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From a blend of smooth jazz laced with rich vocals this pro ... Read more

From a blend of smooth jazz laced with rich vocals this project features Harold's version of the multi-format hit "Never Would Have Made It" (Marvin Sapp) to the favorite old hymn "Down Thru The Years" with its bluesy Texas funk, reminiscent of the Jazz Crusaders. 'Live - I Am The Instrument' also shines with smooth jazz originals "Dove" and "Every Night My Father Prays." With energy & innovation this first live recording by Harold Rayford is a must have that will have listeners feasting on its spiritual soul food. His previous project 'Always There' was nominated for a 2009 GMA Dove Award! Minimize

From a blend of smooth jazz laced with rich vocals this pro ... Read more

From a blend of smooth jazz laced with rich vocals this project features Harold's version of the multi-format hit "Never Would Have Made It" (Marvin Sapp) to the favorite old hymn "Down Thru The Years" with its bluesy Texas funk, reminiscent of the Jazz Crusaders. 'Live - I Am The Instrument' also shines with smooth jazz originals "Dove" and "Every Night My Father Prays." With energy & innovation this first live recording by Harold Rayford is a must have that will have listeners feasting on its spiritual soul food. His previous project 'Always There' was nominated for a 2009 GMA Dove Award! Minimize

Last year they won an ARIA Best Jazz Album Award for their ... Read more

Last year they won an ARIA Best Jazz Album Award for their collaboration with James Morrison, but now in 2011 Australia's leading a cappella vocal quartet The Idea of North has returned to their roots with the sublime Extraordinary Tale, an album that can melt the heart and dazzle the senses. 'Extraordinary Tale is an instrument-free zone,' jokes the group's alto Naomi Crellin who did many of the arrangements of hits like Joni Mitchell's Both Sides Now, Sting's La Belle Dame Sans Regrets and The Beatles' In My Life. 'Our fans loved the previous album where we used instruments for the first time, but this time we've gone back to our concert repertoire and the songs that are requested time and time again by our fans.' In an innovative effort to raise funds for the project, the group's legions of fans contributed via the Pledge Music scheme, with the group repaying their investment not just with the album itself, but with other value-adding projects ranging from dinner with the band right up to a private performance in contributors' homes. The scheme allowed the quartet to record and produce the CD themselves, using non-traditional recording venues and production techniques. As always, bass Andrew Piper provided virtuosic mouth-percussion that gives the sense of a built-in rhythm section, but it's in the gorgeous, rich vocal sound of the full ensemble where The Idea of North always shines. Tracks like Stevie Wonder's Never Dreamed You'd Leave In Summer and Sinead O'Connor's In This Heart are particularly moving, and the artwork for the album will inevitably capture attention as well. Minimize

Harry Allen and his quartet have just released their latest ... Read more

Harry Allen and his quartet have just released their latest CD, “Jazz for the Heart,” the second in what promises to be a four-set series of recordings under the McMahon Jazz Medicine label. Their first effort, “Jazz for the Soul,” successfully showcased the tenorist’s mastery over his instrument, confirming his place as one of the greatest proponents of melodic jazz today. This latest work is well worth the wait. Indeed, “Jazz for the Heart” is a masterful melodic marvel, with Harry Allen’s expertise in evidence with every note played. His sound is reminiscent of Stan Getz on the upper register and invokes the deep, breathy richness of Ben Webster on the lower register. The first album of the series, “Jazz for the Soul,” was a very successful recording, with sales in the thousands, and the new CD, “Jazz for the Heart,” is destined for the same fate. McMahon Jazz Medicine, which produces and markets its recordings, has a successful website (www.mcmahonjazzmedicine.com) and a concert series based in New York City. Indeed, Harry Allen and his band will be playing songs from the new CD at the next concert, on April 8. The Harry Allen and Joe Cohn quartet, which features Joe Cohn on guitar, Joel Forbes on bass and Chuck Riggs on drums, recently received the 2006 award for Outstanding Jazz Combo, presented at the New York City Nightlife Awards. This latest award reconfirms the band’s excellence, as does the excellently crafted “Jazz for the Heart,” which reinterprets a superlative list of love songs, including a great take on “Skylark,” the classic from Johnny Mercer and Hoagy Carmichael, and a blissful “Moonlight in Vermont”. Other great takes include “Smoke Gets in Your Eyes,” “In the Wee Small Hours,” and “Mona Lisa.” There are nine others, one of which is Harry Allen’s own “If There’s a Sky Above.” The band, augmented by typically great piano artistry from John Bunch, is supportive throughout but content to let Harry Allen’s work take center stage. The mood is sensual, sensitive, and serene. It does a heart good. . . . Minimize

