Jazz Scene No. 78 looking at Avid Group Records recent releases. by Sean Brophy on Mixcloud
1. Jack The Bear ( 3.16 ) - Duke Ellington & His Famous Orchestra - CD Highlights Of The Great 1940 - 1942 Band
NEW RELEASE PACKAGE
LONG SHOT 1
2. Lovely Lisa ( 7.20 ) - Dexter Gordon - CD Leader & Sideman as part of Three Classic Albums Plus Dexter Gordon
NEW RELEASE PACKAGE
3. Love & Humor ( 6.09 ) - Yusef Lateef - CD Sounds Of Lateef as part of Four Classic Albums Yusef Lateef
NEW RELEASE PACKAGE
4. Concerto Italien En Fa Majeur Plaus Allegro ( 5.34 ) - Jacques Loussier - CD Plays Bach Vol. 3 as part of Four Classic Albums Jacques Loussier
2013 RELEASE PACKAGE
5. Over The Rainbow ( 5.58 ) - Frank Wess - CD Opus In Swing as part of Four Classic Albums Frank Wess
2014 RELEASE PACKAGE
6. Baby It's Cold Outside ( 4.08 ) - Ray Charles & Betty Carter - CD Ray Charles & Betty Carter as part of Four Classic Albums Betty Carter
2014 RELEASE PACKAGE
LONG SHOT 2
7. Winterset ( 7.11 ) - Donald Byrd - CD Byrd's World as part of Four Classic Albums
2014 RELEASE PACKAGE
8. Spanish Guitar Blues ( 2.13 ) - Charlie Byrd - CD Jazz Recital as part of Four Classic Albums
2014 RELEASE PACKAGE
LONG SHOT 3
9. Scrapple From The Apple ( 8.41 ) - Phil Woods - CD Bird's Night : A Memorial Concert Dedicated To The Music Of Charlie Parker as part of Three Classic Albums Plus
2014 RELEASE PACKAGE
LUCKY PETERSON LIVE AT
THE SUGAR CLUB Leeson Street Dublin 2. Thursday 12th. March Doors 7.45 PM Show 8.30PM
"Incredible blues vocals...insanely lively guitar...it’s amazing" -USA Today
Making his debut appearance in Ireland the multi talented and hugely entertaining original “Son of a Bluesman” Lucky Peterson will be playing THE SUGAR CLUB in what promises to be an incredible night of music. Well on his way to becoming the leading Blues performer in the world Lucky Peterson has paid his dues and now he is set to bring his wonderful band to Dublin for one night only.
The multi-instrumentalist Lucky Peterson has garnered a reputation as one of the most riveting and meaningful performers of the modern blues era. A searing lead guitarist, a rich and thoughtful organist, and a first-rate vocalist, Lucky’s musicianship effortlessly translates gospel, rock, and jazz into a 21st century blues presentation.
Lucky's current album, The Son of a Blues Man (Jazzbook Records, 2014) is a
Blues, Gospel, and R&B tour de force, and was released in June 2014. Many reminisce about the bygone days of the Blues, but the flame of Blues music still burns hot in the hands of Lucky Peterson.
Line-up
Lucky Peterson (Guitar, Vocal & Organ)
Timothy Waites (Bass) Raul Valdes (Drums)
Shawn Kellerman (Guitar) Marvin Hollie (Keyboard)
JEFF BALLARD FAIRGROUNDS
Christchurch Cathedral, Dublin 2
Friday 6th March at 8.00pm
Jeff Ballard is one of the standout jazz drummers of his generation, a humming engine of polyrhythm and an ace of earthy texture. He is best known for his work behind leaders like Chick Corea, Pat Metheny, Joshua Redman, and Brad Mehldau. Here he takes a turn as bandmaster with a quartet featuring the talents of Reid Anderson from The Bad Plus, Blue Note legend in the making Lionel Loueke, and the prolific Kevin Hayes.
