GA Russell

Thanks Rooster! I apologize for not responding sooner.

That's great, John! Was he obviously better than everyone else at age 11?

Matt Nichols is reminding fans on Twitter that the time needed for washing you hands is the same as the league's play clock's. https://3downnation.com/2020/03/18/argos-qb-matt-nichols-washing-hands-for-coronavirus-prevention-takes-just-as-long-as-cfl-play-clock/ ***** It is too early for the league to make decisions regarding the schedule, but it has ordered all teams to close their facilities. https://3downnation.com/2020/03/19/league-office-orders-cfl-teams-to-close-facilities/ ***** The league is considering playing a shorter schedule, without changing the Grey Cup's Nov. 22 date. It would be fine with me if they eliminated all rematches and the Semi-Finals. https://3downnation.com/2020/03/20/cfl-looking-at-all-the-different-scheduling-options-for-2020-season/ https://3downnation.com/2020/03/25/cfl-commish-randy-ambrosie-you-dont-have-to-play-a-full-18-games-to-justify-a-grey-cup/ https://3downnation.com/2020/03/26/condensing-the-cfl-schedule-how-many-games-is-enough-for-the-2020-season/ ***** Ottawa will have a red jersey this year. https://3downnation.com/2020/03/22/redblacks-reveal-at-least-one-new-uniform/ ***** The GMs have agreed to hold the draft April 30 regardless of the Covid-19 situation. https://3downnation.com/2020/03/25/general-managers-vote-to-keep-cfl-draft-on-schedule-for-april-30/ https://www.cbc.ca/sports/football/cfl/randy-ambrosie-cfl-draft-april-covid-19-1.5512611 https://www.cfl.ca/2020/03/23/oleary-teams-leaning-technology-draft-approaches/ ***** Analyses Calgary https://3downnation.com/2020/03/26/cfl-contract-lengths-calgary-stampeders/ Edmonton https://3downnation.com/2020/03/27/cfl-contract-lengths-edmonton-eskimos/ ***** A few of the Bombers read books! https://www.cfl.ca/2020/03/22/bombers-favourite-flicks/ ***** Quite a number of QBs have accepted Trevor Harris's challenge on Twitter to bounce a football. https://www.cfl.ca/2020/03/25/cfl-quarterbacks-duke-foot-bounce-challenge/ https://www.cfl.ca/2020/03/27/cfl-legends-take-footbouncechallenge/

At the upper left of its home page, Billboard Magazine lists live music streaming. https://www.billboard.com https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/pop/9335531/coronavirus-quarantine-music-events-online-streams

Calgary Stampeders 27-minute film. https://www.stampeders.com/2020/03/23/stampeders-history-1945-2001/

The XFL has shut down for the year. They are letting any of their players who want to sign with the CFL or the NFL. The five games they played should have given the scouts enough to to make judgments. So will we see many signings? https://3downnation.com/2020/03/20/xfl-will-release-players-from-contracts-on-march-23/ https://3downnation.com/2020/03/20/xfl-officially-cancels-2020-season-amid-coronavirus-pandemic/ https://www.cfl.ca/2020/03/23/oleary-xfl-players-available-sign-cfl-teams/ https://www.cfl.ca/2020/03/24/oleary-wont-see-xfl-cfl-frenzy-might-predict/ https://3downnation.com/2020/03/23/redblacks-neg-list-quarterback-xfl-star-p-j-walker-signs-with-carolina-panthers/ ***** Analyses BC https://3downnation.com/2020/03/23/cfl-contract-lengths-b-c-lions/ Hamilton https://www.cfl.ca/2020/03/19/upon-review-hamilton-tiger-cats/ ***** Top Ten 2019 Games https://www.cfl.ca/2020/03/22/throwback-szn-ranking-best-games-2019/ ***** The Riders and Ticats have activity books for their youngest fans. https://d3ham790trbkqy.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2020/03/Activity-Book-2.pdf https://twitter.com/Ticats/status/1242449708167151617/photo/1 https://twitter.com/Ticats/status/1242074366587764738/photo/1

two videos A Song for Richard Samba Mom Mom https://artpepper.bandcamp.com/album/unreleased-art-pepper-vol-10-toronto