Harry Allen and his quartet have just released their latest ... Read more

Harry Allen and his quartet have just released their latest CD, “Jazz for the Heart,” the second in what promises to be a four-set series of recordings under the McMahon Jazz Medicine label. Their first effort, “Jazz for the Soul,” successfully showcased the tenorist’s mastery over his instrument, confirming his place as one of the greatest proponents of melodic jazz today. This latest work is well worth the wait. Indeed, “Jazz for the Heart” is a masterful melodic marvel, with Harry Allen’s expertise in evidence with every note played. His sound is reminiscent of Stan Getz on the upper register and invokes the deep, breathy richness of Ben Webster on the lower register. The first album of the series, “Jazz for the Soul,” was a very successful recording, with sales in the thousands, and the new CD, “Jazz for the Heart,” is destined for the same fate. McMahon Jazz Medicine, which produces and markets its recordings, has a successful website (www.mcmahonjazzmedicine.com) and a concert series based in New York City. Indeed, Harry Allen and his band will be playing songs from the new CD at the next concert, on April 8. The Harry Allen and Joe Cohn quartet, which features Joe Cohn on guitar, Joel Forbes on bass and Chuck Riggs on drums, recently received the 2006 award for Outstanding Jazz Combo, presented at the New York City Nightlife Awards. This latest award reconfirms the band’s excellence, as does the excellently crafted “Jazz for the Heart,” which reinterprets a superlative list of love songs, including a great take on “Skylark,” the classic from Johnny Mercer and Hoagy Carmichael, and a blissful “Moonlight in Vermont”. Other great takes include “Smoke Gets in Your Eyes,” “In the Wee Small Hours,” and “Mona Lisa.” There are nine others, one of which is Harry Allen’s own “If There’s a Sky Above.” The band, augmented by typically great piano artistry from John Bunch, is supportive throughout but content to let Harry Allen’s work take center stage. The mood is sensual, sensitive, and serene. It does a heart good. . . . Minimize

Create realistic-sounding jazz and big band arrangements qu ... Read more

Create realistic-sounding jazz and big band arrangements quickly and easily with Jazz & Big Band 3. This exciting new sound library features over 50 individual instruments, including trumpets, trombones, a comprehensive 16 saxophones collection, winds, keyboards, basses, and a rhythm section. This latest version also includes the advanced new ARIA engine sample player, featuring efficient performance and fast sample loading. Minimize

Pat Martino has certainly had more than his share of ups an ... Read more

Pat Martino has certainly had more than his share of ups and downs: after establishing himself as one of jazz's outstanding guitarists and a major influence on such younger players as Pat Metheny, he suffered a brain tumor that forced him to relearn the instrument. Now that he has come all the way back, it's even more interesting to see where he started with El Hombre, his 1967 debut as a leader. A Philadelphian, Martino worked steadily in the organ combos so popular in the region's jazz clubs, earning his bones as a sideman for Jack McDuff, Richard "Groove" Holmes and Don Patterson, and this date reflects that background, with organist Trudy Pitts serving as Martino's primary foil. As its title suggests, El Hombre has a decidedly Latin tinge, employing flute, conga, and bongo for a soulful bossa sound that, while currently out of vogue, proves remarkably winning. From the opening "Waltz for Geri," Martino establishes himself as a confidently swinging yet breezily relaxed player, and turns in some of his best performances on the title cut and the extended "A Blues for Mickey-O." For guitar fans unfamiliar with Martino's work, El Hombre is a revelation. --Fred Goodman Minimize

