JOE LOCKE'S "FORCE OF FOUR"

TO PERFORM AT KITANO NEW YORK ON MARCH 26 - 27

DL Media announces performance dates for vibraphonist Joe Locke's "Force of Four" at Kitano New York on March 26 and 27. Locke's "Force of Four" features an all-star group of musicians comprised of Robert Rodriguez on piano, Ricardo Rodriguez on bass and Jonathan Blake on drums. The group will perform in support of their recent 2008 self-titled release on Origin Records.

This performance marks the first New York appearance for Locke as a leader since the January CD launch week at Dizzy's Club Coca Cola, in support of his the most recent project, For The Love Of You (released on E1 Music, January 26), debuting the Joe Locke Group.

At Kitano, Locke will lead "Force of Four," melding four distinct musical personalities into a fresh sounding ensemble. The influences of New York, Cuba, Philadelphia and Puerto Rico, as well as the many places traveled by the four players/composers, come together in this group.

"This is one of the very best groups I've ever assembled", says Locke. "Whether the music is swinging hard, funky or delicate, these guys know how to squeeze the juice out of the material. Playing with this band is really rewarding."

The critical community continually cites Locke for his artistic work. He has been given the "Mallet Player of the Year" Award by the Jazz Journalists Association (JJA) on three occasions and has been voted the #1 "Rising Star" vibraphonist in DownBeat Magazine's Critic's Poll several times. Throughout his career, Locke has shared the stage luminaries ranging from Dizzy Gillespie, Pepper Adams and Mongo Santamaria to Rod Stewart and The Beastie Boys, among dozens of others.

Joe Locke's "Force of Four"

Friday - Saturday, March 26 - 27
8 PM & 10 PM

Kitano New York
66 Park Avenue (@ East 38th Street)
New York, New York 10016
Phone: (212) 885-7119

http://www.kitano.com

Please visit http://www.joelocke.com.

For more information, please contact:

Jordy Freed at DL MEDIA
(p) 610.667.0501 (e) jordy@jazzpublicity.com

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Hot Club Of Detroit To Release "It's About That TIme" on Mack Avenue Records

HOT CLUB OF DETROIT

BRANCHES OUT ON NEW CD

IT'S ABOUT THAT TIME

SET FOR APRIL 27 RELEASE ON MACK AVENUE RECORDS

The family tree that traces its roots to the Quintette du Hot Club de France has sprouted countless branches across the globe in the seventy years since Django Reinhardt first jammed with Stéphane Grappelli. It seems like a new city lays claim to its own Hot Club on a virtually daily basis, but the Hot Club of Detroit is undoubtedly the apple that has fallen farthest from that tree.

The blistering fretwork on the opening track of the group's third CD, It's About That Time, pays explicit homage to one of their six-string heroes - just not the one you might think. "On the Steps" is based on the chord changes of Pat Martino's "On the Stairs" (with a brief borrowing from John Coltrane's "Giant Steps" to complete the pun), and states at the outset what fans of these gypsy jazz revisionists have long known - that Django Reinhardt is far from the beginning and end of the Hot Club of Detroit's vocabulary of influences.

"Django Reinhardt is the showerhead from which we all come down," says guitarist and bandleader Evan Perri. "But if he had lived, I don't think he would've been playing the same things he had in prior years. He was constantly evolving as a jazz musician."

The Hot Club of Detroit has undergone a similar evolution since Perri formed the group in 2003 with fellow students at Wayne State University in Detroit. The ensemble rapidly accumulated accolades and audiences over the next several years, including a first-place win in the 2004 Detroit International Jazz Festival competition and multiple Detroit Music Awards. Their 2006 self-titled debut, while slightly more traditional than later releases, established their broad-minded approach to the Django resurgence.

Since that time, it's become increasingly evident that their inspiration comes as much from the spirit of Reinhardt's playing as by its much-copied sound. While they've maintained some recognizable elements - the absence of drums, the percussive "la pompe" rhythm guitar technique - the Motor City quintet apply those elements to a decidedly modern sound, refusing to be constrained by allegiance to some time-honored, purist ideal.

"To me," says rhythm guitarist Paul Brady, "Django Reinhardt was a jazz improviser like Coleman Hawkins or Lester Young or any of the other great improvisers of his time. We don't approach our music as a gypsy jazz band, but 100% as a jazz group."

While Hot Club of Detroit salutes the 100th Anniversary of Reinhardt's birth, their approach as a jazz group is nowhere more evident than on the disc's title track, the Joe Zawinul-penned "It's About That Time," famously fused with "In a Silent Way" on Miles Davis' 1969 album. Brady hit upon the idea of fusing the tune instead with Reinhardt's oft-revisited "Heavy Artillerie," creating an atmospheric hybrid with a loping groove and an airy spaciousness.

The ensemble also takes on Charles Mingus' "Nostalgia in Times Square," in 5/4, with bassist Andrew Kratzat providing an appropriately brawny, wood-smacking intro and Carl Cafagna getting the Eric Dolphy tent-revival treatment with a clap-along accompaniment for his tenor solo.

Of course, Reinhardt's catalog is also plumbed for material, but other than the aforementioned "Heavy Artillerie," repertoire was found in its more shadowy, neglected corners. "We try to find Django tunes that haven't been performed to death," Brady says. "He wrote a ton of stuff so we can always find something that we can have fun and stretch out on."

"Duke and Dukie," the first Django credit to appear on this record, perfectly fits that bill, a cheery three-chord romp that serves as a vehicle for lengthy improvisations during the band's live sets. "Sweet Chorus" provides a relaxed finish to the album, easy and intimate as a front porch jam session. The fiery "Noto Swing" is provided by another Reinhardt - Lulu, a mainstay of the German gypsy jazz scene.

On each of its releases the Detroit combo has also flexed its classical muscles, beginning with Nino Rota's theme from "The Godfather" on their debut, followed by Maurice Ravel's "Tzigane" on 2008's Night Town. This time it's Frédéric Chopin's "Tristesse" E Major Etude, which shines a spotlight onto Julien Labro's lush bandoneon and Cafagna's melancholy clarinet.