Landscape Straight Life https://artpepper.bandcamp.com/album/unreleased-art-pepper-vol-7-osaka ***** Caravan https://artpepper.bandcamp.com/album/unreleased-art-pepper-vol-8-live-at-the-winery ***** Donna Lee Lover Come Back Here's That Rainy Day https://artpepper.bandcamp.com/album/unreleased-art-pepper-vol-9-art-pepper-and-warne-marsh

Trumpeter/Composer Ian Carey's 6th CD, "Fire in My Head: The Anxiety Suite," To Be Released April 24 By Slow & Steady Records The Quintet+1 Features Pianist Adam ShuIman, Alto Saxophonist Kasey Knudsen, Bass Clarinetist Sheldon Brown, Bassist Fred Randolph, & Drummer Jon Arkin CD Release Show at the Sound Room, Oakland, May 15 March 23, 2020 Bay Area trumpeter and composer Ian Carey has long aimed to blend the swing and virtuosity of jazz with the dense compositional textures of chamber music, but for his latest multi-movement creation, he turns that ambition towards a more personal topic. Fire in My Head (The Anxiety Suite) is the centerpiece of his new album, due for release by San Francisco's Slow & Steady Records on April 24. "Normally I write a piece and try to figure out what it's about later," Carey says, referring to his previous long-form work, Interview Music (released in 2016 on Kabocha Records). But when he received a grant from Chamber Music America to compose a new suite, he decided to pick a subject close to his heart: anxiety. It's an affliction he's long been familiar with, but for the last few years -- since the election of 2016, to be exact -- it's one he shares with almost everyone he meets. That includes the members of his band, the Ian Carey Quintet+1: alto saxophonist Kasey Knudsen; bass clarinetist Sheldon Brown; pianist Adam Shulman; bassist Fred Randolph; and drummer Jon Arkin. "The emotions behind the piece were not a stretch for any of us," Carey says. "That helped -- maybe not so much for our mental health, but for the music." (The advent of COVID-19 has put to rest any hope of that state of anxiety ending any time soon.) The piece, which was premiered at the SFJAZZ Center in San Francisco in 2018, is a 50-minute, five-movement tour de force and Carey's longest composition to date. It is a vehicle for both his intricate writing and the improvisational chops of his group, previously heard on Interview Music and 2013's Roads & Codes, which received praise from DownBeat and NPR and appeared on many critics' best of 2013 lists. L. to r.: Jon Arkin, Adam Shulman, Ian Carey, Fred Randolph, Sheldon Brown, Kasey Knudsen. The album opens with the evocative chorale of "Signs and Symptoms," which segues into a loping 5/4 groove featuring improvisatory introductions from the band, intertwined with increasingly tense variations on the theme. Inspired by a run by Carey on the "undeservedly beautiful" morning after the shattering 2016 election, the movement ends with an explosive drum solo, which sets the stage for the aggressive swing of "This Is Fine," with its instantly identifiable roots in the "Young Lions"-era bop of Carey's youth. The title refers to KC Green's ubiquitous cartoon featuring a dog calmly drinking coffee as flames surround him; appropriately, the tune is a burner, with solos by Shulman, Carey, and Randolph. From its obsessive Fender Rhodes vamp to its expansive bass clarinet solo and combative trumpet/alto dialogues, "Thought Spirals" evokes the mental maelstrom of its title. Describing the movement's genesis, Carey recalls, "I just threw my hands on the keyboard, looped it, and happened to like the way it sounded -- that got me thinking about 'spirals.' It reminded me of what goes through my head when I'm trying to sleep!" While a peaceful three-part canon sets the mood of "Internal Exile" -- a portrait of withdrawal into oneself for self-care during anxious times -- that mood soon dissipates in the movement's twitchy, nagging central passage: a reminder that despite efforts to detach from the world, we still have to live in the reality of it. Tense but with flashes of rousing optimism, "Resistance" marks the acceptance of reality and the determination to grapple with it. "It sums up everything that's happened and corrals it into something like a protest anthem: 'Get up, brush yourself off, let's go,'" says Carey. After revisiting themes from earlier movements and offering final solo statements, the suite ends with a pyrotechnic display from Knudsen over what a bassist friend of Carey's called a "classic garage-band bass line." Born in upstate New York, Ian Carey, 45, lived in Northern California before moving to New York City in 1994, where he attended the New School (studying composition with Bill Kirchner and Maria Schneider, and improvisation with Reggie Workman and Billy Harper). During a productive seven years in New York, he performed with musicians as varied as Ravi Coltrane, Ted Curson, and Eddie Bert. After relocating to San Francisco in 2001, he soon met the musicians who became the core of his ensemble (heard on 2005's Sink/Swim, 2010's Contextualizin', plus Roads & Codes and Interview Music), while hustling day work as a designer/illustrator -- expertise he used to create this album's vibrant comic-art-inspired cover, featuring visual portrayals of the piece's five movements as regions of his own flame-engulfed brain. While politics were a catalyst in the composition of Fire in My Head, the work is not specific to that context; it's an examination of the psychological and physical experience of anxiety, now more than ever a widely relatable topic. Carey's extended forms are stacked with hooks, grooves, and improvisational smarts that can be as universally appreciated as the subject itself. The Ian Carey Quintet+1 is scheduled to perform Fire in My Head and more at the Sound Room, 2147 Broadway, Oakland, on Friday 5/15 at 7:30pm. Fire in My Head has been made possible with support from Chamber Music America's New Jazz Works program, funded through the generosity of the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation. Photography: Jacob Winik (Quintet+1), Linda Perez (Ian Carey). Ian Carey Quintet+1: Fire In My Head (The Anxiety Suite) Coming 4/24/20! Web Site: iancareyjazz.com

