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May 24, 2025: Tutu Jones, Strokers Ice House, Dallas May 28, 2025: Samara Joy, Majestic Theater, Dallas May 29, 2025: Samara Joy, Moody Theater, Austin                           Ken Vandermark, Monk's Jazz Club, Austin May 30, 2025: Natalia Lafourcade, Winspear, Dallas                           Ken Vandemark, Monk's Jazz Festival, Austin June 2, 2025: Samara Joy, Jones Hall, Houston June 3, 2025: Chuck Redd, JazzTX, San Antonio June 6, 2025: Jackie Venson, Jo Long Theater, San Antonio June 7, 2025: Pt. Basant Kabra (sarod) and Pt. Nityanand Haldipur (flute), Unity Church of the Hills, Austin                               Pt. Ravi Chary (Sitar) & Amit Kavthekar (Tabla), ICMC, Dallas                                Brubeck Brothers Quartet, Windmills, The Colony June 20, 2025: Matthew Shipp, Rothko Cathedral, Houston June 27, 2025: Tatiana Eva Marie and the Avalon Jazz Band, Windmills, The Colony June 30, 2025: Tatiana Eva Marie and the Avalon Jazz Band, Antone's, Austin July 19, 2025: Eric Gales, Billy Bobs, Fort Worth August 30, 2025: Doreen Ketchens, Pete Escovedo, Riverfront Jazz Festival, Fair Park, Dallas August 31, 2025: The Texas Tenors (Shelley Carrol, jason Davis, Quamon  Fowler), Riverfront Jazz Festival, Fair Park, Dallas September 6, 2025: Xuefei Yang, Unity of Dallas September 13, 2025: Pt Sandeep Chatterjee (Santoor) & Shubhojyoti Guha (Tabla), ICMC, Dallas September 23, 2025: Mdou Moctar, White Oak Music Hall, Houston September 24, 2025: Mdou Moctar, Radio/East, Austin October 5, 2025: Niladri Kumar (Sitar), Unity Church of the Hills, Austin November 12, 2025: Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis, Meyerson, Dallas  

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Just finished the book Larry mentioned on Tom Talbert. When I was a kid, my father had the "Bix, Duke and Fats" album laying around the house, and it was before I had any interest in music, other than listening to 45s like "Snoopy Vs The Red Baron" over my best friend's house. I don't think my father trusted me with his Harmon-Karden set yet, buried in the frightening unfinished basement.  I always wondered who the hell Thomas Talbert was. In the decades that passed, I never heard a word about him. I just happened to find the book in Columbia U's library, and fought past the cops and demonstrators with the book clutched in my little hands. I was astonished to find two of the greatest players I ever worked with, Aaron Sachs and Eddie Bert not only recognized for their incredible prowess as musicians, but even interviewed in the book. I had considered Aaron a close friend of mine musically, but he never mentioned Talbert once to me. Also included was Bobby Tricarico, a former teacher of a sax player friend of mine, who along with Talbert, Sachs and Barry Galbraith was part of that circle of NY's elite musicians who played on the two albums Talbert made in the 50s. I haven't heard any of the stuff that Talbert did during his comeback phase in LA, but if you've heard it, is it on the same level as his great 50s stuff? TIA    

Brew Moore plays on some of the tunes which  makes it  a more interesting album for me.