The remainder of the album consists of originals by the band members themselves: Labro's serpentine, Chick Corea-influenced "Equilibrium;" Cafagna's engaging "Restless Twilights;" "Papillon," a wistful ballad by Labro and Kratzat; Perri's aptly-named "Patio Swing;" Labro's knife-edged waltz "Sacré Bleu;" and Perri's "For Stéphane" - an homage to guitarist Stéphane Wrembel, not the original Hot Club of France violinist.

As wide-ranging as the album is, the one constant is the group's sense of individuality, which Perri says he encourages from each of his band mates.

"There's no point in going out and playing music if you can't be yourself," Perri says. "Sometimes you'll hear a Wes Montgomery riff in my playing, or you might hear an Eddie Van Halen riff or a Led Zeppelin influence, because that's who I am and for me to deny that wouldn't be true to my musicianship."

Hot Club of Detroit · It's About That Time (MAC 1051)

Release Date: April 27, 2010

For media information, please contact:

DL Media · 610-667-0501

Jordy Freed · jordy@jazzpublicity.com

Don Lucoff · don@jazzpublicity.com

Become a fan of Mack Avenue Records on

MACK AVENUE · the road to great music · www.mackavenue.com

19900 Harper Avenue, Harper Woods, MI 48225 · 313-640-8414 · 313-640-8415 fax

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Resonance Records To Release "The Mastery Of Passion"- A Collection of All Star Recordings With Special Guests Michael Brecker and Claudio Roditi

Resonance Records To Release

The Mastery Of Passion- A Rare Collection of All Star Recordings From Keyboardist Harris Simon

Heirloom Series Release Features Special Guests

Michael Brecker and Claudio Roditi

As a 21-year-old wunderkind, pianist-composer-arranger Harris Simon went into the studio in March of 1978 to record his first recording under his own name. Produced by George Klabin and Jeff Kaufman, New York Connection featured an all-star cast including tenor sax titan Michael Brecker, Brazilian trumpeter Claudio Roditi, saxophonist-flutist Joe Farrell, Uruguyan keyboardist Hugo Fattoruso, bassist Mike Richmond, guitarist Bill Washer and Brazilian drummer Portinho. Two years later, Simon returned to the studio with essentially the same heavyweight crew to record Swish. Both quintessential late '70s offerings, now available for the first time in three decades on the Resonance Records compilation The Mastery of Passion, represent a moment in time when jazz was crossing over to a wider audience.

"George Klabin had heard me play and he thought that what I was doing was kind of interesting," recalls Simon of the events leading to his initial session. "So he and Jeff Kaufman offered me this opportunity to record."

Having spent some time in Brazil, Klabin had an affinity for the music and connections to musicians like Roditi and Portinho, recruiting them both for Simon's session, along with highly respected session cats like Brecker, Washer and Richmond. Together, Simon's stellar cast helped create a profound statement on his 1978 debut, New York Connection and 1980's sophomore release,Swish.

During this time period, Brecker had many niches on the New York jazz scene. While working as co-leader with his older sibling, trumpeter Randy of The Brecker Brothers, Michael was also a rising and ubiquitous session player, becoming known for his explosive energy and talent for improvisation. Brecker would go on to appear on over 700 albums throughout his career, in constant demand as either a band member or guest. However, many would argue that the 1970s were Brecker's golden years for session work, establishing him as a first call studio musician; lending his dynamic improvisational skills to bands spanning from mainstream jazz to mainstream rock and putting his stamp on numerous pop and rock recordings. The Mastery of Passion is a testament to this, displaying Brecker's jazz artistry at its finest.

Brecker turns in heroic performances on Jeff Kaufman's "All Points South," Denny Zeitlin's swinging "Stonehenge," Fattoruso's fusiony "Romance of Death" and Simon's samba flavored "Don the Don" (all from New York Connection) as well as on Fattoruso's "Wind Chant" and Simon's highly charged, Latin flavored "Swish" (from Swish).

Randy Brecker reflects, "I remember being very impressed with this CD when it was first released, partly because Mike was quite happy with his playing on it, (for once!). Everyone else involved is at 'the top of their game' too, so enjoy it!"

Roditi offers bracing high-note trumpet solos on "All Points South," "Stonehenge" and Cesar Camargo Mariano's cinematic "Factory," along with some tasty flugelhorn work on Ettore Stratta's "City Light." Farrell contributes some mellow flute work on "Loufiana" and Michael Urbaniak turns in a stellar violin solo on the evocative "Midday Dreams." And if these astronomical performances weren't already enough, Harris reveals potent harmonica chops on his poignant "Street Song" (also fromSwish).

Educated at Queens College, Simon was an accomplished pianist-composer-arranger who had come up on the vibrant jazz scene of Jamaica, Queens along with such other talented, budding players from that neighborhood as trumpeter Tom Browne, bassist Marcus Miller, drummer Lenny White and keyboardists Donald Blackman, Bernard Wright. Simon went on to perform extensively in clubs and jazz festivals throughout North America and Europe, including Blues Alley in Washington, D.C., the Village Vanguard in New York City, Fasching Jazz Club in Stockholm, Sweden, the Pori Jazz Festival and the Imatra Jazz Festival in Finland, the Cork Jazz Festival in Ireland, the Edinburgh Jazz Festival in Scotland, the Warsaw Jazz Jamboree in Poland, Jazz Fiesta in Parnu, Estonia, and the Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland.

"I still try to play with that level of commitment and passion that you hear on these early recordings," says Simon, who is currently on the adjunct faculty at the College of William & Mary in Virginia and also continues to perform in trio and quartet settings. "As you get older, your knowledge and wisdom come more into play, but you try to keep the fires burning as brightly as you can. So just listening to that aspect of it was very interesting to me. We made some very strong music back then."

Simon reflects on the two potent recordings that helped jump-started his career, "It still sound goods, better than I thought it would. There is definitely a lot of energy and a lot of passion in the playing. And I think it's of its time."

Three decades later, jazz fans can dig those quintessential late '70s sounds on The Mastery of Passion.