North Carolina K-12 schools are now closed through May 15. That's nearly two months away.

RIP. I've really enjoyed his recent albums. I'll listen to one this evening.

Patricia Yours is My Heart Alone https://artpepper.bandcamp.com/album/unreleased-art-pepper-vol-3-croydon

Harvey Weinstein has been found to have it. https://www.zerohedge.com/political/harvey-weinstein-transferred-out-rikers-island-coronavirus-cases-explode

★★★★ DOWNBEAT REVIEW ★★★★ Click HERE Tomas Janzon 130th & Lenox CHANGES 114 ★★★★ There’s an authority to Tomas Janzon’s playing, but it’s generous, open, masterful and gracious. His collaboration with two distinct sets of musicians on both the East and West coasts model sterling ensemble play and a commitment to showcasing the tunes and their possibilities, rather than just the virtuosity of the collected players. This is especially true of the tracks featuring the East Coast combo: stellar vibraphonist Steve Nelson, bassist Hilliard Greene and drummer Chuck McPherson. Nelson and Janzon often double, expanding the harmonic range of both their instruments, creating a sweet synthesis. On “Softly As In A Morning Sunrise” their solos and breaks are concise and conversational. For the Janzon original “Somewhere Over Stockholm,” the bandleader leaves Nelson plenty of space on a bass-driven, minor-key march that serves as the bridge, before answering him with characteristically understated elegance in his own solo. Also from the East Coast sessions comes the slightly retitled, casually acerbic “Have You Met Ms. Jones.” The California sessions feature bassist Nedra Wheeler and drummer Donald Dean, and a take of Sam River’s “Beatrice” highlights the group’s fidelity to melody, as do its versions of Wayne Shorter’s “Iris” and Thelonious Monk’s “Monk’s Mood.” Irrespective of the coast, 130th & Lenox is a recording that celebrates bonhomie and sharing, a welcome message for these times. —Hobart Taylor Downbeat, March 2020.

Solo Mía featuring Leonel García will be released as a single March 27 with a music video - check it out here (premiering March 27) Live Dates: Mar 20 - Park Forest, IL - Freedom Hall Mar 21 - Chicago, IL - The Den Mar 26 - Portsmouth, NH - The Music Hall Loft Mar 27 - Burlington, VT - Flynn Space Mar 28 - Rockland, ME - The Strand Theatre Mar 29 - Boston, MA - Haymarket Loungue at City Winery Mar 30 - New York, NY - Vineyard at City Winery Mar 31 - Philadelphia, PA - City Winery Loft April 2 - Vienna, VA - Jammin Javas April 3 - Westerly, RI - Knickerbocker Cafe April 4 - Montclair, NJ - Outpost in the Burbs June 5 - Tampa, FL - Straz Center June 11 - Denver, CO - Levitt Pavilion June 12 - Paonia, CO - Paradise Theatre More dates to be announced soon!

