On this edition of the World of Jazz show there are all new releases from Luke Stewart Silt Trio, Ben Sidran, Dan Loomis, Tomeka Reid, Ray Obeido, Wes or No Trio, Manos Loutas Quartet, two albums from Phil Bancroft, Natsuki Tamura & Jim Black, Andy Milne and Unison, Foreign Affair Trio feat. Hector Martignon, Chris Zuar Orchestra, Countermeasure and The Burlington New Millennium Orchestra, Halie Loren, Brian Eaton, William Soovik Grand Finale, Isrea Butler, and Ivo Perelman & Matthew Shipp.
THE PLAYLIST
Show Intro 00:00
Luke Stewart Silt Trio “Seek Whence” from Unknown Rivers (Pi Recordings) 00:34
Ben Sidran “Sosi B (featuring John Ellis and Michael Leonhart” from Rainmaker (Bonsai Music) 06:00
Dan Loomis “Centaur of the Plains” from Revolutions (Adhyâropa Records) 09:54
Tomeka Reid “Exploring Outward/Funambulist Fever” from 3+3 (Cuneiform Records) 15:01
Ray Obeido “Caribe Nuevo” from Twist (Rhythmus Records) 30:08
Wes or No Trio “What’s New” from Watch What Happens (Da Vinci Jazz) 35:50
Manos Loutas Quartet “Rita in St. Thomas” from The New York lost tapes 1993 (Self Released) 41:40
Phil Bancroft & Gyan Singh “Bird” from Birth & Death (Myriad Streams) 45:39
Natsuki Tamura & Jim Black “Morning City” from NatJim (Libra Records) 52:07
Andy Milne and Unison “Purity of Heart” from Time Will Tell (Sunnyside Records) 56:00
Foreign Affair Trio feat. Hector Martignon “One Step Behind” from Sous Le Vent (Zoho Music) 1:02:06
Chris Zuar Orchestra “Certainty” from Exuberance (Tonal Conversations) 1:06:42
Countermeasure and The Burlington New Millennium Orchestra “I Will” from Orchestral Sessions (Self Released) 1:11:45
Halie Loren “All NIght Long” from Dreams Lost And Found (Nettwerk/Justin Time Records) 1:17:34
Brian Eaton “Travels” from Travels (Eatin’ Records) 1:22:35
William Soovik Grand Finale “Kool For Skool” from Once More, Dear Friends (Abrovinsch Records) 1:27:36
Isrea Butler “See See Rider” from Congo Lament (Vegas Records) 1:35:45
Ivo Perelman and Matthew Shipp “Magical Incantation” from Magical Incantation (Soul City Sounds) 1:42:40
Luke Stewart Silt Trio “Unknown Rivers” from Unknown Rivers (Pi Recordings) 1:50:11
Phil Bancroft “Double Trouble” from Headlong (Myriad Streams) 1:54:39
Luke Stewart Silt Trio
Unknown Rivers is bassist Luke Stewart debut release for Pi Recordings. It features his long-running Silt Trio, with Brian Settles on tenor sax, and drummers Warren “Trae” Crudup III on four studio tracks and Chad Taylor on three live ones. A real force on the jazz scene, Stewart is bandleader, including as a member of Irreversible Entanglements, and is also among the most in-demand collaborators, playing with the likes of David Murray, Archie Shepp, Wadada Leo Smith, Nicole Mitchell, Ken Vandermark, Gary Bartz, Shabaka, and countless others. He is also a curator and presenter of multiple concert series in Washington, D.C. and New York, a writer, activist, producer and D.J. I have featured one studio and one live track.
Ben Sidran
Of this release Sidran says: “The original idea for Rainmaker was to throw a party in a Paris recording studio in honour of my 80th birthday. I saw it as a way to celebrate the survival of so many things, including myself, a life without borders, and my friendship with so many musicians Abroad. I imagined that it would be a blues record, so I began by writing some original blues songs and revisiting some of my favourite classic blues too. But as often happens, what we discover is not necessarily what we were looking for, and in this case I found myself writing songs that felt dystopian, not all of them traditional blues forms, and not what you might imagine as “party music”. But by the time we finished recording at Studio de Meudon with new and old friends from America and France, the record had found its own sound. Somewhere between tragic and celebratory, shaggy and polished, broken and healed, I guess you could say that Rainmaker really is all about surviving in the modern world”.
