JAZZIZ Conversations

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JAZZIZ Travel: Gisele Ben-Dor and Juanjo Mosalini Sep 07, 2021

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Argentinian Astor Piazzolla, born in 1921, leaned heavily on the jazz vocabulary to create the nuevo tango, a form of music in which new elements are incorporated into the traditional Argentinian tango. To celebrate the centennial of this groundbreaking music artist, conductor Gisele Ben-Dor and bandoneon virtuoso Juanjo Mosalini have released an exquisitely expressive tribute album titled Piazzolla: Cien Anos.

The album was released on August 5 via Centaur and documents a live performance recorded in January 2020 with the Pro Arte Chamber Orchestra at the Sanders Theatre in Cambridge, Massachusetts. This was neither the first time the pair have collaborated together nor is it the time they find themselves celebrating the legacy of Piazzolla. However, every time they do, they expose the heart of tango as Piazzolla imagined it: a cosmopolitan and emotional roller coaster, technically virtuosic, savage and tender.

JAZZIZ Travel: Bram Weijters Sep 01, 2021

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Pianist/composer Bram Weijters is based in Antwerp, Belgium, and is certainly one of the most exciting voices on the contemporary Belgian jazz scene. He has led and participated in a wide range of projects, including his Crazy Men ensemble, which recently released their second full-length record, The Return, out now on Sdban Ultra.

The band consists of musicians from a wide array of contemporary jazz bands and offers thrilling reinterpretations of music from the Belgian jazz-rock and fusion scene from the 1970s, which was populated by both local and international talent. If you don't know much about this historic scene, then The Return and this podcast conversation are two good places to start. The album, recorded live and remixed in the studio, is the band's sophomore full-length and includes 14 reworkings of compositions from artists including Philip Catherine, Placebo, the Palle Mikelborg ensemble, Bob Porter, Bill Frisell and more.

Miles Monday: Merci Miles! with Kenny Garrett, Deron Johnson, Florence Joelle Halfon & Ashley Kahn Aug 25, 2021

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In this special "Miles Monday" episode of JAZZIZ Conversations, we discuss the recording, remastering and release of Merci Miles! (Live at Vienne), a previously unpublished live concert album made available by Rhino Records on June 25. The album captures an electrifying set by The Miles Davis Group at the Vienne Jazz Festival in the summer of 1991, marking one of Miles' final live performances before his death on September 28.

We're joined in the conversation by Vince Wilburn Jr. (drummer, record producer and nephew of Miles Davis), saxophonist Kenny Garrett, keyboardist Deron Johnson, Merci Miles! co-producer Florence Joelle Halfon and jazz critic Ashley Kahn.

Purchase your copy of Merci Miles! at the Miles Davis shop: https://www.milesdavis.com/albums/merci-miles-live-at-vienne/

JAZZIZ Travel: Sebastián de Urquiza Aug 25, 2021

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Double-bassist/composer/vocalist Sebastián de Urquiza, born in Boston but naturalized Argentinian, is a musician in constant growth. He recently released his large ensemble debut as a leader, Unity Vol. 1, with a second volume on the way. Recorded in Switzerland, the session features a multinational and multicultural lineup united by jazz and improvisation. Each of the compositions refers to a specific setting or climate, showcases that sensation of unity and comes with a great dose of feeling and sensation.

JAZZIZ Travel: Satoko Fujii Aug 18, 2021

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Japanese artist Satoko Fujii is one of the most exciting voices to have emerged from the avant-jazz scene of the '90s. A prolific bandleader of several ensembles large and small in different parts of the world, the pianist/accordionist/composer is fast approaching her 100th album. This year alone, she has released a number of noteworthy records, with more to follow before the year's end.

Her latest LP is titled Moon on the Lake and was released on May 7 via Libra Records. It features Fujii alongside bassist Takashi Sugawa and drummer Ittetsu, two of the most in-demand younger musicians on the Japanese jazz scene, and marks her return to the standard piano trio for the first time since 2013. It is also a good starting point for an overview of Japan's jazz and creative music scene, and Fujii's own personal artistic journey.

