New Music Monday for April 13, 2015

New Music Monday Playlist on YouTube and Spotify.

     Eliane Elias’ “Made in Brazil” marks a musical homecoming for the multi-Grammy-nominated keyboardist/singer/composer. In her three-decade long career as a solo artist, this is the first time she’s recorded a disc in her native Brazil since moving to the United States in 1981. Along with co-producers Steve Rodby and Marc Johnson, the latter her bass playing musical partner, Elias ventured ‘home’ and recruited a splendid cast of Brazilian musicians. She also peppered the sessions with delightful special guest performances from Mark Kibble and his multi-Grammy Award-winning gospel vocal group Take 6; one of Brazil’s most celebrated R and B stars, Ed Motta; and the distinguished bossa nova composer Roberto Menescal. 
     Much like the importance of a compass to an explorer, when bassist Avishai Cohen is asked what he would consider his favorite navigational instrument, he points to his bass-piano-drums trio that helps him find his orientation and drive to push forward. His new recording, “From Darkness,” sees the Israeli native go back to the very core of his musical idiom and activity and open an essential gateway into a new creative and expressive dimension. “It is the first time since 2007 that I have the feeling I am reaching a new, fresh and incredibly substantial form with the trio.” A belief reinforced by two outstanding partners, pianist Nitai Hershvovits and drummer Daniel Dor. “Both Nitai and Daniel take my music to places and perspectives that I had never suspected it would go and I couldn’t dream of anything better.”

     Also this week, iconic guitarist Larry Coryell crosses genres between blues, folk, rock and soul-infused jazz on “Heavy Feel”; saxophonist Tim Warfield puts his own spin on the music of Thelonious Monk with “Spherical”; and Chicago-based reed master Bernard Scavella debuts with “A Taste of Scavella.”

New Music Monday for April 6, 2015

New Music Playlist on YouTube and Spotify.

     Onstage and on record, the music of Anat Cohen positively glows—with virtuosity, with charisma, with the sheer joy of creation—and never more brightly than on her seventh CD as a bandleader, “Luminosa.” The disc sees the clarinetist/saxophonist play singing, dancing originals, interpret Brazilian classics by the likes of Milton Nascimento, and even re-imagine electronica as acoustica. Members of Anat’s touring quartet—keyboardist Jason Lindner, bassist Joe Martin and drummer Daniel Freedman—appear on the album, as do guest guitarists Romero Lubambo and Gilad Hekselman and the Brazilian players from her new band Choro Adventuroso.

     Warren Vache is ideally and nearly uniquely qualified to interpret the music of Benny Carter. He was one of Benny’s favorite musicians and they played together at numerous festivals over the years. The genesis of a new project, “The Warren Vache Quintet Remembers Benny Carter,” happened when Carter’s widow asked Vache to headline a tribute concert in Connecticut, the success of which made the cornetist decide to put together a disc featuring largely the same band as had played in concert. Saxophonist Harry Allen was not available, however, so Vache called on the veteran reedman Houston Person to sit in.

     Also this week, Grammy Award-winning bassist Mark Egan unveils “Direction Home,” the second release from his all-star contemporary jazz trio featuring drummer Danny Gottlieb and keyboardist Mitchel Forman; vocalist Cassandra Wilson delves into the Billie Holiday songbook in commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the birth of Lady Day with “Coming Forth By Day”; and guitarist Steve Watson offers up a fresh fusion of down-home Memphis blues and soul and melodic jazz on “Heat It Up.”

CD of the Month – April 2015

CD of the month April 2015
The KCCK Featured CD for April is “Afrodeezia” by Marcus Miller. Inspired by his role as a UNESCO Artist for Peace and spokesperson for the Slave Route Project, the bassist went back to the source of the rhythms that make black musical heritage so rich, following them like footprints from their beginnings in Africa to ports along the slave route all the way to the United States. Miller collaborated with musicians from West Africa, South America, the Caribbean as well as the United States for the project which, he says, is his way of paying tribute to the long journey of his African ancestors who became African-Americans. “Afrodeezia” is Miller’s debut release for Blue Note Records.For samples and buying information, click here.

Purchase the CD through KCCK’s Amazon account.

View the CD of the Month Archive

New Music Monday for March 30, 2015

New Music Monday Playlist on YouTube and Spotify.

     Jazz innovator Marc Cary, voted Rising Star-Keyboardist in this year’s annual DownBeat Critics Poll, updates one of the most adventurous concepts of his career with the release of “Rhodes Ahead Vol. 2.” Cary’s breakthrough disc of 1999 incorporated elements of drum n’ bass, electronic funk, house, Afro-Cuban, ethnic, and the ‘go-go’ music of his teenage bands in Washington, D.C. The result was a savvy, exotic mix that crossed rhythmic bridges between generations. “Vol. 2” brings Cary’s vision forward into the heart of today’s urban-centric and digital environment, adding trumpet, violin, guitar and percussion to his core trio mates drummer Terreon Gully and bassist Taurus Mateen. 

 

     “Messin’ with Mr. T” is guitarist Dave Stryker’spersonal homage to the late Stanley Turrentine, with whom he toured for over a decade and recorded with twice. Stryker says that being hired by Turrentine was a “real validation” of his playing, and he’s had it in mind “ever since he passed to do something like this tribute.” Joining his organ trio are ten of the world’s finest tenor players, including Houston Person, Jimmy Heath, Chris Potter, Bob Mintzer, Eric Alexander and Steve Slagle. The material basically reflects Turrentine’s set lists from the years Stryker toured with him.

