Acclaimed Guitarist Kurt Rosenwinkel & His Trio Set to Release "Reflections" on October 27

Acclaimed Guitarist Kurt Rosenwinkel Gets Intimate With "Standards Trio: Reflections" On The Wommusic Label Trio session with bassist Eric Revis and drummer Eric Harland set for release October 27 "There's this kind of fluidity and architecture in the lines that he plays that I don't think I've heard anybody else do. There's a mystery in it to me. It's not obviously derived from some other player. He's really developed his own language with the musical information and physically the way he's playing the instrument." - Bill Frisell "Kurt Rosenwinkel is rightfully most celebrated for being a 21-century innovator of new music," begins the liner notes by Ethan Iverson for Ros enwinkel's latest album (his eighth as leader) titled, "Standards Trio: Reflections". "This album of standards offers a clear view of Kurt as a jazz guru." A onetime sideman in Gary Burton & Joe Henderson's bands, Rosenwinkel has released a string of some of the most potent and original recordings of the last decade. On "Standards Trio: Reflections," the highly anticipated followup to 2007's dynamic The Remedy: Live at the Village Vanguard, he delves into the harmonic fabric of several beautiful standards in an intimate trio setting, accompanied by bassist Eric Revis (a longtime member of the Branford Marsalis Quartet) and drummer Eric Harland (a member of the Charles Lloyd Quartet and the SFJAZZ Collective). Whereas Kurt Rosenwinkel's previous album The Remedy - Live At The Village Vanguardcaught Kurt with his quintet in a high-wired set of extended solos on original compositions, on "Reflections" he luxuriates in an almost-all-ballads program. From relaxed renditions of Wayne Shorter's "Ana Maria" and "Fall," to elegant interpretations of Thelonious Monk's "Ask Me Now" and "Reflections" to gorgeous readings of standards like "More Than You'll Know," "You've Changed" and "You Go To My Head," Rosenwinkel embraces these timeless melodies with rare nuance and soul. He includes one original in the collection, a stirring remake of the title track from his 1996 debut as a leader "East Coast Love Affair" (the whole album of which has just been transcribed into book form and released by Mel Bay) a song of which Iverson states: "Kurt has been playing this as long as I've been listening to him. At this point it almost qualifies as a standard." "I wanted to have a very intimate and acoustic sound on this record," says the Philadelphia native who currently resides in Berlin. "And I wanted to sort of go back to my Philly roots in terms of getting into the blues in my playing, because I often don't bring that out at all. But I've just been feeling that side of things lately and I wanted to play in that way on this project." In some ways, this outing is a return to 1998's Intuit, a collection of standards in a quartet setting. But more than ten years down the road, Rosenwinkel's sound is warmer, fuller and his approach to the instrument more refined. While that earlier standards project included such cha llenging, chops-busting burners as Charlie Parker's "Sippin' at Bells" and George Shearing's "Conception," this time out the emphasis is almost exclusively on ballads. And working without a piano in the group is a bit like a high wire act working without a net. "My first record, East Coast Love Affair, was also a trio standards recording," he says, "but I feel like I have more to say as an artist in that context. And as a guitarist I just wanted to explore that open, beautiful space again." While East Coast Love Affair was recorded for the small independent label out of Spain, Fresh Sound New Talent, and Intuit was released on the Dutch label Criss Cross, Rosenwinkel's first widespread recognition Stateside came with the release of The Enemies of Energy, his 2000 Verve Records debut. He followed that with 2001's acclaimed The Next Step, which further developed the songcraft and unique harmonic language he was developing with tenor saxophonist and kindred spirit Mark Turner. 2003's adventurous Heartcore, which combined elements of jazz, electronica, hip-hop and ambient music, was co-produced by rapper Q-Tip from the pioneering alternative hip-hop trio A Tribe Called Quest. And on 2005's Deep Song, Rosenwinkel joined forces with like-minded colleagues Brad Mehldau, Joshua Redman, Larry Grenadier, Ali Jackson and Jeff Ballard. 2007's The Remedy captured the guitarist's working quintet (saxophonist Turner, pianist Aaron Goldberg, bassist Joe Martin and drummer Harland) during a week-long engagement at New York's fabled jazz club, the Village Vanguard. After the pyrotechnics of that invigorating live outing, "Reflections" is like a cleansing breath for Rosenwinkel. Perhaps Rosenwinkel's most refined and engaging project to date, "Reflections" reveals a warmer side to this gifted, multi-directional musician. Tour Dates: - September 29-October 4: The Village Vanguard, New York, NY - October 6: Blues Alley, Washington, DC - October 7: Iron Horse Music Hall, Northampton, MA - October 8-9: Regattabar, Cambridge, MA - October 10: L'Astral, Montréal, QC - October 14: Nighttown, Cleveland Heights, OH - October 15-18: Jazz Showcase, Chicago, IL - October 22-23: Dazzle Restaurant & Lounge, Denver, CO "Kurt Rosenwinkel is re-defining the mainstream" - Jon Garelick, Boston Phoenix "There [is] a streak of otherworldliness in his playing, but also a sense of deep familiarity." - Nate Chinen, The New York Times "Rosenwinkel's music represents the sound of the future-just as bebop once did." - Howard Reich, Chicago Tribune For more information, contact: Don Lucoff at DL MEDIA (p) 610-667-0501 (e) don@jazzpublicity.com ###

