Flamencos De Morón – ¡Puro y Vivo! (2011)

Seville-born Javier Heredia is a flamenco singer but also a “festero”, who specializes in dancing while singing bulerías. Heredia has performed for over 20 years, and his career is marked with numerous artistic achievements and international recognitions. He has appeared several times in Seville’s prestigious Flamenco Bienal in line with artists such as Manuel Molina, El Extremeño,  and Juana la del Pipa among others. In other numerous festivals and events, he has performed with notable artists such as Jose de la Tomasa, Pansequito, Inés Bacán, Miguel el Funi, Concha Vargas, Juan Villar, Carmen Ledesma, Angelita Vargas, and Aurora Vargas. Most notably, he has appeared in various theater productions of the legendary dancer Manuela Carrasco, includingthe Bienal, and he toured across Europe with her company in 2004-2005.

In 2010, Heredia was selected as a member of Flamenco de Morón, and toured Spain, Morocco, and Switzerland with the group for four years. In 2011, Heredia released an album with Flamenco de Morón called ¡Puro y Vivo!.
Heredia has also been invited to perform in several internationally recognized prestigious
festivals, such as Flamenco Festival in Berlin, the Mont de Marsan Flamenco Festival in France, and Flamenco Cante Festival in Miami amongst others. He has been contracted multiple times in the US since 2007; and he has been recognized as an artist with an “Artist with Extra Ordinary Abilities” by the US government since 2015 and continues to teach and perform for various flamenco organizations.

Also since 2014, he has started annual workshops and performances in various major cities in Japan such as Tokyo, Osaka and Nagoya. He continues performing in important flamenco events in Spain and internationally; and he also teach his general class or intensive workshops while in Seville. As highlights of recent years, he appeared in a television program “Foro Flamenco” on Canal Sur to celebrate and represent flamenco as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, recognized by UNESCO in 2016. He was invited to perform in XLVI Festival de Cante Grande de Casabermeja and XXV Festival Luna Llena de Castellar de la Frontera in 2017. In September 2018, Heredia participated in la XX Bienal de Flamenco de Sevilla. Most recently, Heredia performed in Bienal de Arte Flamenco de Malaga, August, 2019. (artelavida.com)

Amd here´s this  “¡Puro y Vivo!” album:

The «Flamencos de Morón» project presents a live recording by young artists who participated in and continue to follow the Flamenco tradition with authenticity and bring it live to the audience.

The famous brothers Paco and Ignacio de Amparo, heirs of the art of playing guitar as Diego del Gastor, have mastered the essence and purity of touch of the maestro: an harmonious simplicity and clarity of beautiful sounds. It is a way to play guitar that can seem easy at first, but is very complex, efficient and touching. Paco de Amparo has played for many years on all international stages with his band “Son de la Frontera”. (.flamencoexport.com)

And yes … flamenco has its own melodies, its own rhythms and its very own magic.

Enjoy it !

Personnel:
guitar:
Paco de Amparo – Ignacio de Amparo
vocals:
Teresa Ríos – Rubio de Pruna – Javier Heredia – Ana Ojeda

Tracklist:
01. Alegrías (Teresa Ríos) 6.23
02. Aires de Morón (Bulería a guitarra) (Paco de Amparo & Ignacio de Amparo) 5.54
03. Soleá por bulerías (Rubio de Pruna) 4.09
04. Bulerías (Javier Heredia) 7.03
05. Tangos (Teresa Ríos) 6.46
06. Bulerías (Ana Ojeda) 3.09
07. Martinete (Rubio de Pruna) 4.27
08. Bulerías Fin de Fiesta 1 (Javier Heredia, Teresa Ríos & Rubio de Pruna) 7.00
09. Bulerías Fin de Fiesta 2 (Teresa Ríos & Rubio de Pruna) 5.03

All songs: Traditionals

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More Flamenco in this blog:

The Impossible Gentlemen – Same (2011)

This Anglo-American supergroup could be seen as a canny way of raising the international profile of two of Britain’s most inventive jazz musicians.

These gentlemen first assembled in 2009, with pianist Gwilym Simcock and guitarist Mike Walker backed by flashy US drummer Adam Nussbaum and veteran bass legend Steve Swallow. The latter has now been replaced by another American, Steve Rodby, and the lineup has been expanded to feature Iain Dixon, who multitasks on reeds and synth. But the focus remains on the guitar/piano pairing of Simcock and Walker.

The two write most of the material, which often suffers from the curse of so much contemporary jazz in that it is overwritten, packed with tricksy chord changes and byzantine, unnavigable melodies. (theguardian.com)

And here´s is their first album:

Last year, this world-class Anglo-US quartet (touring the UK until 23 June) first unveiled the breadth of its appeal – from byzantine contemporary bebop to raw, Hendrix-like guitar blues by way of Pat Metheny’s lyricism and Gwilym Simcock’s mercurial compositions and piano virtuosity. Simcock, Salford guitar master Mike Walker, bass guitarist Steve Swallow and drummer Adam Nussbaum sidestep every supergroup pitfall by sounding as integrated and mutually responsive as if they’d been together for a decade. Graceful, Methenyesque groovers such as Walker’s Laugh Lines buzz with call-and-response swaps between piano and guitar, and the same composer’s When You Hold Her begins as a piano ballad, develops through soft chords and harmonics, and turns slowly into a punchy guitar solo full of vocal-like tone changes. Simcock’s uptempo You Won’t Be Around to See It is a slew of flying motifs, passing references to Charlie Parker and Monk, choppy backbeats, some brilliant soul-blues guitar, and a dazzling passage of countermelodic piano improv in Brad Mehldau’s league. Play the Game is another Simcock sprint full of uncliched solos over Swallow’s relaxed bass-walk, and Walker is at his soul-guitar best on Nussbaum’s fiercely bluesy Sure Would Baby as the finale. (John Fordham)

Personnel:
Adam Nussbaum (drums)
Gwilym Simcock (piano)
Steve Swallow (bass)
Mike Walker (guitar)

Tracklist:
01. Laugh Lines (Walker) 5.11
02. Clockmaker (Walker) 9.18
03. When You Hold Her (Simcock) 11.05
04. You Won’t Be Around To See It (Simcock) 7.35
05. Wallenda’s Last Stand (Walker) 7.30
06. Gwil’s Song (Simcock) 8.44
07. Play The Game (Simcock) 7.37
08. Sure Would Baby (Nussbaum) 6.28*
**

The official website:

Quaker City Night Hawks – Torquila Torquila (2011)

Texas’ Quaker City Night Hawks play a raw, hard-hitting brand of old-school Southern rock that draws on their love of country and blues. Following their arrival in the 2010s, Quaker City Night Hawks grabbed ears with albums like 2013’s Honcho and having their songs featured on TV’s Sons of Anarchy. In 2016, they broke even wider with their album El Astronauta.

Hailing from Fort Worth, Texas, Quaker City Night Hawks came together in 2009 after singer/songwriter Sam Anderson and singer/songwriter David Matsler decided to put a rock band together after years of hustling for solo acoustic gigs. Anderson, the son of a minister, had grown up singing in church and had picked up guitar as a teenager.

He was enrolled as an art major at Fort Worth’s Texas Tech when he befriended Matsler in 2003 while playing open-mike nights around Lubbock and Fort Worth. Matsler had been taught how to fingerpick guitar by his mother, and grew up listening to folk artists like James Taylor, Paul Simon, and Bob Dylan. He had also studied mandolin at South Plains College in Levelland before meeting Anderson.

