GA Russell

Actually, I thought it was a perfect setting!

Wife: "I am going out for a couple of hours. Do you want anything?" Husband: "No, that's enough."

I have never heard jazz at a grocery store, but one time in 1994 at a Quebec City grocery I heard Kenny G's Songbird.

His request approved, the news photographer quickly used a cell phone to call the local airport to charter a flight. He was told a twin-engine plane would be waiting for him at the airport. Arriving at the airfield, he spotted a plane warming up outside a hanger. He jumped in with his bag, slammed the door shut, and shouted, ‘Let’s go!’ The pilot taxied out, swung the plane into the wind and took off. Once in the air, the photographer instructed the pilot, ‘Fly over the valley and make low passes so I can take pictures of the fires on the hillsides.’ ‘Why?’ asked the pilot. ‘Because I’m a photographer for cable news,’ he responded. ‘And I need to get some close up shots.’ The pilot was strangely silent for a moment. ‘So, what you’re telling me is… you’re NOT my flight instructor?’

It is a doodle of a cat by Pablo Picasso.

Team analyses Edmonton https://www.cfl.ca/2022/03/09/upon-further-review-edmonton-elks/ Toronto https://3downnation.com/2022/03/09/opinion-the-toronto-argonauts-have-the-best-canadian-depth-in-the-cfl/ ***** Chris Jones will conduct an Open Tryout Tour of the US April 2 through 17. https://3downnation.com/2022/03/07/official-2022-dates-across-the-unite-states-edmonton-elks-chris-jones-schedules-his-famous-open-tryout-tour/

A man and his wife attended a dinner party at the home of their friends. Near the end of the meal, the wife reprimanded her husband. "That's the third time you've gone for dessert," she scolded. "The hostess must think you're an absolute pig." "I don't think so," he said. "I've been telling her it's for you."

ORNETTE COLEMAN BOX SET GENESIS OF GENIUS: THE CONTEMPORARY ALBUMS AVAILABLE NOW ON 2-CD AND DIGITAL FORMATS AND ON VINYL APRIL 22 Continuing Craft Recordings’ 70th Anniversary Celebration of Contemporary Records 180g 2-LP and 2-CD box sets contain newly mastered audio by Bernie Grundman of the legendary jazz saxophonist’s albums Something Else!!!! and Tomorrow Is the Question! Includes expanded booklet with archival photos and extensive new liner notes by GRAMMY® Award-winning music historian Ashley Kahn Click here for Online Media Kit Click here for unboxing video Artist Title Time Ornette Coleman Invisible 04:12 Ornette Coleman The Blessing 04:43 Ornette Coleman Jayne 07:17 Ornette Coleman Chippie 05:36 Ornette Coleman The Disguise 02:47 Ornette Coleman Angel Voice 04:18 Ornette Coleman Alpha 04:10 Ornette Coleman When Will The Blues Leave? 04:57 Ornette Coleman The Sphinx 04:15 Ornette Coleman Tomorrow Is The Question! 03:08 Ornette Coleman Tears Inside 04:59 Ornette Coleman Mind And Time 03:07 Ornette Coleman Compassion 04:35 Ornette Coleman Giggin' 03:18 Ornette Coleman Rejoicing 04:00 Ornette Coleman Lorraine 05:54 Ornette Coleman Turnaround 07:53 Ornette Coleman Endless 05:16