Shubh Saran Becoming EP Out Now! In his third release, Saran takes a modern jazz approach to punk rock. Impact Date: March 10, 2020 NEW YORK, NY — New York-based guitarist and composer Shubh Saran independently released his newest EP titled Becoming on February 10, 2020. This is the third release for Saran, who made his full length debut in 2017 with the release of Hmayra, and followed up in 2018 with the release of H.A.D.D. On Becoming, Saran explores past musical influences from a late 1990s and early 2000s punk rock era, while applying modern jazz techniques to the compositions. The five-song collection of original music was written and produced by Saran, and recorded over the course of a year between Studio G in Brooklyn and his home studio, also in Brooklyn. For Saran, Becoming is very much a revisiting of the music that formulated his early years growing up, and a reflection on how that music might sound today when infused with his current styles of producing. “The general concept was to explore what it would be like if I made the kind of music that I used to listen to, except in the ways I make music now,” says Saran. “It’s kind of a modern jazz musician’s approach to playing punk rock.” Taking a moment in time to explore the music of his past has had a resonating effect on Saran. Studying music in academic settings and applying the principles of modern jazz composition have been important for Saran in growing as an artist, but working to simplify song structure and focusing on the right amount of information to transmit to the listener has been an important challenge in this chapter of his career. When considering audiences during writing sessions, Saran has worked to keep in mind how much he wants to disclose musically, and how much he wants to be left imagined by the listener. “Becoming points in the direction that I want to go in, or at least where I want to explore right now, jumping between genres while still retaining the elements that have always made up my music,” says Saran. When rediscovering the music of his younger self, Saran found that there were many tastes that evolved over the years, but still some that remained true. “What was interesting about relistening to that music was noticing how much my musical tastes have changed over the years, while observing how similar some things still are,” says Saran. “Capturing the energy and the intensity of punk rock music, that seems on the surface loud and angry, I found, had this beautiful quality to it.” The title track, and lead single, “Becoming,” will be released on all digital platforms on November 12, 2019. From the opening measures, the epic sounding instrumental hits the listener with a strong guitar driving melody and lush string orchestration. This was the first time that Saran, an alumnus of Berklee College of Music, wrote for strings on any of his original music, allowing him to blend new textures and enrich the palette of instrumentation on this new music. “‘Becoming’ definitely wasn’t written as the single off the album, nor was the EP supposed to be named after the song, or vice versa,” says Saran. “As I started writing it, though, I began to realize that this is the anthemic song that really sums up the whole message of the EP.” Shubh Saran is a multi-dimensional artist whose vision of an ideal career is one that has an evolutionary musical arc to it. Continually innovating, finding new ways of uncovering melody and harmony, and channeling his true self, are all key components that make up Saran’s identity as a musician and producer. “I’ve always liked artists who have long music careers, where their first album is really different from their last album, and you can see the evolution and influences over time,” says Saran. “I think this EP is very much about embracing what I was influenced by and how that has shaped my songwriting, so I’m just celebrating that by being who I am as a musician.” Shubh Saran Becoming Release Date: February 10, 2020 Label: Independent Formats: Digital download, streaming Track Listing: 1. Becoming 2. Storm 3. Safe 4. Comfort (feat. Hannah Sumner and JAE SOTO) 5. Dust ***All songs available for radio.

