GA Russell

#2 @NACC #32 @JazzWeek MOODY JAMES MOODY - 80 YEARS YOUNG format: Jazz Recording of James Moody's 80th birthday concert (March 25, 2005) at NYC's Blue Note Jazz Club James Moody: Sax, Flute, Vocals David Hazeltine: Piano: Todd Coolman: Bass Adam Nussbaum: Drums Jon Faddis: Trumpet Paquito D’Rivera: Clarinet, Alto Sax Slide Hampton: Trombone Randy Brecker: Trumpet Cedar Walton Piano (9) George Wein: Master of Ceremonies "The album captures both a March 2005 birthday party and a victory lap for Moody as he fronts a stellar and rotating cast of musicians that includes trombonist Slide Hampton, pianist Cedar Walton and alto saxophonist and clarinetist Paquito D'Rivera. The vibes are as relaxed as they are humorous as Moody digs into his musical treasure chest and recontextualizes his signature vocal number "Moody's Mood For Love" for the hip-hop generation ... The zigzagging "Bebop" and "Birks' Works" are two examples among many on the album of Moody as a force to be reckoned with as a thrilling saxophonist and flutist." JOHN MURPH - DOWNBEAT INTRODUCING JAMES MOODY - :18 BENNY'S FROM HEAVEN - 10:57 CHEROKEE- 7:53 MOODY'S MOOD FOR LOVE - THE TV RAP 4:32 MOODY SPEAKS -:52 BIRK'S WORKS - 13:44 BEBOP - 13:55 HAPPY BIRTHDAY - :31 OW- 9:04 CENTERPIECE - 8:54 DARBEN, THE REDD FOXX - 8:03 POLKA DOTS & MOONBEAMS - 5:13 ST. THOMAS- 7:03 James Moody (1925– 2010) was an American jazz saxophone and flute player and occasional vocalist, playing predominantly in the bebop and hard bop styles. Moody was an international jazz star since 1949. He was born in Savannah, Georgia, and was raised by his single Mother in Newark, New Jersey. He graduated from Arts High School and was drafted into the segregated US Army Air Corp. where he played in the "Negro" band and honed his skills. In 1949, in Stockholm Moody recorded his first album as a bandleader, "James Moody and His Modernists", which featured the iconic track "Moody's Mood for Love". The song has been covered by Amy Winehouse, Van Morrison, Take 6 and Queen Latifa, to name a few. In 2001 and has been inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. In the 1960’s, Moody became a member of The Dizzy Gillespie Quintet. The group’s performances and recordings are still considered to be some of the most important and influential in the history of jazz. In 1997, Moody had the pleasure of playing Mr. Glover in Clint Eastwood’s Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. In 1998, he received the NEA Jazz Master Award and in 2000 was presented with an Honorary Doctorate from the Berklee College of Music. Moody was a 4-time Grammy nominee and a recipient posthumously in 2011. Website: JamesMoody.com Label: OriginArts.com JAMES MOODY - "JAZZMASTER INTERVIEW"

This one is out now. Singer-Songwriter Ola Onabulé & Guitarist Nicolas Meier Present Proof of Life A unique project with two performers sharing a passion for culturally diverse musical expressions. AVAILABLE TODAY AND THROUGH WWW.OLASMUSIC.COM RELEASED ON RUGGED RAM RECORDS (CAT NO: RRAMCD016) WORLDWIDE DISTRIBUTION VIA ORCHARD/SONY Ola Onabulé - Vocals, Keyboard Nicolas Meier - Guitar, Glissentar Jakub Cywinski - Acoustic Bass Chris Nickolls - Drums Will Fry - Percussion

