GA Russell

ECM Giovanni Guidi Avec le temps Giovanni Guidi: piano Thomas Morgan: double bass João Lobo: drums Francesco Bearzatti: tenor saxophone Roberto Cecchetto: guitar Release date: March 22, 2019 ECM 2604 B0029680-02 UPC: 6025 770 6280 3 Giovanni Guidi is one of the most consistently creative pianists in Europe today, focusing inspirations from contemporary jazz and free playing in a strongly lyrical approach of his own. As well as composing his own material, he has a discerning ear for pieces his group might adapt. The new album begins with an extraordinary interpretation of a yearning song of love and loss by the Monaco-born poet-composer-chansonnier Léo Ferré (1916-1993). The melody and atmosphere of Ferré’s “Avec Le Temps”, one of the classics of the French chanson repertoire, are explored in new detail by Guidi and bassist Thomas Morgan. Of Morgan, Guidi recently noted: “I don’t know if there are other musicians who are so inside the music with every note, who capture everything that’s happening in every moment.” The concentrated soulfulness of the bass playing may put listeners in mind of Charlie Haden’s heyday: Thomas Morgan, too, plays the music not the background. The song’s deep feeling is intensified by João Lobo’s creatively free snare and cymbals, offering fresh color and texture. Both the title piece here and the closing “Tomasz”, a Guidi original dedicated to the late Tomasz Stanko, take Giovanni’s conception of the art of the trio to the next level, extending the work begun on the critically-praised albums City of Broken Dreams and This Is The Day. Avec le temps also initiates some new departures as Guidi expands his group to quintet size with the addition of saxophonist Francesco Bearzatti and guitarist Roberto Cecchetto for six of the pieces here. The quintet originally toured under the headline Giovanni Guidi Inferno, and while it plainly has the capacity to burn down the house, it also radiates a more differentiated flame, as needs dictate. Bearzatti and Cecchetto are strikingly original and resourceful musicians, both leaders in their own right. Bearzatti is one of the outstanding saxophonists of his generation in Italy. Anchored in the tradition – he studied with, among others, George Coleman – he also pushes into areas of pure sound exploration and is conceptually open-minded; his own discography including tributes to, for instance, Malcolm X and to Woody Guthrie. Latterly, Bearzatti and Giovanni Guidi have also been playing together in duo. Like Guidi himself, guitarist Roberto Cecchetto has played extensively with Enrico Rava. Cecchetto was for eight years a core member of Rava’s Electric Five group. His own leader dates include recordings with Guidi and with Bearzatti, and he has worked with many distinguished players including Gianluigi Trovesi, Lee Konitz, Kenny Wheeler, Roswell Rudd, Stefano Bollani and more. Thomas Morgan’s sensitive work with Tomasz Stanko, David Virelles, Masabumi Kikuchi, Craig Taborn, Jakob Bro, Bill Frisell, and many more has been widely-acclaimed. In the Guidi group he is well-matched by drummer João Lobo, who similarly brings deep listening to every performance. Collectively, the quintet is ready to deal with the challenges of the most diverse material, from the bluesy cast of “15th of August”, to the group creation “No Taxi” which is reminiscent of some of Ornette Coleman’s themes, to the tender lullaby “Ti Stimo”, and the free-flowing ballad “Caino”, which draws forth beautiful playing by Guidi and Bearzatti. As a whole, Avec le temps proposes a fascinating journey over changing terrain. *** Giovanni Guidi, born in Foligno, near Perugia, in 1985, was launched on the international stage in the groups of Enrico Rava. After being struck by the focused intensity of the young pianist’s playing during the summer courses of Siena Jazz, Rava invited him into his band. Guidi, who was 17 years old when he first played with the trumpeter, appears with Rava on the ECM albums Tribe and Rava On The Dance Floor. In addition to Giovanni Guidi’s recordings with Thomas Morgan and João Lobo, the pianist can be heard on Ida Lupino, with Gianluca Petrella, Gerald Cleaver and Louis Sclavis, which was voted Italian jazz album of the year in Musica Jazz. Avec le temps was recorded at Studios La Buissonne in Pernes-les-Fontaines in the south of France in November 2017, and produced by Manfred Eicher. As with City of Broken Dreams and This Is The Day, the cover painting is by Emmanuel Barcilon, whose delicate yet intense color-fields provide an apt visual metaphor for the musical poetry of Giovanni Guidi. Vijay Iyer and Craig Taborn The Transitory Poems Vijay Iyer piano; Craig Taborn piano A marvel of shared invention from two of creative music’s most resourceful players. Recorded live in 2018, the album incorporated pieces offered as tributes to formative influences. CD LISTEN / BUY David Torn / Tim Berne / Ches Smith Sun of Goldfinger Tim Berne alto saxophone Ches Smith drums, electronics, tanbou David Torn electric guitar, live-looping, electronics with Craig Taborn electronics, piano; Mike Bagetta, Ryan Ferreira guitars, Scorchio String Quartet Three intense tracks of vast sonic tapestries. An otherworldly creation, ranging from hovering atmospherics to dark-hued lyricism to storming, sky-rending grandeur. CD/LP LISTEN / BUY Dominic Miller Absinthe Dominic Miller guitar; Santiago Arias: bandoneon; Mike Lindup keyboards; Nicholas Fiszman bass; Manu Katché drums Miller fronts a quintet that brings his ever-lyrical compositions to textured life. Miller has a key harmonic-melodic foil in the bandoneon, with keyboard tones adding a ghostly air, and bass rooting the sound. Vividly present on drums is Manu Katché an ECM veteran and for years Miller’s colleague in Sting’s band. CD/LP LISTEN / BUY Larry Grenadier The Gleaners Larry Grenadier double bass An important addition to ECM’s series of distinguished solo bass albums, this is a profound and highly creative album that digs deep into the musical identity of this exceptional bass player. CD/LP LISTEN / BUY IN PRE-ORDER © *2018 ECM Records US, A Division of Verve Music Group. All rights reserved. ECM Please note the release of Areni Agbabian's ECM debut "Bloom" will now be April 26th! Areni Agbabian - Bloom release date: April 26, 2019 Areni Agbabian: voice, piano; Nicolas Stocker: percussion Improvising vocalist, folk singer, storyteller, pianist: on her ECM debut Areni Agbabian focuses the range of her skills in music that casts a quiet spell. A sparse music in which voice, piano and the subtle percussion of Nicolas Stocker (last heard on ECM with Nik Bärtsch's Mobile ensemble), continually shade into silence.  The California-born Agbabian, who came to international attention with the groups of Tigran Hamasyan, draws deeply upon her Armenian heritage, reinterpreting sacred hymns, a traditional tale, a folk melody transcribed by Komitas and more, and interspersing these elements among her own evocative compositions. Bloom was recorded in Lugano in October 2016 and produced by Manfred Eicher.