Over the next few years, the duo stayed in touch as Anderson transferred to the University of North Texas in Denton and Matsler moved to Austin. Around 2007, they relocated to Fort Worth, splitting their time between coffeehouse gigs, work with various bands, and writing songs together. They eventually decided to officially put a band together, building upon their love of greasy ’70s rock, and influences like ZZ Top, Led Zeppelin, and the Band. Calling themselves Quaker City Night Hawks, a name partially culled from writer Mark Twain’s 1867 travel book The Innocents Abroad, they put together a live group of friends from the Fort Worth area. In 2012, they issued their debut album, Torquila Torquila!, and backed it up by constant touring and live shows.

That same year, the band gained a boost after several of their songs were used on season five of the popular motorcycle TV drama Sons of Anarchy. By the time they released their sophomore album, 2013’s Honcho, Quaker City Night Hawks had gained a loyal cult following with fans popping up around the globe. They eventually signed to Nashville’s Lightning Rod Records home of similarly roots-oriented mavericks like Joe Pug, Jason Isbell, and Ryan Culwell. Their first release for the label, El Astronauta, arrived in 2016 and featured the single “Mockingbird.” It gained significant attention online, including social media support from Jimmy Fallon, Marc Maron, and others. In 2019, they returned with their fourth full-length album, QCNH, which peaked in the Top 40 of the Billboard Top Independent Albums chart. (by Matt Collar)

Or:

Quaker City Night Hawks’ brand of hard rock n’ roll is bred from Texas boogie, Memphis soul and heavy blues. Their music is southern rock right out of ’75, played with the fervor of a sermon crackling out of the radio in a ’68 Lincoln. They’re the whiskey bottle you finished Saturday night and the prayer you said the next morning. Like a country gunshot on a humid night and your first illicit beer, Quaker City Night Hawks are the spirit of rock n’ roll.! (press release)

And here is their first self released album

Rock ‘n’ roll is not what it used to be. But don’t tell that to Fort Worth’s Quaker City Night Hawks, whose debut album, ¡Torquila Torquila!, is clearly from another time—a time when there was nothing better than a drive down a dusty road with a cigarette in your mouth, the top off your Firebird Trans Am and Creedence Clearwater Revival on the radio.

QCNH invoke all of these feelings with their brand of blues-infused boogie rock.

Fort Worth scene veterans Sam Anderson and Matt Mabe handle the singing duties as well as rhythm guitar and drums, respectively, while Patrick Adams and David Matsler handle bass and lead guitar. And the band is clearly well-versed when it comes to the blues. “Crack at the Bottle” features the classic 12-bar blues form with an AAB lyrics structure delivered by Anderson’s smoky vocals. “Hounds of Hell,” meanwhile, calls upon the great Delta bluesman Robert Johnson with its death-is-always-on-my-tail theme.

The straight-forward Southern rock of “Bible Black Lincoln” continues that theme and paints a picture of a devil who will “put a pistol to your head about the time you think you got him beat.”

With ¡Torquila Torquila!, Quaker City Night Hawks have created an album that is both relevant and timeless. This is rock ‘n’ roll. (by Mark Schectman)

A hell of a record, listen to “Some Of Adam’s Blues”.

Personnel:
Pat Adams (bass, vocals)
Sam Anderson (guitar, vocals)
Matt Mabe (drums, voals)
David Matsler (lead guitar, vocals)

Tracklist:
01. Like Old Cain 3.38
02. The Last Ride Of Miguel The Scared 4.00
03. Cold Blues 3.40
04. Bible Black Lincoln 3.57
05 Some Of Adam’s Blues 5.28
06. Ain’t No Kid 5.04
07. Hounds Of Hell 3.38
08. Crack At The Bottle 4.19
09. You’ll Never Have Her To Herself 4.13
10. Don’t Tell Em I’m Coming Home 4.50

All songs written by
Pat Adams – Sam Anderson – Matt Mabe – David Matsler

• (coming soon)
  **

The offical website:

Dorothee Oberlinger – French Baroque (2011)

Dorothee Oberlinger (born 2 September 1969) is a German recorder player and professor.
Biography

Dorothee Oberlinger was born in Aachen and raised in Simmern. At the University of Cologne, she studied music education and German studies. After university, she studied recorder in Cologne, Amsterdam and Milan. Her teachers include Günther Höller (Hochschule für Musik und Tanz Köln), Walter van Hauwe (Amsterdam) and Pedro Memelsdorff (Milan). In 1997 she won the first prize at the international “Moeck” UK / SRP competition. In 1998, she made her solo debut at London’s Wigmore Hall.

As a soloist, she has performed with internationally renowned ensembles and baroque orchestras, such as the Sonatori de la Gioiosa Marca, Musica Antiqua Köln, and the Academy of Ancient Music. In 2002, she founded the chamber group Ensemble 1700.[2] They have received several prizes and awards for their recordings[3]

Since 2004, Oberlinger has been professor at the Mozarteum in Salzburg and director of the Institute for Early Music and first deputy director of the Institute for New Music.[4] Since 2009, she has also been director of Arolser Baroque Festival. (wikipedia)

Dorothee Oberlinger’s CD is devoted entirely to the French Baroque. The recorder player, who lives in Cologne, is a star of the early music scene. For her last CD “Recorder Concerts” she received hymn-like reviews not only in the specialist press. The KulturSpiegel wrote: “Pearls from the Baroque Ocean. A discovery tour for gourmets.” Then in spring Oberlinger surprised everyone by appearing on the new CD “Touch Yello” by the Swiss pop band Yello. On “French Baroque” Oberlinger presents a selection from the chamber music of the most important French court musicians such as Hotteterre, Chedeville, Marais or Couperin – from the time of Louis XIV to the era of Louis XV. Contemplative music for intimate occasions is juxtaposed here with pleasing trios and entertaining “musique champetre” (rural music), whose stylised folksiness was the expression of an idyllic utopia of the nobility of the time. (press release)

Whereas in the last decades of the 17th century the conflict between the traditional French and the modern Italian style was one of the main features of music life in France, after the turn of the century the stranglehold of the traditionalists came to an end. Composers felt free to follow their ideal of mixing the best of two worlds, and the result was an amalgam of styles and scorings. This disc with music written between 1700 and 1740 offers some insight into the musical developments at that time.

A second development had a considerable impact upon the evolution of music: the emergence of public concerts. The most famous concert series was the Concert Spirituel, where some of the best music was performed. That not only included music by the main composers from France, but also music by Italian masters. Vivaldi’s concertos were particularly popular, and his famous Four Seasons were performed several times.

Nicholas Chédeville made use of this, as he published some of his own compositions under Vivaldi’s name. He also arranged Vivaldi’s opus 8, including the Four Seasons, for musette or hurdy-gurdy, violin, transverse flute and bc. This disc contains extracts from two of these concertos. The musette was a popular instrument in France, representing the countryside. In her liner-notes Dorothee Oberlinger explains this: “The French aristocracy longed for a secluded idyll, for a simple, natural world far removed from that of rigid courtly ceremonial; this idyll imitated what they believed to be the plain and carefree life of country folk”. This is reflected in pieces like the Rondeau Le Champêtre by Jacques-Martin Hotteterre, the suite La Noce Champêtre ou l’Himen pastoral by his elder brother Jean, depicting a wedding at the countryside, but also by many character pieces in François Couperin’s harpsichord music. One specimen is Le Rossignol-en-amour, which according to Couperin could also be played at the flute.

He almost certainly referred to the transverse flute, and that is also the instrument which played a central role at the music scene in the first half of the 18th century. From that perspective the choice to play all flute parts on the recorder is questionable. The recorder hadn’t completely disappeared: it was still played, and Hotteterre’s Prélude in g minor was even specifically written for it. And there is certainly no reason to exclude the recorder in performances of French music of this time. In some cases the recorder is not the most logical choice, though, and that is particularly the case with the Concerto in a minor by Michel Blavet. He was a brilliant player of the transverse flute, and recognized as such by, for instance, Johann Joachim Quantz, who visited Paris and heard him play. The concerto reflects his skills, and its character is rather at odds with the limited possibilities of the recorder. The performance by Brian Berryman on a recent disc around Quantz is more convincing and does more justice to the brilliance of the solo part.

