The Week in Jazz is your roundup of new and noteworthy stories from the jazz world. It’s a one-stop destination for the music news you need to know. Let’s take it from the top.
Noteworthy
Five Additional Candid Records Reissues Announced: Legendary jazz label Candid Records has announced that five additional titles from its illustrious back catalog will be reissued on August 26, 2022. They are Pee Wee Russell & Coleman Hawkins’s Jazz Reunion, Clark Terry’s Color Changes, Cecil Taylor, The World of Cecil Taylor, Booker Little, Out Front and Booker Ervin, That’s It! All five albums were produced by Nat Hentoff and released in 1961. They have been remastered by Bernie Grundman from the original tapes and will be released on CD, streaming services and vinyl. Pre-order/pre-save here.
Jonathan Frakes on JAZZIZ Not What You Think: Actor/director Jonathan Frakes, better known around the world as Commander William Riker on Star Trek: The Next Generation, had a chat with JAZZIZ Publisher Michael Faigen about one of his great passions in life, jazz, for our JAZZIZ Not What You Think series. In this episode, Frakes sat down to talk about jazz an a lot of things you might not have known about this screen legend and sci-fi icon. Watch it via the player below.
Terri Lyne Carrington Presents the New Standards: Terri Lyne Carrington has curated a songbook featuring 101 compositions from women, trans and non-binary jazz composers, ranging from acknowledged titans to unsung heroes and young visionaries. New Standards: 101 Lead Sheets By Women Composers will be released by Hal Leonard on September 15. On September 16, Carrington will also release new STANDARDS vol 1, featuring 11 of the New Standards compositions, dedicated entirely to women composers. The music is performed with Kris Davis, Linda May Han Oh, Matthew Stevens, Nicholas Payton and the album will be released on Candid Records.
Elsa Nilsson on JAZZIZ Travel: Elsa Nilsson was the latest episode of our weekly JAZZIZ Travel podcast series of conversations with or about the groundbreaking and innovative artists. The world-renowned jazz flutist talked about the first album of her Atlas of Sound series, which explores the human connection to locations of the natural world, and the debut album of her new group, the Esthesis Quartet. Listen to the podcast conversation via the player below.
Luaka Bop Announces New World Spirituality Classics Compilation: David Byrne’s Luaka Bop has announced the new compilation The Muslim Highlife of Alhaji Waziri Oshomah, a seven-song record, as the third volume of its World Spirituality Classics series. Due out on September 23, the collection explores the music of Alhaji Waziri Oshomah, whose work fuses devotional music and the sounds of local folk, pan-Nigeran styles, and Western pop. This upcoming record follows releases of Alice Coltrane Turiyasangitanada’s ecstatic music and private press gospel soul compilation The Time For Peace Is Now.
New and Upcoming Albums
ChimyTina, Constellations (la reserve): ChimyTina, featuring vocalist Martina DaSilva and bassist Dan “Chimy” Chmielinski, have turned heads with their innovative arrangements of jazz classics and remarkable interplay. Constellations is a new record where they apply their concepts to a new specially curated selection of songs, joined by special guests on selected tracks, including Joel Ross, Marquis Hill, Grace Kelly and more.
Jameszoo, Blind (Brainfeeder): Dutch producer Jameszoo embarks on further adventures on the fringes of jazz and electronica and re-examines our understanding of music composition and consumption on his new album, Blind. The LP, which marks his return to Brainfeeder, also features a wide cast of instrumentalists and collaborators, including Petter Eldh, Evan Parker, Niels Broos and many others.
Ronnie Foster, Reboot (Blue Note): Organ great Ronnie Foster returns to Blue Note with Reboot, his first new album in 36 years, which also comes on the 50th anniversary of his seminal 1972 debut for the label, Two Headed Freap. The new record is a nine-song affair that pays homage to the past and reflects Foster’s restlessness for ushering in the new, and is dedicated to the memory of the much-missed Dr. Lonnie Smith, whom he refers to via a statement as “the best in the world on the Hammond B3 organ.”
Binker Golding, Dream Like a Dogwood Wild Boy (Gearbox): Saxophonist/composer Binker Golding, best known as the co-leader of Binker & Moses, recently released his much-anticipated second solo album, Dream Like a Dogwood Wild Boy, via Gearbox. The new record finds Golding moving towards a new sound incorporating elements of blues, heartland rock and Americana, while remaining firmly rooted in the jazz idiom.
Live Music and Festival News
World Premiere of Jazzy Nutcracker Inspired by Ellington and Strayhorn Announced: Producer David Garfinkel has announced that the World Premiere of SUGAR HILL: The Ellington/Strayhorn Nutcracker will take place at Pittsburgh’s Benedum Center for the Performing Arts from October 19-30. This ballet production is a reimagining of the popular Nutcracker story inspired by jazz icons Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn. The production features a libretto by Jessica Swan and is directed by Joshua Berhasse with dance choreography by Jade Hale-Christofi. Orchestrations and arrangements are by John Clayton and Lary Blank.
Pittsburgh International Jazz Festival, September 16-18: The August Wilson African American Cultural Center has announced the lineup of its 2022 Pittsburgh International Jazz Festival, which will take place on September 16-18. Its lineup will feature more than 100 musicians, including Ron Carter, who will be kicking off the festival with Foursight, Stanley Clarke, the Average White Band and Samara Joy, among many others. More here.
Angel City Jazz Festival, October 21-November 5: The Angel City Jazz Festival will take host over a dozen concerts this year from October 21-November 5, at a number of diverse and popualr venues, including the REDCAT, 2220 Arts & Archives, LACMA, the FORD, Barnsdall Art Gallery Theatre and the World Stage. This year’s lineup includes Luciana Souza and Vince Mendoza, Marquis Hill, the John Escreet Trio, David Murray, Myra Melford’s Fire & Water Quintet, among many others, with more names to be announced.
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