Ella encourages children to play rhythm instruments provide ... Read more

Ella encourages children to play rhythm instruments provided by the teacher or homemade. After she sings Put Your Instruments Away, a jazz band introduces the trombone, clarinet, drum, trumpet, etc. Ten songs include Follow the Leader, Let’s Listen to the Band, and Harmonica Happiness. "A fabulous first music lesson, Play teaches the basics of rhythm and response and introduces eight instruments." - Entertainment Weekly Minimize

Recorded at Chicago's {~Truckstop} and partnered by local c ... Read more

Recorded at Chicago's {~Truckstop} and partnered by local cellist {$Fred Lonberg-Holm}, German trumpeter {$Axel D� rner} once more reveals his prodigious extended technique on his Holton slide instrument. Both the music and the predominantly white booklet Minimize

Ella encourages children to play rhythm instruments provide ... Read more

Ella encourages children to play rhythm instruments provided by the teacher or homemade. After she sings Put Your Instruments Away, a jazz band introduces the trombone, clarinet, drum, trumpet, etc. Ten songs include Follow the Leader, Let’s Listen to the Band, and Harmonica Happiness. "A fabulous first music lesson, Play teaches the basics of rhythm and response and introduces eight instruments." - Entertainment Weekly Minimize

The fascinating global journey of jazz is one of music's mo ... Read more

The fascinating global journey of jazz is one of music's most remarkable stories. Putumayo's newest release, Jazz Around the World, showcases the powerful influence of jazz on musicians across the globe. Featuring both well-established and newer artists performing extraordinary covers and originals, this collection incorporates a wide range of rhythms, instruments and melodies into a constantly evolving genre. With ancestral roots in Africa, jazz flowered into a dynamic force in the United States throughout the 20th century. And, over the years, it has borrowed from, influenced and blended with musical traditions around the world. On Jazz Around the World, Texas-raised Heather Rigdon delivers a sophisticated performance on "Young and Naïve" which has drawn comparisons to the music of Norah Jones and Diana Krall. Quebecois chanteuse Chantal Chamberland's retro-sounding interpretation of "La Mer" (the French predecessor of the Bobby Darin classic "Beyond the Sea") sounds familiar yet original. On "Quiéreme Mucho," Paris-based Niuver blends the trova music of her native Cuba with jazz and Brazilian bossa nova. Famed South African trumpeter and fusion master Hugh Masekela offers an uplifting performance on "Open the Door," effortlessly complemented by the beautiful voice of songstress Malaika. The Kora Jazz Trio and Malian Kélétigui Diabaté, master of the balafon (an African marimba), both contribute exceptional reworkings of classic songs. The Kora Jazz Trio offers a soulful version of the Cuban standard "Chan Chan" while Diabaté, (with Habib Koité & Bamada) gives an African twist to George Gershwin's "Summertime." The album also features outstanding tracks by Cameroonian singer Blick Bassy, jazz fusion drummer Billy Cobham with Asere, New Zealand Maori musician Kataraina Pipi, Guadalajaran multicultural quartet Sherele and Spanish/Algerian singer Kad. Jazz Around the World is Putumayo's third jazz collection, joining successful recent releases Latin Jazz and Women of Jazz. Minimize