Apparently a computer glitch is preventing me from opening an account at Import CDs. Has anyone else had this problem?

I am reminded of Alan Freed and the payola scandal. It's OK to pay the company, but it's a scandal to pay the company's employee.

Laurie Antonioli Features Lyrical Collaborations with Jazz Composers, Interpretations of Classic Singer/Songwriters On "The Constant Passage of Time," Set for April 12 Release by Origin Records Vocalist's Seventh Album Features Her Longtime American Dreams Band with Saxophonist/Clarinetist Sheldon Brown, Guitarist Dave MacNab, Pianist Matt Clark, Bassist Dan Feiszli, Drummer Jason Lewis CD Release Concert at California Jazz Conservatory, Berkeley, March 30 March 13, 2019 Vocalist Laurie Antonioli highlights her gifts as a collaborator and interpreter on The Constant Passage of Time, her seventh album, due April 12 on Origin Records. Joined by her longtime working band American Dreams (with multi-reedist Sheldon Brown, guitarist Dave MacNab, pianist Matt Clark, drummer Jason Lewis, and newest member Dan Feiszli on bass), Antonioli takes on singer/songwriters Sheryl Crow, Joni Mitchell, and Neil Young, as well as featuring her own work as a lyricist with celebrated jazz composers Johannes Enders, Russell Ferrante, Nguyên Lê, and Paul Nagel. The title -- which is also a lyric from the album opener "Longing for You" -- was inspired by Antonioli's reflections on an eventful 2018. The year included several benchmarks for the Bay Area singer, among them her sixtieth birthday, the twentieth anniversary of her sobriety, and the birth of her second grandchild. In addition, she recorded two albums worth of material at Berkeley's legendary Fantasy Studios (before its closure in September). "Recordings mark time and document the moment," says Antonioli. "Recordings are 'fixed' in that they stay put. In life, change is a constant, and our internal landscape is always evolving, which is reflected in the music." The music also reflects Antonioli's broad palette, her warm, supple mezzo-soprano equally compatible with the moody musings of "Longing for You" (set to Ferrante's music) and "Moonbirds" (a collaboration with Enders); the driving rock beats of "Highway" (also with Enders), Sheryl Crow's "Riverwide," and Neil Young's "Don't Let It Bring You Down"; and the delicate balladry of "Layla" and "And So It Is,"Antonioli's lyrical treatments of compositions by Lê ("Bee") and Nagel ("As Is"), respectively. (At left: Antonioli with granddaughter Layla.) The Constant Passage of Time also continues to showcase Antonioli's special relationship to the music of Joni Mitchell, as previously documented on her 2014 tributeSongs of Shadow, Songs of Light. "It goes without saying that Joni is simply one of the greatest composers and lyricists of modern music," says Antonioli, who on this outing celebrates Mitchell first with a surprising medley of "Harry's House" and "The Arrangement," then by unearthing the obscure but haunting "Love." The musicians who accompany Antonioli play no small part in shaping the album. "This project, like my others, is crafted around the players in the band," she says, noting that MacNab has a particularly prominent role on Constant Passage. "He can play anything, and I'm happy to feature him more on this record." Laurie Antonioli was born March 9, 1958 in Marin County, California. She started playing guitar and writing songs as a teenager in the early 1970s, inspired by Neil Young, James Taylor, Jimi Hendrix, and particularly Joni Mitchell. She caught the jazz bug while listening to her grandmother's records, which led to studies in the pioneering jazz vocal program at Mt. Hood Community College in Portland, Oregon. Returning to the Bay Area after graduation, Antonioli began sitting in with singer Mark Murphy -- which in turn brought her to the attention of saxophonist Pony Poindexter, who in 1980 hired the 22-year-old vocalist for an extended European tour. In 1985, Antonioli recorded her debut album Soul Eyes, a duo session with piano great George Cables. Throughout the decade she was one of the region's most visible singers, performing regularly with jazz luminaries such asJoe Henderson (a longtime collaborator). Derailed throughout the '90s, Antonioli began rebuilding her career in 2002, when Austria's KUG University hired her as a professor for the vocal jazz department. In 2004 she recorded her second album, Foreign Affair, with a cadre of players from Serbia, Albania, Germany, and the U.S. She remained in Europe until 2006, when she returned to run the Vocal Jazz Studies program at Berkeley's California Jazz Conservatory. She gained widespread attention with the release of 2010's American Dreams, on which she introduced the titular band (with John Shifflett, who died in 2017, holding the bass chair). They also accompanied her on 2014's Songs of Shadow, Songs of Light, returning once again -- with Feiszli now on bass -- for The Constant Passage of Time. Laurie Antonioli will perform a CD release concert at the California Jazz Conservatory, 2040 Addison Street, Berkeley, on Saturday 3/30. Bassist Nenad Vasilic, who mixed the new CD and who co-produced and played on Foreign Affair, will be featured as a special guest on a couple of songs with Antonioli. Photography: David Geathers "The Constant Passage of Time" EPK Web Site: laurieantonioli.com

Thanks for that link!

Joe, I read most of his books in the late '70s, one after another. It seemed like he wrote the same book over and over!