The recorder is more suitable for the Trio in a minor, op. 37,5 by Joseph Bodin de Boismortier. He composed for about any instrument in vogue in his time, and in several collections the recorder is mentioned as one of the options. The opus 37 consists of trio sonatas for one treble instrument, a bass instrument and basso continuo. The same is true for the Sonata in d minor by Anne Danican Philidor, who founded the Concert Spirituel in 1725.

Like the Hotteterre’s the Philidor’s were a musical dynasty which played an important role in music life. Anne Danican was oboist, and at that time oboists also played the recorder. In the small number of instrumental works from his pen which have survived he gave the performers the option of choosing almost any treble instrument to play the upper parts. In the foreword of his Couplets de Folie Marin Marais specifically permitted performances on other instruments than the viola da gamba, for which they were originally intended. Only some of the variations are played here.

That is one of the features of this disc. Three movements from Les Saisons Amusantes by Chédeville are played, and these are extracts from two different concertos. The last piece of the programme, the Chaconne in D by Antoine Dornel, is also taken from a larger work: the Suite in D from the opus 1 of 1709. Jean Hotteterre’s La Noce Champêtre was originally written for musette and bc.

Here the upper parts are shared by recorder and musette, and even a second part has been added. I don’t see the need for this nor do I believe this is an improvement of what the composer has written down.

One may conclude that this disc has some flaws: questionable scorings, unnecessary arrangements, chopping up of pieces. The performances don’t fall into that category, though: Dorothee Oberlinger is a brilliant recorder player who performs with energy and imagination on nine different recorders. The playing of the ensemble is of the same calibre. And the quality and variety of the repertoire is such that it is impossible to get bored. Nobody interested in French baroque music and recorder aficionados shouldn’t hesitate to purchase this disc. (Johan van Veen)

Personnel:
Lorenzo Alpert (bassoon)
Thomas Boysen (guitar, theorbo)
Florian Deuter (violin)
Vittorio Ghielmi (viol)
Angela Koppenwallner (organ)
François Lazarevitch (flute. musette, voice)
Michael Niesemann (oboe)
Dorothee Oberlinger (recorder)
Rodney Prada (viol)
Alexander Puliaev (harpsichord)
Mónica Waisman (violin)

Conducted by Dorothee Oberlinger

Tracklist:

Michel Blavet – Concert In A Minor (Recorder, 2 Violins & Continuo):
01. Allegro 5.38
02. Gavotte I & II 3.44
03. Allegro 4.50

Jean Hotteterre – La Noce Champêtre Ou L’Himen Pastoral (Dessus I & II & Continuo):
04. Prélude: Appel Pour Rassembler La Troupe 1.27
05. Sarabande L’Himen 3.25
06. Ouverture (Le Festin) 2.38
07. Menuet 1 & 2, Contredanse, Cotillon 3.19
08. Le Coucher. Le Réveil Matin 3.05

Jacques Martin Hotteterre:
09. Prélude In G Minor 3.16

Joseph Bodin de Boismortier – Trio In A Minor Op. 37, No. 5:
10. Vivace 2.14
11. Largo 1.25
12. Allegro 1.46

Nicolas Chédeville – From “Les Saisons Amusantes”:
13. Allegro From Concerto No. 1 “Le Printemps” (after Vivaldi) (Recorder, Violin, Musette & Continuo) 3.07
14. Largo From Concerto No. 2 “Les Plaisiers De L’Etè” (after Vivaldi) (Recorder, Violin, Musette & Continuo) 2.33
15. Allegro (La Caccia) From Concerto No. 2 “Les Plaisiers De L’Etè” (after Vivaldi) (Recorder, Violin, Musette & Continuo) 3.24

Robert De Visée:
16. Prélude In G Major (Theorbo Solo) 0.53

François Couperin:
17. Le Rossignol En Amour (Recorder & Continuo) 3.13

Marin Marais:
18. Couplets De Folie (Extract) (Recorder Solo) 4.57

Anne Danican Philidor – Sonata In D Minor (Recorder & Continuo):
19. Lentement 2.29
20. Fugue 1.11
21. Courante 1.14
22. Gracieusement 1.16
23. Fugue 1.31

Jacques Martin Hotteterre:
24. Les Delices, Ou Le Fargis 2.48
25. Rondeau, Le Champêtre, Les Ecos (Recorder, Traverso & Continuo) 2.01

Antoine Dornel:
26. Chaconne In D Major (Dessus I & II And Continuo) 3.58

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**

The official website:

Eric Alexander & Vincent Herring – Friendly Fire (2011)

Eric Alexander (born August 4, 1968) is an American jazz saxophonist.

Alexander was born in Illinois. He began as a classical musician, studying alto saxophone at Indiana University with Eugene Rousseau in 1986.

He soon switched to jazz and the tenor saxophone, however, and transferred to William Paterson University, where he studied with Harold Mabern, Rufus Reid, Joe Lovano, Gary Smulyan, Norman Simmons, Steve Turre and others.

Alexander finished second at the 1991 Thelonious Monk International Jazz Saxophone Competition. He was soon signed by a record label.

Alexander has worked with many jazz musicians, including Chicago pianist Harold Mabern, bassist Ron Carter, drummer Idris Muhammad, and guitarist Pat Martino. He is part of Mike LeDonne’s Groover Quartet with Peter Bernstein, and Joe Farnsworth. He has recorded and toured extensively with the sextet, One for All. (wikipedia)

Known for his warm tone and robust, bop-informed lyricism, saxophonist Eric Alexander has carried the torch for straight-ahead modern jazz into the 21st century. Influenced by artists like Dexter Gordon and George Coleman, Alexander initially garnered attention playing in Chicago in the early ’90s before moving to New York. He has received acclaim for his driving hard bop albums like 1999’s Man with a Horn, 2006’s It’s All in the Game, and 2017’s Song of No Regrets. He is a founding member of the all-star sextet One for All, and has played with a bevy of luminaries including Charles Earland, Harold Mabern, Cedar Walton, and many more. (by Matt Collar)

Eric Alexander at Smoke Jazz Club, New York City, August 14, 2009:

On this album he plays together with Vincent Herring:

Vincent Dwayne Herring (born November 19, 1964) is an American jazz saxophonist, flautist, composer, and educator. Known for his fiery and soulful playing in the bands of Horace Silver, Freddie Hubbard, and Nat Adderley in the earlier stages of his career, he now frequently performs around the world with his own groups and is heavily involved in jazz education.

He was born in Hopkinsville, Kentucky, United States. His parents divorced, and he and his mother moved to California. When he was 11, he started playing saxophone in school bands and studying privately at Dean Frederick’s School of Music in Vallejo, California. At age 16, he entered California State University, Chico on a music scholarship.

A year later, Herring auditioned for the United States Military Academy band, Jazz Knights, playing lead alto sax. He moved to West Point and served one enlisted tour. In 1982 he moved to New York City attending Long Island University.

Herring first toured the United States and Europe as part of the Lionel Hampton Big Band. His talents came to the attention of Nat Adderley, and the two forged a nine-year musical relationship that led to nine albums and touring around the world year after year. After Adderley’s death, Herring collaborated with former Cannonball Adderley bandmember Louis Hayes to form the Cannonball Adderley Legacy Band. He also worked and recorded with pianist Cedar Walton for over two decades. He has also appeared on stage or recordings with Dizzy Gillespie, Horace Silver, Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers, Jack DeJohnette’s Special Edition, Freddie Hubbard, James Carter, Larry Coryell, Steve Turre, the Mingus Big Band, Billy Taylor, Nancy Wilson, Kenny Barron, Roy Hargrove, Arthur Taylor, Carla Bley, Mike LeDonne, Eric Alexander, Wallace Roney, Carl Allen, Bobby Watson, Gary Bartz, Sonny Fortune, Cyrus Chestnut, Jeremy Pelt, Joe Farnsworth, and the Phil Woods Sax Machine (a band augmenting Woods’ regular quintet to an octet with three additional alto saxophonists). Herring has appeared as a special guest soloist with Wynton Marsalis at Lincoln Center as well as with Jon Faddis and The Carnegie Hall Big Band.

