Various Artists - JAZZ IN RIGA, Vol.1

Styles: Jazz
Year: 2023
Time: 101:42
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Size: 233,6 MB
Art: Front

(12:12) 1 Folk Song (Karlis Auzins Trio)
( 8:58) 2 The Concept Of Truth (Karlis Vanags Trio)
( 5:35) 3 The End Is The Beginning (Pauls Pokratnieks Quartet)
( 8:06) 4 Compromise (Liva Dumpe Sextet)
(11:18) 5 The Big Dripper (Alise Golovacka's Orbitrons)
( 6:26) 6 Prayer (M.A.S.A.)
( 6:33) 7 Elvis (Lupa)
( 8:31) 8 Variation 1 (Atis Andersons Organ Trio)
( 7:28) 9 Five Miles High (Mikelis Dzenuska/Uzvaras Bulvaris)
( 7:23) 10 Integration (Vadims Dmitrijevs Quintet)
( 5:48) 11 Medus Bauska (Matiss Cudars Trio)
( 3:46) 12 VI (Vestard Shimkus/Endless Roar)
( 9:31) 13 Hope (Double Yuriy Trio)

In 2017 a boom happened in Latvian and Baltic jazz history with the coming of Jersika Records, an independent jazz and improvised music record label. Since then, the Riga-based label has been delivering top-notch music records each year. Focusing mainly on Latvian musicians and bands with occasionally occurring exceptions such as Estonia-based American trumpeter Jason Hunter or Lithuanian saxophone virtuoso Liudas Mockūnas. Jersika Records has become a warm place for Baltic jazz.

In 2023, Jersika Records released its first various artists' compilation, Live at the M/Darbnīca vol.1: Jazz in Riga: Latvia 2022/2023. Kind of a lengthy title but informative. M/Darbnīca is Riga's famous jazz venue and cultural center where between August 2022 and January 2023 showcases of Latvian jazz musicians and bands took place. That is what this compilation is about. Thirteen acts were recorded for this compilation.

On the album, one catches vibes from post-bop and neo-bop, a blend of spiritual, smooth as well as fusion jazz along with experimental/avant-garde tunes, plus free improvisation and even rearranged folk material. It is all original stuff, played by top Latvian jazz musicians, some of whom team up with their buddies from across the globe, for instance Latvian vocalist and pianist Līva Dumpes' collaboration with Italian guitarist Massimo Imperatore and Amsterdam-based double-bassist Omer Govreen or trombonist Vadims Dmitrijevs' quintet.

The newest compilation opens Latvian jazz and improvised music doors for those who have never ventured into the Baltic region. Live at the M/Darbnīca vol.1 | Jazz in Riga | Latvia 2022/2023 is an eloquent chronicle of the Latvian jazz scene's renaissance. By Vitalijus Gailius
https://www.allaboutjazz.com/live-at-the-m-darbnca-vol1-jazz-in-riga-latvia-2022-2023-various-artists-jersika-records

JAZZ IN RIGA, Vol.1

---

Flamenco Passion - A Tribute to Paco de Lucia

Styles: Contemporary Latin
Year: 2023
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 41:51
Size: 96,1 MB
Art: Front

(6:12) 1. Candela (Feat. Mikkel Nordsø, Bjarke Falgren & Mathias Heise)
(8:01) 2. Navegando En El Aire #2 (Feat. Mikkel Nordsø, Bjarke Falgren & Mathias Heise)
(7:20) 3. Gambas Al Ajillo (Feat. Mikkel Nordsø, Bjarke Falgren & Mathias Heise)
(6:46) 4. Palenque (Feat. Mikkel Nordsø, Bjarke Falgren & Mathias Heise)
(6:38) 5. Camelia (Feat. Mikkel Nordsø, Bjarke Falgren & Mathias Heise)
(6:51) 6. Sale El Sol (Feat. Mikkel Nordsø, Bjarke Falgren & Mathias Heise)

The Danish ensemble Flamenco Passion joins forces with three world-class soloists – the master guitarist Mikkel Nordsø, violinist Bjarke Falgren, and harmonica player Mathias Heise – on their latest album, aptly titled “A Tribute to Paco de Lucia.”