Brooklyn Jazz Underground Records is proud to present Mulbe ... Read more

Brooklyn Jazz Underground Records is proud to present Mulberry Street from trombonist/composer Jeff Fairbanks' Project Hansori. This debut album won an American Music Center Recording Grant, and features Fairbanks' distinct compositions for big band, augmented with traditional Asian instruments, in his innovative and groundbreaking concoction of Asian folk music and modern Jazz. Existing recordings of this nature (traditional Asian fused with jazz) are very rare, and nearly unprecedented for an ensemble of this size. Project Hansori features an uber-talented cast of 22 of some of the most in-demand and acclaimed jazz musicians today, including Linda Oh, Fred Ho, Remy LeBeouf, Erica von Kleist, and Sebastian Noelle, combined with traditional Asian instruments. Grammy-nominee Darcy James Argue produced the recording sessions. The album's centerpiece is the four-part suite, Mulberry Street (commissioned by the BMI Foundation Charlie Parker Composition Prize) which has its origins in Fairbanks multi-cultural experiences in Chinatown, NYC. Fairbanks explains in depth, I chose for inspiration a fascinating corner of New York that I have become very acquainted with through the past year or so. Mulberry Street in Manhattan connects Little Italy on the North with expanding Chinatown on the South. An old routine occurs daily on the Chinatown end of this bustling street. There are a row of Chinese-run funeral parlors, while conducting Buddhist ceremonies, maintain the Western brass band tradition established by their previous Italian operators. As a player in the brass band, being a direct participant and observer to the process, this unique blend of cultures caught my interest. The otherwise-unlikely cultural fusion is a great example of an only in New York experience. Sometimes both a Western band and a traditional Chinese band will perform in the same ceremony, though not in collaboration, and often playing different songs against each other. Though music in Western funerals mainly serves to comfort the bereaved, in Buddhist funerals it can serve to scare away evil spirits, and so ease the path of the deceased into the afterlife. I suppose funerals on Mulberry Street have a little of each purpose. Rather than to create a reenactment of one of these events, I chose to create a piece influenced by the very different sounds and themes heard there. My attempt was to write an abstract impression of the experience on my ears, simply titled Mulberry Street. Hansori means 'one sound' in Korean, and reflects Fairbanks' vision of combining various cultural elements into an orchestral jazz context. Beyond Fairbanks formal training in Jazz and Western classical music, he has amassed a great deal of experience being immersed in the music of cultures less familiar to him -- particularly Salsa, Gospel, and East Asian folk music. He has visited Korea and toured in Japan, seeking out the live indigenous music in each country, and was subsequently blown away. Also, playing in NYC Chinatown funerals for several years now has also greatly exposed the artist to Chinese music and culture. Fairbanks' music and life have been greatly influenced by each of these cultures and experiences, and each of them informs his voice as a composer, particularly the Asian traditional music. Minimize

Pat Martino has certainly had more than his share of ups an ... Read more

Pat Martino has certainly had more than his share of ups and downs: after establishing himself as one of jazz's outstanding guitarists and a major influence on such younger players as Pat Metheny, he suffered a brain tumor that forced him to relearn the instrument. Now that he has come all the way back, it's even more interesting to see where he started with El Hombre, his 1967 debut as a leader. A Philadelphian, Martino worked steadily in the organ combos so popular in the region's jazz clubs, earning his bones as a sideman for Jack McDuff, Richard "Groove" Holmes and Don Patterson, and this date reflects that background, with organist Trudy Pitts serving as Martino's primary foil. As its title suggests, El Hombre has a decidedly Latin tinge, employing flute, conga, and bongo for a soulful bossa sound that, while currently out of vogue, proves remarkably winning. From the opening "Waltz for Geri," Martino establishes himself as a confidently swinging yet breezily relaxed player, and turns in some of his best performances on the title cut and the extended "A Blues for Mickey-O." For guitar fans unfamiliar with Martino's work, El Hombre is a revelation. --Fred Goodman Minimize

Billy Bauer was the most celebrated guitarist in early mode ... Read more

Billy Bauer was the most celebrated guitarist in early modern jazz, winning more awards than any other on the instrument and establishing an enviable reputation as a member of the Woody Herman rhythm section. As a longtime sideman for Lennie Tristano and Lee Konitz, he made some brilliant recordings showcasing his magisterial authority with contrapuntal lines. Despite his long career as a sideman, he did only two recording dates as a leader, both quartet sessions, compiled in this CD. In them he managed at all times to extract the greatest tenderness from his instrument. Playing with soul, swinging subtly, straight ahead or lightly as the need arose, he accomplished the rare and difficult feat of combining good jazz with accessibility. 1 Easy Walkin' Blues 2 Out Of Nowhere 3 These Foolish Things 4 (Back Home In) Indiana 5 Somebody Loves Me 6 September In The Rain 7 A Ghost Of A Chance 8 'S Wonderful 9 It's A Blue World 10 Maybe I Love You Too Much 11 Lincoln Tunnel 12 Night Cruise 13 Too Marvellous For Words 14 Lady Estelles's Dream 15 You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To 16 When It's Sleepy Time Down South 17 The Way You Look Tonight 18 Lullaby Of The Leaves 19 Moon Mist Minimize