Saxophonist Ron Blake Streamlines & Simplifies His Musical Delivery with "SCRATCH Band," Due August 8 on 7Tēn33 Productions Album Introduces an Intimate Trio Collaboration With Reuben Rogers on Bass, John Hadfield on Drums, & An Immediacy Drawn from the Music of Blake's Virgin Islands Upbringing CD Release Show at Dizzy's, NYC; Wednesday, August 13   June 30, 2025 Ron Blake makes the case that less is more with the lean, uncluttered, direct sound of his SCRATCH Band, set for an August 8 release on his 7tēn33 Productions label. The debut of the tenor and baritone saxophonist’s eponymous ensemble is a more intimate affair than usual, placing Blake in a trio with bassist Reuben Rogers and drummer John Hadfield, and applying that folklike sonic reduction to the rhythmic and melodic sensibilities that surrounded Blake growing up in the U.S. Virgin Islands. (In another unusual turn, Blake is on baritone saxophone—nominally his secondary axe—than his primary tenor.) “There’s not a huge need to embellish with this music,” the leader says of his native quelbe music tradition. “It’s driven by the beauty of the melodies and good, danceable rhythms.” That philosophy stood Blake and SCRATCH Band well when they first convened to record in New York in the winter of 2021, during the pandemic, when quarantine and social distancing protocols were still in effect. Downscaled by necessity, the musicians duly focused on plainspoken, soulful tunes with immediate and obvious appeal, like “Bassman,” the calypso classic that wears its big dance groove right on the surface; the sensuous Cuban pseudo-lament “La Conga de Juana”; or the head-nodding island funk of “Appointment.” L. to r: Ron Blake, John Hadfield, Reuben Rogers. By no means, however, does the music on the album give the SCRATCH Band an easy way out. Groover though it is, the tenor-bass duet “Another Level” gives both Blake and Rogers a serious workout. Slow-burning closer “April’s Fool” is packed with tricky rhythmic nuances, and the elegant pair of “Body and Soul” and “Lift Every Voice and Sing” dare the musicians to find something new to say with two of the most covered songs in the canon. (They deliver handsomely on both fronts, Blake finding fresh sweetness on the former while Rogers and Hadfield tap into waves of grace and dignity on the Black National Anthem.) The secret to the simplicity of SCRATCH Band is that it gives its artists more room for discovery, not less. Ron Blake was born September 7, 1965 in the Santurce district of San Juan, Puerto Rico, and grew up in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands. Blake’s father was an architect who loved jazz and Latin music, and passed that passion down to the youngest of his four children. First trying his hand at guitar as an 8-year-old, Blake by 10 had settled on the saxophone, playing alto in the school band. By 14, he had come far enough on the instrument to attend Michigan’s famous Interlochen Arts Camp for three straight summers. His success in the Arts Camp led Blake to enroll at Interlochen’s Arts Academy, where he completed his last two years of high school before attending Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, then making the transition to the ever-fertile Chicago scene. Aside from a brief return to St. Thomas, Blake remained in Chicago until 1990, when he took a position at the University of South Florida; two years after that, he made his way to New York and found himself in the quintet of the young trumpet prodigy Roy Hargrove. He also worked with Art Farmer, Meshell Ndegeocello, and the multicultural ensemble Yerba Buena, as well as releasing his debut album as a leader, Up Front & Personal, in 2000. (He made three more albums in the 2000s for the Mack Avenue label.) In 2005, sitting in with Steve Turre one night at Smoke led to an audition for the bari chair at Saturday Night Live, where Blake has been ever since, taking home multiple Emmys in the process. In addition, Blake has earned three Grammys as a member of the Christian McBride Big Band; been a regular member of the Mingus Big Band and Love Rocks NYC House Band; taught for over 15 years at the Juilliard School; completed a master’s degree in jazz studies at NYU; founded the Caribbean Jazz Institute at the Snow Pond Center for the Arts in Sidney, Maine. Ron Blake SCRATCH Band, with Reuben Rogers and John Hadfield, appears at Dizzy’s, Jazz at Lincoln Center, NYC, on Wednesday 8/13, 9pm; and at Jimmy’s Jazz and Blues Club, Portsmouth, NH, Thursday 8/14, 7:30pm. Photography: Spencer Cole Porter    Ron Blake SCRATCH Band EPK   Ron Blake Website  

Bobby Sherman has died of cancer at 81. RIP. https://www.ntd.com/bobby-sherman-former-pop-star-and-teen-idol-dies-at-81_1075563.html

Happy Dominion Day! And so, after four weeks, the Riders and the Bombers remain undefeated; and the Elks are the only winless team. ***** Week 4 review https://3downnation.com/2025/07/01/3downnation-cfl-awards-the-best-and-worst-of-week-4-3/ ***** Week 5 picks https://www.cfl.ca/2025/07/01/prediction-time-cfl-ca-writers-week-5-picks-4/ https://www.cfl.ca/2025/07/01/weekly-predictor-who-wins-in-week-5/ ***** Alexander Hollins has signed with the Als. https://www.tsn.ca/cfl/montreal-alouettes-bring-in-former-all-cfl-wr-alexander-hollins-1.2329796 https://3downnation.com/2025/07/01/montreal-alouettes-sign-former-all-star-receiver-alexander-hollins-one-other/ *****