Artist Title Time Lenora Zenzalai Helm & Tribe Jazz Orchestra™ Blues for Mama 04:40 Lenora Zenzalai Helm & Tribe Jazz Orchestra™ Bebop (album) 06:22 Lenora Zenzalai Helm & Tribe Jazz Orchestra™ Chega de Saudade (No More Blues (album) 06:40 Lenora Zenzalai Helm & Tribe Jazz Orchestra™ It Could Happen To You (album) 05:26 Lenora Zenzalai Helm & Tribe Jazz Orchestra™ Soul Eyes (album) 05:23 Lenora Zenzalai Helm & Tribe Jazz Orchestra™ Everything But You (album) 04:29 Lenora Zenzalai Helm & Tribe Jazz Orchestra™ I Didn't Know About You (album) 05:48 Lenora Zenzalai Helm & Tribe Jazz Orchestra™ Sandu (album) 09:00 Lenora Zenzalai Helm & Tribe Jazz Orchestra™ But Not For Me (album) 05:27 Lenora Zenzalai Helm & Tribe Jazz Orchestra™ A Conversation with God (Dear Lord) (album) 07:24 Lenora Zenzalai Helm & Tribe Jazz Orchestra™ Mississippi Goddam (album) 06:06 Lenora Zenzalai Helm & Tribe Jazz Orchestra™ Stella by Starlight (album) 08:24 Lenora Zenzalai Helm & Tribe Jazz Orchestra™ "For The Love of Big Band" Airplay Start Date 3.9.20 Format(s): Jazz Lenora Zenzalai Helm Returns After Nine-year Recording Hiatus with FOR THE LOVE OF BIG BAND, Her Debut CD with an Orchestra, to Be Released on March 9 Tribe Jazz Orchestra™ Provides a Swinging, Soulful Groove For Helm’s Rendition of 12 Jazz Standards DURHAM, NC, March 9, 2020 – Nine years since her last recording hit the charts, Lenora Zenzalai Helmreturns to the recording industry with FOR THE LOVE OF BIG BAND (FTLOBB) featuring Tribe Jazz Orchestra™ in a unique approach to the music of the big band tradition. Set for release on March 9 on Zenzalai Music, the new album is Helm’s seventh record and her first leading a big band. “I was burning the candle at both ends while completing my doctorate degree in Musical Arts at Boston University and teaching Jazz Studies at North Carolina Central University (NCCU),” said Helm. “I was thrilled to immerse myself in these fabulous stories by some of my favorite composers after being out of the studio for so long. To have the privilege to work with all of these talented musicians and to record with my own big band for the first time is truly a blessing.” FTLOBB was recorded live over two days before an audience at Hayti Heritage Center, an historic church near downtown Durham, NC. The music is a mix of jazz standards, which came to life at the swinging and soulful concert. Guest conductor, Brian Horton, and Helm guided the band through the new arrangements by Stanley Cowell, Cecil Bridgewater, newcomer Maurice Myers and Horton. Special guests include Joey Calderazzo, piano; Ameen Saleem, acoustic bass; Kobie Watkins, drums; Ira Wiggins, flute;
with vocals by Myers and the North Carolina Central University Vocal Jazz Ensemble. FOR THE LOVE OF BIG BAND kicks off with Nina Simone’s Blues for Mama. Although happily married to the love of her life for nine years, Helm puts her foot in the blues and is so convincing that one might actually believe she is wrapped up in the my-man-done-me-wrong drama of the song. She swings on to Gillespie’s Bebop, with Calderazzo ruling the keys and Helm and her Orchestra doing the composer`` and bebop proud. Jimmy Van Heusen and Johnny Burke provided the music and lyrics for the beautiful ballad It Could Happen to You; however, it gets a special twist with Cecil Bridgewater‘s rhythmic arrangements with hints of 3 against 4 while taking a swing feel for the solo sections and horn shouts. “Cecil took a very innovative approach to a timeless standard. It begins and ends with rubato vocal and horns underneath. It’s a lot of fun to sing,” says Helm. Everything but You by Duke Ellington and Harry James is also enjoyable with its quirky lyrics about getting everything from horses to baked beans to Peruvian coffee pots, but not the one you love. Helm declares to her audience that she “loves old jazz standards … they have nice stories and tell of love the way we hope it is.” The rest of the album is a testament to the beauty of the music and Helm’s devotion to singing it. Rounding out the CD are Chega de Saudade: No More Blues (A. Jobim, J. Cavanaugh/V.de Moraes, J. Hendricks), Soul Eyes (M. Waldron), I Didn’t Know About You (D. Ellington/B. Russell), Sandu (C. Brown/D. Townsend), But Not for Me (G. Gershwin, I. Gershwin), Mississippi Goddam (N. Simone) and Stella by Starlight (V. Young/N. Washington). A bonus track with the Tribe Jazz Orchestra Septet, Helm’s lyrics to John Coltrane’s composition Conversation with God (Dear Lord) is a highlight of the recording with Myers’ vocal arrangement featuring the NCCU Vocal Jazz Ensemble, directed by Helm. In addition to the special guests, FOR THE LOVE OF BIG BAND personnel is: Lenora Zenzalai Helm, voice; Ernest Turner, Lydia Salett Dudley, Ed Paolantonio, piano; Baron Tymas, guitar; Ginnae Koon, bass; Thomas Taylor, Dorien Dotson, drums; James "Saxsmo" Gates, Sam King, Brian Miller, Matt York, Ariel Kopelove, Shaena Ryan Martin, reeds: Lynn Grissett, Al Strong, Zoe Smith, Tyler Perske, trumpets; Robert Trowers, Isrea Butler, Tenay Harrell, Reggie Greenlee, Cameron MacManus, trombones. The band’s conductor is saxophonist/composer/arranger, Brian Horton. Helm, Paolantonio, Tymas and Taylor along with Timothy Holley, cello; Salome Serena Wiley, tenor saxophone; Lance E. Scott, Jr., acoustic bass; with special guest vocals by Maurice Myers and the NCCU Vocal Jazz Ensemble, make up the Tribe Jazz Orchestra Septet. The Live Recording, Mix & Mastering Engineer is Rob “Wacko” Hunter. The Tribe Jazz Orchestra™ is an ensemble of musicians led by vocalist/composer/educator Lenora Zenzalai Helm. Representing one of the few vocalist and woman-led big bands, TJO features a diverse amalgam of some of the top men and women performers in Jazz. The instrumentation comprises a combination of Jazz orchestra with a modern chamber ensemble perspective. The members all have ties to, or are based, in North Carolina, have performed together in various configurations and have appeared in noted concert venues and international music festivals worldwide. FOR THE LOVE OF BIG BAND is Helm’s seventh commercial release. Her previous recordings include I Love Myself When I’m Laughing, Chronicles of A Butterfly and Precipice. She has performed and recorded with some of the biggest names in Jazz while leading her groups at renowned jazz festivals and venues worldwide, including Jazz Standard, Dizzy’s Club Women’s Jazz Festival, Schomburg Center's Women in Jazz Festival, Blues Alley, JVC Jazz Festival, Clifford Brown Jazz Festival, Cape Town Jazzathon, University of Pretoria Jazz Festival, Essentially Ellington Regional Festival at Brigham Young University and Fiji Jazz & Blues Festival. She is on the Jazz Vocal Advisory Board for Juilliard Jazz, joining esteemed colleagues Dianne Reeves, Kurt Elling, Carmen Lundy, Carla Cook, Charenee Wade and Hilary Gardner. Helm has amassed numerous composer and music awards, including Chamber Music America's New Jazz Works, and served as a U.S. Jazz Ambassador. For more information, visit www.LenoraHelm.com Stay connected with Lenora Zenzalai Helm at: www.twitter.com/lenorahelm Lenora's Official YouTube Channel www.Reverbnation.com/lenorahelm www.facebook.com/LenoraZenzalaiHelm Lenora on iTunes www.cdbaby.com/artist/LenoraZenzalaiHelm Lenora's Online Courses https://www.chamber-music.org/member/lenora-zenzalai-helm-zenzalai-project http://www.theawfc.com/user/lenora-zenzalai-helm/ https://portablemacdowell.org/#artists/lenora-zenzalai-helm https://soundcloud.com/lenora-zenzalai-helm https://www.linkedin.com/in/lenora-hammonds-a2205810 www.VocalJazzSummerCamp.com

