Bass phenom and multi-grammy winning artist Jimmy Haslip, re-releases his albums titled, "Red Heat (feat. Joe Vannelli)" and "Nightfall (feat. Joe Vannelli)". Jimmy and Joe's collaboration is a remarkable partnership in masterful artistry, both in performance and production. Fans of Jimmy and Joe will be moved by the memorable compositions, incredible playing, and masterful interplay displayed on both albums "Red Heat" and "Nightfall". Gergo Borlai is a monster drummer, and composer from Budapest, Hungary. His latest album titled, "The Missing Song" is an original tribute album dedicated to influential drummers that have inspired Gergo. All the song titles are named after nine chosen famous drummers. All songs composed and arranged by Gergo Borlai except “Terry” composed and arranged by Alex Machacek. "The Missing Song" will surely inspire many drummers and musicians just as Gergo'sinfluences have inspired him. Gergo Borlai has appeared on more than a 500 albums, received two lifetime achievement awards and two "gold record awards," as well as the Golden Drumstick Prize and the Artisjus Lifetime Achievement Award. Besides being a band member and session/studio musician of world renown productions and with Grammy awarded musicians, Gergo also became a clinician/educator all over the globe. Some of the names Gergo has performed and recorded all over the planet: Gary Willis (USA), Jimmy Haslip (USA), Scott Kinsey (USA), Jeff Lorber (USA), Scott Henderson (USA), Nathan East (USA), Dean Brown (USA), Vinnie Moore(USA), Jeff Beal (USA), Matthew Garrison (USA), Tom Scott (USA), Bob Mintzer (USA), Hiram Bullock (USA), L. Shankar (India), Tony McAlpine (USA), Vernon Reid (USA), Terry Bozzio (US), Al DiMeola (USA), Hadrien Feraud (F), Yolanda Charles (GB). Stream | Download | Buy - The Missing Song“Essência is a joyful romp through the musical landscape of the Americas guided by master pianist Otmaro Ruiz and exciting new guitar virtuoso, Bruno Mangueira. Their musical partnership is informed by their Venezuelan and Brazilian heritages fused with their deep love and understanding of American jazz and the European classical tradition. Otmaro and Bruno flawlessly navigate this landscape with a program of eight original compositions and two standards. Each song feels like a suite, taking us through a wide range of dynamics and emotional territory. Impressively, their original compositions sound like they could be standards. They evoke the timeless feeling of classic songs by Tom Jobim, Hermeto Pascoal, and other Brazilian masters while maintaining the vibrancy of the present. There are hints of Bach, Chopin, and lush harmonic passages that will send music theory students racing for their notepads. I love the program’s intelligent balance of composition and improvisation. In the Brazilian tradition, one might expect the balance to be weighted toward composition and jazz, toward improvisation. Essência has managed to marry the two in a cohesive and natural way. The song construction is airtight while the performances and improvisations take us for a wild and exciting ride. Neither Otmaro nor Bruno shy away from taking chances. The gorgeous yet sometimes unexpected harmonies are constantly shifting and it takes a skilled improviser to make their way through this treacherous terrain and arrive safely on the other side. Otmaro and Bruno are our able guides. Duo playing demands an extraordinary level of musicianship. Every note, every gesture is exposed. The musicians must breathe together and have an almost telepathic connection. Each player must fully grasp the entirety of each piece, as their constantly shifting roles require them to alternately supply melodic, harmonic, and rhythmic support for one another. It’s a daring high wire partnership calling for empathy and a deep commitment to the music and to one another. Otmaro and Bruno embody these qualities throughout. Essência celebrates the joy of two master musicians as they explore the essence of their beloved musical traditions in this intimate setting and guide us to new landscapes and possibilities.” - Russell Ferrante (YellowJackets), August 2019 Pianist/Composer Silvio Amato delivers a remarkable beautiful album titled, "Variations of Relevance" produced by Grammy Award Winner Jimmy Haslip. Featuring guest appearances by The Budapest Symphony Orchestra, trumpeter Randy Brecker and many