JAZZIZ Travel: Peter K. Siegel on Joseph Spence Aug 11, 2021

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Richard Thompson, The Grateful Dead, Ry Cooder and Taj Mahal. They are just some of the artists who have been influenced by Bahamian guitar legend Joseph Spence (1910-1984). By combining individual inspiration and talent with regional musical traditions, Spence created a seminal guitar style. Yet, it is also thanks to the work of such music preservationists as Peter K. Siegel that his legacy lives on to this day.

The founder of the fabled Explorer Series for Nonesuch Records met and recorded Spence in New York City and the Bahamas in 1965 when he was only a teenager. He shares memories of spending time with Spence in his hometown and abroad in our latest episode of JAZZIZ Travel. During this time, he also recorded the guitar master in a variety of locations. A selection of these recordings is featured in a new LP titled Encore: Unheard Recordings of Bahamian Guitar and Singing, released on July 16 via Smithsonian Folkways.

JAZZIZ Conversations: Guitar Legend John McLaughlin Aug 05, 2021

Show notes

A living legend of improvised music, with a career now spanning more than five decades, John McLaughlin is no stranger to translating tumultuous moments into compelling, thoughtful audio art. Witness his searing contributions to Miles Davis’s infamous Jack Johnson sessions, the explosively pioneering rock/jazz hybrid he helped create as a member of the first edition of Tony Williams’s Lifetime, or the expansive explorations encompassed by his own music -- be it the rhythmic revolution of the Mahavishnu Orchestra, the unprecedented east/west fusion of Shakti, or the thrilling telepathic interplay his current outfit, the 4th Dimension. His newest album, Liberation Time, is set for release on July 16, 2021.

JAZZIZ Travel: Oscar Rossignoli Aug 04, 2021

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Honduran-born pianist Oscar Rossignoli folds many traditions into his music, from his classical music formation to his passion in Latin and North American jazz. In later years, he has been living in New Orleans and working with some of the city's best jazz musicians. He has also established his reputation in various settings and bands, including his brilliant Extended trio with Matt Booth and Brad Webb and by leading his own quartet.

His latest self-released album, Inertia, marks his first full-length solo piano project. The record, which he says he had been wanting to do for a long time, showcases his long relationship with his instrument of choice, as well as his process of discovery through improvisation. Tracks range from original compositions to improvisations and include a nod to Chopin and a tribute to the late great Chick Corea.

JAZZIZ Travel: Jan Lundgren Jul 28, 2021

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Today, we speak with pianist/composer Jan Lundgren, one of the main exponents of Swedish jazz today, as well as a major proponent of the emancipation of European jazz from American jazz. Lundgren is based in Ystad, a small picturesque coastal town in the South of Sweden, where he also founded the Ystad Sweden Jazz Festival, which returns this year on August 4-7.

His latest album, Into the Night, was recorded at last year's edition of the festival and marks the debut of his new drummer-less piano trio with saxophonist Emile Parisien and bassist Lars Danielsson. The stirringly sensitive program features a healthy mix of originals and covers with stellar arrangements and captivating improvisation. Into the Night will be released on August 27 via ACT Music.

JAZZIZ Travel: Mehmet Ali Sanlıkol Jul 07, 2021

Show notes

Turkish-American GRAMMY-nominated pianist/composer/scholar Mehmet Ali Sanlıkol deepens his singular approach to melding the sonorities of Turkish music with contemporary jazz on his forthcoming LP, An Elegant Ritual, due out July 16 via the DÜNYA label. This is a landmark release in his discography also because, while he has worked within a wide range of settings in the past, An Elegant Ritual marks his first-ever trio recordings, featuring James James Heazlewood-Dale on acoustic bass and George Lernis on drums, gongs and bendir.

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