Blues & Jazz

Simply put, Samara Joy is next. At just 22 years old, her Verve debut `Linger Awhile' shows that with a voice, tone, and phrasing that harkens back to the most legendary jazz vocalists, Samara belongs in the company of iconic labelmates from Ella Fitzgerald to Sarah Vaughan to Billie Holiday. Samara is remarkably savvy on TikTok and Instagram, fostering a community of devoted followers through fully organic means. She is poised to be a household name, synonymous with timeless jazz music.

Joe Bonamassa: Tales Of Time is a live performance of his last studio album, Time Clocks – a sprawling and expansive musical undertaking filmed in August 2022 at the iconic Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Colorado. Joe’s virtuoso guitar style, with his unique blues-rock technique and flair, elevates the evening's performance to a stratospheric level. The visual spectacle of Red Rocks was almost dwarfed by the incredible imagery of the show’s visual backdrop, which highlighted the beauty of the live music.

Drummer and composer Kendrick Scott returns with the release of Corridors, his third album for Blue Note Records, and first compositional treatment of trio context: saxophone, bass, and drums. Corridors unveils an exposed rumination from the Houston-born artist and his acclaimed collaborators: saxophonist Walter Smith III and bassist Reuben Rogers. Born during the pandemic lockdown, the record focuses on posing outward questions instead of inward contemplation. 180-gram LP.

Throughout her career, Nina’s music has inspired audiences of all ages, races and nationalities. In recent years, social media savvy youth have taken a particular interest in the works of Miss Simone. From the evergreen, feel good track aptly named “Feeling Good” to the mysteriously romantic remake of “I Put A Spell On You” and so many more, Nina’s music is being used in everything from major brand commercials to the everyday user on social networks to convey a feeling and a mood. Created with the newest generation of Nina Simone fans in mind, Great Women of Song, features the best of the best. Miss Simone's most loved and notable hits assembled in one package. The album is the gift that will keep on giving.

Joe Chambers, Andres Vial and the Montreal-based musicians on the Dance Kobina have a shared interest in exploring the deep musical connection between jazz, Latin and African music. Vial's original composition Dance Kobina, draws specific inspiration from African-American, Brazilian, Argentinian and Central African music. Originally lacking a title, Chambers suggested Dance Kobina as the name for the piece because of its uplifting, dancing quality.

Ella Fitzgerald's Live At Montreux 1969 features the First Lady of Song backed by the Tommy Flanagan Trio performing a set combining contemporary tracks, such as "Sunshine Of Your Love" and "Hey Jude" alongside classics like "I Won't Dance," "That Old Black Magic," and a host of others. Available on LP for the first time.

Gilles Peterson re-imagines Lionel Loueke’s incredible and acclaimed album HH, released in 2020, featuring the music of his long-term mentor, the legendary Herbie Hancock, for release in 2022.

Gilles Peterson and Lionel Loueke have long term respect for each other's music and when an opportunity to collaborate together came about, both jumped at the chance. The result is a brilliantly chaotic clash of worldwide club rhythms and guitar loops.

The connection is the master Herbie Hancock - a massive influence on the London based DJ and the Beninese guitarist. Performing the music of his mentor HH, released on Edition Records in Sept 2020, was a pivotal album in Loueke's already fascinating journey from humble roots to illustrious career.

Reimagined, refocused and reinvented by Gilles and co-producer Alex Patchwork (Ninja Tune) with parts re-recorded by Lionel, this is a kaleidoscopic view of HH which realises the full range of colours inherent within it.

The extended family around London’s Total Refreshment Centre (TRC) connects continents and generations, creating the rich relationships on Transmissions From Total Refreshment Centre. It’s an eclectic and electric collection drawing on new school jazz, hip hop, dub, soul, funk, and drill. Top players from London, Chicago, and Melbourne seeking out new collaborations, new ways of working, or just new tunes, always coming back to that central truth – that we all need each other. 180-gram LP.

London Brew is inspired by Miles Davis’ album, Bitches Brew. Recorded in December 2020 at The Church Studios, this three-day recording session brings together 12 London based artists: Benji B, Raven Bush, Theon Cross, Nubya Garcia, Tom Herbert, Shabaka Hutchings, Nikolaj Torp Larsen, Dave Okumu, Nick Ramm, Dan See, Tom Skinner, Martin Terefe. These original recordings celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Bitches Brew. Available as a 2-LP set, 2-CD & digitally.

