GA Russell

After 28 years, Carm Carteri is out as the Riders' radio analyst. He will be replaced by Luc Mullinder. http://3downnation.com/2017/05/22/28-years-carm-carteri-riders-radio-colour-commentator/#comments http://3downnation.com/2017/05/22/carteri-chris-jones-seems-controlling-everything/#comments

1st Annual LuluFest In Austin, Texas To Be Presented Saturday, June 3 By Ritenuto Foundations, Inc. In Collaboration with The St. Edward's University Music Department & Festival Founder/Artistic Director Peggy Stern Women Bandleaders, Including Helen Sung, Ingrid Jensen, Albanie Falletta, Susanna Sharpe, & Peggy Stern, Are the Focus of LuluFest May 22, 2017 Pianist/composer Peggy Stern is passionate about creating opportunities for women bandleaders to present their music. In 2004, she founded the Wall Street Jazz Festival, which was held for 12 consecutive years in Kingston, New York, for exactly that purpose. After relocating to Austin, Texas in the spring of 2013, Stern was inspired to continue the festival's concept in Austin's forward-thinking community. Her new brainchild, the first annual LuluFest, is a women-led band festival that will premiere on Saturday, June 3, with concerts from 5 to 10pm and workshops scheduled throughout the day. The festival, presented by Ritenuto Foundation, Inc., in collaboration with the St. Edward's University Music Department and founder/artistic director Peggy Stern, will feature a broad spectrum of music -- from jazz to Western swing to Latin and Brazilian. The concert series will be held on Saturday, June 3, from 5:00 to 10:00 pm, at the Jones Auditorium in the Ragsdale Center at St. Edward's University, 3001 S. Congress Avenue, Austin. The focus of LuluFest will be women bandleaders, both seasoned and up-and-coming, who have committed their lives to music. "These festivals are my attempt to even things out, between men and women bandleaders," says Stern. "Obviously we have a long way to go, but having women in charge of the music they are presenting helps to change the tone of the jazz culture, for future (and present) composers and leaders." The evening concert schedule is as follows: 5pm: Albanie Falletta Trio, featuring Masumi Jones 6pm: Susanna Sharpe Brazilian Quartet 7pm: Ingrid Jensen Quartet 8pm: Helen Sung Trio 9pm: Estrella Salsa, featuring Peggy Stern, Suzi Stern (no relation), Joey Colarusso, Ingrid Jensen, Daniel Durham, Mike Longoria Daytime workshops will be instrument specific: Piano (Helen Sung); Trumpet (Ingrid Jensen); Vocals (Suzi Stern); Drums (Masumi Jones). From 12 to 1:30pm, the workshops will take place in St. Edward's University's Carriage House, and from 2 to 3:30pm, a master class will be held in the Jones Auditorium. Workshop passes can be bought separately at $30 for adults and $15 for students, or interested musicians can buy a festival pass for $50 that grant access to both the workshops and concerts. More information about the artists, the concept of the Festival, and fees and directions can be found at lulu-fest.com. This project is supported in part by the Cultural Arts Division of the City of Austin Economic Development Department. Pianist/composer and native Philadelphian Peggy Stern lived, worked, and taught in New York, Boston, San Francisco, and Seattle, and toured widely throughout Europe, the U.S., Canada, Australia, and Japan, before relocating to Austin in 2013. Her music has a particularly broad ethnic base -- in addition to European and American classical music, it draws from Brazilian, African, Jewish, Irish, Cuban, and traditional jazz influences. Joining the vibrant music scene in her new home city, she intends to create a new (for her) musical genre, which she calls Cowboy Jazz. Peggy has recorded and/or toured with such musicians as Lee Konitz, Diane Schuur, David "Fathead" Newman, Gary Peacock, Gene Bertoncini, Bud Shank, Thomas Chapin, Machito, Gerry Mulligan, and Emily Remler, to name a few. Among the many women bandleaders whom she booked to appear at her Wall Street Jazz Festival were Sheila Jordan, Ingrid Jensen, Christine Jensen, Jay Clayton, Dena DeRose, Su Terry, Claire Daly, Jamie Baum, Teri Roiger, Roberta Piket, Virginia Mayhew, Laura Dubin, Sheryl Bailey, Allison Miller, Marilyn Crispell, Jenny Scheinman, Natalie Cressman, and her own Estrella Salsa. Peggy Stern's most recent recording is Z Octet (2016, Estrella Productions). "It has been 16 years since Peggy Stern last applied her piano, composing and arranging talents to a mid-sized ensemble. Z Octet was worth waiting for . . . . Stern's writing weaves piano, clarinet, cello, trombone, flute, bass and drums into rich and often surprising textures. . . . The CD ends with an unlisted bonus track that makes enchanting use of cello, trombone and flute. The whole album is a bonus." -- Doug Ramsey, Rifftides "This is Duke Ellington's brilliance, Maria Schneider's local color, and Miles Davis' diamond hard seriousness all melded and tempered by a singular mind and talent into a cogent and familiar musical statement." -- C. Michael Bailey, All About Jazz "Peggy Stern has taken from her experiences playing in the bands of Eddie Henderson, Machito and Lee Konitz to weave a very special tapestry of indefinable music that bobs and weaves like a boxer named Ali." -- Mike Greenblatt, Classicalite "This is music possessed of great explosions, bristling rhythms, dynamic contrasts starkly illuminated, and with unrelenting dramatic thrust. It is a record to die for." -- Raul da Gama, Jazz da Gama Photography: Brenda Ladd Web Sites: peggystern.com, lulu-fest.com

