local elements--even Ecuadorian folk music--into the grunge.

It was tough to earn respect as a female bandleader, but Matzner did it. The band played all over, from small holes in the wall to big festivals, even at SXSW. Then Matzner fell in love, married a fan, and wound up in a remote part of northern British Columbia. She found her music career on hold in her new homeland and her identity shifting as she adjusted slowly to life in Canada.

After some years, some heartbreak, and some moving around, Matzner found music calling her again. This time, she decided to pursue training in jazz. “I decided to go to music school,” says Matzner. “I got into something new, jazz and electronic music composition. Electronic music guided me in ways you may not hear at first,” but that pop in intriguing ways in Anima’s production choices, including an unexpected cover of Radiohead deep cut, “Lotus Flower.”

Jazz did, too, and its impact is readily apparent (“Illusion”). Yet as with rock, Matzner did not want to stick with singing standards. She began to write her own songs, eventually finding pianist and songwriter Scott Metcalfe to collaborate with. Matzner and Metcalfe both had a long history of writing across genres and styles. Together, they captured a variety of moments, sounds, and beats, like the feel of a newly democratic, musically bubbling Buenos Aires in “Contemporaineo,” where Matzner spent several years as a young woman.

They discovered ways to pay tribute to Matzner’s love of Brazil and its many musical styles. Portuguese often intermingles with Spanish in her lyrics, or inspires entire songs, like the beautiful “Lua Cheia.” A late-night swim in Rio with the lights of the city shimmering on the waves sparked “Cor,” which weaves together two different Brazilian rhythms. “It’s about finding peace in the water,” Matzner explains. “I wanted to stay there and never come out and just find peace in the current, submerging myself and looking at the colors.”

Reaching into South American sounds came naturally to Matzner as part of her ongoing adjustment to life in a new, very different country. “I realized I was getting deeper into my roots as I worked more and more in jazz,” recounts Matzner. “Musical exploration and memory became a way of finding myself more and more in a culture.” Digging deep also meant surfacing an emotionally tense tenderness in songs like “For My Father,” a song connected to Matzner’s restored connection to her father as an adult.

These intense subjects and stories channelled with a gentle touch are steps toward a new, more mature songwriting style, an achievement honored by a recent Global Music Award. Songs like “Broken Landscapes” point in this direction: “I’m drawn more and more to a philosophical way of looking at things and writing songs,” muses Matzner. “It’s painful to have to dig into yourself for inspiration. It’s very self-absorbed. I want to sing more outwardly, about stories outside of me.” Matzner instead strives to sing about the world, via the lens of a resonant soul, to the beat of the Latin pulse she imbibed from childhood.

NEW RELEASES: LEROY HUTSON – HUTSON; DUDUKA DA FONSECA TRIO PLAYS DOM SALVADOR; JOE LOVANO & DAVE DOUGLAS - SOUND PRINTS

LEROY HUTSON – HUTSON

An amazing record – quite possibly the best ever by Chicago soul legend Leroy Hutson! The whole thing's a smooth soul masterpiece beyond compare – a stunning blend of great songwriting, sexy vocals, and buttery production that rank it up there with the best work of 70s giants like Marvin Gaye, Leon Ware, or Roy Ayers. Leroy's got a voice that's both warm and mellow, yet incredibly honest at the same time – and the songs on the record show a range of colors and emotions that perfectly fit his unique style. Features mellow "Cool Out", the funky "Lucky Fellow", the sweet "All Because Of You", and the sublime cuts "It's Different" and "Can't Stay Away". The whole thing's great – and is one of the crowning achievements of the Chicago soul scene! Also features bonus tracks – single edits of "All Because Of You" and "Can't Stay Away". ~ Dusty Groove

DUDUKA DA FONSECA – DUDUKA DA FONSECA TRIO PLAYS DOM SALVADOR

One Brazilian jazz great pays tribute to another – drummer Duduka Da Fonseca, who works here in a whole set of classic tunes from the songbook of pianist Dom Salvador! Both Duduka and Dom emigrated from Brazil to the US in their early years – where they found a welcome audience, and a way to really expand their musical palette – and back in the 80s, Da Fonseca even played in Salvador's group for awhile – which makes him a perfect artist for a project like this! And yet, the music is also nicely different than Dom Salvador's older recordings – given that the leader here is a drummer, not a pianist – which definitely gives a different focus to the record, although David Feldman does a pretty great job on the piano throughout. The group also features Guto Wirtti on bass, and Jaques Morelenbaum plays cello on one track – and titles include "Para Elis", "Samba Do Malandrinho", "Transition", "Farjuto", "Antes Da Chuva", "Clauditi", "Gafieira", and "Tematrio".  ~ Dusty Groove

JOE LOVANO & DAVE DOUGLAS - SOUND PRINTS

A beautiful collaboration between trumpeter Dave Douglas and saxophonist Joe Lovano – a record that has both musicians really hitting the heights of their creative powers! Dave's got this angular, edgey feel that takes us back to his earlier records – not that we haven't liked his recent projects, but he sounds especially great here in the company of Lovano – whose tenor is sharp and superb, and also plays a bit of G mezzo soprano sax as well! The rest of the group is equally well-matched – a great lineup that features Lawrence Fields on piano, Linda May Han Oh on bass, and Joey Baron on drums – all working with this quality that's angular and swinging at the same time – never too sharp for its own good, but flowing along in a really creative way. Two of the tunes are by Wayne Shorter – who's late 60s music might be a good comparison with some of the sounds here – and titles include "Dream State", "Full Sun", "Ups & Downs", "Full Moon", "Libra", "Juju", and "The Corner Tavern". ~ Dusty Groove

NEW RELEASES: GREG BURK – THE DETROIT SONGBOOK; JOE MAGNARELLI – MAGIC TRICK; DAVE REMPIS / MATT PIET / TIM DAISY – THROW TOMATOES

GREG BURK – THE DETROIT SONGBOOK

A beautiful love letter to the Detroit jazz scene from pianist Greg Burk – not the famous motor city jazz world of the postwar years, but a really special time in the 90s when things were a bit more underground – and when Burk spent some formative years in the city! The notes recall some amazing days of warmth and collaboration with Detroit musicians – and the music here was all composed during that time, and really sparkles with the spirit that Burk speaks of in the notes – this soulful, lyrical, immediately personal flow between his piano, the bass of Matteo Bortone, and the drums of John Arnold. The compositions are wonderful – music that will really have us paying attention to Greg's skills as a writer – and titles include "Cass & Palmer", "Jangle", "Scene Unseen", "Matins", and "Woodward Stride". ~ Dusty Groove