CRAFT LATINO ANNOUNCES THE FIRST REMASTERED REISSUE IN HI-RES DIGITAL FORMAT OF DE CORRIDOS BY ICONIC MEXICAN BAND GRUPO LABERINTO Craft Latino is honored to announce the release of the first remastered digital album of De Corridos by the iconic Mexican band Grupo Laberinto. The remastered digital album is available now in hi-res digital for the first time, including 192KHz/24-bit and 96KHz/24-bit formats. In addition, new official lyric videos for the songs “Clave 7” (March 22), “Corridos de Los Pérez” (March 25), “Zenobio Montero (Sucedió en el Aguaje)” (March 28), and “El Árbol de la Horca” (March 30) will premiere on the dates listed on the Musart YouTube channel. When Grupo Laberinto formed in 1987, it was originally focused on creating tecno-banda music, which was popular in the late ’80s. Later, Grupo Laberinto changed focus to other genres music like rancheras and corridos, and the band expanded its success, becoming one of the most celebrated groups within Regional Mexican music. In 1993, they signed with Discos Musart and began a new prosperous phase of the band’s career. They recorded over 30 albums and became the biggest performers of Mexican cowboy music. They are recognized throughout their home country and beyond as “Kings of Corridos” and “The Pride of Sonora.” Over three decades later, Grupo Laberinto has a huge following and is known as one of the most successful bandas from Mexico. Released in 1996, the album De Corridos is filled with powerful corrido tracks that are now classics. True to their style, the songs have the punch of strong bass and brass that make listeners feel utter excitement. Highlight tracks include “Clave 7,” “El Árbol de la Horca,” “El Corrido De Los Pérez” and “Carga Ladeada,” among others. Click here for the online media kit About Craft Latino: Craft Latino is home to one of the largest and most prestigious collections of Latin music master recordings and compositions in the world. Its rich and storied repertoire includes legendary artists such as Antonio Aguilar, Joan Sebastian, Pepe Aguilar, Celia Cruz, Héctor Lavoe, Willie Colón, Ray Barretto, La Lupe, Ruben Blades and the Fania All Stars, to name just a few. Renowned imprints with catalogs issued under the Craft banner include Musart, Fania, TH, Panart, West Side Latino and Kubaney, among many others. Craft creates thoughtfully curated packages, with a meticulous devotion to quality and a commitment to preservation, ensuring that these recordings endure for new generations to discover. Craft Latino is the Latin repertoire arm of Craft Recordings. For more info, visit CraftRecordings.com and follow on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Artist Title Time Grupo Laberinto Clave 7 03:27 Grupo Laberinto Pescadores de Ensenada 02:35 Grupo Laberinto Corrido de Los Pérez 02:56 Grupo Laberinto La Rubia del Moño Negro 02:32 Grupo Laberinto Zenobio Montero (Sucedió en el Aguaje) 02:40 Grupo Laberinto Carga Ladeada 02:45 Grupo Laberinto Venganza Cumplida 02:54 Grupo Laberinto La Fuga del Rojo 03:06 Grupo Laberinto El Árbol de la Horca 02:44 Grupo Laberinto La Yegua Cebruna 02:42 CRAFT LATINO ANNOUNCES THE FIRST REMASTERED REISSUE IN HI-RES DIGITAL FORMAT OF EL LOBO BY ICONIC MEXICAN BAND GRUPO LABERINTO Craft Latino is honored to announce the release of the first remastered digital album of El Lobo by the iconic Mexican band Grupo Laberinto. The remastered digital album is available now in hi-res digital for the first time, including 192KHz/24-bit and 96KHz/24-bit formats. In addition, a new official lyric video for the song “El Lobo” premiered on the Musart YouTube channel, with additional lyric videos for the tracks “El Comandante” and “Ojitos de Capulin.” Grupo Laberinto is a Mexican band from Ciudad de Obregon, Sonora known for their style of corrido music and are recognized throughout their home country as “Kings of Corridos” and “The Pride of Sonora.” The remastered album El Lobo was originally released in 1993 and was the band’s debut album under the Musart label. This El Lobo includes hits such as “El Comandante,” “Ojitos de Capulín,” “Cuando Nadie Te Quiera’” and “El Lobo.” Click here for the online media kit About Craft Latino: Craft Latino is home to one of the largest and most prestigious collections of Latin music master recordings and compositions in the world. Its rich and storied repertoire includes legendary artists such as Antonio Aguilar, Joan Sebastian, Pepe Aguilar, Celia Cruz, Héctor Lavoe, Willie Colón, Ray Barretto, La Lupe, Ruben Blades and the Fania All Stars, to name just a few. Renowned imprints with catalogs issued under the Craft banner include Musart, Fania, TH, Panart, West Side Latino and Kubaney, among many others. Craft creates thoughtfully curated packages, with a meticulous devotion to quality and a commitment to preservation, ensuring that these recordings endure for new generations to discover. Craft Latino is the Latin repertoire arm of Craft Recordings. For more info, visit CraftRecordings.com and follow on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Artist Title Time Grupo Laberinto El Lobo 03:46 Grupo Laberinto Cariñito de Mi Vida 02:51 Grupo Laberinto Báilala Quebrándola 03:01 Grupo Laberinto Ojitos de Capulín 03:06 Grupo Laberinto Ojitos Borrados (Muchachita de Ojos Claros) 02:08 Grupo Laberinto Seis Años 02:44 Grupo Laberinto El Comandante 03:30 Grupo Laberinto Cuando Nadie Te Quiera 02:39 Grupo Laberinto La Piedrecita 02:38 Grupo Laberinto Recuérdame Bonito 02:48 Grupo Laberinto Atórale 03:18 Grupo Laberinto Y Fue la Última Vez 02:42 CRAFT LATINO CELEBRATES THE 60TH ANNIVERSARY OF RITMOS JUVENILES BY MEXICAN ’60s ROCK IDOL ALBERTO VAZQUEZ THE REMASTERED DIGITAL ALBUM IS AVAILABLE NOW Craft Latino is honored to announce the release of the 60th anniversary remastered digital album edition of Ritmos Juveniles by Mexican ’60s rock icon Alberto Vazquez. The remastered digital album is available now on and was released in hi-res digital for the first time, including 192KHz/24-bit and 96KHz/24-bit formats. In addition, new official lyric videos for the song “Significas Todo Para Mi” and “Olvidalo” premiered on the Musart YouTube channel. Singer and actor Alberto Vázquez is an award-winning, best-selling icon of Mexican music who recorded over 30 albums for Musart. He is primarily known for his legendary baladas, corridos and rancheras, and he is also famous for his pop and rock style of music. The album Ritmos Juveniles is known as a Latin pop/rock album, and it was a hit in the early ’60s. It includes recognizable gems such as “Significas Todo Para Mí” and his chart-topping song “Olvidalo." The album was arranged by iconic musicians Jorge Ortega and Cuco Valtierra and was originally released under the Musart label in 1962. Click here for the online media kit About Craft Latino: Craft Latino is home to one of the largest and most prestigious collections of Latin music master recordings and compositions in the world. Its rich and storied repertoire includes legendary artists such as Antonio Aguilar, Joan Sebastian, Pepe Aguilar, Celia Cruz, Héctor Lavoe, Willie Colón, Ray Barretto, La Lupe, Ruben Blades and the Fania All Stars, to name just a few. Renowned imprints with catalogs issued under the Craft banner include Musart, Fania, TH, Panart, West Side Latino and Kubaney, among many others. Craft creates thoughtfully curated packages, with a meticulous devotion to quality and a commitment to preservation, ensuring that these recordings endure for new generations to discover. Craft Latino is the Latin repertoire arm of Craft Recordings. For more info, visit CraftRecordings.com and follow on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Artist Title Time Alberto Vazquez Olvídalo 02:41 Alberto Vazquez La Historia de Mi Amor 02:39 Alberto Vazquez Marea Baja 02:50 Alberto Vazquez Ven por Mí 02:49 Alberto Vazquez Quiero Contar 02:50 Alberto Vazquez Cuando Calienta el Sol 02:57 Alberto Vazquez Amor, Amor 03:23 Alberto Vazquez Esta Noche Mi Amor 02:02 Alberto Vazquez Significas Todo para Mí 02:41 Alberto Vazquez Siempre Te Sueño 02:18 Alberto Vazquez El Destino del Payaso 02:46 Alberto Vazquez Quizás Es Porque Te Quiero 02:37 CRAFT RECORDINGS CELEBRATES THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF LO ÚLTIMO EN LA AVENIDA, THE SALSA MASTERPIECE BY LEGENDARY PUERTO RICAN SINGER ISMAEL “MAELO” RIVERA This intensely flavorful session reinforced Maelo’s superstar status as part of the ’70s salsa explosion in New York. Craft Latino is proud to present an all-analog remastered 50th Anniversary vinyl reissue of Lo Último En La Avenida, the soulful salsa album that confirmed Ismael Rivera’s creative apex as a solo vocalist, following his departure from Rafael Cortijo’s visionary orchestra. An intimate set boasting luminous dancefloor anthems, this 1971 album is revered as one of the most honest and vibrant LPs in tropical music history. Out on January 28th, the new edition of Lo Último En La Avenida was remastered from its original analog master tapes by Kevin Gray at Cohearent Audio and pressed on 180-gram audiophile vinyl. The iconic album will also be released in hi-res digital for the first time, including 192/24 and 96/24 formats. In addition, exciting bundle options that include a commemorative Lo Ultimo En La Avenida T-shirt are being offered at Fania.com. This release is part of Craft Latino’s initiative to present high-quality vinyl reissues of the most treasured LPs in Fania’s catalog. These reissues are remastered for the first time from the original tapes, giving fans the best experience when listening to historic albums. One of the godfathers of Afro-Caribbean music, Ismael Rivera was born in Santurce, Puerto Rico, in 1931. He was only a teenager when he became the star vocalist with Cortijo’s pioneering combo, blending Puerto Rican folk formats like bomba and plena with the popular dance music from neighboring Cuba. Cortijo was one of the first artists who cemented the specific style known as salsa—and the endearing Maelo, with his streetwise wit and keen understanding of the clave—is considered to this day one of the quintessential soneros, or traditional salsa singers. Sadly, Rivera’s blossoming career with Cortijo was sidetracked by a stint in prison after being arrested for drug possession. He emerged from jail with the desire to completely reinvent his career and launched himself as a solo artist in New York. Lo Último En La Avenida finds him on a creative apex, backed by the band of another legend: Francisco Ángel Bastar Ramos, better known as Kako, a fellow boricua and timbalero who had recorded memorable sessions with the Alegre All-Stars. Accompanied by Cuban conguero Patato, Kako and Maelo developed a more intimate ensemble, transporting the singer’s transcendental singing into a musical universe that mirrors the swinging salsa explosion taking place at the time in New York City. There are no boleros in Lo Último En La Avenida. This is a party record from beginning to end, and Maelo outdoes himself on a reckless reading of the Rafael Hernández classic “El Cumbanchero” that shows off his uncanny gift for speed and improvisation. Written by Carlos Suárez, “Mi Negrita Me Espera” is one of the most tender and endearing classics in the tropical songbook—the story of a salsa singer who goes out at night to perform at dancehalls but worries that the most important woman in his life will stay up waiting for him. The woman in question is none other than Doña Margot, Maelo’s mother and an important figure in salsa lore. “Entierro A La Moda,” a detailed description of the singer’s fashionable funeral with plenty of illustrious musical guests, showcases the man’s wicked sense of humor. Rivera’s life was steeped in tragedy. By the late ’70s, his vocal cords had lost their luster, and the excesses of the past took a toll on Maelo. He died in 1987, in the arms of his mother, of a heart attack. He was only 55. His life, however, was also filled with joy, love and creativity. Fifty years after its release, Lo Último En La Avenida transports us to a moment of triumph for Maelo Rivera. Soulful and healing, it showcases salsa as the incredibly sophisticated genre that it really was. About Fania: Highly influential, both musically and culturally, Fania Records spread the sound of salsa music from the clubs of New York City to the rest of the world and became a revered global brand in the process. Fania’s master recording catalog is the definitive home for genres such as Latin big band, Afro-Cuban jazz, boogaloo, salsa and Latin R&B and includes artistic giants such as Celia Cruz, Willie Colón, Héctor Lavoe and Rubén Blades. With the creation of the international supergroup known as the Fania All-Stars, the label’s signature musical style became known as the “Fania Sound.” Fania’s rich master catalog also includes the Pete Rodriguez’s boogaloo classic “I Like It Like That”  which was sampled by Cardi B in her #1 hit “I Like It.” Additionally, three Fania Recordings, Celia & Johnny by Celia Cruz and Johnny Pacheco, Azucar Pa’ Ti by Eddie Palmieri and Live at Yankee Stadium by the Fania All-Stars, appear in the National Recording Registry, a list of sound recordings that “are culturally, historically or aesthetically important, and/or inform or reflect life in the United States.” For more info, visit Fania.com and follow on YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok. About Craft Latino: Craft Latino is home to one of the largest and most prestigious collections of Latin music master recordings and compositions in the world. Its rich and storied repertoire includes legendary artists such as Antonio Aguilar, Joan Sebastian, Pepe Aguilar, Celia Cruz, Héctor Lavoe, Willie Colón, Ray Barretto, La Lupe, Ruben Blades and the Fania All Stars, to name just a few. Renowned imprints with catalogs issued under the Craft banner include Musart, Fania, TH, Panart, West Side Latino and Kubaney, among many others. Craft creates thoughtfully curated packages, with a meticulous devotion to quality and a commitment to preservation, ensuring that these recordings endure for new generations to discover. Craft Latino is the Latin repertoire arm of Craft Recordings. For more info, visit CraftRecordings.com and follow on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Click here to visit the online media kit Artist Title Time Ismael Rivera, Kako Y Su Orquesta Mi Negrita Me Espera 03:21 Ismael Rivera, Kako Y Su Orquesta Lo Último en la Avenida 02:23 Ismael Rivera, Kako Y Su Orquesta Cantar Maravilloso 04:10 Ismael Rivera, Kako Y Su Orquesta El Truquito 03:25 Ismael Rivera, Kako Y Su Orquesta El Cumbanchero 02:56 Ismael Rivera, Kako Y Su Orquesta La Cumbita 02:41 Ismael Rivera, Kako Y Su Orquesta Moti-Agua 03:24 Ismael Rivera, Kako Y Su Orquesta Entierro a la Moda 03:19 Ismael Rivera, Kako Y Su Orquesta Siete Pies Bajo la Tierra 03:08 Ismael Rivera, Kako Y Su Orquesta Lleva y Trae 03:00 IT’S A GOOD, GOOD FEELING: THE LATIN SOUL OF FANIA RECORDS (THE SINGLES) CELEBRATES THE LEGENDARY LABEL’S ERA-DEFINING LATIN SOUL AND BOOGALOO SONGS AVAILABLE NOW Recent Radio Features across: NPR Music, SiriusXM, WDNA, KCSM, and more! Press Acclaim: "A lovingly packaged set of irresistably energetic music...Craft Latino's newest tour of the Fania vault is invaluable as a study of the 20th century American melting pot in action" ~Uncut "'Epic' really is the only way to describe the stunning It's A Good, Good Feeling: The Latin Soul Of Fania Records (The Singles). *****" ~Shindig! "A splendid, bustling, full-colour celebration." ~Mojo Craft Latino announces the release of It’s a Good, Good Feeling: The Latin Soul of Fania Records (The Singles), a brand-new collection that showcases Fania’s era-defining output of boogaloo and Latin soul music. Spanning 1965–1975, the box set compiles 89 singles from such best-selling artists as Ray Barretto, Joe Bataan, Bobby Valentín, Ralfi Pagan, and Larry Harlow, plus rarities from 125th Street Candy Store, The Latinaires, The Harvey Averne Band, and Ali Baba, among many others, NOW available. It’s a Good, Good Feeling includes four CDs plus a bonus 7-inch single, all housed in a 60-page hardcover book, featuring extensive new liner notes by compilation co-producer and DJ Dean Rudland, as well as photos and ephemera from Fania’s archives. Helping to set the scene is a 7-inch single, which culls vintage promo tracks for “Symphony” Sid Torin’s radio shows on New York’s WEVD AM and FM. The famed DJ was an early champion of Latin music and helped to popularize the genre in the ’60s. Featuring newly remastered audio by GRAMMY® Award-winning engineer, Paul Blakemore, It’s a Good, Good Feeling is also available on digital and streaming platforms, while an abridged, 2-LP vinyl edition of the compilation offers 28 choice cuts and an eight-page booklet. In the ’60s, a unique musical moment was brewing in New York City, as young Latin American artists—many of them second-generation—found themselves split between the traditional music they grew up on and the rising sounds of soul, doo-wop, and R&B. They began experimenting in the clubs, blending Afro-Cuban beats, Latin jazz, and soul with predominantly English lyrics. The result was a delectable new genre with broad appeal that epitomized the cultural melting pot of New York. While boogaloo and Latin soul was a short-lived craze (peaking in the late ’60s and early ’70s), it popularized Latin music in America and established the careers of many internationally beloved artists. Fania Records was founded just prior to the rise of boogaloo in 1964 by bandleader Johnny Pacheco and his lawyer, Jerry Masucci. Over the next few years, Fania would sign and nurture a variety of emerging Latin soul artists. As Rudland points out in his notes, “Fania was not the first label to release Latin soul, but they were vital within its rise, releasing important records, and its owners patently understood the opportunity it allowed the young label to expand quickly.” Among their earliest signings were Willie Colón, Joe Bataan, Bobby Valentín, and Ray Barretto: four rising stars who were all eager to experiment with their sounds—and Fania gave them the freedom to do so. Colón, who became one of the label’s most celebrated artists, rarely strayed from traditional stylings but offered one foray into Latin soul with his debut single “Willie Baby” (1967). Valentín, meanwhile, straddled the line stylistically, but scored several boogaloo hits for the label early on, including 1967’s joyful “Geronimo” and “Bad Breath” as well as the anthemic “Use It Before You Lose It” (1968). Barretto, who had already established himself—and the boogaloo sound—prior to signing with Fania, was known for such foundational hits as 1962’s “El Watusi.” Once he joined the burgeoning label, however, he recorded one of the genre’s most important albums, Acid (1968), which spawned such enduring singles as “A Deeper Shade of Soul” and “Mercy, Mercy Baby.” Latin soul regularly reflected the political tensions of the ’60s and Barretto, in particular, often delivered socially conscious messages in his songs, including the funky “Together” (1969) and “Right On” (1971). Bataan, meanwhile, burst onto the scene in 1967 with a cover of The Impressions’ “Gypsy Woman”—the title track of his debut album. A year later, he followed with “Subway Joe,” which, Rudland argues, is “the pinnacle of Latin soul,” and scored an R&B crossover hit with a two-part cover of Smokey Robinson & The Miracles’ “It’s a Good Feeling” (subtitled “Riot” by Bataan). The artist also found broad success with emotion-filled ballads like “Sad Girl” and the epic “My Opera” (both 1969), as well as a dramatic cover of The Beatles’ “This Boy” (1971). Taking the soul route even more directly was Ralfi Pagan, who scored a multitude of R&B hits in both English and Spanish, including sultry covers of Bread’s “Make It with You” (1971) and the Drifters’ “Up on the Roof” (1973), as well as the up-tempo “Wonderful Thing” (1974), and the reflective “Just for a Little While” (1975). The man behind many of Pagan’s hits, as well as songs by Barretto, Bataan, and lesser-known Fania acts like the Latinaires and Ronnie Marks, was producer, songwriter, and musician Harvey Averne. While Averne was not of Latin heritage, he was deeply entrenched in the scene and released several of his own albums and singles under a variety of monikers, including the swinging “Make Out” (Harvey Averne + 9, 1967), “The Micro Mini” (Harvey Averne and Group Therapy, 1967), and “Accept Me” (The Harvey Averne Dozen, 1968). Larry Harlow was another white bandleader who found success in the Latin market, signing to Fania in 1965 and enjoying a long and prolific run with the label. While the majority of his work was more traditional fare, he did deliver several soulful tracks in the late ’60s with his Orquesta Harlow, including such funky cuts as “Mess Around” and “That Groovy Shingaling” (both from 1967’s El Exigente album) as well as a 1968 cover of Hugh Masekela’s “Grazin’ in the Grass.” In addition to such legends as Louie Ramirez (featured alongside Bobby Marin as “Ali Baba” in this compilation) and Mongo Santamaría, the Fania All Stars also make an appearance on It’s a Good, Good Feeling. The supergroup—which, at the time included the likes of Bataan, Valentín, Barretto, Ramirez, and Colón, plus a handful of special guests—offered Fania an opportunity to showcase its talented roster. The two tracks here (“Richie’s Bag” and “Red Garter Strut”) are culled from the group’s 1969 live album, Live at the Red Garter, Vol.2, and feature vocals by the great Richie Ray. By the mid-’70s, the popularity of boogaloo had widely given way to salsa—and Fania quickly rose to become a leader in the genre. While salsa ultimately proved to be the more enduring style, the success of boogaloo and Latin soul was instrumental in paving the way for its mainstream appeal. Many of the artists who found early fame with Latin soul records, meanwhile, would go on to enjoy thriving careers, including NEA Jazz Master Award-winner and International Latin Music Hall of Fame Inductee Ray Barretto, Joe Bataan, Bobby Valentín, and Latin Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award-winner Larry Harlow. For more info, visit Fania.com and follow on YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok. About Fania: Highly influential, both musically and culturally, Fania Records spread the sound of salsa music from the clubs of New York City to the rest of the world and became a revered global brand in the process. Fania’s master recording catalog is the definitive home for genres such as Latin big band, Afro-Cuban jazz, boogaloo, salsa and Latin soul and includes artistic giants such as Celia Cruz, Willie Colón, Héctor Lavoe and Rubén Blades. With the creation of the international supergroup known as the Fania All Stars, the label’s signature musical style became known as the “Fania Sound.” Fania’s rich master catalog also includes the Pete Rodriguez’s boogaloo classic “I Like It Like That”  which was sampled by Cardi B in her #1 hit “I Like It.” Additionally, three Fania Recordings, Celia & Johnny by Celia Cruz and Johnny Pacheco, Azucar Pa’ Ti by Eddie Palmieri and Live at Yankee Stadium by the Fania All Stars, appear in the National Recording Registry, a list of sound recordings that “are culturally, historically or aesthetically important, and/or inform or reflect life in the United States.” Artist Title Time 125th Street Candy Store Silent Heart 02:27 125th Street Candy Store Hey Girl 02:35 Bobby Valentin Geronimo 03:22 Harvey Averne + 9 Make Out 02:41 Willie Colón Willie Baby 02:45 Bobby Valentin Love Me So 03:06 Bobby Valentin Bad Breath 02:47 Joe Bataan Gypsy Woman 02:32 Joe Bataan So Fine 03:07 Harvey Averne and Group Therapy The Micro Mini 02:15 Harvey Averne and Group Therapy The Think Drink “Spiked” 02:47 Joe Bataan Ordinary Guy 03:26 Joe Bataan Too Much Lovin’ 02:37 Monguito Santamaria Juicy 03:02 Ray Barretto Mercy, Mercy Baby 02:46 Ray Barretto Soul Drummers 02:55 Joe Bataan Subway Joe 03:02 Joe Bataan Special Girl 02:52 Joe Bataan Magic Rose 04:04 Bobby Valentin Use It Before You Lose It 03:00 Bobby Valentin Funky Big Feet 02:39 Larry Harlow Mess Around 02:13 Larry Harlow That Groovy Shingaling 02:13 The Latinaires Camel Walk 02:51 El Bobby Quesada Bataola Boogaloo 03:19 Joe Bataan It’s A Good Feeling (Riot) (Part 1) 02:43 Joe Bataan It’s A Good Feeling (Riot) (Part 2) 04:26 Ray Barretto A Deeper Shade Of Soul 02:48 Ralph Robles Mercie 03:33 Joe Bataan What Good Is A Castle (Part 1) 03:54 Joe Bataan What Good Is A Castle (Part 2) 03:07 Orchestra Harlow Grazin’ In The Grass (Una Miradita De Amor) 03:18 Ray Barretto Hard Hands 02:29 Ray Barretto Love Beads 02:47 The Harvey Averne Dozen Accept Me 02:46 The Harvey Averne Dozen Why Can’t We Really Be Free 03:03 Ali & Baba Ungawa 02:53 Ali & Baba Cookin’ With Ali 03:56 Monguito Santamaria Hey Sister 02:26 Fania All Stars Richie’s Bag 03:16 Fania All Stars Red Garter Strut 02:10 Ralph Robles Maybe 03:39 Joe Bataan Sad Girl 02:38 Ray Barretto Together 02:37 Ray Barretto New York Soul 02:46 Ralfi Pagan Who Is The Girl For Me 02:37 El Apollo Sound Spinning Wheel 02:15 The Harvey Averne Band Come Back Baby 03:07 The Harvey Averne Band Stand 03:41 Ralfi Pagan Don’t Stop Now 03:10 Joe Bataan My Opera 04:40 The Harvey Averne Band Lovers 03:10 The Harvey Averne Band Love Never Stays the Same 03:40 Joe Bataan When We Get Married 03:18 Monguito Santamaria Crying Time 02:50 The Harvey Averne Band Let’s Get It Together This Christmas 02:31 Ray Barretto Right On 02:44 Ronnie Marks Some Lonely Heart 03:36 Ralfi Pagan Make It With You 04:42 Ralfi Pagan Stray Woman 02:50 Joe Bataan So Young, Too Young 03:24 Joe Bataan I’m Satisfied 03:36 Joe Bataan This Boy 03:03 Joe Bataan Johnny’s No Good 03:35 Ralfi Pagan Baby I’m A Want You 02:52 Ralfi Pagan Look At Her 02:59 Joe Bataan Shaft 03:57 Joe Bataan Cry 04:02 Joe Bataan If I Were A King 03:57 Ralfi Pagan My Dream 03:29 Ralfi Pagan It’s Alright 04:18 Ralfi Pagan Up On The Roof 03:08 Ralfi Pagan The Gambler 03:04 Ralfi Pagan Too Late 03:10 Ralfi Pagan To Say I Love You 04:05 Joe Bataan Latin Soul Square Dance 04:18 Joe Bataan Call Me 04:25 Ralfi Pagan Wonderful Thing 02:32 Butterscotch Try Just A Little Harder 03:45 Butterscotch Today 03:11 Ralfi Pagan Didn’t Want To Have To Do It 03:08 W. R. L. C. Johnny’s No Good 03:23 W. R. L. C. Blonde Latin Blues 04:27 Joe Bataan I’m No Stranger 02:19 Ralfi Pagan Just For A Little While 02:39 Ralfi Pagan Loneliest Loneliness 04:31 Ralfi Pagan I Could Never Hurt You Girl 03:21 Joe Bataan Jumping With Symphony Sid 03:21 Bobby Valentin Jumping With Symphony Sid 03:00