The fascinating global journey of jazz is one of music's mo ... Read more

The fascinating global journey of jazz is one of music's most remarkable stories. Putumayo's newest release, Jazz Around the World, showcases the powerful influence of jazz on musicians across the globe. Featuring both well-established and newer artists performing extraordinary covers and originals, this collection incorporates a wide range of rhythms, instruments and melodies into a constantly evolving genre. With ancestral roots in Africa, jazz flowered into a dynamic force in the United States throughout the 20th century. And, over the years, it has borrowed from, influenced and blended with musical traditions around the world. On Jazz Around the World, Texas-raised Heather Rigdon delivers a sophisticated performance on "Young and Naïve" which has drawn comparisons to the music of Norah Jones and Diana Krall. Quebecois chanteuse Chantal Chamberland's retro-sounding interpretation of "La Mer" (the French predecessor of the Bobby Darin classic "Beyond the Sea") sounds familiar yet original. On "Quiéreme Mucho," Paris-based Niuver blends the trova music of her native Cuba with jazz and Brazilian bossa nova. Famed South African trumpeter and fusion master Hugh Masekela offers an uplifting performance on "Open the Door," effortlessly complemented by the beautiful voice of songstress Malaika. The Kora Jazz Trio and Malian Kélétigui Diabaté, master of the balafon (an African marimba), both contribute exceptional reworkings of classic songs. The Kora Jazz Trio offers a soulful version of the Cuban standard "Chan Chan" while Diabaté, (with Habib Koité & Bamada) gives an African twist to George Gershwin's "Summertime." The album also features outstanding tracks by Cameroonian singer Blick Bassy, jazz fusion drummer Billy Cobham with Asere, New Zealand Maori musician Kataraina Pipi, Guadalajaran multicultural quartet Sherele and Spanish/Algerian singer Kad. Jazz Around the World is Putumayo's third jazz collection, joining successful recent releases Latin Jazz and Women of Jazz. Minimize

J.J. Johnson's great 1956-1957 quintet played modern jazz w ... Read more

J.J. Johnson's great 1956-1957 quintet played modern jazz with authority, imagination, taste and feeling. Its leader was the trombonist of the era, much emulated and admired by his peers. The Belgian-born Jaspar, who had recently won the International Jazz Critics' New Star Award on tenor, proved an ideal foil and a capable modern-mainstream tenor sax and flutist, contributing impressively on both instruments. Flanagan, a superbly swinging pianist, also made an indelible mark on the group, which was graced initially with another bop piano great, Hank Jones, while Little and Elvin Jones' support throughout is admirable. It was an exhilarating band that fully displayed Johnson's well-rounded musicianship. Tracklisting: CD 1: 01. Overdrive (Johnson) 02. Undecided (Shavers-Robin) 03. Angel Eyes (Dennis-Brent) 04. Tumbling Tumbleweeds (Nolan) 05. Cube Steak (Johnson) 06. Never Let Me Go (Scott) 07. Solar (Davis) 08. Chasin' The Bird (Parker) 09. Naptown U.S.A. (Johnson) 10. It Might As Well Be Spring (Rodgers-Hammerstein II) 11. Bird Song (Jones) 12. It Could Happen To You (Burke-Van Heusen) 13. Our Love Is Here To Stay (Gershwin-Gershwin) 14. Blue Haze (Davis) 15. I Should Care (Cahn-Stordhal-Weston) Total time: 64:02 min. CD 2: 01. Barbados (Parker) 02. In A Little Provincial Town (Jaspar) 03. Cette Chose (Jaspar) 04. Joey, Joey, Joey (Loesser) 05. Teapot (Johnson) 06. So Sorry Please (Powell) 07. Old Devil Moon (Harburg-Lane) Bonus: Live "Cafe Bohemia" New York 08. Johnson introduces the members of his quintet 09. Bernie's Tune (Miller) 10. In A Little Provincial Town (Jaspar) 11. I Should Care (Cahn-Stordhal-Weston) 12. Angel Eyes (Dennis-Brent) 13. Old Devil Moon (Lane-Harburg) 14. My Old Flame (Coslow-Johnson) 15. Dailie Double (Johnson) 16. Theme: Solar (Davis) Total time: 71:09 min. Minimize