HARRIS SIMON- The Mastery of Passion
Resonance Records HCD-2009 / April 13, 2010

For further information on this and other Resonance Records releases, visitwww.ResonanceRecords.org

Resonance Records is a program of the Rising Jazz Stars Foundation,
a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation

For media information contact:

Jordy Freed at DL MEDIA (p) 610-667-0501 (e) jordy@jazzpublicity.com

Don Lucoff at DL MEDIA (p) 610-667-0501 (e) don@jazzpublicity.com

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CONCORD UNVEILS ORIGINAL JAZZ CLASSICS REMASTERS SERIES

CONCORD UNVEILS ORIGINAL JAZZ CLASSICS REMASTERS SERIES

24-BIT REMASTERING BRINGS NEW
CLARITY AND DEPTH TO CLASSIC RECORDINGS

FIRST FIVE TITLES SET FOR RELEASE ON MARCH 30, 2010

In the tradition of its highly lauded Rudy Van Gelder Remasters Series of classic Prestige recordings, Concord Music Group has dug into the vaults once again to create a new series of jazz reissues. The Original Jazz Classics Remasters series, scheduled for launch on March 30, showcases some of the most pivotal recordings of the past several decades by artists whose influence on the jazz tradition is beyond measure.

The first five titles in the series are:

Dave Brubeck Quartet: Jazz at Oberlin

Art Pepper Meets the Rhythm Section

Sonny Rollins: Way Out West

Thelonious Monk with John Coltrane

Joe Pass: Virtuoso

An extension of the popular Original Jazz Classics series (est. 1982), the new OJC Remasters releases reveal the sonic benefits of 24-bit remastering-a technology that didn't exist when these titles were originally issued on compact disc. The addition of newly-written liner notes further enhances the illuminating quality of the OJC Remasters reissues. "Each of the recordings in this series is an all-time jazz classic," says Nick Phillips, Vice President of Jazz and Catalog A&R at Concord Music Group and producer of the series. "With these reissues, we get a fresh look and a new perspective on these artists and some of their most important work-not only from the meticulous 24-bit remastering by Joe Tarantino, but also from the insights we glean from the new liner notes that have been written for each title in the series."

The Dave Brubeck Quartet: Jazz at Oberlin (1953)
Jazz at Oberlin, recorded live at Oberlin College in Ohio in March 1953 and released later that year, is considered a breakthrough album - not just for Brubeck himself, but for the entire concept of live jazz recordings. "The idea of presenting a jazz concert on a college campus was something that really hadn't been done," says Phillips. "So this recording represents a historic first. The combination of the excitement generated by the quartet and the unbridled response from the audience is riveting."

Indeed, says jazz critic and historian Ashley Kahn in his new liner notes, "there had never been a commercial jazz recording that contained, again and again, such spontaneous eruptions of enthusiasm. That the youthful attendees were so gleefully unaware of jazz protocol - not holding on to their appreciation until the end of the solos, offering raucous applause rather than polite golf claps - only adds to the charm of the recording." More than a half century after the performance was recorded, "Brubeck's playing is still astonishing," says Kahn.

Art Pepper Meets the Rhythm Section (1957)
Art Pepper Meets the Rhythm Section united the saxophonist with Miles Davis' crew at the time: pianist Red Garland, bassist Paul Chambers, and drummer Philly Joe Jones. By all accounts, the early 1957 session should have been a disaster. Recently released from federal prison, Pepper was still struggling with a heroin addiction and severely out of practice. The gig had been set up by Pepper's girlfriend (unbeknownst to him until just hours before the sessions were to begin), and he discovered at the last minute that - after several months of not playing - the cork in the mouthpiece of his horn had come loose. "But in the end, the session proved to be a triumph rather than a disaster," says Phillips. "The camaraderie between Pepper and the Rhythm Section resulted in one of Art's greatest recordings."

Jazz writer/broadcaster Neil Tesser, who penned the new liner notes to the reissue, suggests that music in this set "reveals an obvious camaraderie, true artistic achievement, and a distinct lack of self-doubt or intimidation - perhaps because musically, Pepper actually had a great deal in common with the Rhythm Section." He adds: "The 'meeting' between Pepper and this rhythm section was less a matter of confrontation, or even creative friction, than a matter of shaking hands in the middle of a bridge spanning east- and west-coast idioms."

"The Man I Love," a performance that was recorded at this session but was not included in the original album release, is included as a bonus track.

Sonny Rollins: Way Out West (1957)
Way Out West was, in many ways, Sonny Rollins' tribute to the heroes of his childhood - the cowboys of the big screen, whom he idolized in the movie theaters of Harlem during the Depression. "Westerns took me away from reality," he says in a recent interview with jazz blogger Marc Myers. Rollins' comments provide context for the original recording in Myers' new liner notes for the reissue. "My reality wasn't bad," he explains. "It's just that Westerns took me to another place. They gave me hope that a Utopia did indeed exist in life."

But along with this sense of optimism comes a wink and a sly grin, says Phillips. "If you compiled a list of the top Sonny Rollins recordings from throughout his incredible career, this one is certainly among the top entries," says Phillips. "In addition to his phenomenal playing, it's a great example of Rollins' legendary sense of humor in his playing. Doing a jazz interpretation of 'I'm an Old Cowhand' is just one example of the kind of wit that he is known for. Even the cover photo of Sonny wearing a ten-gallon hat was his idea."

Alternate takes of "I'm an Old Cowhand," "Come, Gone," and "Way Out West" are included as bonus tracks.

Thelonious Monk with John Coltrane (1961)
Recorded in the spring of 1957 but not released until four years later, Thelonious Monk with John Coltrane was instantly hailed as one of the greatest achievements in either musician's career. "What can you say about this combination?" says Phillips. "These are two of the most legendary and influential artists in jazz, together in the same recording."

Orrin Keepnews, producer of the original recording and author of the new liner notes for the reissue, suggests that "one way of looking at the sudden acceptance of these two
previously much underappreciated but - as we have now all known for a full half-century - truly monumental artists, might be simply to accept their triumph as an incredibly important idea whose time had now suddenly arrived."

"Monk's Mood," a Monk/Coltrane recording that was originally released on the otherwise all-solo Thelonious Himself album, is added as a bonus track.

