Seamus Blake

This is an somewhat unusual jazz trio, consisting of guitar, drums and Hammond organ replacing the acoustic bass. Brad Shepik plays guitar like a blend of John Scofield and Bill Frisell in a mellow mood, accompanied by Gary Versace on the Hammond and Tom Rainey on drums. The songs are all original compositions, and feature a set of mid tempo numbers, interspersed with ballads and slow waltzes.

Sometimes trying to recreate something can be unsuccessful, and the results can be disappointing. But it's no surprise that ''Jump Up'' is a huge success. The album features 9 new all original compositions by Brad and he penned some beauties. There is a palpable excitement and electricity in these tracks, clearly demonstrating that Seamus and Brad are both relishing sharing the front line again.

There is but one human race, and yet from the one comes immediate division as we place definitions on one another. Growing up in Budapest, this division was always clear for Robi Botos as he reflected on his Romani heritage and the suffering that the Roma have endured. Often emigration can be a desire for separation, but it seems that more often it is born of a desire for inclusion. This is true in Robi’s case as he moved his family to Canada at 20 to continue his life in music. Fully immersed in the Jazz scene, Botos placed first in the Montreux Jazz Festival’s solo piano competition, where the great Oscar Peterson took note. Soon the two formed a friendship that endured, as Peterson taught Robi to find his own voice.

A unique Jazz album entitled "The Jazz Side of The Moon" is the next in Chesky Records series of newly recorded Jazz performances. The album is subtitled “The Music of Pink Floyd” and as you might guess, it presents a new take on the classic album "The Dark Side of The Moon" by Pink Floyd. To create a Jazz interpretation of The Dark Side of the Moon, album Co-Producer and Hammond B3 Organ player Sam Yahel called on three top Jazz artists to join him in this project. They are Mike Moreno on Electric & Acoustic Guitars, Ari Hoenig on Drums and Seamus Blake playing the Tenor Sax.

BRIDGES is a modern, Nordic jazz project with a clear vision; a vision to create an expression that is highly unique by constructing new musical bridges between Norway and other parts of the world.

jazz&people, the leading French crowdfunded jazz label, is proud to present Romain Pilon’s Copper, an ideal title for the conductor from which cables are made, and which sets the tone for this high-energy trio propelled by groove with a capital G and electric fusions.

Jazz & People, the leading French crowdfunded jazz label, is proud to present Romain Pilon’s Copper, an ideal title for the conductor from which cables are made, and which sets the tone for this high-energy trio propelled by groove with a capital G and electric fusions. After three albums whose atmospheres were more acoustic, including "The Magic Eye" with Ben Wendel and Walter Smith III, which showed his contemporary and dynamic appropriation of tradition and his allegiance to the current movement heralding the resurgence of the guitar on the New York and Paris jazz scenes, Romain Pilon is now expanding his musical universe through the more eclectic Copper project.

Pianist John Stetch and his excellent quartet (tenor saxophonist Seamus Blake, Jesse Murphy or Ugonna Okegwo on bass and Jordi Rossy or Gene Jackson on drums) start off their Terra Nova CD by displaying their individual approaches on fairly basic material. As the program progresses, the music becomes more original without losing its enthusiasm and passion. Whether it be the parade rhythms of "Inuit Talk," a lyrical Stetch-Blake duet on "Ocean Floors," Cedar Walton's "Bolivia," the driving "Baba Bakes" or a dissonant rendition of "Oleo," all of the eight selections heard on this well-rounded set are quite enjoyable. Both John Stetch (who displays touches of Herbie Hancock and Chick Corea) and Seamus Blake have managed to find their own voices within the tradition without sounding stale or predictable. ~ AllMusic Review by Scott Yanow