Herring has recorded over 20 albums as a leader and over 250 as a sideman. In addition to the Cannonball Adderley Legacy Band, Herring’s other projects include The Vincent Herring-Joris Dudli’s Soul Jazz Alliance, Earth Jazz Agents, Friendly Fire with Vincent Herring and Eric Alexander, and Jazz The Story.

Herring has taken bands to Japan, Europe, and China on several occasions and has appeared in nearly every major jazz festival in the world. He is also involved in jazz education as a professor at William Paterson University and Manhattan School of Music. (wikipedia)

The Smoke is considered one of the hipper venues in New York City. A jazz club/cocktail lounge where jazz connoisseurs gather seven days a week to immerse themselves in a mix of hard bop and martinis.
It was the perfect location for alto saxophonist Vincent Herring s and tenor saxophonist Eric Alexander s first SAX Battle, so it was only logical that the re-match should take place here again.

On Friendly Fire, the two saxophonists bring a charged set, which above all
mutual recognition and friendly rivalry. Selected original compositions and some classics form the musical material over which the saxophonists pursue their improvisational skills. (press release)

This jazz CD featuring the great jazz saxophonists, Eric Alexander on tenor and Vincent Herring on alto was recorded live at SMOKE, a small jazz and supper club in uptown Manhattan with impeccable acoustics, great food and some of the best jazz in town i.e. New York City.
These two jazz giants started the set with a Hank Mobley piece called Pat `N’ Chat, which was to set the standard from which they never stray. Their inventive solos were a knockout, not necessarily competitive rather a joyous interplay that inspired them to take more risks. This was followed by, Sukiyaki at a loping tempo that kicked into a hard swing feel when Herring took off in his solo.

There are also some timeless standards such as, You’ve Changed, Mona Lisa, Here’s That Rainy Day and a rhythm section that kicked arse when required and swung like A train all the way to Harlem. (by Helen Matthews)

Recorded live at the Smoke Club, New York City on August 19 & 20, 2011.

Personnel:
Eric Alexander (saxophone)
Carl Allen (drums)
Mike LeDonne (piano)
Vincent Herring (saxophone)
John Webber (bass)

Tracklist:
01. Pat ‘N’ Chat (Mobley) 8.17
02. Sukiyaki (Ei/Nakamura) 9.50
03. Inception (Tyner) 8.47
04. Dig Dis (Mobley) 8.42
05. You’ve Changed (Carey/Fischer) 5.00
06. Here’s That Rainy Day (Burke/v.Heusen) 8.43
07. Mona Lisa (Evans/Lvingston) 4.14
08. Timothy (Herring) 9.14

*
**

The official Eric Alexander website:

The official Vincent Herring website:

Chuck Leavell – Chuck Gets Big (with The Frankfurt Radio Big Band) (2018)

Charles Alfred Leavell (born April 28, 1952) is an American musician. A member of the Allman Brothers Band throughout their commercial zenith in the 1970s, he subsequently became a founding member of the band Sea Level. He has served as the principal touring keyboardist and musical director of the Rolling Stones since 1982. As a session musician, Leavell has performed on every Rolling Stones studio album released since 1983 with the exception of Bridges to Babylon (1997). He has also toured and recorded with Eric Clapton, George Harrison, David Gilmour, Gov’t Mule and John Mayer. (wikipedia)

In the who’s who of rock & roll, Chuck Leavell is a very big someone. His piano and keyboard playing has graced the albums and/or stages of the Rolling Stones, Eric Clapton, the Allman Brothers Band, the Black Crowes, George Harrison, Blues Traveler, the Marshall Tucker Band, Hank Williams Jr., and a long list of others. Leavell was born in Birmingham, AL, on April 28, 1952. At age 13 he formed his first band, the Misfitz, playing both organ and guitar. While still in high school, he played on his first local recording sessions.

At 15, Leavell moved to Muscle Shoals, AL, and spent the next two years in and out of the world famous studios there. His recording during that time included an appearance on Freddy North’s “Don’t Take Her, She’s All I’ve Got.” He then left for Macon, GA, and became connected with the newly formed Capricorn Records, joining Alex Taylor’s band for With Friends & Neighbours (Taylor is the brother of singer James Taylor). After a year and a half, Leavell went on the road with Dr. John, spending six months observing and soaking up all he could. Leavell was recruited by the Allman Brothers Band in 1972, shortly after the death of Duane Allman.

He was just 20 years old. His first Allman Brothers Band record was the Billboard chart-topper Brothers and Sisters, yielding the hits “Ramblin’ Man” and “Jessica.” He remained with the band for four years; after its 1976 breakup, he formed Sea Level (pun intended) with Jimmy Nalls and former Allmans Jai Johanny Johanson and Lamar Williams. They recorded four albums that were embraced by fans and critics alike, and they toured extensively for five years. The Best of Sea Level was released in 1978. Leavell’s career has been bringing him to new heights ever since, including album contributions and immense tours with the Rolling Stones (he’s often referred to as the “sixth Rolling Stone”) as well as numerous other accomplishments, the extent of which can really only be appreciated by a study of his discography. His first solo piano CD, Forever Blue, was released in 2001. It went hand in hand with his book, Forever Green: The History and Hope of the American Forest. The book is a result of Leavell’s passion for forestry and conservation, which began developing in the late ’80s. He and his wife, Rose Lane White, developed her family’s 1,200-acre ranch near Macon, GA, into a tree farm they named Charlane Plantation. When Leavell isn’t in the studio or on the road, he can be found there with his family, horses, and the bird dogs he trains for field trials and quail hunting. Southscape was released on Mega Force Records in 2005. (by Ann Wickstrom)

And here is a wonderful collaboration with a German big band:

In September 2011, I had the great pleasure of playing a live concert in Germany with the incredible hr big band in the stunning setting of Wolfsgarten Castle, not far from Frankfurt, owned by the royal family of Hesse-Darmstadt. Heinrich Donatus Prince of Hesse, a fine man and the current head of the family, was our host. My good friend Christian Raupach had arranged it for me, and Hessischer Rundfunk worked with three different arrangers on a dozen songs I had chosen for it. the conductor (who was also one of the arrangers), Ed Partyka, rehearsed with the band on the arrangements without me being present beforehand, and we had only one day of rehearsals the day before the show. I was totally blown away by the quality of the arrangements, the skill and power of the players in the hr big band and Ed’s conducting skills. Everyone was on point, professional and extremely talented.

The next day we had sound check and a few hours later we went on stage. The audience was wonderful, the environment was surreal and invigorating, and everyone seemed to be feeling “the spirit”.

Since I had released a live recording two years earlier (Chuck Leavell: Live in Germany) of a “live in the studio” performance with a smaller five-piece band at hr studios, which included some of the same songs, I decided not to release the big band recording right away because I thought it would be too repetitive at the time. So I put the recording of the big band concert on hold for 7 years and rarely listened to it during that time. Then one day in early 2018, I decided to listen to it again. I was reminded of what a joy it was to play with all these great musicians and how the arrangements made all these songs sound so different. I was also impressed by the sound quality, the sharpness of the recording and the surprising separation of the instruments that the hr sound engineers had achieved, which made it possible to remix the concert evening. Even the audience’s applause was clearly separated from the pieces in the recordings.