Pianist Danilo Pérez Signs with Mack Avenue Records

Pianist Danilo Pérez Signs with Mack Avenue Records

Returns to Perform at the 2009 Detroit International Jazz Festival

Mack Avenue Records is proud to announce the signing of Grammy winning pianist Danilo Pérez. The signing was made official at the 2009 Detroit International Jazz Festival, where Pérez returned to active performing with the Wayne Shorter Quartet after a three month layoff due to a torn achilles injury.

An extraordinary Panamanian artist, composer and educator, Pérez is among the most influential and dynamic musicians of our time. In just over a decade, his distinctive blend of Pan-American jazz (covering the music of the Americas, folkloric and world music) has attracted critical acclaim and loyal audiences.

"It has been a long journey full of unexpected twists up to now and I am looking forward to the next chapter of my life," Pérez says.

On his return to the stage at this year's festival, Pérez reflects "I miss these guys so much; Wayne, Brian and John. They are such a big part of my life. I am looking forward to travel to more unknown places with them."

"Danilo is an artist of uncompromising artistry," says Mack Avenue Records President Denny Stilwell. "We are pleased to have him as a member of the Mack Avenue family and look forward to an album that will mark a new beginning in his expansive career."

Pérez has recorded and performed with the likes of Wayne Shorter, Steve Lacy, Roy Haynes, Jack DeJohnette, Charlie Haden, Michael Brecker, Joe Lovano, Tito Puente, and Wynton Marsalis, among others.

He plans to release his debut Mack Avenue Records album in 2010.

The Mack Avenue Records team welcomes Danilo Pérez at the 2009 Detroit International Jazz Festival. (L-R): Al Pryor, Gretchen Valade, Danilo Pérez, Tom Robinson, Denny Stilwell, and Randall Kennedy.

Danilo Pérez (L) pictured with fellow Mack Avenue Records artist, alto saxophonist Tia Fuller (R).

For media information on Mack Avenue Records, please contact:

DL Media · 610-667-0501
Don Lucoff · don@jazzpublicity.com

MACK AVENUE · the road to great music · www.mackavenue.com
19900 Harper Avenue, Harper Woods, MI 48225 · 313-640-8414 · 313-640-8415 fax

PRESTIGE RECORDS RELEASES "SIDE STEPS," A 5-CD BOXED SET OF JOHN COLTRANE’S PRESTIGE RECORDINGS AS A SIDEMAN TO A HOST OF JAZZ LUMINARIES

PRESTIGE RECORDS RELEASES "SIDE STEPS,"
A 5-CD BOXED SET OF JOHN COLTRANE'S PRESTIGE RECORDINGS
AS A SIDEMAN TO A HOST OF JAZZ LUMINARIES

The artistic prowess of saxophonist John Coltrane was so expansive and influential - even in his own short lifetime, let alone in the decades since his death - that it's difficult to quantify or differentiate his significance as a leader, a collaborator, a sideman or any other role in the jazz idiom. What's certain, though, is that some of his most pivotal session work took place on the Prestige label in the 1950s.

