Showing posts with label Jazz. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jazz. Show all posts

12/07/2020

Keyboardist and Brian Eno Collaborator Peter Chilvers and Guitarist Jon Durant Create a Series of Stunningly Beautiful Aural Vistas

Peter Chilvers & Jon Durant Release “Always Golden Sands” & “Vista” - An ambient jazz album in two parts

English keyboardist and Brian Eno collaborator Peter Chilvers teamed up with American guitarist Jon Durant to create a series of stunningly beautiful aural vistas, which blend ECM inspired chamber jazz improvisation with ambient music. For both artists, this recording was an opportunity to explore their introspective sides as well as their textural tendencies. Gentle melodies weave their way through atmospheric clouds, at times reminiscent of Budd and Eno, but with a sense of interplay between the guitar and keys those ambient pioneers left out.  

The duo settled into a rhythm of working across distant time zones during the pandemic. Tracks often began with a morning keyboard improvisation from Chilvers, which would be embellished and transformed by Durant as daylight hit his side of the Atlantic. Having completed Vista, the momentum built up, and three further tracks emerged. These stood well on their own and will be released first as “Always Golden Sand” - a starter to Vista’s main course.

The EP features the exquisitely melancholic “Always Autumn”, the playful dialog of guitar and percolating synths on “Shifting Sands”, and the pensive “Golden”, a reworking of the more rhythmic “Age of Steam” from Vista. The album also includes the darker shades of “Embers” and the expansive “Sunset” - multiple piano loops slowly build around each other, augmented by Durant’s signature cloud guitars before giving way to a deep dusky atmosphere to close the album. Best enjoyed with a glass of whisky.

Chilvers commented, “As a teenager, I fell in love with the great ECM recordings of the 70s and 80s. Working with Jon has felt like travelling back to that period and finding an undiscovered star. It’s been a joyful and effortless recording, a live album somehow recorded despite lockdowns on opposite sides of the Atlantic. I wish I could beam it back to my teenage self.”

Durant noted, “My favorite aspect of this record is the level of interplay we managed to achieve, especially given the difficult circumstances in which we made this record. Peter’s lovely piano melodies were an inspiration for me to add not just beautiful textures but also play melodically with and around his piano and synths.”

Peter Chilvers: Remodelled Pianos, Synths, Generative processes, Fretless bass
Jon Durant: Cloud Guitar, Fretless Guitar, Mixing

Release dates:

December 11. 2020
The three song EP “Always Golden Sands” will be released digitally on Bandcamp and all streaming services.

January 15, 2021
The full length “Vista” will be released digitally on Bandcamp and all streaming services.

For more information:
https://www.jondurant.rocks
http://www.peterchilvers.com

To Purchase:
https://jondurant.bandcamp.com
https://peterchilvers.bandcamp.com

About the artists:

Peter Chilvers is a musician and software designer. Best known for creating the iOs applications Bloom, Trope, Scape and Reflection with Brian Eno, he has also toured with Karl Hyde (Underworld) and recorded numerous albums with vocalists Tim Bowness and Sandra O’Neill, as well as several solo instrumental albums. Many of these were released through Burning Shed, the online label he co-founded in 2001 with Tim Bowness and Pete Morgan.

Since 2006 he has worked as a musical and technical assistant to Brian Eno on projects including the soundtracks to “The Lovely Bones” and “Spore”, album collaborations with David Byrne and the Warp releases “Small Craft on a Milk Sea”, “Drums Between the Bells” and “Lux”. He worked as Assistant Producer on Eno’s 2016 release “The Ship”, for which he also helped develop a multi-speaker installation which has been shown in many countries.

As one of the earliest successes when Apple’s App Store’s debuted in 2008, Bloom continues to be fondly remembered. This led in 2018 to a collaboration with Microsoft to produce Bloom: Open World, an augmented reality installation shown in Denmark, and Bloom: 10 Worlds, a complete reimagining of the app for modern phones and tablets. Eno and Chilvers were also commissioned to create Hypnotised, a customized version of Bloom for use in Coldplay’s live stadium shows.


Innovative guitarist Jon Durant brings a unique sense of texture and melody to his instrument. His distinctive “cloud guitar” soundscapes and engaging lead work have graced numerous CD recordings and film soundtracks and his very distinctive use of fretless guitar has been widely admired.

Durant has previously released 10 solo albums and three Burnt Belief records (with Colin Edwin of Porcupine Tree). Durant has also been featured on the Astarta / Edwin album which was released in 2016. Durant, Colin Edwin and Ukranian singer Inna Kovtun released a CD in 2019 which featured a completely unique and modern take on traditional Ukranian folk music, with a blend of progressive rock, ambient, and pop elements. Durant’s acclaimed 2018 solo release “Parting Is” was his first “solo guitar’ recording and the follow up solo guitar album “Alternate Landscapes” continues to stretch the boundaries of what a guitar record can sound like. Both solo CDs have been nominated for “Best Ambient Album” in US new age radio publications, while “Alternate Landscapes” also spent multiple weeks at the top of the NACC Chill Charts. In 2020, Durant released the well-received duo album Across the Evening with Estonian guitarist Robert Jürjendal as well as his most recent solo album, Soul of a River which featured Jon playing guitars and piano.

Press inquiries: Glass Onyon PR, PH: 1-828-350-8158 (US), glassonyonpr@gmail.com

Keyboardist and Brian Eno Collaborator Peter Chilvers and Guitarist Jon Durant Create a Series of Stunningly Beautiful Aural Vistas

Peter Chilvers & Jon Durant Release “Always Golden Sands” & “Vista” - An ambient jazz album in two parts

English keyboardist and Brian Eno collaborator Peter Chilvers teamed up with American guitarist Jon Durant to create a series of stunningly beautiful aural vistas, which blend ECM inspired chamber jazz improvisation with ambient music. For both artists, this recording was an opportunity to explore their introspective sides as well as their textural tendencies. Gentle melodies weave their way through atmospheric clouds, at times reminiscent of Budd and Eno, but with a sense of interplay between the guitar and keys those ambient pioneers left out.  

The duo settled into a rhythm of working across distant time zones during the pandemic. Tracks often began with a morning keyboard improvisation from Chilvers, which would be embellished and transformed by Durant as daylight hit his side of the Atlantic. Having completed Vista, the momentum built up, and three further tracks emerged. These stood well on their own and will be released first as “Always Golden Sand” - a starter to Vista’s main course.

The EP features the exquisitely melancholic “Always Autumn”, the playful dialog of guitar and percolating synths on “Shifting Sands”, and the pensive “Golden”, a reworking of the more rhythmic “Age of Steam” from Vista. The album also includes the darker shades of “Embers” and the expansive “Sunset” - multiple piano loops slowly build around each other, augmented by Durant’s signature cloud guitars before giving way to a deep dusky atmosphere to close the album. Best enjoyed with a glass of whisky.

Chilvers commented, “As a teenager, I fell in love with the great ECM recordings of the 70s and 80s. Working with Jon has felt like travelling back to that period and finding an undiscovered star. It’s been a joyful and effortless recording, a live album somehow recorded despite lockdowns on opposite sides of the Atlantic. I wish I could beam it back to my teenage self.”

Durant noted, “My favorite aspect of this record is the level of interplay we managed to achieve, especially given the difficult circumstances in which we made this record. Peter’s lovely piano melodies were an inspiration for me to add not just beautiful textures but also play melodically with and around his piano and synths.”