Analysis of each team's salary cap status. https://3downnation.com/2022/03/14/cap-crunch-breaking-down-the-salary-cap-situation-of-every-cfl-team-for-2022/ ***** Sergio Castillo has signed with the Elks. https://3downnation.com/2022/03/14/official-edmonton-elks-sign-veteran-kicker-sergio-castillo/ https://3downnation.com/2022/03/20/existing-relationships-with-chris-jones-geroy-simon-lured-grey-cup-hero-sergio-castillo-to-edmonton/ ***** Jamal Campbell was let go by the Argos, and immediately signed with the Riders. https://3downnation.com/2022/03/14/argos-release-ratio-breaking-offensive-tackle-jamal-campbell-ahead-of-off-season-bonus/ https://3downnation.com/2022/03/17/roughriders-sign-ratio-breaking-canadian-offensive-lineman-jamal-campbell/ https://3downnation.com/2022/03/23/ol-jamal-campbell-signed-with-riders-after-qb-cody-fajardo-made-very-persuasive-pitch/ ***** Henry Burris agreed to be an assistant coach with BC, presumably to work with the Lions' two Canadian QBs. But ten days later he changed his mind. https://3downnation.com/2022/03/15/hall-of-fame-quarterback-henry-burris-joins-b-c-lions-coaching-staff-as-offensive-assistant/ https://www.cbc.ca/sports/football/cfl/henry-burris-bc-lions-offensive-consultant-cfl-1.6385735 https://www.tsn.ca/henry-burris-leaves-bc-lions-nfl-coaching-opportunity-1.1776614 ***** Adarius Bowman has changed his mind, and decided to retire. https://3downnation.com/2022/03/16/adios-adarius-elks-receiver-adarius-bowman-retires-after-brief-return/ https://www.tsn.ca/ardarius-bowman-retires-edmonton-elks-toronto-argonauts-montreal-alouettes-saskatchewan-roughriders-1.1771657 ***** Nakas Onyeka has retired. https://3downnation.com/2022/03/18/canadian-linebacker-nakas-onyeka-retires-after-four-seasons-one-grey-cup-title/ ***** Each team's best draft pick since 2015. https://3downnation.com/2022/03/22/every-cfl-teams-best-draft-pick-since-2015/ ***** Manitoba had a provincial byelection this week, and two retired Bombers ran against each other! Obby Khan beat Willard Reaves. https://3downnation.com/2022/03/23/former-blue-bombers-ol-obby-khan-edges-cfl-legend-willard-reaves-in-manitoba-byelection/ https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/bombers-tell-liberals-to-stop-selling-w-logo-1.6384329 ***** The Top Ten most impressive feats at the national combines. https://3downnation.com/2022/03/25/top-ten-most-impressive-physical-feats-in-cfl-combine-history/ ***** 2022 salaries Quarterbacks https://3downnation.com/2022/03/15/cfls-quarterback-salaries-for-2022-season/ Running Backs https://3downnation.com/2022/03/16/cfls-running-back-salaries-for-2022-season/ Receivers https://3downnation.com/2022/03/17/cfls-receiver-salaries-for-2022-season/ Offensive Linemen https://3downnation.com/2022/03/18/the-cfls-offensive-line-salaries-for-the-2022-season/ Defensive Tackles https://3downnation.com/2022/03/19/the-cfls-ten-highest-paid-defensive-tackles-for-the-2022-season/ Defensive Ends https://3downnation.com/2022/03/20/the-cfls-ten-highest-paid-defensive-ends-for-the-2022-season/ Linebackers https://3downnation.com/2022/03/21/the-cfls-fifteen-highest-paid-linebackers-for-the-2022-season/ Strong-Side Linebackers https://3downnation.com/2022/03/22/highest-paid-strong-side-linebackers/ Defensive Backs https://3downnation.com/2022/03/23/the-cfls-fifteen-highest-paid-defensive-backs/