Dan Loomis
A programmatic suite of electrifying and thought-provoking songs and spoken-word pieces meant to serve as a call to the barricades. The album draws on music from the pan- American experience. Influences across the countries and history of the Americas comes out in the course of this album. Rooted in jazz, the music of the Black American experience, it draws on windy samba-tinged romps, post-punky electric textures and even reaches into the classical world with chamber music textures. Throughout, cinematic and haunting melodies wind through the songs, alternating with fiery episodes of improvisations over adventurous forms and rhythms. The tight ensemble of clarinet, bass, guitar and drum set conjures a world of different textures and colours. This ambitious, large-scale works makes use of a bold new artistic form. The piece alternates between spoken word episodes (accompanied by a smaller musical ensemble of guitar, tanbou and bass) that poetically evoke the subject matter and instrumental tracks that develop those ideas through music This new form allows the composer, Dan Loomis, to tackle the themes of revolution head-on. The spoken-word sets up the heroes and ideals featured in the work, and the instrumental pieces take the listener to a place beyond facts and rational thought - touching the emotions and rousing the spirit.
Tomeka Reid
Cellist, composer and MacArthur Fellow Tomeka Reid explores new improvisational math with 3+3, the third release by her all-star quartet and her most adventurous project as a leader yet. Featuring Jason Roebke on bass, Tomas Fujiwara on drums, and fellow MacArthur Fellow Mary Halvorson on guitar. No artist over the past decade has done more to bring the cello from the margins to the center of the contemporary jazz scene than Tomeka Reid. Nurtured by the creative hothouse of Chicago’s AACM, she’s recorded prolifically since making her debut on flutist Nicole Mitchell’s 2002 Black Earth Ensemble album Afrika Rising. But with 3+3, Reid takes a major step as a composer with a bold and protean approach to designing settings for group improvisation.
Building on the deeply intuitive language explored by the quartet on her acclaimed Cuneiform debut, 2019’s Old New, Reid set out to explore extended themes. Over the course of three pieces that flow together much like a set the group plays in concert, the album captures the state-of-the-art ensemble moving with unhurried grace, constantly calibrating the evolving conversation
Ray Obeido
With a twist of Latin and contemporary jazz flavors, Ray Obiedo puts his signature spin on the guitar. The Oakland-based artist's latest album, "Twist" on Rhythmus Records, marks his 11th release. Obiedo brings together his talent for composing originals with his flair for reimagining classics like War’s “All Day Music” which features vocalist Chloé Jean. Obiedo's star-studded musical journey shines bright on his latest project, enlisting renowned artists like Yellowjackets' Bob Mintzer, percussion powerhouses Pete Escovedo and Peter Michael Escovedo. This new album features smooth vocals from Sheila E, Lilan Kane, Leah Tysse, Michelle Hawkins and Sandy Cressman, and dynamic instrumentalists like sax and flute player Norbert Stachel, trombonist Jeff Cressman, keyboardist Peter Horvath, and drummer Phil Hawkins. This Latin Jazz collection also brings together musical masters for an energetic collaboration. Steel pan virtuosos Andy Narell and his brother Jeff Narell lend their iconic sound. Tower of Power’s acclaimed drummer David Garibaldi and bassist Marc van Wageningen add their signature funk grooves. Rounding out the lineup are Santana keyboardist David K. Mathews and percussionist Karl Perazzo, who infuse their trademark Latin flair. Obiedo assembles a masterful musical mosaic overflowing with talent. This A-list ensemble illuminates Obiedo's compositions, showcasing his prowess for bringing together diverse artists to create musical magic. With 5 previous acclaimed albums on Windham Hill Jazz and 4 more on his own Oakland-based Rhythmus Records, the West Coast guitarist brews a rhythmic, energetic soundscape on "Twist" that reveals his passion for the diverse flavours of his Bay Area home.