JOE MAGNARELLI – MAGIC TRICK

Joe Magnarelli can be one of the most explosively colorful trumpeters we know – and that's definitely the case here, as he works some beautiful magic alongside the alto of Andy Fusco and guitar of John Hart! Both players are equally imbued with hues, and weave this fantastic array of tones and colors throughout the set – especially on the few numbers that are Magnarelli originals! Joe's a player who would have been huge in the classic years of jazz recording – when his mix of technique and humanity would have grabbed many ears right away – but maybe that's also what makes a record like this so special – as it's part of a continuing statement of individuality from a player that only the few in the know can really appreciate. The group also features Ben Wolfe on bass and Byron Landon on drums – and titles include "Magic Trick", "Theme For Ernie", "2nd Anniversary", "Vercelli", "Akira's Riff", and a nice take on "Along Came Betty". ~ Dusty Groove

DAVE REMPIS / MATT PIET / TIM DAISY – THROW TOMATOES

Two fantastic improvisations from the Chicago scene – both featuring the well-known talents of Dave Rempis on saxes and Tim Daisy on drums – plus the rising genius of Matt Piet on piano! Piet's a name we've only begun to pay attention to – but his bold sense of freedom here really seems to drive the proceedings on even more strongly than we might have guessed – with an urgency that really sets Rempis on fire, who then seems to do the same to the trio – while Daisy balanced beautifully between more sensitive percussion and a full-on attack of the drum kit. Titles include "To Play Is The Thing" and "The Thousand Natural Shocks". ~ Dusty Groove

NEW RELEASES: BARRY WHITE – LOVE’S THEME: THE COMPLETE 20TH CENTURY RECORDS SINGLES 1973-1979; JEFF RYAN – EMBRACE; GABRIELE POSO - AWAKENING

BARRY WHITE – LOVE’S THEME: THE COMPLETE 20^TH CENTURY RECORDS SINGLES 1973-1979 (3-CD SET)

Barry White was one of the undisputed geniuses of 70s soul – a completely new force that helped the music find even more soul and sophistication than ever before – all while still sounding plenty funky too! And while Barry's albums of the decade were mega-hits – as were his productions with Love Unlimited and the Love Unlimited Orchestra – the man also had a great way with a 7" single – and somehow managed to pack all the punch and power of a full soul orchestra performance into the space of a few short minutes – all while topping the tunes with his own majestic vocals! Barry also completely redefined masculinity at the time – adding in this positive, prosperous, all-encompassing mode to his music – often at a level that was a far cry from soul modes of the 60s, and which paved the way for so many transformations to come. Here, you'll get a heady helping of his great singles of the 70s – some of which you'll know as classics, others which come as a nice surprise – all working together in one massively mighty collection. Titles include "Never Never Gonna Give You Up", "Playing Your Game Baby", "I'm Qualified To Satisfy You", "I'll Do Anything You want Me To", "You're The First The Last My Everything", "Honey Please Can't Ya See", "What Am I Gonna Do With You", "Baby We Better Try To Get It Together", "Your Sweetness Is My Weakness", "I Love The Songs I Sing", "September When I First Met You", "It's Ecstasy When You Lay Down To Me", "Don't Make Me Wait To Long", "I'm Gonna Love You Just A Little More Baby", and "I've Got So Much To Give". 3CD set features a massive 46 tracks in all, with a big booklet of notes – all the singles Barry released with 20th Century Records in the 70s, including b-sides – some of which are instrumentals or long versions!  ~ Dusty Groove

JEFF RYAN – EMBRACE

Rising star saxophonist Jeff Ryan’s powerhouse debut single "Up and Up," offers a mix of sultry steam and robustness, with an intense, soulful energy reminiscent of the musician’s favorite influence, Richard Elliot. In a single four-and-a-half minute track, Ryan takes us on a breakneck ride that showcases a spectrum of emotion and an uncanny ability to chill us out while building tension before the next burst of brassy sunshine. The full album EMBRACE, on Woodward Avenue Records, features nine remarkable originals and one cool Bruno Mars cover. Collaborating with keyboardist, composer and producer Greg Manning, Ryan fashions his own vibrant contemporary twist on the heart-searing vibe that cats like Elliot and Gerald Albright have mastered over the years. EMBRACE is not only an incredible blast of a debut by an artist for whom, to quote Oli Silk, “the limit’s the sky,” but hands down, the best Smooth Jazz album of the year so far! ~ smoothjazz.com

GABRIELE POSO - AWAKENING

Clubby grooves and rootsy percussion – served up here by Gabriele Poso in a really wonderful combination! The music here is as rich and organic as the cover – almost in the 21st Century blend of contemporary and classic that we've loved in records from artists like Joe Clausell or Osunlade – but very much in its own particular style, and, if anything, even more textured and complex than music from those two artists! Gabriele Poso recently gave us a collection of drum-heavy tracks by others on BBE, but this set of his own music even tops that – as the roots go even deeper, even though the music is all new. Titles include "Playa 80", "Awakening", ":Adorando", "Words Never Work", "The Night Falls", "Mi Amigo", "Otro Barrio", "Sotto Il Campanile", and a really nice cover of "Everybody Loves The Sunshine". ~ Dusty Groove

Billboard Top 10 Jazz Duo, AS IS, to Donate Proceeds of New Album's Title Track, "HERE'S TO LIFE," to International Lyme & Associated Diseases Educational Foundation; Song Featured in ILADEF New Nationwide PSA

The Billboard Top 10 Jazz duo and husband and wife team of Lyme Disease activists, AS IS, announce that all the proceeds from the title track of their second critically-acclaimed album, "HERE'S TO LIFE," will go to the International Lyme & Associated Diseases Educational Foundation (ILADEF) to help train the next generation of physician-scientists who will be future leaders in the treatment of Lyme and associated diseases. 

Additionally, the song will be featured in the organization's PSA to run throughout the peak Lyme season of May-September on radio stations across America.  Entries are now being accepted from Lyme patients for inclusion in the song's upcoming official music video to debut on May 1st, the first day of National Lyme Disease Awareness Month.

Since being diagnosed with Lyme Disease in 2009, Stacey Schulman, along with her husband and musical partner, Alan, have dedicated their musical lives to raising awareness and helping other patients find Lyme expert physicians for treatment. 

In 2015, the duo worked with the Global Lyme Alliance, donating all proceeds from their debut album, "A Love Like Ours."  Their sophomore CD – "HERE'S TO LIFE" – was released in February 2018 to critical acclaim and commercial success, reaching the Top 10 on Billboard's Traditional Jazz chart.  Recorded with a Grammy-winning team of artists and production talent, "HERE'S TO LIFE" remains in steady rotation this spring on jazz stations across the U.S.   The album's title track is the couple's gift to the Lyme community, inspiring hope for Lyme patients who struggle daily with chronic illness and the desire to get back to living fully.