other talented musicians on this Jazz Crossover release. After an intensive career as a young pianist working for important pop Italian singers in Catania, his birth town, Amato moved to Milan in the mid-’80s, where he continued his work as a composer and an arranger. During this time, Amato began to collaborate with a variety of pop artists; his musical productions extended to a wide range of sectors, but the television-cinematographic one received the most focus. Among his productions, the most significant ones are his compositions for children’s TV shows of the Italian network, Mediaset. Just as remarkable are his productions of all genres for the main national networks: theme songs for prime time shows and newscasts, TV shows and soap operas, sit-coms and TV movies. Amato’s productions also include numerous movie soundtracks, such as for the movies “I Mitici” (“The Heroes”) by Carlo Vanzina, “Svitati” (“Screw Loose”) with Mel Brooks, “Ti voglio bene Eugenio” (“Eugenio, I love you”) with Giuliana De Sio and Giancarlo Giannini, and the soundtrack for Jerry Calà’s “Torno a vivere da solo” in 2008 and “Operazione Vacanze”, in 2011. Amato frequently collaborated with spotlighted artists in the Italian music scene, who have appeared at various points in time at the Sanremo Music Festival: “Ti penso” composed for Massimo Ranieri for the 42nd edition of the Sanremo Festival and “Amoreunicoamore” sung by Mina in her 2010 album “Caramelle”, among others. In 2005 Amato began his collaboration with the Wild Rose Company in London, and was commissioned to compose music for their dance shows on ice. His compositions for Snow White on ice (2005), Peter Pan on ice (2006) and Beauty and the Beast on ice (2007) were sensationally successful for both critics and audience. In the last few years, Amato’s creative activity has taken various paths: on one side, his cinematographic compositions; on the other, his productions for orchestras and musical ensembles. The latter category includes his Religious Cantata for voice, chorus and symphonic orchestra, his Ricercare in re minore for the sax, soprano, and organ, composed for the duo Tagliaferri-Sciddurlo, and his The Happy Prince, a musical tale for instrumental ensemble and voice over. This last work, created in March 2006, was published by Feltrinelli-Curci within the project “arte solidale” in collaboration with ACLI. This opera was performed by the Instrumental Ensemble Scaligero (directed by Flavio Emilio Scogna and by Gabriele Lavia, voice over), who, in the summer of 2007 performed, The Happy Prince in Japan. In 2009 the opera was performed in various Italian theatres. Also in 2007, in collaboration with the Ambrogino d’Oro, a children show founded in 1964, Amato participates with the song “Dino and Tino”, that was awarded the first prize. In 2009, Amato moved to the USA where he began various collaborations in the cinematographic, theatrical, and TV sectors. The opera “Religious Cantata” that was initially developed in Italy towards the end of 2008, was finally produced, and much acclaimed, in 2011 in Boston, with the title “Illuminessence, prayers for peace”. This piece marked the closing of the events in memory of the victims of 9/11 in New York. The opera was performed by the orchestra and choir “The NEC Youth Philharmonic”, directed by Benjamin Zander. The concert was broadcast on air by WGBH nation-wide and was streamed world-wide
“Dream”A personal message from Karl Sterling AFTER THREE DECADES of working as a musician (drummer) as my primary job, I decided to enter the health and wellness industry in an effort to help people live an improved quality of life. This has led to an extremely rewarding career that I could never have imagined. For the last few years, I’ve had the opportunity to work with and educate people living with Parkinson’s disease all over the world. While there are many good programs to help people with Parkinson’s, much more research needs to be conducted. The Parkinson’s Global Project ® is a non-profit corporation dedicated to funding education and research and helping to change lives for those living with Parkinson’s. Your purchase of this music helps us to help people around the world. In fact, 90% of your purchase goes to funding much needed education and research. The musicians on this project are dear friends and amazingly talented. I am beyond grateful for