GA Russell

Now only one left.

Why don't they make album covers like that anymore?

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Live Performance (and Streaming) in Nyack this Friday! Dear friends, It's been a difficult year for most of us, some more than others. Personally speaking, I cannot imagine anything more healing than playing on the beautiful Steinway grand piano at Maureen's Jazz Cellar with the great bassist Harvie S and the great drummer Billy Mintz. Early in the fall, before it became too cold to open all the windows, Harvie, Billy and I recorded several of our original compositions at (Billy's and my) home. We will be playing this all original music in one set at 8pm, Friday, February 19th. Reservations are recommended. (There is limited seating in order to keep everyone safe.) If you are not comfortable showing up in person, you can also stream the performance on the club's Facebook page. Piket – S – Mintz Friday, February 19 One set at 8:00pm Maureen’s Jazz Cellar 2 North Broadway Nyack, NY Phone for reservations: (845) 535-3143 This is a live IN PERSON performance. (It can also be streamed on the venue’s Facebook page. For reservations call 845-535-3143. All original compositions by: Roberta Piket – piano Harvie S – bass Billy Mintz – drums Roberta | Thirteenth Note Records 751 Palisade Ave. #62 Teaneck NJ 07666

The distinctive aspect of Top 40 radio in the mid-'60s that I remember was the instrumentals. The news started precisely on the hour and half-hour, so leading into the news breaks were instrumentals which the DJ would fade as the moment for the news approached. The songs of Al Hirt, The Ventures and The Tijuana Brass were played in their entirety throughout the hour, but there were many others that were not. Another played in its entirety was the original recording of Allen Toussaint's Whipped Cream by The Stokes (who I think were Art and Aaron Neville).

When I was a senior in high school, a classmate intended to become a disc jockey for a career, and he talked to a lot of people in the business. He told me that stations sped up their turntables in order to make the station sound more peppy. Jim, you are about five years younger than me, so you may have listened to different DJs. In my day, WNOE's evening jock was CC Courtney, and the overnight jock was Lou Kirby. Here's my Lou Kirby story. One night I woke up at 2:00 am. I had a pocket transistor radio, so I put it under my pillow, and listened for a while. This might have been March of '66. Kirby said, Now listen to this. I'm going to play a song that features a guitarist who used to play with The Yardbirds! Of course it was the Beano album. I have no recollection what the song was, but I can say that I remember hearing Eric Clapton for the first time!

"German Nursing Home Whistleblower: ‘Elderly Dying After COVID Vaccine'" https://21stcenturywire.com/2021/02/14/germany-whistleblower-in-nursing-home-says-elderly-dying-after-covid-vaccine/

RIP Chick! My first Chick Corea record was Stan Getz's Sweet Rain, and it is still my favorite. My second Chick Corea record was Herbie Mann's Standing Ovation at Newport, and it's still my second-favorite.

When I use the Donate Button, PayPal wants to deduct money as if you are a business.

Artist Title Time Stephan Moccio Earned It (Solo Piano) 04:06 GRAMMY & OSCAR NOMINATED COMPOSER-PRODUCER STEPHAN MOCCIO RELEASES NEW SOLO PIANO VERSION OF THE WEEKND’S ‘EARNED IT’, WHICH HE CO-WROTE & CO-PRODUCED SINGLE RELEASE FOLLOWS THE WEEKND’S SPECTACULAR PERFORMANCE AT THE SUPER BOWL HALF-TIME SHOW Grammy and Oscar-nominated songwriter and composer Stephan Moccio has released a brand new solo piano version of ‘Earned It’, a track he co-wrote and co-produced with The Weeknd for the 2015 blockbuster film Fifty Shades of Grey. It follows The Weeknd’s performance of the song as part of his dazzling Super Bowl half-time show. Moccio’s music could also be heard in the pre-Super Bowl performance from Miley Cyrus, who gave an emotional rendition of ‘Wrecking Ball’ – another song which he co-composed. He explains how the track came together in this video: https://youtu.be/Iuh_kXtXiEk The new single release follows Stephan Moccio’s debut Decca Records album, Tales Of Solace, which was released last August. He has reached a staggering 100 million global streams since signing to the label less than a year ago. Moccio’s partnership with Decca continues with the release of his full catalogue of archived works. He is releasing one single and one EP every month – a total of 53 tracks throughout the year, all skilfully remastered by the world-renowned engineer Miles Showell at Abbey Road Studios. The collection features works composed in 2005, 2010 and 2012 – showcasing Moccio’s longstanding commitment and dedication to the piano. www.stephanmoccio.com

Artist Title Time Phaze II Nite Cry (Album) 06:22 Phaze II The Ivory Antidote (Album) 06:29 Phaze II Feel Like Making Love (Album) 05:17 Phaze II Reprise (Album) 02:00 Phaze II Release Me (Album) 04:04 Phaze II Funny How Time Flies (Album) 08:00 Phaze II April (Album) 05:55 Phaze II What Else Is There (Album) 07:40 Phaze II Feel My Love (Album) 03:15 Phaze II Misty (Album) 05:27 Phaze II In The Pocket (Album) 04:36 Phaze II Interlude (Album) 00:32 Phaze II Inner Urge (Album) 07:07 Phaze II All For You (Radio) 04:38 Phaze II Kira (Live) 08:27 Phaze II No Cover Charge Impacting February 9th, 2021 Format(s): Jazz