Peter Chilvers: Remodelled Pianos, Synths, Generative processes, Fretless bass
Jon Durant: Cloud Guitar, Fretless Guitar, Mixing

Release dates:

December 11. 2020
The three song EP “Always Golden Sands” will be released digitally on Bandcamp and all streaming services.

January 15, 2021
The full length “Vista” will be released digitally on Bandcamp and all streaming services.

For more information:
https://www.jondurant.rocks
http://www.peterchilvers.com

To Purchase:
https://jondurant.bandcamp.com
https://peterchilvers.bandcamp.com

About the artists:

Peter Chilvers is a musician and software designer. Best known for creating the iOs applications Bloom, Trope, Scape and Reflection with Brian Eno, he has also toured with Karl Hyde (Underworld) and recorded numerous albums with vocalists Tim Bowness and Sandra O’Neill, as well as several solo instrumental albums. Many of these were released through Burning Shed, the online label he co-founded in 2001 with Tim Bowness and Pete Morgan.

Since 2006 he has worked as a musical and technical assistant to Brian Eno on projects including the soundtracks to “The Lovely Bones” and “Spore”, album collaborations with David Byrne and the Warp releases “Small Craft on a Milk Sea”, “Drums Between the Bells” and “Lux”. He worked as Assistant Producer on Eno’s 2016 release “The Ship”, for which he also helped develop a multi-speaker installation which has been shown in many countries.

As one of the earliest successes when Apple’s App Store’s debuted in 2008, Bloom continues to be fondly remembered. This led in 2018 to a collaboration with Microsoft to produce Bloom: Open World, an augmented reality installation shown in Denmark, and Bloom: 10 Worlds, a complete reimagining of the app for modern phones and tablets. Eno and Chilvers were also commissioned to create Hypnotised, a customized version of Bloom for use in Coldplay’s live stadium shows.


Innovative guitarist Jon Durant brings a unique sense of texture and melody to his instrument. His distinctive “cloud guitar” soundscapes and engaging lead work have graced numerous CD recordings and film soundtracks and his very distinctive use of fretless guitar has been widely admired.

Durant has previously released 10 solo albums and three Burnt Belief records (with Colin Edwin of Porcupine Tree). Durant has also been featured on the Astarta / Edwin album which was released in 2016. Durant, Colin Edwin and Ukranian singer Inna Kovtun released a CD in 2019 which featured a completely unique and modern take on traditional Ukranian folk music, with a blend of progressive rock, ambient, and pop elements. Durant’s acclaimed 2018 solo release “Parting Is” was his first “solo guitar’ recording and the follow up solo guitar album “Alternate Landscapes” continues to stretch the boundaries of what a guitar record can sound like. Both solo CDs have been nominated for “Best Ambient Album” in US new age radio publications, while “Alternate Landscapes” also spent multiple weeks at the top of the NACC Chill Charts. In 2020, Durant released the well-received duo album Across the Evening with Estonian guitarist Robert Jürjendal as well as his most recent solo album, Soul of a River which featured Jon playing guitars and piano.

Press inquiries: Glass Onyon PR, PH: 1-828-350-8158 (US), glassonyonpr@gmail.com

11/19/2020

MAGMA 'BOURGES 1979' (2CD) Remastered Edition Now Available!

This particular concert stands out as a moment of grace, partly due to its extreme tension and the risks taken collectively, which the audience still reminisces of to this day.

While chosen for their rich and original musical content, rather than strictly technical qualities per se, these archives are a testament to the astounding talent of cult band Magma during its 50 years of career. In addition to the remastering, the original tape, which had suffered before being found, has been restored and reworked here. Recorded in Bourges in 1979, this concert stands out as a moment of grace, partly due to its extreme tension and the risks taken collectively, which the audience still reminisces of to this day. And if all the musicians offer, as usual, their energy ever so in synch with their worldly reputation, AKT 15 holds a special place in the band's history, documenting this particular period for which we have very few testimonies. All earthly fans and more recent amateurs will, without a doubt, take great pleasure in (re)discovering that exceptional performance

Magma during the time of this recording:
Klaus Blasquiz - vocal  
Stella Vander - vocal, Fender piano
Maria Popkiewicz - vocal
Liza Deluxe - vocal
Jean-Luc Chevalier - guitar, bass
André Hervé - piano Fender, synthétiseur
Michel Hervé - bass  
Christian Vander - drums
René “Stundehr” Garber - tenor saxophone

Track List:
RETROVISION
THE LAST SEVEN MINUTES
URGON GORGO
KORUSZ XXVI
HHAI
NONO
MEKANIK DESTRUKTIW KOMMANDOH

AKT 15V2

To purchase: https://www.seventhrecords.com/en/magma-19/magma-bourges-1979-2cd-remastered-1050.html

For more information:
Magma's official website: www.magmamusic.org
Seventh Records: www.seventhrecords.com

Press inquiries: Glass Onyon PR, PH: 1-828-350-8158 (US), glassonyonpr@gmail.com

MAGMA 'BOURGES 1979' (2CD) Remastered Edition Now Available!

This particular concert stands out as a moment of grace, partly due to its extreme tension and the risks taken collectively, which the audience still reminisces of to this day.

While chosen for their rich and original musical content, rather than strictly technical qualities per se, these archives are a testament to the astounding talent of cult band Magma during its 50 years of career. In addition to the remastering, the original tape, which had suffered before being found, has been restored and reworked here. Recorded in Bourges in 1979, this concert stands out as a moment of grace, partly due to its extreme tension and the risks taken collectively, which the audience still reminisces of to this day. And if all the musicians offer, as usual, their energy ever so in synch with their worldly reputation, AKT 15 holds a special place in the band's history, documenting this particular period for which we have very few testimonies. All earthly fans and more recent amateurs will, without a doubt, take great pleasure in (re)discovering that exceptional performance

Magma during the time of this recording:
Klaus Blasquiz - vocal  
Stella Vander - vocal, Fender piano
Maria Popkiewicz - vocal
Liza Deluxe - vocal
Jean-Luc Chevalier - guitar, bass
André Hervé - piano Fender, synthétiseur
Michel Hervé - bass  
Christian Vander - drums
René “Stundehr” Garber - tenor saxophone

Track List:
RETROVISION
THE LAST SEVEN MINUTES
URGON GORGO
KORUSZ XXVI
HHAI
NONO
MEKANIK DESTRUKTIW KOMMANDOH

AKT 15V2

To purchase: https://www.seventhrecords.com/en/magma-19/magma-bourges-1979-2cd-remastered-1050.html

For more information:
Magma's official website: www.magmamusic.org
Seventh Records: www.seventhrecords.com

Press inquiries: Glass Onyon PR, PH: 1-828-350-8158 (US), glassonyonpr@gmail.com

11/05/2020

Guitarist and NBC’s “This is Us” Composer, Eric Byak, Creates His Latest Single Live at the Pageant of the Masters

Celebrated guitarist, Eric Byak, created his latest single “Laguna Breeze” live in front of the art crowd in Laguna Beach, California at the world famous “Pageant of the Masters”. The single is seasoned with Grammy Award Winning percussionist MB Gordy. Nathan East and Ricky Lawson are also featured guest artists on the Byak’s forthcoming album.