Frank Sinatra - The Box Set Series - $10.22 prime or $5.25 + 3.99 https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00JKJ0XTA/

May 21, 1904 - Fats Waller born May 21, 1916 - Dennis Day born May 21, 1941 - Ron Isley born

May 21, 1955 - Chuck Berry records Maybelline.

Happy Birthday Chuck!

Does anyone remember the show Decoy with Beverly Garland? I don't, but I have seen references to it from time to time over the past twenty years. The complete series will be released May 30 for $11.53. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06Y18TNQ1/

Happy Birthday 2017 Larry!

Hbj, I don't see anything.

Laurie has released this 12:17 track from a concert in Australia. https://artpepper.bandcamp.com/track/almost-free-road-waltz-12-minutes

Let's look at recent news unrelated to the draft. Longtime CFL beat reporter Gary Lawless is leaving to join the NHL expansion team in Las Vegas. http://3downnation.com/2017/05/03/cfl-insider-gary-lawless-leaving-tsn/#comments ***** Shakir Bell has signed with the Redblacks. http://3downnation.com/2017/05/09/redblacks-sign-rb-shakir-bell/#comments https://www.cfl.ca/2017/05/11/redblacks-ink-running-back-bell/ http://www.tsn.ca/cfl/article/rb-bell-signs-one-year-deal-with-redblacks-1.748929 ***** This year's Grey Cup is almost sold out. http://3downnation.com/2017/05/10/toronto-debacle-ottawa-grey-cup-ticket-sales-going-strong/#comments https://www.cfl.ca/2017/05/10/105th-grey-cup-nearing-sellout-redblacks-announce/ http://www.tsn.ca/105th-grey-cup-nearing-sellout-redblacks-announce-1.747926 ***** The Lions have traded Mike Edem to the Riders. http://3downnation.com/2017/05/11/riders-acquire-canadian-safety-mike-edem-b-c-lions/#comments http://3downnation.com/2017/05/11/b-c-lions-traded-mike-edem/#comments https://www.cfl.ca/2017/05/11/riders-acquire-safety-mike-edem-trade-lions/ http://www.tsn.ca/riders-acquire-canadian-s-edem-from-lions-1.749087 ***** Karl Lavoie has retired. http://3downnation.com/2017/05/11/beleaguered-stamps-offensive-line-suffers-another-blow/#comments ***** Arland Bruce lost his appeal in his concussion lawsuit against the league, so he will appeal to the BC Supreme Court. http://3downnation.com/2017/05/12/arland-bruce-loses-appeal-concussion-lawsuit-cfl/#comments http://3downnation.com/2017/05/13/bruces-lawyer-plans-take-concussion-case-supreme-court/#comments https://www.cfl.ca/2017/05/12/cfl-releases-statement-court-decision-involving-arland-bruce/ ***** Tori Gurley has signed with the Redblacks. https://www.cfl.ca/2017/05/04/redblacks-sign-former-argo-bomber-wr-tori-gurley/ http://www.tsn.ca/redblacks-sign-wide-receiver-gurley-1.743563 ***** Colin Kelly has signed with the Eskimos. http://www.tsn.ca/eskimos-sign-former-redblacks-rt-kelly-after-nfl-stint-1.746571 ***** This year Jason Maas will let OC Carson Walch do the Eskimos' play calling. http://www.tsn.ca/eskimos-head-coach-maas-giving-up-play-calling-duties-to-walch-1.748066 ***** Alex Bazzie has signed with Carolina. http://www.tsn.ca/former-lions-de-bazzie-signs-with-panthers-1.745548 ***** The Eskimos made a profit of C$1.4 million last year. http://www.tsn.ca/eskimos-post-16-profit-of-1-4-million-despite-being-crossover-playoff-team-1.747127

