GA Russell

George Freeman The Good Life Impacting July 12th, 2023 Format(s): Jazz # Artist and Track Title Time 1. George Freeman - If I Had You 11:05 2. George Freeman - Mr. D 07:39 3. George Freeman - Up and Down 06:04 4. George Freeman - Lowe Groovin' 05:53 5. George Freeman - 1,2,3,4 03:56 6. George Freeman - Sister Tankersley 09:48 7. George Freeman - The Good Life 06:31 New from the legendary guitarist George Freeman George Freeman The Good Life HighNote Records HCD 7352 George Freeman – guitar Joey DeFrancesco – organ (tracks 1, 2, & 3) Lewis Nash – drums (tracks 1, 2, & 3) Christian McBride – bass (tracks 4, 5, 6, & 7) Carl Allen – drums (tracks 4, 5, 6, & 7) Airplay Starts Now • Suggested Tracks 2. Mr. D (7:39) • 3. Up and Down (6:04) 4. Lowe Groovin’ (5:53) • 5. 1,2,3,4 (3:56) George Freeman has been part of jazz for nearly a century. Brother of Von and uncle of Chico Freeman, he's worked with the greats, such as Charlie Parker and Ben Webster. Appearing on the recording is the great organist Joey DeFrancesco, going into the studio just a couple of months before his untimely death. Also featured on 4 tracks is bass phenom Christian McBride stoking up some swinging performances with Freeman. Drummers Lewis Nash and Carl Allen provide propulsive rhythms throughout. It must be said, however, that the pulsing heart of the band is Freeman himself, who plays with integrity and enthusiasm and who continues to bring an impressive lifetime of experience to his work. The set list includes a standard, some hand-jive groove, a high-powered up-tempo blues with Freeman articulating some wonderful bebop phrasing, and a breathtakingly beautiful rendition of “The Good Life.” Like our stuff? Let’s hear from you. Record Company Contact Barney Fields • HighNote Records, Inc. jazzdepo@ix.netcom.com • (212) 873-2020 • www.jazzdepot.com 7352 Georg... HighNote C...

