GA Russell

Bill Warfield Re-Ups His Hell's Kitchen Funk Orchestra On "Smile," To Be Released June 5 on Planet Arts Records Acclaimed Trumpeter/Bandleader's Second Album With the 12-Piece Ensemble Plumbs the Rhythmic Depths of Pop Staples, Original Compositions With Special Guests Paul Shaffer & "Blue" Lou Marini May 6, 2020 Trumpeter Bill Warfield's Hell's Kitchen Funk Orchestra lives up to its name on Smile, the little big band's second album, set for a June 5 release on Planet Arts Records. The 12-piece ensemble locates and unleashes grooves from a pair of Warfield originals and several R&B and fusion classics, as well as a few more unlikely sources. They have some major league help: keyboardist and longtime David Letterman sidekick Paul Shaffer and esteemed tenor saxophonist "Blue" Lou Marini take seats in the HKFO alongside Warfield and his regulars, including trumpeter John Eckert, bassist Steve Count, drummer Scott Neumann,and vocalist Jane Stuart. Smile's title refers naturally to the iconic Charlie Chaplin standard, which bookends the album in two versions (vocal and instrumental). Yet it also serves as a succinct description of the overall recording: an array of one joyful, kinetic performance after another, which gave the musicians of the HKFO as much delight to play as it does for the listener to hear. "We had so much fun making this album, and I think it sounds it," says Warfield, who arranged all 12 tracks. "For me, that's what it's all about." Half of the fun is in guessing how the band might repackage the rhythms on Smile -- especially its less obviously groove-ready tunes. Indeed, surprises abound in their treatments of country classic "Ode to Billie Joe," featuring a soul-drenched Stuart vocal; beloved Muppet anthem "The Rainbow Connection," here a powerful jazz waltz with guest singer Carolyn Leonhart taking a tender turn; and "Theme from Law & Order," which becomes a hilarious mash-up with John Coltrane's "A Love Supreme." Neither, though, do Warfield and company take the predictable routes on the Weather Report staple "Cucumber Slumber," Booker T. & the MGs' Southern soul linchpin "Hip-Hug-Her," or the Gladys Knight smash "I've Got to Use My Imagination." In each case, Warfield's arrangements find resourceful new ways to turn up the heat. "I approach these songs from a different standpoint," he explains. "with a deep understanding of what goes into making commercial music, but with a jazz sensibility." His charts are ably augmented with hard-charging, rewarding solos by the likes of guitarist Matt Chertoff, alto saxophonist Andrew Gould, and bari man Matt Hong as well as Shaffer, Marini, Eckert, and Warfield himself. Bill Warfield was born March 2, 1952 in Owings Mill, Maryland, just outside Baltimore. While his was a musical family (his father played guitar and sang, and both parents played piano), it had no hi-fi record player until Bill himself brought one home in eighth grade. He quickly became enamored with the trumpet sounds he was hearing on contemporary records and radio, taking up the instrument himself. He was soon good enough to join the Maryland Youth Symphony Orchestra and to study at the Peabody Conservatory Preparatory School. A serious car crash when he was 18 -- one of two such accidents that would nearly end his musical career before it began -- scuttled his plans to join the U.S. Air Force jazz ensemble. Warfield instead attended Maryland's Towson State College (now Towson University), studying with Ray Moore and Hank Levy before leaving school to become a full-time musician in the Baltimore area, including directorship of the City of Baltimore's Port City Jazz Ensemble. Moving to New York in 1980, Warfield quickly busied himself on the music scene: He toured with Paul Anka, joined the Bill Kirchner Nonet and the Musicians of Brooklyn Initiative (MOBI), subbed in the Mel Lewis Jazz Orchestra, and formed his own band. In the meantime, he completed his academic studies at Manhattan School of Music (where he went on to earn a Master's in music), then took a job on Wall Street before returning in 1990 with his debut big band album, New York City Jazz. Bill Warfield & the Hell's Kitchen Funk Orchestra at the Zinc Bar, NYC. From there, Warfield's career kicked into high gear. A string of successful big band engagements and albums followed, as did stints with Ornette Coleman, Mari Okubo, and Dave Stryker. He also became director of the New York Jazz Repertory Orchestra. The Hell's Kitchen Funk Orchestra premiered in 2015 with Mercy, Mercy, Mercy; Smile is the little big band's follow-up. "I look at the world around me and I'm often baffled, shocked, even frightened by what I see," says Warfield. "No matter what I face, I still search for the spiritual strength, the peace to reflect. I am certainly no stranger to adversity, and realize that no matter how difficult a situation I find myself in, that this too shall pass. Confident in this knowledge, while I'm waiting, it just seems easier to smile." Photography: John Abbott (Warfield), Carol Green (band) Presenting The Hell's Kitchen Funk Orchestra - EPK/Promo Video Web Site: billwarfield.net

Deal!

