Looking for some Monday Motivation? We’ve got you covered. From a master’s heartfelt solo piano lullaby to a pre-pandemic snapshot of Chicago, here are five songs that you can listen to right now to start your week the right way.
Tom Oren, “Melody” [Song Premiere]
https://soundcloud.com/concordmusicgroup/03-tom-oren-melody/s-9imLj13kfuD
Israeli-born pianist Tom Oren, who won the 2018 Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz International Piano Competition, will release Dorly’s Song on October 30 via Concord Jazz. This deeply personal album offers his interpretations of songs composed by his mother, Dorly Oren Chazon, a highly-regarded pianist in his native country. These songs represent some of Oren’s most formative influences in his life, including “Melody,” which showcases his sensitive touch and interaction with trio mates drummer Eviatar Slivnik and bassist Barak Mori.
Dustin Laurenzi’s Natural Language, “Blocks” [Song Premiere]
Dustin Laurenzi is set to release A Time and a Place tomorrow, October 6, via Woolgathering. This is the tenor saxophonist’s new full-length record with his Chicago-based Natural Language quartet, a vehicle for his distinctly personal approach to improvisation and composition. In its liner notes, the record is described as “a snapshot of Chicago, pre-pandemic, through Laurenzi’s abstract lens.” “Blocks,” premiering here, speaks to the group’s profound, soulful interplay and is built on the concept of Coltrane changes.
Dave Brubeck, “Brahms Lullaby”
Verve will release the final studio recording from Dave Brubeck, a solo album entitled Lullabies, on November 6. The album showcases Brubeck’s distinctive improvisational style on a set of well-known children’s songs, classic standards and originals, and was recorded as a gift to his grandchildren in 2010. The announcement comes with a new animated video for album track, “Brahms Lullaby,” a heartfelt take on one of the German composer Johannes Brahms most popular songs.
Clifton Davis, “Swept Away”
Singer/songwriter Clifton Davis, who is also an acclaimed Broadway and television star, has released a new album, Never Can Say Goodbye. Named after the 1970 Jackson 5 song, which was also later famously reprised by Gloria Gaynor, Never Can Say Goodbye is his new collaboration with The Beegie Adair Trio and marries his love for American and Brazilian music. “Swept Away” is one of his new originals on the record. Composed while he vacationed in Rio de Janeiro and inspired by his wife, the song reflects Davis’ lifelong love for the bossa nova rhythm.
Lee Ritenour, “Dreamcatcher”
Lee Ritenour has released “Dreamcatcher,” a new, melodically-beautiful song and the title track from his first studio album in five years, which will be released worldwide via Mascot Label Group/The Players Club. This will be a special release for the GRAMMY-winning artist, as it marks his first-ever solo guitar full-length recording. “I’ve never done a project like this before and it’s an important missing piece in my guitar history,” says Ritenour, adding that working on Dreamcatcher also “reaffirmed just how much I love the guitar.”
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