Aaron Parks piano, Ben Street double bass, Billy Hart drums For his second ECM album, Aaron Parks has convened a cross-generational trio featuring bassist Ben Street and drummer Billy Hart. The rhythm pair, which also teams in Hart’s hit quartet for ECM, blends fluidity and strength – what Parks calls “an oceanic” quality, producing waves of energy for the pianist to alternately ride and dive into. Find the Way has the aura of a piano-trio recording in the classic mold, from melody-rich opener “Adrift” to the closing title track, a cover of a romantic tune Parks grew to love on an LP by Rosemary Clooney and Nelson Riddle. Aaron Parks | Ben Street | Billy Hart CD Launch Concert June 16 - Smalls 183 W 10th St, New York, NY © 2017 ECM | ECM Records USA | 1755 Broadway, 3rd floor | New York NY 10011

ECM Aaron Parks Find the Way Aaron Parks: piano Ben Street: double-bass Billy Hart: drums U.S. Release date: June 2, 2017 ECM 2489 B0026548-02 UPC: 6025 478 1841 6 Aaron Parks / Ben Street / Billy Hart in concert June 16th at Smalls in NYC On his second ECM album– following the solo release Arborescence, which JazzTimes praised as “expansive, impressionistic… like a vision quest” – pianist Aaron Parks leads a cross-generational trio featuring Ben Street and Billy Hart. The bassist and drummer blend fluidity and strength and what Parks calls “an oceanic” quality, producing waves of energy for the pianist to alternately ride and dive into. Find the Way has the aura of a piano-trio recording in the classic mold, from melody-rich opener “Adrift” to the closing title track, a cover of a romantic tune Parks grew to love on an LP by Rosemary Clooney and Nelson Riddle. Parks also drew inspiration for this album from the likes of Alice Coltrane and Shirley Horn (for whom Hart played); space and subtlety are a priority, with the pianist aiming to allow “the music to breathe.” Parks recorded Find the Way with Street and Hart at the La Buissonne studio in the South of France, the trio working closely with producer Manfred Eicher. The pianist had previously played with Street in guitarist Kurt Rosenwinkel’s band, and Parks was a longtime admirer of Hart, “from his days backing Shirley Horn to when he played with Herbie Hancock’s funky Mwandishi group to the Quest band with Dave Liebman to the Billy Hart Quartet on ECM, with Ethan Iverson, Mark Turner and Ben. I listened a lot to that quartet, really digging how he interacted with Ben “Ben and Billy have such a clear sense of where the ‘center’ is that they don’t even need to play it, just allude to it. But their playing has a centrifugal force – it’s like a whirlpool. Billy, in particular, has this special authority when he plays, this vital presence – and it makes you rise to the level of that engagement. He also has this subtle, poetic quality from his time playing with singers. He really is a poet of the drums.” The trio plays the music of Find the Way with special elasticity, a push and pull between high lyricism and kinetic energy. Parks is particularly pleased with “Melquíades” (named for a character in Gabriel García Márquez’s One Hundred Years of Solitude). “That piece has a classic ECM feel to me,” Parks says, “and Billy just breathes the music, with its constantly shifting time signature.” Parks conceived “Hold Music” as a miniature drum concerto especially for Hart but the pianist sprung “Unravel” on the drummer in the studio. “Ben and I had played the song before - it has this complicated 13/8 time signature, and even though Billy had never seen it on the page, he just started reacting when Ben and I started playing it – doing so with such individual color and vibrancy.” Another highlight is “Alice,” which Parks initially patterned along the lines of an Alice Coltrane number like “Ptah the El Daoud.” He says: “It was a swinging tune with a cross rhythm in the piano figure, but it ended up opening out once we got through the melody, becoming something a bit more mysterious.” A key influence throughout Find the Way is vocalist Shirley Horn, who was also a distinctive pianist. “Shirley, when she took her solos, would leave notes hanging in the air, teasing with duration,” Parks says. “There was a sense with her piano playing of not needing to prove anything, but of a desire to let the music breathe. I think I’ve become more patient as my own playing has evolved, with my touch more resonant. I don’t feel as much of a need to grab the lead, to fill space. I feel free to let a note ring out and hang in the air, to hear what the sound does as it decays, to allow the pedal to work its magic.” *** Aaron Parks was born in California in 1983 and raised in Seattle. By age 15, he was already attending the University of Washington with a triple-major in math, computer science and music; three years later, he was the champion Cole Porter Fellow of the American Pianists Association. Parks has recorded in the quartet collective James Farm with saxophonist Joshua Redman, as well as contributed to albums by trumpeters Terence Blanchard, Ambrose Akinmusire, Christian Scott and Philip Dizack guitarists Kurt Rosenwinkel and Mike Moreno, vocalist Gretchen Parlato and drummer Kendrick Scott, among others. For ECM, the pianist appeared on South Korean singer Yeahwon Shin’s label debut, Lua Ya. The Guardian pointed out that