Alto Saxophonist-Composer Bobby Zankel Shines a Brilliant Light on American, Philadelphia History with "A Change of Destiny," Set for September 22 Release by Mahakala Records Zankel Examines the Lives of Slaves Kept by George Washington At the President's House in Philadelphia & Offers a Blueprint for Transforming America's Historical Legacy Zankel's Band, the Wonderful Sound 8, Is an All-Star Octet Featuring Trombonist Robin Eubanks, Alto Saxophonist Jaleel Shaw, Violinist Diane Monroe, Pianist Sumi Tonooka, Bassist Lee Smith, Drummer Pheeroan AkLaff, Vocalist Ruth Naomi Floyd CD Release Shows at Mt. Morris Ascension Presbyterian Chuch, NYC, Friday, October 20, Curated by Craig Harris; Painted Bride Art Center, Philadelphia, Saturday, October 21   July 28, 2023 Philadelphia alto saxophonist and composer Bobby Zankel explores a darker side of his longtime city’s history with A Change of Destiny, set for a September 22 release on Mahakala Records. The album is a distillation of music that Zankel wrote for a dance piece, The Spirits Break to Freedom, in the 2010s, and was recorded with Zankel’s Wonderful Sound 8 (a byproduct of his Warriors of the Wonderful Sound Big Band), featuring Philadelphia jazz greats drummer Pheeroan AkLaff, trombonist Robin Eubanks, vocalist Ruth Naomi Floyd, violinist Diane Monroe, alto saxophonist Jaleel Shaw, bassist Lee Smith, and pianist Sumi Tonooka. A six-section suite of “resistance, revolution, and renewal,” according to its composer, A Change of Destiny is a response to the 2007 excavation of slave quarters on the site of the President’s House—George Washington’s residence in Philadelphia. The opening track “Destiny,” based on a Jymie Merritt–inspired cross rhythm, asks the question “Why have we been brought here?” and proclaims, “My destiny belongs to me!” “Spirits Break to Freedom” is an epic journey from rainforest hocket rhythms to Afrobeat groove, 21st-century urban angularity, and freedom. “Naming Names” is an Ornette Coleman–influenced praise song in which vocalist Ruth Naomi Floyd intones the names of “our nation’s nine founding mothers and fathers whose forced labor made the President’s House functional.” The gospel ecstasy of “Ring Shouting” and the Billie Jean groove of “Rituals of Resistance” express two cultural revolutionary modes of joyful freedom, while “To Be a Human Being,” constructed over a 14-beat rhythmic mode, features the powerful self-declaratory words of Malcolm X. If the octet here is a spin-off of Zankel’s large ensemble, it is also a new band unto itself. Similarly, while A Change of Destiny is related to the prior work Spirits Break to Freedom, it is also a stand-alone project, with fresh arrangements written especially for the Wonderful Sound 8. “It becomes easy to write when I know who I’m writing for,” says Zankel. “And having those players provides such a rich palette. I like a big band, but I prefer a midsize unit because you can hear everything.” On A Change of Destiny, there is indeed much to hear. Bobby Zankel was born December 21, 1949 in Brooklyn. He first began attracting national attention in 1971, while at the University of Wisconsin as a member of Cecil Taylor’s Unit Core Ensemble and simultaneously working with drummer George Brown’s quartet with organist Melvin Rhyne. In the early to mid-1970s, Zankel’s underground reputation grew on the New York loft scene, where he performed with the likes of William Parker and Ray Anderson while continuing his apprenticeship with Taylor. In 1975, Zankel moved to Philadelphia to raise his family and expand his artistic vision without heed to commercialism or the trends of the times. He has performed and recorded with such diverse masters as Johnny Coles, Odean Pope, Ralph Peterson, Jamaaladeen Tacuma, Oliver Lake, and Marilyn Crispell, among others. Zankel continued working occasionally with Taylor for the remainder of the pianist’s life. The saxophonist became a devoted son to his adopted city, working with several generations of the finest of Philadelphia jazz musicians. In 2001, Zankel founded the jazz advocacy and education nonprofit Warriors of the Wonderful Sound, Inc., and established an eponymous 18-piece big band as its centerpiece. Composers from Muhal Richard Abrams to Rudresh Mahanthappa have written for the ensemble. All of this creative work has been balanced with 32 years of teaching in the Pennsylvania prisons. The Bobby Zankel Wonderful Sound 8 will perform at Mt. Morris Ascension Presbyterian Church, 15 Mt. Morris Park (at 122nd Street), NYC, on Friday 10/20, a performance curated by Craig Harris; and at the Painted Bride Art Center, 5230 Market Street, Philadelphia, on Saturday 10/21. Photo: Michelle Lyu   EPK: Bobby Zankel | "A Change of Destiny"  Bobby Zankel Web Site  

Covers. No surf.

Why were the Red Sox wearing yellow?

Week 8 picks https://doorfliesopen.com/2023/07/27/cfl-beat-186/ https://rodpedersen.com/week-8-cfl-picks-2023/ https://officepoolswire.com/football/cfl-week-8-predictions/ ***** Power Rankings https://pifflespodcast.com/blog/safimods-week-8-cfl-power-rankings/ ***** Week 8 Checking Down https://www.cfl.ca/2023/07/26/checking-down-news-and-notes-from-week-8-2/ ***** Week 8 Game Notes https://www.cfl.ca/2023/07/26/cfl-ca-game-notes-a-look-at-week-8-3/ ***** Here is a list of Canadian and former CFL players currently in NFL training camps. https://3downnation.com/2023/07/27/comprehensive-guide-to-canadians-and-former-cfl-players-in-nfl-training-camps-in-2023/

When I lived in Pittsburgh in the '70s, everyone enjoyed Rolling Rock, but no one paid homage like it was what we would call today a craft beer.

