Except for occasional trips to the New York live scene and recording sessions, John Hart devotes his time in teaching younger generations as the head of the Jazz Guitar Department at the Frost School of Music, University of Miami. The inspiration for the unusual instrumentation of this album (baritone sax, guitar, bass and drums) came from one of his classrooms where he tutors ensemble playing. He then, of course called his favourite baritone man Gary Smulyan to join the session. Checkmate, the third album by John Hart on SteepleChase was recorded a few weeks before the onset of the Corona virus pandemic. Now after a long dark year of lockdown we hope we can call "checkmate" on the virus.
This is the Big Band Masada project you’ve been waiting for. Led by composers Sam Eastmond and Nikki Franklin, The SPIKE Orchestra is a large ensemble that draws on a wide range of influences including Duke Ellington, Frank Zappa, Carl Stalling, Zorn and more. Melding jazz, rock, klezmer, cartoon and the avant-garde into a compelling and cohesive vision, this new Angels installment is one of the most imaginative and manic masterpieces in the whole series. An outrageous and explosive swinger that will thrill even the most hardened skeptic. Essential.
Faye Wong (王菲) is a Chinese singer, songwriter, lyricist, actress, and model. Often referred to as a "diva" in Chinese-language media. Early in her career she briefly used the stage name Shirley Wong.
The sounds of Dustin Wong & Takako Minekawa are a coalescence of the complexities of life, with the sheer joy of imaginative creation. Are Euphoria continues to dive deeper into the dreamlike technicolor tapestries their songs have always explored, blossoming forward with each cycle of loops. Completely characteristic of their style, Wong and Minekawa achieve a density of textures, timbres, beats, and harmonies while remaining totally weightless, suspended in the air.
The first collaboration between guitarist Cory Wong and alto saxophonist Dave Koz, 2021's ebullient and funky Golden Hour maximizes the best aspects of each performer. An established crossover jazz star, Koz has a style that brings together pop lyricism with a rhythmically infectious brand of R&B. Wong, a prolific artist in his own right, has worked on a variety of genre-bending projects, including albums with funk collective Vulfpeck and keyboardist Jon Batiste, with whom he recorded the Grammy-nominated 2020 new age album Meditations. Produced by Wong, Golden Hour finds the duo bringing all of their previous experience to bear on a set of original, primarily instrumental songs. Backed by a full rhythm section and horns, Koz and Wong's music evokes a classic, late-'70s and early-'80s soul vibe, but with a sleek, contemporary energy.