Joe Pass: Virtuoso (1974)
Joe Pass was already a virtuoso before cutting a record whose title referred to him as such, but the 1974 solo guitar release elevated him to international star status. In his new liner notes for this reissue, jazz biographer Doug Ramsey recalls bassist Jim Hughart's assessment of Pass: "If ever there was a guy who was a natural jazz guitarist, it was Joe Pass. Joe is like an artesian well of music, an unrestricted source of inspired jazz. He could play endlessly and rarely repeat himself."

Phillips, meanwhile, callsVirtuoso "the definitive Joe Pass recording. If you could only have one jazz guitar album in your collection, you could argue that this should be it. It includes some phenomenal playing, just as the title suggests...And it's one of those recordings that doesn't require that the listener be a jazz aficionado. I think anyone who has an interest in the guitar owes it to themselves to check out this recording."

The Original Jazz Classics Remasters series is a chronicle of vital moments in the rich history of jazz. "Each of these recordings is a significant cornerstone in each artist's career, and together they tell the story of jazz as an ever-evolving art form," says Phillips. "Each has more than stood the test of time."

For more information on the Original Jazz Classics Remasters, please contact:

Jordy Freed at DL MEDIA (p) 610-667-0501 (e) jordy@jazzpublicity.com
Don Lucoff at DL MEDIA (p) 610-667-0501 (e) don@jazzpublicity.com

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OUT TODAY--6 TITLES BY LATE SINGER-SONGWRITER KENNY RANKIN ON SLY DOG RECORDS

MACK AVENUE RECORDS RELEASES SIX TITLES
BY THE LATE SINGER-SONGWRITER KENNY RANKIN
ON THE SLY DOG IMPRINT
Four Titles Digitally Re-Mastered From Original Tapes

MIND-DUSTERS
FAMILY
LIKE A SEED
SILVER MORNING
INSIDE
THE KENNY RANKIN ALBUM

Today, the Mack Avenue label imprint Sly Dog Records releases six titles by singer-songwriter Kenny Rankin (who died in Los Angeles from lung cancer on June 7, 2009 at 69); Mind-Dusters, Family, Like A Seed, Silver Morning, Inside, and The Kenny Rankin Album, at all popular retailers.

The following four titles--Like A Seed, Silver Morning, Inside, The Kenny Rankin Album--have been pristinely re-mastered from the original analog tapes. Kenny's son, longtime music industry professional Chris Rankin, personally oversaw the transfer from the original tapes with top engineer Joe Gastwirt. Chris Rankin explains: "We took the original DBX masters and did straight transfers without using digital processing. Our main concern was with maintaining the sonic integrity and dynamic range from the original recordings. Minimal restoration was done, and everything was transferred through the original DBX processing."

After sorting through the original master mix tapes for each album, Rankin and Gastwirt had to identify either the original master recordings or the earliest generation master safety tapes.

"Several of these master recordings were encoded with the DBX noise reduction system," states Gastwirt, "and the master safety's were encoded with a version of the Dolby A system that was popular in the '70's. Also, some of these tapes had developed Sticky Tape Syndrome and needed to be baked at a controlled low temperature for more than 8 hours to remove the moisture from the tape. We then located old reconditioned DBX and Dolby decoders to play back the original recordings as they were originally intended. The tape transfer mastering chain resembled the mastering chain from when the original LP's were cut, and we were careful to do very similar processing as done in the original mastering."

Once they were satisfied with the analog sound, the recordings were transferred to 176.4K/24Bit (4 times the rate of CD) digital then converted to the current CD release standard of 44.1/16 Bit.

Kenny Rankin brought a finely tuned sophistication and a capacity for a surprising variety of musical expression to contemporary pop music. His high tenor voice - vulnerable yet capable of conveying many emotional gradations - helped Rankin establish instant intimacy with audiences everywhere. Though he might appear with a trio, Rankin often performed alone. A singer with only his guitar between him and the audience, Rankin was a knight without armor. He seemed to relish the exposed posture; it underscored the emotional nakedness of his performances. Paul McCartney was so taken with Rankin's version of "Blackbird" that he invited Kenny to perform the tune when Lennon and McCartney were inducted into the Songwriter's Hall of Fame.

Rankin grew up in New York City and absorbed the many forms of music around him like a sponge. A Greenwich Village apprenticeship brought Rankin into contact with producer Tom Wilson in '65. At Wilson's invitation, Rankin played rhythm guitar on "Subterranean Homesick Blues" and "Maggie's Farm" for Bob Dylan's Bringing It All Back Home.

His songs preceded him into the national marketplace: Mel Tormé recorded Rankin's bright waltz "Haven't We Met" on his A Lush Romantic Album of '65 and Helen Reddy took "Peaceful" to the Top Ten in '73.

Validation came in the form of a deal with Little David Records. Rankin's struggle suddenly turned into a journey. Founded by Monte Kay, Little David was a boutique label whose main artists were comedians Flip Wilson and George Carlin. Jazz entrepreneur Kay's résumé included the fabled Royal Roost nightclub, the Miles Davis Tentet (the so-called Birth of the Cool band), and the Modern Jazz Quartet. Rankin couldn't have been happier to be in such company.

Chris Rankin sees his father's work this way: "I think what my father really tried to do is put a voice to the human experience, in all of its forms. His songs examined those human challenges from every angle with a beautiful voice and a lot of emotional depth. He was willing to share it all with his audience. Love was a predominant theme throughout his work: romantic love, loss of love, and love's redemption. He was never afraid to express his emotions through his work; he loved playing for the people.

"He had a unique way of hearing other people's songs and finding new things in them. My family is very proud of my father's musical legacy and we're very appreciative that his albums are going to be reissued."

In closing, Mack Avenue label President Denny Stilwell comments, "Kenny Rankin and Sly Dog Records are a perfect match for the prototype singer-songwriter that he embodied. Kenny was a natural musician with a vocal talent that wrung every nuance from deeply evocative lyrics. Lyrics both common and ethereal - everyday and extraordinary. Kenny's gift and these landmark recordings are a treasure, and it's an honor to be involved with their reintroduction. Our cooperative relationship with Kenny's family has been open and unified in our mutual goals - first and foremost, the active care-taking of Kenny Rankin's musical legacy."