Artist Title Time Jeff Denson Sucré 07:31 Jeff Denson Song Of A Solitary Crow 06:44 Jeff Denson En Trois Temps 06:16 Jeff Denson Generation 07:23 Jeff Denson Nostalgic Farewell 04:45 Jeff Denson Listen Up 06:28 Jeff Denson Madrid 05:37 Jeff Denson Lost And Found 06:04 Jeff Denson Between Two Worlds 06:19 Jeff Denson Azur 05:32 Jeff Denson, Romain Pilon & Brian Blade "Between Two Worlds" Impacting: February 15 2020 Format(s): Jazz Jeff Denson’s Between Two Worlds places the acclaimed bassist/composer in brilliant, like-minded creative company that spans the globe Denson’s trio recording features a collaboration with French guitarist Romain Pilon and celebrated U.S. drummer Brian Blade, available October 25, 2019 via Ridgeway Records Denson has "considerable gifts as an improviser, interpreter and sonic trailblazer..." — Ken Micallef, DownBeat Magazine “[Romain] Pilon is world class.” – Financial Times “Brian Blade is one of the finest drummers of his generation.” – Steve Greenlee, JazzTimes “It’s one thing to make everything work and have everybody sound good, but there’s an unexplainable magic that can happen between players,” Denson finishes. “That was very clearly there for us. It was a totally magical, exciting experience to do this trio album.” Between Two Worlds features ten original compositions: five each by Denson and Pilon, most of them written especially for this album. The music’s sound is consistent across the album: complex but highly expressive post-bop, guitar-trio jazz. Yet for the most part, it’s apparent at a glance which composer wrote which tune. Pilon’s titles are in French (“Sucrée,” “En Trois Temps,” “Azur,” “Génération”); “Madrid,” whose language is neither of the above, is also by Pilon. “Song of a Solitary Crow,” “Nostalgic Farewell,” “Listen Up,” “Lost and Found” and “Between Two Worlds” are Denson’s. The album’s title has poetic dimensions. “As musicians we float between two worlds,” writes Denson in the album’s liner notes. “One, a physical plane and the other a powerful reality that can only be found with the most open of ears, hearts and minds.” Part of that intuitive reality is the chemistry between the three musicians, which all of them agreed was strong. “Romain is inspiring, his playing and compositions,” Blade says. “And Jeff as well. Who they are comes through in the music, and the joy.” “Playing music with Jeff and Brian was like discovering new paths to creativity,” Pilon adds. “I felt like everything was possible. I just had to keep my ears open.” “It’s one thing to make everything work and have everybody sound good, but there’s an unexplainable magic that can happen between players,” Denson finishes. “That was very clearly there for us. It was a totally magical, exciting experience to do this trio album.” ROMAIN PILON - JEFF DENSON - BRIAN BLADE Internationally renowned bassist, vocalist, composer, and educator Jeff Denson was born on December 20, 1976 in Arlington, Virginia, and grew up in the Washington, DC area. He began playing alto saxophone in the third grade, switching in high school to bass and vocals. He studied at Virginia Commonwealth University and Northern Virginia Community College, all the while freelancing heavily on the DC jazz scene, before transferring to Boston’s Berklee College of Music to complete his degree. At Berklee, Denson co-founded the trio Minsarah, touring and recording with the band for fifteen years and becoming the accompanist for the legendary saxophonist Lee Konitz for over twelve years. In the meantime, Denson completed a master’s degree at Florida State University and a DMA at the University of California at San Diego. Denson relocated to the San Francisco Bay Area in 2011 to become a professor at the California Jazz Conservatory where he now serves at Dean of Instruction. He released his first solo project, Secret World, in 2012 and has earned wide critical acclaim for his performances and recordings. DownBeat Magazine has cited Denson’s “considerable gifts as an improviser, interpreter and sonic trailblazer..." earning him a spot on the DownBeat International Critics Poll. Germany’s Jazz Podium Magazine noted that “Denson is breaking new ground…(he is) one of the leading bassists of contemporary jazz.” Denson has released fourteen albums as a leader or co-leader and performs in some 60 concerts annually with his own groups as well as with the San Francisco String Trio (Denson, guitarist Mimi Fox and violinist Mads Tolling), among others. He also spearheads Ridgeway Arts, a nonprofit designed to