I haven't posted much about the CFL in the past month, so let's take a look. Here's a look at the noteworthy free agents not promptly signed. https://3downnation.com/2019/02/15/top-25-remaining-cfl-free-agents/ https://3downnation.com/2019/02/15/riders-ink-receiver-manny-arceneaux/ ***** Nate Behar signed with Ottawa. https://3downnation.com/2019/02/15/canadian-receiver-nate-behar-to-join-redblacks/ ***** Naaman Roosevelt will return to Regina. https://3downnation.com/2019/02/14/naaman-roosevelt-agrees-to-terms-with-riders/ ***** Cody Fajardo signed with the Riders. https://3downnation.com/2019/02/14/riders-sign-qb-cody-fajardo-to-one-year-deal/ ***** Derel Walker signed with the Argos. https://3downnation.com/2019/02/14/derel-walker-leaves-toronto-without-signing-deal-with-the-argos/ ***** DJ Lalama signed with the Bombers. https://3downnation.com/2019/02/15/bombers-sign-manitoba-product-d-j-lalama/ ***** Manny Arcenaux signed with the Riders. https://3downnation.com/2019/02/15/riders-ink-receiver-manny-arceneaux/ ***** Justin Tuggle signed with the Ticats. https://3downnation.com/2019/02/19/ticats-add-possible-larry-dean-replacement-in-former-argos-lb-justin-tuggle/ ***** Ian Wild signed with the Argos. https://3downnation.com/2019/02/18/argos-sign-lb-ian-wild/ ***** The league announced that Regina will host the 2020 Grey Cup, and Hamilton the 2021 game. https://3downnation.com/2019/02/21/grey-cup-double-shot-saskatchewan-and-hamilton-going-back-to-back/ https://3downnation.com/2019/02/18/argos-sign-lb-ian-wild/ https://3downnation.com/2019/02/22/much-to-celebrate-as-hamilton-finally-gets-to-host-a-grey-cup/ ***** Kienan LaFrance signed with the Riders. https://3downnation.com/2019/02/21/riders-repatriate-canadian-rb-kienan-lafrance/

RIP Hal Blaine! I'd say that in my lifetime, he was the country's #2 self-promoter, behind only Stan Lee. He often bragged that he was on more Billboard #1 hits than anyone else, but I don't think he should be remembered for that. I think that he should be remembered as the drummer on The Tijuana Brass's "A Taste of Honey." It was Herb Alpert's idea for the group to just stop briefly, and he told Blaine to just think of something to fill in the space. I'd say that that and Ron Wilson's Wipeout solo were the two most famous drum solo's of the decade.

1. Santana - Do You Remember Me 09:48 2. Santana - In Search Of Mona Lisa 05:09 3. Santana - Lovers From Another Time 04:44 4. Santana - Do You Remember Me (Edit Version) 03:28 5. Santana - In Search Of Mona Lisa (Edit Version) 03:52 CARLOS SANTANA DELIVERS INSPIRING AND IMPASSIONED NEW EP, IN SEARCH OF MONA LISA, OUT TODAY On three spellbinding and transportive new songs, the multiple GRAMMY-winning guitarist and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee takes listeners inside a magical and deeply personal experience he had when he visited the Louvre Museum for the first time and set his eyes on Leonardo da Vinci’s beguiling masterpiece. A new full-length album produced by Rick Rubin will be released this summer. 2019 marks the 20th anniversary of Carlos Santana’s groundbreaking album Supernatural and the 50th anniversary of his legendary performance at Woodstock. Santana will celebrate these milestones with an energy-infused tour highlighting hits from Supernatural as well as many others from his long list of greatest hits. For More Information Official Site: www.santana.com Facebook: www.facebook.com/carlossantana Instagram: www.instagram.com/carlossantana Twitter: www.twitter.com/santanacarlos YouTube: www.youtube.com/santanaofficial

ECM Vijay Iyer and Craig Taborn The Transitory Poems Vijay Iyer: piano; Craig Taborn: piano Release date: March 15, 2019 ECM 2644 B0029701-02 UPC: 6025 773 0119 3 Vijay Iyer and Craig Taborn in concert March 12 Brooklyn, NY Roulette March 24 Knoxville, TN Big Ears Festival Further dates in preparation… The Transitory Poems, recorded live in the concert hall of the Franz List Academy of Music in Budapest in March 2018, is the first release from the duo of Vijay Iyer and Craig Taborn, two of the most distinctive contemporary improvisers. Each a bandleader in his own right, these highly creative pianists have considerable shared history. They began playing together inside Roscoe Mitchell’s Note Factory in 2002. In Mitchell’s group, Taborn and Iyer were called upon to address complex notated material and to deal, concurrently, with the challenges of instant composing and spontaneous arrangement via collective and individual improvisation. “Our duo formed in the crucible of that band,” Vijay and Craig remark in a performers’ note here, “in pursuit of music unique to its moment of creation.” This has remained the quest throughout their subsequent duo work, shaping music in real time, the project evolving from concert to concert. “Something was born for me in the context of working with Roscoe,” Iyer has said, alluding to “a certain quality of listening: how to navigate, how to give way to each other, how to build together…” Constructive collaboration informs the duo’s music. As Craig Taborn has explained, “part of my practice with improvising is to fully dive in. I become the audience, listening to events and sounds and agency. Whether I’m playing something or not is the first thing I let go of: then I can encounter what is happening.” The musical environment is scanned, details embellished, structures shored up, densities measured, rhythms dovetailed, melodic lines given space to emerge and coalesce. The music is in movement in the fleeting world of The Transitory Poems, transforming and mutating from moment to moment. At times it may acknowledge the vast history of music for two pianos although, as Craig has also pointed out, he and Vijay are “both composers and improvisers and orchestrational pianists - so the question of instrument is just a fact of the context, and not the primary challenge.” Listening back to their recording, the players heard it as “a series of homages” to great artists who had profoundly influenced them, artists who had recently passed away. “Luminous Brew” is dedicated to Cecil Taylor, the pianist whose music, in its intensity, polyrhythmic complexity and sound organization, remains a vital reference for a generation of musicians. The Iyer/Taborn album title derives from a Taylor interview, in which humanity and its endeavors are considered ‘transitory poems’, unfolding against a backdrop of the mountains that are here to stay. “Clear Monolith” is for Muhal Richard Abrams, the visionary pianist, composer and improviser, who lit the paths of the early AACM and opened unexplored routes for the music. The painter and sculptor Jack Whitten, dedicatee of “Sensorium”, described himself - in his log Notes from the Woodshed - as “a quantum expressionist”. Whitten derived much inspiration for his work from jazz, and spoke of translating Coltrane’s sheets of sound into sheets of light. The final track is dedicated to Geri Allen and hints of her theme “When Kabuya Dances” emerge gradually through the improvisation that is “Meshwork”, before the Allen composition, a modern classic, comes to the fore. *** The New York Times has suggested that “there’s probably no frame wide enough to encompass the creative output of Vijay Iyer.” Each of his ECM releases has highlighted another aspect of wide-ranging work. Mutations, with Iyer’s compositions for piano, string quartet and electronics was recorded in 2013 and described by The Guardian as “thoughtful, typically original and very exciting.” It was followed by Radhe Radhe, Rites of Holi a collaboration with director Prashant Bhargava, which DownBeat called “his most challenging and impressive work, the scintillating score to a compelling film.” Break Stuff featured Iyer’s popular trio with Stephan Crump and Marcus Gilmore (“a smashing success” – JazzTimes). A cosmic rhythm with each strokebrought Iyer together with his “hero, friend and teacher” Wadada Leo Smith to play “unique music outside all the categories” (Die Weltwoche), inspired by the art of Nasreen Mohamedi.Far From Over, with the Vijay Iyer Sextet, with Graham Haynes, Steve Lehman, Mark Shim, Stephan Crump and Tyshawn Sorey, was showered with accolades. “If you’re looking for the shape of jazz to come, here it is”, wrote Rolling Stone. Far From Over was voted #1 album in the NPR Critics Poll, with the Iyer Sextet also the band of the year and Vijay musician of the year in the DownBeat Critics Poll 2018. Craig Taborn’s Avenging Angel, recorded 2010, set some new directions for solo piano music. (“As exhilarating as it is serene, and as evocatively melodic as it is unsettlingly recondite, it’s a masterpiece of invention” – All About Jazz). Chants, recorded 2012, brought to a conclusion the group music Taborn had been developing over an eight-year period with drummer Gerald Cleaver and bassist Thomas Morgan. “The songs on ‘Chants’, are positively shimmering, immaculately detailed, prismatic and very improvisational,” noted DownBeat. Daylight Ghostsintroduced a new quartet with some old friends – Dave King, Chris Speed and Chris Lightcap – again to rave reviews. This was the sound, Jazziz opined, “of an already great musician cementing his place in the upper ranks of contemporary pianists and composers.” Vijay Iyer and Craig Taborn first recorded together on Roscoe Mitchell’s Song for My Sister (Pi)in 2002, with their first shared ECM credit being the Mitchell album Far Side (2007), recently reprised in the box set The Art Ensemble of Chicago and Associated Ensembles. Taborn’s ECM debut was also with Roscoe, on 1997’s Nine to Get Ready. Craig appears furthermore on two albums with the Mitchell and Evan Parker-led Transatlantic Art Ensemble –Composition/Improvisation Nos. 1, 2 & 3 and Boustrophedon - as well as with Mitchell’s assembled trios on Bells for the South Side. Other Taborn appearances on ECM include Michael Formanek’s The Rub and Spare Change and Small Places, Chris Potter’s Imaginary Cities and The Sirens, Ches Smith’s The Bell and David Torn’s Prezens. Vijay Iyer and Craig Taborn have a number of concerts this season including a performance as part of the focus on ECM at the Big Ears Festival in Knoxville, Tennessee, March 21-24.

