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
Lamont Dozier Dies: Lamont Dozier died on August 8, aged 81. Dozier was a member of the legendary songwriting and production team, Holland–Dozier–Holland. Together, the team was responsible for establishing the fabled Motown sound and for generating numerous hit records for such artists as Martha and the Vandellas, The Supremes, The Four Tops and The Isley Brothers, among others. Dozier and the Holland brothers were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990.
New Adam Rudolph Book: Composer/percussionist Adam Rudolph is set to release a new 121-page book presenting powerful and innovative ideas about intervals, harmony and rhythms that he has refined over many years in educational settings and concerts. Sonic Elements: Matrices, Cosmograms and Ostinatos of Circularity will be released on September 20 via Meta Records.
Trombone Shorty on Jimmy Kimmel Live!: Last week, New Orleans music icon Trombone Shorty performed “I’m Standing Here” with his signature band on Jimmy Kimmel Live! This is the hard-driving rocker from his latest album, Lifted, released earlier this year on Blue Note Records. Shorty is currently on the road on his Voodoo Threauxdown tour. Check out all upcoming dates here.
Reprints of Final Masabumi Kikuchi Studio Recordings: Red Hook Records has released reprints of an album documenting the final studio recordings of late Japanese pianist Masabumi Kikuchi, who passed away in 2015, aged 75. Hanamichi – The Final Studio Recordings was originally released on April 2021 and marks a divergence from Kikuchi’s free-form ways via a six-track program of renditions of lesser-known tunes and popular standards recorded over a two-day New York session.
Rohan Krishnamurthy on JAZZIZ Travel: Drummer/percussionist/composer Rohan Krishnamurthy was the guest of our latest JAZZIZ Travel podcast. The acclaimed Indian classical and cross-genre music artist talked with us about his latest album, which marks the full-length debut of The Alaya Project, his trio with longtime friends and collaborators Prasant Radhakrishnan and Colin Hogan. Listen to the podcast via the player below.
New and Upcoming Albums
Paul Brown, Promised Land (Shanachie): Two-time GRAMMY-winning guitarist/producer Paul Brown released Promised Land, his second recording for Shanachie, on July 15. Featuring ten all-original tracks, the jubilant recording unites him with an all-star contemporary jazz lineup including labelmates Marion Meadows and Euge Groove, plus Shane Theriot, Jeff Carruthers and others.
Moor Mother, Jazz Codes (ANTI-): With Jazz Codes, Moor Mother moves towards a more melodic approach, layering jazz, blues, soul and hip-hop. The new collection, which sprung from a book of poetry by the same name, also honors the jazz and blues icons of the past. Aside from a great number of special guests, Jazz Codes also marks Moor Mother’s new collaboration with Swedish producer Olof Melander and was released on July 1.
Sachal Vasandani and Romain Collin, Still Life (Edition): Still Life is vocalist Sachal Vasandani and pianist Romain Collin’s deeply emotive, introspective and nuanced follow-up to their acclaimed 2021 album, Midnight Shelter. This new intimate collection offers duo reworkings of classic and modern songs alike, interspersed with memorable original compositions.
Richard Reed Parry and Susie Ibarra, Heart and Breath: Rhythm and Tone Fields (Offair): Arcade Fire multi-instrumentalist/composer Richard Reed Parry and percussionist/composer Susie Ibarra released Heart and Breath: Rhythm and Tone Fields on July 15. A one-of-a-kind avant-garde project, the album was recorded remotely and each of its pieces uses the rhythms of their heart rates and breathing patterns as the basis for rhythmic tempos and musical dynamics.
Live Music and Festival News
Smoke Jazz Club Grand Reopening Continues: Smoke Jazz Club, one of New York City’s premier live music venues, continues its grand opening this month with concert performances by The Heavy Hitters, a celebration of Charlie Parker by the Rudresh Mahanthappa Trio and more. The club recently reopened to much fanfare after being closed to indoor performances and dining for over two years, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Find out about all its upcoming live concerts here.
Remembering Tomasz Stańko at Brooklyn’s Roulette: A star-studded concert performance celebrating the legacy of the much-missed trumpeter/composer/bandleader Tomasz Stańko will take place in his spiritual hometown of New York City on September 18. The free concert, taking place on what would have been his 80th birthday year, will be held at Brooklyn’s Roulette and feature 14 of his key peers and associates, including Ambrose Akinmusire, Wadada Leo Smith, Ravi Coltrane, Joe Lovano, Chris Potter and many more.
NEC Jazz Studies Department Announces 2022-2021 Season: The New England Conservatory’s Jazz Studies Department has announced its 2022-2023 season. Highlights include programs and performances with groundbreaking artists, including Dave Holland, Don Byron, Michael Mayo and Jim McNeely, plus dozens of concerts featuring student ensembles coached by renowned faculty members. The concerts will be free and open to the public. More information here.
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