Inspired by the awareness and money raised by "A Love Like Ours," AS IS now embarks on an even greater endeavor with "HERE'S TO LIFE," by encouraging current sufferers of Lyme Disease to maintain hope for a cure and submit their life's aspirations for life AFTER Lyme.  The duo plans to feature the submissions in their upcoming music video, articulating the senselessness and poignancy of so many promising lives interrupted by the current Lyme epidemic.

"Like so many other Lyme patients, I suffer with this disease chronically because my doctors were not able to identify, test and treat me early enough to prevent the disease from disseminating throughout my body," said Stacey Schulman.  "Early detection is critical and we are thrilled that our music will be helping ILADEF continue to expand their physician training and education programs." 

To be considered for the music video, Lyme sufferers need to submit a photo of them holding a sign answering the question, "What would you do if your Lyme were cured tomorrow?" AS IS will be accepting submissions on their website – https://www.asisjazz.com/lyme from Monday, April 16 - Friday, April 27th.

"ILADEF offers a unique program whereby medical professionals may spend a week shadowing tick borne disease experts.  This successful program is integral to educating doctors around the world about the complexities of tick-borne disease diagnosis and treatment," said Ronald Wilson, MD, President ILADEF. "We're excited to work with AS IS to raise funds for this important program and raise awareness this summer." 

About AS IS

AS IS features jazz guitarist Alan Schulman and jazz vocalist Stacey Schulman. Their music is an eclectic mix of tunes that showcases Stacey's versatile vocal stylings and Alan's soulful acoustic and electric jazz guitar playing. Their second CD, "HERE'S TO LIFE," was released to critical acclaim in February, 2018.

About ILADEF

The International Lyme and Associated Diseases Educational Foundation (ILADEF) is a nonprofit, international foundation that promotes medical education and research related to Lyme and associated diseases and supports the educational and research goals of the International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society (ILADS). ILADS is a nonprofit, international, multi-disciplinary medical society, dedicated to the diagnosis and appropriate treatment of Lyme and its associated diseases.  ILADS promotes understanding of Lyme through research and education and strongly supports physicians and other health care professionals dedicated to advancing the standard of care for Lyme and its associated diseases.

How Catherine Bent Took to Brazil’s Sensual Swinging Choro and Found it Ideal for the Cello

Cellist Catherine Bent tumbled off the bus, case in tow, and walked into a room full of guitar players at Rio de Janeiro’s main choro school. She had arrived the previous night in Rio for the first time and knew no Portuguese (yet). The guitarists spoke no English. Somehow, they asked her to play, and somehow, she understood. She sailed through a popular choro piece, and another, and then – her audience still attentive – she dived into Bach. A roomful of skeptics became a roomful of supporters, and she was whisked off to her first jam session over feijoada and caipirinhas.

“Doors opened for me,” Bent recalls. “I was warmly welcomed into the world of choro in Rio. I had been there less than a month and was invited to play twice with a famous choro band on national radio. It could have been the novelty of a woman from outside Brazil, a cellist, who played the music. But I had also taken the time to really learn the style and a decent body of repertoire. It made it very easy to grow as a performer of the music.”

The Berklee professor has kept the tense wonder of that first encounter in her playing and composing, as her engagement with Brazil’s century-old answer to the string band grows. On Ideal, the first recording chronicling Bent’s choro-inspired work, she unites top-shelf Brazilian players to explore the elegant tradition and its expressive, experimental possibilities.

“I have been struck by the strong sense of community and sharing in Brazil,” Bent notes. “It was intense, the experiences I had in that community, and it required a certain surrender and trust. The kind of trust takes you to other places.”

“Until my 20s, I generally had a color-inside-the-lines approach to music,” recalls Bent. “Then I got into punk and avant-garde approaches and did a lot of free improv and experimental work in New York City, even before starting my more disciplined study of jazz. That was also the time when I started developing my techniques for groove-based music on cello.”

These techniques drew her to musical styles that could make full use of strings, but that were not necessarily designed for her instrument, styles like choro. Choro developed in the late 19th century and came into its own in the 1920s and 1930s, an offshoot of European social dance music and Brazil’s unique mix of African and indigenous elements. (Bent paints a picture of its early evolution from polka to maxixe on “Quebrando Tudo.”) Choro kept the elegance of dances like the waltz or the schottische, yet transformed them with rhythmic and melodic variation, and a swing and sensuality all its own. Pieces often captured everyday moments or paid tribute to homelands their composers had left behind.

Bent first ran into choro as a grad student at the New England Conservatory, while getting her masters in jazz. “l met a flute player, half Israeli and half Brazilian. He brought a book of Pixinguinha to our playing session,” Bent remembers. “I thought at first: this is really challenging. It wasn’t written for cello. It had melodic appeal and a groove and improvisation. I took it on as a vehicle for growth.” Choro soon went from interesting exercise to intense fascination.

The fascination took her to Brazil, where spontaneous musical relationship arose and Bent marveled at the strange ease. It proved inspiring: “Really deep friendships started, creating more community around music than I’d felt before,” marvels Bent. “We didn’t even need to share a spoken language at first. It was just the music and open-eyed trust.” Bent pays tribute to this experience of opening and embracing with “Mãos Abertas,” referring to the open-handed way her new friends shared their music and lives.

After several summers in Brazil, having gained further mastery of the music and the language, Bent was hearing choro pieces in her head, often at the least convenient times, like when packing to leave for two months in Rio. Her first composed choro, “Fazendo as Malas,” came to her amid half-packed suitcases. She found herself rushing to the piano to jot down a few more lines, a couple more ideas.

Like choro itself, Bent’s pieces often incorporate sounds and styles from around Brazil, elements of the music’s history and potential. Forró and other northeastern Brazilian rhythms inspired “Som do Seilerei,” a musically layered send-up of a disastrous yet funny soundcheck. Free jazz breaks, sinuous woodwinds (Bia Stutz’s elegant clarinet), and unexpected and delightful dialog between brass (the prodigy Moraes brothers) and cello all add twists to choro that expand the style without fully departing from it.

These ideas flowed in part from Bent’s profound gratitude for the lessons and gifts the choro community had given her. “I felt the need to start contributing. People get happy when I play, but I was enjoying hospitality, the gift of the music, without giving much of myself back,” muses Bent. “And I needed to go deeper, to be part of the conversation more. But because I write complex pieces that depart from traditional forms, my music isn’t practical for a choro session where most are learning by ear. Some people have already asked for my charts, and I hope the recording will help make the tunes approachable to play.”

To record, Bent turned to her most admired choro colleagues to join her in the studio. Close friend and sax player Daniela Spielmann was someone she knew had to be involved. And Bent invited guitarist Lucas Porto who, as she knew from jam sessions, was a master of both the nylon 6-string and the steel 7-string styles integral to choro.