Kenny Rankin

Mind-Dusters (SLY 3005)
Family (SLY 3006)
Like A Seed (SLY 3007)
Silver Morning (SLY 3008)
Inside (3009)
The Kenny Rankin Album (SLY 3010)

Worldwide Release Date: February 16, 2010


For Publicity, please contact Steph Brown at DL Media
610-667-0501 / steph@jazzpublicity.com


SLY DOG RECORDS / www.mackavenue.com/kennyrankin
19900 Harper Avenue, Harper Woods, MI 48225 / 313-640-8414 / 313-640-8415 fax

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Jazz Aspen Snowmass Kicks Off 20th Anniversary Season

Harry Connick, Jr., Natalie Cole & More to Headline

JAS 20th Anniversary June Festival, June 24 - July 3

Jazz Aspen Snowmass will kick off their 20th Anniversary season this June with some of the biggest names in jazz, pop and world music. Tickets for the event are on-sale this Friday, February 12.

Making his first ever JAS appearance jazz pianist/vocalist Harry Connick, Jr. and Orchestra have been added to the June Festival lineup appearing at the Benedict Music Tent (pictured at right) on Friday, June 25. Over the past two decades Connick has taken a very hands-on approach to his recording career, calling the shots at the numerous phases of his albums projects. Whether performing the American Songbook or in the jazz, blues or funk idiom, the process has yielded consistent success, not to mention worldwide sales of over 25 million discs. In Connick's latest release, Your Songs, he has expanded his vision to encompass 14 classic popular songs; his instrumental pallet through a striking integration of a string orchestra and his swinging Big Band; and his basic approach to recording, with his interpretation of such classics as Billy Joel's "Just the Way You Are," Elton John's "Your Song," and Elvis Presley's "Can't Help Falling in Love with You."

On Saturday, June 26 at the Benedict Tent JAS will present JAS @ 20!, a special evening of performances in a Grammy-like format of multiple guests artists backed by a crack Big Band. Directed by JAS Distinguished Artist in Residence Christian McBride, the show will also feature jazz legends Dianne Reeves, Patti Austin, Maceo Parker, Fred Wesley, Terence Blanchard, John Clayton and more.

Pink Martini will perform at the Benedict Music Tent on Sunday, June 27. Comprised of twelve musicians, Pink Martini's repertoire is wildly diverse. Says bandleader/pianist Thomas Lauderdale, "at one moment you feel like you're in the middle of a samba parade in Rio de Janeiro, and in the next moment, you're in a French music hall of the 1930s or palazzo in Napoli. It's a bit like an urban musical travelogue."

The closing night of the JAS 20th June Festival will take place on Saturday, July 3 featuring Natalie Cole with Big Band and Musicians from the AMFS. Cole, who had to cancel an appearance with JAS last July due to a kidney transplant last May, is already back on stage feeling "healthy, whole and 100% again." Her last release, Still Unforgettable, earned her two Grammy Awards in 2009, including Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album. Cole was also the recipient of the NAACP Award for Best Jazz Artist in 2009.

The JAS Academy Summer Sessions, again with Christian McBride, will be in residence June 24-July 3. JAS' flagship music education program, the Academy is the nation's only all-scholarship jazz residency program, uniting the finest young jazz artists with the world's "jazz legends." JAS has contributed $5 million dollars to music education since 1996.
Additional special concerts and events will take place throughout the June 24-July 3 Festival including free performances at the Cooper Mall Stage, Jazz performances downstairs at the Little Nell, special events featuring students from the JAS Academy and JAS After Dark shows.

June Festival tickets are on-sale Friday, Feb. 12. Tickets will be available at 866-JAS-TIXX (527-8499) or www.jazzaspen.org. For information on Patron (VIP) tickets call the JAS office at 970-920-4996. Ticket and lodging packages are also available at 800-SNOWMASS orwww.snowmasstourism.com.

Look for more announcements surrounding the JAS 20th Anniversary season soon, including line-up information for the Labor Day Festival taking place Sept. 3-5 and other special events. For more information please visit www.jazzaspen.org or become a fan on Facebook.

For national publicity, please contact:
Don Lucoff / DL Media: don@jazzpublicity.com / 610.667.0501

For local publicity, please contact:
Andrea Beard / Jazz Aspen: abeard@jazzaspen.org / 970.920.4996

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PIANIST ANTONIO CIACCA TO PERFORM AT DIZZY'S CLUB COCA-COLA ON MARCH 15 IN SUPPORT OF "LAGOS BLUES"

ANTONIO CIACCA QUINTET: A BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION AT

DIZZY'S CLUB COCA-COLA ON MARCH 15

PERFORMANCE IN SUPPORT OF

MOTEMA MUSIC RELEASE LAGOS BLUES

Motéma Music announces a performance date for pianist Antonio Ciacca at Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola on Monday, March 15. Ciacca will perform music from his new CD, Lagos Blues (release date: January 12), with sets at 7:30pm and 9:30pm. Additionally, the performance will serve as a birthday celebration for Ciacca, who will be joined by an all-star line-up featuring saxophonist Grant Stewart, vibraphonist Joe Locke, bassist David Wong, and drummer Francisco Mela.

Lagos Blues is a mirror that reflects the broader story of jazz, its international reach as well as its inclination to come back and nourish at its American wellspring. It features his regular quartet - (saxophonist Stacy Dillard, bassist Kengo Nakamura and drummer Ulysses Owens) - supplemented by saxophonist Steve Grossman, an artist whose impact on jazz has been profound and on Ciacca directly has been transformative.

Ciacca set two days aside for his mentor, Grossman, to join him and his regular quartet in a studio at Bologna. There, they recorded Lagos Blues, a set of originals by Ciacca and Grossman along with several standards. From start to finish, Lagos Blues respects advice bestowed upon Ciacca by another friend and mentor, his Lincoln Center compatriot, Wynton Marsalis, to first and foremost add to each player's strengths and to respond to what the others are playing.

Additionally, as Director of Programming for Jazz at Lincoln Center, Ciacca serves the music of jazz on multiple levels - as a player whose sound is unique, especially in the context of our time, and as an educator who knows that to spread the word about jazz, the best thing is to let the music speak for itself.