Over the past three years, Prestige Records has released boxed sets of Coltrane's numerous sessions from the mid- to late '50s, each spotlighting a specific dimension of his tenure with the label. Fearless Leader - released in September 2006, in celebration of Coltrane's 80th birthday - showcases his recordings as a bandleader. Interplay, released in September 2007, contains Coltrane's early collaborative recordings with a variety of stellar musicians from the same era.

"Side Steps" is the third and final set in this series, scheduled for release on October 6, 2009. The 5-CD set captures Coltrane in a supporting role, as a sideman to leaders like Sonny Rollins, Gene Ammons, Red Garland, Tadd Dameron and others. The collection of 43 tracks represents the entirety of Coltrane's session work as a Prestige sideman, from mid-1956 to early 1958, with the exception of his work with Miles Davis (which is featured in "The Miles Davis Quintet: Legendary Prestige Quintet Sessions," released in 2006).

"It is easy to measure Coltrane's musical growth through his recordings with Miles, and as a leader, while at Prestige," says jazz historian Ashley Kahn in his extensive liner notes for the "Side Steps" collection. "But it is especially revealing to gauge his progress through impromptu studio sessions with a wider variety of musicians and music. They tested his increasing abilities, and allowed him to apply the techniques and confidence gained from Miles's tight-lipped tutelage (and his later apprenticeship with Thelonious Monk). They also introduced his name to an expanding community of fans and fellow musicians, and permitted him entry into the rank and file of jazz players, many of whom were destined to become leaders and help shape the future of the music."

In short, Prestige was the place where Coltrane cut his teeth, according to Nick Phillips, co-producer of the boxed set. "This is where he was really gaining his experience," says Phillips, who is Vice President of Jazz and Catalog A&R for Concord Music Group, Prestige's parent company. "You can hear him developing his individual voice in these recordings, already sounding like no one else but John Coltrane, yet not having fully developed into the John Coltrane who would become one of the most important and influential artists in the history of jazz."

On Disc one, Coltrane joins two other up-and-coming horn players of the day - trumpeter Donald Byrd and saxophonist Hank Mobley - in a session recorded in May 1957 and led by pianist Elmo Hope. "Weeja" and "On It" are both Hope originals, the former a bebop number and the latter a blues tune that includes Coltrane and Mobley trading lines. Coltrane delivers a breathy solo on "Polka Dots and Moonbeams," and even makes a few minor technical fumbles on a rendition of Al Jolson's "Avalon." The tracks were initially part of a release entitled Informal Jazz and credited to the Elmo Hope Sextet, and were later included on an album called Two Tenors.

The first disc also features six tracks recorded six months earlier - late November 1956 - with Tadd Dameron for Mating Call, an album released the following year. Coltrane joins bassist John Simmons and drummer Philly Joe Jones behind Dameron in the making of an album that was the first to feature Coltrane's name on the cover. The original liner notes by Ira Gitler include the following prophetic analysis: "Trane is a searcher who is not afraid to essay new combinations of notes when performing publicly...he does not play by rote. As they say in theatre, 'He reacts.'"

Disc two leads off with "Tenor Madness," a track from a May 1956 session that included Coltrane alongside leader Sonny Rollins, with Red Garland on piano, Paul Chambers on bass, and Jones on drums. The 12-minute track "captures the much-celebrated, spontaneous studio encounter of the two jazzmen most responsible for shaping the modern sound of the tenor saxophone," says Kahn. "That Coltrane and Sonny Rollins recorded together but once - and only on one track - endows this extended jam with historical weight."

The second disc also includes five tracks from a session in April 1957, just a few days before Coltrane took a week to detoxify and kick his narcotic habit, followed immediately by three more tracks recorded about a month later. "The improvement in Coltrane's performance on all three tunes is palpable," says Kahn. "More assured, with a marked clarity in his ideas."

Discs three and four include 15 tracks from two sessions recorded in late 1957 - the first in mid-November and the second in mid-December. The lineup is consistent throughout both discs: Garland as leader, Coltrane, trumpeter Donald Byrd, bassist George Joyner, and drummer Art Taylor. "By late '57, Coltrane's sound was becoming a revelation," says Kahn. "With Monk's guidance under his belt, he began to enter his so-called 'sheets of sound' phase, tackling changes, playing long flurries of notes, and stacking chords with unbridled passion." On some of the slower tunes that spoke of romance or loneliness, Coltrane's phrasing and tone show early signs of the haunted feel that would later infuse ballads like "Naima."