      Also this week, saxophonist Doug Webb leads a classic blowing session with fellow tenor men Walt Weiskopf and Joel Frahm on “Triple Play”; contemporary jazz guitarist Ray Obiedo offers up his first recording in over fifteen years with “There Goes That”; and multi-instrumentalist Stuart Matthewman, who wrote many of Sade’s best-loved songs, and vocalist Vanessa Bley join forces as “Twin Danger” on their self-titled debut album.

Live from the Opus Concert Cafe

The Opus Concert Cafe, located next to the Paramount Theatre in downtown Cedar Rapids, continues its jazz series April 3 with permisson Jim Dreier. Dreier is a drum set, Latin percussion and jazz educator, clinician and performer who is also a full-time “Lecturer” in Jazz Studies at the University of Iowa. The First Friday Jazz Series features an eclectic mix of jazz, Latin and contemporary music the first Friday of every month. Doors at Opus open at 4:30 p.m. with live music from 5-7 p.m. Admission is $12. If you can’t be there in person, the first set of each performance of the series is broadcast live on KCCK. The Opus Concert Cafe is operated by Orchestra Iowa.

New Music Monday for March 23, 2015

New Music Monday Playlist on YouTube and Spotify.

     “Afrodeezia” was inspired by bassist Marcus Miller’srole as a UNESCO Artist for Peace and spokesman for the organization’s Slave Route Project. It was recorded in locations around the world including Paris, Morocco, Rio, New Orleans and Los Angeles, and features a wide range of guests including vocalist Lalah Hathaway, keyboardist Robert Glasper, trumpeters Ambrose Akinmusire and Etienne Charles, and guitarist Keb’ Mo’.  “For this project, I collaborated with musicians from West Africa, South America, the Caribbean, the southern U.S. and the large northern cities of the U.S.,” Miller explains. “This is my way of paying tribute to the long journey of my African ancestors who became African-Americans.”
     “Ernestine Anderson Swings the Penthouse” is a previously unreleased set featuring the great singer in the full bloom of youth as you may have never heard her before—live in front of an appreciative audience. It’s the 34-year-old Anderson singing with exuberance and spontaneity in the intimate setting of Seattle’s legendary jazz club, the Penthouse, in 1962. Her first record had come out just a few years prior to this performance, Time Magazine had touted her as the “best new voice in the business…perhaps the best-kept jazz secret in the land” and Down Beat’s Critics Poll had named her the New Star of the Year.

     Also this week, Denver-based trumpeter Al Hood and pianist Dave Hanson lead their H2 Big Band, with special guest vocalist Rene Marie, on “It Could Happen”; saxophonist Jovan Alexandre, a product of the Jackie McLean Institute of Jazz at the University of Hartford’s Hartt School of Music, makes his debut as a leader with “Collective Consciousness”; and trombonist Steve Turre unveils his first release for the new Smoke Sessions label with “Spiritman.”

Heat up Sundays with KCCK!


“Tropical Heat” is the Corridor’s only locally-produced World Music show, featuring Jazz and Worldbeat sounds from the Tropics, The Caribbean, and around the world.

The show is hosted by Togo native Kpoti Senam Accoh, who managed a music club before emigrating to the U.S.

Listen for “Tropical Heat” Sunday evenings at 6 p.m. Email Kpoti at kpoti@kcck.org or follow him on Twitter @TropicJazz.

New Music Monday for March 16, 2015

New Music Monday Playlist on YouTube and Spotify.

     There have been pivotal locales which were the nurturing ground for the vanguard of many art forms. Jazz music has had a number of these spots, from New Orleans up to Kansas City and Chicago, then to New York and outward. It would not be hard to argue that the great city of Philadelphia should be recognized with these others as a wellspring of talented musicians. One of its prominent sons is drummer Albert ‘Tootie’ Heath. He, like so many other Philly natives including his brothers Jimmy and Percy, grew up in the music, as the city was ripe with musicians of the first order and an important stop for many of the progenitors of the music. On his new recording, “Philadelphia Beat,” Heath returns to his native ground to catch the spirit and preserve it. Joining him in this endeavor, for their third recording as a trio, are pianist Ethan Iverson and bassist Ben Street.

     Russell Malone first worked with master organist Jimmy Smith in 1988 and between 1990 and 1994 toured with Harry Connick, Jr. During the late ‘90s Malone toured internationally with Diana Krall, receiving critical acclaim in his role as her right hand both in concert and on her recordings.  The guitarist has also worked with such diverse artists as Branford Marsalis, Bucky Pizzarelli, Mulgrew Miller, Roy Hargrove and Patti Austin. Malone is added to the roster of High Note Records for his new CD, “Love Looks Good on You.”

     Also this week, Katie Thiroux, an exceptional bassist, captivating singer and gifted composer, debuts with “Introducing Katie Thiroux”; drummer Mike Clark and pianist Michael Wolff return with “Wolff and Clark Expedition 2”; and pianist Jon Davis unveils his second trio recording for Posi-Tone Records, “Moving Right Along.”