the pianist’s “melodic sense is acute and original, his narratives and harmonies varied, and his pacing subtle,” adding that “Arborescence has a low-lights feel, but its musicality and lyricism glow brightly.” ECM Ferenc Snétberger Titok Ferenc Snétberger: guitar Anders Jormin: double bass Joey Baron: drums U.S. Release date: June 2, 2017 ECM 2468 B0026549-02 UPC: 6025 574 0670 2 Hungarian guitarist Ferenc Snétberger leads a trio with Swedish bassist Anders Jormin and US drummer Joey Baron in this warm and involving recording, produced by Manfred Eicher in Oslo, and intensely melodic improvisation draws the listener gently into its sound-world. The gracefully flowing guitar (Snétberger has a way of making even complex phrases seem effortless), the enveloping rhythmic undertow, and the highly creative playing from all participants captivate throughout Titok. There is soloistic brilliance here and high-level interplay, and the music takes the time it needs to unfold, breathing very naturally. The compound sound of the trio, with Ferenc’s acoustic nylon-string guitar partnered by bass and drums, is special. Joey Baron shades and colors the music with great subtlety using brushes, sticks and hands, and the rapport between Snétberger and Jormin is evident from the outset, as both guitar and bass explore the contours of Ferenc’s compositions. “The dialogue here between classical guitar and Anders’s way of playing the bass seems to me unique,” observes Ferenc Snétberger. “Anders has a special ‘voicing’, a special way of entering into my music. And, together, he and Joey offer inspirations which are mirrored in my playing. Manfred’s participation was also inspiring – without his ideas, and his choice of pieces and the sequencing of them, the album could not have existed in this form.” The producer recommended Jormin and Baron for this project and the trio came together to play three concerts in Hungary before the session at Rainbow Studios, where spontaneity was the watchword. The album is framed by music freely created in the moment: the opening piece “Cou Cou”, the title track “Titok” and the three concluding pieces “Clown”, “Rush” and “Inference” are all improvised discoveries. The sense of searching and finding in the opening moments gives way to the clearly etched melody of “Kék Kerék”, a rather beautiful older melody of Ferenc’s. “Rambling” is the first of several pieces written for this trio, the writing leaving space for bass and drums to add their statements. The tenderly phrased “Fairytale” likewise invites Jormin to add countermelodies in the deep end. “Leolo”, dedicated to Ferenc and Angela Snétberger’s grandson Leo, begins with nursery rhyme melodic simplicity and develops into elegant chamber music, including a fine section with Jormin’s arco bass… Ferenc Snétberger’s thoroughly distinctive guitar style has been gradually shaped through the absorption and transformation of many influences. Born in 1957 into a very musical family, Ferenc had classical guitar lessons from age 13, and studied jazz guitar in Budapest. Based in Berlin from 1988, he began to harmonize the full range of his guitaristic interests, from Django Reinhardt and Roma music to Brazilian and other Latin American musics via US jazz and European classical tradition – from the baroque to contemporary composition. “Alom” on the present disc is an adaptation of an old theme referencing Roma music, while “Orange Tango” and “Renaissance” acknowledge their inspirational sources in their titles. Yet none of these pieces sounds “eclectic”, the diverse sources are integrated organically inside Snétberger’s music, and accessed readily through the guitar. (Throughout Titok, Ferenc plays a guitar hand-built to his specifications by the late German luthier Tom Launhardt.) Titok is the second ECM album by Ferenc Snétberger. It follows the critically-acclaimed In Concert, recorded at Budapest’s Franz Liszt Academy of Music (“A beautiful, assured performance” – All About Jazz). Anders Jormin and Joey Baron have appeared on many ECM records, but Titok marks the first time they have played together on a session for the label (they have periodically crossed paths in live contexts – playing for instance in trio with the late John Taylor). Jormin has made several albums as a leader for ECM, most recently Trees of Light, with singer and fiddler Lena Willemark and koto player Karin Nakagawa. His other discs include Xieyi, In winds, in light, and Ad Lucem. A long-time member of the Bobo Stenson Trio, he also appears on albums with Don Cherry, Charles Lloyd, Tomasz Stanko, Sinikka Langeland and others. Joey Baron has been John Abercrombie’s drummer of choice for two decades and appears on the Abercrombie Quartet’s newest release Up and Coming. Baron is also currently a member of the trios of Jakob Bro (album: Streams) and Gary Peacock (albums: Now This and the forthcoming Tangents, due this autumn). Plans for further Snétberger concerts with Jormin and Baron are currently being worked on. Meanwhile, Ferenc also fronts an admirable trio with British bassist Phil Donkin and New York-based Hungarian drummer Ferenc Németh, which recently brought some of the Titok repertoire to Europe’s clubs and concert halls. In October 2017 Ferenc Snétberger will tour in trio with Anders Jormin and Ferenc Németh.