Bent realizes that she’s tinkering with beloved traditions, but that’s a part of choro’s history, too. Witness the late 19th-century renegade composer, pianist, and social activist Francisca Edwige Neves "Chiquinha" Gonzaga, who left a comfortable middle-class marriage to pursue her music and unfashionable human rights causes. Bent pays tribute to her life and draws on her defiant creative spirit on “A Boa Filha Partiu.” “The most traditional players are not always into what I’m doing, though I respect their intentions,” Bent explains. “Over recent years, I’ve come to see that I don’t have to be a ‘good girl,’ in art or in life. While the respect is there, so is the playfulness. I want to be free and do things that are risky, things that are a bit quirky.”

Even if Bent’s iterations of choro and other Brazilian forms push the boundaries, her zest and commitment to taking joy in artistic risk feel part of a long line of playful innovators. “Choro brought back that fearless pursuit of joy for me, the heart of music,” says Bent. “You have to leave a light personal footprint in classical music and think foremost about the composer’s intent. Choro works differently. Mistakes in choro make people laugh. You might get lost or jump into another tune and find an interesting way back. It brought me so much freedom as a musician. It’s how I found my voice.”

NEW RELEASES: THE MANHATTAN TRANSFER - THE JUNCTION; NINO TEMPO – PURVEYOR OF BALLADRY: THE BEST OF NINO TEMPO ON ATLANTIC; JASON YEAGAR / RANDAL DESPOMMIER – ALL AT ONCENESS

THE MANHATTAN TRANSFER - THE JUNCTION

If you’ve been along for the full ride, you know that The Manhattan Transfer is the first group to win Grammys in both pop and jazz categories in 1981. Four years later, their album Vocalese received 12 Grammy nominations, making it second only to Michael Jackson's Thriller as the most nominated individual album. This sonically brilliant and innovative new collection, The Junction, produced by 5-time, Grammy winner Mervyn Warren, meets The Transfer 4 ½ decades in, celebrating musical legacy with fresh ideas and modern modalities! Inspired by their 1975 version of Glen Miller’s “Tuxedo Junction,” The Junction peels off the starting line with a mega amount of fashionable production. Ranging from creative covers with inventive customization, as heard on “Cantaloop (Flip Out)” and “Tequila / The Way Of The Booze,” to relevant originals that touch down on fictional characters (“Blues For Harry Bosch”) and characters that we wish were fictional (“Ugly Man”). The foursome, comprised of Janis Siegel (alto), Alan Paul (tenor), Cheryl Bentyne (soprano), and Trist Curless (bass) who replaces founder, the late Tim Hauser, arrives in a time when the world needs them more than ever! ALL aboard! ~ smoothjazz.com

NINO TEMPO – PURVEYOR OF BALLADRY: THE BEST OF NINO TEMPO ON ATLANTIC

In the early 1960s, Tempo joined the in-demand group of studio musicians known as the Wrecking Crew. It was at a Bobby Darin recording session that Nino met Atlantic co-founder Ahmet Ertegun for the first time, and a lifelong friendship began. Ahmet Ertegun signed Nino and his sister, April Stevens, to a recording contract with Atco, a subsidiary of Atlantic. So successful was Nino and April’s 1963 duet, “Deep Purple,” that the chart-topping, million-selling gold record scored a Best Rock and Roll Recording Grammy® in 1964. Omnivore’s compilation is drawn from the best of Nino’s two Atlantic studio albums.

JASON YEAGAR / RANDAL DESPOMMIER – ALL AT ONCENESS

Brooklyn-based Red Piano Records is proud to announce the release of saxophonist Randal Despommier and pianist Jason Yeager's first collaborative album, All At Onceness, a soulful mix of improvisational arrangements of Baroque, Romantic, twentieth-century, and contemporary pieces. With source material ranging from Bach to Stravinsky, Scriabin to Messiaen, these intrepid composer-improvisers stake out their own territory in a diverse program that combines folk-like melodies, evocative harmonies, and infectious rhythms. Joining the duo are three of New York's most adventurous artists: vocalist Aubrey Johnson, bassist Danny Weller, and drummer Jay Sawyer.

39th Annual Detroit Jazz Festival: Chick Corea, Terri Lyne Carrington, Esperanza Spalding and more

In keeping with its tradition of assembling a unique, true-to-jazz lineup of artists to headline its signature event, the Detroit Jazz Festival Foundation has announced more than 30 performances that will take the stage during Labor Day weekend. Ranging from leading women artists and up-and-comers to legendary artists that play the spectrum of jazz undertones, the impact of the Festival's diverse programming will span generations.

The headliners were announced yesterday during a luncheon at the Detroit Athletic Club, where Quicken Loans also announced it would return as the Detroit Jazz Festival's presenting sponsor for the 2018 and 2019 Festivals. The company began its presenting sponsorship of the world's largest free jazz festival in 2016.

In its 39th year, the Detroit Jazz Festival presented by Quicken Loans, which runs Friday, August 31 through Monday, September 3, 2018 in downtown Detroit, will kick off with performances by Artist-in-Residence Chick Corea and the 2018 inaugural Resident Ensemble, a new addition to the Festival's annual programming. Each year a core ensemble noted for their artistry, connectivity and camaraderie will engage with the Detroit community and prepare multiple performances of varying texture, instrumentation and repertoire for the Festival. This year's Resident Ensemble will feature Terri Lyne Carrington and Esperanza Spalding, who will lead three sets, with one incorporating a technology element. Originally meant to include the late Geri Allen, much of the Ensemble's focus will be inspired by her music.

"Jazz has always been about freedom, communication and individual expression, and there's nothing that encapsulates the depth of the genre better than a diverse lineup like the one we have planned this year," said Chris Collins, president and artistic director of the Detroit Jazz Festival Foundation. "From legends to artists just embarking on their musical careers, to some of the most powerful female artists that have ever touched the genre, the 39th Annual Detroit Jazz Festival presented by Quicken Loans will be free-spirited in nature and offer a unique cultural flair of jazz stylings for all to enjoy."

Corea's varying performances throughout Labor Day weekend; including performances with his Akoustic Band, Elektric Band, and a sextet with the Detroit Jazz Festival Symphony Orchestra; embody several different jazz stylings, setting a precedent for the wide range of performances jazz enthusiasts can expect to see at the Festival. A few other artists blending a variety of jazz tones and elements sure to engage a younger, more diverse audience, include Chris Dave and the Drumhedz, Sasha Masakowski, Marcus Miller, Nicholas Payton and Omar Sosa. Through these artists and others, Festival attendees can anticipate grooving to an array of jazz music incorporating elements of electronic, avant-garde, New Orleans, rock, modern, classical, spiritual and more.

Some of the more influential women artists headlining the Festival, beyond the Resident Ensemble and Masakowski, include Cécile McLorin Salvant, Tia Fuller, the original all-female group Straight Ahead, and Trio of Oz's Rachel Z.