Bassist Jaco Pastorius was the Jimi Hendrix of jazz. Before ... Read more

Bassist Jaco Pastorius was the Jimi Hendrix of jazz. Before he left this world in 1987, he virtually created the fretless bass with an unorthodox playing style that turned that instrument into a highly tuned, electrified African talking drum. This long-overdue, two-CD compilation details the incredible, but incomplete arc of this artist's genius that encompassed the R&B, Caribbean, fusion, and jazz-rock idioms. Jaco-heads will revel in these legendary sides that made Pastorius famous. There's his solo rendition of Bach's "Chromatic Fantasy," his dreamy improvisations on "Midwestern Nights" with Pat Metheny, and, of course, the 1976 Weather Report megahit, "Birdland." There are also a few unreleased tracks including an early home recording of "The Chicken" and a live version of "Okonkole Y Trompa." Pastorius's sideman work with Joni Mitchell, which features a wicked take on Charles Mingus's "Goodbye Pork Pie Hat," is also included. But Pastorius's own compositions steal the show: the West Indian-riffed big band number "Liberty City," and his expansive and exotic tone poem "John and Mary." This set will blow your mind and break your heart. --Eugene Holley, Jr. Minimize

Greg Porée's third solo album 'Inventions' embraces jazz as ... Read more

Greg Porée's third solo album 'Inventions' embraces jazz as an expanding collection of 20th century styles where improvisation is essential. For the songs of this scenic and groovy cool jazz album, the classical guitarist Greg Porée has not only drawn from different genres but has written for a variety of instruments and incredibly gifted performers: Inventions was recorded with exactly twenty-one highly acclaimed musicians, featuring world-renowned jazz artists like Patrice Rushen, Karen Briggs, Bryan Pezzone and Keith Jones. Produced by the artist himself, Greg Porée and artist and writer, Frances Livings, the CD was completed after an intense two year period of writing, rewriting, arranging and recording and released on October 1, 2008 in Los Angeles. Having grown up in a multi-cultural environment, Greg Porée has always been deeply influenced by the exposure to diverse styles of music, ranging from Bach to Beatles, and from Villa-Lobos to Motown. Greg has been fortunate enough to build his career in Los Angeles around music. His instrument is the guitar and currently, his day job is being the lead guitarist on the BBC hit show Dancing with the Stars. Apart from always having been musically active in film and television he has worked as a guitarist, musical director, arranger and producer with the most talented musicians, ranging from Ray Charles and Herbie Hancock to Sting and Phoebe Snow. You can hear him on landmark albums from Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson, Stanely Turrentine, Ahmad Jamal, Benny Golson and James Blunt. Minimize

Bassist Jaco Pastorius was the Jimi Hendrix of jazz. Before ... Read more

Bassist Jaco Pastorius was the Jimi Hendrix of jazz. Before he left this world in 1987, he virtually created the fretless bass with an unorthodox playing style that turned that instrument into a highly tuned, electrified African talking drum. This long-overdue, two-CD compilation details the incredible, but incomplete arc of this artist's genius that encompassed the R&B, Caribbean, fusion, and jazz-rock idioms. Jaco-heads will revel in these legendary sides that made Pastorius famous. There's his solo rendition of Bach's "Chromatic Fantasy," his dreamy improvisations on "Midwestern Nights" with Pat Metheny, and, of course, the 1976 Weather Report megahit, "Birdland." There are also a few unreleased tracks including an early home recording of "The Chicken" and a live version of "Okonkole Y Trompa." Pastorius's sideman work with Joni Mitchell, which features a wicked take on Charles Mingus's "Goodbye Pork Pie Hat," is also included. But Pastorius's own compositions steal the show: the West Indian-riffed big band number "Liberty City," and his expansive and exotic tone poem "John and Mary." This set will blow your mind and break your heart. --Eugene Holley, Jr. Minimize