Eric’s guitar work has been described as seductive, sensuous, exotic, intertwining classic jazz, breezy funk and Brazilian rhythms. Celebrated in the Los Angeles music scene, Eric’s work on the hit TV show “This is Us” has been hailed as “inspiringly beautiful” (Paul Andersen, Glendale News Press) and “gorgeous...with grace [and] a bit of grittiness” (LA Jazz Scene, Myna Daniels) “Laguna Breeze” was released Sept. 18, 2020 and distributed on UAMG/Sony to all media platforms. The live studio video will be available in November 2020.

To purchase Eric Byak’s “Laguna Breeze” single: https://orcd.co/lagunabreeze?fbclid

For more information:
https://www.facebook.com/quantumenergyfeaturingericbyak
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bMwGeO0r_vs

Press inquiries: Glass Onyon PR, PH: 1-828-350-8158, glassonyonpr@gmail.com

10/07/2020

Jazz Legend Grover Washington, Jr. Commemorative Vinyl To Be Released

Studio City, CA – Lightyear Entertainment announces that it will release a commemorative double vinyl of beloved artist Grover Washington, Jr. on Black Friday for Record Store Day.

This release marks 20 years since the passing of the immensely popular artist who was largely responsible for creating a bridge between jazz and R&B.  

Grover was well loved by his fans but also by the many musicians who worked with him over the years. He was a contemporary jazz artist whose music topped the “Smooth Jazz” charts, but his sound was funky, and his music was respected in all jazz and R&B circles.  His live performances and worldwide success prove that he was a timeless gem of an artist who entertained his audiences with a powerhouse band of some of the best players in the business.

This superb live recording – cut in June 1997 at the Paramount Center for the Arts in Peekskill, upstate New York – captures the essence of Grover’s greatness. With a coterie of ‘A’ class musicians in support, the legendary sax man’s work on this album demonstrates why he was not only a leader in his field but a pioneer capable of blending the subtleties of jazz with the funk and sweat of soul music.

In addition to Grover himself on tenor, soprano, alto, and baritone sax, the album features Donald Robinson on keyboards, Gerald Veasley on bass, Richard Lee Steacker on guitars, Steven Wolf on drums, and Pablo Batista on congas and percussion. It was produced by Grammy winner Jason Miles, and Executive Produced by Christine Washington, Jason Miles and Tim Ryan.

“We released a CD of these recordings in 2010, which has sold well for 10 years,” said Lightyear President Arnie Holland. “But when Grover’s family suggested we do a vinyl, we were thrilled to do it. The album was lovingly remastered for vinyl by Peter Humphreys at Masterwork, and lacquers cut by Joe Nino-Hernes at Sterling Sound.  The result sounds amazing and feels like you are at the show.”

The Double Vinyl with download card is in a gatefold jacket with satin coating and metallic gold highlights. The vinyl itself is 180 Grams audiophile quality and gold metallic opaque colored vinyl was utilized, to match the gold on the cover of the album.

The album will be released on November 27 to Record Store Day retailers on an exclusive basis for 90 days, after which it will be available generally.

Press inquiries: Glass Onyon PR, PH: 828-350-8158, glassonyonpr@gmail.com

Lightyear Entertainment, a distributor of independent films and music, was founded in 1987. www.lightyear.com



9/26/2020

Jazz/Prog Fusion Review: The Segue

Release Date: December 8, 2019

Label: Digital release

Website


The Segue hail from Poland and are the second new Polish band to catch my attention recently. The band comprises 4 members, Robert Wiercioch (guitar), Karolina Wiercioch (piano, grand piano, synths), Marcin Essen (bass) and Szymon Piotrowski (drums) and they are joined on this recording, Holograms, by three guest musicians, Jan Kozlinski (bass), Michal Sarapata (bass) and Maciej Dzik (drums).

I am most impressed with this debut, as I will freely admit that fusion/jazz fusion would not normally be a genre I would listen to, and, it is also an instrumental album, another area I can find less interesting, but The Segue have an interesting sound that takes me beyond any preconceptions.

Holograms
is a 7 track album with a playing time of just over 45 minutes (45:15), with the opening track, “Segue,” the shortest on offer at 3:55 minutes and the final track, “Time Space Illusion” being the longest, clocking in at 8:14 minutes.

The opening track, “Segue,” bounces into life very quickly and grabs the attention just as fast. Guitar, bass and drums set down an amazingly interesting sound and just after the 1-minute mark, there is a synthesizer passage before the track settles into the earlier style. Around the 2:10 minute point there is a slight change to the guitar which steps to the fore, driving the track along, suitably underpinned by that thumping bass and precision drumming. Just into the 3-minute mark there is a very atmospheric passage before the band wind up and are away. An ideal opening track, highlighting the musician skills and enticing the listener into the sound of The Segue.

Track 2, “Questions” (6:31), starts off much more gently and soon the piano of Karolina takes the track onwards with a very jazzy feel, suitably aided by the guitar, bass and drums. Karolina then moves into one or two different piano passages, complimented by the engine-room of drum and bass. The piano remains the major instrument, although around 3:45 minutes, there is an excellent bass passage which changes the tone of the track. Karolina (piano) and Robert (guitar) take the track on with Robert coming to the forefront, before a very gentle piano/bass passage ushers the track to completion.

The fourth track, “Future Ways” (4:30), starts with a synth passage to which the bass and drums soon pitch in followed by the guitar. Karolina concentrates on the synth on this track, together with Robert’s exquisite guitar playing and the bass and drum foundation is always there, supporting. “Future Ways,” as with all the tracks, gives the individual musicians a chance to step into the spotlight and shows the band to be a unit of very skillful musicians.

Initially I mentioned that jazz and instrumentals do not form a major part of what I would normally listen to, but The Segue seem to be different in that they mix what they do so well. Karolina is as accomplished on synths as the piano, although her style of playing certainly shows a love of jazz. Robert on guitar can throw out jazzy guitar runs with the best of them, but is not averse to suddenly diving into a more prog vein.

I think that it is this versatility that make Holograms so accessible and I have no doubt that many people will think the same. Holograms will be an excellent addition to many CD collections and indeed I still listen to tracks regularly. This is an excellent debut release and I look forward to finding out where further releases will take the band.


Jim “The Ancient One” Lawson -Prog Rock Music Talk Staff
September 22, 2020

Tracks:
1. Segue (3:55)
2. Questions (6:31)
3. Torrent (8:05)
4. Exosphere (6:30)
5. Future Ways (4:30)
6. Broken Mind (7:30)
7. Time Space Illusion (8:14)




9/15/2020

Art Rock/Contemporary Jazz Artist Potter's Daughter to Release New EP “Casually Containing Rage” On September 15, 2020!


The EP will be available digitally, and on CD!

VA - Art Rock/Contemporary Jazz artist Potter's Daughter to release EP “Casually Containing Rage” on September 15, 2020! The EP will be released by MRR and available both digitally, and as a CD.

Potter's Daughter released their debut album, “The Blind Side,” in August 2018. In 2019 they released two singles; “Blood and Water,” featuring Annie Haslam (Renaissance) as guest artist, and the holiday single, “This Winter’s Child,” which was composed for the “MRR Holiday” album.