Peter Drew "And What's More" Impacting: February 4 2019 Format(s): Jazz Artist Title Time Peter Drew Retro-Bop 03:53 Peter Drew Body and Soul 05:32 Peter Drew Hard Driver 05:15 Peter Drew Carioca 03:28 Peter Drew Lesson Française 04:01 Peter Drew Invitation 03:29 Peter Drew Shtick 04:48 Peter Drew Blue Lester 05:56 Peter Drew A Coda and a Score 05:00 Peter Drew Don't Argue!! 03:50 Peter Drew Ecaroh 04:40 Peter Drew Midnight Sun 06:59 Peter Drew I'm Gone 05:37 Peter Drew Sister Kate 04:52 Peter Drew Sugar 05:57 Peter Drew Slo Burn Blues 04:54 "I'm really grateful to all of the industry professionals that supported my debut CD, thank you"! -Peter Drew "My new CD, And What's More, follows my previous release, Where and When and continues with multiple genres of the American musical experience infused with my own compositions and arrangements. Hints of Klezmer, Blues, BeBop, Rock, Jazz and Pop are sprinkled liberally throughout"!-Peter Drew "Peter Drew's new music is a trip beyond the pale well worth taking"- Midwest Record Review JazzWeek Add Date: 2/4/19! New York City, November 26th, 2018 - And What's More is the follow up to clarinetist, composer and arranger Peter Drew's 2016 Jazzweek Top 15 release Where & When! With And What's More Peter Drew has again assembled a first call group of musicians to interpret a splendid repertoire of great standards and originals with brilliant arrangements that are becoming his signature that lifts this CD to amazing heights! As with Where & When in reaching new heights Peter is joined again with his "mentor" co-producer and fellow arranger Philip Rothman! And the magic for this 16 tune set continues! And the magic starts with Retro Bop which is Dizzy Gillespie's Bebop composition reimagined and as Peter says " I took the notes and flipped them, inverted them and hence Retro Bop" ! I'm sure Dizzy would enjoy Peter Drew's spirit filled arrangement of his standard! There are several fine vocalist enlisted for And What's More as with Wendy Gilles who delivers a very serene and tender rendition of the classic Body and Soul. Wendy is also the featured vocalist of the Grammy nominated Gil Evans Project! As meaningful here is the warm and articulate trumpet soloing of the Juilliard educated and J.A.L.C Orchestra member Brandon Lee ! Next up is the first of 5 original tunes by Peter, Hard Driver a bluesy, brassey nearly danceable tune where both guitarist Sebastian Noelle of the Darcy James Argue's Secret Society Band and Chris Potter's Big Band as well a leader of his own bands along with the extremely versatile and lyrical Alejandro Aviles both first call New York City musican's and they add the soloing fire to this gem! Shifting musical gears, which Peter does with And What's More very effectively leads the musical journey to Carioca a popular song with music by Vincent Youmans and also the name of a popular dance choreographed for the film Flying Down In Rio. Here it's Brazilian roots are in full effect with pianist Silvano Monasterios and percussionist Samuel Torres leading the way! Lesson Francaise another of Peter Drew's tunes that's perhaps inspired by his study of the French language is a wonderfully entertaining song featuring the vocals of actress, voice overs artist and dancer Maria Maloney in duet with the incomparable Sachal Vasandani an accomplished jazz vocalist in his own right! Together they tell the love story of the song! Speaking of Sachal Vasandani he brings a new emotion to the classic Midnight Sun and the return of Brandon Lee's trumpet and Silvano Monasterios piano solo's makes this arrangement new again! Peter Drew's arrangements has brought new life to other classic's in the CD including Invitation. And as great a composer and arranger as Horace Silver was Peter's arrangement of his Ecaroh is full of new streams of idea's! And the Stanley Turrentine's classic Sugar is also crisp and rejuvenated! Another one of those gems is a very rich and soulful version of Lester Young's Blue Lester with the musically adventures Jon Irabagon superbly handling the tenor saxophone honors! Another jewel important to note as Peter states "Sam Sadigursky, an amazing clarinetist in the style of Artie Shaw deserves a special mention. I dedicated the song, "Shtick" to him and also his solos on the other charts are exceptional"! Actually the complete CD whether it's one of his own tunes like Shtick or Slo Burn Blues which are both further testimonies to Peter Drew's brilliance as a composer, or the established Kai Winding composition Don't Argue a further example of his pinpoint arranging this CD makes a powerful statement with a superb selection of great tunes and the same can be said for the musicians assembled for this stellar recording! Below is a list of the soloist and track listing to bring you closer to Peter Drew's And What's More!

