TriTone Asylum is based in Southern California. Spear-headed by Peter Sepsis (bass) and Philip Topping. Through their unique instrumentation, they have masterfully developed an electro acoustic sound that melds Jazz, funk, and music from around the world. TriTone Asylum’s music reflects the varied musical landscape of the sounds and street rhythms of Los Angeles. Their original songs are influenced by a variety of artists including Freddie Hubbard, Herbie Hancock, Weather Report, Pat Metheny, as well as artists from the ECM Label.
Blue Canoe welcomes The JVM Collective with their debut release titled, "Frontiers".  The JVM Collective features: Denny Jiosa (guitar), Roy Vogt (bass), and Tom Moller (drums). This Nashville Jazz trio delivers a creative and powerful album of beautiful original compositions, deep grooves, and inspiring improvisations titled, "Frontiers". Fans of instrumental, eclectic music will surely love The JVM Collective and their 8 song album titled, "Frontiers".   Guitarists Nicolas Meier and Dewa Budjana (Group) release an amazing original album titled, "Flying Spirits" featuring Jimmy Haslip (bass), Asaf Sikis (drums), and Saat Syah (flutes). Mixed and Mastered by Karma Auger and Eric Gobel and produced by Nicolas Meier, Dewa Budjana, and Jimmy Haslip. About Nicolas Meier Photo Credit and courtesy Gregory Heath UK-based guitarist Nicolas Meier has carved a reputation out as one of the world's most original and uniquely talented guitarists. Drawing from a love of Turkish, Eastern & Middle Eastern music, Flamenco, Tango and more -- all mixed with jazz -- Meier's versatility and musical fluency extends well beyond that, even. (... so much so, that his considerable talents drew the attention of rock guitar legend, Jeff Beck, who made Nicolas a mainstay in The Jeff Beck Group -- carrying him on two world tours during the course of the last several years). Nicolas has worked with: Jeff Beck Group Jimmy Haslip Vinnie Colaiuta About Dewa Budjana Photo credit and courtesy Sigi Baramsky Dewa Budjana’s band Gigi has been going strong for more than twenty five years now –packing out huge venues and selling millions of albums. In an historical context, Dewa Budjana is unquestionably one of his nation’s well known, beloved musicians. But Gigi represents a fraction of his musical persona. A master composer, arranger and producer, Dewa Budjana has, in just a few short years, amassed a masterful collection of progressive music albums as a solo artist – work which transcends genre, in glorious fashion. Dewa has worked with: Peter Erskine - Bob Mintzer - Antonio Sanchez - Ben Williams - Joe Locke - Gary Husband - John McLaughlin - Vinnie Colaiuta - Jimmy Haslip - Jimmy Johnson - Mike Landau - Guthrie Govan - Chad Wackerman - Jack Dejohnette - Tony Levin - Jordan Rudess - Mohini Dey - Marco Minnemann - John Frusciante - Mike Stern and many others...   Dewa Budjana Group (from L to R): Saat Syah, Nicolas Meier, Dewa Budjana, Jimmy Haslip, Asaf Sikis. Photo credit and courtesy - Sigi Baramsky  When I convened the first rehearsal of the Knoxville Jazz Orchestra in August of 1999, I had no way of knowing the extent to which this experience would shape the next two decades of my life. I had just moved back to Knoxville after four years in Chicago, and my immediate goal was to create an outlet for my newfound love of writing for big band. I envisioned periodic rehearsals to read new arrangements and perhaps a few gigs at local night clubs. Beyond that, there was no plan. It would just be fun to get together with some of the region’s best players and make music for a couple of hours. On that first night, the band read all four of the arrangements that I had written to date, plus music by Thad Jones, Duke Ellington, Billy Strayhorn and perhaps a few others. By the time the rehearsal was within aa month we’d played our first public concert. By December, we had established a regular performance schedule at a local restaurant and started to attract a small following.  From L to R: Vance Thompson, Donald Brown. Photo credit by Eric Smith We may have continued in this fashion for a while before slowly fizzling out the way that so many similar projects to, but two important early milestones intervened and gave the band a clear sense of purpose. In September of 1999, Keith Brown asked me to write big band arrangements on six Donald Brown composition for the UT student big band’s Spring concert. Although we could not perform those arrangements publicly before the UT debut, the KJO became the laboratory for these new arrangements, allowing me to instantly hear what I had written, and simultaneously creating the beginning of a unique library of music. The second milestone occurred in January of 2000. The band was wrapping up a rehearsal of the new arrangements when trombonist Don Hough, one of the band’s elder statesmen asked if he could have everyone’s attention. He walked to the front of the band and said, “Ive been in Knoxville for a long time and we’ve never and anything like this before. This band is special and should be treated as such. I propose that we figure out a way to get to Europe next summer to play some festivals.” The response was unanimous. Of course we’d like to go to Europe to perform!  Knoxville Jazz Orchestra (now celebrating 20 years) In the months that followed, we hired a travel agent and began making plans for our trip abroad. We recorded the new arrangements, self-released our first CD (The Music of Donald Brown, 2000) and used the recording to secure performance slots for July of 2001 at Jazz a Vienne, the Montreux Jazz Festival and Festival International de Jazz in Ezcaray, Spain. We played as many local and regional gigs as we could, pooling all of the money together toward our common goal. The money that could not be raised through playing gigs was paid from our own pockets. By the time we returned from our trip, the band was completely transformed. We had found not only a cohesive sound, but also a common purpose. Everyone in the group had a sense of ownership. While the Europe trip was important for galvanizing the band, it was not a sustainable business model. To survive and thrive, we needed to build a local audience to enable us to play regularly in appropriate listening venues. We applied for non-profit status with the mission of promoting jazz in our region, and in early 2002 began presenting concerts featuring notable guest artists alongside the band. By 2006, we’d gained enough traction to begin booking an entire series of events. As of the writing of these notes, our organization presents more than fifty events per year, from free outdoor summer concerts, to ticketed events at venues both large and small.  