Wes or No Trio
"Watch What Happens" represents a new chapter for Simone Basile, Manrico Seghi, and Giovanni Paolo Liguori. Following their debut album titled "Wes or No" (2018), where their reference point "Wes Montgomery" guided them through tracks and sounds, with this new album "Watch What Happens," they form a cohesive and mature trio that immerses itself in the deep roots of jazz and blues, exploring its nuances and deepest emotions. Each track of this album is a story in itself, an open window to a world of emotions and sounds, where groove, rhythm & changes, and blues alternate with ballads, shaping a tracklist that never bores and keeps the listener always engaged. Wes Montgomery looked to the future with audacity and innovation, and the band seek to honour his spirit by branching out from Wes's legacy and continuing along their own path, thus creating an original, well-arranged album, but always with their feet firmly planted in jazz tradition.
Manos Loutas Quartet
Manos Loutas is a bassist, composer, improviser and educator for over 40 years, performed mainly in Greece and the U.S.A. but also appeared all over the world, collaborating with many artists in various styles of music. He has performed and recorded with great Jazz musicians such as David Liebman, Andy Sheppard, Alex Foster and local greats Nana Simopoulos, Dimitrios Vassilakis and many others. The Quartet on this release is Adam Morrison: Keyboards, Ziv Nagari: Guitar Benny Koonyevsky: Drums, Percussion, Manos Loutas: Bass (Ken Smith 5-string). Manos says” This is a recording from the time that I was studying Jazz Bass in New York. Finally after 30 years I found the DAT tapes that I lost when I moved back to Greece! So here is my composition from "The New York lost tapes 1993"!”
Phil Bancroft
Saxophonist Phil Bancroft, as well as being a major presence on the Scottish jazz scene, has always relished collaborations with other traditions. There are two new albums from him on the show
He has worked with African and Indian musicians, in addition to Scottish traditional players, and in table master Gyan Singh he found an instant connection. The two first played together when Bancroft guested with Singh’s exciting Indo-fusion band, Mrigya, in a packed amphitheatre in Delhi. Informal jam sessions in smoke-filled rooms in the Scottish musical melting pot of Pathhead village, home to a number of top-level folk and jazz musicians, followed when Singh was visiting with Hindustani violinist Sharat Chandra Srivastava. The strong musical connection that Bancroft felt with Singh resulted in Bancroft and Singh arranging to meet and play together in July 2018 while Singh was in Scotland performing with Bancroft’s brother, Tom’s band In Common. Bancroft picked up Singh at 8.30am from the house of bagpipe maker, cittern player and musical catalyst, the late Nigel Richard to take him to his home in Glenkinchie to play. It was early and Singh had grabbed only a few hours’ sleep. On arrival at Glenkinchie and after a coffee, a microphone was placed in front of the tabla, and one on the saxophone, and with no discussion the duo started to play.
On the second album and his second set as a Leader Bancroft is in the company of Mike Walker- Guitar, Reid Anderson- Acoustic Bass and Thomas Strønen- Drums
Natsuki Tamura & Jim Black
Two musicians who have helped define the cutting edge of improvised music – trumpeter/composer Natsuki Tamura and drummer Jim Black – reunite on NatJim, their first duo recording in 25 years. The album released May 17, 2024 via Libra Records.
It’s an inspired reunion. Goading each other to greater and greater heights of improvisational creativity, they lock together effortlessly in vibrant, playful, and surprising tandem. Their connection is nearly telepathic, allowing them to spring surprises on each other, change direction without warning, and engage in give-and-take that leaves room for each to express themselves to the fullest possible extent.
Something Else! Featuring Vincent Herring
When soul jazz was born in the late 1950s/early 1960s, it provided a pathway for the funky, window-rattling grooves of contemporary soul and R&B to infuse the muscular hard bop of the day. For the generation that grew up in that era, soul jazz is the soundtrack of their lives – not to mention an absolute blast to play.