Swiss Pianist/Composer Nik Bärtsch Explores Listening as a Dynamic Process with Solo Album, Entendre Available March 19, 2021 via ECM A fascinating solo album from the Swiss pianist and composer, Entendre offers deeper insight into pianist Nik Bärtsch’s musical thinking, illuminating aspects of his playing and the nature of his modular pieces. As its titles implies the new album, recorded at Lugano’s Auditorio Stelio Molo studio, considers listening as a dynamic process. In these solo realizations, Bärtsch’s polymetric pieces unfold with heightened alertness to the subtleties of touch. The pianist finds freedom in aesthetic restriction, while also seizing opportunities to guide the music to new places. An adaptive as well as a highly original musician, he diligently serves the context at hand, and the solo work has been developing in parallel to his group activities over the last few years. For Bärtsch, some key moments in this regard have included his solo appearance at ECM’s 50th anniversary celebration at New York’s Lincoln Center in 2019, as well as performances in ongoing collaboration with visual artist Sophie Clements. A solo piano tour in 2017, furthermore, whose unorthodox itinerary took him to Teheran, Cairo, Alexandria, Kolkata and Delhi, had also prompted rumination on the intertwined relationships of performance and ritual music in different cultures. This, too, influenced the preparatory work on Entendre. Bärtsch's numbered “Modul” pieces can be considered as templates rather than fixed and final compositions: he likens them to “a basic training in martial arts, which can be adapted to all sorts of situations. My way of working is to create new contexts. Each piece plays with the idea of composition, interpretation and improvisation, and is nourished by the same force, yet can create very surprising results…” This is immediately evident on the opening “Modul 58-12” which unites pieces previously interpreted on recordings with Bärtsch's bands – “Modul 58” with Ronin on Awase, and “Modul 12” with Mobile on Continuum – to emotionally powerful effect. “It just developed in that direction in the studio. I didn’t plan it or expect it to open up in that way. The combination of these two pieces is maybe not a coincidence but more of an inner call. With a vivid celebration in the beginning, an opening flight that then goes to emptiness, stillness and breathing space.” Patience, intense focus and lightness are among the contrary qualities necessary to play this music in “a dramaturgically directed way” and set its secrets free. In playing solo Bärtsch attempts, he says, “to let go and flow in the piece and transcend the egocentric way of forcing the music, finding a higher level of freedom in agreement with the form of the work.” He also emphasizes that the solo music has been borne out of collaboration, including the long years of honing the music with Ronin and Mobile, and the teamwork of the session itself, with producer Manfred Eicher and engineer Stefano Amerio. “To have Manfred listening and giving advice about ways in which the pieces might be approached and interpreted, was extremely valuable. Hearing connections to Gurdjieff’s music in one piece, for example or suggesting that I play ‘Modul 26’ with the kind of flow that I’d found when playing 58," says Bärtsch. "Such feedback helped to enlarge the whole listening experience in a very organic way.” The responsive Lugano studio room – previously used also for Mobile’s Continuum recording – also asserted its character, Bärtsch says: “My touch in the solo music is not primarily a ‘jazz’ attack on the piano. It’s between things. Between chamber music, solo playing in the classical tradition, more modern minimal music, and the ‘groove’ aspect. And the natural sound of the Lugano room helped to bring out these elements. I also felt inspired by the history of the room. And I really like the fact that it is here in Switzerland, in the country where I live and where Ronin works. I didn’t need to go anywhere else to document this music. It happens here.” Entendre was recorded at Lugano’s Auditorio Stelio Molo RSI in September 2020. The album is released as Lars Müller Publishers of Switzerland prepares to issue Nik Bärtsch’s book Listening: Music – Movement – Mind, which charts the development of Bärtsch's “ritual groove music” and the philosophy that underpins it. Nik Bärtsch | Entendre ECM | Release Date: March 19, 2021 For more information on ECM, please visit: ECMRecords.com | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter ‌ ‌ ‌ # # #