So I decided to put everything under a “microscope” in the studio and play with the possibilities on the spot. I went with my good friend, Gerry Hansen, who is a great drummer, producer and sound engineer, to his studio to work on the tracks. I decided to make it sound less like a typical live album and focus more on the performance itself … so I left out the audience applause to make it sound more like a studio record. I wanted it to feel like one person going into a nice room and getting a private concert played just for them. That’s exactly what we did, and here’s the result. It gives the songs a new and fresh life and I am grateful to all the players, the sound engineers, the arrangers, Maestro Partyka, my buddy Christian Raupach and all the people at hr who helped make this project a reality. This concert was one of the most memorable of my career. Many thanks to all of you! (Chuck Leavell)

It’s 2011 and Chuck Leavell, pianist extraordinaire who has often lent himself to rock (Allman Brothers Band and, today, Rolling Stones, just to name two bands), is on tour in Europe. Arriving in Frankfurt, Germany, he is asked to play with a big band, The Frankfurt Radio Big Band, a mighty ensemble of about fifteen brass players, plus a guitarist, bassist and drummer. Chuck’s grand piano fits right in, despite having had little time to arrange the songs and play them live. Fortunately, someone decided to record (well) the concert, which Chuck then kept in his drawers for many years before listening to it again, appreciating it and finally deciding to publish it.

Chuck, despite such a long list of great collaborations, has not made many studio records and this is probably the best testimony to his name, despite, clearly, the decisive contribution of the German ensemble. A pianist with a southern touch, he moves nimbly between rock and jazz, with impressive fluidity, as well as having a more than good voice. A long, jammed-out, improvised, at times exhilarating disc, it features some Leavell tunes (excellent ‘Blue Rose’), along with two Stones tunes and two in the Allman Bros repertoire. The rest are standards like ‘Georgia On My Mind’ or ‘Route 66’. An exhilarating journey through American music, played with great force by the big band, which leaves just the right amount of space for Chuck to let us hear his shimmering piano. Surprisingly, one of the records of the year and the definitive example, if any were needed, that Leavell is on the same level as a Nicky Hopkins or a Bruce Hornsby, just to name two of his colleagues between rock and jazz. (by Luca Mazzocchi)

Yes … what a fine concert !

Recorded live at Schloss Wolfsgarten (near Frankfurt/Germany), September 03,  2011

Personnel:
Chuck Leavell (piano, vocals)
+
Frankfurt Radio Big Band conducted by Ed Partyka

The concert at Schloss Wolfsgarten:

Tracklist:
01. Route 66 (Troup) 4:47
02. King Grand (Bramblett/Causey) 6:14
03. Losing Hand (Calhoun) 4:48
04. Honky Tonk Woman (Jagger/Richards) 4:26
05. Living In A Dream (Pearson/Causey/Bramlett) 6.38
06. Blue Rose (Leavell) 8:18
07. Southbound (Betts) 5:06
08. Tumbling Dice (Jagger/Richards) 3:45
09. Ashley (Leavell) 5:48
10. Statesboro Blues (McTell) 5:39
11. Georgia On My Mind (Carmichael/Gorrell) 5:11
12. Compared To What (McDaniels) 8:22
13. Tomato Jam (Leavell) 3:54

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Ed Partyka is a bass trombonist/tubist, composer/arranger and conductor. Originally from Chicago Illinois, he received a BA degree from Northern Illinois University before moving to Germany in 1990. He completed a Masters degree in jazz trombone performance at the Conservatory of Music in Cologne, where he was also a member of the G.E.M.A. Jazz Composers Workshop, led by Bob Brookmeyer.

He was recipient of the 2000 “A.S.C.A.P. / I.A.J.E. Commission Honouring the Centenary of Louis Armstrong”. He was 1st prize-winner of the 1998 “NDR Musikpreis” (Hamburg), 1st prize winner of the Jazz Composers Alliance 1998 Julius Hemphill Composition Awards (Boston) and finalist in the 1996 HR Emerging Composers Competition (Frankfurt).

Ed has toured and recorded with the Bob Brookmeyer New Art Orchestra, Vienna Art Orchestra, Carla Bley, WDR Big Band, NDR Big Band, Mnozil Brass, Gansch & Roses and the Roman Schwaller Nonet.

He leads the Ed Partyka Jazz Orchestra EPJO, is musical director of the Jazz Orchestra Regensburg and is Co-Leader of the Flip Philipp/Ed Partyka Dectet.

From 2000 – 2007 he was musical director of the Concert Jazz Orchestra Vienna, and 1999 – 2006 from the Sunday Night Orchestra.

Mr. Partyka has appeared as a guest conductor with the HR Big Band, NDR Big Band, RIAS Big Band, RTV Big Band Slovenia, Summit Jazz Orchestra, Cleveland Jazz Orchestra, Lucerne Jazz Orchestra, West Australian Youth Jazz Orchestra, Generations Festival Big Band, Zürich Jazz Orchestra, Jazzgroove Mothership Orchestra, Klüvers Big Band, Jazz Orchestra of the Concertgebouw, Sandvika Storband, Milan Svoboda´s Prague Big Band. press release)

More from Chuck Leavell:

The official website:

Jack Jezzro – Gershwin On Guitar (2011)

Jack Jezzro is a musician and producer who has enjoyed a long and successful career as a studio musician, accompanying a wide variety of major artists on their recordings, as well as crafting his own albums in which he shows off his talent and versatility as a guitarist.

Jezzro was born in Rivesville, West Virginia on December 2, 1957. He had a keen interest in music from an early age, starting to play the piano when he was just three. He taught himself to play guitar from listening to records by Chet Atkins, and in his teens, he learned to break down the individual parts from songs he loved by Simon & Garfunkel, James Taylor, and the Doobie Brothers. After high school, Jezzro studied at West Virginia University; their music school didn’t have a program for the guitar, but Jezzro could also play the bass, and his skills on the instrument led to him to a membership in the Charleston Symphony Orchestra while still attending WVU.

Jezzro went on to attend the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York, where he was mentored by noted bassist James VanDemark. Just as he did at WVU, Jezzro soon joined the local symphony, the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, as a bassist, while also honing his chops as a jazz guitarist. In 1981, he relocated to Nashville, Tennessee, where he became the bassist with the Nashville Symphony Orchestra, a position he held for ten years. In the mid-’80s, he made his way into the prestigious world of session work when he became part of the Nashville String Machine, a string section for hire that regularly appeared on recordings by some of the major stars of country and pop music, from Garth Brooks and Faith Hill to Bruce Springsteen and Matchbox 20. In 1988, Jezzro stepped out as a solo artist with the release of his first album as a headliner, Step on It, which was released in Japan by Pony Canyon Records. (A revised edition of the disc was released in the United States as A Day’s Journey.)

Over the next 30 years, Jezzro would release a steady stream of jazz, country, pop, Latin, and inspirational albums (most through the Green Hill label) that focused on his tasteful but expert guitar work and his interplay with other musicians. Jezzro also continued to work steadily as a session player and a producer, overseeing his own sessions as well as those of other Green Hill artists. His work as an artist and producer has earned him one Grammy nomination and seven Dove Award nominations to date. The prolific bassist has played on or produced over 300 albums, and in 2017 alone, he produced By Request: Most Requested Songs for jazz pianist Beegie Adair, released his own album Sinatra on Guitar, and brought out a sequel to his 2010 album Christmas Jazz titled Christmas Jazz 2. (by Mark Deming)

A fully orchestrated presentation of George Gershwin’s legendary music featuring guitarist Jack Jezzro backed by delightful jazz sounds and lush string arrangements by The Nashville String Machine conducted by Chris McDonald.