"...one of the leading modern voices on his instrument" - New York Times on Jeff Ballard
They ride the rides. They take a turn riding all of them. These rides, which make up this amusement park, should be built in places perfect, well studied. It takes a certain strength to build, to manage, and to coordinate.
These and other qualities Mr. Ballard must have thought about, a cultured and refined musician, when he decided to call his latest creation Fairgrounds. Whomever likes can participate, the only requirement is that they are emotionally committed.
Ballard started from there, with friends, colleagues, who would assure him the right chemistry: Lionel Loueke on guitar (Herbie Hancock, Terrance Blanchard), Reid Anderson (whom we know as the bassist of the imaginative trio The Bad Plus; but here he has left the acoustic bass and has devoted himself to weaving electronic sounds and textures with a computer and various controllers), and Kevin Hays (Joe Henderson, Benny Golson, John Scofield) on piano and keyboards.
As a carousel, anyone can climb aboard this band if he so wishes. So the group's roster expands and contracts. An open workshop, creative, constantly evolving. Those who come in don't behave as simply a "guest" but as a full time essential member of the band, bringing all his or her desires, commitment, and knowledge through the gate into the fairgrounds.
Musically diverse, sometimes very bold and unexpected, Jeff Ballard Fairgrounds does not have a fixed or pre-established repertoire, the music mostly comes as sound ideas brought in by Ballard and his companions, taking on different forms as the ideas germinate and expand in context. A group with an unusual timbre from their combined strength. A new reality, which will act as an arena where one can bring ideas and flex the mind. The creativity and commitment of the leader is well documented also by his stylistic choices. The sharp blades of the avant-garde, the obsessions of free jazz, the intrigue of electronics, wide cultural diversity of rhythm, colours, textures of rock, the splendid virtuosity of the individual involved.
All of this is to describe Jeff Ballard Fairgrounds. Just listen to it and you will no longer have any doubt: when the bell sounds announcing the new round of tournament, stay there. Don't miss it.
Line up:
Jeff Ballard (drums)
Kevin Hays (piano)
Lionel Loueke (guitar)
Reid Anderson (electronics)
JEFF BALLARD
Drummer/percussionist Jeff Ballard was born in Southern California in 1963 and grew up in Santa Cruz, CA. He recalls lying in bed listening to the recorded music his father would play on weekends, including Count Basie, Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong, Oscar Peterson, Sergio Mendez, and Milton Nascimento. Ballard was originally influenced by Joe Morello, Sonny Payne, Mel Lewis, Ed Thigpen, Elvin Jones, and Ed Blackwell. He graduated from high school in 1981 and enrolled at Cabrillo Community College in Santa Cruz, studying music theory with Sue Brown and Lyle Cruz, playing in a big band, and gigging with small groups that played a variety of music. The drummer also attended a Jamey Aebersold band camp.
Moving to San Francisco in 1986, Ballard heard Tony Williams, and it changed the way he approached the drums. It also expanded his circle of heroes to include Max Roach, Art Blakey, Steve Gadd, Eddie Marshall, and Enrique Pla. He was also working with trumpeter Ray Brown (husband of Sue Brown), Smith Dobson, and Harvey Wainapel. At age 25, Ballard began playing with Ray Charles during eight-month stretches for three consecutive years. After that, he moved to New York City in 1990, where he communed with the contemporary neo-bop and progressive players living there. He also collaborated with veterans like Buddy Montgomery, Lou Donaldson, Eddie Harris, and Herman Foster. He joined Chick Corea in 1999 and has continued to play in his various projects.
Ballard is a member of the Sam Yahel and Brad Mehldau trios, the Metheny-Mehldau Quartet, and Joshua Redman's Elastic Band, and is a co-leader of Fly, a collective trio with Mark Turner and Larry Grenadier.
His most recent project, JEFF BALLARD FAIRGROUNDS, is a constantly changing configuration. It is basically an extension of all the kinds of music he loves to play, played with the musicians he loves.