Disc five captures Coltrane's last two sessions as a sideman for Prestige - one in December 1957 and the other in the early days of January 1958. By this time, Coltrane is clearly coming into his own, as evidenced in the final track from the January date, an unhurried rendition of Rodgers and Hammerstein's "It Might As Well Be Spring." Coltrane joins tenor saxophonist Gene Ammons as leader, backed by the rhythm section of pianist Mal Waldron and Joyner and Taylor on bass and drums, respectively. "With the tempo nice and slow," says Kahn, "it's easy to see who is following in the path of the saxophone masters who came before, and who has begun to forge his own way forward."

In addition to Kahn's own extensive commentary, the beautifully packaged Side Steps includes a transcript of an interview that Kahn conducted with Prestige founder Bob Weinstock.

"Other than Miles, is there a modern jazz star shining as brightly today as John Coltrane?" says Kahn. "His sound and stature have come to eclipse so many who also deserve lasting applause. It says much of his continuing appeal - and the way we hang onto our heroes - that some of the music included in this collection was later reissued with Coltrane as the titular leader. Among its intentions, "Side Steps" is meant as an acknowledgment that greatness can begin, and abide, in a supporting role."

For more information on "Side Steps," please contact:

Don Lucoff/ DL Media
don@jazzpublicity.com 610.667.0501
www.jazzpublicity.com

Julie Murray Porter / Concord Records:
Julie.Porter@concordmusicgroup.com
310.385.4234
www.concordmusicgroup.com

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CONCORD MUSIC GROUP PRESENTS ITS 13th EDITION OF CLASSIC PRESTIGE RECORDS RVG REMASTERS ON SEPTEMBER 8th

CONCORD MUSIC GROUP PRESENTS
ITS 13th EDITION OF CLASSIC PRESTIGE RECORDS RVG REMASTERS
ON SEPTEMBER 8th

TITLES INCLUDE REMASTERED CDS
BY LEGENDARY ENGINEER RUDY VAN GELDER:
THELONIOUS MONK QUINTET: MONK (1953)
SONNY ROLLINS WITH THELONIOUS MONK AND KENNY DORHAM: MOVING OUT (1954)
RED GARLAND QUINTET WITH JOHN COLTRANE: DIG IT! (1957)

On September 8th, the Concord Music Group will release the next installment of the popular Rudy Van Gelder Remasters Series of classic Prestige albums. This 13th edition of the RVG series includes three more classics that engineer Rudy Van Gelder originally recorded in the 1950s and recently upgraded to 21st century standards of digital audio. The new remasters bring the total number of releases in the series to more than 60.

Originally recorded under the supervision of Prestige owner and founder Bob Weinstock, each of the three remasters is a fascinating slice of jazz history - a vivid portrait of ambitious and innovative young artists in their formative years, all of whom have since become iconic figures in the annals of American jazz:

Sonny Rollins with Thelonious Monk and Kenny Dorham: Moving Out

Thelonious Monk Quintet: Monk

Red Garland Quintet with John Coltrane: Dig It!

As with the previous recordings in the series - first launched in March 2006 - Van Gelder breathes new life into his original vision by meticulously transferring these albums from the analog master tapes from the Prestige vault to digital at 24-bit resolution.

"Given that Rudy was the original recording engineer on these projects, there's something that he brings to these remasters that no one else possibly could," says Nick Phillips, Vice President of Jazz and Catalog A&R. "He was the person who was documenting these great sessions on tape at the time. He remembers the performances, the interplay, the spontaneous actions and reactions among the artists on hand."

Each RVG series album includes both new and original liner notes - in this case by the same authors - and sells at the midline price of $11.98.

Thelonious Monk Quintet: Monk (1953)

From the new liner notes: "Monk was marvelously magical on and off the stand. He continues to have an effect on musicians of all generations through his compositions and recordings. When his friend and patron Baroness Nica de Koenigswarter asked me to deliver the eulogy at his funeral in 1982, she sent me a passage from Milan Kundera's The Book of Laughter and Forgetting. Where the name Beethoven appeared she had substituted Monk. It worked perfectly and I incorporated the excerpt in my text." (Ira Gitler)

Personnel: Thelonious Monk, piano; Frank Foster (#1-4), Sonny Rollins (#5-7), tenor saxophones; Ray Copeland, trumpet (#1-4); Julius Watkins, French horn (#5-7); Curly Russell (#1-4), Percy Heath (#5-7), bass; Art Blakey (#1-4), Willie Jones (#5-7), drums.

