Tag: Ralfi Pagan

Vinyl Watch, April 2022: Ornette Coleman, Norah Jones & More

Vinyl is back! Each month on “Vinyl Watch,” we list some of the most noteworthy…

Bill Evans, Robert Glasper, Miriam Makeba & More: The Week in Jazz

The Week in Jazz is your roundup of new and noteworthy stories from the jazz…

The Week in Jazz is your roundup of new and noteworthy stories from the jazz world. It’s a one-stop destination for the music news you need to know. Let’s take it from the top.

Noteworthy

Bill Evans Record Store Day Releases Announced: Resonance has announced two Record Store Day (April 23) vinyl releases documenting piano legend Bill Evans performing live in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Morning Glory, released officially for the first time, is a 1973 concert with Eddie Gomez and Marty Morell. Inner Spirit is a 1979 date with Marc Johnson and Joe LaBarbera. Both albums will also be issued on CD and digital download on April 30.

Rare Pepper Adams and Tommy Banks Live Recording Due Out Record Store Day: Reel to Real Recordings will release Pepper Adams with The Tommy Banks Trio: Live at the Top as a 2-LP set on April 23, as part of Record Store Day. The set documents a historic live performance from September 25, 1972, at the University of Alberta. The package includes an extensive booklet with rare photos, essays and interviews. In addition, 2-CD and digital versions will be available on May 6.

Next Jazz Legacy Announces Inaugural Group of Awardees: Next Jazz Legacy has announced its first list of seven emerging women and nonbinary awardees. Watch a brief introduction to each via the player below. The three-year program was launched by New Music USA and the Berklee Institute of Jazz and Gender Justice with a focus on increasing opportunities for musicians most underrepresented in the artform. More here.

ASCAP Conversation with Keyon Harrold: The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) hosted an Instagram Live conversation with trumpeter/composer Keyon Harrold as part of ASCAP's celebration of Black History Month. Moderated by TL Cross, the conversation covered such topics as Keyon's collaborations and the various music legends that have been pivotal to Black music culture. Watch the conversation via the player below. https://youtu.be/kDxDs1N_1UY Matthew Garrison Launches TuneBend App: ShapeShifter Lab Production has launched the TuneBend app, created by lauded musician Matthew Garrison (who is also a self-taught coder) and a skilled team. The app provides a tool for musicians and content creators to easily dissect, learn and play parts of compositions. It also promotes music creation and education from the ground up, providing a platform for musicians to record, learn, collaborate and connect with new audiences from around the world. The app was launched exclusively on macOS and iOS. More here.

Seminal Ralfi Pagan Latin Soul Album Vinyl Reissue: Craft Latino will release a remastered vinyl edition of vocalist Ralfi Pagan's seminal 1971 Latin soul album, With Love, on April 29. The record combines cool salsa grooves with Latin soul balladry and boasts powerful compositions by a notable gallery of Latin legends. In addition to the newly remastered vinyl edition, With Love will also be released in hi-res digital for the first time. Pre-order it here.

Album Announcements

Alex "Apolo" Ayala, Bámbula (Truth Revolution): Bassist/composer Alex "Apolo" Ayala celebrates his ancestors and his Afro-Puerto Rican culture on his debut album as a bandleader. Bámbula features seven original compositions and one reimagination and offers an artful blend of Afro-Caribbean styles with jazz language, performed with an impressive crew of talented musicians from the rich Puerto Rican diaspora in New York City. You can listen to our JAZZIZ Travel conversation with Ayala via the player below and order Bámbula HERE. https://open.spotify.com/episode/6d4EuNOk2CgDxnVNyg2RBW?si=2c254ec216d042d6 Robert Glasper, Black Radio III (Loma Vista): On February 25, pianist/producer/composer Robert Glasper released the third installment in his GRAMMY-winning series, Black Radio. Drawing on elements of hip-hop, R&B and jazz, Black Radio III features collaborations with 22 artists including Q-Tip, PJ Morton, Jennifer Hudson, Ty Dolla $ign, H.E.R., Common and more. Order it here. https://youtu.be/U7s5S4imC5g Andrew Boudreau, Neon (Fresh Sounds New Talent): Pianist Andrew Boudreau debuts with an evocative new album, Neon, due out February 17 via Fresh Sound New Talent. Featuring original compositions and an exceptional quartet, the album is described via a press release as a collection of pieces that mostly have a specific "geographic stamp," a poetic linkage in mind. Order it here. https://open.spotify.com/album/2YW3wNgUv1KbvXkfoVEoVY?si=vH3ZMmQ2QXmqVL2yx7dPbg Melissa Aldana, 12 Stars (Blue Note): Melissa Aldana makes her Blue Note debut with 12 Stars, leading a quintet and presenting seven new originals grappling with concepts of childrearing, familial forgiveness, acceptance and self-love. Its tracks were either arranged or co-written by guitarist Lage Lund, who produced the record and performs on it as part of the band with Fortner on keys, Pablo Menares on bass and Kush Abadey on drums. 12 Stars is out on March 4 and you can pre-order it HERE. https://youtu.be/4n0qVXhA1hU

Live Music and Festival News

NJPAC Celebrates Jazz Appreciation Month: The New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) will celebrate jazz appreciation month this April via a series of free concerts, including a day-long event co-produced with Jazz House Kids on April 30 as part of International Day of Jazz. More here. NJPAC has also announced the return of award-winning pianist/vocalist Diana Krall for a special concert performance on April 3. Tickets here.

ALJA and Hostos Center for the Arts & Culture to Honor Eddie Bobè: The Afro Latin Jazz Alliance (ALJA) and Hostos Center for the Arts & Culture will present a live event commemorating the life and music of master percussionist Eddie Bobè on March 18-19. Tickets here. The event is curated by pianist/composer Michele Rosewoman and will feature Arturo O'Farrill and the 18-piece Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra, plus special percussion legends and musicians. On March 18, there will also be a pre-show discussion moderated by Dr. C. Daniel Dawson. Tickets here.

NEC Celebrates Jaki Byard: The NEC Jazz Orchestra under the direction of Ken Shaphorst will celebrate the centennial of Massachusetts jazz master Jaki Byard in a live concert at the Jordan Hall on March 3. "The Music of Jaki Byard" will feature big band repertoire from Byard's Apollo Stompers as well as the world premiere of a new work by composer Carl Atkins, written in honor of the multi-instrumentalist/composer, who was also one of the cornerstones of the Afro-American Music and Jazz Studies Department assembled by Atkins and Gunther Schuller at NEC in 1969. Tickets here. [caption id="attachment_44918" align="aligncenter" width="1024"]

Photo courtesy of NEC.[/caption] Somi Celebrates Miriam Makeba at Historic Apollo Theater, March 19: Acclaimed vocalist Somi will celebrate the legendary Miriam Makeba's birthday anniversary with a live festive event at Harlem's historic Apollo Theater on March 19. The event is titled Somi and Friends: The Reimagination of Miriam Makeba. Tickets here. In addition, Somi will also be releasing her full-length personal tribute to Makeba, Zenzile: The Reimagination of Miriam Makeba, on March 19 via Salon Africana. Pre-order it here. https://youtu.be/KiWqtiwx6JM Like this article? Get more when you subscribe.