their friendship and support. The songs on this project were chosen with great care and with the intention of sending a message of positivity and hope. I especially want to thank you, the listener for your support. Thank you, again and enjoy the music! KARL STERLING DREAM Parkinson’s Global Project neuromotortraining.com Keyboard wizard, multi-instrumentalist and composer Cody Carpenter delivers a stunning progressive album titled, "Control". This is Cody's third Blue Canoe Records release and it features guest appearances from Jimmy Haslip, Scott Seiver, Virgil Donati, Junior Braguinha, and Jimmy Branly. Learn More About This Album - click hereBuy | Stream This Album - click hereA native Southern Californian, Roger Burn was a multi-talented musician; a master vibraphonist, pianist/keyboard player, drummer/percussionist, singer, composer, arranger, meticulous music copyist, band leader & music publisher. He possessed perfect pitch and began playing the piano by ear at an early age. He began his career as a drummer, starting at the age of eleven. By the time he was fourteen, he quickly picked up the piano and soon after, the vibraphone. He began practicing two hours a day, working his way up to five hours a day, at one point. He insisted on keeping his windows closed, even in hot summers, (with no air conditioning) as he was concerned - “I wouldn’t want someone walking by on the sidewalk to hear me while I’m practicing.” He was a perfectionist. His high school band director, Ed Wolfe, describes Roger as being verbally “outgoing” and “perhaps not too subtle” as he recalls their first conversation: “Mr. Wolfe, I’m Roger Burn. I play percussion, and I have a question. Can you improve this jazz program so that it will be as good as Robin Snyder’s at Bonita HS? If not, I’m going to transfer over there for my last two years.” “Hello, Roger. Nice to meet you!” “Roger and other students would come down to the apartment and play Risk. After the other students left, Roger would always ask questions about music theory. Sometimes he would stay quite late. His parents, Ed and Joyce seemed to always know where he was and did not seem to object, but since we had a Jazz Band rehearsal every morning at 6:30, I would have to ‘throw him out’ often so that we could get some sleep,” said Wolfe. “He was not particularly interested in the traditional harmony of the common practice period, but when we talked about Twentieth Century techniques, his ears really perked up. He learned about tritone substitutions, extensions and altered chords, and suddenly there was an interest in learning to play piano as he was already becoming quite proficient on vibraphone,” relayed Wolfe. Wolfe recalled, “He was not interested in learning technique from the Czerny book I provided, or practicing any of the “adult beginning” pieces I provided. He simply wanted to improvise and learn new chord voicings...(he was especially in love with the dominant seventh with a sharp nine or other altered variations he could use in the blues). He wanted to learn how to arrange, so I “loaned” him my Mancini Sounds and Scores textbook. He kept it for the rest of his life...So it began!” “I did not learn until later that he had begun writing out (by hand) a fake book of jazz tunes that he called ‘The Good Book’. He was proud to exclaim to me that these tunes had ‘the right chords’ and were not like some of those other fake books. In addition to many of his favorite jazz standards (over 150 pages), are some 20 original compositions, some of which were performed by the San Dimas High School jazz combo. “Animal Blues” was written for his friend and bass player, Rusty Houts, and “Gerswintite” was an opportunity to show off some new chord voicings he liked,” said Wolfe. “It was plain to see Roger was a musical prodigy,” said his sister, Elaine Burn. “He would sit daily with a pencil & ruler while he effortlessly re-wrote all the chord changes in the Real Book . He claimed ‘The chords are all wrong!’ ” Wolfe recalls, “Those who spoke with Roger often may have observed that his life was basically one long run-on sentence, with no punctuation in site! He was opinionated, biased, driven and always outspoken, but he was also fiercely loyal, disciplined, caring and compassionate to those who he felt deserved it. He also had a great sense of humor and a sense of right and wrong ...Roger was right, and the rest of us ...had some work to do!” Wolfe relates the following story, “Another time, in Reno, Roger did not make it back to the hotel from the Basie performance at the Pioneer Theater in time for curfew. I went back to the Pioneer and after some searching, found him backstage talking to some of the Basie sidemen....that was Roger!” “In Roger’s senior year, he was leaning towards Cal State Northridge as a choice under the jazz direction of Joel Leach. He was particularly angry that freshmen would have to play in the marching band, frustrated by this, he chose to leave after only one year in the college program. The rest is basically known by all of his professional friends and acquaintances,” said Wolfe. “Over the years, Roger and I remained close. I used him as a guest soloist with my bands, and he was fiercely loyal to me personally as an ‘educator who knew and did it the right way’. He was a good man, and I love him and miss him,” exclaimed Wolfe. He studied with the best in the field - Freddie Gruber for drums and Victor Feldman for vibes. He was self-taught on the piano and keyboards, taking only one piano lesson! He drew musical inspiration from the greats; Victor Feldman, Lionel Hampton and Red Norvo. He idolized Buddy Rich, Louie Belson and Steve Gadd. He was influenced by Art Tatum, Fats Waller, Oscar Petterson and Gershwin. His modern taste and appreciation included the Yellowjackets, especially Jimmy Haslip, bass player of Yellowjackets, producer & longtime friend, Pat Metheny, Sting, Quincy Jones, Bella Fleck and Peter Gabriel. He began working professional gigs at the age of sixteen in Los Angeles. He would spend entire Saturdays hunting down rare jazz albums at Tower Records on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood, adding to his album collection of over 1,000 albums, all in alphabetical order. He formed several bands and served as the bandleader. His first band, in the 1980s, was “Triple Spec.” The name referring to the music industry phrase, “on spec”, meaning that many projects are on speculation, thus “Triple Spec” was born. They played often at Cafe Cordiale on Ventura Boulevard in Los Angeles. Years later, he formed a new band, “Shapes”, which was a platform for his contemporary jazz compositions as well as for others in the band; Dave Derge (drums), Mike Higgins (guitar) and Andy Suzuki (saxophones & flute) and Dean Taba (bass.) His music was syncopated and sophisticated. He was constantly blazing his own trail. Shapes performed in Jakarta at the Java Jazz Festival and then later, on the island of Bali, performing in Indonesia for two weeks. As part of a back up band for Indonesia's own, Dwiki Dharmawan for his 'World Peace Orchestra', he also performed again in Jakarta for the Java Jazz Festival, along with Shapes’ members Andy Suzuki, Tollak Ollestad, along with charter member on percussion, Walfredo Reyes, Jr., who played drumset. He again played with the World Peace Orchestra at the Temecula Jazz Festival, joined by new Shapes member, Edwin Livingston, on bass. In addition, Jimmy Haslip, of the Yellowjackets & producer of all his albums, played with Shapes on bass, as well as Russ Ferrante on piano, from the Yellowjackets. Highlights of his career include playing with The Brian Setzer Big Band, Chaka Khan, Lionel Ritchie, Stevie Nicks, Lou Vega, Barry Manilow & Ann Margaret, to name a few. He wrote charts for Mary J. Blige and numerous others. He played vibraphones on the score of the Academy Award winning film “Sideways” starring Paul Giamatti. Tragically, cancer took his life at the age of 46. Here’s what he said in his last blog; “I will NOT shed this mortal coil until I'm satisfied that I've done all that I can, and ladies and gentlemen, I have ONLY begun to do what I feel that I'm called to do, which is to make music. All things considered, I feel VERY fortunate and yes, even an agnostic like myself, feels blessed, too. I'm surrounded by the love and support of so many friends, some of which I never knew even liked me!!!!” He played and composed music to the very end! He toured Europe, Indonesia and had plans to return. WE MISS YOU ROGER! We hope to honor you and your beautiful music that we all felt so blessed to hear, with this re-release of your last three albums! God rest your soul! Love, Elaine, Jimmy and Blue Canoe |
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