Toronto 29....Ottawa 16 Upset! Arbuckle vs. Crum. The Argos took an 18-0 lead, but the Redblacks kept plugging. The Argos' Derek Slywka ("Sloo-ka") had the game of his life. See the highlights. https://www.cfl.ca/2025/06/29/recap-toronto-29-ottawa-16/ https://www.cfl.ca/2025/06/29/argos-close-out-weekend-action-with-a-victory-over-redblacks/ https://www.tsn.ca/cfl/derek-slywka-lifts-toronto-argonauts-past-ottawa-redblacks-for-first-win-of-season-1.2329116 https://3downnation.com/2025/06/30/toronto-argonauts-take-big-step-forward-leave-room-for-improvement-in-first-victory-six-other-thoughts/ https://3downnation.com/2025/06/30/ottawa-redblacks-lose-by-a-slywka-11-other-thoughts-on-falling-to-the-argos/ https://cflnewshub.com/cfl-news/cfl-scores-today-toronto-argonauts-29-ottawa-redblacks-16-argos-dominate-with-special-teams-touchdowns/ https://www.cfl.ca/2025/06/29/3-stats-that-defined-torontos-week-4-win-over-ottawa/ ***** Plays of the Week https://www.cfl.ca/2025/06/30/cfl-plays-of-the-week-week-4-2025/ ***** Power Rankings https://www.cfl.ca/2025/06/30/amsoil-power-rankings-roughriders-back-on-top/ https://3downnation.com/2025/06/30/3downnation-cfl-power-rankings-montreal-alouettes-lose-their-grip-on-top-spot/ https://pifflespodcast.com/blog/2025-week-4-piffles-power-rankings/ https://cflnewshub.com/cfl-news/cfl-news-hub-power-rankings-the-aftermath-of-week-4/ ***** Week 4 reviews https://www.cfl.ca/2025/06/30/landrys-5-takeaways-from-westjet-canada-day-weekend/ https://www.cfl.ca/2025/06/30/5-pff-stats-that-stand-out-from-westjet-canada-day-weekend/

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The Commissioner's Global News interview was hiding in plain sight! https://globalnews.ca/news/11260715/cfl-business-model-commissioner-winnipeg/

Sask 37....BC 18 It was Maier vs. Masoli. BC had some success with the hurry-up offense, so maybe we will see other teams try that against the Riders. https://www.cfl.ca/2025/06/28/recap-saskatchewan-37-bc-18/ https://www.cfl.ca/2025/06/28/a-j-ouellettes-100-yard-game-powers-riders-over-lions/ https://www.tsn.ca/cfl/jake-maier-leads-unbeaten-saskatchewan-roughriders-to-win-over-struggling-bc-lions-1.2328722 https://3downnation.com/2025/06/29/b-c-lions-succumb-to-suspect-run-defence-sloppy-turnovers-in-loss-to-riders-10-other-thoughts/ https://3downnation.com/2025/06/29/saskatchewan-roughriders-look-good-from-start-to-finish-in-win-over-b-c-nine-other-thoughts/ https://cflnewshub.com/cfl-news/cfl-scores-today-saskatchewan-roughriders-37-bc-lions-18-riders-stay-perfect-behind-maier-and-ouellette/ https://pifflespodcast.com/blog/riders-ground-game-defense-run-roughshod-over-lions-at-mosaic-stadium/ https://pifflespodcast.com/blog/riderville-roundup-june-29-2025/ https://www.cfl.ca/2025/06/28/3-stats-that-defined-saskatchewans-week-4-win-over-bc/ ***** Week 4 preview https://cflnewshub.com/cfl-news/cfl-schedule-today-june-29th-2025-toronto-argonauts-vs-ottawa-redblacks-tv-channels-live-stream-odds/

