DOWN IN THE JAZZ JOINTS

DOWN IN THE JAZZ JOINTS

Norman Warwick gathers the gossip.

Artists like Madeleine Peyroux (left) represent my kind of jazz, a genre about which I have learned a good deal from the jazz press that supports the music so well. I´ll never catch Steve Bewick, of course, our correspondent who is well versed on the scene from here to Vietnam.

So  I was delighted to hear  in conversation down at Jazz Junction last week, that Madeleine Peyroux is currently promoting a new video:  The singer/songwriter has released a touching video for her new track, “Showman Dan,” written in honor of her long-time friend and mentor Daniel William Fitzgerald, also known as Showman Dan, who passed away in 2017. The video features performance footage, joyful home movies and personal photos honouring the charismatic and generous entertainer. The song appears on Peyroux’s forthcoming album, Let’s Walk, which will be released on June 28 on Thirty Tigers.

Meanwhile, there are other new releases including  Even Odds (on the Cygnus label)  by Dan Weiss (right), on which the drummer experiments with diverse approaches to composition and improvisation on this daring and compelling new trio album. According to guys who read Jazziz magazine, the album challenges alto saxophonist Miguel Zenón and pianist Matt Mitchell, both long-time collaborators, with Weiss’ inventive drum grooves and heady compositions.

I also heard that Bird’s Eye (on Pyroclastic) is a new release from Miami-born, New York-based saxophonist and composer David Leon (left). I´ve read that the album showcases a fusion of Afro-Cuban and Korean traditional music in his latest album, Bird’s Eye. Inspired by his studies with master percussionist Manley “Piri” López Leon forms  a dynamic trio with Korean-born gayagum player DoYeon Kim and exploratory percussionist/artist Lesley Mok, the record showcases innovative jazz compositions that draw inspiration from diverse cultural influences.

Also being self-released round about now is Being (jazz pianist Chris Rottmayer’s (right) fourth album release. The talk is that it contains all original compositions performed by his quartet, including Ross Johnson on trumpet and flugelhorn, Matt Endres on drums and Rufus Reid on acoustic bass. Being is a collection of original music, written as part of a study of the jazz pianist Mulgrew Miller and his recordings with the Woody Shaw Quintet.

After celebrating the legacy of iconic female vocalists with her 2020 album, The Women Who Raised Me, Kandace Springs (left) showcases her own compositional prowess in a brand new album, Run Your Race, full of original songs. Named for her late father, track star and musician Kenneth “Scat” Springs, the album was produced by Kandace alongside Evan Rogers and Carl Sturken for SRP Records, the label which released Rihanna’s first seven albums.

There are those who love jazz recordings, and those who love live jazz and down at Jazz Junction are the many, many more who love both. There was excitement therefore about some upcoming live music particularly that YolanDa Brown (right) has confirmed her First Ever U.S. Tour: After many years of success in her home country of England, saxophonist YolanDa Brown will embark on her first-ever tour of the United States. Her “Coming to America” tour will kick off on May 26 at New York’s Joe’s Pub and continue onto Chicago, Atlanta, Philadelphia, Minneapolis and Seattle.

Buena Vista Social Orchestra have also announced U.S. Tour Dates (left): The Buena Vista Social Orchestra, under the direction of original Buena Vista Social Club member Jesus “Aguaje” Ramos, has announced a 23-date U.S. tour for this summer and fall. The tour will launch on September 5 in Jacksonville, Oregon, and will include stops in Las Vegas, Chicago, New York, Orlando and more.