In March 2020 they went on tour with MRR labelmate Joe Deninzon & Stratospheerius and Dark Beauty. They were also invited to participate in several online festivals, including The Uncancelled Music Festival (April), The WorldWide Prog and Rock Virtual Festival (May), and most recently, the prestigious ProgStock Festival. (August).

“Casually Containing Rage” features three songs:

1. To My Love - a completely new arrangement of their song from their debut album, The Blind Side
2. Accidentally Like A Martyr- a beautiful rendition of Warren Zevon’s song from his album, Excitable Boy
3. We Could Be - a powerful and moving song dealing with racial injustice, featuring NPR radio broadcasts about George Floyd and Ahmaud Abery.

Filmmaker Serena Künzler has created a striking video for the song “We Could Be,” which was premiered during Potter’s Daughter’s set at ProgStock 8/29/2020.

1. To My Love (DPV, JCV)
Dyanne Potter Voegtlin-vocals
Amit Chatterjee-guitar
Jan-Christian Vögtlin-bass
Patrick Carmichael-drums
Tom Borthwick-soundscaping

2. Accidentally Like A Martyr (Warren Zevon)
Dyanne Potter Voegtlin-piano, vocal
Jan-Christian Vögtlin-bass, guitar, drum programming

3. We Could Be (DPV, JCV)
Dyanne Potter Voegtlin-keyboards, vocals
Jan-Christian Vögtlin-bass, drum programming, guitar synth
NPR David Greene-radio broadcast

1. Produced by DPV, co-produced by Amitava Chatterjee and Joseph Wiggy Wegleski
2. Produced by JCV
3. Produced by DPV, co-produced by JCV and Joseph Wiggy Wegleski
 Mastered by Tom Borthwick

1.3. Recorded at SI Studio, Engineered by Joseph Wiggy Wegleski
2. Recorded, mixed at JCV Sound design



Potter's Daughter Online
Listen // Buy // & Share
Amazon: amzn.to/2qsUdKn
Bandcamp: bit.ly/2Mqk1PM
CD Baby: bit.ly/33JPG4E
iTunes: apple.co/2P1hTQm
Spotify: spoti.fi/35O57uo

Further Information Can Be Found At:
Website: https://pottersdaughterband.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PottersDaughterBand/
MRR Artist Profile: https://mrrmusic.com/potters-daughter/

Media & Booking:
pottersdaughterband@gmail.com

Label Contact:
Nick Katona, nick@melodicrevolution.com

Press inquiries: Glass Onyon PR, PH: 1-828-350-8158 (US), glassonyonpr@gmail.com

Art Rock/Contemporary Jazz Artist Potter's Daughter to Release New EP “Casually Containing Rage” On September 15, 2020!

 


The EP will be available digitally, and on CD!


VA - Art Rock/Contemporary Jazz artist Potter's Daughter to release EP “Casually Containing Rage” on September 15, 2020! The EP will be released by MRR and available both digitally, and as a CD.


Potter's Daughter released their debut album, “The Blind Side,” in August 2018. In 2019 they released two singles; “Blood and Water,” featuring Annie Haslam (Renaissance) as guest artist, and the holiday single, “This Winter’s Child,” which was composed for the “MRR Holiday” album.


In March 2020 they went on tour with MRR labelmate Joe Deninzon & Stratospheerius and Dark Beauty. They were also invited to participate in several online festivals, including The Uncancelled Music Festival (April), The WorldWide Prog and Rock Virtual Festival (May), and most recently, the prestigious ProgStock Festival. (August).


“Casually Containing Rage” features three songs:


1. To My Love - a completely new arrangement of their song from their debut album, The Blind Side

2. Accidentally Like A Martyr- a beautiful rendition of Warren Zevon’s song from his album, Excitable Boy

3. We Could Be - a powerful and moving song dealing with racial injustice, featuring NPR radio broadcasts about George Floyd and Ahmaud Abery.


Filmmaker Serena Künzler has created a striking video for the song “We Could Be,” which was premiered during Potter’s Daughter’s set at ProgStock 8/29/2020.


1. To My Love (DPV, JCV)

Dyanne Potter Voegtlin-vocals

Amit Chatterjee-guitar

Jan-Christian Vögtlin-bass

Patrick Carmichael-drums

Tom Borthwick-soundscaping


2. Accidentally Like A Martyr (Warren Zevon)

Dyanne Potter Voegtlin-piano, vocal

Jan-Christian Vögtlin-bass, guitar, drum programming


3. We Could Be (DPV, JCV)

Dyanne Potter Voegtlin-keyboards, vocals

Jan-Christian Vögtlin-bass, drum programming, guitar synth

NPR David Greene-radio broadcast


1. Produced by DPV, co-produced by Amitava Chatterjee and Joseph Wiggy Wegleski

2. Produced by JCV

3. Produced by DPV, co-produced by JCV and Joseph Wiggy Wegleski

 Mastered by Tom Borthwick


1.3. Recorded at SI Studio, Engineered by Joseph Wiggy Wegleski

2. Recorded, mixed at JCV Sound design




Potter's Daughter Online

Listen // Buy // & Share

Amazon: amzn.to/2qsUdKn

Bandcamp: bit.ly/2Mqk1PM

CD Baby: bit.ly/33JPG4E

iTunes: apple.co/2P1hTQm

Spotify: spoti.fi/35O57uo


Further Information Can Be Found At:

Website: https://pottersdaughterband.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PottersDaughterBand/

MRR Artist Profile: https://mrrmusic.com/potters-daughter/


Media & Booking:

pottersdaughterband@gmail.com


Label Contact:

Nick Katona, nick@melodicrevolution.com


Press inquiries: Glass Onyon PR, PH: 1-828-350-8158 (US), glassonyonpr@gmail.com

8/28/2020

Guitar Virtuoso Marcelo Paganini to Release Prog Rock-Jazz-Fusion Single “Circus Is Empty” From New Album feat. Billy Sherwood, Adam Holzman, Chad Wackerman & Others


French-Brazilian guitar virtuoso Marcelo Paganini is releasing his new prog rock-jazz-fusion single called “Circus Is Empty” on 28th August 2020. Written, arranged and performed by Marcelo on guitar and keyboards, the track features Billy Sherwood (Yes/Asia) on vocals, Adam Holzman (Steve Wilson Band/Miles Davis) on solo keyboards, Chad Wackerman (Frank Zappa/Alan Holdsworth) on drums, and Adriano Campagnani (Beto Guedes Band) on bass. Daniel Boivin mixed and Maor Appelbaum did the mastering.

“I was daydreaming, thinking that after ARW (Anderson, Rabin, Wakeman) maybe it’s time for PSH (Paganini, Sherwood, Holzman)!” jokes Paganini from the studio of his old stone house in Catalunia, Spain. “It’s unbelievable that some of the best talents on the planet all agreed to participate – the whole Universe conspired to make it happen! All my steps led me to this old house in the woods.”

“Circus Is Empty” is the song people didn’t know they were waiting for. It blends the urgency of 2020 vibes and sounds with classic prog elements and furious jazz-fusion improvisation. The title is a tribute to Shakespeare’s The Tempest - “Hell is empty, and all the devils are here.” “Crazy times, the circus is empty and all the clowns are in power,” says Paganini. “There is a call to vote, if it wasn’t important they would not be trying so hard to discourage people.”