Week 4 result Hamilton 35....Montreal 17 Upset! Alexander was out, so MBT played for the Als. The Ticats' defense ruled. https://www.cfl.ca/2025/06/27/recap-hamilton-35-montreal-17/ https://www.cfl.ca/2025/06/27/tiger-cats-defence-shuts-down-alouettes-to-earn-first-win-of-season/ https://www.tsn.ca/cfl/mitchell-throws-two-td-passes-earns-100th-cfl-win-as-tiger-cats-hand-alouettes-first-loss-of-season-1.2328363 https://3downnation.com/2025/06/27/hamilton-tiger-cats-bo-levi-mitchell-becomes-fastest-cfl-qb-to-record-100-wins/ https://3downnation.com/2025/06/28/montreal-alouettes-hit-a-wall-drop-their-first-game-to-the-tiger-cats-six-other-thoughts/ https://3downnation.com/2025/06/28/hamilton-tiger-cats-defence-drops-the-hammer-on-wounded-alouettes-nine-other-thoughts/ https://cflnewshub.com/cfl-news/cfl-scores-today-hamilton-tiger-cats-35-montreal-alouettes-17-tiger-cats-break-through-for-first-win/ https://www.cfl.ca/2025/06/27/3-stats-that-defined-hamiltons-week-4-win-over-montreal/ ***** Week 4 previews https://cflnewshub.com/cfl-news/toronto-argonauts/cfl-2025-week-4-toronto-argonauts-ottawa-redblacks-preview-prediction/ https://www.cfl.ca/2025/06/28/3-keys-to-victory-for-toronto-ottawa-on-westjet-canada-day-weekend/ https://3downnation.com/2025/06/28/ottawa-redblacks-without-impactful-db-adrian-frye-vs-argos/ https://3downnation.com/2025/06/28/award-winning-returner-janarion-grant-back-for-toronto-argonauts-vs-redblack/

Episode 41 https://artpepper.bandcamp.com/track/straight-life-episode-forty-one-2

Novellas. I think Chandler's novellas are under-appreciated.

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Today through July 27, all Criterion titles are 50% off at Barnes & Noble. Both the stores and the website (BN.com).

Week 4 result Winnipeg 36....Edmonton 23 https://www.cfl.ca/2025/06/27/recap-winnipeg-36-edmonton-23/ https://www.cfl.ca/2025/06/26/bombers-come-out-on-top-of-back-and-forth-against-elks/ https://www.tsn.ca/cfl/zach-collaros-big-night-leads-winnipeg-blue-bombers-past-edmonton-elks-to-remain-undefeated-1.2327832 https://3downnation.com/2025/06/26/12-thoughts-on-the-winnipeg-blue-bombers-improving-to-3-0-with-win-over-edmonton-elks/ https://3downnation.com/2025/06/27/edmonton-elks-take-a-step-trip-and-fall-to-winnipeg-in-fourth-five-other-thoughts/ https://cflnewshub.com/cfl-news/cfl-scores-today-winnipeg-blue-bombers-36-edmonton-elks-23-collaros-powers-bombers-to-perfect-3-0-start/ https://www.cfl.ca/2025/06/26/3-stats-that-defined-winnipegs-week-4-win-over-edmonton/ ***** Week 4 previews https://cflnewshub.com/cfl-news/montreal-alouettes-3-0-week-4-preview-vs-hamilton-tiger-cats-0-2-keys-to-the-game-prediction-depth-chart-injuries-odds/ https://cflnewshub.com/cfl-news/cfl-schedule-today-june-27th-2025-montreal-alouettes-vs-hamilton-tiger-cats-tv-channels-live-stream-odds/ https://www.cfl.ca/2025/06/27/jake-maier-to-start-for-riders-lions-nathan-rourke-listed-as-game-time-decision/ https://www.tsn.ca/cfl/qb-issues-loom-over-riders-lions-game-with-harris-out-rourke-questionable-1.2328097 https://www.tsn.ca/cfl/saskatchewan-roughriders-qb-trevor-harris-ruled-out-for-bout-with-bc-lions-1.2328018 https://3downnation.com/2025/06/27/qb-jake-maier-to-start-for-saskatchewan-roughriders-trevor-harris-ruled-out-against-b-c-lions/ https://www.tsn.ca/cfl/dustin-crum-to-start-second-consecutive-game-for-ottawa-redblacks-against-toronto-argonauts-1.2328043 https://3downnation.com/2025/06/27/qb-dustin-crum-to-make-second-consecutive-start-for-ottawa-redblacks-vs-toronto/ ***** Chad Kelly is not expected to be ready to go until Week 7. https://www.tsn.ca/cfl/toronto-argonauts-coach-ryan-dinwiddie-rules-out-chad-kelly-until-week-7-1.2328025 https://3downnation.com/2025/06/27/ryan-dinwiddie-rules-out-chad-kelly-for-argonauts-until-week-7/ ***** Johnston gave an interview to Global this week. I haven't found it, but I found this. https://cflnewshub.com/cfl-news/cfl-commissioner-reveals-7-of-9-teams-lost-money-last-season-in-candid-interview/