Younger girls have been approaching me lately. And asking to buy them alcohol.

I'm a writer. I write checks. Mostly fiction.

Gossip! https://3downnation.com/2022/03/09/insider-talk-divisional-balance-cfl-draft-chatter-outrageous-contract/ https://3downnation.com/2022/03/23/insider-talk-cfl-four-down-debate-argos-release-campbell-drafting-local-players/

Thanks, Michael! I've put it in my cart. Any other suggestions, anyone?

Maybe this is like Martin Mull saying that writing about music is like dancing about architecture, but... Whenever I read a stereo component catalogue or Stereophile Magazine (which I see is now available at Amazon for $5.00), I can guess what the writers are saying, but I don't really know. Amazon has a number of books available about stereo systems. Can anyone recommend a book which, inter alia, defines the many terms used in components' descriptions; and also describes why certain concepts are considered more desirable than others? Thanks!

I recommend it to anyone here who has never heard it. I played it so often when it was new (to me) that I just don't play it very often anymore. I guess I should pull it out, and give it a spin!

You know you are getting fat when you get in the bathtub, and the water rises in the toilet.

Vince Guaraldi at the Piano by Derrick Bang https://www.amazon.com/Vince-Guaraldi-Piano-Derrick-Bang/dp/0786459026/

Fifty years ago, one of my favorite records was his date with Herbie Mann called Nirvana. https://www.amazon.com/Nirvana-Bill-Evans/dp/B0001K2K8E/

Wives are people who think that it's against the law to not answer the phone when it rings.

It's all showing up fine for me, except that some album covers did not paste. I don't know why. Is there a problem with the fact that a second post is automatically united with the previous post? That's out of my hands. As always, the mods are welcome to delete if there is a problem. I post these press releases as a contribution to the board. If people cannot read the posts, it's hardly a contribution, is it?