Sonny Rollins with Thelonious Monk and Kenny Dorham: Moving Out (1954)

From the new liner notes: "This is one of Sonny's classic ballad performances, summoned from deep inside within the aura of one of his early and major mentors. It is one of many milestones worth revisiting in a career that really began to soar when he returned to New York in late 1955 as a member of the Max Roach/Clifford Brown Quintet following a year of personal rebirth in Chicago. There have been many artistic triumphs since that time in his ascent to universally recognized greatness. This CD is one of many stops along the way that reward both the new listener and the revisitor." (Ira Gitler)

Personnel: Sonny Rollins, tenor saxophone; Kenny Dorham, trumpet; Elmo Hope, piano; Percy Heath, bass; Art Blakey, drums. (On "More Than You Know" only: Sonny Rollins, tenor saxophone; Thelonious Monk, piano; Tommy Potter, bass; Arthur Taylor, drums.)

Red Garland Quintet with John Coltrane: Dig It! (1957)

From the new liner notes: "It would seem that openness to the vulnerability that comes with spontaneity was the essence of Bob Weinstock's philosophy of recording. In one sense, the very act of recording would seem to be the exact opposite of the core premise of jazz-that is, in and of the moment, and therefore unrepeatable. To capture that moment and make it permanent, as a photograph does through mechanical means, would seem to be the elusive thing that Bob Weinstock did with such regularity that, as you can hear by listening to this music, the artists made it look, and sound, easy." (Joe Goldberg)

Personnel: Red Garland, piano; John Coltrane, tenor saxophone (#1, 3, 4); Donald Byrd, trumpet (#1, 4); George Joyner (#1, 3, 4), Paul Chambers (#2), bass; Arthur Taylor, drums.

For more information onthe 13th Edition of Classic
Prestige Records RVG Remasters, please contact:

Don Lucoff/ DL Media
don@jazzpublicity.com 610.667.0501
www.jazzpublicity.com

Julie Murray Porter / Concord Records:
Julie.Porter@concordmusicgroup.com
310.385.4234
www.concordmusicgroup.com

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Marian McPartland & Friends To Perform at Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola on September 15

MARIAN McPARTLAND & FRIENDS
Live at Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola
Jazz at Lincoln Center
Sept. 15, 2009
7:30 & 9:30
$30 / special select student seating $15 with student ID

MARIAN McPARTLAND - piano
GARY MAZZAROPPI - bass
GLENN DAVIS - drums
With some very special guests

When Marian McPartland last played the venerable jazz venue, Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola, it was in celebration of 30 years of her renowned NPR radio program, Marian McPartland's Piano Jazz. The club was packed, as it always is for Marian's appearances here, and the lucky audience was treated to a splendid night of some of the biggest names in music playing tribute to "The Grande Dame of Jazz" and her influential and acclaimed broadcast. So many players have tuned in week after week to hear their peers or peers-to-be, thrilling to Marian's nearly 70 years of anecdotes and her encyclopedic knowledge of the classic jazz songbook. They've heard her gracefully and exuberantly perform duets with over 500 of the music world's most accomplished players as she make listeners and guests alike feel as if they were in her living room gathered around the piano.

For those of you who missed out on Marian's sold-out show this past spring, Jazz at Lincoln Center brings you another chance to hear this jazz legend alongside some of her stellar friends and colleagues. She'll perform with her longtime Piano Jazz trio mates, Gary Mazzaroppi on bass and Glenn Davis on drums. Also on hand will be a handful of some of her favorite performers to help fill the room with a joyous sound. Vocalist Karrin Allyson has been a frequent guest on Piano Jazz and a long-time friend of Marian's. Pianist John Bunch will join Marian in a piano duet revisiting his moments on the radio with her. Additionally, pianists Jon Webber and Helen Sung, as well as trumpeter Nicholas Payton will perform. Other special guest artists to be announced shortly.

Don't miss this sublime evening of the jazz history, in story and song.