This is a truly exceptional work. When my mother was in the hospital, fighting for her life we played this on a player and it was the only thing that brought her peace. No matter who entered the room while it was playing, they always asked about the music as it was so striking and yet calming. It is unlike any rendition of Gershwin that I have ever heard before. Clean, well paced, unexpectedly appealing. It is strictly instrumental – but not just a guitar, it includes piano, strings etc. whatever is best suited for the particular song. You get gentle swells and soft recesses. Listen to it. If you are a fan of Gershwin, instramentals, guitar or just wonderful back ground music you will be pleased with this disk. (M. Witt)

Personnel:
Beegie Adair (piano)
Chris Brown (drums)
Pat Coil (piano)
Barry Green (trombone)
Mary Alice Hoepfinger (harp)
Jack Jezzro (guitar, bass)
Bob Mater (drums)
Farrell Morris (percussion)
Denis Solee (saxophone)
George Tidwell (flugelhorn)
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violin:
David Angell – David Davidson  – Carl Gorodetzky – Lee Larrison  – Cate Meyer – Pamela Sixfin – Alan Umstead – Cathy Umstead – Mary Kathryn van Osdale

viola:
Monisa Angell – Jim Grossjean – Gary van Osdale – Kristin Wilkinson

cello:
John Catchings – Anthony LaMarchina – Bob Mason –

bass:
Craig Nelson – Roger Spencer

Alternate frontcover:

Tracklist:
01. Love Is Here To Stay 3.27
02. They Can’t Take That Away From Me 3.22
03. A Foggy Day 5.14
04. How Long Has This Been Going On? 3.52
05. They All Laughed 3.22
06. But Not For Me 3.50
07. Love Walked In 3.32
08. Embraceable You 4.29
09. Soon 4.01
10. Who Cares 3.24
11. It Ain’t Necessarity So 4.40
12. I Got Rhythm 3.25

Music: George Gershwin
except 11.: George Gershwin & DuBose Heyward

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The official website:

Martin Tingvall Trio – Jazz Festival Leverkusen (2011)

A sophisticated jazz ensemble, Tingvall Trio centers on Swedish pianist Martin Tingvall. Also featured in the trio are Cuban bassist Omar Rodriguez Calvo and German drummer Jürgen Spiegel. Formed in 2003, the group came together after the Snarestad-born Tingvall finished his college studies and relocated to Hamburg, Germany. They debuted with Skagerrak in 2006, followed two years later by Norr. More well-received albums were released, including Vattensaga and 2011’s Vägen, the latter of which entered the German charts. In 2010 and 2012, the trio took home the ECHO jazz award for ensemble of the year. After a live album, they returned with the 2014 studio effort Beat. In 2017, Tingvall Trio released their seventh album, Cirklar. (by Matt Collar)

Omar Rodriguez Calvo, Jürgen Spiegel, Martin Tingvall: a Cuban, a German and a Swede. Three musicians from three different countries, three friends, three people who have made Hamburg their home. Together they play melodies whose beauty first challenges listeners to believe their own ears, only to find that the origins are thoroughly real and disarmingly authentic. That’s the Tingvall Trio.

Founded in 2003, the three musicians’ playing drew a rapidly growing fan following along with a record label, SKIP Records in Hamburg, that was convinced of the ensemble’s potential. “Skagerrak”, the first album, was released in 2006, followed by “Norr” (2008), “Vattensaga” (2009), “Vägen” (2011), the live album “In Concert” (2013), “Beat” (2014) and “Cirklar” (2017). Martin Tingvall has composed all of the pieces for the Tingvall Trio until now.

A steadily growing listening audience and diverse awards (ECHO Jazz for the “Best Ensemble National” in 2010 and 2012, HANS Hamburg Music Prize in 2011, as well as the ECHO Jazz Audience Choice for the “Best Live Act of the Year” in 2012) attest to the path these three musicians have chosen.

The Tingvall Trio has meanwhile long since progressed beyond local fame throughout Germany and established itself successfully on the European Jazz scene. (taken from his website)

And here´s a brilliant live recordig by the trio … 

The Tingvall Trio explores the possibilities of the jazz genre again and again with great joy in playing. In doing so, the three musicians consistently process their musical socialisations. Martin Tingvall, the trio’s namesake and composer of all the pieces, relies on the melodic elegance of Scandinavian-influenced jazz. Double bassist Omar Rodriguez is responsible for the colourful and light Latin sounds in the sound concept of the combo. And you can hear the source of the powerful drumming in every beat: Jürgen Spiegel feels right at home in rock music and provides the gritty component for the Tingvall Trio. (wdr.de)

Recorded live at the Forum (Jazztage, Leverkusen/Germany) November 6, 2011
excellent broadcast recording

Personnel:
Omar Rodriguez Calvo (bass)
Jürgen Spiegel (drums)
Martin Tingvall (piano)

Tracklist:
01. Vägen 6.00
02 Hajskraj 5.18
03 Snarestad Folksvisa 6.33
04 Introduction (Tingvall) 1:22
05 Tuc-Tuc Man 4.25
06 Introduction /  Efter Livet 7.44

Music: Martin Tingvall

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More from the Tingvall Trio:

The official website:

Passenger – All The Little Lights (2011)

Michael David Rosenberg (born 17 May 1984), better known by his stage name Passenger, is an English singer-songwriter and musician. Previously the main vocalist and songwriter of Passenger, Rosenberg opted to keep the band’s name for his solo work after the band dissolved in 2009. In 2012, he released the song “Let Her Go”, which topped the charts in 16 countries and accumulated more than 3.3 billion views on YouTube; it is the most-viewed Australian YouTube video of all time. In 2014, the song was nominated for the Brit Award for British Single of the Year, and he received the British Academy’s Ivor Novello Award for Most Performed Work.

Rosenberg was born on 17 May 1984 in Brighton to Quaker parents, English mother Jane and American Jewish father, Gerard Rosenberg, originally from Vineland, New Jersey. Rosenberg learned classical guitar at a young age and at around 14–15 started to write songs.[citation needed] Rosenberg left school at the age of 16 to pursue a career in the music industry and spent the next few years as a busker in England and Australia.

Rosenberg did his first performance when he was 16.[citation needed] Rosenberg’s father, a film production worker, introduced him to former member of the band Faithless, Jamie Catto, in 2001; this led to Rosenberg getting a two-song spot at the Free Burma Campaign benefit gig at the Royal Court in London in 2002. On the night, Rosenberg met his future writing partner Andrew Phillips and established contact with the IE Music label.[citation needed] Back in Brighton, Phillips and Rosenberg pooled their musical influences (from Simon & Garfunkel to DJ Shadow), and started to write songs at Phillips’ in-house studio in Hove.[citation needed] In 2003, they formed the Mike Rosenberg Band, engaging Marcus O’Dair (bass), Alon Cohen (drums) and Richard Brinklow (keyboards) through connections within the Brighton music scene.

Rosenberg founded the band Passenger with Andrew Phillips in 2003 in Brighton and Hove. The name of the band was stylised as /Passenger. (with a slash at the beginning and a dot at the end). The five-person band’s only album, Wicked Man’s Rest, was released in 2007, on Chalkmark. Rosenberg wrote the majority of the album’s tracks, with the exception of “Four Horses”, which was written by Phillips. The band broke up in 2009.

After the break-up of Passenger, Rosenberg kept the band’s name as his personal stage name, and took to busking for a solo music career. In October 2009 he went to Australia, where he supported acts such as Lior and Sydneysiders Elana Stone and Brian Campeau.[citation needed] He then played at One Movement, a major music industry-focused festival in Perth.[citation needed] This earned him a following in Australia and he was selling out 500-seater venues across Australia.[citation needed] His debut solo album, Wide Eyes Blind Love, was released in 2009. It was produced and mixed by former bandmate Andrew Phillips, who also provided backing vocals, and played guitar and other instruments, and featured vocals by Isobel Anderson.[citation needed] Rosenberg also played various shows in the United Kingdom during this time,[when?] including a support slot for Turin Brakes’ tenth anniversary show at Theatre Royal, Drury Lane in London.