The Yardbirds Story (4 CDs) - $18.84 prime https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000H8SEAI/

Exactly right.

Now that we have had two full days to digest the draft, here are various analyses: http://3downnation.com/2017/05/07/vandervoort-gone-ticats-go-get-beef/#comments http://3downnation.com/2017/05/08/lions-followed-script-cfl-draft/#comments http://3downnation.com/2017/05/08/breaking-bombers-2017-draft-picks/#comments http://3downnation.com/2017/05/08/another-unconventional-draft-gives-ticats-covet/#comments http://3downnation.com/2017/05/09/desjardins-sticks-formula-another-solid-draft/#comments http://3downnation.com/2017/05/09/riders-draft-leaves-plenty-questions/#comments http://3downnation.com/2017/05/09/new-argonaut-justin-herdman-feeling-slighted-cfl-draft-spot/#comments http://www.tsn.ca/bombers-gm-wasn-t-willing-to-gamble-on-gray-in-second-round-1.747078 http://www.tsn.ca/seven-players-from-carleton-ravens-selected-in-2017-cfl-draft-1.745998 http://www.tsn.ca/lions-draft-recap-receiver-set-to-explore-west-1.745700 http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatchewan/roughriders-cfl-draft-1.4104119 http://www.cbc.ca/sports/football/cfl/winnipeg-blue-bombers-cfl-draft-faith-ekakitie-1.4104020 http://www.cfl.ca/2017/05/09/dinos-db-ecstatic-get-call-hometown-stamps/ http://www.cfl.ca/2017/05/08/next-step-taken-prospects-celebrate-hear-name-called-draft-day/

Alan Price Set - Twice the Price - $13.99 prime (complete Decca 1965-69, 3 CDs) https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06XHGMPWL/