Artist Title Time Gil Evans Orchestra Subway 10:57 Gil Evans Orchestra LL Funk 05:29 Gil Evans Orchestra I Surrender 07:17 Gil Evans Orchestra Groove from the Louvre 09:51 Gil Evans Orchestra Lunar Eclipse 06:29 Gil Evans Orchestra Moonstruck 01:49 Gil Evans Orchestra Eleven 05:25 Gil Evans Orchestra "Hidden Treasures/Monday Nights" Airplay Starts Now! Debut this week at #45 on JazzWeek Suggested Airplay Tracks 2.3.5.7 Kenwood Dennard – Drums, Mino Cinelu – PercussionMark Egan – bass, Pete Levin – keyboards, Miles Evans– trumpet Shunzo Ohno – trumpet, David Taylor - Bass Trombone, John Clark - French Horn, Chris Hunter – Alto Sax, Flute, Alex Foster - Tenor Sax, Soprano Sax Darryl Jones - Bass (Tune 2), Matthew Garrison - Bass & Bass Solo (Tune 2), Vernon Reid - Guitar (Tune 2), Paul Shaffer- Fender Rhodes (Tune 2), David Mann - Alto Sax (Tune 2), Gil Goldstein - Piano (Tunes 1, 2, 5, 6), Delmar Brown- Synthesizer (Tunes 1, 2, 5), Charles Blenzig - Synthesizer (Tunes 2, 3, 4, 7), Gabby Abularach - Guitars (Tune 1, 4, 5), Jon Faddis - Trumpet (Tunes 1, 5, 6), Dave Bargeron -Trombone (Tunes 1, 5, 6), Gary Smulyan - Baritone Sax (Tunes 1, 5, 6), Birch Johnson - Trombone (Tunes 3, 4, 7,) Alex Sipiagin - Trumpet (Tunes 3, 4, 7), Alden Banta - Baritone Sax (Tunes 3, 4, 7). Monday Nights” is not only the first studio recording of the Gil Evans Orchestra in over forty years, it’s also offers some of the most audacious and electrifying music of the new millennium. The late Gil Evans was one of the most respected orchestrators in jazz history and his fabled collaborations with Miles Davis, including “Birth of the Cool,” “Sketches of Spain” and “Porgy and Bess,” set the gold standard for modern jazz arranging. Accordingly, Evans played a key role in the development of cool jazz, modal jazz, free jazz and jazz fusion. All of these influences are strikingly present on “Monday Nights,” a particularly contemporary incarnation of Evans’ music. After a string of gigs that started in the late 70s, the Gil Evans Orchestra began a run of Monday night engagements in 1983 at the Greenwich Village club, Sweet Basil, which resulted in a number of successful live recordings by Gil Evans and the Monday Night Orchestra. The gig continued sporadically until 1994. Mr. Evans had a knack for bringing out the best in his groups comprised of first-call New York players including David Sanborn, Alan Rubin and Tom “Bones Malone,” and such musicians as George Adams, Hannibal Marvin Peterson and Howard Johnson. Gil’s sons, trumpeter Miles Evans and his brother Noah are keeping the flame alive with “Hidden Treasures,” a trilogy of recordings of which “Monday Nights” is the first. The concept here, is to feature compositions that the Orchestra played live in the late 70s and early 80s. Forthcoming are “The Classics,” featuring modern renderings of Evans’ original arrangements, including “My Ship,” and “The Meaning of the Blues,” and, the final release in the series, “Gil & Anita,” named for the late jazz icon and his wife. “Subway,” written and arranged by keyboardist Pete Levin opens the album and introduces the imperial command of the ensemble, anchored by drummer Kenwood Dennard. With dynamic twists and turns, and subtle musical shadings, this is one hell of a subway ride. Commanding solos by trombonist Dave Bargeron and tenor saxist Alex Foster, offering some respect for Wayne Shorter, add to the excitement. Trumpeter Miles Evans wrote and arranged “LL Funk” and once again Kenwood Dennard drives the music with a powerful funk beat good for both listening and dancing. With Darryl Jones on bass, special guests’ solos abound: keyboardist Paul Shaffer, even more laid back than usual; the criminally underrated Matthew Garrison and his highly original bass: and Vernon Reid bringing a thick almost heavy metal guitar tip to the track. The icing on the cake is David Mann, who weaves his bluesy, potent alto sax throughout the track. “I Surrender,” written by Delmar Brown and Alex Foster, and arranged by Alex and Charles Blenzig is a musical requiem for a heavyweight. Mr. Brown, a superb keyboardist who played with the Gil Evans Orchestra as well as Pat Martino, passed away in 2017 and “I Surrender” is his tribute. He is also present on several tracks recorded before his passing. A true musical heavyweight, Alex Foster offers another side of his soulful, highly expressive tenor. A very popular composition from the Sweet Basil days, “Groove from the Louvre,” written and arranged by John Clark, features the composer on french horn, trumpeters Shunzo Ohno and then Alex Sipiagin, percussionist Mino Cinelu, who came to prominence with Miles Davis and Weather Report, bass trombonist Dave Taylor. Deft and determined, drummer Dennard anchors the band through the gentle opening, and then the hard edged groove that follows. There’s a regal, totally swinging feel to the track, with superb ensemble work that shows this is more than just a group of soloists, but a real orchestra. “Lunar Eclipse” written by Masabumi Kiuchi and arranged by the master himself, Gil Evans, is evocative and cinematic. An Evans protégé, Gil Goldstein solos here, memorably, amidst a dreamy synthesizer background which follows him through his two solos on the track, the first of which gives away to Mino Cinelu on bongos and then drummer Dennard, raising the musical stakes once again. It’s a heady musical mixture. More of the master on “Moonstruck,” which is short, whimsical and very tasty. Tracking at 1:49, it’s an ensemble feature that’s both intriguing and attention grabbing. The recording closes with “Eleven,” also straight from the source, a Gil Evans composition and arrangement, which originally appeared as “Petits Machins (Little Stuff)on the 1968 Miles Davis recording, Filles de Kilimanjaro. The set closer is a bristling swinger, a fitting capper to this powerful set of absolutely stunning music. The groove is infectious, a potent platform for solos by alto saxophonist Chris Hunter, Charles Blenzig on electric piano and Alex Foster, who returns on tenor and continues to amaze. Gil Evans Lives! WATCH THE VIDEO HERE:

We have this week two very early power rankings. https://3downnation.com/2019/03/04/3down-power-rankings-holy-crap-what-just-happened/ https://www.cfl.ca/2019/03/08/defending-champs-lead-way-early-nissan-titan-power-rankings/

Thanks John!

And how do you feel about the sound quality of Acrobat/Trapeze boxes?

Artist Title Time Matt Andersen Free Man 03:06 Matt Andersen Impacting Now! Unbridled joy springs eternal from Halfway Home by Morning. Recorded live off the floor in Nashville, Tennessee, celebrated songwriter Matt Andersen’s tenth album collects all the essential elements for a down-home ramble and shoots them through with enough electrifying energy to drive the rock ‘n’ roll faithful to simmer, shimmy, and shake. Over its lucky 13 tracks, he explores every facet of his sound—sweat-soaked soul, incendiary rhythm and blues, heartbroken folk, and gritty Americana—and binds them together with palpable heart, as the band leaves everything they’ve got on the sweet old hardwood of the Southern Ground studio, in the same spot that legends like Neil Young, Emmylou Harris, and Jerry Lee Lewis turned up the volume ‘til it couldn’t go up anymore.Halfway Home by Morning is the sound of an artist doing what he was born to do. PRESS QUOTES: “A powerhouse voice that could pack a football stadium” - The National Post “A decade’s worth of quality releases and heavy touring have made New Brunswick’s Matt Andersen into one of the nation’s most reliable performers.” - AllMusic EUROPEAN BLUES AWARDS: - 2013, 2016 – Best Solo/Acoustic Act, Winner MAPLE BLUES AWARDS: - 2010-2011 – Entertainer of the Year, Acoustic Act of the Year, Winner - 2011-2016 – Male Vocalist of the Year, Winner INTERNATIONAL BLUES CHALLENGE IN MEMPHIS, TN: - 2010 – International Blues Solo Performer, Winner JUNO AWARDS: - 2016 – Roots Traditional Album of the Year, Nominee CANADIAN INDEPENDENT MUSIC ASSOCIATION: - 2015 – CIMA Road Gold Award, Winner Watch Matt Andersen - Free Man (Official Lyric Video) Here:

Thanks John. That looks good.

3/07 checking down https://www.cfl.ca/2019/03/07/checking-redblacks-qb-contest-wide-open/ ***** As expected, Marc Trestman has been named the XFL's Tampa GM and HC. https://3downnation.com/2019/03/05/marc-trestman-named-head-coach-and-general-manager-of-tampa-bay-xfl-franchise/ ***** Tristan Jackson has retired as a Rider. https://3downnation.com/2019/03/07/tristan-jackson-should-be-remembered-by-saskatchewan-and-the-riders/ https://www.cfl.ca/2019/03/07/tristan-jackson-signs-one-day-deal-retire-roughrider/ ***** Randy Richards has signed with the Argos. https://3downnation.com/2019/03/06/argos-sign-former-stampeders-ol-randy-richards/ https://www.cfl.ca/2019/03/06/argos-sign-offensive-lineman-randy-richards/ ***** Terrell Sinkfield signed with the AAF, and was then let go. https://3downnation.com/2019/03/05/terrell-sinkfield-released-by-aaf-team/ ***** The league's national combine will be March 22-24. https://3downnation.com/2019/02/27/top-prospects-invited-to-the-national-cfl-combine-revealed/ https://www.cfl.ca/2019/03/07/ferguson-names-know-combine-season/ https://www.cfl.ca/2019/03/07/regional-combine-helped-howell-dream-come-true-rookie-season/ ***** Take a look at the Lions' new hamburger! https://www.cfl.ca/2019/03/06/bc-place-unveils-mammoth-new-burger/ https://3downnation.com/2019/03/06/new-bc-place-burger-aptly-named-outrageous/

Thanks John. They have some collections that are very attractive, but the prices are so low they appear to me to be of the Not Now calibre.

What happened? Amazon UK now lists this at 51.65 GBP. It was 31.99, as I recall. Roger's link does not subtract VAT for American customers, and charges 13 GBP for standard shipping.

John, do you agree with Steve that the quality of the sound of the Enlightenment boxes is acceptable?