Chewy, Surf Legends and Rumors has long been a favorite of mine. Great pick! I haven't seen the other one before, but most of its tracks I have from other compilations. Matthew, thanks for your opinion of the RockBeat label. I've seen a few of their issues available. Dave, on yours and Matthew's recommendations, I have placed my order for Surf-Age Nuggets. It should arrive in a week.

You bet, John.

It was fifty years ago today that I met Manfred, and that evening attended Chapter III's concert. He let me plug my tape recorder into his system! So today I have opened up this Chapter III set, and listened to the first disc. It is much better than I expected. More swing, less heavy than the studio recordings.

That's a great choice! And the music was recorded in Canada, so it is fitting.

This was my second single, purchased in August, 1964. And this was the flip side.

TTK, I'll look for that taco brand. Will it cost me my Donald Trump stimulus check?

I remember the Padres in '61. They were the White Sox' team, and their biggest star was pitcher Joel Horlen.

Rooster Fleming played two years with the Steelers. When they let him go in '65, the Jets offered him $45,000. The Ticats offered him C$48,000. In those days, the Canadian dollar was worth $1.05, so he signed with Hamilton. Ralph Sazio's secretary was a nice older lady named Audrey Brigger. Part of her job was to open all the fan mail, and pass it on, usually to the publicity department for a photo for the player to sign. Mrs. Brigger told me that Rooster's fans were young women who were unusually candid, and wrote with frankness regarding what they would be happy to do if he asked them out. Rooster was a happily married man, and he instructed Mrs. Brigger to just tear up the letters and throw them away. He didn't want to see them. Rooster won the Grey Cup with the Ticats three times, in '65, '67 and '72. He retired following the '74 season. He returned to Pittsburgh and became a successful stockbroker. In 1980, my girl friend and I went to a game of a new semi-pro team called the Pittsburgh Colts. Today, the Colts are the oldest semi-pro team still in existence. Two rows behind us, there was a guy who started screaming at the top of his lungs at the opening kickoff, and never stopped. "Come on! What are you doing out there? Hit somebody!" Sounded like he was drunk as a skunk. We didn't turn around to look at him, because sometimes drunks can take a look the wrong way, and want to start a fight. But near the end of the second quarter, my curiosity got the better of me, and I sort of turned around and vaguely looked his way. And I thought, That's no drunk. That's Rooster Fleming! We chatted after the game (he was cold sober), and he asked me to say hello to Ralph the next time I saw him. Rooster passed away April 22 at 76. RIP Rooster! https://www.cbc.ca/sports/football/cfl/dave-fleming-tiger-cats-obituary-cfl-1.5543348 https://www.cfl.ca/2020/04/23/cfl-tiger-cats-mourn-passing-dave-fleming/ https://triblive.com/sports/david-rooster-fleming-hazelwood-legend-cfl-star-signed-with-steelers-out-of-high-school/ https://3downnation.com/2020/04/23/former-ticats-star-running-back-dave-fleming-passes-away/ Here are videos of the 1972 Grey Cup.

My favorite of theirs was their third album, South of the Border. I don't think it sold well compared to their first, fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh. I remember going to the store in March, 1964, and seeing a rotating rack filled with two brand new albums hot off the press (probably the day of their release): The Tijuana Brass's second album and The Beatles' "Second" Album.

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I'm sorry to hear this. RIP. I picked up a few of his albums in the late '70s and early '80s in part because not many others whom I could find in the record stores were making albums like his. And it was great to hear his sense of humor. Anybody else remember Waiting for Waits?

The draft has begun. BC obtained the first pick from Calgary, and chose Williams from East Carolina. https://www.cfl.ca/2020/04/30/bc-trades-first-overall-take-jordan-williams/ https://www.tsn.ca/b-c-lions-select-east-carolina-lb-jordan-williams-first-overall-in-cfl-draft-1.1471718 ***** Last team analysis Montreal https://3downnation.com/2020/04/30/2020-cfl-draft-examination-montreal-alouettes/ ***** Draft tracker https://3downnation.com/2020/04/30/2020-cfl-draft-live/ https://www.cfl.ca/live/2020/04/28/cfl-draft-live/ https://www.cfl.ca/draft-tracker/ ***** Commentary https://3downnation.com/2020/04/30/grading-every-pick-in-the-2020-cfl-draft/

I read a different take on the TP shortage the other day. The author said that there are two markets: commercial and residential. Because so many people are staying home, they are buying and using much more residential TP than usual.