The new supergroup Something Else! brings together a superb septet that matches impeccable virtuosity with a bottomless feel for this music. Spearheaded by alto saxophone great Vincent Herring, the band’s debut release features trumpeter Jeremy Pelt, tenor saxophonist Wayne Escoffery, guitarist Paul Bollenback, pianist David Kikoski, bassist Essiet Essiet, and drummer Otis Brown III.
Under the no-nonsense title of Soul Jazz, due out June 14 via Smoke Sessions Records, the album features groove-centric tunes from such masters as Horace Silver, Herbie Hancock, Roy Hargrove, Donald Byrd, Stanley Turrentine, Eddie Harris, Pee Wee Ellis, and John Coltrane, played with infectious vitality by this unparalleled dream band.
The approach to jazz that these stellar musicians take always comes with its fair share of soul, no matter the stylistic twists and turns it may take. But with Something Else! they place the soul firmly the spotlight, refreshing this classic material with a thrilling, vibrant joy that is electrifyingly conveyed directly into the listener’s body. Soul Jazz comes with an unspoken challenge not to move.
Andy Milne and Unison
Milne’s latest collaboration with bassist John Hébert and drummer Clarence Penn is a sparkling exploration of identity and destiny, showcasing Milne’s ever-evolving craft. It follows the trio’s The ReMission (2020), winner of Jazz Album of the Year: Group at the 2021 Juno Awards. As with its predecessor, Time Will Tell is Milne’s artistic response to life-changing circumstances. Whereas The ReMission was inspired by his cancer diagnosis, treatment, and recovery, Time Will Tell chronicles his lifelong efforts to uncover his birth family history. Adopted as an infant, his efforts to connect with his birth family proved fruitless – until 2018, when the gift of an Ancestry.com DNA test from his wife, singer La Tanya Hall, changed everything.
Foreign Affair Trio feat. Hector Martignon
Hector says “There are no two cities more dissimilar and difficult to compare than New York and Geneva. Even both cities’ proximity to large, important bodies of water fail at close examination: New York’s mighty Hudson and the stormy Atlantic, versus Geneva’s tranquil Rhone and the peaceful and majestic Lake of Leman share little beyond their constituent molecule, H2O. If anything, then New York City’s mountains of glass and concrete called skyscrapers, competing in awesomeness and daring with the towering Alpine peaks surrounding Geneva. And still, commuting between both cities for the last 15 years or so, to visit my daughter Leticia and her children in Geneva, I saw a musical home flourish and thrive in both cities, to which this CD offers the finest testament. Having worked with Raphael Nick in several Afro-Cuban-tinged projects and enjoying his versatility and virtuosity, we decided to join forces whenever I would come to Switzerland. It was he who brought amazing Brazilian bass-virtuoso Dudú Penz to the mix and, voilà!, a magic recipe was ready to cook.
Chris Zuar Orchestra
Imagine a set of music charting the course of a (successful) romantic relationship, and the picture that comes to mind might be of something starry-eyed and swooning, brimming with giddy elation and bright colors. But bandleader/composer Christopher Zuar recognizes that, as Shakespeare so eloquently put it, “the course of true love never did run smooth.” Five years in the making, Zuar’s dazzling new big band album Exuberance developed in parallel with his relationship with his now wife, animation filmmaker Anne Beal. Brought to stunning life by his 22-piece Christopher Zuar Orchestra, the album is as rich, complex, and infinitely varied as falling in love can get. Released May 10, 2024 via Tonal Conversations, Exuberance is the much-anticipated follow-up to Zuar’s acclaimed 2016 album Musings, hailed by DownBeat Magazine as “an impressively accomplished debut.” The Orchestra’s sophomore outing marks a bold expansion of the ambition and scope of the composer’s already impressive vision. Conducted by Mike Holober, the ensemble features a superb collection of first-call musicians that includes guitarist Pete McCann, pianist Glenn Zaleski, bassist Drew Gress, drummer Mark Ferber, Brazilian percussionist Rogerio Boccato and a horn section that includes Charles Pillow, Jason Rigby, Ben Kono, Dave Pietro, Tony Kadleck, and Alan Ferber, among others. In addition, the band is joined by special guests Sara Caswell (violin), Emma Frank (vocals), Joe Brent (mandolin), Max ZT (hammered dulcimer) and second percussionist Keita Ogawa.