ECM Bill Frisell & Thomas Morgan Epistrophy Bill Frisell: electric guitar Thomas Morgan: double-bass Release date: April 12, 2019 ECM 2626 B0029977-02 UPC: 6025 577 0156 2 LP 6025 773 9824 7 Like the duo’s acclaimed ECM release Small Town of 2017 – which The Guardian called “wistful and mesmerizing… tonally ingenious and haunting” – the new Epistrophy by guitarist Bill Frisell and bassist Thomas Morgan was recorded at New York City’s Village Vanguard. The album once again captures the rare empathy these two players achieve in this intimate environment. There are poetic takes on pieces from the duo’s beloved Americana songbook (“All in Fun,” “Red River Valley,” “Save the Last Dance for Me”), as well as an intense version of a composition by Paul Motian (“Mumbo Jumbo”), an artist whom both the guitarist and bassist knew well. Frisell and Morgan communicate the essence of Billy Strayhorn’s “Lush Life” and the Frank Sinatra hit “In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning,” so much so that their famous words seem to hang in the air even without a singer. At the center of the album is a pair of pieces by Thelonious Monk: the funky, angular “Epistrophy” and the ruminative ballad “Pannonica.” And as with “Goldfinger” on Small Town, Frisell and Morgan offer a glowing duo interpretation of a melody-rich John Barry title tune from a James Bond film – “You Only Live Twice.” Frisell made his debut as a leader for ECM in 1983 with In Line, establishing one of the most distinctive sounds of any modern guitarist. His rich history with the label also includes multiple recordings by the iconic cooperative trio with Paul Motian and Joe Lovano, culminating in Time and Time Again in 2007. Morgan, who also performed and recorded with Motian, has appeared on ECM as bassist of choice for Tomasz Stanko, Craig Taborn, Jakob Bro, David Virelles, Giovanni Guidi and Masabumi Kikuchi. One of the bonds Frisell and Morgan share is the connection with Motian and his music. Small Town included a tribute to Motian in the form of a searching, 11-minute interpretation of the late drummer’s composition “It Should’ve Happened a Long Time Ago.” On Epistrophy, the duo features “Mumbo Jumbo,” a very different sort of Motian composition. “It’s one of Paul’s denser, more abstract pieces,” Frisell explains. “But as with all of Paul’s tunes, you play the melody of ‘Mumbo Jumbo’ and it puts you in this special world, where every note suggests all these possibilities. Thomas and I are right there together in this music. I had played ‘Mumbo Jumbo’ with Paul and Joe, but Thomas showed me things in the piece I didn’t realize were there.” A discovery for many listeners will be the beauty of “You Only Live Twice” in a jazz context. “John Barry’s music was one of those things I took for granted as a kid in the ’60s,” Frisell recalls. “I didn’t necessarily take it seriously, even if I liked it when I heard it in a James Bond movie. But I have revelations about music I overlooked all the time, as I develop a deeper understanding about what music really is. If you strip away the pop-culture associations of a tune like ‘You Only Live Twice,’ as with ‘Goldfinger,’ you’re left with these beautiful chords and melodies. So, in the stripped-down context of the duo, we’re trying to get at the essence of this music. I’ve been pretty obsessive about the sources of pieces, trying to understand all the little details – like in the orchestrations of the John Barry tunes. Thomas is an ideal partner for that, as he has a way of getting at all the inner parts.” Frisell has long been a prime exponent of the Americana repertoire in improvised music, a fascination he shares with Morgan. It was the bassist who suggested the Jerome Kern/Oscar Hammerstein composition “All in Fun” and the Drifters’ 1960 soul hit “Save the Last Dance for Me” (the latter of which includes an intro from the folk tune “Wildwood Flower,” a Frisell favorite). “Bill and I starting playing ‘All in Fun’ from our first set as a duo,” Morgan says. “It's originally from Very Warm for May, the same 1939 Broadway musical that included ‘All the Things You Are.’ The lyrics start by sounding callous, but then turn out to be heartfelt. The music matches the words, with a sharp ninth scale degree in the opening phrase that’s resolved to the major third by the end. So much warmth comes through Bill’s sound that he just seems perfect for the song. The Drifters’ record of ‘Save the Last Dance for Me’ is a classic. It’s amazing that the song only uses the three most common chords, but the melody is full of suspensions that feel natural and melodic while they’re making the harmonies richer. Maybe that’s also why it feels good to accompany it in a simple way. That and the fact that Bill is right there keeping the rhythm going and playing the melody with the nuances of a singer.” When it comes to Americana tunes – like the traditional folk song “Red River Valley,” also featured on Epistrophy – Frisell was initiated into their possibilities as jazz repertoire by Sonny Rollins. “Sonny was a beacon, playing a tune like ‘I’m an Old Cowhand’ – which he probably heard in a movie when he was a kid – with respect and affection,” the guitarist says. “One of the first jazz LPs I ever bought was his Way Out West, and it was like a light turning on for me. Later, I got into Gary Burton’s band with Larry Coryell, and they played Bob Dylan and country tunes. The musicians I’m drawn to most are those who don’t have some over-simplified hierarchy of musical worth where a folk song doesn’t have the same value as something more complicated. There can be a real depth to that music.” Two other tracks on Epistrophy come from the realm of late-night, lonely-heart ballads: Billy Strayhorn’s iconic “Lush Life” and the signature Frank Sinatra number “In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning.” Frisell recalls the Sinatra song as something else that he didn’t appreciate fully when he was younger. “A record like that would’ve seemed as if it belonged to my parents’ generation, but then I’d read where Miles Davis dug Sinatra’s phrasing on that and it’s like, ‘Oh, I have to check this out,’ with the beauty of it finally revealing itself to me. But when it comes to a song like ‘Lush Life,’ that’s something I’ve tried to play for years and years – it can be intimidating, the legacy of it. It’s heavy, whether you hear the recording of Strayhorn singing it himself in a bar or you listen to the famous Johnny Hartman and John Coltrane record. Again, it has just been a process of trying to get to the essence of the song, to play what he really wrote.” The heart of Epistrophy belongs to Thelonious Monk, with the title track and the ballad “Pannonica,” tunes Frisell calls “magical.” The cover painting – by the late Charles Cajori, part of the second generation of Abstract Expressionists – is also titled Epistrophy. Cajori was a friend of Frisell’s parents, a hip, jazz-inspired figure who, whenever he visited Denver, would tell a wide-eyed Frisell about seeing the likes of Miles and Monk at the Vanguard. “He talked with me like an adult, even though I was just a little boy in Colorado,” the guitarist recalls. “What he said stuck with me. Decades later, I looked him up – he was teaching at the New York Studio School. I wrote him a letter telling him how much those conversations meant to me. We got together and became close in his later years, and we talked about him being friends with Morton Feldman and seeing Monk with Coltrane at the Five Spot, all that great stuff again. That’s when he told me about this painting he had done called Epistrophy. It means a lot to me that we could use it on the cover of this album.”