Singer-Songwriter Ola Onabulé & Guitarist Nicolas Meier Present Proof of Life   A unique project with two performers sharing a passion for culturally diverse musical expressions.   AVAILABLE ON JUNE 30, 2025 AND THROUGH WWW.OLASMUSIC.COM RELEASED ON RUGGED RAM RECORDS (CAT NO: RRAMCD016) WORLDWIDE DISTRIBUTION VIA ORCHARD/SONY   Ola Onabulé - Vocals, Keyboard Nicolas Meier - Guitar, Glissentar Jakub Cywinski - Acoustic Bass Chris Nickolls - Drums Will Fry - Percussion    British-Nigerian singer-songwriter Ola Onabulé, in collaboration with Swiss guitarist Nicolas Meier, is set to release a new album titled Proof of Life on June 30, 2025.   Proof of Life produced and recorded at Onabulé’s Casa Del Funk Studios, showcases the synergy between the two artists as they explore culturally diverse concepts and themes. Their partnership, which began through a series of livestream performances during the pandemic, has evolved into a collection of ten original songs.   Proof of Life features a blend of Onabulé’s signature songwriting style of polyrhythms and melodies drawn from his African roots with Meier’s love of eastern, world and Jazz themes as well as his expertise with a wide range of stringed instruments. This has resulted in the creation of a work with a rich tapestry of sound that resonates with themes of love, life and philosophies of survival in tumultuous times. The songwriting process was marked by a process of organic collaboration, where both artists contributed ideas and melodies, resulting in a cohesive body of work that captures their individual strengths while exploring creative boundaries were new to both artists. Ola Onabulé © Alfred George Bailey Ola Onabulé is also renowned for his remarkable three-and-a-half octave vocal range and collaborative performances with an impressive range of international big bands and symphony orchestras, including The WDR Big Band, The Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra, The SWR Big Band, The Babelsberg Film Orchestra, HR Big Band, The Liepāja Symphony Orchestra, The Danish Radio Big Band, Latvian Radio Big Band, The Big Band Jazz de Mexico and other Grammy Award-winning ensembles internationally. With twelve albums to his credit, Onabulé has established himself as a versatile artist who seamlessly crosses musical genres, earning worldwide critical acclaim for his impeccable writing and production skills. His last album, Point Less was listed on many international publications as one of the best albums of 2019 including Downbeat Magazine, All About Jazz and Jazz in Europe amongst them. The music from Point Less has since been arranged for Big Band and Symphonic Orchestras and performed in Europe, Mexico and South America. Nicolas Meier © Alfred George Bailey Nicolas Meier is celebrated for his versatility. He was a featured collaborator in Jeff Beck’s Jeff Beck Group, touring the world with the seminal guitarist twice. Meier is known for his exploration of Eastern, harmonies and melodies which translates into his prodigious mastery of eastern stringed instruments. His work with Turkish Makam and Ayak scales is of particular significance, as is his extensive musical portfolio showcasing his diverse compositional style across many ‘World Music’ genres. His collaboration with Onabulé on Proof of Life represents a unique meeting of minds between two skilled communicators and seasoned performers who share a passion for culturally diverse musical expressions. © Alfred George Bailey Regarding the origins of the project, Onabulé explained, “During the pandemic, I found myself hosting livestream shows from my Casa del Funk Studios. It was at this time that I was introduced to Nicolas Meier. From the moment we started working together, I felt an instant musical synergy. Over the course of about nine live-streamed shows, it became clear that we had something special brewing. Sure, I was impressed by his stint touring with Jeff Beck, but what really caught my attention was Nicolas' prolific work as a composer. As the world began to open up again, I couldn't resist suggesting we collaborate on some new material. So, in late 2021 and early 2022, we finally got together to start this exciting creative journey."   Regarding the compositional process, Ola continued, "The writing sessions were effortlessly enjoyable and immediately very productive. We threw sketches of ideas together with ease and collated the 10 songs that form the basis of the album over 4 or so half-day meetings.  Once we decided it a sketch of an idea was a viable option, things generally went one of two ways. With ideas that originated with Nicolas, I would hum into a dictaphone as he played them to me to capture the most organic and instinctive melodic and lyrical responses to the music. In turn, Nicolas would build guitar accompaniments and arrangements around melodies that I had originated. We seemed to find our way to this modus operandi without any pre-emptive discussion or contrivance."   The collaborative process between Onabulé and Meier was characterized by a dynamic and organic approach to music creation. Onabulé developed initial demos with drum, double bass, and keyboard parts, which Meier would then enhance with guitar arrangements. They would meet to refine arrangement details, discussing tempos, song structure and potential modulations. Onabulé innovated his lyric-writing technique by using a stream-of-consciousness approach, recording vocals directly in the control room and making immediate edits. The initial programmed demo tracks were ultimately replaced by live studio recordings, preserving the most inspired and spontaneous musical moments.   Ola Onabulé's multifaceted role in the creation of Proof of Life sets him apart in the genre. As producer, co-composer, vocalist and recording engineer, Onabulé demonstrates a rare level of creative control and technical expertise. This hands-on approach allowed Onabulé to capture spontaneous moments of inspiration while maintaining the highest sound quality. Nicolas Meier played a crucial role as co-composer and performer on Proof of Life, contributing his exceptional guitar skills and diverse musical influences to the project. His ability to enhance the emotional depth of each track through intricate guitar accompaniments showcases his versatility and artistry, making him an integral part of this innovative musical partnership.   Mixed and mastered by renowned US engineer/ musician/ keyboardist, George Whitty, this album is a testament to Onabulé’s production quality and songwriting ability. As they prepare for an international tour as a quartet/quintet in 2025/26, Proof of Life promises to offer audiences a captivating live experience that highlights the unique musical dialogue between these two accomplished artists. TRACKS 1. Rio De Janeiro   5:21 2. Aegean Blue   4:07 3. Proof of Life   5:08 4. Centauri   6:48 5. Sorry in the Morning   7:11 6. True Story   4:00 7. Eternally Yours   4:34 8. Funmilayo   5:10 9. Future Past   5:45 10. Two Scoops   6:14   All music composed by Ola Onabulé & Nicolas Meier All lyrics written by Ola Onabulé Produced and recorded by Ola Onabulé at Casa del Funk Studios Mixed & mastered by George Whitty Photographs by Alfred George Bailey   www.olasmusic.com www.facebook.com/oonabule www.youtube.com/user/OlaOnabule