Marcelo faced an uphill task moving his studio from Normandy, France to Catalunia, Spain. Closed borders, an old laptop which struggled in the Spanish heat, a 300-year-old house which floods in the rain, and an album to finish. “It was 40 degrees outside, not that I could go outside while there was still work to do inside. Not to mention all gigs stopping overnight! It became so much that I had to ask my friends for help, but it taught me who my real friends are, and that I have the best friends around. Then I had to let some good old friends go too, I was too much trouble in too little time for them.”

His persistence has paid off though. “Identity Crisis”, which includes “Circus is Empty”, is due for release on all platforms, with an exclusive vinyl version on his Bandcamp page, on December 11th to mark his 56th birthday. “If the world is still spinning by then!” he laughs.



“I am trying to prove to myself that my last compositions are as good as the first ones... The prog scene is full of artists that wrote their best material many Dark Sides of the Keith Moon ago! Me too by the way, but seriously… Folks are you keeping your best songs for when they will offer a better deal? They won’t, so it is better to release your best material right now while we are all still around! Or else it may end in the trash can.”

“Why ‘Identity Crisis’? Who the Hell is this Marcelo Paganini guy anyway?” he asks. “I am trying to figure that out, for now I don’t even know what food to eat without getting sick... Let’s say for now that Marcelo Paganini is a French-Brazilian guy from New York City, with an Italian stage name, living secluded in the woods up the hill in Catalunia, Spain, that thinks he is a real Spitfire Dragon from Outer Space who crash landed on Earth some time ago...”

Billy Sherwood sings lead on the whole album, and on two tracks along with special guests Marcelo Paganini performed with on Cruise to the Edge 2015: Karla Downey and Jamison Smeltz. Jamison also provided a searing sax solo on the final track “Captain’s Face”, which was written for producer Larry Morand, who invited him to attend the 2015 Cruise To The Edge, about his life changing experience. “Of course I’d love to come back to Cruise To The Edge in 2022,” says Paganini. “It would be great to play live with this band at least once, Billy Sherwood and Adam Holzman are already on board, I bet Captain Prog Larry can make it happen!”

Among other surprise guests, legendary jazz Drummer Lenny White (Return To Forever/Miles Davis) recorded two songs for the album, including “Learn To Love To Wait” which also features Billy Sherwood on bass and Adam Holzman on keys. “I only played guitar on that one,” laughs Paganini. “With so many legends from other bands it’s the mother of all supergroups, but only if it happens without me, I was told. So, I had to let them play together without me for a few bars so it remains a supergroup at least there! I am trying hard to convince another legend to record a guitar solo in that spot!”

Marcelo lost his beloved rescue cat Don Juan in March 2019, and “it was then that things started to become weird fast. The French Cinema Archive CNC demanded a €15K 35mm print of my film ‘First time in Rio’ or I’d have to pay a €70k fine, an absurd situation as I couldn’t afford either. I couldn’t understand why, since they accepted a digital deposit of my film “The 8th Bullet” in 2007. I had to put everything I have on a truck and move to Spain last October. Here I will wait until French cinema people get me out of this. Meanwhile I am depressed, broke, in debt, away from home, family and remaining cats and did nothing wrong! Maybe the president of UNIFRANCE, the president of the CNC and the new Culture Minister of France Rosalyne Bachelot can get Kafka out of my reality? I feel like someone powerful did not want me to make any more films, but it backfired, since I am making a new film about all this.” The upcoming film is also called “Identity Crisis” and will use the album for its soundtrack.

“Then my credit card disappeared and I had no money to live for several weeks. All these events were eye opening experiences. They made me discover fundamental truths: only stupid people are afraid of dying, they are also afraid of living.

“I was bullied since I was little, most people in real life reject me, I am strange, different and proud of it, but harmless. The cat came to me, he chose me, that changed me forever, I learned a lot from him. My friends joke that Don Juan wrote most of the music and that I cannot really play it without him! Let’s just say that so many things happened ever since, that today no one can play that stuff  on the guitar, not even me, since I forgot everything. But don’t worry I am a fast learner”. Marcelo wrote most of the songs of the album with Don Juan around and “Identity Crisis” is dedicated to him and to Billy's brother Michael Sherwood that left us too soon last November.



Marcelo Paganini is now represented by Mr Bowler Music Agency in the Netherlands. Exciting news awaits for 2021…

Purchase link
https://marcelopaganini.bandcamp.com/

Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/Marcelo-Paganini-13255032254/

YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/user/MarcelloPaganini

Mastered by Maor Appelbaum at Maor Appelbaum Mastering - California - U.S.A
http://www.maorappelbaum.com/

Press inquiries: Glass Onyon PR, PH: 1-828-350-8158, glassonyonpr@gmail.com

Guitar Virtuoso Marcelo Paganini to Release Prog Rock-Jazz-Fusion Single “Circus Is Empty” From New Album feat. Billy Sherwood, Adam Holzman, Chad Wackerman & Others


French-Brazilian guitar virtuoso Marcelo Paganini is releasing his new prog rock-jazz-fusion single called “Circus Is Empty” on 28th August 2020. Written, arranged and performed by Marcelo on guitar and keyboards, the track features Billy Sherwood (Yes/Asia) on vocals, Adam Holzman (Steve Wilson Band/Miles Davis) on solo keyboards, Chad Wackerman (Frank Zappa/Alan Holdsworth) on drums, and Adriano Campagnani (Beto Guedes Band) on bass. Daniel Boivin mixed and Maor Appelbaum did the mastering.

“I was daydreaming, thinking that after ARW (Anderson, Rabin, Wakeman) maybe it’s time for PSH (Paganini, Sherwood, Holzman)!” jokes Paganini from the studio of his old stone house in Catalunia, Spain. “It’s unbelievable that some of the best talents on the planet all agreed to participate – the whole Universe conspired to make it happen! All my steps led me to this old house in the woods.”

“Circus Is Empty” is the song people didn’t know they were waiting for. It blends the urgency of 2020 vibes and sounds with classic prog elements and furious jazz-fusion improvisation. The title is a tribute to Shakespeare’s The Tempest - “Hell is empty, and all the devils are here.” “Crazy times, the circus is empty and all the clowns are in power,” says Paganini. “There is a call to vote, if it wasn’t important they would not be trying so hard to discourage people.”

Marcelo faced an uphill task moving his studio from Normandy, France to Catalunia, Spain. Closed borders, an old laptop which struggled in the Spanish heat, a 300-year-old house which floods in the rain, and an album to finish. “It was 40 degrees outside, not that I could go outside while there was still work to do inside. Not to mention all gigs stopping overnight! It became so much that I had to ask my friends for help, but it taught me who my real friends are, and that I have the best friends around. Then I had to let some good old friends go too, I was too much trouble in too little time for them.”

His persistence has paid off though. “Identity Crisis”, which includes “Circus is Empty”, is due for release on all platforms, with an exclusive vinyl version on his Bandcamp page, on December 11th to mark his 56th birthday. “If the world is still spinning by then!” he laughs.



“I am trying to prove to myself that my last compositions are as good as the first ones... The prog scene is full of artists that wrote their best material many Dark Sides of the Keith Moon ago! Me too by the way, but seriously… Folks are you keeping your best songs for when they will offer a better deal? They won’t, so it is better to release your best material right now while we are all still around! Or else it may end in the trash can.”