For ticket info, please visit http://www.jalc.org/dccc

Visit the Piano Jazz homepage and listen to the entire 90th birthday show as well as select archival Piano Jazz programs: www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=24&agg=1

Marian McPartland is a Concord Records artist: www.concordmusicgroup.com/artists/Marian-McPartland/

The Peabody Award winning Marian McPartland's Piano Jazz is produced by SCETV and is NPR's longest running jazz program.

For more information, contact:

Don Lucoff/DL Media: don@jazzpublicity.com / 610.667.0501
124 N Highland Ave., Bala Cynwyd, PA 19004
www.jazzpublicity.com


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PIANIST JOHN BEASLEY TO PERFORM AT CATALINA'S ON OCTOBER 1 THROUGH 3 IN SUPPORT OF "POSITOOTLY"

CD LAUNCH CONCERTS John Beasley Circle featuring Nicholas Payton, Terri Lyne Carrington, and Victor Bailey Catalina Jazz Club - October 1, 2, and 3 Playing music from Beasley's NEW Resonance Records Release "Positootly!" "To my ears, he's absolutely one of the best of his generation" - Bennie Maupin Resonance Records is proud to announce performance dates for the John Beasley Circle at Catalina Jazz Club on October 1, 2, and 3 in support of the CD launch of Positootly! Beasley assembles an all-star band: trumpeter Nicholas Payton, drummer Terri Lyne Carrington, and bassist Victor Bailey. Veteran pianist-composer-arranger Beasley gained invaluable bandstand experience on the road with such revered jazz elders as Freddie Hubbard and Miles Davis while also recording with Christian McBride, John Patittucci, and Dianne Reeves along with serving as musical director for Queen Latifah, Steely Dan, and Miles From India. In recent years, Beasley has made impressive strides as a bandleader in his own right. On "Positootly!", his eagerly anticipated follow-up to 2008's acclaimed "Letter to Herbie" (Beasley's impressionistic take on the music of Herbie Hancock), the Louisiana native showcases original, propulsive, and multi-layered compositions along with a few choice covers. Joining Beasley on his second outing for Resonance Records are drummer Jeff "Tain" Watts, bassist James Genus, percussionist Munyungo Jackson, Grammy-winning trumpeter Brian Lynch and saxophonist Bennie Maupin (a charter member of Hancock's Mwandishi Sextet and Headhunters). Grammy winner, Nicholas Payton, is a significant top-tier voice in jazz and rightly so due to his own recordings and playing with the likes of Marcus Roberts, Elvin Jones, Wynton Marsalis, Dr. Michael White, Joshua Redman, Roy Hargrove, Doc Cheatham and Joe Henderson. Drummer Terri Lyne Carrington has played with jazz legends Dizzy Gillespie, Stan Getz, Clark Terry, Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Joe Sample, Al Jarreau, and many more. In 2007 she was appointed professor at her alma mater, Berklee College of Music, which is also where she received an honorary doctorate in 2003. Victor Bailey joined the innovative jazz fusion super improvisational and compositional band Weather Report in the 1980s. He went on to play on over one thousand records of every known genre and toured and recorded with artists as diverse as Sonny Rollins, Mary J. Blige Hugh Masakela, LL Cool J, and Madonna. John Beasley Circle at Catalina Jazz Club Thursday-Saturday, October 1-3 Sets at 8pm & 10pm John Beasley, piano Nicholas Payton, trumpet Terri Lyne Carrington, drums Victor Bailey, bass Catalina Jazz Club 6725 West Sunset Blvd, CA. 90028 (323) 466-2210 www.catalinajazzclub.com JOHN BEASLEY - "POSITOOTLY!" Resonance Records RCD-1013 / Release Date: September 8, 2009 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: DL MEDIA WEST Brad Riesau: 909-744-0704, brad@jazzpublicity.com Don Lucoff: 610-667-0501, don@jazzpublicity.com ###

"THE DEFINITIVE VINCE GUARALDI COLLECTION" SET FOR OCTOBER 6 RELEASE ON CONCORD MUSIC GROUP

CONCORD MUSIC GROUP SHOWCASES THE WORK OF
PIANIST VINCE GUARALDI IN AN EXPANSIVE 2-CD SET

THE DEFINITIVE VINCE GUARALDI CAPTURES THE HIGHLIGHTS FROM HIS FANTASY RECORDINGS,
FROM HIS TRIO SESSIONS IN THE MID-1950s
TO HIS MUSIC FOR PEANUTS IN THE '60s

COLLECTION TO BE RELEASED OCTOBER 6, 2009

A vast number of Americans got their first taste of jazz pretty much by accident. It probably happened sometime around the Christmas season, when they were still very young. Chances are, they can thank Vince Guaraldi for the introduction.