Artist Title Time Gav Brown ARTIST'S DREAM 04:23 Gav Brown SEND IN THE CLOWNS 03:31 Gav Brown LIGHTFORCE 03:46 Gav Brown LIBBY 03:25 Gav Brown PETER PAN 04:05 Gav Brown GREATEST PLAYER 04:31 Gav Brown TAKE CARE OF ME 04:44 Gav Brown LAST DANCE 03:56 Gav Brown BE TOGETHER 03:37 Gav Brown SONGBIRD 03:14 Gav Brown "Sound Circus" Check out Gav Brown’s “Sound Circus”! • Over 1.3 million Youtube views! • All tracks off the Sound Circus album have Australian radio airplay! • Popular single “PETER PAN” entered the Tasmanian Country Chart in Australia at #33 on 5/1/2019 - currently #15 on 2/2/2019."! • Charting on Play MPE! More information www.gavbrown.com.au www.gavbrown.bandcamp.com A regular on the live music scene in Perth, West Australia, Gav Brown has performed his soul-fuelled mix of country-rock, folk and pop around Australia, New Zealand, United States of America, Hong Kong and Singapore. A singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, Gavin uses guitar, banjo, piano, harmonica, mandolin, cigar-box guitar and ukulele to craft honest uplifting music that captures the spirit of a traveller. Brown has a passion for music which is clear in his songwriting. His influences include George Gershwin, Bruce Springsteen, Sting, James Taylor, Carlos Santana and John Mayer and he has been compared to Tom Waits, Joe Cocker, The Pogues and Dave Alvin. Gav has been in Perth's Crank studio recording his debut album 'Sound Circus' just released in 2018. Working with the talented producer Charlie Young, the album features a star-studded lineup of musicians including Kristian Borring, Lee Buddle, Lucky Oceans, Ian Simpson, Genevieve Wilkins, Chris Reeve, Ric Eastman, Ashley Brooke, Roy Martinez, Kaitlyn Keegan, Sheridan Drury and Steve Kelly. "I feel blessed to have them playing on the album, they really assisted in bringing the songs to life."

Artist Title Time Allison Miller's Boom Tic Boom Congratulations and Condolences 06:08 Allison Miller's Boom Tic Boom The Ride 07:54 Allison Miller's Boom Tic Boom Malaga 07:24 Allison Miller's Boom Tic Boom The Phoenix 05:29 Allison Miller's Boom Tic Boom Daughter and Sun 05:49 Allison Miller's Boom Tic Boom White Wolf 07:09 Allison Miller's Boom Tic Boom Welcome Hotel 06:40 Allison Miller's Boom Tic Boom Vine and Vein 02:40 Allison Miller's Boom Tic Boom Glitter Wolf 06:11 Allison Miller's Boom Tic Boom Valley of the Giant 03:49 ALLISON MILLER'S BOOM TIC BOOM Glitter Wolf IMPACTING FEBRUARY 11, 2019 Featuring Allison Miller, Myra Melford, Jenny Scheinman, Kirk Knuffke, Ben Goldberg & Todd Sickafoose Over the past ten years, Allison Miller's Boom Tic Boom has established itself as one of the most consistently inventive and hardest working bands in modern jazz. Fronted by the extraordinary drummer and composer Allison Miller and featuring violinist Jenny Scheinman, cornetist Kirk Knuffke, clarinetist Ben Goldberg, bassist Todd Sickafoose and pianist Myra Melford, the sextet has been embraced by both fans and music cognoscenti alike, regularly performing sold out shows and garnering critical praise around the world. The Wall Street Journal declared, "Boom Tic Boom has a razor-sharp precision that recalls classic drummer-led ensembles of 50 years ago—the music of Art Blakey, Art Taylor and Max Roach come to mind—but Ms. Miller’s band works from a diverse sonic palette that is unmistakably contemporary." Indeed, Allison Miller's Boom Tic Boom's new studio album 'Glitter Wolf' is defined by the drummer's vision as a bandleader. With an unflinching devotion to progressive movement, the recording's cinematic arrangements are reflective of organized chaos and an urgency to always move the music forward, while interspersing moments of introspection and sheer beauty. Produced by Julie Wolf (Ani DiFranco, Carly Simon), Boom Tic Boom hit the studio for the 'Glitter Wolf' sessions at the famed Fantasy Studios in Berkeley, CA following a two-year stint of extensive international touring. Tracks like "Congratulations and Condolences," "Daughter and Sun" and "Valley of the Giants" are riveting and not easily categorized by genre as they commandeer spontaneous grooves and melodically rich compositions with a raw, but refined energy. On a spiritual level, 'Glitter Wolf' was inspired by the collective need for community and self-acceptance in an incredibly unpredictable time. The music shimmers with the spirit of empowering actions such as the #MeToo Movement and Black Lives Matter, while the dichotomy between suspect governmental policies inspiring rightful protests; embracing the varying degrees of the feminine and masculine from within or living a fulfilled yet challenging life are reflected back in musical juxtapositions of space versus density. Miller’s trenchant writing and Boom Tic Boom's soaring performances results in record that speaks directly to the zeitgeist of the moment. Tour Dates 2/22 - Chicago, IL - Green Mill 2/23 - Chicago, IL - Green Mill 2/26 - New York, NY - Dizzy's Club Coca Cola 2/28 - Baltimore, MD - An Die Muzik 3/21 - Oslo, NO - Nasjonal Jazzscene 3/22 - Amsterdam, NL - Bimhuis 3/26 - München, DE - Unterfahrt Jazzclub 3/28 - Friedrichshafen, DE - Venue TBD 3/29 - Duisburg, DE - Intermezzo-Konzerte-Lutherkirche Duisburg 3/31 - San Sebastian, Spain - Venue TBD 6/30 - Saratoga Springs, NY - Saratoga Jazz Festival 9/6-8 - Stowe, VT - Stowe Jazz Festival 9/26-28 - Monterey, CA - Monterey Jazz Festival 11/2-3 - Stanford, CA - Stanford University 11/9-10 - Oberlin, OH - Venue TBD

Interested in '80s pop hits? Here are three boxes of 3 CDs each, going for only 5.00 GBP each. 1980-1983 https://www.amazon.co.uk/Sounds-80s-Dont-Want-1980-1983/dp/B07M8KG62R/ ***** 1984-1986 https://www.amazon.co.uk/Sounds-Like-Record-Baby-1984-1986/dp/B07M8KGQDG/ ***** 1987-1989 https://www.amazon.co.uk/Sounds-Think-Were-Alone-1987-1989/dp/B07M5CY381/