REID ANDERSON
Originally from Minneapolis, Reid Anderson emerged as one of the most promising bassists and composers on the New York jazz scene. He studied classical music at Philadelphia's Curtis Institute of Music, graduating in 1993. Upon arriving in New York in 1994, he began working with like-minded young players such as Mark Turner, Jorge Rossy, Ethan Iverson, Kurt Rosenwinkel, and Bill McHenry. Anderson has released a number of fine albums on the Fresh Sound/New Talent label, and he co-leads an acclaimed trio called the Bad Plus with Iverson and drummer David King. In addition, Anderson also fronts his own rock band, the Sun, for which he sings and plays guitar.
LIONEL LOUEKE
West African guitarist Lionel Loueke was inspired by his brother, who taught him how to play during his late teenage years. Stops at the Ivory Coast's National Institute of Arts, Paris' American School of More Than Music, and Berklee College of Music led Loueke to appearances on a series of high-profile recordings, including Terence Blanchard's Bounce and Flow, Charlie Haden's Land of the Sun, and Herbie Hancock's Possibilities. Apart from his role in the trio Gilfema (with bassist Massimo Biolcati and drummer Ferenc Nemeth), Loueke has recorded on his own, including the live In a Trance and Virgin Forest. He released his first Blue Note album, Karibu, in 2008. In 2009 Loueke guested on Magos Herrera's album Distancia. His second album for Blue Note, Mwaliko, appeared in early 2010. In 2012, Loueke released the trio album Heritage, which was produced by and features contributions from acclaimed jazz pianist Robert Glasper.
KEVIN HAYS
Kevin Hays is internationally recognized as one of the premier jazz pianists of his generation. Many of his 15 recordings as leader have received critical acclaim from publications such as The New York Times, Downbeat Magazine and Jazz Times, as well as a "Coup de Coeur" from the Académie Charles Cros (France). A prolific sideman appearing on over 60 records, Kevin's long list of notable musical associations include records with Chris Potter, Joshua Redman, Nicholas Payton, and Al Foster.
The New Day Trio is Kevin's latest project with bassist Rob Jost (Bjork, Tony Scherr) and drummer Greg Joseph (Steve Kuhn, Art Garfunkel). The trio recorded their first album, New Day, during the summer of 2014.
Mike Nielsen’s Crimo Trio
Sligo-born guitarist Michael Nielsen’s professional debut was at the age of 12. Since returning from Berklee College in 1985 he has been in the forefront of Irish jazz as a performer and educator. His unique technique and interest in many genres of music has led to the development of an original voice. With his diverse musical tastes, Michael has collaborated with classical, flamenco, traditional Irish, Indian and Turkish musicians.
His pioneering work crosses musical boundaries in the area of acoustic, electric, electronic and microtonal guitar music, performing on specially designed microtonal guitars. As a leader and sideman he has performed with many international artists including: Larry Coryell, Kenny Werner, Kenny Wheeler, Dominique Di Piazza, Paul Wertico, Joe Lovano, and Dave Liebman with whom he recorded twice and toured Europe, Australia and New Zealand headlining the Wangaratta Jazz Festival.
An interest in composition has led to many commissions and currently he composes for solo guitar, Mike Nielsen Quartet, and his microtonal group, Crimo Trio who will feature on the night including Ellen Demos on vacals and James Mackin on percussion.
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Christchurch Cathedral, Dublin 2
Friday 6th March at 8.00pm
Tickets: €24 a/v from www.tickets.ie
JEFF BALLARD FAIRGROUNDS
Christchurch Cathedral, Dublin 2
Friday 6th March at 8.00pm
Jeff Ballard is one of the standout jazz drummers of his generation, a humming engine of polyrhythm and an ace of earthy texture. He is best known for his work behind leaders like Chick Corea, Pat Metheny, Joshua Redman, and Brad Mehldau. Here he takes a turn as bandmaster with a quartet featuring the talents of Reid Anderson from The Bad Plus, Blue Note legend in the making Lionel Loueke, and the prolific Kevin Hayes.