“Why ‘Identity Crisis’? Who the Hell is this Marcelo Paganini guy anyway?” he asks. “I am trying to figure that out, for now I don’t even know what food to eat without getting sick... Let’s say for now that Marcelo Paganini is a French-Brazilian guy from New York City, with an Italian stage name, living secluded in the woods up the hill in Catalunia, Spain, that thinks he is a real Spitfire Dragon from Outer Space who crash landed on Earth some time ago...”

Billy Sherwood sings lead on the whole album, and on two tracks along with special guests Marcelo Paganini performed with on Cruise to the Edge 2015: Karla Downey and Jamison Smeltz. Jamison also provided a searing sax solo on the final track “Captain’s Face”, which was written for producer Larry Morand, who invited him to attend the 2015 Cruise To The Edge, about his life changing experience. “Of course I’d love to come back to Cruise To The Edge in 2022,” says Paganini. “It would be great to play live with this band at least once, Billy Sherwood and Adam Holzman are already on board, I bet Captain Prog Larry can make it happen!”

Among other surprise guests, legendary jazz Drummer Lenny White (Return To Forever/Miles Davis) recorded two songs for the album, including “Learn To Love To Wait” which also features Billy Sherwood on bass and Adam Holzman on keys. “I only played guitar on that one,” laughs Paganini. “With so many legends from other bands it’s the mother of all supergroups, but only if it happens without me, I was told. So, I had to let them play together without me for a few bars so it remains a supergroup at least there! I am trying hard to convince another legend to record a guitar solo in that spot!”

Marcelo lost his beloved rescue cat Don Juan in March 2019, and “it was then that things started to become weird fast. The French Cinema Archive CNC demanded a €15K 35mm print of my film ‘First time in Rio’ or I’d have to pay a €70k fine, an absurd situation as I couldn’t afford either. I couldn’t understand why, since they accepted a digital deposit of my film “The 8th Bullet” in 2007. I had to put everything I have on a truck and move to Spain last October. Here I will wait until French cinema people get me out of this. Meanwhile I am depressed, broke, in debt, away from home, family and remaining cats and did nothing wrong! Maybe the president of UNIFRANCE, the president of the CNC and the new Culture Minister of France Rosalyne Bachelot can get Kafka out of my reality? I feel like someone powerful did not want me to make any more films, but it backfired, since I am making a new film about all this.” The upcoming film is also called “Identity Crisis” and will use the album for its soundtrack.

“Then my credit card disappeared and I had no money to live for several weeks. All these events were eye opening experiences. They made me discover fundamental truths: only stupid people are afraid of dying, they are also afraid of living.

“I was bullied since I was little, most people in real life reject me, I am strange, different and proud of it, but harmless. The cat came to me, he chose me, that changed me forever, I learned a lot from him. My friends joke that Don Juan wrote most of the music and that I cannot really play it without him! Let’s just say that so many things happened ever since, that today no one can play that stuff  on the guitar, not even me, since I forgot everything. But don’t worry I am a fast learner”. Marcelo wrote most of the songs of the album with Don Juan around and “Identity Crisis” is dedicated to him and to Billy's brother Michael Sherwood that left us too soon last November.



Marcelo Paganini is now represented by Mr Bowler Music Agency in the Netherlands. Exciting news awaits for 2021…

Purchase link
https://marcelopaganini.bandcamp.com/

Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/Marcelo-Paganini-13255032254/

YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/user/MarcelloPaganini

Mastered by Maor Appelbaum at Maor Appelbaum Mastering - California - U.S.A
http://www.maorappelbaum.com/

Press inquiries: Glass Onyon PR, PH: 1-828-350-8158, glassonyonpr@gmail.com

5/06/2020

Italian Jazz Guitarist Rocco Zifarelli Releases New Album "Music Unites"


Working with legendary film music composer Ennio Morricone for over 20 years!

“Music Unites” is the new CD by Italian guitarist Rocco Zifarelli, for more than 20 years alongside the famous movie music composer Ennio Morricone with whom he has recorded many award winning scores (Academy Award, Golden Globe, Bafta etc) and performed in many tours around the world. Published 20 years after the acclaimed “Lyndon” (Via VenetoJazz-Universal) this CD continues on the same musical concept, that concerns instrumental electric jazz and jazz-rock in general, with 10 tracks describing a series of experiences of musical life in Rome, New York and especially in Paris.

For “Music Unites” Rocco brought together a number of great musicians with whom he collaborated in the last years, primarily Paco Sery (Ivory Coast) on drums and Linley Marthe (Mauritius Island) on bass, the rhythm section of Joe Zawinul Syndicate, then italian bass stars Dario Deidda and Pippo Matino, Russian trumpeter Alex Sipiagin and two DJ’s and sound designers Freddy Jay (Paris) and Yassin Africancuts (Brussels), and many others. A lot of musical variety, original and non-original compositions, including two revisited Morricone's themes “The Untouchables” and “Le clan des siciliens,” in a dynamic succession of electric and acoustic moods combined with samples and electronic loop, well conducted by Rocco's eclectic guitar. A CD that put together people, cultures, sounds, musical life and experiences…because “Music Unites”!

Says Rocco, “This record is the story of my musical and private life, through the ten tracks, like the chapters of an autobiographical book. It’s also a journey, a long journey in all senses, was conceived from the point of view of the compositional ideas many years ago, shortly after the release of my first and only album 'Lyndon' but had a very long gestation, due to many factors both external and personal, changes of human and artistic life mainly influenced by the massive events that have affected the whole world in the last twenty years. During this time I traveled a lot, for tours and concerts, and lived in some world great musical cities. Expecially my three years in Paris, after joining the Defunkt, where I met many African artists who were able to express depths of their native cultures. Even now Paris absorbs these important influences and, in musical terms, trains generations of extraordinary esteemed all over the world. All that already happened in New York since forever, but not with African born artists, really hard to arrive in the US… it is not a coincidence that Joe Zawinul has taken so many musicians of the last Syndicate in Paris, even if they were not originally from France.”

Rocco Zifarelli's “Music Unites” showcases the energy and power of Rock, the expressiveness of Blues, the improvisation, the harmonies and the interplay of the Jazz of Miles and Coltrane, the groove of Funk and Black Music, the timbres and the colors of Mediterranean acoustic music and the synthesis of Electronic music.

In the meantime, thanks also to his friend Marco Massimi, he managed to create Rocco's recording studio in Rome, the “ZETA STUDIO,” where “Music Unites” was almost entirely recorded; it is Rocco's “refuge,” a kind of laboratory where he can experiment with music ideas with his friends, and a comfortable place to record guitar tracks for various external works. The need to manage, protect and produce the best ideas has led Rocco to develop the concept of his own music production company, “ZETA STUDIO PRODUCTIONS,” which will report to some divisions such as the record label “ZETA RECORDS,” of which this CD is the first product, publisher with which his guitar methods and other types of productions will come out.