EMERGING ARTIST MELANIE CHARLES RETURNS WITH NEW ALBUM Y’ALL DON’T (REALLY) CARE ABOUT BLACK WOMEN OCTOBER 22 PROJECT CONTAINS REIMAGINED WORKS BY BILLIE HOLIDAY, ELLA FITZGERALD, SARAH VAUGHAN AND MORE LEAD TRACK “WOMAN OF THE GHETTO” DEBUTS WITH VIDEO SIGNS MAJOR LABEL DEAL WITH VERVE August 13, 2021—Y’all Don’t (Really) Care About Black Women, the new album from emerging artist Melanie Charles, is set for release on October 22 via Verve. The forthcoming release—Charles’ first major label release—is a love letter to the unheralded labor of Black women, containing reimagined works by Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, Abbey Lincoln, Dinah Washington and more. Fans can pre-order Y’all Don’t (Really) Care About Black Women HERE. In celebration of the forthcoming record, Charles is debuting her rendition of Marlena Shaw’s “Woman Of The Ghetto” alongside an accompanying music video directed by AnAk and starring her mother, Maryse Jean-Baptiste, and an intergenerational cast of dynamic Black women from her community. Watch the video HERE. “I chose ‘Woman Of The Ghetto’ because it’s lyrically relevant,” Charles notes. “And while we were in lockdown, a conversation that we were having was about how kids who were poor children who did not have access to computers or internet were struggling to sustain their education in the midst of lockdown. I also wanted to highlight how you can come from the ghetto or from the hood, but present more than just the stereotype of the ghetto. Marlena Shaw was such a classy, refined, educated, well-spoken Black woman, speaking about the hood. And I think when we discuss the hood it’s sort of like a caricature of us. But actually, we’re so dynamic—we’re multifaceted. Where we’re from doesn’t define how we move in the world.” Charles originally began developing the project in 2019 when she was approached by Verve to create a remix album using their back catalog. Her initial approach was to find songs that spoke to her with the intention of breathing new energy into them. She was immediately drawn to the voices of Billie Holiday and Sarah Vaughn, enabling her to reminisce about the tunes and voices that made her fall in love with jazz. By the time she was ready to start recording, the pandemic hit and Americans were in the throes of a racial reckoning sparked by the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and countless others. Taylor’s death, in particular, had an impact on Charles’ creative process. “I was rudely reminded that Black women are and always have been undervalued, uncared for, unprotected and neglected. It was at that point that I decided to focus on songs written and or sung by the Black women who paved the way for me,” recounts Charles. The resulting work comes together in Y’all Don’t (Really) Care About Black Women, featuring renditions of songs originally recorded by Vaughan, Ella Fitzgerald, Abbey Lincoln, Dinah Washington and more. “Melanie Charles is a true renaissance artist, who is equally talented as a producer, singer, engineer, composer and performer,” says Jamie Krents, EVP of Verve/Impulse!. We’re always looking for new ways to expose the Verve catalog to a wider audience with respect and integrity, and we felt completely confident giving Melanie unprecedented access to bring her unique artistry to the table to reimagine some of the jewels from our vault. She spent hours in our library, carefully choosing songs that resonated for her, and we’re thrilled with the result.” On Y’all Don’t (Really) Care About Black Women, Charles leaves listeners with a powerful statement on what solidarity with Black women can look like. It includes not only care and attention to the everyday struggles that animate Black women’s lives, but also to the beauty and joy as well. At its core, the record is a call for a more intersectional vision of the world in which Black women can live more freely and express their full humanity. ABOUT MELANIE CHARLES Melanie Charles is a Brooklyn-born singer, songwriter, bandleader, producer, actress and flautist of Haitian descent, with a creative fluidity spanning jazz, soul, experimental and roots music. Charles was raised by a Haitian mother in Brooklyn where the sound waves in their home was filled with artists like Johnny Hodges, Frank Sinatra, Chaka Khan, Anita Baker, John Coltrane and Nat King Cole. As a teen, she attended the famed LaGuardia High School for the Performing Arts where she studied flute and vocals. Eventually, she landed at the School of Jazz and Contemporary Music at The New School where she met artists like singer, songwriter and record producer Jesse Boykins III and alto saxophonist Lakecia Benjamin. Charles’ genre-bending style has been embraced by a wide range of artists including Wynton Marsalis, SZA, Mach-Hommy, Gorillaz and The Roots. Throughout her career she has remained committed to making music that pushes listeners to consider new possibilities, both sonically and politically. “Make Jazz Trill Again,” a project that she launched in 2016, demonstrates her allegiance to everyday people, especially the youth and is focused on taking jazz from the museum to the streets. Earlier this year, Charles’ Tiny Desk (Home) Concert debuted on NPR Music, who proclaimed, “Melanie Charles takes us on a journey that embodies the soul of jazz: exploration.” MELANIE CHARLES Y’ALL DON’T (REALLY) CARE ABOUT BLACK WOMEN 1. God Bless The Child 2. Perdido (Reimagined) 3. Detour Ahead (Reimagined) 4. All Africa (The Beat) 5. The Music is the Magic 6. Pay Black Woman (Interlude) 7. Woman Of The Ghetto (Reimagined) 8. Jazz (Ain’t Nothing But Soul) [Reimagined] 9. Go Away Little Boy 10. What A Difference (Reimagined) 11. Beginning to See the Light (Reimagined) MELANIECHARLES.COM Artist Title Time Melanie Charles Woman Of The Ghetto (Reimagined) 04:58

José James My Favorite Things Impacting September 23rd, 2021 Format(s): Jazz “Sounds like the result of the black-pop continuum, jazz and soul and hip-hop and R&B, slow-cooked for more than 50 years.” —The New York Times “Catch up with Jose James now because he's a rarity - an artist evolving at warp speed.” —NPR Music “James skirts categories with ease, fitting in with current R&B innovators like Frank Ocean or Miguel.. he holistically heals the rift between radio-friendly songcraft and virtuoso flair.” —NPR Music “Is José James a jazz singer or a soul singer? Old school or new school? A guardian of tradition or a seeker of thrills? Yes, yes and yes.” —LA Times Like his idols John Coltrane, Miles Davis and Marvin Gaye, José James is a master of reinvention. Over the past 13 years as a singer, producer and label owner, he's proven himself capable of covering wide swaths of musical terrain. He’s done it all while keeping his voice in the center, a smoky baritone the likes of Gil Scott-Heron and Terry Callier that cuts through the lush instrumentals beneath it. The approach has led to a vast discography with various entry points across labels Blue Note, Verve/Impulse, Brownswood and now his own Rainbow Blonde Records. Today he releases single "My Favorite Things" - both a nod to the Coltrane classic and an homage to his former boss the iconoclastic pianist McCoy Tyner - featuring Grammy nominated saxophonist Marcus Strickland. Produced by José James and Brian Bender, the session was both recorded and mixed directly to 2" tape to capture the warmth and LCR (left-center-right) sound akin to classic albums such as "Kind of Blue," "Blues and the Abstract Truth" and "John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman." Mastering duties were handled by veteran engineer Frank Arkwright at Abbey Road Studios. Accompanied by Grammy Award-winner Ben Williams (bass), Grammy nominated artists Aaron Parks (piano) and Marcus Strickland (saxophone) and rising-star Jharis Yokely (drums) “My Favorite Things” is a world-class musical tribute from one of the greatest living voices in jazz. Further Information Produced by José James & Brian Bender Recorded by Ariel Shafir at Dreamland Studios Mixed by Brian Bender at Motherbrain West Mastered by Frank Arkwright at Abbey Road Studios Press Photos José James... 1. Melanie Charles, Sarah Vaughan - Detour Ahead (Reimagined) 03:54 EMERGING ARTIST MELANIE CHARLES’ RENDITION OF SARAH VAUGHAN’S “DETOUR AHEAD” PREMIERES ON FLOOD MAGAZINE NEW ALBUM Y’ALL DON’T (REALLY) CARE ABOUT BLACK WOMEN OUT OCTOBER 22 VIA VERVE PROJECT CONTAINS REIMAGINED WORKS BY BILLIE HOLIDAY, ELLA FITZGERALD, DINAH WASHINGTON AND MORE “Detour Ahead” appears on Charles’ first major label release, Y’all Don’t (Really) Care About Black Women, out on October 22 via Verve. The forthcoming release is a love letter to the unheralded labor of Black women, containing reimagined works by Vaughan, Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, Abbey Lincoln, Dinah Washington and more. jazz. By the time she was ready to start recording, the pandemic hit and Americans were in the throes of a racial reckoning sparked by the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and countless others. Taylor’s death, in particular, had an impact on Charles’ creative process. “I was rudely reminded that Black women are and always have been undervalued, uncared for, unprotected and neglected. It was at that point that I decided to focus on songs written and or sung by the Black women who paved the way for me,” recounts Charles. The resulting work comes together in Y’all Don’t (Really) Care About Black Women, featuring renditions of songs originally recorded by Vaughan, Ella Fitzgerald, Abbey Lincoln, Dinah Washington and more. “Melanie Charles is a true renaissance artist, who is equally talented as a producer, singer, engineer, composer and performer,” says Jamie Krents, EVP of Verve/Impulse!. We’re always looking for new ways to expose the Verve catalog to a wider audience with respect and integrity, and we felt completely confident giving Melanie unprecedented access to bring her unique artistry to the table to reimagine some of the jewels from our vault. She spent hours in our library, carefully choosing songs that resonated for her, and we’re thrilled with the result.” On Y’all Don’t (Really) Care About Black Women, Charles leaves listeners with a powerful statement on what solidarity with Black women can look like. It includes not only care and attention to the everyday struggles that animate Black women’s lives, but also to the beauty and joy as well. At its core, the record is a call for a more intersectional vision of the world in which Black women can live more freely and express their full humanity. Melanie Charles is a Brooklyn-born singer, songwriter, bandleader, producer, actress and flautist of Haitian descent, with a creative fluidity spanning jazz, soul, experimental and roots music. Charles was raised by a Haitian mother in Brooklyn where the sound waves in their home was filled with artists like Johnny Hodges, Frank Sinatra, Chaka Khan, Anita Baker, John Coltrane and Nat King Cole. As a teen, she attended the famed LaGuardia High School for the Performing Arts where she studied flute and vocals. Eventually, she landed at the School of Jazz and Contemporary Music at The New School where she met artists like singer, songwriter and record producer Jesse Boykins III and alto saxophonist Lakecia Benjamin. Charles’ genre-bending style has been embraced by a wide range of artists including Wynton Marsalis, SZA, Mach-Hommy, Gorillaz and The Roots. Throughout her career she has remained committed to making music that pushes listeners to consider new possibilities, both sonically and politically. “Make Jazz Trill Again,” a project that she launched in 2016, demonstrates her allegiance to everyday people, especially the youth and is focused on taking jazz from the museum to the streets. Earlier this year, Charles’ Tiny Desk (Home) Concert debuted on NPR Music, who proclaimed, “Melanie Charles takes us on a journey that embodies the soul of jazz: exploration.” For additional information on Y’all Don’t (Really) Care About Black Women, see Melanie Charles’ bio/artist notes HERE. MELANIE CHARLES Y’ALL DON’T (REALLY) CARE ABOUT BLACK WOMEN 1. God Bless The Child 2. Perdido (Reimagined) 3. Detour Ahead (Reimagined) 4. All Africa (The Beat) 5. The Music is the Magic 6. Pay Black Woman (Interlude) 7. Woman Of The Ghetto (Reimagined) 8. Jazz (Ain’t Nothing But Soul) [Reimagined] 9. Go Away Little Boy 10. What A Difference (Reimagined) 11. Beginning to See the Light (Reimagined) MELANIECHARLES.COM