Dave, I see that that is on the RockBeat label. Do they do good work?

Team analyses Calgary https://3downnation.com/2020/04/28/2020-cfl-draft-examination-calgary-stampeders/ Toronto https://3downnation.com/2020/04/29/2020-cfl-draft-examination-toronto-argonauts/ BC https://3downnation.com/2020/04/29/2020-cfl-draft-examination-b-c-lions/ ***** Draft previews https://www.cfl.ca/2020/04/28/previewing-a-deep-2020-cfl-draft/ https://www.cfl.ca/2020/04/28/5-takeaways-forde-ferguson-talk-2020-cfl-draft/ https://www.cfl.ca/2020/04/29/taking-stock-national-inventory-cfl-teams-heading-draft/ ***** You can follow the draft tomorrow on the league's website cfl.ca "draft tracker" starting at 8:00 pm eastern. You can watch the draft on cfl.ca starting at 10:00 pm. The first two hours will be televised on TSN. https://www.cfl.ca/2020/04/28/watch-2020-cfl-draft-broadcast-info/

The draft will be held Thursday, the 30th. Team analyses Hamilton https://3downnation.com/2020/04/27/2020-cfl-draft-examination-hamilton-tiger-cats/ Winnipeg https://3downnation.com/2020/04/27/2020-cfl-draft-examination-winnipeg-blue-bombers/ Edmonton https://3downnation.com/2020/04/27/2020-cfl-draft-examination-edmonton-eskimos/ Ottawa https://3downnation.com/2020/04/28/2020-cfl-draft-examination-ottawa-redblacks/ Sask https://3downnation.com/2020/04/28/2020-cfl-draft-examination-saskatchewan-roughriders/ ***** The league has asked the federal government for money. There is concern the league will not survive if no games are played this year. https://www.cbc.ca/sports/football/cfl/cfl-financial-assistance-federal-government-1.5548638 https://3downnation.com/2020/04/28/cfl-asks-federal-government-for-up-to-150-million-due-to-covid-19-pandemic/ ***** A look back at... the 2012 draft https://www.cfl.ca/2020/04/28/12-draft-successful-recent-memory/ the 2015 draft https://www.cfl.ca/2020/04/22/shuffling-deck-2015-re-draft/ the 2019 draft https://www.cfl.ca/2020/04/23/shuffling-deck-2019-re-draft/ the history of the draft https://www.cfl.ca/2020/04/25/8-historical-notes-need-know-draft/ the first round picks of the past five years https://www.cfl.ca/2020/04/27/draft-rewind-five-years-first-rounders/ trades of this year's picks https://www.cfl.ca/2020/04/28/summary-draft-day-altering-trades/ ***** Calgary has extended its ban on public events until Aug. 31. https://3downnation.com/2020/04/24/calgary-extends-ban-on-public-events-until-august-31-mayor-naheed-nenshi/ ***** Edmonton laid off some of its people. https://3downnation.com/2020/04/27/eskimos-lay-off-equipment-medical-staff-amid-covid-19-pandemic-report/

Thanks, Michael!

OK, Matthew! I will see your Endless Summer, and raise with this.

FWIW, I have four favorite surf guitar albums. Surfing Sixties https://www.allmusic.com/album/baby-boomer-classics-surfin-sixties-mw0000624419 Legends of Guitar: Surf https://www.allmusic.com/album/guitar-player-presents-legends-of-guitar-surf-vol-1-mw0000674407 King of the Surf Guitar: The Best of Dick Dale https://www.allmusic.com/album/king-of-the-surf-guitar-the-best-of-dick-dale-mw0000653998 Surfin' Hits https://www.allmusic.com/album/surfin-hits-mw0000653959 And two of my favorite tracks...

Matthew, that was my album last year! Sundazed is another good label, isn't it? John, thanks for the affirmation of Ace. For whatever reason, I have always linked them in my mind with Charly.

I enjoy opening up a surf guitar album every May. The Ace label has some. They do good work, don't they?

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The Suspended Harp of Babel features revelatory performances of the choral music of Estonian composer Cyrillus Kreek (1889-1962). Kreek’s pieces, incorporating graceful settings of psalms and folk hymns, are juxtaposed here with instrumental fantasias and interludes created for this recording by Marco Ambrosini. Under the direction of Jaan-Eik Tulve, the Vox Clamantis choir - whose previous ECM recordings have addressed works of Arvo Pärt, Erkki-Sven Tüür and Helena Tulve as well as Gregorian chant- prove to be ideal interpreters of a music poised between old and new. The Suspended Harp of Babel was recorded in Tallinn’s Transfiguration Church in August 2018. © *2018 ECM Records US, A Division of Verve Music Group. All rights reserved.