Vienna's JAM MUSIC LAB Dedicated Solely to Jazz and Pop Music Announces UNIVERSITY STATUS Jam Music Lab - Private University for Jazz and Popular Music Offering Specialized Studies in Jazz, Popular Music, Music Production, Music Pedagogy and More First Bachelor & Master Studies Start in September 2017 Auditions in June 2017 Jam Music Lab University Announces "SPHERES OF A GENIUS" 100 Years of Thelonious Monk A Jazz Composition Competition by JMLU in Cooperation with The Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra Call For Scores - Deadline June 1, 2017 Winning Work Premieres at Gala in Famous Golden Hall, Vienna, July 7, 2018 For Details: http://www.spheresofagenius.com ABOUT THE JAM MUSIC LAB UNIVERSITY Vienna, May 9, 2017 - Located in one of Europe's most beautiful and historically important cities, with a vast music tradition and high living standard, Jam Music Lab is excited to announce the accreditation of its University status. The University specializes in jazz and popular music, offering its students practical experiences in professional environments while upholding the academic process. An internal agency provides appropriate work opportunities while ensuring educational guidance. This way students will be carefully introduced to the realities of work life. Situated in the 11th district of Simmering, an urban and culturally diverse part of Vienna, Austria, the Jam Music Lab University is housed at an architectural landmark in the Gasometer. There are four former storage tanks called Gasometers that were built in 1899 as the monarchy's major energy provider. Vienna undertook a remodelling and revitalization of the protected monuments with well-known architects. Gasometer B, C and D, called Gasometer Music City, house a university campus with over 11,000 m2. Besides the Jam Music Lab University itself, this includes a music hall (capacity of 2000-3000), music retailers, a student dormitory and other music-related institutions for various ages offering pedagogical collaborations for students. Gasometer Music City has its own subway station. Vienna's center is only a short ride away. The following bachelor (4 yrs) and master's degrees (2 yrs) can be obtained: Bachelor / Master of Arts in Music Bachelor / Master of Arts in Music Education The focus lies on the following branches: Music Performance aims at instrumental, vocal, compositional and musical proficiency at a high level. Music Pedagogy provides insights to the methods and principles of music instruction. Media Music teaches film scoring, and music production for film, theatre, commercial production and video games. The JMLU faculty consists of international, first-rate professors, who have worked extensively in their fields of expertise. Among them, Grammy-award winning musicians and producers. JMLU understands the importance of teaching music business helping students to become efficient in building and promoting their own careers. In addition, the institute hosts workshops, panels and master classes on a regular basis to present international authorities from all over the world. The concert venues and stages throughout the city of Vienna offer everything from classical to jazz and progressive sounds. Jazz clubs, concert venues, music halls and several orchestras call Vienna their home. Marcus Ratka, JMLU's director, explains: "We are located in the city of music. Vienna's high culture is of major importance to people's daily lives. Artists and musicians are well regarded, and a healthy music scene creates work by demand. We aim to equip our students, so they can live well." The University utilizes a tight network and collaborates with venues, club owners, orchestras and festivals, among them the acclaimed JAZZFEST Wien. Professors and students are continually invited to perform and to demonstrate their skills. Courses are being held in German and English. Skills in both languages are desirable. First Bachelor & Master Studies start in September 2017. Auditions are scheduled for June 21, 22, 23, 2017. For further information, please go to www.jammusiclab.com ABOUT SPHERES OF A GENIUS: 100 YEARS OF THELONIOUS MONK Vienna, May 9, 2017 - To honor the centennial of the great American jazz pianist and composer, Thelonious Monk "Spheres of a Genius," a high-end composition competition was created. Marcus Ratka, the organizer, says about his influence, "To me Monk´s music has opened doors to new rooms of sounds, structures and ways of creating music. He raised my awareness for the charming beauty of dissonance and the contradictions in the arts." The competition will feature the world-famous Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra. There will be three finalists. The winning composition will be premiered by the Orchestra with Jazz soloists in a gala at the historic Golden Hall on June 7, 2018. The concert will be broadcasted as part of the Ö1 radio program. In addition, the winner receives € 5.000! Second prize is € 3.000, third prize takes € 2.000 home. Historic Golden Hall The Jury will consist of representatives of the Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra, Jam Music Lab University and international music experts. The contest aims to create music that will reflect the spirit of Thelonious Monk from a contemporary perspective; to provoke inspiration for further innovation, originality and musical communication in contemporary jazz. The composition is intended to offer a demanding and an up-to-date platform for the exploration of exciting interrelationships of jazz in its composed, as well as improvised forms. The "Sounds" and "Spheres" in the unmistakable musical innovations of Monk, are very much prevalent in the possibilities that composed music offers us, especially when a large-scale composition calls for the orchestra to interact with jazz idioms and jazz musicians. Deadline for submissions is June 1, 2017. For all details, contact info and submission procedures, please go directly to: ENG - http://www.jammusiclab.at/upload/monk/call-for-scores--spheres-of-a-genius--monk-2017--en.pdf GER - http://www.jammusiclab.at/upload/monk/ausschreibung--spheres-of-a-genius--monk-2017--de.pdf

ECM Roscoe Mitchell - Bells for the South Side Release date: June 30, 2017 Roscoe Mitchell: sopranino, soprano, alto and bass saxophones, flute, piccolo, bass recorder, percussion James Fei: sopranino and alto saxophones, contra-alto clarinet, electronicsHugh Ragin: trumpet, piccolo trumpet Tyshawn Sorey: trombone, piano, drums, percussion Craig Taborn: piano, organ, electronics Jaribu Shahid: double bass, bass guitar, percussion Tani Tabbal: drums, percussion Kikanju Baku: drums, percussion William Winant: percussion, tubular bells, glockenspiel, vibraphone, marimba, roto toms, cymbals, bass drum, woodblocks, timpani

