mercoledì 11 febbraio 2015

DEPARTURE AVE "YARN"

Departure Ave. were born in Rome in the summer of 2012. Six months later their first “All the Sunset in a Cup” appears. The album, self-released, immediately received excellent reviews from the insiders and turned a light on the band. After the album was released the band has begun the collaboration with Bomba Dischi, the independent label which released “Yarn”.   Yarn is the second album by Departure Ave. A rock album, oblique and visual, jazz coloured but also characterised by different tinges and suggestions that recall electronic and reggae music. This album is a collection of twelve fables, each taking place in a different setting, brought together by the fact that they have all been conceived in the same place. DEPARTURE AVE
 

ALTERED FIVE "GOTTA EARN IT"

Proclaimed “a staple of the Midwest’s band scene” and “a festival favorite” by the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, Altered Five’s delectable brew of blues and soul has a wide audience taking notice. The quintet's sophomore album, Gotta Earn It, is a 10-song set featuring seven originals. Singer Jeff Taylor’s powerful voice anchors the sound and drives home the message in songs like the brooding ballad “Three Wishes,” the wistful, burning blues of “Older, Wiser, Richer,” and the yearning “Mona Lisa.” The rhythm section of drummer Scott Schroedl and bassist Mark Solveson grooves hard and enjoys telepathic interaction with keyboardist Raymond Tevich and guitarist Jeff Schroedl. Guitar World magazine raves that Schroedl has “hi-tech chops” and contributes “superlative solo work.” The group also puts its stamp on three covers: a driving, bluesified take on the early Marvin Gaye hit “Ain’t That Peculiar”; a revved-up reading of Buddy Guy’s 1961 Chess recording “Watch Yourself”; and the cool, sassy groove of another Motown original, “You’ve Got to Earn It.”Award-winning blues journalist Dave Rubin declares: "As authentic as a tangy Memphis soul stew, Altered Five breathes fire into deep groove, original R&B and blues. Led by the passion and polish of barrel-chested singer Jeff "JT" Taylor and the explosive, fret-bending guitarist Jeff Schroedl, the five blues brothers play vital music that nurtures the spirit and moves the body."ALTERED FIVE BLUES BAND
 

EYOT "SIMILARITY"

Free of genres, EYOT brings a beautiful eclectic sound that swims from rock to jazz, punk and ambient, impressionism to romanticism, all formed into strong compositions. Their live performances are filled with energy and emotions that bring the listener deep into their personal world and create a unique experience.After their critically acclaimed albums “Horizon” and “Drifters” that brouth them more then 100 concerts in 18 countries, EYOT brings us “Similarity”. Forged in Nis - Serbia, Crafted in Bristol UK, produced by Get the Blessing’s Jim Barr, this album brings a mix of many styles. Pink Floyd mixed with Nirvana, Radiohead and legacy of famous Eastern European composers of classical music, spiced up with the Balkan traditional music, it’s a recipe that EYOT presents to you in it’s own way. EYOT
 

JOHN O'GALLAGHER SAM LASSERSON JEFF WILLIAMS "VALENCE"

John O'Gallagher is considered one of the most compelling alto saxophonists and composers at work today on the New York jazz scene. He is known for an innovative style which pushes the boundaries of jazz while rooted in it's tradition."Mr. O'Gallagher is an exploratory alto saxophonist with a clear melodic streak" - The New York TimesBorn in Anaheim Califorina in 1964 he began playing alto saxophone in grade school after his family moved to Spokane, Washington. Upon graduating high school he studied briefly at Eastern Washington University before moving to Boston to attend Berklee College of Music. There he studied with legendary saxophone gurus Joe Viola, Jerry Bergonzi and George Garzone. During the past 25 years living in New York he has become known for his projects as a leader, and as a sought after sidemen, working with artist such as Joe Henderson, Maria Schnieder, Kenny Wheeler, Billy Hart, Tony Malaby, Jeff Williams, Tom Rainey,  Chris Cheek, Ralph Alessi, Rudresh Manhathappa, Mike Formanek, Ben Monder and numerous others.Jeff Williams was raised in Oberlin, Ohio where he began playing drums at age eight. Self-taught, with the aid of his parents' collection of jazz recordings as a guide, he started playing gigs with local professionals at age fourteen. Jeff's mother, Ann Williams, moved to New York to pursue a jazz singing career when he was nine, introducing him to a number of musicians who would be his early mentors, including drummers Jo Jones, Herb Lovelle, Elvin Jones, and Oliver Jackson. In 1967 Jeff made his recording debut with the psychedelic group Ant Trip Ceremony (Cicadelic).Sam began playing the double bass aged 16, taking classical lessons and teaching himself jazz. Whilst studying both disciplines at Trinity College of Music with Corin Long and Steve Watts respectively, he began to perform professionally on the British jazz scene. Since graduating seven years ago, Sam has appeared regularly at many established jazz venues in London and around the UK, as well as embarking on numerous international tours throughout Europe, America, Canada and Brazil.Sam is a member of Jeff Williams' UK-based quartet, award-winning saxophonist Julian Arguelles' quartet, vocalist Emilia Martensson's band, and Andrew McCormack's UK trio. As a sideman he has performed with Ethan Iverson, John O'Gallagher, Stan Sulzmann, Martin Speake, Nikki Iles, Bobby Wellins, and Jim Hart among many others. He is also proud to be involved in a number of exciting projects with his contemporaries, including the George Crowley Quintet and the Michael Chillingworth Sextet. SAM LASSERSON
 