To the casual jazz fan, the name Vince Guaraldi is practically synonymous with the numerous animated television specials based on cartoonist Charles Schulz's Peanuts characters - the first and most notable being A Charlie Brown Christmas, which made its network television debut in December 1965 and has become a holiday classic in the four decades since, thanks in large part to the whimsical and evocative piano music that underscores the story.

But Guaraldi's own musical story began more than a decade before his affiliation with Charlie Brown, Linus, Lucy, etc. Originally a sideman for vibraphonist Cal Tjader in the early '50s and clarinetist Woody Herman a few years later, Guaraldi formed his own trio in 1955 and spent the remainder of the decade and half of the next making a series of fine recordings on Fantasy, including the pivotal Jazz Impressions of Black Orpheus, the 1962 LP that included the hit single, "Cast Your Fate to the Wind."

The Concord Music Group has gathered the best of this body of work in a 2-CD collection, The Definitive Vince Guaraldi, set for release on October 6, 2009. The collection includes 31 tracks culled from more than a decade of Fantasy recordings from 1955 to 1966. In addition to gathering his best recordings in a single compilation, The Definitive Vince Guaraldi also includes two previously unreleased tracks, "Autumn Leaves" and "Blues for Peanuts," both recorded in 1964.

"These are terrific performances, says Nick Phillips, Concord Music Group's Vice President of Jazz and Catalog A&R and the producer of The Definitive Vince Guaraldi. "You can listen to them and trace the evolution of his piano playing - from when he was first starting out as a leader, through his big radio hit with 'Cast Your Fate to the Wind,' all the way through his fame as the pianist for the Peanuts music. In the end, you realize that Guaraldi was uncompromising in his approach to jazz, and yet at the same time his music was accessible and proved to be commercial. He was Vince Guaraldi through and through."

In addition to two discs full of great music, the set also includes extensive liner notes by jazz journalist Doug Ramsey, who retraces Guaraldi's career with anecdotes and commentary from several of the pianist's contemporaries, including remarks from saxophonist Jerry Dodgion about Guaraldi's perennially sunny and optimistic disposition - a personality trait that came through in his music.

"He always played cheerfully," says Dodgion, "like someone would who first played boogie-woogie when he was a kid. His horn-rimmed glasses would slide down his nose, and he would look at you over the rims. With his funny faces and his eyebrows, he was part Groucho Marx. He had that joyous thing, and he made everybody else feel good too. It was just great. He played that way all the time, and he would happily play all night."

Regardless of the various facets of Guaraldi's overall canon, "this was someone who never compromised his artistic integrity," says Phillips. "While this collection does include a sizable chunk of the Peanuts music - as a definitive Vince Guaraldi collection should - we also wanted to showcase the many other facets of his artistry. There are elements of Brazilian and Latin music throughout the collection, and he did some interesting things conceptually, in terms of how he approached a standard and how he arranged it. People who listen to this collection from beginning to end are likely to hear a Vince Guaraldi they'd never heard before."

TRACK LIST:

Disc 1
Calling Dr. Funk
Fascinating Rhythm
Never Never Land
Fenwyck's Farfel
A Flower Is a Lovesome Thing
Softly, As in a Morning Sunrise
Samba de Orfeu (aka Samba de Orpheus)
Cast Your Fate to the Wind
Manhã de Carnaval
Moon River
Jitterbug Waltz
On Green Dolphin Street
Star Song
The Days of Wine and Roses

Disc 2
Mr. Lucky
Corovado
Work Song
Ginza Samba
The Girl from Ipanema
El Matador
Oh, Good Grief
Linus and Lucy
Charlie Brown Theme
Great Pumpkin Waltz
Thanksgiving Theme
Christmas Is Coming
Christmas Time Is Here (Instrumental)
Skating
Theme to Grace
Autumn Leaves (previously unreleased)
Blues for Peanuts (previously unreleased)

For additional information, please contact:

Don Lucoff at DL Media; (p) 610.667.0501 (e) don@jazzpublicity.com

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