The full Festival schedule will be available at detroitjazzfest.org as the event nears.

Diana Purim & Eyedentity, 'Many Bodies, One Mind' Due out May 18th

Diana Purim began her musical career in 1972, touring with Chick Corea’s Original Return to Forever in the belly of her mother, renowned Brazilian Jazz signer, Flora Purim. She grew up on the road traveling from country to country with her parents, Brazilian Jazz pioneers, Flora Purim and percussionist Airto Moreira. 

Krishna, Diana’s childhood friend and husband, is the son of renowned Jazz bassist, Walter Booker, nephew of Wayne Shorter and godson of Herbie Hancock. Credited by Herbie for introducing him to Hip-Hop and to the idea for chart topping track Rockit, featuring GrandMixer D.ST. Krishna began his musical career beat-boxing for Herbie. Many Bodies, 

One Mind is a 10 track album full of standout tracks deeply rooted in the love of Jazz, Funk, Brazilian and Latin Fusion. With guest appreances by Airto Moreira who appears on the song Batucada, Herbie Handcock contributed a piano solo on Acordi, George Duke guests on Questions, Justo Almario performs tenor sax and flute on Tombo in 7/4, and Pete Lockett performs on tablas/Indian percussions on Você Não Me Engana.

Rogério Boccato Quarteto "No Old Rain" Featuring Dan Blake, Nando Michelin & Jay Anderson

When he moved from São Paulo to NYC in 2005, Brazilian percussionist Rogério Boccato could not have imagined he would end up on stage and on Grammy-winning recordings with some of his musical heroes: John Patitucci, Maria Schneider, Kenny Garrett, Fred Hersch, Danilo Perez, Billy Childs, Gil Goldstein, among others.

Now leading his own group, Rogério arrives at yet another milestone: the release of his debut recording as a leader, No Old Rain. With his quartet, Rogério breaks out of the traditional jazz mold, collectively weaving form and structure out of the disparate threads of each member's creative input, using motifs from each song as springboards for spontaneous group compositions. The result of this open- eared deconstruction is a reverent, impressionistic vision of each song. The album is a warmly-colored Brazilian Rorschach test viewed through a much-loved second-hand kaleidoscope.

No Old Rain focuses on gems of Brazilian music excavated from the source - written by four of the greatest composers of the post-Bossa Nova generation, who took Brazilian music into new directions: Toninho Horta, Milton Nascimento, Egberto Gismonti and Edu Lobo. Just as their music could have only come from Brazil in the late 20th century, No Old Rain is the seemingly inevitable result of Rogério Boccato's thirteen years in New York.

Saxophonist Tia Fuller Returns After Six Year Recording Hiatus:With "Diamond Cut"

Saxophonist, composer, and bandleader Tia Fuller uses the process of diamonds forming under four levels of extreme pressure and heat as a metaphor for the time she spent honing her artistic craft. When looking up the term 'diamond cut,' you'll learn that it was not necessarily pertaining to the shape but to the proportioning and the balance as to which the highest amount of light is reflected through the diamond. The process serves as a direct correlation to her teaching and playing.

While the phrase "diamond in the rough" often describes burgeoning talents brimming with potential, Fuller has exhibited impending greatness since emerging on the international jazz scene more than a decade ago. Now, her artistic capacity has blossomed tremendously, resulting in her fourth Mack Avenue Records release -- the aptly titled Diamond Cut, her first album as leader since 2012's Angelic Warrior. In those six years, she's transitioned from being a member of Beyoncé's touring band to becoming a full-time professor at Berklee College of Music, while still juggling a demanding career as a solo artist and touring with the likes of drummer Terri Lyne Carrington, bassist Esperanza Spalding, and Ralph Peterson Jr., among others.

"Not that I've arrived by any means, but I think I'm in a space of empowerment, knowing that I'm walking in my purpose," says Fuller as she reflects on her multifaceted career. "I'm in the fullness of my purpose. Now, I'm more able to directly reflect the light toward others because of what other people have poured and reflected into me. I feel that I'm in a solid place to give back things of substance."

Produced by GRAMMY® Award-winner Terri Lyne Carrington, the album finds Fuller leading two superb rhythm sections, both of which contain some of jazz's brightest luminaries -- bassist Dave Holland and Jack DeJohnette, then bassist James Genus and drummer Bill Stewart. Adding texture and harmonic support of several compositions are guitarist Adam Rogers and organist Sam Yahel.

While touring together in 2014, Carrington encouraged Fuller to recruit some of more seasoned musicians for her forthcoming disc. "Terri said, 'I really would like for you to see you house yourself amongst the greats on the next album so that you can really hone in on playing jazz. You've done it with your peers. But I would like to see you with some elders,'" Fuller recalls. The net result is a sparkling, cohesive album that optimizes her iridescent tone and supple, sometimes rhythmically aggressive, improvisations through an enticing program of mostly originals firmly rooted in the language of 21st century modern post-bop.

   

The actual day of recording Diamond Cut marked the first time Fuller worked with both DeJohnette and Holland. "Seeing them arrive at the studio and set up, I was definitely nervous," Fuller says. "But as soon as we started playing, it was all about the music. One thing that I appreciated from both of them was that they approached the music in a very humble way and really honored it."

Indeed, Fuller sparks an electrifying rapport with DeJohnette and Holland on the pneumatic waltz "Queen Intuition," on which Rogers and Yahel provide subtle harmonic cushioning, and the capricious "Joe'n Around," on which Fuller unravels various improvised, melodic fragments associated by three of her saxophone mentors -- Joe Lovano, Joe Henderson and Joe Jennings. They're also featured on the episodic "The Coming," of which Fuller uses Clark Atlanta University professor Daniel Black's The Coming: A Novel as inspiration in the retelling of the Middle Passage that brought captured African slaves to the Americas; a prancing reading of Mal Waldron's signature composition, "Soul Eyes," on which she tips her hat to John Coltrane; and the soothing "Delight," which takes its inspiration from the Christian Biblical scripture, Psalms 37:4 -- "Delight in the Lord/And he will give you the desires of the heart."

The album also marks the first time Fuller has recorded with Genus and Stewart. And again, she strikes a winning accord, indicative of the album's searing opening piece, "In the Trenches," on which she rides a turbulent momentum steered by Stewart's jagged rhythms and Genus' hefty, propulsive bass lines. "That was the first song that I wrote for the album, while I was literally in the trenches of transitioning and balancing my work schedule and dealing with personal family challenges," Fuller explains. "I literally felt like I could not move. I remember being in my office feeling like I was all the way in the trenches, trying to dig myself out."

