« Débora, with her irresistible drawing power, uses her voice to captivate not only the ear of the listener, but to make him a totally willing prisoner of emotions »
Benny Golson
« Roger Davidson led a first-class New York-based Brazilian jazz band in a romp through tunes from his lavish new double CD, Journey to Rio » Lucid Culture review of recent concert at Zinc Bar
March 9, 2014To: Listings/Critics/Features
From: Jazz Promo Services
Press Contact: Jim Eigo, jim@jazzpromoservices.com www.jazzpromoservices.com
Pianist Mike Bardash
New CD « Polygon »
and Upcoming CD Release EventsNEW CD
« Polygon »Featuring
Mike Bardash-Piano/Electric Piano
Gene Torres-Bass
Tony Lewis-Drums
Deji Coker-Sax and Flute
Kenyatta Beasley-Trumpet
Bongo Bruno -Percussion (Kenny’s Klave)(Rhombus 7120) Street Date March 4, 2014)
Rhonda Denet Quartet Trumpets
$10 Music Charge $7 MinimumFeaturing
Rhonda Denet –vocals
Mike Bardash-Piano
Charles Batton-Drums
Derek Buchanen-Electric BassNYC CD Release Event
The Mike Bardash Quintet
March 28 , 2014
Set Times: 11:00 PM Somethin’ Jazz Club
212 E 52nd St.
between 2nd and 3rd Ave
New York NY 10022
(212) 371-7657Featuring
Mike Bardash-Piano
Tony Lewis-Drums
Gene Torres-Electric Bass
Deji Coker-Sax and Flute
Kenyatta Beazley-Trumpet
From the opening strains of Polygon, pianist/composer Mike Bardash’s remarkable new Rhombus Records CD, the listener will be fully aware that an exciting and unpredictable journey lies ahead. A pianist of consummate artistry, Bardash’s playing is placed totally within the context of the music, which showcases his extraordinarily imaginative vision as a composer. Ten of the eleven compositions are Bardash originals and contain a broad palette of modern jazz expression within each highly distinctive piece. Funky and straight ahead hard bop, soul jazz, structured avant-garde, and solid blowing are all flavors in this magical stew of creativity and adventure.Although rooted in that progressive hard bop and beyond mode of the tradition that has made the Blue Note sound so timeless, the music on Polygon is fully of the moment and never allows looking back to stand in the way of looking forward. Mike’s compositions are in constant motion – changing textures, shifting time signatures and altering moods in an organically evolving structure that tells vivid stories and creates an ideal canvas for the soloists.Bardash has assembled an exemplary group of musicians for this music, locking the framework in place with a longtime collaborator, the brilliant bassist Gene Torres, along with the dynamic rhythms of drummer Tony Lewis. The powerful frontline consists of trumpeter Kenyatta Beasley and another longtime Bardash colleague, Deji Coker on tenor sax and flute. All of the musicians are fully informed in the various stylistic elements and totally in command as they traverse the challenging music, telling compelling stories as they take the journey. The full-bodied sounds of both hornmen and the no-nonsense dynamism of Mike’s piano playing create a huge sound that often makes the quintet sound like a larger ensemble – ideally suited to this music. And while the music unquestionably stretches boundaries and pursues the adventurous, it never abandons the essence of musicality that is always front and center.Seven of the highly imaginative Bardash originals are woven together into ThePolygon Suite that comprises more than half of the album. But the four pieces that precede it set the tone perfectly. These include the one non-Bardash item, D’s Blues, written by Coker. A hard-boppish blues over a sprightly walking bass, it has a jocular, lopsided feel that is downright Monkish. Fluidly swinging piano, tenor and trumpet solos highlight this short and sweet foray.Fiery exuberance is the key to Impulse, an explosive take-no-prisoners excursion of tension-filled arcing lines in an upward spiral. The scintillating rhythm section play sets off virile tenor and trumpet solos and a vigorous piano solo of cascading runs and thunderous block chords, then closes with an exceptionally musical drum solo.
An easier, but no less emphatic mood is created on the funk-fest Brass Tacks, which opens the album – strikingly syncopated and darkly luminous in the manner reminiscent of Andrew Hill’s approach to funky hard bop. Fueled by Torres’ throbbing electric bass and Lewis’s infectious backbeat, there are soul-drenched solos by Torres, a Lee Morgan-ish Beasley and Coker’s raunchy tenor that lead into an unexpectedly rubato turn by Bardash that still manages to evoke the spirit of Bobby Timmons within its free context.