AS PART OF THE DIGITAL INCUNABULA SERIES M.O.D. TECHNOLOGIES Presents INAUGURAL SOUND CLASH AVAILABLE ONLINE MAY 19, 2017 AND VIA WWW.MOD-TECHNOLOGIES.COM Raoul Björkenheim Guitar Mike Sopko Guitar Dominic James Guitar Bill Laswell Bass Hideo Yamaki Drums New York, May 8, 2017 - M.O.D. Technologies presents their Inaugural Sound Clash (For the 2 Americas) as a special one time only music encounter. Three guitarists, bass and drums, fire brand guitarist Raoul Björkenheim from Finland, versatile guitarist Dominic James, based in upstate NYC, band leader for Angélique Kidjo, has also worked with Shakira, Paul Simon and many others. Mike Sopko, arriving from Cleveland, a new cutting edge artist. Japanese master drummer, Hideo Yamaki, collides once again with ikonoklast bassist Bill Laswell. Recorded at John Zorn's music space, The Stone, Jan 20, 2017. Nothing is True, Everything is Permitted. TRACK Against the Empire of Alternative Facts (56:35) Recorded by Hiroyuki Sanada & Fuso Murase at The Stone, NYC on January 20th, 2017. Edited, mixed & mastered at Orange Music, West Orange, NJ. Engineering: James Dellatacoma.

The draft is now complete. You can read Justin Dunk's brief description of every player here: http://3downnation.com/2017/05/07/cfl-draft-live-blog/#comments As he says, a player who received a great deal of press coverage, Johnny Augustine, was not picked.

It's time for the draft! You can follow it here: http://www.cfl.ca http://3downnation.com/2017/05/07/cfl-draft-live-blog/#comments And try #CFL on Twitter.

The Brett Gold New York Jazz Orchestra Debuts with "Dreaming Big," Due June 16 from GoldFox Records & Featuring the Compositions & Arrangements of Brett Gold BMI Jazz Composers Workshop Alumnus Breaks New Stylistic Ground With Post-Modernist Approach to Big Band Jazz That Expands the Legacy of Gil Evans, Bill Holman, Don Ellis, & Others May 4, 2017 The June 16th release of Dreaming Big (GoldFox Records), which marks the recording debut of the Brett Gold New York Jazz Orchestra and features the compositions of Brett Gold, illuminates a most intriguing jazz odyssey. A star trombonist in high school in his native Baltimore, Gold was steered away from a music career by his parents as well as his trombone teacher, of all people. Gold became an attorney and went on to achieve formidable success in the field of international and corporate tax law. But 25 years into his legal career, Gold changed course and reestablished contact with his musical muse. Dreaming Big is remarkable not only for its very existence but also for the striking sounds it offers. A tour de force, the music ranges from 12-tone melodies to playful Monkisms to a stirring political statement. While the album introduces one of jazz's most challenging new instrumental voices, at the same time its warmth, humor, and accessibility convey an easy sophistication one would associate with an artist of far greater experience. Gold enlisted first-call players from New York's jazz, studio, and Broadway scenes to produce the recording, including saxophonists Charles Pillow and Tim Ries, trumpeter Scott Wendholt, trombonist John Allred, bassist Phil Palombi, and drummer Scott Neumann. Many jazz composers and arrangers, including Gold, cite Gil Evans and Bill Holman as influences. But Gold's affinity for the odd time-signature music of the late Don Ellis is reflected in a number of pieces on the CD. Among the compositions on Dreaming Big, the Middle Eastern-themed "Al-Andalus" (featuring a virtuosic turn by trumpeter Jon Owens) is partly in 11/4 and partly in 5/4. "That Latin Tinge" is a 7/4 mambo, not the usual time signature for a salsa piece. Even the fairly straightforward "Stella's Waltz" can trip someone up with its occasional judiciously placed bar of 5/4. And then there's "Nakba," the powerful 11-minute finale, which was composed partly with Gold's Moroccan sister-in-law in mind. The song is named after the Arabic word for "catastrophe," used by the Palestinians to describe the Arab-Israeli War of 1948. Featuring Ries on soprano saxophone, it traces the tragic history of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. "I found out that you can stop playing music, but it's still there circulating in your head," Gold says of the years when he was not involved in music full-time. After finishing high school a year early, he attended the University of Rochester as a double major in history and film studies (Magna Cum Laude and Phi Beta Kappa) and continued his music studies at the Eastman School of Music where he played with one of its nationally recognized jazz ensembles. But he soon placed his jazz activities on the back burner, earning a J.D. from Columbia University Law School (1980) and an LL.M in tax law from New York University Law School (1983). When Gold returned to jazz, he had no problem coming up with ideas for compositions -- his brain was full of them -- but his sabbatical from music left him unprepared to execute those ideas both on paper and on his horn, which he hadn't touched in 10 years. He first sketched his pieces out and hired professional musicians to record demo-like CDs of them. Then, studying privately with distinguished teachers like Pete McGuinness, Neal Kirkwood, and David Berger, he learned how to write complex compositions for big band. Eventually, in 2007, Gold was accepted into the esteemed BMI Jazz Composers Workshop, under the direction of Mike Abene, Jim McNeely, and Mike Holober. During his tenure there, he developed a book of more than two dozen arrangements, of which 11 of the best appear on Dreaming Big. "As a member of BMI, I was pushed to write longer, more abstract orchestral pieces, something I resisted," he says. "Instead, I looked to the way Duke Ellington wrote for his band -- his best pieces were seldom more than three to five minutes long. I also admired his idea of writing for individual members of the band." Over the years, Gold has absorbed and strongly personalized any number of influences, some more than just musical. A study in diminished chords featuring clarinets and flutes, "Theme from an Unfinished Film" reveals his debt to what he calls the "internalized lyricism" of movie composers such as Bernard Herrmann, David Raksin, and Ennio Morricone. The genesis of "Exit, Pursued by a Bear (Slow Drag Blues)" was Shakespeare's most famous stage direction. And "Al-Andalus" was originally inspired by the hopes raised by the Arab Spring. Gold does not play in the trombone section on Dreaming Big. "I actually function a lot better in a dark room writing music," he says. The roles he plays on the new album are those of composer, arranger, producer -- and big dreamer. Photography: Lily Edelman-Gold Web Site: www.brettgoldnyjo.com