Here's what's being said about Rocco Zifarelli:

“Rocco has been working with me for more than 20 years now... his use of electric guitar, sounds and the way he performs and interprets my writing makes him one of my first choice musicians, both for recordings and for concerts made all over the world. This record fully expresses my thoughts.” - ENNIO MORRICONE

“Imagine the Pat Metheny Group’s embracing of jazzy world music with a groovy hip-hop type sound beloved of musicians such as Miles Davis and (especially) saxophonist Branford Marsalis’ project, Buckshot Le Fonque, and you’re on your way... Beautifully sublime!” - GUITAR TECHNIQUE

“...it is a journey not only introspective, in which life experiences become the matter of the story. A musical journey supported by electronics and the sounds of the surroundings, which transforms the listener into Rocco Zifarelli's travel companion.” - Radio Vostok.com, Carlo Pecoraro

“The electric and acoustic sounds are inspired by fusion music that, thanks to truly stratospheric rhythms, contemporary sounds, voices, and various 'very cool' inserts, becomes very contemporary and, in some moments, even prospective for a new path on which to continue to do research...” - JAZZITALIA 

Along with promoting his new album, Rocco is busy with many other musical related activities. Says Rocco, “After 22 years of recording and touring with Maestro Ennio Morricone, he has retired some months ago, we’re still doing some concerts and recording sessions, but now I’m totally involved in my projects and teaching. I teach Pop-Rock and Jazz Guitar at the State Conservatories of Milano and Cuneo, but it allows me to have plenty of time to dedicate to my artistic activity, to my recording studio and  label, lots of live concerts with different bands, mostly electric and acoustic jazz, and many recording sessions in different styles. I'm preparing a new album, mostly swingin' acoustic jazz, that's still my main source of inspiration and study, and not so elaborate as 'Music Unites.' I've just finished a collaboration with the UK magazine 'Guitar Techniques,' with a series of six video-workshops issued now, in which I've improvised some solos on backing tracks they provided to me, and then I explain my style and my phrasing ideas for each song.”

To purchase Rocco Zifarelli's “Music Unites”:
https://www.jazzos.com/detail0.php?prod=ZRP001
https://music.apple.com/us/album/music-unites/1456428870
www.amazon.it/Music-Unites-Explicit-Rocco-Zifarelli/dp/B07PPJN1K4/ref=sr_1_1

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/0ivcv1QukbHAgOo3jy4sKW?si=svNwszlYQRmi4OfZdYid3w&fbclid=IwAR3xV-Rrjv5YS3s6POTEDbkTevuol830pb3580rhlwebgOVhaPp1a1anz70

For more information:
Website: www.roccozifarelli.com
F.B. artist page:  www.facebook.com/Rocco-Zifarelli-Guitarist-143486242343992/
Instagram:  www.instagram.com/roccozifarelli/?hl=it

Press inquiries: Glass Onyon PR, PH: 1-828-350-8158, glassonyonpr@gmail.com

5/04/2020

Avant-Garde Jazz Duo MRS. FUN Release New Album TRUTH


“Their musicality and stage presence remind me of the glory days of vaudeville. Kim and Connie are kind of like the Bert Lahr and Al Jolson of modern music.” - Victor De Lorenzo, Violent Femmes

MRS. FUN plays nu jazz. Complex, sophisticated and adventurous, their music is a unique blend of off-center jazz, ultra-funk, spoken word rap, and their own brand of neo-cabaret. Intelligent lyrics, stellar musicianship, and a dynamic stage presence are hallmarks of their music. The MRS. FUN sound is derived from Connie Grauer's funky bass-driven keyboard playing, combined with Kim Zick's skillful in-the-pocket drumming.

“Their music is a blend of my favorite things. Especially cool jazz. They also remind me of beatniks. I'm from Berkeley and I know my beatniks!” - Martha Davis, Motels

“Grauer is a piano player with few equals whose drive and energy spills across the stage and into the audience like nitrous oxide. She's got a left hand that doesn't quit, the mark of any great pianist, and a right hand with limitless boundaries.” Zick holds court as a “heart-stopping drummer” whose “grooves get so far out, most people need a map to get back.” Voted Best Contemporary Jazz Group by the Wisconsin Area Music Industry(WAMI) three consecutive years, Grauer and Zick have also received WAMI awards for Best Instrumentalist: keyboards and drums. Grauer has also received awards for Best Female Vocalist and Best Stage Entertainer.

Improvisation is the driving force of MRS. FUN. The duo's very first gig was all improvisation. Some of the improvisations became songs. 30 years and five recordings later, they wrote the music for TRUTH and held strong to their original mission statement. In every recording, they include one or two cover pieces, usually a Thelonious Monk song. On TRUTH, “Soulful Strut” and “Light My Fire” were selected being a great fit to their original material. All of the instrumental tracks were recorded live. The only overdubs were vocals.



Here's what the press has said about MRS. FUN:

“Their virtuosity seems earmarked for legendary status.” - Break Magazine (Charlotte)

“MRS. FUN  stomps the jazz terra, doing exactly what Miles Davis had done throughout his whole career: breaking through old boundaries, re-establishing new ones, and then breaking through even those; so that the music can no longer be pigeonholed solely under the label of jazz.” - Shepherd Express

“Multi-keyboardist Connie Grauer and drum basher Kim Zick can play big-beat rock one moment, salute Sun Ra or Thelonious Monk the next, then launch into a groove tune that sounds like a computer getting funky. You gotta respect that.” - Tom Surowicz, Twin City Reader

“Drummer Kim Zick and keyboardist/vocalist Connie Grauer work intuitively from a jazz base, spinning out funky but thorny rhythms and memorable but subtle melodies from disparate threads of rock, pop, tango and the most venturesome explorations of avant-garde '60s jazz.” - Dave Luhrssen, Shepherd Express

“Connie Grauer is one of the most creative, adventurous and energetic musicians in Milwaukee's music scene.” - Visions (Milwaukee)

“Zick, propulsively polyrhythmic and invariably on time, is simply one of most talented percussionist on the scene.” - Michael Point, Austin American-Statesman

“A virtuoso duo displaying amazing energy and range, MRS.FUN wraps sharp humor and wigged-out joy around an aggressive, crunchy acid jazz center.” - JazzTimes

“MRS. FUN are post-modernist bop, the perfect lounge entertainment for the Cabaret Kerouac…Both Connie Grauer and Kim Zick are impressive players, with not just the ability, but also the agility and vision to take their music into the greenest pastures out in left field. Fun indeed.” - The Austin Chronicle

“Moe Tucker, drummer for the Velvet Underground named MRS.FUN one of her top ten bands in 1994.” - Guardian, San Francisco

“Their quirky output is equal parts chaos and tunefulness. Hanging out in left field where they do, there's a thin line between pretension and art. Thankfully, they manage to always stay on the right side of the line.” - Creative Loafing (Charlotte) 

Up coming gigs & recordings:
MRS. FUN will be headlining Summerfest 2020 on the Klements stage. They will also be performing in several concert series in the Midwest beginning May 2020 along with other jazz performances throughout the Midwest.

Soon to be released on the MRS. FUN record label FunTime Records:
Carnival of Souls by Outer Limits Duo: drum & sax improvisation recording; Kim Zick: drums, Juli Wood: saxophones, Produced by: Connie Grauer

In closing the band has this to impart, “Our goal in writing music for MRS. FUN is to continue writing eclectic ear bending pieces for the listener to be engaged in the complexities of each piece. That goal was most definitely achieved on TRUTH.”

To purchase: MRS. FUN/TRUTH is available through Spotify and most digital sites.

For more information:
www.mrsfun.com
https://www.facebook.com/MRS-FUN-468335266600579/

Press inquiries: Glass Onyon PR, PH: 1-828-350-8158, glassonyonpr@gmail.com

4/09/2020

Jazz Rock Supergroup MANDOKI SOULMATES Say "THANK YOU" To The COVID-19 Helpers With Their New Single!