An entirely different vibration is achieved with Late in the Game, an atmospheric, dramatic piece rooted by deep wood bass, freely punctuating piano, shimmering cymbals and dulcet malletry. There is a distinct cinematic feeling as the musicians paint a portrait that shifts between serenity and turbulence, but always focused on beauty.
ThePolygon Suite is launched with Kenny’s Klave, full of surprises and unpredictable twists and turns, with the fervently inventive percussion of Bongo Bruno adding special color on this track. Primarily veering between free-bop and unabashedly Latin rhythms, the context shifts, twists, flows and dissolves in an ever changing narrative. An arresting trumpet solo and rollicking tenor adds to the mix. 10 to 12 follows with its rapid-fire, boldly sinuous theme fueled by a perfectly unified rhythm section. Punchy tenor, fluid trumpet and an edgy, rhythmic and adventurous piano solo are highlights. A highly dramatic shift kicks in with the third movement,And then What (arranged by Coker). A poignant ballad, the probing piece is layered over a sumptuous pillow provided by the rhythm section. Exquisitely crafted and impeccably delivered, what could have been solemn is transformed into a message of hope and uplifting substance, posing important questions and seeking enlightened answers. Leading Edge, a brief gentle rubato electric piano aperitif introduces Around the Edges. Also arranged by Coker, this is a jaunty smoldering groover built on an ostinato electric piano/bass vamp and playful backbeat, and features trumpet and flute in the unison lines. A sprightly piano turn leads into Coker’s full-bodied flute solo that occasionally evokes Rahsaan. Trailing Edge, a very short electric piano romp melds into Sugar High Rondo, which closes the suite. A briskly punctuated theme stoked by nicely syncopated rhythms throughout provide the structure for a muscular, confrontational tenor solo that leads into a spectacular collective improv climax and the closing theme that brings this marvelous album to its conclusion.
For those who feel that contemporary jazz has lost the fire, urgency, jubilation and innovation of the earlier traditions, Polygon will be a delightful reminder that those classic traditions of this great art form are still alive and well.
For Interviews, photos and preview copies of the new CD Contact:
Jim Eigo
Jazz Promo Services
272 State Route 94 South #1
Warwick, NY 10990-3363
Ph: 845-986-1677 / Fax: 845-986-1699
Cell / text: 917-755-8960
Skype: jazzpromo jim@jazzpromoservices.com www.jazzpromoservices.com« Specializing in Media Campaigns for the music community, artists, labels, venues and events.”
Dyad Plays Puccini
features
Lou Caimano- Alto Saxophone
Eric Olsen – Piano
« Dyad Plays Puccini is chamber jazz at its finest. »(Ron Netsky, Rochester City News)
« Grace. Style. Virtuosity. Originality. »
(Paul Leslie, The Paul Leslie Hour)
« This is a jazz album through and through and it’s a treat. »
(Marc Myers, JazzWax)
« Perhaps the most amazing transformation of cultural enlightenment in the last quarter century. »
(Brent Black, CriticalJazz.com)
« An enthralling CD, eloquent and passionate improvisations on artful arrangements. »
(Scott Albin, JazzTimes)
« You must give this a listen, as it’s one of those releases in which words fail. »
(Mark Tucker, Folk and Acoustic Music Exchange)
« Brilliant originality, intriguing blend of classics and jazz, and breathtaking skill of the duettists. »
(Tony Augarde, MusicWeb-International)
« The results are simply wonderful. »
(Joseph Lang, Jersey Jazz)About Dyad Plays Puccini
It is often said that no musical instrument more perfectly replicates the human voice than the saxophone. On that note, when operatic soprano Pamela Olsen confided to her husband, pianist Eric Olsen that alto saxophonist Lou Caimano’s playing reminded her of an opera singer, a beautiful concept was born. And a new adventure began for Dyad, Lou and Eric’s remarkable duo ……. Dyad Plays Puccini.While the idea of re-imagining Puccini in the form of contemporary jazz arrangements might initially seem unlikely, the question quickly arises “Why isn’t Puccini as rich a source for jazz as Billy Strayhorn?” After all, Puccini’s arias are some of the most beautiful and familiar songs in musical history, and certainly as ideal a territory for exploration as standards like Stray’s Lush Life, Monk’s‘Round Midnight or Matt Dennis’ Angel Eyes. As with those gorgeous melodies, Puccini’s music has been known to induce heart-wrenching emotions and streaming tears simply by the sequence of tones, without any consideration of the narrative content of the operas in which they’re contained. On this CD, Caimano’s beautiful tone and Olsen’s rich, lush lyricism evoke those same responses and a full array of other emotions from introspective melancholy to uplifting jubilation.There is not a wisp of contrivance, or even a sense of ironic juxtaposition or playful parody in the delightful arrangements that these two remarkable artists have created for the ten classic pieces. The original compositions are treated with total respect and the re-imaginations, while sometimes arresting, are always fully appropriate for the original intention of the composer. Puccini could be as soulful as Otis Redding, as vividly lyrical as Ellington and as unabashedly beautiful as Tadd Dameron. All of those colors and textures are contained here, but the fullest emphasis is upon beauty.