Raised in Italy, Ciacca plays the piano with a rare blend of earthiness, fire and intellect, with elements of Wynton Kelly, Red Garland and Bobby Timmons that recall the most creatively vital and yet oddly neglected schools of jazz. Ciacca began studying at the Bologna Conservatory, but after a pivotal encounter and crucial advice from trumpeter Wynton Marsalis, he sought out Grossman, whose lessons laid a solid foundation for the young pianist. After three years, at Grossman's suggestion, he left for the States in 1993 to immerse himself fully in jazz culture, working first in Detroit and then in New York.

For more information, visit http://twinsmusic.it/

For more information contact:

Jordy Freed / DL Media

jordy@jazzpublicity.com / 610-667-0501

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Christian McBride Presents The MOVEMENT Revisted

THE MOVEMENT Revisited, A Jazz Opus by Christian McBride In Celebration of Black History Month In celebration of Black History Month, the Detroit International Jazz Festival will present THE MOVEMENT Revisited, a jazz opus by Mack Avenue recording artist and Grammy® Award-winning bassist/bandleader Christian McBride, on Sunday, February 14 at 7:30pm at Second Ebenezer Church in Detroit. Dedicated to four icons of the Civil Rights Movement, McBride will perform and conduct the piece featuring the Detroit Jazz Festival Orchestra, the Second Ebenezer Majestic Voices, and his quintet--Ron Blake, saxophone, Geoffrey Keezer, piano, Terreon Gully, drums, and Warren Wolfe, vibes. THE MOVEMENT Revisited pays tribute to Rosa Parks, Muhammad Ali, Malcolm X and Martin Luther King, Jr. Confirmed narrators include internationally renowned poet, author and playwright Sonia Sanchez as Rosa Parks; actor Dion Graham, whose credits include The Wire, Law & Order and Homicide: Life on the Street, as Muhammad Ali; Dr. Willis Patterson, Professor Emeritus of the University of Michigan School of Music as Malcolm X; and Bishop Edgar L. Vann of Second Ebenezer Church as The Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. McBride believes that "the sacrifices made by these four individuals have been so enveloped in myth that to a large extent, their names are remembered more than their accomplishments. This piece captures musically how their deeds shaped our world, and reminds us of our responsibility to pave the way for many to live a better life." Celebrating the election of America's first Black President in 2009, McBride has written a new movement that will premiere at this performance. Christian McBride is a top-tier solo artist who is equally adept on acoustic and electric bass, but he's also been the go-to bassist, with support duties ranging from Herbie Hancock and Chick Corea to Diana Krall and Sting. In addition, he has been at the forefront of jazz education, including serving as an artist in residence at festivals (Detroit International Jazz Festival and the Monterey Jazz Festival); artistic director at various arts centers and museums (including co-director of the National Jazz Museum in Harlem and the creative jazz chair for the Los Angeles Philharmonic); and as artistic director of the JAS Band Academy (Jazz Aspen Snowmass, Band Edition). His current critically-lauded Mack Avenue CD, Kind Of Brown, will be issued in an LP edition on March 16, and his digital download Conversations With Christian duets series is available on iTunes. The MOVEMENT Revisited is made possible in part by a grant from the Erb Family Foundation and the donation of space by Bishop Edgar L. Vann II of Second Ebenezer Church. With a capacity of 3,000 seats, Second Ebenezer Church is located at 14601 Dequindre, at I-75 and McNichols, in Detroit.

For media information, please contact: Steph Brown, DL Media · 610.667.0501 steph@jazzpublicity.com Tamara Young, Miles Ahead Entertainment · 201.722.1500 tamara@milesaheadentertainment.com Chris Harrington, Detroit International Jazz Festival · 313.289.9177 charrington@detroitjazzfest.com www.mackavenue.com www.christianmcbride.com ###

Available Today--"Simpatico"-Trumpet Master Claudio Roditi's New Release on Resonance Records

Available Today--Simpatico

Trumpet Master Claudio Roditi's New Release on

Resonance Records

Roditi's New CD Follows His

2009 Grammy-Nominated Brazilliance X 4

In the wake of his acclaimed and Grammy-nominated (in the "Best Latin Jazz Album" category) 2009 Resonance Records release, Brazilliance X 4, trumpet/flugelhorn player Claudio Roditi has created Simpatico, another tuneful showcase for his patented blend of Brazilian samba and bossa nova with straight-ahead jazz. But where last year's recording included works by such Brazilian legends as João Donato, Durval Ferreira, and Johnny Alf, Simpatico spotlights both Roditi's playing and his composing talents.

"To me," Roditi remarks, "the main difference of this album from everything else I have done is that for the very first time these are all my compositions, all twelve of them. There are some new pieces, some a little older, but these are mostly things I haven't recorded, and some of them I haven't played live."

There also are some other new wrinkles on Simpatico. For instance, on "Piccolo Blues," Roditi plays an instrument that is relatively new to him and quite uncommon in jazz, the tiny piccolo trumpet. "It's about a year and a half that I've been fooling around with the piccolo trumpet," he notes. "It's a hard instrument to get a nice sound on, but little by little I've been learning and playing it more and more. I wrote this song in a comfortable range for the piccolo trumpet, and it's my 'introduction.' In other words, I was introducing myself to the instrument with this song."

And while most of the tracks on Simpatico find him in quintet settings, Roditi revisits "Slow Fire," a tune he first recorded back in 1989, but this time with a lush orchestral backing created by Kuno Schmid. "He is a phenomenal arranger and he created a different feeling for this song, which put us is a new direction. And Duduka is playing very, very differently on the drums than on the original recording." Of course, Roditi is referring to Duduka Da Fonseca, his fellow Brazilian and drummer of choice for more than two decades.

Brazilian pianist Helio Alves, another frequent Roditi colleague who has appeared on a number of the trumpeter's previous recordings, notably Brazilliance X 4, demonstrates once again that he is equally at home with both Brazilian and straight-ahead jazz genres. John Lee is another longtime collaborator and the reason Roditi has used the electric bass on so many of his projects, including Simpatico. "It's not about the electric bass," he explains. "It's about John Lee. It so happens that he plays electric bass. We've been associated since our days with Dizzy Gillespie's United Nation Orchestra and I like the way he plays the music, period. So the fact that he chooses to play electric bass is, to me, irrelevant."