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Artist Title Time Joseph Herbst Sextet They Say There Are Beautiful Trees 05:15 Joseph Herbst Sextet Momma Nature (ft. Dasan Ahanu) 02:54 Joseph Herbst Sextet Solastalgia 07:49 Joseph Herbst Sextet Mama E (ft. Cynthia ‘THiA’ Sharpe) 01:27 Joseph Herbst Sextet Is this my fault? 06:25 Joseph Herbst Sextet Erring of the Revolution Pt. 1 (ft. Yexandra _Yex_ Diaz) 01:54 Joseph Herbst Sextet Makes No Cents 09:41 Joseph Herbst Sextet Erring of the Revolution Pt. 2 (ft. Yexandra _Yex_ Diaz) 00:23 Joseph Herbst Sextet Iron Eyes 06:00 Joseph Herbst Sextet LEGACY (ft. RaShad Eas) 01:46 Joseph Herbst Sextet Estrange Us 04:39 Joseph Herbst Sextet Communion (ft. RaShad Eas) 02:10 Joseph Herbst Sextet Simple Life (ft. RaShad Eas) 03:12 Joseph Herbst Sextet Visions of Freedom 07:29 Joseph Herbst Sextet This Is Our Environment Impacting January 18th, 2021 Format(s): Jazz Reach the artist directly: josephherbstmusic@gmail.com Saxophonist Joseph Herbst blends speech and song to highlight the intersectionality of environmental and social justice with This Is Our Environment New York City, N.Y. – Joseph Herbst is a saxophonist and composer, but more than that, he is an activist who uses his artistry to speak up alongside the people, places, and causes whose voices are often overlooked. This Is Our Environment, Herbst’s debut album, uses this artistry to do exactly that as, via through-composed sextet music rooted in jazz elements and master-crafted spoken word poetry, he weaves a tapestry of musical allegories, stories, and images that champion the causes of environmental and social justice and their intersectionality. Originally from mountainous South Carolina, Herbst has always been passionate about the environment. During his time studying at Michigan State University, this passion matured as he became more educated on the realities of manmade threats to the environment. Stirred to action, Herbst got involved with campus activism and community organizing. Over time, Herbst began to question how he had defined the concept of the environment. Initially, the first images that came to mind were rolling hills, mountain peaks, and swaths of greenery; however, the environment, he realized, is more than an escape located elsewhere. The environment includes one’s surroundings – both geographically and socially. As this revelation dawned, Herbst began to consider its implications: the environment with which one is familiar is determined not merely by geography, but by culture, socioeconomic status, and community. While everyone is part of a single global environment, each person’s individual environmental experience varies greatly. While most take standards such as clean air and water for granted, some communities do not have access to these basic amenities. For them, environmental issues become social issues, healthcare issues, and even survival issues. This Is Our Environment fights for these issues both by raising awareness for them and sharing, through speech and sound, the stories of people on the frontlines of these communities. The title of this album was chosen carefully by Herbst, who draws special attention to the choice of pronoun. “The word “our” is… very important,” Herbst says. “I do not mean it in the ownership sense, as what does it really mean to “own” land? We are a part of the environment – a piece of the ecosystem.” As Herbst elaborates, he notes that one cannot cleanly delineate human society from its environment, as, daily, people interact with, are affected by, and derive meaning from their environment, regardless of whether their physical environment is cityscapes or countryside, healthy or polluted. “Even though it may be taken for granted at times, the environment provides all of us with countless necessities, including breathable air, drinkable water, sustenance through food, natural disaster protection, and climate mitigation. A threat to the environment is, in reality, a threat to people.” Lastly, This Is Our Environment also draws attention to one’s experience of the environment. While one’s experience of one’s environment is personal, it is also communal. Rather than seeing it as something that a community collectively owns, Herbst encourages listeners to consider and experience the inverse: “The environment is something we belong to.” Musically, This Is Our Environment remains set apart in both its compositions and programming. Whereas much of jazz music is characterized by predictable forms that act as a vehicle for solos, the music on This Is Our Environment was written with stories and emotions in mind – and most stories are not mere repetitions. Herbst’s compositions featured on this album are all through-composed, and all the improvisational sections are carefully written such that they serve the overall direction of the composition and its narrative. Compositionally, rather than entering into writing with certain motifs previously established, Herbst has emotions, tales, and grand concepts he desires to communicate, and then approaches them with the artistry of a master storyteller. “When people ask about my influences,” Herbst confesses, “I tend to think more about storytelling I like rather than musicians, so oftentimes the first influence that comes to mind is Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.” From a musical perspective, Herbst sees his years of classical training as influential on his compositional process in subtle ways. Most prominently is the power of a strong yet simple melody. “When I’m writing music,” Herbst tells, “even though I’m not intentionally thinking about any genre, I’m thinking about melodies I’ve heard and liked. My music is complicated in ways – some weird rhythms, transitions, forms, chords – but a part of me is always rooted in simplicity.” Notably, Herbst’s focus on strong melody led him to add an unanticipated additional instrument into the mix: vocals. “When I first wrote this music,” Herbst recalls, “there were no vocal parts, but because I almost always think about simple vocal melodies, having Aubrey Johnson add vocals just felt natural.” Programmatically, This Is