New Music on ContemporaryJazz.com Radio
ContemporaryJazz.com Radio plays nu jazz, acid jazz, remixed jazz,
jazzy house, and other groove jazz styles. It's online all the time and is free (with ads) or you can purchase a
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Here's a sample of some of the music I added to the playlist in late April. I've posted a more
complete list on Google Docs.
= Buy CD/MP3s from Amazon.com |
= Download from iTunes
| Artist | Track | Recording | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Masters at Work with George Benson | "You Can Do It Baby" | Nuyorican Soul |
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| Danny Massure | "Soledad" | What It Is |
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| Stark | "From Day To Day" | Le Future Sax de Paris |
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| Zilo Groove | "Money" | 2008 Instrumental Collection |
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| Misz | "Steppin' (Let's Step)" | Groove Producer (The Groove EP) |
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| Soulphiction | "I Just Wait" | Do You Overstand?! |
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| Missing Soul | "In Your Phantom" | Missing Soul | ||
| Domu | "Nerada" | The Timeless Interpretations |
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| The Herbaliser | "Styles" | Remedies |
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| 9 Lazy 9 | "Train" | Funkjazztical Tricknology: Ninja Cuts 1 |
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| Pete Rock | "A Little Soul" | City Lounge: New York-London-Paris-Berlin |
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| Herbie Hancock | "Mojuba" | Dis Is Da Drum |
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| LTJ X-Perience | "Cocos" | When the Rain Begins to Fall |
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Review: Miles From India
Review by John Luciano
Amazing! There have been a number of Miles Davis tribute recordings released over the years, covering various periods of his
storied career; both with and without alumni of his numerous bands and configurations. I'm pretty sure that I own most of them
but this one, organized and led by producer Bob Belden, covering songs from Miles' controversial first forays into fusion via
electricity, is just amazing. If you can get your head around the opening track, "Spanish Key" from Bitches Brew with tabla,
soaring flute and konnakol (Indian vocalization), then you'll be in for a sub-continental treat. Belden and the musicians he's
assembled - American, Indian and alumni of Davis' bands - take 12 songs, all but one of which are associated with Davis, and interpret
them as if Miles donned a Nehru Jacket. Traditional Western instrumentation meets Indian ideals; complementing sitar,
electric mandolin, flute, tabla, konnakol and a whole host of Indian drums and percussion are; Dave Liebman and Gary Bartz
on Sax, Mike Stern, John McLaughlin and Pete Cosey on guitar, Marcus Miller, Ron Carter, Michael Henderson and Benny Rietveld
on bass, Chick Corea, Adam Holzman and Robert Irving III on keys, Ndugu, Lenny White, Vince Wilburn and Badal Roy on drums –
all alumni, complemented by the great Wallace Roney on trumpet. To hear "All Blues" open with sitar or "So What" open with
konnakol is both amazing and liberating at the same time. If you're a fan of Miles, especially his early electric and later
periods, you're going to be blown away by this recording. I haven't been able to stop listening to this recording since I
downloaded it. Call me star-struck, but this just might be the best release I've heard thus far in 2008. I haven't been this
taken aback since Alan Pasqua's The Antisocial Club.
Roy Ayers Vibe Battle
This brought a big smile to my face.
Review: Palmystery from Victor Wooten
Review by Sean Miller
Victor
Wooten is a musician with a penchant for creativity and this is clearly heard on his
latest release, Palmystery. The disc captures this versatile artist in his element as
he succinctly takes listeners on a genre-bending tale during which themes of mysticism and
spirituality are explored. This premise is shared in Wooten's concurrently released novel The
Music Lesson which tells the story of a young musician's encounter with a mysterious music
teacher who expounds upon him spiritual lessons in music and life. The album opens with the
playful and energetic "2 Timers" featuring Derico Watson and JD Blair on drums. The piece is
further aided by Howard Levy's harmonica, Eric Silver's violin and a full horn section. On
"Left Right & Center" guitarist Mike Stern shares the spotlight with Wooten and Neal Evans
(Soulive) on the Hammond B3. Perhaps the track's biggest accomplishment lies in the enlistment
of Dennis Chambers, Will Kennedy, and Blair on drums whose combined force provides a fluid
backbeat that keeps things moving along at a steady clip. A lively cover of Horace Silver's
"Song For My Father" is included on the release as well. Wooten states that "A song is just an
idea until someone brings it into the world," adding "That's the great mystery of music or any
creative endeavor. The power is in the palm of your hand. You just have to release it to the
world." And release it to the world he did on the satisfying and eclectic Palmystery.