From there, Fuller along with Genus and Stewart render "Save Your Love for Me," the first of only three jazz standards on Diamond Cut. The soulful makeover-arranged by vibraphonist, drummer and fellow Mack Avenue Records artist Warren Wolf allows Fuller to pay homage to yet another significant lodestar, Cannonball Adderley. Also powered by the Genus-and-Stewart rhythm team, Fuller delivers the majestic ballad "Crowns of Grey," which honors her parents -- Fred and Elthopia Fuller -- both of whom encouraged her formative musical growth while living in Aurora, Colorado.

Fuller praises Carrington for her production ingenuity, which helped guide Diamond Cut from its early conception to completion. "Terri really pays attention to minutia while being able to see the big picture," Fuller says. "And she can enhance the big picture by having an endless arsenal of ideas for sounds and song structures. Even while I was writing the tunes, she was on the front lines saying, 'Tia, you want each and every song to be the best song that you've ever written.' She was always strongly encouraging me to not just lapse into what I've done before. She really helped shape the finer points of the compositions, then as the producer she put her magic touch on it."

This newest outing illustrates that Fuller continues to etch away at her inner diamond as a saxophonist, composer, bandleader and educator. History will surely reveal Diamond Cut to be a landmark chapter in her artistic journey.

  

Tia Fuller · Diamond Cut

Mack Avenue Records · Release Date: May 25, 2018

NEW RELEASES: BAIANO & OS NOVOS CAETANOS; AZAMBUJA & CIAl; JOHAN LINDSTROM SEPTETT - MUSIC FOR EMPTY HALLS

BAIANO & OS NOVOS CAETANOS - BAIANO & OS NOVOS CAETANOS

Baiano & Os Novos Caetanos is Anysio and Rodrigues’ satire on Brazil’s Tropicalia movement. Having a friendly crack at the likes of Caetano Veloso and psychedelic rockers Novos Baianos, the musical characters ‘Baiano’ and ‘Paulinho Boca de Profeta’ played by Anysio and Rodrigues respectively, are righteous tropicalistas, poetically denouncing the dictatorship, while simultaneously mocking those who took themselves too seriously. Azymuth’s free and funky psych sounds combine with accordion, harmonica, brass and plenty of rural Brazilian rhythms, with Orlandivo who co-wrote many of the songs, and renowned multi-instrumentalist and producer Durval Ferreira also featuring.

AZAMBUJA & CIA - AZAMBUJA & CIA

Azambuja and Cia, based on the ridiculous Carioca conman Paulo Maurício Azambuja (who would flog his own mother’s leg if he could) showcases Anysio and Rodrigues’ songwriting smarts, with Azymuth’s futuristic funk sound combining with traditional Brazilian roots elements for a record equal parts organic and ahead of its time. With Fender Rhodes, Arp Strings, Arp Omni, Clavinet and Hammond Organ, Azymuth’s keyboard maestro Jose Roberto Bertrami, who also arranged the album alongside renowned conductor and composer Jose Menezes, elevates the music’s sexy weirdness to another dimension (check ‘Verde’ to see what we mean). This bonkers Brazilian bonanza also features fabled jazz saxophonist Victor Assis Brasil.

JOHAN LINDSTROM SEPTETT - MUSIC FOR EMPTY HALLS 

A rich vision in sound from Johan Lindstrom – not just a guitarist, but a hell of a composer too – working here with an all-star group that features other great players on the Moserobie label! Yet despite that connection, the vibe here is very different than other Moserobie music – uniquely Lindstrom's own, with these sounds that are not only vivid in themselves, but which also draw a lot from the performance – handled by players who include Jesper Nordenstrom on piano and organ, Jonas Kullhammar on saxes, Per Texas Johansson on tenor and bass clarinet, Torbjorn Zetterberg on bass, Mats Aleklint on trombone, and Konrad Agnas on drums. There's a few surprises along the way – including a bit of piano effects from Lindstrom on one track, and guest voices and strings on another – and the whole album has this beautifully unified feel, and rich textures of colors – maybe in the same spirit as some of the earlier large ensemble projects from Charlie Haden. Titles include "Dance Of The Marble Hearts", "Serengeti", "Music For Empty Halls", "The Assent", "Hymn", and "Sleepless Lapsteels". ~ Dusty Groove

Miles Davis & John Coltrane: The Final Tour: The Bootleg Series, Vol. 6

Columbia/Legacy Recordings, a division of Sony Music Entertainment, released Miles Davis & John Coltrane - The Final Tour: The Bootleg Series, Vol. 6 on March 23, 2018.

Available in 4CD boxset and digital configurations, Miles Davis & John Coltrane - The Final Tour: The Bootleg Series, Vol. 6 brings together, for the first time in an authorized edition with state-of-the-art production, five mythic concert performances as heard by lucky audiences during the epochal Spring 1960 Jazz At The Philharmonic European Tour.

Showcasing the musical chemistry shared by Miles and Trane, The Final Tour: The Bootleg Series, Vol. 6 offers five of the best recorded shows from that pivotal 1960 tour (Coltrane's last as sideman): two shows from Paris’s L’Olympia Theater on Monday, March 21; two shows from the next night at Stockholm’s Konserthuset; and one from Copenhagen’s Tivolis Koncertsal three days later, on March 24. 

The box set was produced by the multi-Grammy winning team of producers Steve Berkowitz, Michael Cuscuna and Richard Seidel. And mastered by multi-Grammy winning Sony Music engineer Mark Wilder. The set is authorized for official release by the Miles Davis Estate, the John Coltrane Estate, and Columbia Records/Legacy Recordings.

Miles Davis and John Coltrane were each implementing their own jazz revolutions at the time these recordings were made and the electrifying sonic frisson produced by the sometimes-competing/sometimes-intertwining musical visions of the artists perplexed contemporary jazz fans--many of whom were just getting acquainted with the recently-released and now iconic Kind of Blue.

"Much happened on that 1960 tour onstage and off, including powerful, emotionally charged performances in which one can hear the swinging, divergent energy of a band, and the unfiltered reactions of the European audiences: the crowd responses are indeed an inherent part of these historic performances," writes Grammy Award®-winning music historian Ashley Kahn in his in-depth revelatory liner notes penned especially for this collection. "The common judgement on this music is that it represents a great jazz ensemble audibly straining to hold itself together...An equally convincing interpretation of the 1960 situation is that Miles and his quintet were redefining what a great band could sound like, and how much music it could contain—at one time, in one concert, even in one tune. It’s not that the bandmembers were so much apart, but rather that each were more themselves within the same unit—that divergence could co-exist and make music together."

The  repertoire performed in this collection is a veritable Miles Davis “Greatest Hits” including “ ‘Round Midnight”, “Bye Bye Blackbird”, “On Green Dolphin Street”, “Walkin’ “, “All Of You” and “Oleo”, all of which he had made his own and had been performing for some time. As well as more recent additions to the repertoire which were composed by Davis – “So What” and “All Blues” --  both from Kind Of Blue.