Rosenberg produced a fans-only limited release Divers and Submarines, again supported by former bandmate Andrew Phillips and vocalist Isobel Anderson. His third studio album, Flight of the Crow, was recorded in Australia and saw him joined in the studio by various Australian independent musical talents including Lior, Kate Miller-Heidke, Boy & Bear, Josh Pyke and Katie Noonan.

Rosenberg’s fourth album, All the Little Lights, was released in the summer of 2012 in North America on Nettwerk Records. Recorded at Linear Recording in Sydney, Rosenberg worked with a core Australian band that included Boy & Bear drummer Tim Hart, jazz bassist Cameron Undy, and keyboards player Stu Hunter, from Katie Noonan and The Captain better source needed] During the summer and autumn of 2012, Rosenberg toured the UK, opening for Jools Holland and Ed Sheeran, the latter of whom he had known since Sheeran was about 15 while living in Cambridge. He joined Australian acts the John Butler Trio, and Josh Pyke with a co-headlined UK tour. He also opened for Ed Sheeran’s 2012 North American tour and also in Paris. He also opened for Ed Sheeran on four of his five sell-out dates in Ireland in January 2013 and in Australia and New Zealand in early 2013, and supported Sheeran in his Brighton dates and in Reading. Rosenberg performed “All the Little Lights” at the Children in Need Rocks concert at the Hammersmith Apollo in London, broadcast on BBC One on 14 November 2013.

On 24 March 2014, Rosenberg unveiled “Whispers”, the title track of his new album, as part of his set at the Teenage Cancer Trust charity concert at the Royal Albert Hall in London where he also performed alongside Ed Sheeran. On 26 March 2014 Rosenberg announced details of his fifth studio album.[citation needed] He released Whispers on 9 June 2014.[citation needed] Talking to Digital Spy about the album, he said: “This is easily the most ‘up’ album I’ve ever made, it’s quite cinematic. There are lots of big stories and big ideas. There are also some sombre moments about loneliness and death but hey, it wouldn’t be a Passenger album without those”. He released “Hearts on Fire” as the album’s lead single on 14 April 2014.

Rosenberg recorded Whispers II at the same time as recording Whispers.[citation needed] Whispers II was released on 20 April 2015. All profits from the album go to the UNICEF UK initiative to help children in Liberia.

On 16 June 2016, the music video for “Somebody’s Love” was uploaded to his YouTube channel, thereby announcing his seventh album, Young as the Morning, Old as the Sea.[citation needed] A second track from the album, “Anywhere” was released on 19 August 2016. Young as the Morning, Old as the Sea was released on 23 September 2016, and became Passenger’s first UK number one album.

On 25 July 2017, at the end of his Young as the Morning, Old as the Sea tour, Rosenberg announced via the Passenger Facebook page that his performance on Sunday 23 July would be “my/our last gig for a while”. The following day, he announced that his eighth album, The Boy Who Cried Wolf, would be released two days later on 28 July 2017.[citation needed] The album was announced with a livestream of the album performed live in its entirety, broadcast from Passenger’s studio simultaneously to YouTube and Facebook.The album charted at number 5 in the Official UK Charts.

On 18 May 2018, Passenger released the song “Hell or High Water”. It was recorded in a variety of different national parks across Utah, Nevada, Arizona and California In the following days, he also announced an autumn European tour [28] and teased fans through social media with a cover for a new album.

On 25 May 2018, he formally announced his ninth studio album, Runaway, and released a live acoustic version of “Hell or High Water” recorded in Venice, Los Angeles. Passenger described Runaway as a concept album, as he realised many of the songs had a strong sense of Americana. He also believed the songs would work well accompanied by American visuals and thus, alongside long-time collaborators Jarrad Seng, Stu Larsen and Chris Vallejo, embarked on a three-week-long road trip through the United States to film videos for each track. Additionally, they recorded acoustic videos for each track, filmed in a variety of different locations. Rosenberg plans to release a song every three weeks, sharing both the official and acoustic videos, plus behind-the-scenes footage. Runaway was released on 31 August 2018.

On 18 March 2019, Passenger released the song “Restless Wind” on YouTube. Two more songs, “Helplessly Lost” and “Paper Cut, Chinese Burn,” were subsequently released a month later, as well as a cover of Fleetwood Mac’s “Landslide”. On 2 May 2019, Passenger both announced and released his tenth album, Sometimes It’s Something, Sometimes It’s Nothing at All.[citation needed] Unlike more recent Passenger albums, the record is arranged entirely for vocals, acoustic guitar and a string quartet. All the profits from sales will be donated to Shelter, a UK-based homeless charity.

At the end of January, Passenger announced a world tour including dates in the UK, Europe, Australia, North America, and New Zealand. On 20 March 2020, he announced and released his new single “The Way That I Love You” with a video. On 1 May 2020, he released his new single “London In The Spring”. On 10 July 2020, Passenger released his eleventh album Patchwork. The album was written and recorded during the coronavirus lockdown alongside producer Chris Vallejo and guest musicians Andrew Phillips (a collaborator of Rosenberg’s and formerly of the band Passenger) and Richard Brinklow. The record was released as a funding project for The Trussell Trust, an NGO and charity that works to end the need for food banks in the UK.

On 8 January 2021, Passenger released Songs for the Drunk and Broken Hearted. The record was supposed to be released by early 2020, but later delayed due to the coronavirus lockdown. The record’s release supports both Ecologi and Eden Reforestation Projects, non-profit organisations aiming to rebuild natural landscapes destroyed by deforestation. A tree will be planted for every physical copy of the album sold via the Passenger store.

On April 14 2022, Passenger released his 14th studio album, Birds That Flew and Ships That Sailed. The album was released independently, without a record label or a press team.[38] The record release supports Plastic Bank, a social enterprise that combats plastic pollution in the ocean.[citation needed] The record debuted at Number 35 on the Official UK Albums Chart, marking Passenger’s 8th album to enter the UK Top 40.[39]

Rosenberg currently lives in Brighton.[5] He is a fan of English football club Arsenal F.C. In a 2021 interview, he said he became an Arsenal supporter despite being from Brighton after watching Arsenal beating Sheffield Wednesday F.C. in the FA Cup Final in 1993.[40] In May 2015, Rosenberg appeared at Arsenal’s ‘A Night to Inspire’ event and played a version of the ’49 Undefeated’ fan chant. (wikipedia)

All the Little Lights is the fourth studio album by English singer-songwriter Passenger and was released by Black Crow Records and Nettwerk on 24 February 2012. The album contains 12 tracks, comprising 11 studio tracks recorded at Sydney’s Linear Recording, and one song recorded live at The Borderline in London. A limited edition features a second disc containing acoustic versions of eight songs from the album. (wikipedia)

Mike calls it F*ing depressing folk music, but when I’m down, this is what lifts me. When I’m not down, I just love to hear his voice and his music. I would LOVE to hear him in person.

Passenger music takes a little slice of life and gives it wings. Likes many people, I heard Let Her Go on the radio and loved it, so I looked up the band and founded everything I could find. All the Little Lights is his best album to date, though honestly Crows in the Snow (not on this album) is my least favorite song of his and even it has begun to grow on me. The title song from this album describes how little pieces of us die out through our hard times and poor decisions. Holes is probably one of my favorites about how things we view as losses might actually be good for us…we miss them like holes in our heads. There are some lighter hearted songs that still have deeper meaning, like Wrong Direction (fun to try to keep up with the song, but the video is even better) and I Hate. Every song on this album is beautiful and meaningful. I grew up listening to artists like Cat Stevens, Bob Dylan. There are moments listening to Passenger that bring back childhood memories of listening to both of those. (by Laura Thomas)

Songwriter, artist, musician, poet, entertainer, philosopher, storyteller – If you love and appreciate great song craft and are not yet fully immersed in Passenger’s work, you should be. If you are familiar and fully acquainted but don’t absolutely love what he does, then there is something wrong with you.