MIKE COLLINS TRIO "AND SUDDENLY, EVENING"

Mike Collins on piano His development as a jazz musician began when he attended the legendary Glamorgan Summer Schools learning from and playing with some of the best players on the British scene (Stan Sulzman, Simon Purcell, Niki Iles, Liam Noble, Julian Siegel to name but a few).  As well as gigging regularly on the lively Bristol scene, and throughout the South West and Wales with his trio and quartet,  Mike co-led a Quintet for a number of years with Pete Judge (Get the Blessing). “..elegant..accomplished … perhaps a classic in the making.. Indicating a great live experience”   London Jazz News“a voice all his own.. an achievement in lyricism .. a stunning band …would grace any jazz lover’s library”  Charley Dunlap, Listomania.1/2 “.. mixes attractive melodies with a rhythmical flexibility… the easy confidence of a quartet enjoying itself”All About Jazz “Pastoral … gentle..  Collins sound.. closest to John Taylor’s or Bobo Stenson’s” Marlbank. MIKE COLLINS TRIO

O BARDO E O BANJO "HOMEPATH"

"Homepath" é o primeiro álbum do Bardo e o Banjo, e reúne os singles que foram lançados em seus 2 EP's anteriores ("Synergy" 2013, "Lakeside" 2014) em um trabalho que explora a fundo a sonoridade rústica que a banda veio aprimorando ao longo de seus quase 3 anos de existência. Nesse primeiro álbum, Wagner Creoruska Junior (músico, compositor) e o produtor Cesar Benzoni exploram elementos diferentes, além dos já convencionalmente usados pelo Bardo e o Banjo: sons de colheres, tin whistle, gaita e até sapateado irlandês fazem participações nas faixas do álbum. A junção de instrumentos novos com a música rústica do grupo fazem de "Homepath" um álbum que mostra todas as facetas da música do Bardo e o Banjo, levando o ouvinte a uma experiência completa no universo da música tradicional/folk e do bluegrass. O BARDO E O BANJO
 

WHITEY MORGAN "GRANDPA'S GUITAR"

This album is dedicated to my Grandfather, William Henry Morgan. I keep one of my most cherished possessions in a dusty old shoe box full of memories. It's an old memorex cassette tape of my Grandpa picking and singing alone in his basement room. He picks and sings some of his favorites on the very guitar I would eventually learn to play on - The guitar that has inspired everything I have done in the last 15 years of my music career, including this collection of songs. I picked a couple that he loved and some that have always kept me company in many dark, lonely, motel rooms across this country. From the painfully-hard-to-record "Grandpas Guitar," to a drunkin’ late night version of "Dead Flowers" — these songs are as close to the real me as I have been in a long time. Hell, I even threw in a song by the man himself from that old cassette tape that started the whole thing. WHITEY MORGAN
 

ERIC GALES " GOOD FOR SUMTHIN' "

Blues guitar phenom Eric Gales was born and raised in Memphis, learning to play at age four from older brothers Eugene and Manuel in imitation of their upside-down, left-handed style (a tradition actually passed down from their grandfather, Dempsey Garrett Sr., who was known to jam with the likes of Muddy Waters and Howlin' Wolf). Winning his first blues contest at 11, four years later Eric signed to Elektra to issue his 1991 debut LP, recorded with Eugene on bass; Picture of a Thousand Faces followed in 1993. Manuel (who previously performed under the alias Little Jimmy King) reunited with his siblings for 1995's Left Hand Band, credited to the Gales Brothers.A newly matured Gales returned in spring 2001 to release his debut for MCA, That's What I Am. Often billed as the second coming of Jimi Hendrix, Gales, an adequate singer at best but a dynamite guitarist, suffered for the comparison. With Gales always influenced by Hendrix and the power trio format, his next albums, 2006's Crystal Vision and 2007's Psychedelic Underground, both released by Blues Bureau Records, seemed like facsimile Hendrix albums, right down to the album art. His next two releases from Blues Bureau, 2008's The Story of My Life and 2009's Layin' Down the Blues, found the Hendrix influence muted somewhat, but Gales, a breathtaking guitarist at times, still seemed to be looking for a way out of the Hendrix shadow and into his own voice. Gales returned in 2010 with Relentless, a collection of 13 originals, and followed it with the passionate Transformation a year later in 2011. Theall-instrumental Ghost Notes arrived in the fall of 2013. ~ Jason Ankeny & Steve Leggett, Rovi ERIC GALES BAND