Our Environment is united not merely by a common theme, but by a common story. The fourteen tracks on Herbst’s debut album are conceptually linked and are carefully ordered to create a thematic progression from start to finish. These themes and concepts are tastefully bridged and elaborated upon by spoken word poetry, written and performed by four different poets, including RaShad Eas, who introduced Herbst to the other three. “[RaShad is] right at the intersection of music/art and environmental justice,” Herbst says. “He even has a philosophy he calls hip-hop forestry!” The opening track on This Is Our Environment is entitled They Say There Are Beautiful Trees, inspired by Arlie Russell Hochschild’s book “Strangers in Their Own Land.” This book focuses in on building relationships and bridges with people whose ideologies oppose one’s own, through experience spent by the author in Louisiana among those who oppose environmental regulations despite the damage such opposition does to their community. The final line of this peacemaking novel, said by Harold Areno, one of the Louisiana residents the author befriended, is “I don't know when I'll see you next. Only the Angel Gabriel knows when each of our times comes. But when it does, and gravity leaves our feet, and we rise up, I know I'll see you up there. And they say there are beautiful trees in Heaven.” Musically, this track features an interactive bass solo by Liany Mateo with pianist Luther Allison, which sets the tone for the album. “[Their] playing feels less like a typical solo and more like a conversation extended from what I already wrote,” Herbst says. Another allegorical track on the album, Is this my fault? draws inspiration from a conversation had with a forlorn mother in Flint, Michigan. At the time, Flint had a water pollution crisis, resulting in widespread sickness. Before the cause of the sickness was known, one mother in particular shared how, with two ailing children, she could not help but ask, “Is this my fault?” Herbst extends this deep-seated anxiety and introspection with the track to other areas of life where he finds himself asking the same question. From the discouragement of a climate emergency, to facing the realities of his own societal privilege derived from his identity as a white male, to the emotional turmoil of stories of the families in Flint, life is riddled with difficult questions, conversations, and answers. This track seeks to express that difficulty. The seventh track on the album, Makes No Cents, is an anthem against the hypocrisy of industrial scale biomass in the South. With a title whose pun lightheartedly questions the existence of a destructive capitalistic practice that does not even yield a profit, Makes No Cents fights against the habitual and illogical pollution and destruction of life-giving forested environments. Herbst praises the musicians on this album for their commitment. “When I first asked them to play some of my music, I thought it’d be a one-off reading session just so I could hear what I wrote,” Herbst says. “But they encouraged me to keep going with it, so I kept writing and we kept playing. And the more we went, the more they encouraged me, and that’s still how it feels today.” Moreover, Herbst cites all of them as influences on his writing, both in obvious ways – such as individuals contributing suggestions and changes to parts during rehearsals – and in subtle ways – such as how Herbst no longer sees himself writing for generic instruments, but for specific individuals with their personal touch. “When I think of this music, I don’t think, “This is the drum part.” I think, “This is Zach’s part.” And same for everyone else on the record.” Above all else, Herbst values the band as dear companions. “On a personal level, these are my friends, and I’ve learned so much from them. This relationship I think is so important, too, for bringing the music to life.” In addition to Herbst, the personnel on This Is Our Environment includes: Evan Taylor (tp, flg), Liany Mateo (b), Luther S. Allison (p), Peter Martin (g), and Zach McKinney (d). This Is Our Environment stretches beyond the bounds of a mere album and steps into the arena of visionaries. With a call to action that both acknowledges the diversity of the human experience and reconciles this with the unity of a shared citizenship of Planet Earth, This Is Our Environment irrevocably establishes Joseph Herbst as a force to be reckoned with and a name to watch as he walks the dual-natured line of artist and activist. This Is Our Environment releases on NextLevel, an imprint of Outside in Music, on January 22nd, 2021. About Joseph Herbst: Composer, saxophonist, and activist Joseph Herbst resides in Asheville, NC where he works full time as a bandleader, composer, and musical copyist. An alum of Michigan State University, Herbst has studied with internationally acclaimed saxophonist Joe Lulloff, composer Etienne Charles, and jazz saxophonist Diego Rivera. As a writer, Herbst composes for his sextet and big band, the latter of which has performed both his original music and themed shows such as “Coltrane Celebration,” which honored legendary saxophonist John Coltrane, and “This Magical World,” which featured compositions inspired by Bill Watterson’s Calvin & Hobbes. Respected for his writing, Herbst has also been commissioned to compose and arrange for Dr. Phillips Jazz Orchestra, Michael Dease, the UNT Jazz Trombone Ensemble, and the Sencalar/Glassman Quintet. As an activist, Herbst champions the intersectional causes of environmental and social justice, utilizing his sextet with his project, This Is Our Environment. NEXTLEVEL is an imprint of Outside in Music, dedicated to early career and first-time bandleaders seeking to make an impact on the music. OUTSIDE IN MUSIC is a record label and media company that exists to serve musicians. We are a community that strives to lift its artists above the noise of the 21st-century music industry and make music that expresses the sounds of today's wide-ranging jazz and creative music scene. www.outsideinmusic.com/nextlevel ##### IMG_8900-2... IMG_7397-2... Joseph Her... Joseph Her...