enhance and fortify the Bay Area scene with educational initiatives, concert presentations and recordings released on Denson’s Ridgeway Records label. In addition to Between Two Worlds, Denson released Jeff Denson Live, a digital album, in May 2019. Described by Jazzwise as "a brilliant improviser" French guitarist and composer Romain Pilon has, over the years, earned a solid reputation among the jazz guitar world. He started playing guitar at age 10, exploring all kinds of music throughout high school and eventually going to Conservatory in his native France before gaining a scholarship from the famed Berklee College of Music in Boston. After his US sojourn (where his won three awards and was chosen with his group to open for Pat Metheny out of 1,000 guitar students) he lived between Paris and NYC, performing with some of the world’s greatest improvising musicians. Romain has recorded three albums as a co-leader and four as a leader: NY3, Colorfield, The Magic Eye, and the most recently, Copper. His talent both as an improviser and composer has earned him kudos in the international press as one of the standout musicians currently living in Paris. Jazz journalist and curator Vincent Bessieres wrote: "Romain is a guitarist whose flow of imagination sets high standards, and whose guitar tone is one of the most elegant around…" Jazz Podium (Germany) calls him "a wonder of taste and style." His ability to play all forms of jazz, from swing and bebop to modern and avant-garde, makes him an in-demand sideman. Recent performances have included tours as a leader in France, Spain, Portugal, Germany, and the US in clubs and festivals such King’s Place (London), Duc des Lombards (Paris), Crescent Jazz Festival, Malta Jazz Festival (Malta), Jazz Station (Belgium),Saint Omer Jazz Festival, Vitoria Jazz Festival (Spain), La Londe Jazz Festival, and many more. Besides his career as a performing musician, Pilon is a renowned pedagogue. He has given masterclasses in France, the US, Portugal, Italy, Spain, Japan, Germany, and Malta. In 2016 he started a series of “Mini Lessons" videos on YouTube. With over 200,000 views on the playlist and close to 7,000 downloads of pdfs from all over the world, it has been a big success. Over the years he has taught over 200 private students, many of them now renowned musicians in their own right. Brian Blade was born and raised in Shreveport, Louisiana. The first music he experienced was the Gospel and songs of praise at the Zion Baptist Church where his father, Brady L. Blade, Sr., has been Pastor since 1961. In elementary school, music appreciation classes were an important part of his development, and at age nine he began playing the violin. Inspired by his older brother, Brady L. Blade, Jr., who had been the drummer at Zion Baptist Church, Brian shifted his focus to the drums throughout middle and high school. During high school, while studying with Dorsey Summerfield, Jr., Brian began listening to the music of John Coltrane, Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, Art Blakey, Thelonious Monk, Elvin Jones and Joni Mitchell. In 1988, at the age of eighteen, he moved to New Orleans to attend Loyola University. Over the next five years, he was able to study and play with most of the master musicians living in New Orleans, including John Vidacovich, Ellis Marsalis, Steve Masakowski, Bill Huntington, Mike Pellera, John Mahoney, George French, Emile Vinette, Germaine Bazzle, David Lee, Jr., Alvin Red Tyler, Tony Dagradi and Harold Battiste. In 1997, Brian Blade formed The Fellowship Band with pianist Jon Cowherd. The band members are bassist Chris Thomas and saxophonists Myron Walden and Melvin Butler. The Fellowship Band released their self-titled debut album in 1998, Perceptual in 2000, Season of Changes in 2008, Landmarks in 2014 and Body and Shadow in 2017, all on Blue Note Records. While continuing to work with The Fellowship Band, Blade has been a member of the Wayne Shorter quartet since 2000. He has recorded with Daniel Lanois, Joni Mitchell, Kenny Garrett, Ellis Marsalis, Marianne Faithfull, Norah Jones, Emmylou Harris and Bob Dylan. In 2009, Blade released his first album as a singer-songwriter, Mama Rosa, featuring songs dedicated to his grandmother and family, written from experiences about his life so far. The album features Daniel Lanois, vocalist Kelly Jones, bassist Chris Thomas, guitarist Goffrey Moore and pianists Aaron Embry and Jon Cowherd. Between Two Worlds EPK - Jeff Denson, Romain Pilon & Brian Blade www.jeffdenson.com

