Brandee Younger, Daptone, Kurt Elling & More: The Week in Jazz

The Week in Jazz is your roundup of new and noteworthy stories from the jazz world. It’s a one-stop destination for the music news you need to know. Let’s take it from the top.

Noteworthy

Daptone Celebrates 20th Anniversary with Massive Live Album: Iconic soul label Daptone will release The Daptone Super Soul Revue Live at the Apollo, a 3-LP set celebrating its 20th anniversary on October 1. The set documents a three-night sold-out event at New York’s Apollo Theater from 2014, featuring performances by such artists as Charles Bradley, Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings, Naomi Shelton and many more The physical vinyl edition also comes with a booklet featuring both on-stage and backstage photos. Pre-order it here.

Gregory Porter Guest Curator on Qwest TV: Quincy Jones’ music video streaming hub Qwest TV welcomed Gregory Porter as Guest Curator. The acclaimed vocalist curated a special playlist featuring some of his biggest musical influences, including John Coltrane, Nat King Cole, Nina Simone, Aretha Franklin and more. Check out the specially curated playlist HERE.

2021 Global Musician Workshop Goes Online: Silkroad and New England Conservatory announced the 2021 Global Musician Workshop, designed to help participants develop as versatile performers and well-rounded cultural citizens via a variety of classes and group sessions. The week-long training program will be held online for the first time on August 8-14 and will feature renowned faculty and special guests representing various cultures, traditions and musical styles. An Online Performances Festival will also be held on August 13-14. Registrations are now open HERE.

New Documentary on the Power of Music to Premiere in Cannes: The Sound of Us, directed by Chris Gero, is a new documentary weaving stories about the beauty and goodness of music via interviews and performances by such artists as the Preservation Jazz Hall Band, Hiromi, Patti Smith and many more. The film premieres this week at the Cannes Film Festival and will receive today the Movies That Matter Award, presented as part of the Better World Fund Gala. Find out more about the film HERE.

Album Announcements

Brandee Younger, Somewhere Different (Impulse!): Innovative jazz harpist Brandee Younger pays homage to her predecessors on her new album, Somewhere Different, characterized by lush landscapes and a radiant blend of hip-hop, R&B, classical and jazz. This is an eight-track collection produced by Dezron Douglas, featuring a great lineup and a special appearance by none other than bassist Ron Carter. Somewhere Different is out on August 13 and you can pre-order it HERE.

Scott Reeves, The Alchemist (Origin): Trombonist/multi-instrumentalist/composer Scott Reeves revives a previously unreleased 2005 live performance by his never-recorded quintet with Russ Spiegel, Mike Holober, Howard Britz and Andy Watson. The live recording features five Reeves originals and one standard, “All of Nothing At All,” and will be released as The Alchemist on July 16 via Origin Records. Pre-order it here.

Michael Mantler, Coda (ECM): Michael Mantler reimagines new arrangements from several phases of his career on his new album, Coda, out on July 16 via ECM. The works, characterized by The Jazz Composers Orchestra co-founder’s unmistakable compositional signature, are performed with a chamber orchestra made up mostly of classical players and featuring a number of jazz soloists, including pianist David Helbock, guitarist Bjarne Roupé and Mantler himself on trumpet. Pre-order Coda here.

Gerry Gibbs, Songs From My Father (Whaling City): Drummer/composer Gerry Gibbs has announced the release of his new album, Songs From My Father, featuring four iterations of his acclaimed Thrasher Dream Trio and paying homage to the musical legacy of his 96-year-old father, groundbreaking vibraphonist Terry Gibbs. The LP, out August 6, also features the last recorded performance of the great Chick Corea and includes one of his tunes composed for this project. Pre-order Songs From My Father here.

Live Music and Festival News

Blue Note Jazz Club Announces Chris Botti Holiday Residency: Trumpeter Chris Botti is set to return to New York City’s Blue Note Jazz Club for his 17th annual holiday residency, which will see him performing two sets every night from December 6, 2021, to January 2, 2022. The schedule includes performances on Christmas and New Year’s Eve, rounding out the venue’s historic 40th-anniversary celebration. Purchase tickets here.

DJ D-Nice to Close DC JazzFest at The Wharf: DJ D-Nice will host a special dance party to conclude the DC Jazz Festival’s signature event, DC JazzFest at The Wharf this year. The event will take place at DC’s premier waterfront neighborhood and destination on September 4-5 as a hybrid of in-person and livestreamed performances in front of a global audience. Click here for tickets and more information.

Kevin Sun Album Release Concerts: Kevin Sun will celebrate the release of his forthcoming album, <3 Bird, via a number of live and streaming performances, including at The Jazz Gallery in New York City on August 19 and via a streaming album release concert on August 29. <3 Bird features a new set of the saxophonist’s radically inventive original compositions inspired by Charlie Parker and will be released on August 29 via Endectomorph Music.

New Dreamstage Series Showcases Saxony Music Scene: HD streaming platform has announced Music from Saxony, a month-long livestream music series uniting more than 60 artists of various genres from across the German Free State of Saxony. The series runs on July 10-August 11 from the historical Albrechtsburg Castle in Dresden and the legendary Horns Erben Jazz Club in Leipzig. The series was created on the initiative of the Moritzburg Festival with the aim to assist professional musicians in Saxony to get over the COVID lockdown. Click here for more.

92Y’s Jazz In July Festival Returns: 92Y’s annual jazz summer festival, Jazz in July returns for its 36th season with two concerts for both in-person and livestream audiences. Acclaimed pianist Bill Charlap will be joined by two of the most celebrated vocalists in jazz, Kurt Elling on July 20 and Dianne Reeves on July 27. The concerts mark all three artists’ return to New York City live performances and both hour-long shows will feature renditions of standards from the American Songbook. Click here for more.

Kurt Elling Announces U.S. Tour Dates: Kurt Elling has confirmed a new run of 2021 U.S. tour dates ahead of the release of SuperBlue, his new album, on October 8. Elling’s new dates are spread throughout the summer and will see him perform with a variety of musicians, while the SuperBlue band with Charlie Hunter, Corey Fonville and DJ Harrison will make its live debut at the Ravinia Festival in Highland Park, Illinois, on July 13. Find out more about Elling’s upcoming live dates on his website.