How is this one? Does he sound healthy?

The Ticats have sent Ja'Gared Davis to the Stampeders for a pick. https://3downnation.com/2023/07/25/calgary-stampeders-acquire-dl-jagared-davis-from-hamilton-tiger-cats/ https://www.cfl.ca/2023/07/25/stamps-acquire-defensive-lineman-jagared-davis/

Thanks TTK! Now I wonder where I read that Sinatra's last work for Capitol was Nice & Easy.

Week 8 picks https://www.cfl.ca/2023/07/25/prediction-time-cfl-ca-writers-week-8-picks-3/ https://www.cfl.ca/2023/07/25/weekly-predictor-riding-with-the-redblacks/ ***** BC visits Edmonton this Saturday. The Elks will have an extra radio-broadcast in Punjabi. https://3downnation.com/2023/07/25/edmonton-elks-partner-for-first-ever-professional-football-punjabi-radio-broadcast/ ***** Brad Muhammad has signed with the Stampeders. https://www.cfl.ca/2023/07/25/stamps-add-db-brad-muhammad-and-dl-alex-tchangam/

No I didn't! The last Capitol was Nice 'N' Easy from 1960, right? When were his first Reprise albums recorded?

Week 7 results Plays of the Week https://www.cfl.ca/2023/07/24/spectacular-catches-in-the-week-7-plays-of-the-week/ ***** Winnipeg 28....Edmonton 14 The Bombers were obviously the better team from start to finish, but the Elks didn't stink. Dave Naylor tweeted yesterday that only Collaros has been the starting quarterback of his team longer than Cornelius! https://www.cfl.ca/2023/07/21/recap-winnipeg-28-edmonton-14/ https://3downnation.com/2023/07/20/winnipeg-blue-bombers-flex-late-on-winless-edmonton-elks-12-other-thoughts/ https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/bombers-elks-july20-1.6913450 ***** Toronto 31....Hamilton 15 Never in doubt. The Ticats had to start rookie Taylor Powell, with both Mitchell and Shiltz out. As you would expect, Powell has a long way to go. https://www.cfl.ca/2023/07/21/recap-toronto-31-hamilton-15/ https://3downnation.com/2023/07/22/back-to-the-future-10-thoughts-on-torontos-victory-in-hamilton/ https://3downnation.com/2023/07/22/simply-not-good-enough-10-thoughts-on-hamiltons-31-15-loss-to-the-toronto-argonauts/ ***** BC 19....Sask 9 Both defenses played very well. Adams hurt his leg in the first quarter, and Evans came in for the rest of the way. Nobody considers Evans a backup quarterback, but this was his first action of the season, and he showed some rust. With Harris out long-term, the Riders started young Mason Fine. Like Powell, Fine today is not ready for prime time. But maybe one day! https://www.cfl.ca/2023/07/23/recap-bc-19-saskatchewan-9/ https://3downnation.com/2023/07/23/lions-hit-with-shrapnel-in-watermelon-smash-and-10-other-thoughts-on-beating-the-riders/ https://www.tsn.ca/cfl/dane-evans-replaces-injured-vernon-adams-jr-leads-lions-past-roughriders-1.1987198 ***** Ottawa 43....Calgary 41 Game of the Week! Crum did it again! You've got to check out the highlights reel of this seesaw battle. https://www.cfl.ca/2023/07/24/recap-ottawa-43-calgary-41/ https://3downnation.com/2023/07/24/crumming-up-clutch-10-other-thoughts-on-the-redblacks-winning-in-calgary/ https://www.tsn.ca/cfl/ottawa-redblacks-earn-second-straight-ot-win-edge-calgary-stampeders-in-high-scoring-thriller-1.1987584 ***** Power Rankings With Harris out, I think the Riders are currently the worst team in the league, not the Elks. https://www.cfl.ca/2023/07/24/power-rankings-there-are-horses-in-these-qb-stables/ https://3downnation.com/2023/07/24/3downnation-cfl-power-rankings-redblacks-rise-as-dustin-crums-star-rockets/ https://cflnewshub.com/cfl-news/cfl-week-8-power-rankings-stacking-the-leagues-best-to-worst-teams/ https://pifflespodcast.com/blog/contenders-vs-pretenders-week-8/ ***** Standings https://www.cfl.ca/2023standings/

I see now on Wikipedia that Joao Donato was a co-composer of Nao Tem Nada, Nao.