Thanks, Jim! I've put them on my camels list.

ECM The release date for Rivages has been postponed to May 29th. Jean-Louis Matinier and Kevin Seddiki - Rivages release Date:  May 29, 2020 Jean-Louis Matinier: accordion; Kevin Seddiki: guitar Accordionist Jean-Louis Matinier has long been a creative presence on ECM recordings, heard with the groups of Anouar Brahem (on Le pas du chat noir and Le voyage de Sahar), Louis Sclavis (Dans la nuit) and François Couturier (Nostalghia, Tarkovsky Quartet), as well as in duo with Marco Ambrosini (Inventio). Now comes the first documentation of a new endeavor, with guitarist Kevin Seddiki, whose far-reaching musical imagination matches Matinier's own. Sedikki, who makes his ECM debut here, studied classical guitar with Pablo Márquez and has also worked with many improvisers across the idioms, from jazz to transcultural projects. The range of music addressed on Rivages runs from the traditional "Greensleeves" to Gabriel Fauré's "Les Berceaux" to compositions and improvisations by both of the protagonists. Rivages was recorded at Lugano's Auditorio Stelio Molo Studio in April 2018, and produced by Manfred Eicher.

Straight Life Christmas Freebie https://artpepper.bandcamp.com/album/unreleased-art-pepper-vol-6-blues-for-the-fisherman ***** Yours is My Heart Alone Patricia https://artpepper.bandcamp.com/album/unreleased-art-pepper-vol-5-stuttgart-2 Also When You're Smiling

Montreal vs. Edmonton - the 1954 Grey Cup

Joe Farrell OAC - $9.67 + 3.99 https://www.amazon.com/Joe-Farrell-Original-Album-Classics/dp/B00RVD8DBM/ ***** Jackie McLean 5OA - $14.99 prime https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07BLJ8MYK/

And now for your viewing pleasure, the 1950 Grey Cup, the Mud Bowl!

RIP dear Cyrille.