Flamenco Passion is undoubtedly one of Scandinavia’s foremost fusion groups, with guitarist Poul Jacek Knudsen at the helm, accompanied by the talented bassist Nicolai Land and percussionist Anders Pedersen. This remarkable album pays homage to the late flamenco guitar icon, Paco de Lucia, whose influence has resonated deeply with countless flamenco artists and renowned jazz musicians like Chick Corea and George Benson. Within the repertoire presented, you’ll find original Flamenco Passion compositions, a piece by Paco de Lucia himself, and two tracks composed by the exceptional Mikkel Nordsø.

Poul Jacek Knudsen has graced numerous flamenco ensembles, both as a soloist and as an accompanist to vocalists and dancers. He has collaborated with famed Spanish artists such as Lucia Alvarez “La Piñona” and Lakshmi Basile “La Chimi,” as well as his guitar mentor Antonio Jero and the talented singer Juan Murube, who contributes palmas (handclaps) and jaleos (cheerful calls of encouragement) on this extraordinary album.

Mikkel Nordsø, a Danish guitar legend in his own right, not only leads his own band, the Mikkel Nordsø Band but has also had the privilege of playing alongside luminaries such as Palle Mikkelborg, Terri Lyne Carrington, George Duke, David Sanborn, and Lisa Nilsson, among others.

Renowned for his mastery of the violin, Bjarke Falgren is a musical virtuoso. He boasts four Grammy Awards and stands as one of Denmark’s most esteemed and recognized violinists. Throughout his career, Falgren has released 11 albums, contributed to television and theater projects, and collaborated with esteemed musicians like Mads Mathias, Mathias Heise, and Jacob Fischer.

Mathias Heise, hailed as one of the world’s preeminent harmonica players, clinched the title of Chromatic Harmonica World Champion in 2013. His exceptional talent has garnered him prestigious accolades such as The Danish Crown Prince Couple’s Stardust Award and the Ben Webster Prize, where he holds the distinction of being the youngest-ever recipient. Heise has recently had the honor of performing alongside harmonica player Antonio Serrano, who was once part of Paco de Lucia’s renowned ensemble. https://jazzjournal.co.uk/2023/08/28/flamenco-passion-a-tribute-to-paco-de-lucia/

Here’s the lineup for the album: Poul Jacek Knudsen: guitar/handclaps; Mikkel Nordsø: guitar , octave guitar; Bjarke Falgren: violin; Mathias Heise: chromatic harmonica; Nicolai Land: bass; Anders Pedersen: cajón/percussion; Juan Murube: jaleo/handclaps.

A Tribute to Paco de Lucia

---

Tim Ray - Fire & Rain

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2023
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 75:07
Size: 172,7 MB
Art: Front

(4:49) 1. Bye-ya (Feat. John Lockwood & Mark Walker)
(6:13) 2. Stolen Moments (Feat. John Lockwood & Mark Walker)
(5:20) 3. No Worries (Feat. John Lockwood & Mark Walker)
(4:23) 4. The Meeting: The Jbug And The Kman (Feat. John Lockwood & Mark Walker)
(5:43) 5. Mojave (Feat. John Lockwood & Mark Walker)
(5:02) 6. Theodore The Thumper (Feat. John Lockwood & Mark Walker)
(9:09) 7. Fire And Rain (Feat. John Lockwood & Mark Walker)
(4:14) 8. Lawns (Feat. John Lockwood & Mark Walker)
(8:27) 9. Moon In The Sea (Feat. John Lockwood & Mark Walker)
(3:55) 10. Improv #1 (For Chick) (Feat. John Lockwood & Mark Walker)
(7:01) 11. Nighttime (Feat. John Lockwood & Mark Walker)
(5:53) 12. The Windup (Feat. John Lockwood & Mark Walker)
(4:52) 13. Fire And Rain (Radio Edit) (Feat. John Lockwood & Mark Walker)