Cigars International has two deals going on that might interest some here. 1) Sitewide 26% off. Discount Code: BDAY26 https://www.cigarsinternational.com/ 2) a soft cooler (holds 12 cans) + an ice brick + two koozies + a $25 CI Bucks card for $24.99 https://www.cigarsinternational.com/p/ci-cooler-feat/2063439/

RIP. I'll pull out my Mission Impossible album.

I have enjoyed the two Nucleus boxes. Studio Live

Week 4 picks https://doorfliesopen.com/2025/06/26/cfl-beat-237/ https://3downnation.com/2025/06/26/3downnation-cfl-picks-straight-up-against-the-spread-week-4/ https://pifflespodcast.com/blog/piffles-picks-week-4-2025/ I am picking the Bombers, Als and Riders to continue to win; and the Elks, Ticats and Argos to continue to lose. ***** ***** Game Notes https://www.cfl.ca/2025/06/26/game-notes-what-you-need-to-know-ahead-of-westjet-canada-day-weekend/ ***** Week 4 previews https://www.cfl.ca/2025/06/26/3-keys-to-the-game-for-edmonton-winnipeg-on-westjet-canada-day-weekend/ https://cflnewshub.com/cfl-news/cfl-schedule-today-june-26th-2025-edmonton-elks-vs-winnipeg-blue-bombers-tv-channels-live-stream-odds/ https://cflnewshub.com/cfl-news/bombers-go-elk-hunting-cfl-week-4-preview/ https://cflnewshub.com/cfl-news/cfl-week-4-edmonton-elks-0-2-at-winnipeg-blue-bombers-2-0-game-preview/ https://www.cfl.ca/2025/06/26/mcleod-bethel-thompson-to-start-for-als-against-ticats/ https://www.tsn.ca/cfl/alouettes-bethel-thompson-to-start-against-ticats-with-alexander-injured-1.2327165 https://3downnation.com/2025/06/26/montreal-alouettes-to-start-mcleod-bethel-thompson-sit-davis-alexander-in-hamilton/ https://www.cfl.ca/2025/06/26/3-keys-to-the-game-for-montreal-hamilton-on-westjet-canada-day-weekend/ https://cflnewshub.com/cfl-news/hamilton-tiger-cats/cfl-week-4-preview-montreal-alouettes-hamilton-tiger-cats/ ***** Kyle Wilson has promptly signed with the Stampeders. Along with Adam Bighill, this gives the Stamps' linebacker corps a new look. https://www.cfl.ca/2025/06/26/stampeders-sign-linebacker-kyle-wilson/ https://3downnation.com/2025/06/26/calgary-stampeders-sign-lb-kyle-wilson-following-release-from-tiger-cats/ ***** ***** ***** ***** *****

Week 4 picks https://rodpedersen.com/week-4-cfl-picks-for-coolbet-canada/ ***** Top 11 Canadians https://www.cfl.ca/2025/06/25/top-11-canadians-in-the-canadian-football-league/ ***** Week 4 preview https://www.cfl.ca/2025/06/25/4-storylines-to-watch-on-westjet-canada-day-weekend/ ***** Marwan Hage has bought a piece of the Ticats. https://3downnation.com/2025/06/25/former-all-star-ol-marwan-hage-becomes-minority-owner-of-hamilton-tiger-cats/ ***** The Ticats have let go Kyle Wilson. https://3downnation.com/2025/06/25/hamilton-tiger-cats-release-veteran-linebacker-kyle-wilson/ ***** Sask analysis https://pifflespodcast.com/blog/3rd-and-easy-riders-qb-tommy-stevens-has-fixed-green-and-white-short-yardage-problems/ *****