JULIUS RODRIGUEZ, MULTI-TALENTED PIANIST/DRUMMER/PRODUCER, ANNOUNCES MAJOR LABEL DEBUT ALBUM LET SOUND TELL ALL SET FOR RELEASE JUNE 10 ON VERVE RECORDS RODRIGUEZ BLAZES HIS OWN SONIC PATH ON DEBUT ALBUM AFTER DROPPING OUT OF JUILLIARD TO TOUR WITH A$AP ROCKY, CAUTIOUS CLAY AND MORE Artist Title Time Julius Rodriguez Gift Of The Moon 02:59 RODRIGUEZ WEAVES JAZZ AND PSYCHEDELIA ON NEW SINGLE “GIFT OF THE MOON” WATCH OFFICIAL VISUALIZER PREMIERED TODAY WITH THE FADER “a cosmic jazz saga that starts with a mesmeric two-chord cadence and expands into something colossal yet sleek and reserved” The Fader March 18, 2022 – Julius Rodriguez, multi-talented pianist/drummer/producer, today announces the release of his debut album Let Sound Tell All set for release June 10 via Verve Records. Stunning jazz elders and pop and indie peers alike with his technical wizardry, Yoda-like understanding of complex melody, and George Martin-inspired production feats, Rodriguez commands attention for his reverence for sound - however anyone decides to classify it. An exclusive translucent LP as well as standard versions of the LP/CD will be available at the Verve Records Center Stage store. Today, he releases his first single “Gift Of The Moon,” a psychedelic number layered with trumpet and high-level production that nods to Roy Hargrove and Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. Watch the Official Visualizer for the “Gift Of The Moon” here Pre-order Let Sound Tell All here Photo Credit: Avery J. Savage On his debut album Let Sound Tell All, 23 year old musician Julius Rodriguez stirs a cauldron of gospel, jazz, classical, R&B, hip-hop, experimentation, production and sheer technical wizardry to create a stunning debut that commands attention. As an 11 year old kid, Rodriguez honed his jazz chops at Smalls Jazz Club, wowing audiences with his rendition of his favorite Ellington tune “Take the A Train.” Fast forward to 2018 when he dropped out of Juilliard, shimmying off the rigid curriculum to tour with A$AP Rocky. Now, in 2022, Rodriguez is on the cusp of a stellar release that weaves his life and influences - from Monk, Coltrane, Solange, James Blake, Sampha and more. This music is as much at home in Smalls Jazz Club as it is at Gov Ball. “Gift Of The Moon” was one of the album’s earliest recorded songs. Rodriguez calls it “the first song I wrote that wasn’t a traditional jazz song, since there’s no solo section.” He struggled for years trying to figure out what to do with it, until in 2019 he asked trumpeter Giveton Gelin to solo over the existing recording. Rodriguez couldn’t pick any of Gelin’s three takes, “so I used all of them at the same time, and it turned into what it is now,” a trick he picked up from George Martin and his youthful idolization of The Beatles’ studio hacks - as well as from Roy Hargrove’s recordings where the late trumpeter would overdub tracks. The addition of Julius’ synth parts and a wordless vocal from Onyx compadre Nick Hakim created a stunning instrumental miniature. Let Sound Tell All is a complex combination of live improvisation weaved with high-level production. A song may start out in a well-oiled, Coltrane classic quartet energy and fed through distortion pedals to culminate in an exhilarating trippy meltdown of sheer sonic genius. Call him Gen-Z jazz, but when you hear Julius Rodriguez play “the music,” as he calls it, it’s a modern Sound, as fluent in history as it is aware of its contemporary context. His music dares to imagine a future of new standards and musical trailblazing. This vanguard was raised in an atmosphere where pop and hip-hop and dance influenced their approaches to melody and harmony and rhythm, so of course it is part of their improvisational DNA. And that’s what Julius Rodriguez’s Sound tells to whoever will choose to listen. S.G. Goodman Returns with New Album Teeth Marks Release on June 3 via Verve Forecast 1. S.G. Goodman - Teeth Marks 03:37 2. S.G. Goodman - All My Love Is Coming Back To Me 03:29 3. S.G. Goodman - Heart Swell 04:09 4. S.G. Goodman - When You Say It 04:16 5. S.G. Goodman - If You Were Someone I Loved 04:13 6. S.G. Goodman - You Were Someone I Loved 03:34 7. S.G. Goodman - Work Until I Die 06:32 8. S.G. Goodman - The Heart of It 03:15 9. S.G. Goodman - Dead Soldiers 03:54 10. S.G. Goodman - Patron Saint Of The Dollar Store 03:31 11. S.G. Goodman - Keeper Of The Time 05:28 “Goodman tackles challenges directly, a head-on approach that's admirable and ultimately what makes her storytelling so compelling.” NPR Music “Her voice as soulful as her themes can be challenging” SPIN “Refreshingly out of step with these divisive times” New Yorker “An intriguing, original new voice” Associated Press Kentucky Rock N’ Roll truth teller S.G. Goodman today announced the release of her forthcoming sophomore album Teeth Marks. Released June 3 via Verve Forecast, it is steeped in her caustic wit and social commentary, specifically exploring the various and often painful indelible marks that love can leave behind. Mining garage rock, Appalachian folk and post-punk influence, the album finds Goodman’s stirring vocals draped in a sonic patchwork of southern indie rock. Goodman explained, “This is a song about the phantom limb of love: a condition in which a lover's mind is deluded and we make the mistake of taking a step forward, only to fall face first into the reality of another's heart. A reality we are unwilling to accept – a land of false promise we find ourselves not equipped to walk in.” EMERGING ARTIST MELANIE CHARLES’ NEW ALBUM Y’ALL DON’T (REALLY) CARE ABOUT BLACK WOMEN OUT NOW ON VERVE PROJECT CONTAINS REIMAGINED WORKS BY BILLIE HOLIDAY, ELLA FITZGERALD, SARAH VAUGHAN, DINAH WASHINGTON AND MORE 1. Melanie Charles - God Bless The Child 04:34 2. Melanie Charles, Dinah Washington - Perdido (Reimagined) 02:20 3. Melanie Charles, Sarah Vaughan - Detour Ahead (Reimagined) 03:54 4. Melanie Charles - All Africa (The Beat) 02:03 5. Melanie Charles - The Music Is The Magic 01:14 6. Melanie Charles - Pay Black Women Interlude 02:02 7. Melanie Charles, Marlena Shaw - Woman Of The Ghetto (Reimagined) 04:57 8. Melanie Charles, Betty Carter - Jazz (Ain't Nothing But Soul) (Reimagined) 03:06 9. Melanie Charles - Go Away Little Boy 02:49 10. Melanie Charles, Dinah Washington - What A Difference (Reimagined) 02:23 11. Melanie Charles, Ella Fitzgerald - Beginning to See The Light (Reimagined) 02:44 November 12, 2021—Y’all Don’t (Really) Care About Black Women, the new album from emerging artist Melanie Charles, is out now on Verve, marking her first major label release. The project is a love letter to the unheralded labor of Black women, containing reimagined works by Sarah Vaughan, Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, Abbey Lincoln, Dinah Washington and more. The new music continues to receive critical praise: Charles originally began developing the project in 2019 when she was approached by Verve to create a remix album using their back catalog. Her initial approach was to find songs that spoke to her with the intention of breathing new energy into them. She was immediately drawn to the voices of Billie Holiday and Sarah Vaughn, enabling her to reminisce about the tunes and voices that made her fall in love with jazz. By the time she was ready to start recording, the pandemic hit and Americans were in the throes of a racial reckoning sparked by the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and countless others. Taylor’s death had an impact on Charles’ creative process. On Y’all Don’t (Really) Care About Black Women, Charles leaves listeners with a powerful statement on what solidarity with Black women can look like. It includes not only care and attention to the everyday struggles that animate Black women’s lives, but also to the beauty and joy as well. At its core, the record is a call for a more intersectional vision of the world in which Black women can live more freely and express their full humanity. Melanie Charles is a Brooklyn-born singer, songwriter, bandleader, producer, actress and flautist of Haitian descent, with a creative fluidity spanning jazz, soul, experimental and roots music. Charles was raised by a Haitian mother in Brooklyn where the sound waves in their home was filled with artists like Johnny Hodges, Frank Sinatra, Chaka Khan, Anita Baker, John Coltrane and Nat King Cole. As a teen, she attended the famed LaGuardia High School for the Performing Arts where she studied flute and vocals. Eventually, she landed at the School of Jazz and Contemporary Music at The New School where she met artists like singer, songwriter and record producer Jesse Boykins III and alto saxophonist Lakecia Benjamin. Charles’ genre-bending style has been embraced by a wide range of artists including Wynton Marsalis, SZA, Mach-Hommy, Gorillaz and The Roots. Throughout her career she has remained committed to making music that pushes listeners to consider new possibilities, both sonically and politically. “Make Jazz Trill Again,” a project that she launched in 2016, demonstrates her allegiance to everyday people, especially the youth and is focused on taking jazz from the museum to the streets. Earlier this year, Charles’ Tiny Desk (Home) Concert debuted on NPR Music, who proclaimed, “Melanie Charles takes us on a journey that embodies the soul of jazz: exploration.” MELANIE CHARLES Y’ALL DON’T (REALLY) CARE ABOUT BLACK WOMEN 1. God Bless The Child 2. Perdido (Reimagined) 3. Detour Ahead (Reimagined) 4. All Africa (The Beat) 5. The Music is the Magic 6. Pay Black Woman (Interlude) 7. Woman Of The Ghetto (Reimagined) 8. Jazz (Ain’t Nothing But Soul) [Reimagined] 9. Go Away Little Boy 10. What A Difference (Reimagined) 11. Beginning to See the Light (Reimagined) MELANIECHARLES.COM EMERGING ARTIST MELANIE CHARLES’ RENDITION OF BETTY CARTER’S “JAZZ (AIN’T NOTHING BUT SOUL)” SINGLE OUT NOW NEW ALBUM Y’ALL DON’T (REALLY) CARE ABOUT BLACK WOMEN OUT NOVEMBER 12 VIA VERVE PROJECT CONTAINS REIMAGINED WORKS BY BILLIE HOLIDAY, ELLA FITZGERALD, DINAH WASHINGTON AND MORE photo credit: Meredith Traux “Melanie Charles takes us on a journey that embodies the soul of jazz: exploration.” October 20, 2021—Today, emerging artist Melanie Charles unveils her rendition of Betty Carter’s “Jazz (Ain’t Nothing But Soul),” a reminder of the lively spirit that lies at the heart of jazz music. As Charles puts it, “There’s a spectrum of what [jazz] sounds like, and what that looks like, which is really beautiful.” Watch the visualizer here. “‘Jazz (Ain’t Nothing But Soul)’ embodies my mission of ‘Making Jazz Trill Again.’ Written by Queens born Norman Mapp and sung by the iconic Betty Carter, it reminds us that despite the virtuosity Black American Music requires, it is quite simply for and by the PEOPLE,” notes Charles. “It’s speaking and walking in your truth. It is not the uptight museum music that has become popular amongst our jazz elite of today but a space to be free and unapologetically Black.” The track appears on Charles’ first major label project, Y’all Don’t (Really) Care About Black Women, which is now set for release on November 12 via Verve. The forthcoming release is a love letter to the unheralded labor of Black women, containing reimagined works by Sarah Vaughan, Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, Abbey Lincoln, Dinah Washington and more. Most recently, Charles debuted her renditions of Sarah Vaughan’s “Detour Ahead” and Marlena Shaw’s “Woman Of The Ghetto” to critical praise; FLOOD Magazine proclaims, “Charles’ reimagination of Sarah Vaughan’s ‘Detour Ahead’ is an ode to resilience,” while Billboard declares, “Breathing new life into a 1960’s anthem for empowerment, Melanie Charles delivers a charged performance of Marlena Shaw’s ‘Woman of The Ghetto.’” Charles originally began developing the project in 2019 when she was approached by Verve to create a remix album using their back catalog. Her initial approach was to find songs that spoke to her with the intention of breathing new energy into them. She was immediately drawn to the voices of Billie Holiday and Sarah Vaughn, enabling her to reminisce about the tunes and voices that made her fall in love with jazz. By the time she was ready to start recording, the pandemic hit and Americans were in the throes of a racial reckoning sparked by the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and countless others. Taylor’s death had an impact on Charles’ creative process. “I was rudely reminded that Black women are and always have been undervalued, uncared for, unprotected and neglected. It was at that point that I decided to focus on songs written and or sung by the Black women who paved the way for me,” recounts Charles. The resulting work comes together in Y’all Don’t (Really) Care About Black Women, featuring renditions of songs originally recorded by Vaughan, Ella Fitzgerald, Abbey Lincoln, Dinah Washington and more. On Y’all Don’t (Really) Care About Black Women, Charles leaves listeners with