Keep an ear out for this one.
Marcus Miller Interview
John
Luciano recently interviewed Marcus Miller for the site. Marcus talks about his new release, titled Marcus in the U.S., how
he got his sound, the jazz industry today, and what's coming up.
You can catch Marcus recorded live playing with Herbie Hancock, Joni Mitchell, DJ C-Minus, and others on Yahoo! on April 1. Herbie plays songs from River: The Joni Letters and his classic, signature songs including "Rockit!"
Hypnotic Brass Ensemble
by John Luciano
I was in NYC for the Big East Basketball Tournament last week, feasting on incredible ball, walking 7th Avenue back and
forth from the DoubleTree in Times Square to the Garden, twice a day for the double headers. As I'm walking back from the
Garden and approaching 42nd Street on Thursday afternoon, I hear the distinctive sound of a brass band, a few blocks away,
thinking that it's probably a bunch of kids from one of the schools that got knocked out of the tournament that day from
one of the two early games. But, as I get closer, I start hearing Latin, Reggae, odd syncopated rhythms, this was no
college marching band! In front of the Subway sandwich shop on 7th near 42nd, was a group of guys playing the most hypnotic
and trance like jazz-jam-reggae that I have ever heard; trying to sell their CDs to the sizeable crowd which had gathered
to listen to them. I had never heard of the Hypnotic Brass Ensemble, but I made sure to catch their name. Incredibly,
they were still there playing, two hours later, when I walked past on my way back to the Garden for the late games! That
night when I got back to my hotel, I immediately started searching for this incredible group. I found their
MySpace page and blog,
and also downloaded their first
two
recordings from iTunes. If you like music that you can't stop bobbing your head to, that makes you want to get up and dance, or
just puts a huge smile on your face – give these guys from Chicago a shot!
New Incognito Set For June Release
From the press release: Incognito will make their Heads Up debut with Tales From The Beach, an album scheduled for worldwide release on June 24. Recorded in Italy, Germany, Indonesia and London (and mixed in Jakarta), the release is a refreshing and uplifting 15-track set that captures the best elements of the band's classic sound: driving rhythms, high-impact horns and stirring lyrics delivered by an array of expressive vocalists. The album title is a reference to Bluey's musical evolution since his childhood in Mauritius. "When I was a kid, my first taste of music came from the beaches," he says. "I spent a lot of time listening to the hotel bands, or the bands playing around the bonfires and cookouts. It's a small island, so there were beaches everywhere. I was always watching live musicians play. So for inspiration for this album, I went back to various beaches around the world – in Italy, Indonesia and elsewhere – and just let the music flow."
Next For Pat Metheny
Pat Metheny was recently in his home town of Lee's Summit, Missouri for a Metheny Music Foundation concert. In an interview with the Kansas City Star, he revealed his next project: a new reunion project with Gary Burton with Steve Swallow and Antonio Sanchez. Then, “I'm cleaning off my desk. For the first time in four or five years, I'll have nothing but blank white paper there. I'm looking forward to that. I'm not sure what will come out.”
You can support this site by buying music through our affiliation with Amazon and iTunes!
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- NEW THIS WEEK
- Brian Culbertson, Bringing Back the Funk (4/29)
note: w/ Bootsy Collins, Larry Graham, Ronnie Laws, Musiq Soulchild; executive produced by Maurice White
- Global Noize, Global Noize (4/29)
note: DJ Logic/Jason Miles electronica/jazz/world project w/ major players
| more info
- ALL NEW RELEASES
- Ken Navarro, The Grace Of Summer Light (6/17)
- Hiromi, Beyond Standard (6/10)
- Esperanza Spalding, Esperanza (5/20)
- Yellowjackets featuring Mike Stern, Lifecycle (5/20)
- Stanley Jordan Trio, Paris Concert DVD
(5/13)
- Pat Metheny, Tokyo Day Trip - Live EP (5/13)
- Brian Culbertson, Bringing Back the Funk (4/29)
note: w/ Bootsy Collins, Larry Graham, Ronnie Laws, Musiq Soulchild; executive produced by Maurice White
- Global Noize, Global Noize (4/29)
note: DJ Logic/Jason Miles electronica/jazz/world project w/ major players
| more info
- Chris Standring, Love and Paragraphs (4/22)
- Stanley Jordan, State of Nature (4/22)
- The Cinematic Orchestra, Live at the Royal Albert Hall (4/22)
- Soulphiction, Do You Overstand?! (4/21)
- Bradley Leighton, Soul Collective (4/15)
- Robert Walter, Cure All (4/15)
note: w/ James Singleton and Johnny Vidacovich
- Various, Miles From India (4/15)
note: 2-CD set of recreations of Miles Davis' music by alumni from his bands and Indian musicians
- Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey, Lil' Tae Rides Again (4/8)
- Victor Wooten, Palmystery (4/1)
note: w/ Neal Evans, Keb Mo, Karl Denson, Richard Bona, and more
- Victor Wooten, The Music Lesson (book)
(4/1)
note: story of a struggling young musician who wanted music to be his life
- Spring Heel Jack, Songs and Themes (3/25)
- Marcus Johnson, In Concert For A Cause (3/18)
note: proceeds support YMCA Annual Fundraising Campaign
- South Froggies, Nu Jazz Factory (3/17)
- Jamhunters, Music Speaks Louder Than Words (3/15) note: smooth/acid/lounge/latin jazz sounds | more info
- JD73, Zeroes and Ones (3/11)
- Gerald Veasley, Your Move (3/11)
- Solamingus, Define Funk (3/11)
- Marcus Miller, Marcus (3/4)
note: U.S. release; titled Free in other countries
- Stance Brothers, Kind Soul (3/4)
- Bob Baldwin, NewUrbanJazz.com (3/4)
note: Jocelyn Brown on one track
- Danny Lerman, Meow Baby (2/28)
- Various, Jazz and Milk Breaks, Vol. 2 (2/27)
note: digital download; w/ Mocean Worker, Free the Robots; 6 artists for $6
- Gemini Soul, The Nefertiti Xperience (2/25)
note: musically inspired by Me'Shell Ndegeocello and Herbie Hancock
- Tom Scott, Cannon Re-Loaded: An All-Star Celebration of Cannonball Adderley (2/12)
note: w/ Terence Blanchard, Marcus Miller, George Duke, Steve Gadd, Larry Goldings, Nancy Wilson
- The Blessing, All Is Yes (2/11)
| more info
- Guru, The Best of Guru's Jazzmatazz (2/12)
note: compilation of first three Jazzmatazz recordings + bonus tracks; w/ The Roots, Donald Byrd, Ronny Jordan, Jamiroquai, and many more
- Paul Hardcastle, Hardcastle 5 (2/5)
- Chick Corea/Gary Burton, The New Crystal Silence (2/5)
note: 2-CD set: one duet CD; one with them w/ the Sydney Symphony
- Pat Metheny Trio, Day Trip (1/29)
- Various, The Jazz Influence, Vol. 3 (Electronic Jazz Compiled by Kevin Yost) (1/29; CD available 2/19)
note: w/ Luke Hampton, Euphonic 7, Adagio, and more
- Ron Blake, Shayari (1/29)
- Christian Prommer's DrumLesson, Drum Lesson Vol. 1 (1/29)
- Vandermark 5, Beat Reader (1/29)
- Al Jarreau, Love Songs (1/29)
note: collected from his Warner Bros. recordings; some remastered
- Afro Elements, It Remains To Be Seen (1/22)
- Michael Manson, Up Front (1/22)
note: w/ Norman Brown, George Duke, Kirk Whalum, Rick Braun, Jeff Lorber, Najee, and more
- Various, Neujazz (1/15)
note: Jazzanova compilation w/ Two Banks of Four, Hipnosis, Build An Ark, Fertile Ground, Hajime Yoshizawa
- Nnenna Freelon, Better Than Anything: The Quintessential Nnenna Freelon (1/15)
- Megaphone Man, Live at the Tabernacle (1/15)
note: sax/bass/drums jam trio
- Eliane Elias, Something for You: Eliane Elias Sings and Plays Bill Evans (1/15)
- Medeski Martin and Wood, Let's Go Everywhere (1/8)
note: MMW's first recording for children and families