On three tracks, Roditi is joined by the brilliant, up-and-coming trombonist Michael Dease. "This is the first time that he has recorded with me. Mike plays beautifully on all three songs, but his solo on 'Blues for Ronni' is especially great. He's a very talented musician" The other quintet tunes feature guitarist Romero Lubambo, who, along with Duduka Da Fonseca, is one third of the superb Brazilian combo, Trio Da Paz, "It's the first time that I've used Romero on an album. He's one of the masters of the acoustic guitar. Romero also plays one tune on the electric guitar, 'A Dream for Kristen,' but he gets a completely different sound. It's so warm that it sounds almost like an acoustic guitar."

Claudio Roditi was born on May 28, 1946, in Rio de Janeiro and began his musical studies at the age of five. As a teenager he discovered the music of trumpet giants like Louis Armstrong, Harry James, Dizzy Gillespie, and Miles Davis, thanks to an American uncle's record collection. At twenty he was a finalist in the International Jazz Competition in Vienna, then in 1970 moved to Boston to study at the Berklee School of Music. By 1976 Roditi had arrived on the New York jazz scene, and over the years worked alongside such jazz luminaries as Mario Bauzá, Paquito D'Rivera, Joe Henderson, Herbie Mann, Tito Puente, Charlie Rouse and McCoy Tyner.

In 1989 Roditi became a member of Dizzy Gillespie's United Nation Orchestra, and since then he has toured and recorded with The JazzMasters and The Dizzy Gillespie Alumni All-Star Big Band, Gillespie tribute groups led by musical director Slide Hampton and bassist John Lee. Additionally, Roditi is also a member of the Jimmy Heath Big Band, which recently appeared at the Blue Note-New York.

A gifted musical storyteller with a vast improviser's imagination, Roditi's playing is characterized by its essential lyricism and warmth. "Claudio doesn't even try to be original and he is," Paquito D'Rivera has observed, expressing a widely held opinion within the jazz community "He is such a sincere player. He doesn't play to try to impress anybody, he plays just music. ... I learn a lot from his way of approaching music, the honest way to play the music. The way he plays is so noble."

"I'm grateful to George Klabin and Resonance Records for giving me the opportunity to do a project like this, that I have been 'rehearsing' to do for years, trying to accept my own compositions," Roditi concludes. "I've finally, after so many years, started to realize that I have some good ones and so, for me this is a milestone."

CLAUDIO RODITI - SIMPATICO
Resonance Records HCD-2008 / February 9, 2010

For further information on this and other Resonance Records releases, visit www.ResonanceRecords.org

Resonance Records is a program of the Rising Jazz Stars Foundation,
a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation

For media information contact:

Jordy Freed at DL MEDIA (p) 610-667-0501 (e) jordy@jazzpublicity.com

Don Lucoff at DL MEDIA (p) 610-667-0501 (e) don@jazzpublicity.com

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Rogue Honors Portland Jazz Festival's Bill Royston With Release Of Jazz Guy Ale

Rogue Honors Portland Jazz Festival's Bill Royston With Release Of Seventh Limited Edition Jazz Guy Ale

Since 2004 the Portland Jazz Festival has brought world class jazz to the Rose City, showcasing iconic jazz performers from across the world. From February 21st-28th, the Portland Jazz Festival will fill up venues throughout Portland providing more than 20,000 people with more than 75 unique jazz events.

In honor of the Seventh Annual Portland Jazz Festival, Rogue Ales has released its seventh limited edition bottle of Jazz Guy Ale which previously featured artistic renditions of jazz performers including a pianist, guitarist, bass player, saxophonist and trumpet player. This year however, Rogue decided that the Jazz Guy Alebottle will celebrate a living Rogue and Portland's own jazz guy, Bill Royston.

A long time friend of Rogue, Royston co-founded the Portland Jazz Festival and has been the driving force behind Portland's jazz scene for 14 years. In both 2007 and 2008 he was nominated as Jazz Producer of the year by the Jazz Journalists Association.

Six time world-champion Jazz Guy Ale is available on draft and in limited edition 22 oz. serigraphed bottles starting Feb. 1st at all Rogue pubs, Portland Jazz Festival venues and select retailers throughout Portland.

As part of the festival, Rogue will host three nights of jazz at the Rogue Distillery & Public House: Devin Phillips on February 25th, Trio Subtonic on February 26th and Go By Train on February 27th. All Rogue shows start at 9:00pm.

Rogue Jazz Guy ale is made with 11 ingredients: Harrington and Klages, Cara Vienna, English 115 & 135 Crystal and Rogue Micro Barley Farm Dare Malts; Cascade and Kent Golding and Rogue Micro Hopyard Willamette Hops; Rogue's proprietary Pacman Ale Yeast & Free Range Coastal Waters. It is tawny in color with a coffee aroma, tight head and a delicate roasted malt accent.

Celebrating 4 decades and 2 centuries, Rogue ales is an Artisan Varietal Brewery founded in Oregon in 1988, as one of America's first 50 microbreweries. Rogue has 650+ awards for taste and quality and is available nationally and in 26 countries.

For tickets, venues, and schedules on the Portland Jazz Festival, please visit:www.pdxjazz.com or call (503) 228-JAZZ.

For more information, please contact:

Portland regional PR contact:
Spencer Crandall, 503-228-5299, scrandall@pdxjazz.com

National PR contact:
Don Lucoff, DL Media, 610-667-0501, dlucoff@pdxjazz.com

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JACKIE RYAN TO RELEASE "BEST OF LOVE SONGS"

Jackie Ryan to Release A Valentine's Day Treat:
Best of Love Songs

Chart-topping Vocalist's 2009 CD DOOZY Held the #1 Status for 7 Weeks
3rd Most Played CD on Jazz Radio Nationwide

#3 on JazzWeek's "Top 100 CDs of The Year"

100% of this CD's 2010 profits go to Oxfam for ongoing
HAITI RELIEF FUND

"SWEEPING VOCAL POWERS...Jackie Ryan's chemistry of passion is truly sensational."
- John Fordham, The London Guardian

JACKIE RYAN E-Card

Make every day Valentine's Day with "one of the outstanding vocalists of her generation and, quite possibly, of all time" (JazzTimes). Featured on NPR, Voice of America, CNN TV enEspañol, and Primetime A&E, "Jackie [Ryan] bridges gaps between both geography and generations" (Billboard). On Best of Love Songs, Jackie Ryan delivers 15 songs you can both fall in love with, and fall in love to.