I just stumbled into his albums recently and was completely blown away. Then, I saw him in concert last night and became even more impressed. His ability to move a listener – whether in recorded content or, even better, live in person, is matched by very few. In a mass of generic, uninspiring noise, Passenger is the real deal. His ability to weave a story in his music and stimulate emotional response is reminiscent of some of the best of the past: Jim Croce, Paul Simon, Tom Waits, Bob Dylan.

I challenge you to spend some good, quality time getting lost in Passenger’s music and not coming away feeling better – inspired, moved, content, joyful. (by Aeden)

Pesronnel:
Jess Ciampa (percussion on 03., 06., 08. + 11)
Alan Davey (trumpet on 05.)
Tim Hart (drums on 04., 07. + 08., banjo on 03., 06. + 09., mandolin on 06.)
Stuart Hunter (keyboards, synthesizer)
Declan Kelley (drums on 05.)
Mike “Passenger” Rosenberg (vocals, guitar, omnichord on 01., 03. + 05.)
Cameron Undy (bass)
Glenn Wilson – drums on 01. – 03, 09. + 10.)
+
brass on 03., 07, 09. – 11.):
Lucian McGuiness – Simon Ferenci – Sam Golding
+
strings on 01., 02., 04. + 06.):
Janine Boubbov (cello)
Madeleine Boud (violin)
Kerry Martin (violin)
Shelley Soerensen (viola)
+
background vocals:
Stu Larsen – Georgia Mooney

Tracklist:
01. Things That Stop You Dreaming 3.34
02. Let Her Go 4.11
03. Staring At The Stars 3.24
04. All The Little Lights 3.55
05. The Wrong Direction 3.39
06. Circles 3.09
07. Keep On Walking 4.06
08. Patient Love 3.07
09. Life’s For The Living 4.32
10. Holes 3.31
11. Feather On The Clyde 4.01
12. I Hate (live from The Borderline, London) 3.30

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More from Passenger:

The official website:

Nguyen Le – Songs Of Freedom (2011)

Nguyên Lê (Vietnamese: Lê Thành Nguyên; born 14 January 1959) is a French jazz musician and composer of Vietnamese ancestry. His main instrument is guitar, and he also plays bass guitar and guitar synthesizer.

He has released albums as a leader and as a sideman. His 1996 album Tales from Viêt-Nam blends jazz and traditional Vietnamese music. Nguyên Lê has performed with Randy Brecker, Vince Mendoza, Eric Vloeimans, Carla Bley, Michel Portal, Renaud Garcia-Fons, Per Mathisen, Marc Johnson, Peter Erskine, Trilok Gurtu, Paolo Fresu and Dhafer Youssef.

In spring 2011 he released Songs of Freedom, an album with cover versions of pop hits from the 1970s. (wikipedia)

For over twenty years, Nguyên Lê has collaborated with a growing cadre of like-minded musicians—mostly Paris-based, where the guitarist of Vietnamese origins resides—building a body of work that is, in the truest sense of the word, “world music.” From the Afro-centric band Ultramarine, and exploration of his own roots on the seminal Tales from Vietnam (ACT, 1996), to recent explorations of a nexus where programming and spontaneity meet on Homescape (ACT, 2006), Lê has carved out a unique space—often fusion-like in its electricity and energy, but avoiding the negative connotations; undeniably jazz-centric, too, but largely eschewing overt references to traditionalism. These days, plenty of jazzers draw on pop music, but you’d be hard-pressed to find another taking a crack at one of the 1960s’ most iconic—and, often, reviled—songs, Iron Butterfly’s “In A Gadda Da Vida,” as Lê does on Songs of Freedom.

With an unorthodox core quartet, reliant on mallet instruments for much of its chordal support, Lê tackles other ’60s chestnuts, like Cream’s “Sunshine of Your Love”—which, after a seemingly non sequitur introduction, filled with thundering percussion and wailing voices, turns relatively faithful, albeit at a brisker pace and with an uncharacteristic complexity of percussive detail. But once singer Himiko Paganotti gets past the first verse and chorus, the harmonic center shifts, and suddenly, with vibraphonist Illya Amar layering a shifting cushion of chords over bassist Linley Marthe’s lithe underpinning, the song turns into an odd-metered solo feature for Lê, his mesh of oriental microtonality and occidental grit and grease moving in parallel with background vocal percussion, leading to a knotty, thundering finale.

As for “In A Gadda Da Vida,” sure, its near-Jungian riff remains intact, but delivered on marimba, and driven by drummer Stéphane Galland’s lithe 17/8 pulse, there’s none of the original’s gravitas, as Lê takes its preexisting Indo-centricity further, giving it an idiosyncratic arrangement; its chorus gradually building to staggering contrapuntal confluence and impressive solos from Lê and Amar, before a newly composed section leads to an ostinato-driven drum solo that avoids all the clichés of the original…all in a nice, compact five minutes.

Elsewhere, Lê tackles The Beatles’ “Eleanor Rigby,” with Youn Sun Nah making one of two guest appearances (the other, a tabla and konnakol-driven version of Led Zeppelin’s “Whole Lotta Love” ), the guitarist’s swirling, ethereal guitar lines supporting the singer during an extended intro before the band enters, eastern linearity meeting western harmonies in Guo Gan’s erhu and Lê’s electric guitar, for a more subdued yet undeniably grooving album opener.

When it comes to interpreting music in a jazz context, freedom more often than not means improvisational freedom, and to be sure, Songs of Freedom has plenty of that. But clearly, for Lê, the concept has more to do with an unfettered prerogative to draw on what, in many cases, are the simplest of song forms, as grist for far more elaborate compositional reworks filled with pointillist detail. Songs of Freedom combines heartfelt respect with absolute irreverence, breathing an utterly different kind of life into these songs, four decades after they first hit the airwaves. (John Kelman)

Personnel:
Illya Amar (vibraphone, marimba, electronics)
Stéphane Galland (drums)
Nguyên Lê (guitar, electronics)
Electric Bass, Vocals – Linley Marthe (bass, vocals)
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David Binney (saxophone on 09.)
Keyvan Chemirani (goblet drum)
Erhu (guo gan  on 01.)
Ousman Danedjo (vocals on 01., 02., 05., 07. +15.)
Prabhu Edouard (tabla, vocals on 10.)
Stéphane Edouard (percussion on 01., 02., 04., 09., 12. vocals on 02.)
Hamid El Kasri (guimbri)
David Linx (vocals on 02., 07., 09. + 15.)
Youn Sun Nah (vocals on 01., 10.)
Himiko Paganotti (vocals on 02., 05., 07., 12. + 15.)
Julia Sarr (vocals on 07., 11. + 15.)
Chris Speed (clarinet on 15.)
Dhafer Youssef (vocals on 03., 04.)
K. Ziad (percussion on 05., 10., 12., drums on 12.)

Tracklist:
01. Eleanor Rigby ( Lennon/McCartney) 6.59
02. I Wish (Wonder) 5.46
03. Ben Zeppelin (Youssef/Lê) 0.52
04. Black Dog (Page/Baldwin/Plant) 6.18
05. Pastime Paradise (Wonder) 8.01
06. Uncle Ho’s Benz (Lê) 0.40
07.Mercedes Benz (Joplin) 6.21
08. Over The Rainforest (Lê) 0.36
09. Move Over (Joplin) 6.56
10. Whole Lotta Love (Page/Baldwin/Bonham/Plant) 5.16
11. Redemption Song (Marley) 5.26
12. Sunshine Of Your Love (Bruce/Brown/Clapton) 4.42
13. In A Gadda Da Vida (Ingle) 5.25
14. Topkapi (Lê) 0.43
15. Come Together (Lennon/McCartney) 5.47

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The official website: