Sunnyside new releases

[mjzee]

Release date March 3:

The world's pause caused by the Covid-19 pandemic created rifts in regular patterns and collaborations. Pianist Anat Fort found herself effectively separated from her regular trio of bassist Gary Wong and Robert Schneider for the first time in the trio's 20 years of existence. When an opportunity arose to bring the trio together to perform in Germany, Fort seized on the chance to regroup and record an album that goes against the group's typical formula on The Berlin Sessions. In doing so, the trio touch on some elements in the music that they hadn't normally touched to stunningly, unique effect.

Release date March 10:

There have been many instances where a musician specializing in a particular genre has taken a detour to investigate another. Bassist/composer Clovis Nicolas has focused on jazz music since he picked up his instrument, but it was his chance meeting of a classical music mentor at Juilliard that piqued his curiosity in classical composition. Nicolas's new recording, The Contrapuntist, presents his first recorded foray into classical music, which features his new string quartet, along with a fascinating reflection of the piece for jazz quartet. Clovis Nicolas shows the two sides of his music personality on his new recording, The Contrapuntist. There is the jazz honed contrabassist that regularly drives the rhythm sections for some of New York's best bands. But there is also the classically trained composer who focuses on making beautiful written music through voice-leading and counterpoint. These two sides mirror one another fantastically.

[mjzee]

Release date April 7:

There are millions of tales to be told of life in New York City. In every neighborhood, there are buildings that have witnessed generations of individuals, families, businesses, and organizations utilizing their communal spaces. The inconspicuous townhouse that sits at 64 East Seventh Street in the East Village conceals a hidden history that truly shows the changes of it's famous neighborhood over the building's 150 years of existence. // Writer/lyricist David Hajdu discovered the legacy of 64 East Seventh when the East Village was applying for the status as a historical district in New York City. (The East Village/Lower East Side Historic District was created by The New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission in October 2012.) Spellbound by the stories of the former occupants that he uncovered, Hajdu composed lyrics to a song cycle about the building, which he then entrusted to the capable hands of select composers and performers to bring to life as The Parsonage.

[mjzee]

Release date June 2:

The art of constructing a solo recording is the ultimate challenge for most musicians. Pianist Benny Green believes that the challenge provides the ultimate inspiration, as he is free to take the music in whatever direction he chooses. For his first solo recording in twenty years, simply named Solo, Green finds himself reflecting on pieces by pianists who have inspired him over the decades.Over his career, Green has solidified himself as one of jazz music's premier piano stylists. His command of the bebop, post-bop, and swing styles was harnessed and cemented through years of study and apprenticeship alongside the music's best, including jazz masters Walter Bishop, Jr., Oscar Peterson, and Art Blakey, with whom he played as a member of the legendary Jazz Messengers.The pandemic allowed Benny Green to reassess his goals and approach to music. It also allowed him time to further investigate the music of his heroes so that he could reinterpret them on his new recording, Solo.

 

[mjzee]

Release date June 23:

Rising star pianist/composer Noah Haidu's resplendently expressive Standards celebrates the 40th anniversary of the release that launched Keith Jarrett's great Standards Trio and arrives on the heels of Haidu's two recent acclaimed Sunnyside albums, most notably 2021's SLOWLY: Song for Keith Jarrett. Featuring Haidu with bassists Buster Williams and Peter Washington, drummer Lewis Nash and guest saxophonist Steve Wilson, Standards is, in part, the soulmate to SLOWLY, which DownBeat called "a stunning and heartfelt tribute." After Haidu, Buster Williams and Billy Hart recorded it's last two songs - "But Beautiful" and "Georgia on My Mind" - Williams said, "Those two standards were beautiful, got any more?"

Release date June 30:

For nearly a decade, the endlessly exploring pianist / composer / improviser Denny Zeitlin has focused on an individual composer for his annual solo concert at Oakland's Piedmont Piano Company. Zeitlin brings his full creative force to these efforts to transform these well-known pieces into remarkable musical journeys. In 2018, Zeitlin decided to focus on the great American composer, George Gershwin, for his concert and recorded the proceedings, released now as Crazy Rhythm: Exploring George Gershwin.

[GA Russell]

On 5/14/2023 at 1:01 AM, mjzee said:

Release date June 2:

The art of constructing a solo recording is the ultimate challenge for most musicians. Pianist Benny Green believes that the challenge provides the ultimate inspiration, as he is free to take the music in whatever direction he chooses. For his first solo recording in twenty years, simply named Solo, Green finds himself reflecting on pieces by pianists who have inspired him over the decades.Over his career, Green has solidified himself as one of jazz music's premier piano stylists. His command of the bebop, post-bop, and swing styles was harnessed and cemented through years of study and apprenticeship alongside the music's best, including jazz masters Walter Bishop, Jr., Oscar Peterson, and Art Blakey, with whom he played as a member of the legendary Jazz Messengers.The pandemic allowed Benny Green to reassess his goals and approach to music. It also allowed him time to further investigate the music of his heroes so that he could reinterpret them on his new recording, Solo.

 

I see that 25 years later, Benny Green is no longer a kid!

[Ken Dryden]

He still sounds youthful as ever. I interviewed him a few months ago, the first time in around 3 decades.

He’s the kind of artist that would be fun to talk to over an extended period. 

[kh1958]

Benny Green was playing the one time I was able to go to Bradley's. Have not seen him since.

[mjzee]

Release date October 27:

Growing up in an urban environment could lead to obliviousness to the natural world. Having grown up in a rural environment, saxophonist/composer Jeremy Udden was very aware of nature but living in metropolises made him seek nature's touch in the city's midst. Udden's children have grown up in Brooklyn and he is frequently amazed at how attuned to nature his city kids are, just one of the intriguing juxtapositions he reflects in his new recording, Wishing Flower.For his new recording, Udden used the inspiration of his children and their daily walks from school to write new compositions that reflect the sounds of the city through Udden's singular musical lens, which blends the pastoral sounds of folk and country with contemporary jazz. Coming full circle, Udden recruited guitarist Ben Monder and drummer Ziv Ravitz to revisit their ensemble roles from Torchsongs, along with longtime collaborator, bassist Jorge Roeder.

 

[mjzee]

Release date February 2:

The mastery of an instrument or a musical language doesn't necessarily mean that a musician must be frivolous in performance with displays of their masterful technique or engagement in superfluous overplaying. Sometimes it is the restraint that shows the maturity and taste of a performer. Rufus Reid and Sullivan Fortner are musicians who have the easy ability to astonish but show their class in their control. Of course, Reid has been admonished as one of the best bassists in jazz for decades, leaving him nothing more to prove. The heralded young pianist, Sullivan Fortner, has a maturity beyond his years and the pairing of the two allows for music making of the highest caliber. Their duo recording, It's The Nights I Like, shows just what kind of magic can made without resorting to histrionics and letting the music shine.

[mjzee]

Release date April 12:

Pianist Noah Haidu sees a certain irony in his current recorded output. "I love composing but improvisation has always been my greatest passion. When I started releasing music in 2011 I relied on my songwriting to make a unique artistic statement, but I've come full circle and realized that finding my own voice on a simple, unadorned standard is a rare and necessary endeavor." Haidu embraced that endeavor on his 2023 release Standards, and on Standards II, due out April 12, 2024 on Sunnyside Records. The new album is a breathtaking masterpiece featuring Haidu with two of the music's most esteemed players, Buster Williams on bass and Billy Hart on drums."With Standards II, I've committed to performing with my own Standards Trio as a regular part of my touring schedule, " Haidu says. "I'm grateful for the opportunity to build a voice in this canon, and for the amazing response from audiences on our recent tours. While I'm still composing my own music and continuing with various projects outside of the American Songbook repertoire, my Standards Trio is an important statement for me and an integral part of my identity as a musician."

 

[mjzee]

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.

[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)