Countermeasure and The Burlington New Millennium Orchestra
Countermeasure is a 12-member Toronto-based vocal group who have sold-out theatres across Canada, the U.S., Italy, Scotland, Japan, and the U.K. The group has become known for their complex harmonies, engaging performances, and their musical spirit of adventure – experimenting with live-looping, instrument imitation, and theatrical staging. Releasing an orchestral album is a conceptual about-face for Countermeasure. The group’s previous release, Guest Sessions, explored the opportunities presented for voice plus solo instrumentalists. After their experiment in artistic austerity, the new record, Orchestral Sessions, is a celebration of abundance. The Burlington New Millennium Orchestra is joined by a rhythm section made up of Larnell Lewis on drums (Snarky Puppy, Jacob Collier, Quincy Jones), Jeremy Ledbetter on keys (Eliana Cuevas, Canefire, Andy Narell), and George Koller on bass (Peter Gabriel, Bruce Cockburn, Dizzy Gillespie). Countermeasure also embraced the opportunity to join forces with the notable Canadian conductor/ orchestrator, Charles Cozens who is a celebrated performer, orchestrator and conductor.
Halie Loren
This collection of songs explores themes of longing, seeking, and seeing with new eyes — the falling away of old illusions and outgrown desires, finding new visions for love and life, allowing some dreams to die to make space for new dreams to be born. The album captures the live essence of her music, that has led to tours and performances for audiences worldwide. The 14-song effort sees Halie lend her take on standards, originals, and her personal favorites.
Brian Eaton
Brian Eaton’s new 2-track single, Travels, features a cover of the title track from the Pat Metheny Group’s Grammy-winning live album Travels as a tribute to the late Lyle Mays. The musician/producer’s new single, which comes out June 7 on Eatin' Records, also includes the track “Detour Ahead,” Eaton’s version of the timeless jazz standard as the B-side track
William Soovik Grand Finale
William Soovik Grand Finale is back with their fourth album, "Once More, Dear Friends!", a work infused with rustic charm and powerful melodies. In this album, the band takes the listener on a journey through a variety of emotions and themes, from joy to melancholy, from nostalgia to hope.
The album, whose title is partially inspired by Shakespeare's famous words, "Once more unto the breach, dear friends", aptly captures the constant struggle and sacrifices required to realize one's dreams. With its energetic blend of jazz and rock, William Soovik Grand Finale delivers a vibrant and authentic musical experience that leaves no one untouched.
The featured musicians, including William Soovik, Malin Wättring, Signe Lykkebo Dahlgreen, Viktor Reuter, and Joel Fabiansson, combine their unique talents to create a soundscape that is both diverse and captivating. From pulsating drum rhythms to distinctive saxophone melodies and powerful guitar solos, each track on the album carries its own story and feeling.
"Once More, Dear Friends!" is not just a collection of songs; it is a musical journey that explores the depths of human experiences and emotions. With a mix of introspection and energy, the album takes the listener through life's various phases and challenges, while offering a comforting and inspiring listening experience.
Isrea Butler
Isrea Butler- Trombone
Doug Lawrence- Tenor sax
Dave Loeb- Piano
Steve Flora- Bass
Bob Chmel- Drums
Isrea’s debut album draws inspiration from late 50s/early 60s recordings by Bennie Green and Ike Quebec.
Ivo Perelman & Matthew Shipp
"This recording is a major major statement in jazz history .It is the height of the work i've done with Ivo and the height of what can be done in a duo setting with piano" Matthew Shipp