The alto saxophone/piano format might seem similar to the operatic singer/pianist format of the recital, but Dyad Plays Puccini is clearly an equal partnership with both instruments fully participating in the unique expression of this musical vision. The ten arrangements – seven by Olsen and three by Caimano – have been artfully conceived to create the ideal contexts for the musical development.
As with all great jazz, chances are taken and the expected is often rejected. Lou’s arrangement of Ch’ella mi creda (from La Fanciulla del West) is a vivid example. Beginning most appropriately as a beautiful lament on bassoon-like alto and progressing into a proud anthem, Caimano’s soulfully bent notes and Olsen’s rhythmic chords take it not only into the 21st Century, but into a Harlem church. If Shirley Caeser were to burst into the proceedings, it would be fully on point.
On Chi il bel sogno di Doretta (La Rondine), Lou arranges a delicately constructed theme that soon transforms into buoyant swing filled with intriguing interplay and dynamic solos – a footloose and joyous piece that is infectiously frenzied. His other arrangement is on Un bel di(Madama Butterfly), one of Puccini’s most popular arias. The breathtakingly beautiful melody is set against a striking piano vamp spurring a powerfully dramatic rendition that would make Maria Callas smile. Olsen’s bluesy solo and his rumbling intensity under Lou’s rich alto add to the dramatic effect.
The remaining seven pieces are all Olsen arrangements. Act I Overture (also from Madama Butterfly) is adapted by Olsen into a joyful romp, opening with delicious counterpoint on the melody and then moving smoothly into a west-coast jazz feel to a Latin groove, swinging viciously with Eric’s barrelhouse approach fueling the excitement and setting the tone for a powerful climax.
La Bohème is the source for two pieces. Che gelida manina is appropriately filigreed in its sensitivity. Olsen’s lovely piano solo ushers in an emotionally charged bluesy alto solo that glides so smoothly into the beauteous melody going out. Musetta’s Waltz, which opens the album, is a jauntily bouncy item with lush piano, impassioned alto and remarkable interplay. The arrangement follows the shape of the operatic rubato a singer naturally would use. This feeling of rubato arises often throughout the album in both the arrangements and the improvisations.
In quelle trine morbide (from Manon Lescaut) is an elegantly etched duet that comes the closest to a traditional Classical recital, with an aura of genteel melancholy throughout the piece. A more intense aura of melancholy opens another of Puccini’s most famous arias, E lucevan le stelle (from Tosca). Crystalline to cascading piano sets off the heartbreaking melody and the pianist’s dramatic solo. Caimano builds on the drama with a dynamic solo that utilizes the full range of the horn with most powerful results on this extremely emotional and stunning piece. O mio babbino caro (from Gianni Schicchi), is transformed into a multi-textured excursion where the familiar aria becomes a launching point for polyrhythmic and complex melodic exploration, climaxing with brilliant call and response.
How could Puccini be properly portrayed without the incredible Nessun dorma (Turandot)? An absolute tour de force on every level, this spectacular rendition closes this album in a most emphatic fashion. This is an extremely evocative and exotic version that compels the mind to visualize dervishes and other Middle Eastern imagery. Oboe-like alto sinuously states the theme, morphing into a deeply grooved blues on the section where great tenors drive opera fans wild, setting the stage for a wonderfully expressive piano solo rich with Middle Eastern modality. Caimano’s exciting alto solo is full of tantalizing bent notes and palpably passionate tension.