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Dana, I'm not sold on the Riders and the Als yet. They have been beating winless teams. Nevertheless, they are undefeated, and that's all you can ask for. ***** Plays of the Week https://www.cfl.ca/2025/06/23/cfl-plays-of-the-week-week-3-2025/ ***** Power Rankings https://www.cfl.ca/2025/06/24/amsoil-power-rankings-als-lead-ahead-of-westjet-canada-day-weekend/ https://3downnation.com/2025/06/23/3downnation-cfl-power-rankings-ottawa-redblacks-run-themselves-back-up-the-list/ https://pifflespodcast.com/blog/2025-week-3-piffles-power-rankings/ https://cflnewshub.com/cfl-news/cfl-news-hub-power-rankings-the-aftermath-of-week-3/ ***** Week 3 reviews https://www.cfl.ca/2025/06/23/landrys-5-takeaways-from-week-3-4/ https://www.cfl.ca/2025/06/23/5-pff-stats-that-stand-out-from-week-3/ https://3downnation.com/2025/06/24/3downnation-cfl-awards-the-best-and-worst-of-week-3-3/ ***** Adam Bighill has signed with the Stampeders. https://www.cfl.ca/2025/06/22/stampeders-add-veteran-lb-adam-bighill-to-practice-roster/ https://3downnation.com/2025/06/22/biggies-back-calgary-stampeders-sign-lb-adam-bighill-to-practice-roster/ https://www.tsn.ca/cfl/calgary-stampeders-sign-veteran-lb-three-time-modp-adam-bighill-to-practice-roster-1.2325283 ***** Week 4 picks https://www.cfl.ca/2025/06/24/prediction-time-cfl-ca-writers-westjet-canada-day-weekend-picks/ https://www.cfl.ca/2025/06/24/weekly-predictor-who-wins-on-westjet-canada-day-weekend/ ***** Week 4 preview https://www.tsn.ca/cfl/montreal-alouettes-saskatchewan-roughriders-look-to-hit-4-0-in-week-4-action-on-tsn-1.2326033 ***** Fred Smith has died at 80. RIP. https://3downnation.com/2025/06/21/memphis-mad-dogs-owner-fedex-founder-fred-smith-dead-at-80/ ***** David Beard is a favorite of mine. The Elks have put him on the six-game list. https://3downnation.com/2025/06/23/edmonton-elks-place-all-cfl-centre-david-beard-on-six-game-injured-list/ ***** Chandler Jones has died at 33 in a pedestrian car accident. RIP. https://3downnation.com/2025/06/23/former-montreal-alouettes-player-coach-chandler-jones-dead-at-33/