Veteran educator and jazz pianist Tim Ray pays homage to some of his musical heroes with a piano trio album simply entitled Fire & Rain. It features various well-known standards from those who have been a major influence in his career, along with three original tunes added to the mix. Joining the pianist on this new adventure are familiar band mates, bassist John Lockwood and drummer Mark Walker, originally together for a Greg Abate concert and then for the Abate album Motif (Whaling City Sound, 2014). Since then, the group has performed as sidemen as well as a leading band of their own, gaining a reputation as one of the finest trio groups in the business.

Ray writes that the trio format is "one of the great ensemble innovations of the last century," further concluding that "What makes an ensemble of piano, bass and drums so satisfying is the harmonic space...the rhythmic and coloristic focus...and a sonic balance" infused into the music. Who's to argue? All of those elements seem to work out quite well here, resulting in an impressive and dynamic session of music one will revisit often.

One of Ray's musical influences was the legendary Thelonious Monk who he pays tribute to on the opening hard-swinging Monk piece "Bye-Ya," followed by the band's beautiful treatment of Oliver Nelson's oft-recorded standard "Stolen Moments." Antonio Carlos Jobim, another of Ray's heroes, is covered here with a performance of one of his lesser-known compositions "Mojave," which is one of the outstanding tracks of the set.

Other tribute pieces here include the Carla Bley song "Lawns" (actually a Bley tribute to the late pianist Larry Willis), Keith Jarrett's "The Windup" and Oscar Peterson's "Nighttime." The James Taylor title song "Fire & Rain" enjoys two performances here, with a lengthy nine-minutes plus track, and the final track, a radio edit version of less than five minutes duration.

Each player contributes an original tune to the album, with Ray's "No Worries," Walker's "Moon in the Sea," and Lockwood's "The Meeting: The Jbug and the Kman" rounding out the set. Fire & Rain is an exceptional recording by this trio, and goes a long way to not only affirming Ray's feelings about the trio format but also adding to their well-deserved reputation as one of the most formidable jazz trios around.By Edward Blanco
https://www.allaboutjazz.com/fire-and-rain-tim-ray-trio-whaling-city-sound

Fire & Rain

---

Ron Bosse - Burning Room Only 2.0 (The Afterburners)

Styles: Guitar, Jazz Fusion
Year: 2023
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 23:10
Size: 53,4 MB
Art: Front

(3:42) 1. Bossman (Feat. Randy Brecker, Jeff Lorber & Gary Novak) (The Afterburners)
(4:17) 2. Rumble Strip (Feat. Oz Noy, Jeff Lorber, Jimmy Haslip & Gary Novak) (The Afterburners)
(3:13) 3. Enter The Burn (Feat. Derek Sherinian, Jeff Lorber, Ben Shepherd & Gary Novak) (The Afterburners)
(5:02) 4. Zero-g (Feat. Mike Stern, Bob Mintzer, Ben Shepherd & Gary Novak)
(3:47) 5. Bossman (Feat. Lil' John Roberts, Jeff Lorber, Mononeon & Gary Novak) (The Afterburners V2)
(3:08) 6. Enter The Burn (Feat. Jeff Lorber, Ben Shepherd, Gary Novak & Norwood Pearson)

When jazz fusion guitarist Ron Bosse starts writing music for an album, he keeps writing, winding up with more songs than he can include on the album. That’s what happened with his “Burning Room Only” album that he wrote with Grammy-winning keyboardist and the project’s producer Jeff Lorber, which was issued last November.

The success of the Deep Cat Records album inspired Bosse to release a couple of tunes that were left off the disc that have the same “burning” theme in addition to releasing a few alternate versions of songs from the album featuring prominent and highly esteemed collaborators. By JGT Newsroom
https://jazzguitartoday.com/2023/06/new-release-from-jazz-fusion-guitarist-ron-bosse/

Burning Room Only 2.0 (The Afterburners)

---