mjzee

Release date March 28: Gratitude is a heartfelt journey, bridging some of my earliest influences in jazz with a deep appreciation for the present and embracing the blessings of life, friends, family, and health from a new perspective. Community and mentorship are two essential elements of jazz. I'm infinitely grateful to the remarkable individuals I've had the privilege to learn from, collaborate with, and draw inspiration from throughout my career. Their encouragement has shaped me into who I am today. Envisioning this project, I aimed to assemble a group of musicians that have been, and continue to be, a significant part of my journey. The inspiration for this album reaches back to Christian McBride's monumental release, "Gettin' to It," which has the same rhythm section. As a young teen in Oklahoma, this album quickly became my guiding light. The laws of energy (Magnetism) brought me full circle in New York; after years of being in the trenches, I gained opportunities to work with each artist. The following compositions are dedicated to Jimmy Heath (Gratitude), Kenny Garrett (Kenny's Quest), Joshua Redman (In the Spirit), and my son (The Promise). This album truly brings me full circle.As you listen, may the music transport you on a journey of reflection, resilience, and celebration, where gratitude becomes a shared experience and a reminder of the connections and energies that bind us all. -Sharel Cassity (December, 2024)

Release date February 28: Trombonist Nanami Haruta made the move from her native Sapporo to Tokyo as a teenager and quickly established herself as a dynamic & inspired player. Master trombonist Michael Dease heard her at a festival when she was 17, and later convinced her to make another move, to pursue her degree with him and Rodney Whitaker at Michigan State University. With professional affiliations now including Whitaker's Sextet & drummer Ulysses Owens Jr's Big Band, "The Vibe" documents the respect she's garnered from her mentors and showcases her significant musical voice. With her quartet - including Whitaker, Owens, and Xavier Davis on piano - along with guest appearances by producer Dease and guitarist Chris Minami, Haruta unveils an assertive posture and a compelling, robust tone on this set of five originals, two pieces by co-producer/executive producer Gregg Hill, and four covers, including Curtis Fuller's "Algonquin." Release date March 21: Nnenna Freelon's voice is a reflection of life, filled with personal stories, deep emotion, and quiet wisdom. Since her 1992 debut on Columbia, the seven-time Grammy nominee has used her unique perspective to tell familiar stories - from reimagining Billie Holiday to paying tribute to Stevie Wonder. On Beneath the Skin, she goes the extra step, reaching in to create heart-spoken songs, born from curiosity to more closely visit stories inhabiting her own life. With co-arranger and pianist, Alan Pasqua, Nnenna's created her most personal musical statement to date. Freelon's vocal artistry, rooted in tradition but always forward-thinking, has captivated audiences around the world, and Beneath the Skin is sure to do the same. "What Freelon is building is not just a castle of love, but an expanded repertoire for jazz singers" - The Washington PostThere's no doubt that Freelon has now positioned herself in the very top echelon of jazz vocalists. - The Los Angeles Times

Release date March 21: Anchored in the idea that, despite all obstacles, the human experience casts a net of possibilities, Defiant Life - Vijay Iyer and Wadada Leo Smith's second duo recording for ECM - proves a profound meditation on the human condition and both the suffering and resilience it entails. Recorded within two days at Lugano's Auditorio Stelio Molo, Defiant Life was produced by Manfred Eicher. "This recording session was conditioned by our ongoing sorrow and outrage over the past year's cruelties, but also by our faith in human possibility." - Vijay Iyer Release date March 28: Nicolas Masson's acquaintance with his fellow quartet travelers Colin Vallon, Patrice Moret and Lionel Friedli goes back roughly two decades - in this time the players have developed an intimate musical bond, expressed purely and beautifully on Renaissance. Comprised exclusively of originals by the Swiss saxophonist and one collective improvisation, the album's spotlight shifts between contrasting moods and shapes, capturing the venturesome leader stretching his compositional muscle in evocative interplay with his colleagues.

There was an interesting review of the album in Stereophile. They said the later date is great, and should have been released on its own, implying the earlier date should not have been released.

I seriously think BN should start a "rejected" series. Release it all! Be clear that these tracks or sessions were not considered worthy of release in their time, and that Alfred Lion would not approve of their release today. Then release it all. Let us derive from them what we can. Perhaps there's a date where most of the musicians are good but there's one who's a clunker. What I hear in many of these sessions is the sound of another time, which simply cannot be reproduced today. They're precious. Or to put it another way, were all Prestige, Riverside and Savoy dates fabulous? No, but they all got eventually released. BN announced that these dates weren't good enough; the other labels just kept their mouths shut. Let the listeners decide.

Maybe they simply paid for YouTube?

I'm intrigued. Not sure I really need it, but it would be nice to revisit the experience. Now if they'd only do the same with the Vanguard Argo date (same corporate parent these days). Master tapes probably burnt in the fire, sadly.

Vladimir Horowitz - Complete Recordings on Deutsche Grammophon, disc 1.

I'm on a Mac, and mostly use Safari. Sometimes Firefox, occasionally Brave, rarely Tusk or DuckDuckGo (though there's nothing wrong with either of them).

Riccardo Muti - The Complete Warner Symphonic Recordings, disc 33.

Artur Rodziński - New York Philharmonic, The Complete Columbia Album Collection, disc 16 (last).

Riccardo Muti - The Complete Warner Symphonic Recordings, disc 32.

Summer of Soul was OK, but there was way too much political footage (interviews, etc.). Less Nina Simone would have also been welcome.

I remember huge amounts of the BYG/Actuels as cutouts in spring 1974. At least one of the records I bought had a flat outer rim (not raised). Very exotic.

Release date March 21: One of the more exciting aspects of jazz and other improvised music is the drama in it's unpredictability. There have been sages in the music that mastered the art of surprise, providing decades of inspiration for aspiring performers and dedicated listeners. Ray Suhy and Lewis Porter have captured the fire of these sonic explorers, presenting their latest offerings on their new recording, a diverse collection of pieces that will keep listeners on the edge of their seats. The title, What Happens Next, is deliberately provocative and open-ended.Guitarist Suhy was captured by the transcendental sounds of John Coltrane and Miles Davis during his early musical studies. Though he is perhaps best known as the lead guitarist in the death metal band Six Feet Under, Suhy has always remained tied to jazz as a vehicle for his self-expression. Porter has a devotion to the music as a pianist, performer and scholar. He was a longtime professor and director of the Rutgers-Newark University's Jazz History program and, now, publishes Playback with Lewis Porter on Substack.The two were introduced by mutual friend and collaborator, saxophonist-composer Allen Lowe. The pair's instant connection was due to their affinity for the music of Coltrane and other boundary breakers of music. Since their meeting, Suhy and Porter have recorded three albums, collections of original music inspired by their broad musical inspirations and their brilliant collaborative bandmates. Drummer Rudy Royston returns on What Happens Next. He is a perfectly creative timekeeper who Porter met while the drummer studied at Rutgers. He has become an instrumental part of Suhy and Porter's Quartet, as his crisp dynamism is only matched by his arranger's mentality. Sharing the same arranging brilliance, Joris Teepe returns to his bass role with his rounded, sonorous tone and singular soloist style. For their new record, Suhy and Porter wanted to broaden their sound palette and present a program of music that honored other influences while expanding their range. When the Quartet entered Teaneck Sound on April 17, 2023, they came with a number of legends on their mind, including Thelonious Monk and the recently departed Wayne Shorter, whose work with the Miles Davis Quintet was a foundational inspiration to Suhy. The partnership between Ray Suhy and Lewis Porter continues to evolve and expand as they delve further into the worlds of improvisation and jazz. Together they hope to excite and surprise, as they continue on their musical journey with their new recording, What Happens Next.