The musicianship on this CD is extraordinary. This is clearly a seamless creation of two men whose connection is virtually telepathic. The production qualities are exemplary, with each note glowing and bursting through the speakers.
A brilliant concept, perfectly executed.
For more information visit dyadplayspuccini.com
Media Contact
Jim Eigo Jazz Promo Services
Ph: 845-986-1677 / jim@jazzpromoservices.com
« Specializing in Media Campaigns for the music community, artists, labels, venues and events.”
March 9, 2014To: Listings/Critics/Features
From: Jazz Promo Services
Press Contact: Jim Eigo, jim@jazzpromoservices.com www.jazzpromoservices.com
The Sidney Bechet Society
Announces Their
April & May 2014 Concerts
Monday, April 21 – 7:15pm
Dan Levinson’s Jam Session of the Millennium — Encore!
Dan reunites the cast of his blockbuster June 2013 concert, with new musicians and a few added surprises, for Chapter 2 of the cutting edge of traditional jazz.
DAN LEVINSON – Leader, Clarinet/Sax
DENNIS LICHTMAN – Clarinet
GORDON AU – Trumpet
MIKE DAVIS – Trumpet
MATT MUSSELMAN – Trombone
JOSH HOLCOMB – Trombone
TERRY WILSON – Vocalist
GORDON WEBSTER – Piano
DALTON RIDENHOUR – Piano
NICK RUSSO – Guitar/Banjo
JARED ENGEL – Banjo/Bass
ROB ADKINS – Bass
KEVIN DORN – Drums
RICH LEVINSON – Drums
Individual tickets are $35, available online from Symphony Space and also by phone at (212) 864-5400. Single-show tickets, and Full Season Subscriptions, are also available directly from The Society, via this mail order form.
Monday, May 19 – 7:15pm An All-Star Tribute to Mat Domber & Arbors Records
Randy Sandke leads a who’s who of Arbors Records alumni in a tribute to legendary jazz record & festival producer Mat Domber. Confirmed so far areAnat Cohen, Wycliffe Gordon, Dick Hyman, Bucky Pizzarelli, Warren Vache, Joel Forbes, Rebecca Kilgore, Ed Metz, Rossano Sportiello, Harry Allen, John Allred, Rajiv Jayaweera and soprano sax legend Bob Wilber!
Individual tickets are $35, available online from Symphony Space and also by phone at (212) 864-5400. Single-show tickets, and Full Season Subscriptions, are also available directly from The Society, via this mail order form.
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To: Listings/Critics/Features
From: Jazz Promo Services
Press Contact: Jim Eigo, jim@jazzpromoservices.com www.jazzpromoservices.com
Dave Stryker Quartet
w/ special guest Steve Nelson
« Eight Track »
CD Release Party
Sat Apr 12 – 8:00 and 10:00pm
@ Trumpets
6 Depot Square,
Montclair, NJ
(973) 744-2600
Featuring
Dave Stryker –guitar
Steve Nelson – vibraphone
Jared Gold – organ
Adam Nussbaum – drums
New CD
#10 Jazz Week Radio
Lookout For DownBeat Feature Story June 2014
(Strikezone Records 8809) Street Date: March 4, 2014
« Stryker’s recordings are always hardy and reliable projects, but all of the stars line up for Eight Track. It has a perfect appeal to the middle to late Baby Boomers who came of age listening to this music. And we all know that is the best music ever produced. »
C. Michael Bailey / All About Jazz
« A sure fingered, behind the scenes MVP, Stryker should connect here with jazz stations looking to broaden their audiences who will subsequently spread the word. Tasty stuff that avoids every pitfall imaginable, even when backing up Bread with Pink Floyd. Solid, jumping stuff throughout. »
Chris Spector – Midwest Record
« No pretense or posturing on this one. Stryker’s Eight Track is just straight up fun. »
• Kevin Mahogany – vocals
• Dave Stryker – guitar
• Pat Bianchi – organ
• McClenty Hunter – drums Birdland
315 West 44th St
New York, NY
Sat Mar 22 – 8:00 and 10:00 pm
Don Braden / Dave Stryker Organic Quartet
• Don Braden – tenor sax
• Dave Stryker – guitar
• Jared Gold – organ
• Cecil Brooks III – drums Chris’ Jazz Cafe
1421 Sansom St
Philadelphia, PA 19102
215-568-3131
Sat Mar 29 – 7:00 and 9:00pm
Dave Stryker Trio – Dave’s Birthday Gig!