Los Angeles, CA - As the world continues to be consumed by the COVID-19 pandemic, Mandoki Soulmates mastermind and leader Leslie Mandoki has found inspiration and a new spark of hope amidst the chaos. He has penned a powerful new song in appreciation for the heroes who have emerged in this global crisis, the nurses, doctors, and other health care providers as well as the grocery store clerks and food delivery personnel who have stepped up to serve their communities. The new song, entitled simply “Thank You,” expresses so clearly the feelings of gratitude many of us have felt in these troubled times. Mandoki explains, “As an artist, I feel it is my duty to contemplate ideas for a better world. Now, like so many of us, I suddenly have the time. Let us grab this uncommon moment of pause together and take a new approach to the problems of the world. And let’s take a hard look at who this crisis is casting in a heroic light, and who comes out the villain.”

The song is being released through the Purple Pyramid imprint of indie giant Cleopatra Records, Inc. and is Mandoki Soulmate’s first release in the recently inked partnership with the L.A.-based label. Additional releases are set to follow later this year.

Stream the song here: https://orcd.co/mandoki-soulmates-thank-you

Read the complete essay written by Leslie Mandoki to complement the single: http://cleorecs.com/home/mandoki-soulmates-thank-you/

Press inquiries: 
Glass Onyon PR
Billy James
PH: 828-350-8158
glassonyonpr@gmail.com


CLEOPATRA RECORDS, Inc.
11041 Santa Monica Blvd #703
Los Angeles CA 90025
www.CleopatraRecords.com


Follow PURPLE PYRAMID  @ 
Facebook  |  Instagram  | Twitter | Youtube | Purple Pyramid Store
Facebook @PurplePyramidRecords
https://www.facebook.com/PurplePyramidRecords/
Instagram @Purple.pyramid
https://www.instagram.com/purple.pyramid/
Twitter @PurplePyramid1
https://twitter.com/PurplePyramid1
Youtube @ Purple Pyramid
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwiCec6bS6mX3c7dpitfYRQ
Purple Pyramid Store @
https://cleorecs.com/store/product-category/record-label/purple-pyramid/

Jazz Rock Supergroup MANDOKI SOULMATES Say "THANK YOU" To The COVID-19 Helpers With Their New Single!


Los Angeles, CA - As the world continues to be consumed by the COVID-19 pandemic, Mandoki Soulmates mastermind and leader Leslie Mandoki has found inspiration and a new spark of hope amidst the chaos. He has penned a powerful new song in appreciation for the heroes who have emerged in this global crisis, the nurses, doctors, and other health care providers as well as the grocery store clerks and food delivery personnel who have stepped up to serve their communities. The new song, entitled simply “Thank You,” expresses so clearly the feelings of gratitude many of us have felt in these troubled times. Mandoki explains, “As an artist, I feel it is my duty to contemplate ideas for a better world. Now, like so many of us, I suddenly have the time. Let us grab this uncommon moment of pause together and take a new approach to the problems of the world. And let’s take a hard look at who this crisis is casting in a heroic light, and who comes out the villain.”

The song is being released through the Purple Pyramid imprint of indie giant Cleopatra Records, Inc. and is Mandoki Soulmate’s first release in the recently inked partnership with the L.A.-based label. Additional releases are set to follow later this year.

Stream the song here: https://orcd.co/mandoki-soulmates-thank-you

Read the complete essay written by Leslie Mandoki to complement the single: http://cleorecs.com/home/mandoki-soulmates-thank-you/

Press inquiries: 
Glass Onyon PR
Billy James
PH: 828-350-8158
glassonyonpr@gmail.com


CLEOPATRA RECORDS, Inc.
11041 Santa Monica Blvd #703
Los Angeles CA 90025
www.CleopatraRecords.com


Follow PURPLE PYRAMID  @ 
Facebook  |  Instagram  | Twitter | Youtube | Purple Pyramid Store
Facebook @PurplePyramidRecords
https://www.facebook.com/PurplePyramidRecords/
Instagram @Purple.pyramid
https://www.instagram.com/purple.pyramid/
Twitter @PurplePyramid1
https://twitter.com/PurplePyramid1
Youtube @ Purple Pyramid
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwiCec6bS6mX3c7dpitfYRQ
Purple Pyramid Store @
https://cleorecs.com/store/product-category/record-label/purple-pyramid/

2/03/2020

Acoustic Instrumental Review:New Latitude-Wood, Steel, and Grace

Release Date: January 20, 2020
Label: New Latitude Music

Dave Erickson (acoustic guitar), Jim Carr (acoustic guitar), Deon Kuhl (drums & percussion) and Rick Brough (upright bass) are New Latitude. The former bass player Bob Strickland played on 5 tracks. Their latest release is Wood, Steel, and Grace.

This would serve as my introduction and a new discovery, so that starts things off with a lot of anticipation. After reading some history of the band I could tell it was going to be something I would enjoy.

The cover of the album is wood with various colorings, just like the music you will hear on this recording It is acoustic instrumental with a melting pot of styles and genres offered on the nine tracks. New Age, Jazz, and Latin flavored tracks flow effortlessly through their instruments.

I have a kinship for Latin music and “Días Calientes” was a quick favorite. There is that irresistible and colorful rhythm that runs through the song along with some very fast acoustic guitar playing. If they could have picked one spotlight track for the album this would be it. The musical gusto of each member of the band is quite impressive and when all of their talents come together it is like a musical carnival of sounds. 

“Open Road” is a jazz track, the embodiment of the “quiet storm” label minus the R&B reference. 
It is a distinct sub-genre of that particular kind of music. The transition from the previous track is perfectly executed and a reminder that the genres are close cousins in the diverse genre that jazz can give a listener.

“A Serious Man” is a fast-moving track featuring uplifting nimble-fingered guitar interplay. It is a wonderful listen that also spotlights the unmistakable standup bass with well-placed percussion. The choice for bass is excellent for this type of acoustic instrumental presentation, it complements the guitar playing and is the driving wheel of each track.

“Old Friends” was more of New Age style, it reminded me of some of the Windham Hill releases that came out when Will Ackerman was signing on artists to his label and getting this kind of music a world stage. Now the stage is infinite because of the internet and streaming, which is a good thing for any artist looking for exposure. The title of the track was perfect, it was like seeing an “Old Friend.”

The curtain closer “Prismatic Sky,” which also had a New Age sound and atmosphere and consequently was an easy choice to add to my New Age Music Reviews Spotify Playlist. It was a great way to end the album.

The range of musical style and expertise on display throughout the nine tracks is superb and I would most definitely appreciate another helping of this at any time. This is music for any time of day or night, or if you happen to be looking for something that will put a smile on your face and in your heart, then I would recommend listening to Wood, Steel, and Grace.

Keith “MuzikMan” Hannaleck
February 1, 2020
Founder of:

Review Provided By New Age Music Reviews

Tracks: 
1. Alpine Bliss (3:10)
2. Cruising Altitude (3:42)
3. Días Calientes (4:31)
4. Open Road (3:40)
5. Alpenglow (3:37)
6. A Serious Man (3:58)
7. Windmills (3:19)
8. Old Friends (3:12)
9. Prismatic Sky (3:03)
C