The music on this disc represents the entire journey. “Back Down In Lu Easy Anna” dates back to the original batch of arrangements, while “The Road Less Traveled” was written this year specifically for this recording. “Woody’n You” was created for a 2003 performance with saxophonist James Moody. We performed with Mulgrew Miller that same year and arranged the chart on “Grew’s Tune” as a result. “The Tennessee Waltz” and “Tumbling Tumbleweeds” were done for a concert we called, “Country and Bluegrass Meet the Big Baand” in 2019. “Ask Me Now”, “Rhythm-A-Ning” and “Monk’s Mood” came from a 2012 Thelonious Monk tribute concert featuring pianist Eric Reed and “At Last” was commissioned by Doc Severinsen at the end of a hour tour that we played with him in 2015. In 2018, we performed with guitarist Bill Frisell, leading to the orchestration of his beautiful take on “What The World Needs Now”. And a 2019 performance with Jazzmela Horn spawned the chart on Jimmy Rowle’s’ haunting ballad “The Peacocks”. The guest soloists each have unique connections to the journey as well. Eric Reed, Michael Dease, Carmen Bradford, and Gregory Tardy have each performed with the band on one or more occasions over the years. They made stunning contributions and we are grateful for their willingness to participate with us in this effort. Thomas Heflin was a student at UT when the band was formed. He quickly earned a spot in the trumpet section and although he has since relocated around the country several times, he has continued to perform with the band whenever his schedule allows. Guitarist Mike Seal was also a student at UTK when the band was formed. Although he had never performed with the group before this recording, I had worked with him on various projects over the years and knew that he would add the perfect touch to “Tennessee Waltz”, “Tumbling Tumbleweeds” and “What The World Needs Now”. Saxophonist Greg Tardy was brought in from NYC to guest on our “Blues Man From Memphis” recording in 2004. He mentioned in a passing that Knoxville was a beautiful place and that he could see himself living here. This started a conversation that led to him being hired as Assistant Professor of Saxophone at The University Of Tennessee in 2010. He has been a regular member of the KJO ever since and has been a huge shot in the arm for our band and our town.
Of course, none of this would have been possible without the selfless dedication of the gentlemen in the orchestra. They have gone above and beyond, year after year, honing their craft and giving of their time and energy. Maintaining a high level of musical skill in a town like Knoxville requires a very special sort of dedication, since the scene is not large enough for musicians to support themselves by performing alone. The band is as good as it is because these men have continued to choose the road less traveled. They have ultimately created something that is much larger than the sum of its parts, and I could not be more proud to call them all friends. This past twenty years have flown by. Here’s to twenty more! - Vance Thompson (Leader/Director of the Knoxville Jazz Orchestra)  One Saturday afternoon in April of 1997, nine Atlanta jazz musicians assembled outside a local watering hole, shuffling about, waiting for a rehearsal to begin. The joint was locked, the club owner was late, and we all knew that big bands were dead. When the Tempest Little Big Band finally sat down and began reading the charts, the cats perked up, the club owner got giggly, and the band was on their way to nearly three years of weekly bookings. That Saturday afternoon was Tempest’s first and last rehearsal. Jazz musicians hate to rehearse. They’re all about improvisation, not only when standing up to solo, but with music and life in general. It’s not so much a relish of potential disaster as it is an addiction to challenge. Tempest incorporates tangible uncertainty into their gigs. Not a club date goes by when Tempest doesn’t play something with the ink still wet: new arrangements by noted local orchestrators. Invariably, they format tunes differently and spontaneously from gig to gig. It’s kind of an unspoken, “Hey, let’s find out in front of lots of people what happens when we try this.” It’s fun.  Tempest Little Big Band a nine-piece big band featuring a vocalist, nurturing and maintaining the spirit and appeal of a quintet. This CD titled, "Round Midnight" was a long time coming: their first recorded live studio album. Nothing here was played more than a handful of times prior to the session. Three arrangements were brand new to the band. "Round Midnight" is not meant to be a hard-core jazz album. It’s simply music they like— recorded in five hours on one hot Atlanta afternoon—showcasing a snap shot of the 150+ song repertoire now in Tempest’s book. Tempest loves to play the blues. “Captain Cheerio” is one of three sets’-worth of disparate blues tunes we could have chosen here. We enjoy playing black-tie affairs, hence, the more danceable fare of “I’ve Grown Accustomed to Her Face,” “Satin Doll,” and “Sway.” Tempest has a deep, abiding reverence for the jazz classics, so you’ll hear “Shiny Stockings,” “Caravan,” and “Thermo” performed as they were originally intended. We love it all and hope it shows.   20TH LATIN GRAMMY AWARDS - DOUBLE NOMINATION!