  

The Final Tour is essential listening, an invitation to travel through time to experience the enduring beauty and magic of Miles and Trane at the peak of their collective powers. The ensemble includes Miles Davis (trumpet), John Coltrane (tenor sax), Wynton Kelly (piano), Paul Chambers (bass), Jimmy Cobb (drums), all of whom had been performing together since the Kind Of Blue album.

The Final Tour closes with a rare contemporaneous audio interview with John Coltrane (conducted by Swedish deejay Carl-Erik Lindgren). "Do you feel angry?," asks Lindgren. "No, I don't," says Coltrane. "I was talking to a fellow the other day, and I told him, the reason I play so many sounds, maybe it sounds angry, I'm trying so many things at one time. I haven't sorted them out.”

 

.

Pianist Yelena Eckemoff Evokes Mystery & Allure of Arabian Desert On Quartet Outing "Desert"

Yelena Eckemoff Desert It takes a discerning eye, or in this case ear, to envision the desert as more than a vast, arid wasteland. Pianist/composer Yelena Eckemoff succeeds in musically portraying many of this daunting environment's mysteries and its boundless allure on her new recording, Desert, to be released May 4 on her imprint L&H Production.

The quartet outing, the latest in the impressive series of concept albums at the core of the prolific Russian-born, North Carolina-based keyboard virtuoso's catalog, reunites her with Norwegian bassist Arild Andersen and internationally acclaimed drummer Peter Erskine and features Oregon co-founder Paul McCandless on oboe, English horn, soprano saxophone, and bass clarinet.

Each of Desert's 11 thematically linked compositions, given such descriptive titles as "Bedouins," "Mirages," "Condor," "Oasis," "Dust Storm," and "Sands," showcase Eckemoff's distinctive style that blends classical music with jazz improvisation to create works that range from the ethereal to the mercurial to the dissonant.

Yet Eckemoff's music is infused with her Russian soul, vivid memories of picture books she entertained herself with as an only child, and what she calls the "sinuous" nature of her personal narrative which includes having emigrated from the former Soviet Union to the U.S. with her husband in 1991. With her modern, sometimes free-leaning approach and the weight and intensity her composing and playing attains, she and her music are strikingly original. "I'm a very emotional person," she says. "So many things have vanished from my life. When you express these things in your music, when you share your experiences, you compensate for your losses. Music makes you whole again."

What is remarkable about Eckemoff, who released numerous albums, some of them classical, before making her bona fide jazz debut in 2010 with the release of the winter-themed trio recording Cold Sun, is that you never know in which direction she's heading. One key to her artistry is her dedication to music that has many intertwined threads. "I haven't composed much for solo piano," she says. "I'm always hearing instruments and the ways they go together."

For Desert, Eckemoff read extensively about the subject, including several books about Bedouins. "I wanted to know what kind of people they are," she says. "How is it that they've managed to change with the times, finding freedom in such harsh conditions. I wanted to capture the true soul of Bedouins."

In envisioning the recording, Eckemoff says, "I thought of Paul and his oboe, on which he is so expressive, and decided this is the sound I wanted. Peter helped me connect with Paul, who really is the reason for this group. As for Arild and Peter, they had just the right voices for my melodies and compositions. I feel like when I have these guys around, I can do anything."

Yelena Eckemoff Born in Moscow, Yelena Eckemoff has been composing since she was four years old, her musical impressions taken from her mother, a pianist and teacher. Years of academic studies at Gnessins School for musically gifted children, followed by the Moscow Conservatory, provided a solid foundation in classical music. But as she grew into her teens she developed an interest in other musical styles, like pop, rock, and jazz, and this was a time when jazz recordings were so hard to come by in Russia.

In 1987, in a pivotal moment for Eckemoff and many other Russian musicians, she attended Dave Brubeck's legendary concert in Moscow. Though she had already started playing jazz before seeing Brubeck, mainly traditional styles and bebop, this was one of the first jazz concerts she had attended, and she was so impressed she formed her own band and "tried to play jazz." But her songs proved too complicated for her fellow musicians (and have gotten no easier, as McCandless, Andersen, and Erskine all attest in a videotaped interview after recording Desert).

Alluding to such styles as blues, jazz-rock fusion, and the occasional funk, Eckemoff's albums have ranged far and wide while continuing to deal in high concepts. Glass Song (2013), the first of her albums to team Andersen and Erskine (who surprisingly had never previously played together), is an environmental treat boasting songs about rain, melting ice, and clouds. A Touch of Radiance (2014), dedicated to happiness, features Mark Turner, Joe Locke, George Mraz, and Billy Hart while Lions (2015), featuring Andersen and Hart, captures life in the savanna with songs about those majestic animals and their cubs as well as migrating birds and tropical rains.

 

Sly & Robbie meet Nils Petter Molvaer featuring Eivind Aarset and Vladislav Delay - Nordub

On “Nordub”, Grammy-winning Reggae legends Sly & Robbie team up with Norwegian Jazz innovator Nils Petter Molvaer to create a unique sound panorama, spanning the colourful atmospheres of Norwegian Jazz and the energetic grooves of Jamaica. Together with Eivind Aarset on guitars and Vladislav Delay on electronics, this is a band of musical soulmates, beyond all boundaries of genre. During a first tour in 2016 they received worldwide attention for their new project. 

Yet, the successful as innovative project just came together by sheer good fortune: Even though they had liked each other’s music for years, it was a coincidence that Mark van den Bergh – a friend of Sly & Robbie – ran into Nils Petter Molvaer at Java Jazz Festival.

  

“I got to know Mark at Java Jazz Festival in 2014,” says Nils Petter Molvaer. I told him that I’d been a fan of Sly & Robbie since the 80s, when they were releasing music with their Reggae band Black Uhuru. I like them for their creative unrest. They are innovators in so many ways, combining Dancehall, Soul, Hip Hop, Reggae and many other influences, and collaborating with such great musicians as Sting, No Doubt, Ben Harper and Carlos Santana. Mark told me that Sly & Robbie were great fans of my music as well, and the idea to work together was born. A few months later, in July 2015, we met at a festival in a little village in France, where we were supposed to play a concert together, though we’d never played together before.”

  

Robbie Shakespeare remembers: “It was totally crazy. Ever since I first heard Nils’ music in the late 90s, I’ve been fascinated by his atmospheric fusion of styles and his unparalleled trumpet playing. Now we were supposed to play together, though we’d never met before. But when I met Nils for the first time in this little village in France, I immediately liked him. He was cracking jokes and had back pain from the long trip there, just like me, so that created something. It was a great concert, in the end, that enabled us to go far beyond our comfort zones and to discover new ways of creating music.”