Pianist-Singer Kelly Green Honors Her Late Mother On "Corner of My Dreams," Set for August 22 Release by La Reserve Records Self-Composed, -Arranged, & -Produced Recording Features Eight Original Compositions in an Ambitious Setting for Piano Trio, String Quartet, & Vocal Quartet CD/Vinyl Release Show at the Zinc Bar, NYC, 9/16; Summer/Fall Dates Also Includes Stops in California, Denver, London, & Brussels   June 23, 2025 By taking a wistful look backward, Kelly Green takes a tremendous artistic stride forward with her August 22 release of Corner of My Dreams (La Reserve Records/Green Soul Studios). Inspired by and in tribute to her late mother, Green’s fifth album also finds her at the head of an ambitious assemblage. Her working trio with bassist Luca Soul Rosenfeld and drummer Evan Hyde is augmented by an accomplished, all-female string quartet under the leadership of violinist Ludovica Burtone; percussionist Andromeda Turre; and a distinctive grouping of vocalists that includes Emily Braden, Tahira Clayton, Jimmy Kraft, and Michael Mayo. Compounding her achievement, Green herself handled all of the compositions, arrangements, and production on Corner of My Dreams. “Inspired by the Disney classic film scores from my childhood, I wanted to have many different perspectives represented, to have a very full, lush sound,” she explains. Green’s mother Kathie, who took her own life in 2021, was her best friend and biggest fan; her daughter’s music was a balm to her. It was Kathie who asked Green to make a new recording of her original compositions. Although two (the opening pair “Let Me In” and “Corner of My Dreams”) were written before her passing, both take on new meaning and emotional weight in the context of her loss—especially the title track, since Green’s mother still appears in her dreams. The other tunes were either directly inspired or informed by Green’s grief. The gospel-like waltz ballad “Nothing at All” came to her whole cloth on a day when she was keenly feeling her mother’s absence from her daily life; its exquisite string quartet “Intro” struck her in the midst of a sleepless night not long after. “At Eternity’s Sunrise,” the fond, bittersweet elegy that closes the album, came to Green just days after Kathie’s death; she sang it a week later at the memorial service.  Much of the album’s heft is conveyed through Green’s marvelous voice and its remarkable combination of huskiness and light (with the vocal quartet adding resonance and depth); however, her prowess as a writer and arranger of instrumental music takes center stage on the aforementioned “Nothing at All (Intro)” and on “Tea with Kathie,” a dreamlike piece for strings that presents a panorama of feelings from crushing sadness to joyful hope. Another emotional spectrum emanates from the piano-trio setting “When It’s Time to Go,” which doubles as a deft showcase for Green’s tight chemistry and communication with Rosenfeld (her husband) and Hyde. These sweeping emotional statements cut very much to the heart of Corner of My Dreams; though it’s not a concept album, Green recognizes the personal dimension that the recording takes on and means it to encompass a full palette of emotions, with contributions thereto from each of her collaborators. In doing so, the pianist, vocalist, and composer has brought her own music to an astonishing new level of richness and possibility. “Like all highly realized artists, Kelly embraces vision, inspiration, and affinity in her work,” writes Michelle Mercer in her liner notes. The CD package also features an insert with full lyrics and a beautiful personal note by Green. Born in Orlando, Florida in 1989, Kelly Green has memories of singing and making music from the time she was a very little girl. At the age of seven, she started taking piano lessons and singing in choirs, and also wrote her first song. At 11, she discovered jazz through her father, a bassist and audio engineer, and began attending the Jamey Aebersold Jazz Workshop with him every year. Green sang in her high school chorus and at 18 recorded Aspire, an album of her original compositions. She went on to study jazz at the University of North Florida in Jacksonville, earning a bachelor’s degree in piano performance—and while she was at it, winning first prize in the Generation Next Youth Talent Competition at the 2011 Jacksonville Jazz Festival. In 2012 she moved to the New York City area, beginning graduate studies at William Paterson University (where she would earn her master’s degree) and working under the tutelage of Mulgrew Miller, Gary Kirkpatrick, and Cecil Bridgewater while also taking private lessons with James Weidman and Harold Mabern. In 2017, Green recorded Life Rearranged, an accomplished album with the fearsome veterans Christian McBride and Steve Nelson, among others; the following year she released Kelly Green Trio Volume One. Green and her trio welcomed the uniquely talented quartet member Elijah J. Thomas on 2024’s Seems, with 2025 bringing her largest project to date, Corner of My Dreams. Green and Rosenfeld are the founders of Green Soul Studios, a recording and performance space in Queens, where they host a concert series and record their own music. The Kelly Green Quartet featuring Elijah J. Thomas received the Spring 2025 South Arts/Jazz Road Grant for their California tour in July (dates below). Kelly Green appears with her trio every Friday at the Flatiron Room NoMad, 37 W. 26th St, NYC, 9pm-12am. In support of Corner of My Dreams, Green and trio will be appearing at the following venues: 6/29 Close Up, NYC (154 Orchard St); 7/1 Mezzrow, NYC; 7/10 Sam First, Los Angeles; 7/11 The Grape, Ventura, CA; 7/12 The Sound Room, Oakland; 7/13 Mr. Tipple’s, San Francisco; 8/10 Birdland, NYC (5:30), featuring Scott Robinson; 9/6 Black Squirrel Club, Philadelphia; 9/16 Official album release with full ensemble: Zinc Bar, NYC (7-10pm); 10/4 Bar Bayeux, Brooklyn; 10/10 Muse, Denver; 11/20 Crazy Coqs, London; 11/21 The Music Village, Brussels; 11/23 Atelier 57, Beroun, Czechia; 11/26 Blue Note, Dresden, Germany; 11/29 Sunset Jazz Club, Girona, Spain; 2/27/26 Ravenscroft, Scottsdale, AZ; 2/28/26 Century Room, Tucson, AZ. Photography: Margherita Andreani      Kelly Green Website