David Detweiler The Astoria Suite Impacting January 18th, 2021 Format(s): Jazz Reach the artist directly: ddetweiler@fsu.edu Saxophonist and composer David Detweiler’s “Astoria Suite” pensively reflects on the familiar with a new perspective brought by time and distance NEW YORK CITY, N.Y. – Familiar places and scenes can rekindle memories, revive friendships, and renew passions. For saxophonist and composer David Detweiler, returning to New York did this and more, as his time away from a place that he previously called home brought about fresh perspective. David Detweiler is no stranger to life’s motion. Born and raised in Houston, TX but having lived on opposite sides of the United States in both New York and Florida, Detweiler is well acquainted with changes of scenery and shifting definitions of home. In 2010, Detweiler returned to New York, moving to Astoria, with his wife after living in Florida. What was, at first, perhaps just an overdue homecoming took on an unexpected quality as Detweiler looked upon the familiar with new eyes tinted by time and experience apart from New York. New details came into focus, new questions sought to be answered, and emotions and memories both deepened and transformed. A musician first and foremost, Detweiler processed and evaluated this new perspective expressively through composition. The end result of this was the Astoria Suite. The Astoria Suite began as a series of individual compositions – moments of beauty, observation, and reflection brought about by Detweiler’s newfound perspective. Over time, these distinct pieces began to become something more, as themes, melodies, and rhythms began subtly overflowing from one to the next, creating an undercurrent between them that bespoke a unified narrative. With Astoria as the common thread, these pieces became interwoven until they were undeniably more than a mere collection, and thus became the Astoria Suite. What immediately strikes a listener about the Astoria Suite is Detweiler’s orchestrational choice of omitting a chordal instrument. Leaning directly into the lineage of tenor saxophonist icons such as John Coltrane, Sonny Rollins, and Joe Henderson, Detweiler and his band pay homage with this format both to the musical legacy of chordless trios and to the contemplative concepts found on many such records. The nature of this ensemble was chosen in part to allow for expression in a unique idiom with fewer boundaries, and showcases a soloist’s musical maturity through balancing unbridled creative freedom with bearing the onus of defining the harmony. Part of the significance of the Astoria Suite is that while it is conceptually rooted in a location, it does not rely solely on geographical elements to tell its story. Rather, it acknowledges the lives of the people who define the location to add fullness to its narrative. One such example is Song for Julie. This piece was written for Julie Schumacher Detweiler, David’s wife. “[Julie] has always been a constant supporter of my musical career,” Detweiler remarks admiringly. “She is just a great person all around.” Within the suite, Song for Julie holds metaphorical significance as Julie had previously lived in Astoria before returning to it with David. She too shared the new viewpoint gained by returning after being separate from it for so long. In the vein of acknowledgement, the track Singularity stands out from the rest of the album as it was written by and features trombonist Kevin Jones. Despite being written by Jones, Singularity – whose melody was written as a contrafact on Charlie Parker’s Confirmation – functions beautifully as part of Detweiler’s suite, a testament to both their musicianship and skill in collaboration. When asked about the personnel choice for Astoria Suite, Detweiler does not rein in his admiration and gratitude. “Leon Anderson is my colleague at Florida State University and is one of my favorite drummers around,” Detweiler states. Above all else, Detweiler admires Anderson’s ability as a responsive and tasteful accompanist who “really listens to you as a soloist.” Astoria Suite features up-and-coming bassist Mikailo Kasha. “Kasha is a young phenom on the bass,” Detweiler remarks, “and I believe that we will be hearing from him on the national and international level soon.” Praised in particular for his technical prowess and mature rhythmic and groove conception, Detweiler marks Kasha as a musician to watch. Kevin Jones, a trombonist, composer, and pedagogue, contributes and performs two original pieces on Astoria Suite. Praised as a level above the rest, Detweiler admires Jones as undoubtedly “one of the top trombonists and jazz educators in the country.” Astoria Suite stretches beyond the bounds of a mere album. It is a thought process, a reflection, a moment and viewpoint of the human experience as it witnesses the intersection of place and time. With Astoria Suite, David Detweiler has shared both his eyes and ears with audiences as he tackles head-on humankind’s only constant: change. Astoria Suite releases on NextLevel, an imprint of Outside in Music, on January 22, 2021. About David Detweiler: Tenor saxophonist, composer, educator, and Vandoren Artist David Detweiler was born in Houston, TX where he attended High School for the Performing and Visual Arts. Since then, he has earned his BM from William Paterson University, MM from Florida State University (2010), and DMA from the Eastman School of Music (2015). In 2016, David joined the Florida State University faculty as Assistant Professor of Jazz Saxophone after serving as Director of Jazz Studies at Nazareth College in Rochester, NY. David has released two albums as a leader, New York Stories and The David Detweiler Trio Featuring Fumi Tomita and Alex Patrick, with his third album, Astoria Suite, releasing on NextLevel in January 2021. NEXTLEVEL is an imprint of Outside in Music, dedicated to early career and first-time bandleaders seeking to make an impact on the music. OUTSIDE IN MUSIC is a record label and media company that exists to serve musicians. We are a community that strives to lift its artists above the noise of the 21st-century music industry and make music that expresses the sounds of today's wide-ranging jazz and creative music scene. www.outsideinmusic.com/nextlevel ##### David Detw... DAVID DETW...