Louis Sclavis clarinets | Dominique Pifarély violin | Vincent Courtois violoncello Asian Fields Variations marks the first time that clarinettist Louis Sclavis, violinist Dominique Pifarély and cellist Vincent Courtois have recorded as a trio. Sclavis summoned the project into existence, but this is a democratic group of creative equals: “I proposed that we make a real collective, and each of us composes for the program.” For a ‘new’ group, it has a lot of pre-history: Sclavis and Pifarély have played together in diverse contexts for 35 years, Sclavis and Courtois for 20 years, but they retain the capacity to surprise each other as improvisers. “We’re drawing also on a lot of different playing experiences, and we’re continually bringing new things to the project. We keep going deeper.” Ferenc Snétberger guitar | Anders Jormin double bass | Joey Baron drums Hungarian guitarist Ferenc Snétberger made a lot of new friends with his ECM solo debut In Concert (“a beautiful, assured performance” – All About Jazz) and will make many more with Titok, which features his trio with Swedish bassist Anders Jormin and US drummer Joey Baron. It’s a warm and involving album, with an emphasis on intensely melodic improvisation and interaction which draws the listener gently into its sound-world. The rapport between Snétberger and Jormin is evident from the outset, as both guitar and bass explore the contours of Ferenc’s compositions. Throughout, Joey Baron’s drums and cymbals provide shading and texture with restraint and subtlety. June Tabor voice | Iain Ballamy tenor & soprano saxophones | Huw Warren piano Folk and jazz and chamber music become one in Quercus’s world, where recontextualizing of material is part of the process, prompting listeners to pay heightened attention even to familiar songs. Nightfall opens with the most famous of farewells “Auld Lang Syne”, and gently breathes new life into it, leading us into a program that includes Bob Dylan’s “Don’t Think Twice”, the jazz standard “You Don’t Know What Love Is” and the West Side Story ballad “Somewhere”, as well as original compositions by Huw Warren and Iain Ballamy and songs from British folk tradition, in stark and moving new arrangements. © 2017 ECM | ECM Records USA | 1755 Broadway, 3rd floor | New York NY 10011 ECM For the second ECM album by Aaron Parks – following the solo releaseAborescence, which JazzTimes praised as “expansive, impressionistic… like a vision quest” – the prize-winning pianist has convened a cross-generational trio featuring bassist Ben Street and drummer Billy Hart. The rhythm pair, which also teams in Hart’s hit quartet for ECM, blends fluidity and strength – what Parks calls “an oceanic” quality, producing waves of energy for the pianist to alternately ride and dive into. Find the Way has the aura of a piano-trio recording in the classic mold, from melody-rich opener “Adrift” to the closing title track, a cover of a romantic tune Parks grew to love on an LP by Rosemary Clooney and Nelson Riddle. Always concerned with balancing the masculine and feminine impulses in music, Parks also drew inspiration for this album from the likes of Alice Coltrane and Shirley Horn (for whom Hart played); space and subtlety are a priority, with the pianist aiming to allow “the music to breathe and be.”