a powerful statement on what solidarity with Black women can look like. It includes not only care and attention to the everyday struggles that animate Black women’s lives, but also to the beauty and joy as well. At its core, the record is a call for a more intersectional vision of the world in which Black women can live more freely and express their full humanity. Melanie Charles is a Brooklyn-born singer, songwriter, bandleader, producer, actress and flautist of Haitian descent, with a creative fluidity spanning jazz, soul, experimental and roots music. Charles was raised by a Haitian mother in Brooklyn where the sound waves in their home was filled with artists like Johnny Hodges, Frank Sinatra, Chaka Khan, Anita Baker, John Coltrane and Nat King Cole. As a teen, she attended the famed LaGuardia High School for the Performing Arts where she studied flute and vocals. Eventually, she landed at the School of Jazz and Contemporary Music at The New School where she met artists like singer, songwriter and record producer Jesse Boykins III and alto saxophonist Lakecia Benjamin. Charles’ genre-bending style has been embraced by a wide range of artists including Wynton Marsalis, SZA, Mach-Hommy, Gorillaz and The Roots. Throughout her career she has remained committed to making music that pushes listeners to consider new possibilities, both sonically and politically. “Make Jazz Trill Again,” a project that she launched in 2016, demonstrates her allegiance to everyday people, especially the youth and is focused on taking jazz from the museum to the streets. Earlier this year, Charles’ Tiny Desk (Home) Concert debuted on NPR Music, who proclaimed, “Melanie Charles takes us on a journey that embodies the soul of jazz: exploration.” MELANIE CHARLES Y’ALL DON’T (REALLY) CARE ABOUT BLACK WOMEN 1. God Bless The Child 2. Perdido (Reimagined) 3. Detour Ahead (Reimagined) 4. All Africa (The Beat) 5. The Music is the Magic 6. Pay Black Woman (Interlude) 7. Woman Of The Ghetto (Reimagined) 8. Jazz (Ain’t Nothing But Soul) [Reimagined] 9. Go Away Little Boy 10. What A Difference (Reimagined) 11. Beginning to See the Light (Reimagined) MELANIECHARLES.COM EMERGING ARTIST MELANIE CHARLES’ RENDITION OF BETTY CARTER’S “JAZZ (AIN’T NOTHING BUT SOUL)” DEBUTS TODAY NEW ALBUM Y’ALL DON’T (REALLY) CARE ABOUT BLACK WOMEN OUT NOVEMBER 12 VIA VERVE PROJECT CONTAINS REIMAGINED WORKS BY BILLIE HOLIDAY, ELLA FITZGERALD, DINAH WASHINGTON AND MORE 1. Melanie Charles, Betty Carter - Jazz (Ain't Nothing But Soul) 03:06 “Melanie Charles takes us on a journey that embodies the soul of jazz: exploration.” October 20, 2021—Today, emerging artist Melanie Charles unveils her rendition of Betty Carter’s “Jazz (Ain’t Nothing But Soul),” a reminder of the lively spirit that lies at the heart of jazz music. As Charles puts it, “There’s a spectrum of what [jazz] sounds like, and what that looks like, which is really beautiful.” “‘Jazz (Ain’t Nothing But Soul)’ embodies my mission of ‘Making Jazz Trill Again.’ Written by Queens born Norman Mapp and sung by the iconic Betty Carter, it reminds us that despite the virtuosity Black American Music requires, it is quite simply for and by the PEOPLE,” notes Charles. “It’s speaking and walking in your truth. It is not the uptight museum music that has become popular amongst our jazz elite of today but a space to be free and unapologetically Black.” The track appears on Charles’ first major label project, Y’all Don’t (Really) Care About Black Women, which is now set for release on November 12 via Verve. The forthcoming release is a love letter to the unheralded labor of Black women, containing reimagined works by Sarah Vaughan, Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, Abbey Lincoln, Dinah Washington and more. Most recently, Charles debuted her renditions of Sarah Vaughan’s “Detour Ahead” and Marlena Shaw’s “Woman Of The Ghetto” to critical praise; FLOOD Magazine proclaims, “Charles’ reimagination of Sarah Vaughan’s ‘Detour Ahead’ is an ode to resilience,” while Billboard declares, “Breathing new life into a 1960’s anthem for empowerment, Melanie Charles delivers a charged performance of Marlena Shaw’s ‘Woman of The Ghetto.’” Charles originally began developing the project in 2019 when she was approached by Verve to create a remix album using their back catalog. Her initial approach was to find songs that spoke to her with the intention of breathing new energy into them. She was immediately drawn to the voices of Billie Holiday and Sarah Vaughn, enabling her to reminisce about the tunes and voices that made her fall in love with jazz. By the time she was ready to start recording, the pandemic hit and Americans were in the throes of a racial reckoning sparked by the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and countless others. Taylor’s death had an impact on Charles’ creative process. “I was rudely reminded that Black women are and always have been undervalued, uncared for, unprotected and neglected. It was at that point that I decided to focus on songs written and or sung by the Black women who paved the way for me,” recounts Charles. The resulting work comes together in Y’all Don’t (Really) Care About Black Women, featuring renditions of songs originally recorded by Vaughan, Ella Fitzgerald, Abbey Lincoln, Dinah Washington and more. On Y’all Don’t (Really) Care About Black Women, Charles leaves listeners with a powerful statement on what solidarity with Black women can look like. It includes not only care and attention to the everyday struggles that animate Black women’s lives, but also to the beauty and joy as well. At its core, the record is a call for a more intersectional vision of the world in which Black women can live more freely and express their full humanity. Melanie Charles is a Brooklyn-born singer, songwriter, bandleader, producer, actress and flautist of Haitian descent, with a creative fluidity spanning jazz, soul, experimental and roots music. Charles was raised by a Haitian mother in Brooklyn where the sound waves in their home was filled with artists like Johnny Hodges, Frank Sinatra, Chaka Khan, Anita Baker, John Coltrane and Nat King Cole. As a teen, she attended the famed LaGuardia High School for the Performing Arts where she studied flute and vocals. Eventually, she landed at the School of Jazz and Contemporary Music at The New School where she met artists like singer, songwriter and record producer Jesse Boykins III and alto saxophonist Lakecia Benjamin. Charles’ genre-bending style has been embraced by a wide range of artists including Wynton Marsalis, SZA, Mach-Hommy, Gorillaz and The Roots. Throughout her career she has remained committed to making music that pushes listeners to consider new possibilities, both sonically and politically. “Make Jazz Trill Again,” a project that she launched in 2016, demonstrates her allegiance to everyday people, especially the youth and is focused on taking jazz from the museum to the streets. Earlier this year, Charles’ Tiny Desk (Home) Concert debuted on NPR Music, who proclaimed, “Melanie Charles takes us on a journey that embodies the soul of jazz: exploration.” For additional information on Y’all Don’t (Really) Care About Black Women, see Melanie Charles’ bio/artist notes HERE. MELANIE CHARLES Y’ALL DON’T (REALLY) CARE ABOUT BLACK WOMEN 1. God Bless The Child 2. Perdido (Reimagined) 3. Detour Ahead (Reimagined) 4. All Africa (The Beat) 5. The Music is the Magic 6. Pay Black Woman (Interlude) 7. Woman Of The Ghetto (Reimagined) 8. Jazz (Ain’t Nothing But Soul) [Reimagined] 9. Go Away Little Boy 10. What A Difference (Reimagined) 11. Beginning to See the Light (Reimagined) MELANIECHARLES.COM The Wonderful World of Louis Armstrong All Stars Set to Release A Gift to Pops: “Black and Blue” feat. Common Available Now Famed Rapper Addresses Racial Consciousness and Prejudice Over R&B-Flavored Groove: “My school of thought is Black openness/ to define and redefine what the culture is.” Co-Produced by Wycliffe Gordon, Nicholas Payton and Jackie Harris with Liner Notes from George Wein Album Available October 15 via Verve Records Check Out the Exclusive Premiere of “The Peanut Vendor” feat. Wynton Marsalis on WBGO While New Orleans native Louis Armstrong passed away in 1971 at the age of 69, today his legacy as the kingpin of jazz continues to grow. The most significant example of this is the ensemble The Wonderful World of Louis Armstrong All Stars, comprised largely of top-of-the-line Crescent City musicians paying tribute to him with the brilliant album A Gift to Pops. The inventive re-envisioning of music associated with the trumpeter/vocalist during his five-decade career features new arrangements and new performances of stalwart tunes ranging from the “The Peanut Vendor” (recorded by him in 1930) to “What a Wonderful World” (recorded in 1968 and the most successful tune of his career). Special guests include Wynton Marsalis and Common. Nicholas Payton—who arranged seven of the songs, plays emotive and thrilling trumpet with engaging solos throughout—takes the lead vocals on his modern arrangement of Fats Waller’s “Black and Blue” (available now), a tune about racial consciousness and prejudice that starts out wild and frantic before the bass and drums take it into an R&B-flavored groove. In the midst of the tune, Common delivers his rap poetry on the theme that includes lines such as, “Went through black and blue for the bright day,” and “My school of thought is black openness/To define and redefine what the culture is.” Co-producer Wycliffe Gordon comments: “Common added a different spin to the tune. It seemed like things we had talked about as a country had changed, but they didn’t, which is why this is important.” Harris adds: “We’re hoping Common will draw young people into Louis Armstrong. We’re out to make changes.” “We decided to make a recording that captures the essence of Pops,” says Gordon, who is well-versed in the music but is the only member of the band not born in New Orleans. “We wanted to perform the music the way he might have played it if he were still alive. We all had ideas for how to pull this off, by including songs influenced by gospel, the blues, the traditional brass band sounds, popular music and rap.” In the liner notes, impresario George Wein wrote: “With this recording, this music of Louis Armstrong demonstrates how he created the language of jazz and influenced all the music that followed—from swing to bebop and even to rap, as demonstrated by Common. But there’s one thing for sure: This band and record demonstrate that there was nothing common about Louis Armstrong.” The project emanated in 2018 by the Louis Armstrong Educational Foundation through the recommendation of Jackie Harris, executive director of LAEF, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the New York organization founded in 1969 by Louis and his wife Lucille “to give back to the world some of the goodness he received.” Harris says the recording was a team effort started by the Foundation and the wonderful musicians who appear on this recording. “We wanted to make this recording of the major 20th century artist who instructs and intersects with artists of the 21st century,” says Harris. “All the musicians we asked to participate, even Wynton and Common, were honored to be a part of this. We allowed all the musicians to put their own signatures on the songs.” Harris notes that the 50th anniversary is a tad late, but other factors interceded, including the difficulty of recording during the pandemic and some artists living in different cities around the country and contributing in different studios. About the Louis Armstrong Educational Foundation: Founded by Louis and Lucille Armstrong in 1969, the Louis Armstrong Educational Foundation funds organizations that support jazz musicians, educators, and students. Mr. Armstrong, iconic trumpeter and singer, is the foundation of jazz and of American musical virtuosity in the 20th Century. His earliest recordings taught musicians how to improvise and sing jazz, blues, the American Popular Song and all styles of American vernacular music. His discoveries gave listeners around the world a new way to experience music, and his way of “being natural” in public created another understanding of what it meant to be human. Pops, his nickname which was also the name he called everyone, was a man of the people and all walks of life were given a seat of welcome at his and Lucille’s table. In addition to his legendary artistry, he established this foundation to ensure that future generations would be taught to play and appreciate the art of jazz. From 1943 to the end of his life, Mr. Armstrong was a resident of Corona, Queens, where he enjoyed traveling across the New York boroughs performing and listening to music. The Wonderful World of Louis Armstrong All Stars · A Gift to Pops Verve Records · Release Date: October 15, 2021

I hear voices in my head. I don't worry about it because that's where my ears are.