• Jared Gold – organ
• Dave Stryker – guitar
• Adam Nussbaum – drums Shanghai Jazz Club
24 Main Street,
Madison, NJ
Tel: 973.822.2899
A celebration of classic pop tunes from the 70’s reimagined by his working trio and very special guest Stefon Harris.
(Strikezone Records 8809) Street Date: March 4, 2014
featuring
Dave Stryker –guitar
Stefon Harris – vibraphone
Jared Gold – organ
McClenty Hunter – drums
10. That’s The Way Of The World (White, Stepney, White) 4:52
Media Contact
Jim Eigo Jazz Promo Services
Ph: 845-986-1677 / jim@jazzpromoservices.com
« Specializing in Media Campaigns for the music community, artists, labels, venues and events.”
Whether you’ve heard guitarist Dave Stryker leading his own group (with 25 CD’s as a leader to date), co-leading The Stryker/Slagle Band, Blue To The Bone or as a featured sideman with Stanley Turrentine, Jack McDuff, and many others, you know why the Village Voice calls him “one of the most distinctive guitarists to come along in recent years.”
Dave Stryker was voted once again into the 2013 Downbeat Critics and Readers Polls. Besides his own 25 recordings Stryker has appeared as a sideman or producer on over 100 others. As a composer he has recorded and published over 130 original compositions. He is involved in passing it on, and was recently hired as the new Jazz Guitar instructor at Indiana University Jacobs School of Music.
. … One of the most joyous feels around. -Pat Metheny
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From the opening strains of Polygon, pianist/composer Mike Bardash’s remarkable new Rhombus Records CD, the listener will be fully aware that an exciting and unpredictable journey lies ahead. A pianist of consummate artistry, Bardash’s playing is placed totally within the context of the music, which showcases his extraordinarily imaginative vision as a composer. Ten of the eleven compositions are Bardash originals and contain a broad palette of modern jazz expression within each highly distinctive piece. Funky and straight ahead hard bop, soul jazz, structured avant-garde, and solid blowing are all flavors in this magical stew of creativity and adventure.Although rooted in that progressive hard bop and beyond mode of the tradition that has made the Blue Note sound so timeless, the music on Polygon is fully of the moment and never allows looking back to stand in the way of looking forward. Mike’s compositions are in constant motion – changing textures, shifting time signatures and altering moods in an organically evolving structure that tells vivid stories and creates an ideal canvas for the soloists.Bardash has assembled an exemplary group of musicians for this music, locking the framework in place with a longtime collaborator, the brilliant bassist Gene Torres, along with the dynamic rhythms of drummer Tony Lewis. The powerful frontline consists of trumpeter Kenyatta Beasley and another longtime Bardash colleague, Deji Coker on tenor sax and flute. All of the musicians are fully informed in the various stylistic elements and totally in command as they traverse the challenging music, telling compelling stories as they take the journey. The full-bodied sounds of both hornmen and the no-nonsense dynamism of Mike’s piano playing create a huge sound that often makes the quintet sound like a larger ensemble – ideally suited to this music. And while the music unquestionably stretches boundaries and pursues the adventurous, it never abandons the essence of musicality that is always front and center.Seven of the highly imaginative Bardash originals are woven together into ThePolygon Suite that comprises more than half of the album. But the four pieces that precede it set the tone perfectly. These include the one non-Bardash item, D’s Blues, written by Coker. A hard-boppish blues over a sprightly walking bass, it has a jocular, lopsided feel that is downright Monkish. Fluidly swinging piano, tenor and trumpet solos highlight this short and sweet foray.Fiery exuberance is the key to Impulse, an explosive take-no-prisoners excursion of tension-filled arcing lines in an upward spiral. The scintillating rhythm section play sets off virile tenor and trumpet solos and a vigorous piano solo of cascading runs and thunderous block chords, then closes with an exceptionally musical drum solo.
« Dyad Plays Puccini is chamber jazz at its finest. »(Ron Netsky, Rochester City News)
Dan reunites the cast of his blockbuster June 2013 concert, with new musicians and a few added surprises, for Chapter 2 of the cutting edge of traditional jazz.
An All-Star Tribute to Mat Domber & Arbors Records