TTK, my thought is that from 1960 to 1965, he went from sounding 39 to sounding 55.

Regarding Sinatra, his Capitol albums (the last of which was from 1960) sound to me like a young man with vigor. Skip forward only five years to Strangers in the Night, and from then on, he sounded to me like a much older man. Anyone else feel this way?

This is from a psychologist who suspects that many people have mental problems not because of what their parents did, but rather what their parents failed to do. This may be because the parents are repeating the mistakes of their parents.

Shawn Lemon has signed with the Als. https://3downnation.com/2023/07/23/montreal-alouettes-sign-veteran-defensive-lineman-shawn-lemon/

I haven't thought of Fritz Maytag in a long time. I didn't know that he sold the company in 2010.

There have been a few recent headlines you might like to see. Trumaine Washington has signed with the Roughriders. https://3downnation.com/2023/07/21/saskatchewan-roughriders-sign-former-cfl-interception-leader-trumaine-washington/ ***** Gary Brandt has died at 80. RIP. https://3downnation.com/2023/07/21/former-riders-ol-plaza-of-honour-inductee-gary-brandt-passes-away-at-80/ ***** Kwaku Boateng has decided to retire. https://3downnation.com/2023/07/20/canadian-de-kwaku-boateng-retires-from-cfl-despite-interest-from-teams/ ***** Last week's games were so good, the league enjoyed its highest TV ratings since Week 2 of 2021. https://3downnation.com/2023/07/19/new-heights-week-6-thrillers-help-cfl-set-multi-year-regular-season-tv-ratings-high/ ***** A fan has entered the Guinness Book of World Records by attending games in all nine cities in a fifteen day period. https://3downnation.com/2023/07/09/superfan-bobby-dubeau-attends-game-in-all-nine-cfl-stadiums-over-15-days-to-set-guinness-world-record/

