On this show lots of new and recent releases and a couple of tracks from Marty Ehrlich’s back catalogue. Featured new releases are from Aka Moon, Jackson Welchner, Sylvain Kassap, Ambient Monkeys, Bob Himmelberger Trio, Doug McDonald, Jay Lawrence, SoSaLa, and Tony Kadleck.
SHOW NOTES AND PLAYLIST
Aka Moon – Quality of Joy – Quality of Joy : In 2022, Aka Moon celebrates thirty years of explorations, travels, scenes and meetings. Quality of Joy embodies the number of harmony, idealism and company: this is their twenty-fourth recording. The trio of Fabrizio Cassol, Michel Hatzigeorgiou and Stéphane Galland has had a centrifugal force from its beginning, a force that was activated by their experiences amongst the Aka Pygmies. Aka Moon’s space is the space of constellations, of links, of “elsewheres”. This album features a large number of musicians, as frequently occurs in their recordings. However, it clearly marks a change. lt is a key album that explores new paths and new relationships to lyricism in depth. lt is also part of a particular “today”, one that looks like a brand new world. The secret of Aka Moon’s longevity lies in their unceasing research, both melodic and rhythmic, and in the broadening of their knowledge and horizons through the encounter of musical cultures from all over the world. When travel and concerts were no longer possible due to the recent pandemic, Fabrizio embarked on an inner exploration in search of the ‘memory bubbles’ scattered in his head from all his past musical experiences. It’s a subtle work, focused on the emotions linked to these intonations, the paths and the melodic and harmonic doors they open.
Guest musicians:
Amir ElSaffar — trumpet (Iraq)
João Barradas— acoustic & electric accordeon (Portugal)
Claron McFadden — soprano (USA)
Bert Cools — guitar, synth, bow and sound design (Belgium)
Miles Okazaki — electric guitar (USA)
Rodriguez Vangama — electric guitar (Congo)
Adèle Viret — cello (France)
Simon Groppe — keyboards (France)
Laurent Blondiau — trumpet & Flugelhorn (Belgium)
Pierre-Antoine Savoyat — trumpet (France)
Jean-Paul Estiévenart — trumpet (Belgium)
Niels Van Heertum — euphonium (Belgium)
Michel Massot — euphonium & trombone (Belgium)
Nathan Surquin — trombone (Belgium)
Marty Ehrlich – The Cry Of – Maliinke’s Dance : Marty Ehrlich Travelers Tales
MARTY EHRLICH alto saxophone, soprano saxophones, flute
JEROME HARRIS acoustic bass guitar
BOBBY PREVITE drums
TONY MALABY tenor saxophone, soprano saxophone
Recorded live on 9-12 December 1999 at the Knitting Factory in New York
OmniTone – 12003
Jackson Welchner, Sarah Thawer – Blink Twice – Blink Twice : A bold, lush and bountiful contribution to Toronto’s jazz landscape, Jackson Welchner’s new album “Blink Twice” is an eclectic collection of deep grooves and angular melodies. Ranging from chamber jazz, to string quartet, to hard-hitting punk, Jackson’s compositions cover all the bases. His vocals and instrumentals are paired with performances by Sarah Thawer, Thom Gill, Anh Phung, Kae Murphy, Patrick Smith, Michael Davidson, among many others. Each track was recorded remotely in late 2021/early 2022, merged by Jackson’s post production and glued together with gooey, Thundercat-inspired harmonies. The singles so far have been “When UR”, a Brazilian-inspired maximalist dance track (featuring Patrick Smith on tenor sax solo), and “Pleasant”, an introspective, jazzy journey (featuring Michael Davidson, Sarah Thawer, Thom Gill, and Anh Phung). The title track, “Blink Twice”, is a dark, heart wrenching beat with soaring vocals and synths, featuring Sarah Thawer and the Venuti String Quartet. The album will be released digitally on March 17th, with a physical vinyl release coming shortly after
Sylvain Kassap Sextet – The Loop Is Looped – Octobres
Aymeric Avice: trumpet, flügelhorn
Sylvain Kassap: clarinets
Christiane Bopp: trombone
Sophia Domancich: piano, Fender Rhodes
Hélène Labarrière: double bass
Fabien Duscombs: drums
Label RogueArt ROG-0121
Released 2022
Recorded Live November 06-07, 2021. Studio Sextan. La Fonderie, Malakoff, France
Ambient Monkeys – Pulse – Interdimensional Beings
Aka Moon – Borrowed Times – Quality Of Joy
Bob Himmelberger Trio – Loose Change – Legacy
Bob Himmelberger – Piano; Dave Kingsworth – Bass ; Matt Kane Drums
Doug McDonald – Toluca Lake Jazz – Big Band Extravanganza
Jay Lawrence & The Platinum Jazz Orchestra – El Habanero – Payin My Dues
SoSoLa – My Shustari – Nu World Trashed : Following a period of building anticipation, saxophonist, composer, improviser, and producer SoSaLa and company (an amalgamation of world class musicians, plus well-known activist, educator, author and MC Dr.Cornel West who contributes a spoken-word feature) are taking a unique fusion of Middle Eastern, electronic, jazz and contemporary music to a new level with the release of Nu World Trashed. Released on NYC’s DooBeeDoo Records on December 11, 2020, with European release February 22, 2021.
Tony Kadleck – Dolphin Dance – Sides :
Trumpeter/composer/arranger/bandleader/educator TONY KADLECK is one of the most sought-after trumpet players on the New York City scene, and has been for some time. He moved to NYC in 1986, following his studies at the New England Conservatory–and a stint in the trumpet section of The Buddy Rich Big Band–and his phone has been ringing ever since. For good reason; at every turn, Kadleck puts the music first, and more than takes care of business. He graduated from the Manhattan School of Music in 1989 and quickly hit the road with the likes of Frank Sinatra, Barbara Streisand, Blood Sweat & Tears, and others. Eventually, Kadleck was in such high demand locally, for studio and stage work, that touring took a back seat. He played on countless jingles, scores for TV and film, and worked with the cream of the crop, including Luther Vandross, Michael Jackson, Elton John, Celine Dion, Stevie Wonder, Ella Fitzgerald, Issac Hayes, and most recently Steely Dan, Tony Bennett/Lady Gaga, Santana, Weezer, Steve Tyrell, and many, many others. In addition to an on-going abundance of freelance sideman work with NYC’s A-list artists, Kadleck is currently a member of many organizations, including the New York Pops, John Pizzarelli’s “Swing Seven”, the Maria Schneider Orchestra, John Fedchock’s NY Big Band, and can currently be heard on Broadway in the band for “MJ”. To say that Kadleck is a rare bird is a major understatement. Possessing the expertise, musical acumen, phrasing, range, chops, and the desire to handle gigs as diverse as the New York Pops and The Who (for example) with straight-ahead professionalism and excellence is not common. His prowess now bears fruit on his own project, Sides (to be released on Marshall Gilkes’ Alternate Side Records on February 10, 2023), which follows up his previous big band album, Around The Horn, and his debut as a leader, Extended Outlook.
Marty Ehrlich Rites Quartet – Ballade – Frog Leg Logic
MARTY EHRLICH alto saxophone, soprano saxophone, flute
HANK ROBERTS cello
MICHAEL SARIN drums
JAMES ZOLLER trumpet
All compositions by Marty Ehrlich
Recorded January 15, 2011 at Acoustic Recording Studio, Brooklyn, NY.
Clean Feed – CF242CD (Portugal)
Aka Moon – Doors of the Kingdom – Quality of Joy
Different Noises 