We are excited to announce that Otmaro Ruiz | Jimmy Branly | Jimmy Haslip's album titled Elemental has been nominated for two LATIN GRAMMY AWARDS: BEST JAZZ ALBUM & BEST ARRANGEMENT (Otmaro Ruiz for "Red Wall") "I especially loved "Red Wall" with its dark undertones and Yoruban feel" (Smooth Jazz Magazine - Avzal Ismail) Click here to listen “Elemental is a current jazz classic bringing elements of old and new to keep fans on their toes. (...) Elemental is a fusion of the most talented jazz artists of our time. More than that, though, the resulting sound is clearly greater than the sum of it's parts." (Travis Prescott, All About Jazz) "These guys slap some soul on the sauce." (George W. Harris, Jazz Weekly) "Superb in every respect, this is a MUST HAVE in your collection" (Avzal Ismail, Smooth Jazz Magazine) Elemental by Otmaro Ruiz, Jimmy Branly, and Jimmy Haslip is for die hard fans of fusion jazz, an elite circle of jazz connoisseurship. (Hans-Bernd Hülsmann, First View)  Low end powerhouse and former Yellowjacket backbone, Jimmy Haslip collaborates with pianist, composer, arranger and educator Otmaro Ruíz and virtuosic rhythm guru Jimmy Branly for a project that is a perfect mix of composition and broad audience appeal. Mastered by Grammy nominee Rich Breen (Herbie Hancock, Norah Jones, Peter Erskine, Charlie Haden and more), "elemental" is a current jazz classic bringing elements of old and new to keep fans on their toes. Grammy nominee Otmaro Ruíz (2016), composer of most of the "elemental" tracks, holds an honorary doctorate from Shepherd University and has played with all the modern greats...Gino Vannelli, John McLaughlin, Tito Puente, Steve Winwood, John Patitucci, Vinnie Colaiuta just to name a few. Mr. Ruíz is regarded as one of the most sought-after keyboardists on the scene yet still finds time for teaching. He is a frequent guest clinician at Los Angeles Music Academy and Musician's Institute. Jimmy Branly is from Cuba and began his studies at the Conservatory of Music in Havana Adolfo Guzman and ENA (National School of Art). Mr. Branly also has played with greats from all genres including Colin Hay, Abraham Laboriel, Michael Nezmith, John Patitucci, Doc Severinsen, Ricky Martin, Andy Garcia, Natalie Cole, Gloria Estefan, Emilio Estefan. He performed at The White House in 2013 a Latin presentation for President Obama. Jimmy Haslip was a founding member and 32 year band mate of The Yellowjackets. Mr. Haslip has been nominated for 22 Grammy awards and has won 3. Over his 50+ years of playing, he has contributed to the biggest names in music over a plethora of genres (Jeff Lorber, David Sanborn, Jerry Garcia, Bruce Hornsby, Chaka Khan, Allan Holdsworth, Oz Noy to name a few)  "Elemental" opens with "A Good Start" and right out of the gate leaves listeners slack-jawed. The high energy mover leads with dramatic injections from both Mr. Branly and Mr. Ruíz. These lyrical jabs give way to a simple, soaring melody on keyboards that establishes the emotional trajectory for the rest of the song. The trio brings the audience up then down then back up again all the while compelling exquisite anticipation. The troupe rewards in the end with a crescendo of harmonic punches as "A Good Start" gives way to "Greed". "Greed" leads with a coy, sly keyboard melody that is enticing. Mr. Branly and Mr. Haslip jump in quickly in a way that are both supportive and improvisational. The listener is left with a slightly uneasy feeling as the rhythm's presence rolls up and down and moves from support to spontaneous until Mr. Haslip steps out with a subdued but perfect solo. Mr. Branly rounds things out and brings it in as Mr. Ruíz's keyboards sail home. "Elemental" is a fusion of the most talented jazz artists of our time. More than that, though, the resulting sound is clearly greater than the sum of it's parts. When asked to comment on the compilation, Otmaro Ruíz thought carefully and stated simply, "Music for All". Indeed...music for all.
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