Artist Title Time Grasso-Ravita Jazz Ensemble Jagged Spaces (original) 06:46 Grasso-Ravita Jazz Ensemble Her Life Incomplete (original) 05:32 Grasso-Ravita Jazz Ensemble Songhai (original) 06:52 Grasso-Ravita Jazz Ensemble Blue Sunshine (Original) 06:45 Grasso-Ravita Jazz Ensemble Circles (Original) 08:09 Grasso-Ravita Jazz Ensemble All About Cynthia (original) 07:57 Grasso-Ravita Jazz Ensemble Latin for Leandro (original) 09:06 Grasso-Ravita Jazz Ensemble The Homecoming (original) 04:57 Grasso-Ravita Jazz Ensemble Chasing Shadows (original) 04:29 Suggested Airplay Tracks 2.4.8.9 Grasso-Ravita Jazz Ensemble Jagged Spaces Impacting January 18th, 2021 Format(s): Jazz GRASSO-RAVITA JAZZ ENSEMBLE “JAGGED SPACES” Co-led by guitarist Skip Grasso and bassist Phil Ravita, the Grasso-Ravita Jazz Ensemble performs nine vibrant new jazz pieces on their recording debut, Jagged Spaces. Artist Website: www.grasso-ravitajazzensemble.com Release Date: JANUARY 15, 2021 Musicians: Skip Grasso – guitar Phil Ravita - acoustic bass and electric 6 - string bass Benny Russell - tenor saxophone, soprano saxophone, Greg Small – piano Nuc Vega – drums Their set, which also features saxophonist Benny Russell on tenor and soprano, pianist Greg Small, and drummer Nuc Vega, covers a variety of moods and grooves, and includes some heated straight-ahead jazz. Guitarist Skip Grasso and bassist Phil Ravita have recorded a set of original and fresh new jazz, high-quality material that can be adopted by today’s jazz artists. They gathered a particularly strong quintet and the results are the nine new originals that comprise Jagged Spaces. With tenor and soprano-saxophonist Benny Russell, pianist Greg Small, and drummer Nuc Vega all adding their musical personalities to the quintet, the Grasso-Ravita Jazz Ensemble on Jagged Spaces performs four songs by Grasso, two apiece by Ravita and Russell, and one from Small. The set begins with Grasso’s “Jagged Spaces,” which has a singable melody along with fluent and unpredictable soprano, guitar, piano and drums solos. It serves as a fine introduction to the group. The relaxed jazz waltz “Her Life Incomplete,” “Songhai” (highlighted by Benny Russell’s tenor solo which is both soulful and explorative), and the minor-toned straight ahead blues “Blue Sunshine” (which has a particularly speedy bass solo by Ravita) keep the momentum flowing. One piece flows logically to the next one yet each stands out as a potential future standard. “Circles” is mildly funky and has thoughtful piano and passionate soprano solos. “All About Cynthia” is a warm tender ballad while “Latin For Leandro” has a bit of urgency in its theme, leading to inspired guitar, tenor and bass solos. The last two pieces, “The Homecoming” and “Chasing Shadows,” conclude the project with optimistic and quietly joyful playing. All of the five musicians are skilled improvisers who are active in the Baltimore/Washington area. Skip Grasso is a freelance guitarist and has recorded with the Don Junker Big Band and the Hank Levy Alumni Band in addition to occasionally performing as a solo guitarist. Bassist Phil Ravita has performed in a wide variety of settings with nationally known artists. Benny Russell has led an all-star orchestra (the New York Association), worked with the Next Legacy Orchestra, produced concerts, and written several notable commissioned pieces for large ensembles. Pianist Greg Small, who is also a talented trumpeter, has worked with many local artists at numerous jazz festivals while drummer Nucleo Vega is also in great demand for his tasteful and supportive playing. Together, these five musicians on Jagged Spaces have not only recorded the debut of their promising group but are introducing nine new pieces that deserve to be heard and savored by jazz listeners. "A delightfully spent hour of the funkiest, wildest yet cool, intimate and caressing jazz you’ve heard in ages... It was chemistry at first chord, melody, groove and listen." ”BY JONATHAN WIDRANTHE GRASSO-RAVITA JAZZ ENSEMBLE, Jagged Spaceshttps://www.jwvibe.com/post/the-grasso-ravita-jazz-ensemble-jagged-spaces “GRASSO RAVITA JAZZ ENSEMBLE/Jagged Spaces: A guitar/bass led crew that puts the sax up front and center delivers a modern sound that has roots in fusion--but the roots go deep. With a sound that sounds like it was burnished on the road and in the clubs, this is a smoking crew that knows how to pack them in. Add a bunch of cigarette smoke and some waitresses dressed in black and you have the whole package. Smart stuff.” http://midwestrecord.com/MWR1723.html Chris Spector Midwest Record Available From: Amazon • Apple Music • Bandcamp Grasso-Rav... The Grasso... The Grasso... grasso-rav...

Artist Title Time Mike Scott Sol Minor Prelude 02:15 Mike Scott Sol Minor 06:20 Mike Scott Now and Later 04:34 Mike Scott Jack's Dilemma 05:47 Mike Scott Boom Diddle It 05:02 Mike Scott On A Clear Day 05:35 Mike Scott Dark Bossa 04:52 Mike Scott Rondo 04:57 Mike Scott Coda 04:45 Mike Scott 49 02:39 Suggested Airplay Tracks 2.5.6.8 www.guitaristmikescott.com Collecting...

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Artist Title Time The 14 Jazz Orchestra Cartoon Bebop 04:50 The 14 Jazz Orchestra Misturada 05:18 The 14 Jazz Orchestra Dayride 04:57 The 14 Jazz Orchestra I'm All Smiles 05:50 The 14 Jazz Orchestra Got A Match 04:29 The 14 Jazz Orchestra Driftin' 05:15 The 14 Jazz Orchestra Wood Dance 05:32 The 14 Jazz Orchestra When I Look In Your Eyes 05:41 The 14 Jazz Orchestra Duende 04:32 The 14 Jazz Orchestra Infant Eyes 05:37 The 14 Jazz Orchestra A Day Tripper's Blues Buffet 04:35 AIRPLAY STARTS THIS WEEK DAN BONSANTI AND THE 14 JAZZ ORCHESTRA RELEASE CARTOON BEBOP SUGGESTED AIRPLAY: TRACKS 1,2,6,& 7 RECORDED REMOTELY IN ITS ENTIRETY DURING THE PANDEMIC There is nothing cartoonish about CARTOON BEBOP, the newest release by composer/arranger DAN BONSANTI’s band, THE 14 JAZZ ORCHESTRA. The album is a swinging, contemporary take on jazz compositions by modern masters. This is the third release by the group, following The Future Ain't What It Used to Be (2018) and Nothing Hard Is Ever Easy (2015). The 14 Jazz Orchestra is a 13-piece jazz ensemble under the direction of arranger and producer Dan Bonsanti. The group comprises 13 outstanding jazz musicians who have recorded and performed with many of the top names in jazz and pop. The basic instrumentation of the group consists of four saxes/woodwinds, two trombones, three trumpets, guitar, bass, keyboard, and drums. Bonsanti is a sax player who earned both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Miami. After graduating, he began his professional career performing with big bands like the Stan Kenton Orchestra, Jaco Pastorius’ Word of Mouth Orchestra, and Doc Severinsen, as well as with artists such as Nat Adderley, Michael Brecker, Randy Brecker, Jimmy Cobb, Bob James, and Dave Liebman, to name just a few. He also recorded with Barbra Streisand, The Bee Gees, Dionne Warwick, and Dolly Parton, among others. Bonsanti, who began arranging in 1979, wrote charts for The Jaco Pastorius Big Band, a tribute band to Jaco’s legacy, and the Atlantean Driftwood Band. He also began teaching in 1975, and taught at Duke University, UNC Chapel Hill & Greensboro, and, most notably, at the University of Miami, where he was Associate Director of Jazz Studies from 1976 until 1990. Bonsanti formed a rehearsal band in 2013 as a creative outlet for South Florida Jazz and studio musicians. The band initially played existing arrangements from Bonsanti's personal library. After a while, they began presenting concerts around South Florida. Their performances were very well-received, and the band would soon become The 14 Jazz Orchestra. It took Bonsanti over a year to choose the tunes for Cartoon Bebop. He says, “I spent countless hours listening to music across a wide spectrum of styles to choose the music for this project. I wanted tunes that I felt would stand up to repeated listening. In fact, I listened to each song on this album by different artists at least 100 times before I felt it had enough color, passion, and energy to engage the listener, while providing the setting for our soloists and rhythm section players to showcase their talents.” Although Bonsanti has written extensively for large ensembles, he prefers smaller configurations for his own recordings. “My goal is to ‘not’ sound like a big band. I like the lightness and colors you can get with less instrumentation,” says Bonsanti. “I prefer to get orchestral flavors by mixing instruments from different sections of the band. It allows for a softer, more fluid and less strident sound.” Because of the pandemic, recording Cartoon Bebop presented its own unique challenges. Bonsanti explains, “One of the biggest challenges was finding compatible players with home studios. I've always preferred selecting familiar, versatile players, whose musical skills and concepts were as like-minded as possible. That’s why, with few exceptions, almost all the players on our recording projects have come through many generations of the University of Miami Studio Music and Jazz programs. Unfortunately, several of our current band members were not set up to record at home, so I had to search for replacements for some instruments.” Bonsanti engaged musicians from around the country to participate, including trumpet players BRETT MURPHEY in Wisconsin and JASON CARDER in Arizona, as well as trombonist DANA TEBOE in Maine. Besides being graduates of the UofM jazz programs, Bonsanti had worked with each of the players on many gigs in South Florida. Bonsanti also engaged drummer PETER ERSKINE in Los Angeles, and woodwinds players ED MAINA in Tennessee and TOM TIMKO in New Jersey. Guitarists LINDSEY BLAIR and RANDY BERNSEN, drummers LEE LEVIN, JACK CIANO and MIKE HARVEY, woodwinds players ED CALLE, PETER BREWER, and NEAL BONSANTI (Bonsanti’s brother), bassists NICK ORTA, TIM SMITH, JAMIE OUSLEY, and MATT BONELLI, pianists MIKE LEVINE and KEMUEL ROIG, and percussionist RICHARD BRAVO all recorded from different locations around Florida. Bonsanti credits his engineer, MIKE LEVINE, for the truly superb job he did in stitching together all the different parts into a seamless whole. The compositions on the album represent a variety of styles, including the title tune “Cartoon Bebop,” which along with “A Day Tripper’s Blues Buffet,” were composed by Bonsanti. He was inspired to write “Cartoon Bebop” after hearing a TV commercial using cartoon characters, Rocky and Bullwinkle, his childhood favorites. Bonsanti cleverly hints at the show’s theme by using piccolo and tuba while adding Charlie Parker and Thelonious Monk motifs. Bonsanti also intended to include a Beatles tune and blues number. He combined the two ideas in “A Day Tripper’s Blues Buffet.” Bonsanti has included Chick Corea pieces on all of his recordings because he feels Chick's music translates very smoothly to large ensembles. "Cartoon Bebop" contains two of Corea’s compositions, "Got A Match?" and "Duende." Wayne Shorter and Herbie Hancock have always been among his favorite composers, and Bonsanti includes a number from each. On Shorter’s ballad, "Infant Eyes,” Bonsanti captures the composition’s essence with a slow 6/4 feel and uses a variety of woodwind colors to create a new setting, while Hancock's "Driftin'" provides a great hard-swinging vehicle for the band. On Stanley Clarke's "Dayride," Bonsanti used Corea’s approach to solo fills and adds an exciting shout chorus near the end of the recording. The tune features great solos by Ed Calle, Lindsey Blair, and Mike Levine. CARTOON BEBOP is a swinging mélange of straight-ahead, pop, and fusion compositions united by Dan Bonsanti’s inventive arrangements. The album features mostly players originally from South Florida with just a few notable exceptions, and the musicianship is simply stellar. Cartoon Be... Cartoon Be... Cartton Be... Cartoon Be...