Greg Porée's third solo album 'Inventions' embraces jazz as ... Read more

Greg Porée's third solo album 'Inventions' embraces jazz as an expanding collection of 20th century styles where improvisation is essential. For the songs of this scenic and groovy cool jazz album, the classical guitarist Greg Porée has not only drawn from different genres but has written for a variety of instruments and incredibly gifted performers: Inventions was recorded with exactly twenty-one highly acclaimed musicians, featuring world-renowned jazz artists like Patrice Rushen, Karen Briggs, Bryan Pezzone and Keith Jones. Produced by the artist himself, Greg Porée and artist and writer, Frances Livings, the CD was completed after an intense two year period of writing, rewriting, arranging and recording and released on October 1, 2008 in Los Angeles. Having grown up in a multi-cultural environment, Greg Porée has always been deeply influenced by the exposure to diverse styles of music, ranging from Bach to Beatles, and from Villa-Lobos to Motown. Greg has been fortunate enough to build his career in Los Angeles around music. His instrument is the guitar and currently, his day job is being the lead guitarist on the BBC hit show Dancing with the Stars. Apart from always having been musically active in film and television he has worked as a guitarist, musical director, arranger and producer with the most talented musicians, ranging from Ray Charles and Herbie Hancock to Sting and Phoebe Snow. You can hear him on landmark albums from Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson, Stanely Turrentine, Ahmad Jamal, Benny Golson and James Blunt. Minimize

Brooklyn Jazz Underground Records is proud to present Mulbe ... Read more

Brooklyn Jazz Underground Records is proud to present Mulberry Street from trombonist/composer Jeff Fairbanks' Project Hansori. This debut album won an American Music Center Recording Grant, and features Fairbanks' distinct compositions for big band, augmented with traditional Asian instruments, in his innovative and groundbreaking concoction of Asian folk music and modern Jazz. Existing recordings of this nature (traditional Asian fused with jazz) are very rare, and nearly unprecedented for an ensemble of this size. Project Hansori features an uber-talented cast of 22 of some of the most in-demand and acclaimed jazz musicians today, including Linda Oh, Fred Ho, Remy LeBeouf, Erica von Kleist, and Sebastian Noelle, combined with traditional Asian instruments. Grammy-nominee Darcy James Argue produced the recording sessions. The album's centerpiece is the four-part suite, Mulberry Street (commissioned by the BMI Foundation Charlie Parker Composition Prize) which has its origins in Fairbanks multi-cultural experiences in Chinatown, NYC. Fairbanks explains in depth, I chose for inspiration a fascinating corner of New York that I have become very acquainted with through the past year or so. Mulberry Street in Manhattan connects Little Italy on the North with expanding Chinatown on the South. An old routine occurs daily on the Chinatown end of this bustling street. There are a row of Chinese-run funeral parlors, while conducting Buddhist ceremonies, maintain the Western brass band tradition established by their previous Italian operators. As a player in the brass band, being a direct participant and observer to the process, this unique blend of cultures caught my interest. The otherwise-unlikely cultural fusion is a great example of an only in New York experience. Sometimes both a Western band and a traditional Chinese band will perform in the same ceremony, though not in collaboration, and often playing different songs against each other. Though music in Western funerals mainly serves to comfort the bereaved, in Buddhist funerals it can serve to scare away evil spirits, and so ease the path of the deceased into the afterlife. I suppose funerals on Mulberry Street have a little of each purpose. Rather than to create a reenactment of one of these events, I chose to create a piece influenced by the very different sounds and themes heard there. My attempt was to write an abstract impression of the experience on my ears, simply titled Mulberry Street. Hansori means 'one sound' in Korean, and reflects Fairbanks' vision of combining various cultural elements into an orchestral jazz context. Beyond Fairbanks formal training in Jazz and Western classical music, he has amassed a great deal of experience being immersed in the music of cultures less familiar to him -- particularly Salsa, Gospel, and East Asian folk music. He has visited Korea and toured in Japan, seeking out the live indigenous music in each country, and was subsequently blown away. Also, playing in NYC Chinatown funerals for several years now has also greatly exposed the artist to Chinese music and culture. Fairbanks' music and life have been greatly influenced by each of these cultures and experiences, and each of them informs his voice as a composer, particularly the Asian traditional music. Minimize