After the success of the initial concert in France, the new “band” decided to continue its collaboration and to go on tour in 2016. During the tour several new songs were created and Sly & Robbie, Nils Petter Molvaer, Eivind Aarset and Vladislav Delay were ready to record their first album together in Oslo: “Nordub”.

30 - A New Album by Vandell Andrew

Vandell Andrew grew up in New Orleans, spending years of his childhood in the shadow of Louis Armstrong, soaking up the vibe of the French Quarter’s great brass bands. Jazz was in the blood, but his soul was also filled with magic from his flute playing mom’s R&B collection (Anita Baker, Chaka Khan, etc.), hip-hop and Erykah Badu. Encouraging Vandell’s musical ambitions, his dad gave him John Coltrane and Charlie Parker CDs and told him for every song he learned, he would give him $100. With that money adding up, Vandell bought an audio interface, recorded his first CD and through determination and sheer hard work has emerged as one of the great independent contemporary jazz success stories of the decade.

From the vantage point of 30, his age and the name of his infectious, sensually grooving new full length album, Vandell continues to be fueled by the impressive roar of accolades and achievements that have earned him a passionate global following. Five of his tracks reached the Top 25 on the Billboard Smooth Jazz Songs and Billboard Smooth Jazz National Airplay charts, including the #1 smash “Let’s Ride” (2014) and Top 5 hit “Back At It” (2017). “Let’s Ride” also received a 2014 Soul Train Award Nomination for Best Contemporary Jazz Performance. In addition to headlining top jazz festivals and venues around the world, including the Catalina Island Jazz Trax Festival, the Hobby Center in Houston and Ronnie Scott’s and the Vortex Jazz Club in London, UK, Vandell has opened for and/or shared the stage with his saxophone idol Kirk Whalum and genre greats Paul Brown, Peter White, Rick Braun, Bobby Lyle, Marion Meadows and others.

“The Groove,” the brassy, high octane old school soul-funk first single from 30, is an all-out, in the pocket dance floor ready jam perfectly in tune with the high octane vibe of his 2014 breakthrough EP Turn It Up – a collection that he says, “had exactly no songs less than 120 bpm, because I wanted it to be played in clubs.” The track was produced by Matt Godina, who has brought similar energy to hits by Nicholas Cole, Lin Rountree, Lebron and Julian Vaughn.

A deeper listen to 30, however, reveals a maturing artist focused more on what comes later in the evening as the lights dwindle down, candles are lit and the mood is set for a more profound connection and a deeper romance to blossom. Helping Vandell bring his seductive sound to life is producer Lew Laing, whose credits include urban jazz artists Paul Brown, Blake Aaron, Richard Elliot and DW3 in addition to indie dance artist Stephanie K.

Vandell creates the perfect flow for a beautiful evening with songs like “All I Need,” a lush dreamy ballad that takes wing via the powerful sax-bass duality he creates with guest artist Julian Vaughn; the coolly ambient “Chill AF,” featuring artful dual sax textures, with the harmony line playing off the melody; the whimsical, flute and finger-snap percussion enhanced “Daydream,” featuring another of Vandell’s influences, Marcus Anderson; and the graceful, easy shuffling “You and Me,” on which Vandell’s sax is backed by a beautiful acoustic guitar and sizzling horn textures. Vandell vibes with two powerhouse vocalists on two other key tracks, the emotionally compelling “Somehow” (ft. Britt Frappier) and the gently exotic, simmering then soaring “To You” (ft. Tempest B).

“The new album is called 30 and it reflects the thoughts that go into reaching that age milestone,” Vandell says. “I’ve always felt like turning 30 is when you become a true adult and your career and life goals become clearer. Musically, I’ve reached a place where I’m confident in what I write, play and perform. My true sound has become evident and the music is much more mature. Don’t get me wrong, I still play a lot of funk live – I’ve just got other things on my mind. This album is so emotional that you can feel me on a whole different level.

“Some who have listened to it say the music even inspires them to visualize the moves I would make when I’m playing it,” he adds. “For me, it feels the same way, moving me the way albums by old school soul legends like Marvin Gaye, Otis Redding and Al Green did when I was growing up. The vibe I’m creating now is a direct result of me being blown away when I first heard (British singer/songwriter) Marsha Ambrosius’ amazing 2014 album Friends & Lovers. Since then, as a man and as an artist, it’s been about the wine and roses. Those songs and realizing that so many of my fans were ladies really have impacted the music I am making now and want to create moving forward.”

Even though dreams of playing basketball filled his head as a kid, Vandell’s destiny seemed set once his mom enrolled him at a summer music camp at NOLA’s renowned St Marks Treme church – which the saxophonist says is where “Louis is from and Trombone Shorty grew up.” Vandell started on trumpet but switched to sax when his teacher told him his lips were better suited to it. “I was just excited to switch from three valves to all those cool buttons,” he says. Attending the exclusive private all black boys school St. Augustine High School on scholarship, he joined what was one of the most historic school marching bands in New Orleans history. During his time there, the band practiced year round and performed all around the country at prestigious events, including the Tournament of Roses Parade and the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

After studying sax with famed instructor Edward “Kid” Jordan at the Southern University of New Orleans for a year, Vandell was contemplating his next educational move – including possibly attending Berklee School of Music – when Hurricane Katrina hit and his family evacuated to Dallas. Settling there, he instead attended community college and began participating in jam sessions, gigging at local jazz clubs and networking heavily. He soon realized that he wanted a career where he called the shots, rather than waiting for the phone to ring. Inspired by well-known New Orleans rapper Master P, who launched his international career completely DIY, Vandell realized that the best way to achieve his goals was composing and recording his own music and selling CDs himself. He credits Whalum and the late great Grover Washington, Jr. as major influences on his developing sax style.

Developing a unique vibe on sax that draws from a variety of influences, including Kirk Whalum and the late great Grover Washington, Jr., he began playing more R&B clubs, many private parties and even church gigs. He used the money he made from a part time job at a homeless shelter to fund his promotional endeavors. He began sharing his music and creating relationships on Myspace and looking up the names of radio promoters who worked with his favorite artists. “I was driven,” he says. “I did a lot of research and knew what I had to do to make things happen.” David Kunert’s success in promoting “Let’s Ride” to stations across the country was the breakthrough that took Vandell’s budding career to a whole new level. He followed his first official release Years Later… in 2011 with Turn It Up, the full length set All For Love (2016), the EP For Lovers and the full length VA Covers (2017).  

Ronald Jackson of The Smooth Jazz Ride wrote: “When one has the drive and determination to add to his or her knack for making good music, it’s hard not to look ahead and see success looming on the horizon. Andrew may well have drawn a bead on that vision.”

Or as Vandell himself says, “So turning 30 is not a bad thing at all – in fact, it’s great because now I know just what I want in my life. I’m excited about this next phase of my journey.”