Artist Title Time Gary Negbaur YouveGotToBeCarefullyTaught 03:01 Gary Negbaur Chemistry 03:23 Gary Negbaur I WantTo Be Happy 02:18 Gary Negbaur What'llI Do 03:02 Gary Negbaur I Keep Missing My Cue 02:54 Gary Negbaur For No One 03:30 Gary Negbaur Would'nt It Be Loverly 02:57 Gary Negbaur Help 02:28 Gary Negbaur Dressing For Yesterday's Weather 04:35 Gary Negbaur You'll Be Back 03:10 Gary Negbaur You've Got To Be Carefully Taught Impacting February 2nd, 2021 Format(s): Jazz, Non-Commercial, NPR Gary Negbaur “You’ve Got to Be Carefully Taught” On Blujazz - jazz, blues and American roots “Negbaur can control the black and whites like...Captain Kirk manning the Enterprise.” THE TENNESSEAN (NASHVILLE, TN) “Negbaur is a witty songwriter and pianist and a suave vocalist.” THE AUSTIN CHRONICLE Pianist/vocalist/composer Gary Negbaur performs with his trio on a new recording available now! Inspired by this particular historical moment as well as the allure of timeless classics, pianist/vocalist/composer Gary Negbaur is releasing a new album. “When I first started working on this project, I was spending a lot of time in New Orleans. I was struck by Mayor Mitch Landrieu’s bold handling of the removal of the Robert E. Lee statue and his subsequent mentioning of Rodger and Hammerstein’s “You’ve Got to Be Carefully Taught.” I began to explore that tune, and soon knew that it needed to be the title song of my next recording.” The album features Negbaur’s regular trio: Dom Richards on bass and Nat Seeley on drums and was produced by renowned bassist/music director Roger Hines. “I’ve spent my whole career working with great pianist/singers like Ray Charles and Diane Schuur, and when I heard Gary, there was something that drew me in. I felt honored to bring my experience to this project so I could help capture his unique, honest voice,” says Hines. This is not your typical standards album. The arrangements take the listener on a surprising journey from a jaunty, bluesy take on “Wouldn’t It Be Loverly” to a minor-key ballad interpretation of “I Want to Be Happy” to the gospel-infused anthem of the title song. These classics sit alongside more surprising selections like a Latin-tinged ride through the Beatles’ “For No One” and a soulful read of Hamilton’s “You’ll Be Back.” You’re also treated to a few Negbaur originals that feel quite natural alongside these classics. A wizard at the keys, a soulful singer, a unique writer/arranger and a joyous interpreter of song with a killer band. Pianist/Vocalist/Composer Gary Negbaur plays jazz, blues and American roots music, combining innovative versions of standards with unforgettable, soulful originals. Negbaur has grooved at the Superdome in New Orleans, knocked them out at Birdland in NYC and raised the roof at South by Southwest in Austin. In Paris, he brought the audience to its feet at the legendary Le Bilboquet. He tours as a soloist and with the Gary Negbaur Group (the GNG). His recordings include original rock music (Let me explain), solo jazz standards (Sit Down You’re Rockin’ the Boat), children’s music (Max’s Family Band) and New Orleans classics (Alive in New Orleans). His next album (You’ve Got to Be Carefully Taught) features his trio playing reinvented standards alongside originals and is due out in 2021 on the Blujazz label. In addition to performing, Negbaur composes for theater, film and TV. He co-wrote the musical Wine Lovers, which is currently in multiple productions. Librarians in Love (co-written with Suzanne Bradbeer and John Cariani) is in development now. He contributed to the score of the feature film An American Summer, and wrote the theme for Project #Cancerland, a media platform about breast cancer survivors. His song, Red Pontiac, was featured on NPR's "Car Talk," and singers often perform and record his music. Gary Negbaur studied at Harvard University (where he received the David McCord Prize for unusual creative talent and a Magna Cum Laude B.A.) and the Berklee College of Music (where he was a merit scholarship recipient). He tries to put all that to good use. Gary Negba... YGTBCTBook... YGTBCTBook... YGTBCTbook... GaryNegbau...