Whether you are in the mood for a sensuous Brazilian love song, or a passionate Spanish bolero, a rarely performed jazz gem or a sizzling classic, these songs will keep the home fires burning. Legendary two-time Grammy-Award nominees Ernie Watts and Red Holloway ignite the sessions, backed by Jon Mayer, Tamir Hendelman, Larry Vuckovich, Jeff Hamilton,Jeff Chambers and a host of others.

Jackie turns up the heat on this journey through the full range of romantic feelings - from the opening flirtations of "You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To" to the sensuous burning desires of "Make It Last." From the amorous musings of "This Heart Of Mine" to the final tender sweet reflections of "While We're Young," all the bases of love are touched - with stunning arrangements and stellar accompaniment by some of the world's finest jazz musicians.

Selected from three recordings released from 2002 to 2006, this collection reflects the breadth of this artist's myriad of musical talent. Classic romantic ballads like Harry Warren's "Serenade In Blue," and Ray Noble's "The Very Thought Of You," a swinging guitar rendition of Oscar Hammerstein's "When I Grow Too Old To Dream," and a poignant harp arrangement of Johnny Mandel and David Frishberg's "You Are There," illustrate the depth of Jackie's art. This collection of songs is rounded out further by two original compositions with Jackie's own insightful lyrics, "Once In Everyone's Life" and "Seasons of the Heart."

John Ballard, president of the OpenArt label and writer of three books on Third World social issues, will be donating 100% of the CD's 2010 profits to Oxfam's ongoing Haiti Relief Fund.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Legendary Sax and Trumpet greats ignite these sessions: Ernie Watts on "Make It Last," Red Holloway on "Let There Be Love" and "You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To," and Allen Smith on an upbeat take of the rarely performed "Now Or Never," penned by Billie Holiday.

• Two New Songs with Jackie's Original Lyrics: "Seasons of The Heart" and "Once In Everyone's Life."

• Three Latin Jazz Songs - in Portuguese and in Spanish, Reflecting the Heart of Jackie's Latin Heritage: "Luiza," "Bésame Mucho," and "Historia De Un Amor."

Jackie Ryan's 2009 release, DOOZY, was the #1 CD nationwide on JazzWeek's Industry-standard chart - for 7 weeks (a record exceeded by only one other vocal CD in the chart's entire history). Featuring guest artists Cyrus Chestnut, Eric Alexander, Jeremy Pelt, Romero Lubambo and others, DOOZY was the 3rd most played jazz CD on radio for the entire year, finished at #3 on JazzWeek's Top 100 CDs of 2009, received four-star reviews from bothDownBeat and All Music Guide, and sat atop many critics' end of year lists. Jackie was one of 5 vocalists voted by critics to make JazzTimes' "Top 50 CDs of the Year."

Over the years, Jackie has gained a reputation as a "musician's singer." She has performed, recorded, or toured with: Clark Terry, Toots Thielemans, Barry Harris, Cyrus Chestnut, Terry Gibbs, Buddy DeFranco, Red Holloway, Eric Alexander, Jeremy Pelt, Ernie Watts, Benny Green, Tamir Hendelman, Jeff Hamilton, Amina Figarova, Mike Wofford, Jon Mayer, Larry Vuckovich, and Jon Hendricks.


BEST OF LOVE SONGS PERSONNEL

Vocals: Jackie Ryan
Sax: Ernie Watts, Red Holloway, Noel Jewkes
Piano: Jon Mayer, Tamir Hendelman, Larry Vuckovich, Leonard Thompson
Drums: Jeff Hamilton, Roy McCurdy, Omar Clay, Eddie Marshall
Percussion: Luis Romero
Trumpet: Allen Smith
Bass: Christoph Luty, Jeff Chambers, Darek Oles, John Wiitala
Guitar: Barry Zweig, Larry Koonse
Harp: Carol Robbins

TRACK LIST

01. When I Grow Too Old To Dream
02. You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To
03. While We're Young
04. Make It Last
05. Let There Be Love
06. Luiza
07. This Heart Of Mine
08. Once In Everyone's Life
09. Bésame Mucho
10. Seasons Of The Heart
11. Serenade In Blue
12. Now Or Never
13. Historia De Un Amor
14. The Very Thought Of You
15. You Are There

For more information, visit http://www.jackieryan.com

For press information, please contact:
Steph Brown at DL Media; (p) 610.667.0501 (e) steph@jazzpublicity.com

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52nd Annual Grammy Awards: DL Media Clients Receive Three Grammy Awards in Three Categories From NARAS Voting Members

Press Release

52nd Annual Grammy Awards: DL Media Clients Receive Three Grammy Awards in Three Categories From NARAS Voting Members Best Jazz Instrumental Album, Individual Or Group Five Peace Band - Live Chick Corea & John McLaughlin Five Peace Band [Concord Records] Best Improvised Jazz Solo Dancin' 4 Chicken Terence Blanchard, soloist Track from: Watts (Jeff "Tain" Watts) [Dark Key Music] Best Instrumental Arrangement West Side Story Medley Bill Cunliffe, arranger (Resonance Big Band) Track from: Resonance Big Band Plays Tribute To Oscar Peterson [Resonance Records] Additionally, DL Media would like to acknowledge three former clients who were awarded Grammy's: Best Contemporary Jazz Album 75 Joe Zawinul & The Zawinul Syndicate [Heads Up International] Best Latin Jazz Album Juntos Para Siempre Bebo Valdés And Chucho Valdés [Sony Music/Calle 54] Best Jazz Vocal Album Dedicated To You: Kurt Elling Sings The Music Of Coltrane And Hartman Kurt Elling [Concord Jazz] For more information contact: Don Lucoff / don@jazzpublicity.com or 610.667.0501 ###