Claudia Villela Showcases Her Profound Songwriting Gifts on "Cartas ao Vento," To Be Released September 8 by Taina Music Vocalist-Composer's First Recording in Her Native Rio de Janeiro Features Longtime Friends Bassist Jorge Helder, Drummer Marcelo Costa, Arranger Mario Adnet, Special Guests on 10 Original Compositions Upcoming Performances Include Monterey (CA) Jazz Festival, 9/24, & SFJAZZ, San Francisco, 11/9-12   July 20, 2023 Vocalist-pianist-composer Claudia Villela basks in the warmth of her hometown of Rio de Janeiro with Cartas ao Vento, set for a September 8 release on her own Taina Music label. When visiting her family last year, the San Francisco Bay Area artist rounded up some of her collaborators from her youth (drummer Marcelo Costa, bassist Jorge Helder, arranger Mario Adnet) and some of Brazil’s greatest players (guitarists Toninho Horta and Romero Lubambo, multi-reedists Edu Neves and Zé Nogueira, accordionist Vitor Gonçalves) to craft the first album Villela has made on Brazilian soil. The result is a beautiful, highly disciplined collection of Villela’s originals, with a focus not on individuals’ improvisations but on the leader’s songcraft. “This is not a jazz album,” Villela stresses. “I wanted everything to be part of the song, to get away from the solo as a virtuoso statement.” That said, Cartas ao Vento (Portuguese for “letters to the wind”) puts Villela’s own virtuoso writing abilities on vivid display. It’s in the soaring melody and wordless vocal break on “Meninando,” the seamless exchange between sweeping flow and rhythmic dance on “Chamego,” the stirring drama of “Instrumento,” and the surprising shapeshifts of “Agua Santa”—also a tour-de-force for Villela as a performer, taking extraordinary turns as both pianist and a cappella vocalist. But Villela is not the only artist to shine on this album. Three of the pieces were written as settings for the words of great South American poets including Ana Cristina Cesar (“Flores do Mais”), Ramon Palomares (“Paramo”), and Mario Quintana (“Instrumento”). There’s also fine work from the instrumentalists, with the rhythm section of Helder and Costa giving exemplary performances throughout the album and guests such as Lubambo, Neves, and accordionist Vitor Gonçalves adding gorgeous color and deep pathos to Villela’s songs. On the writing side, Adnet also makes splendid contributions with charts for violin, reeds, and even (on “Bolero”) for the obscure but lovely opheicleide (played by Everson Moraes). It’s Villela, however, that brings the magic to Cartas ao Vento. Claudia Villela was born August 27, 1961 in Rio de Janeiro. She grew up surrounded by music in her grandmother’s home, beginning to make music herself when she was only a year old. She started singing in college festivals around Rio at age 15, and before long found work as a studio musician. She also started performing around the city, while developing a book of original songs featuring her lyrics and music. Initially planning to enroll in medical school, Villela decided to combine her two passions and earned a B.A. in music therapy from the Brazilian Conservatory of Music. Relocating to the San Francisco Bay Area in the mid-1980s, Villela quickly immersed herself in the region’s thriving jazz scene, gaining valuable experience with the Down Beat-award winning De Anza College Jazz Singers. She studied with NEA Jazz Master Sheila Jordan and with John Robert Dunlap of the New York Metropolitan Opera before making her recording debut with 1994’s Grammy-nominated Asa Verde. She has since performed and recorded with such major jazz figures as Michael Brecker, Toots Thielemans, Toninho Horta, and Kenny Werner. She recorded a live performance at Kuumbwa Jazz Center in Santa Cruz, California, for broadcast on NPR; it was released as Live @ Kuumbwa 2004 in 2013. 2019 saw the appearance of her second live album, Encantada Live (compiled from several of Villela’s illuminating concert performances). Her recordings have included 1998’s Supernova, 2001’s Inverse/Universe, and 2004’s Dreamtales (an improvised duo album with Werner). As only her seventh album in a thirty-year career, Cartas ao Vento stands as a rare but exquisite gem. Villela’s summer/fall performance schedule kicked off with a sold-out show at Kuumbwa Jazz in Santa Cruz Mon 6/26. It also includes Monterey Jazz Festival, Sun 9/24; and SFJAZZ, San Francisco, Thurs-Sun 11/9-12. Photography: Tina Villela    EPK: Claudia Villela | Cartas ao Vento  Claudia Villela Web Site  

Week 7 picks https://doorfliesopen.com/2023/07/20/cfl-beat-185/ https://rodpedersen.com/week-7-cfl-picks-2023/ https://officepoolswire.com/football/cfl-week-7-predictions/ https://3downnation.com/2023/07/20/3downnation-cfl-picks-week-7-2023/ https://www.cfl.ca/2023/07/20/from-the-editors-desk-im-ready-for-week-7/ ***** Week 7 Game Notes https://www.cfl.ca/2023/07/19/cfl-ca-game-notes-a-look-at-week-7-3/ ***** Week 7 Checking Down https://www.cfl.ca/2023/07/19/checking-down-news-and-notes-from-week-7-2/

I have the 2-CD set The Righteous Brothers Gold. Everything looks good, but the Disc 2 music is labeled Disc 1, and the Disc 1 music is labeled Disc 2.

Jim, my man! Please DM me the address you want me to use to send you the check for the highly-sought-after autographed CD of your new album! And thanks for your efforts!

RIP Tony Bennett! I was very fortunate. He came to Atlanta when he was promoting his Perfectly Frank album (1991?). That is my favorite period of his. His performance that night (and also that of his piano trio) was A+.