Nonesuch Records releases Cécile McLorin Salvant’sMélusine on CD March 24, 2023 and LP on May 19, 2023. Mélusine features a mix of five originals and interpretations of nine songs, dating as far back as the twelfth century, mostly sung in French along with Occitan, English, and Haitian Kreyol.

The new album’s songs tell the story of the European folkloric legend of Mélusine, a woman who turns into a half-snake each Saturday as a result of a childhood curse by her mother. Mélusine later agrees to marry Raymondin on the condition that he never see her on Saturdays. He agrees but is ultimately convinced by his brother to break his promise, piercing his wife’s door with his sword and finding her naked in the bath, half snake, half woman. When she catches him spying on her, she turns into a dragon and flies out the window, only to reappear every time one of her descendants is on their deathbed.

Salvant, whose parents are French and Haitian, saysMélusine is also “partly about that feeling of being a hybrid, a mixture of different cultures, which I’ve experienced not only as the American-born child of two first generation immigrants, but as someone raised in a family that is racially mixed, from several different countries, with different languages spoken in the home.”

Sam Gendel’s COOKUP—a new album comprising interpretations of R&B and soul hits originally released between 1992 and 2004—is due February 24, 2023, via Nonesuch Records. As with his 2020 Nonesuch debut,Satin Doll, Gendel recorded COOKUP in his native California with his friends and collaborators Gabe Noel and Philippe Melanson; the trio again adopts an approach of simultaneous synchronized sonic construction/deconstruction of the album’s source material, which this time includes songs by Ginuwine, 112, Aaliyah, All-4-One, Soul 4 Real, Beyoncé, Joe, Erykah Badu, Mario, SWV, and Boyz II Men.

“COOKUP marks another chance to convene with my good friends Phil Melanson and Gabe Noel,” says Gendel. “For this occasion we hovered over a particular flavor: jams that we grew up with. We sculpted in sound our collective memories of this music.”

Forty Below Records releases Weight of the World, the new album by award-winning Blues and Roots musician Joe Louis Walker. A Blues Hall of Fame inductee and six-time Blues Music Award winner, NPR described Walker as "a legendary boundary-pushing icon of modern blues." His 2015 release, Everyone Wants a Piece, was nominated for the Contemporary Blues Grammy. In addition, Walker dueted with B.B. King on his Grammy Award-winning Blues Summit album and played guitar on James Cotton's Grammy-winning album Deep in the Blues. Recorded with Producer Eric Corne (John Mayall, Walter Trout, Sugaray Rayford), Weight of the World showcases the depth of Walker's influences and the prowess with which he commands different genres; be it Soul, "The Weight of the World," "Is it a Matter of Time," "Don't Walk Out That Door," Gospel, "Hello, it's the Blues," Funk, "Count Your Chickens," New Orleans 2nd line, "Waking Up the Dead," Indie Blues "Root Down," Rock N Roll, "Blue Mirror," Contemporary Blues, "Bed of Roses," or Jazz, "You Got Me Whipped."It's a compelling album that displays a master at the height of his game. They say Roots musicians age like fine wine, which certainly rings true with Walker. Weight of the World is a resounding statement and quite possibly the beginning of the greatest chapter of a storied career.

Chet Baker & Art Pepper continued their fruitful collaboration with the 1956 Pacific Jazz album, Picture of Health (originally released as Playboys). The sextet for the session was loaded with top talent from the West Coast jazz scene including Phil Urso, Carl Perkins, Curtis Counce and Larance Marable. Blue Note Tone Poet Series features all-analog, remastered 180-gram vinyl in deluxe gatefold packaging. Mono LP.

Ockham's Blazer is a mysterious 7 piece nomad jazz group combining the talents of PremRock, Fresh Kils, Anthony Rinaldi, Guido Spannocchi & PRAQ!. Hailing from NYC, Toronto, London, and Vienna, the making of this project spanned the talents of 7 musicians across 4 countries and 2 continents. Singles include "Prison of Gold," "Dirtbell," and "The Overtaxed Heart's Club Band." Released via renowned independent hip-hop label Fake Four Inc., this album fits with the label's standard of pushing the boundaries of experimental hip-hop.

Grant Green was `Feelin' the Spirit' on this deeply soulful 1962 date that found the great guitarist interpreting a set of spirituals with a state-of-the-art modern jazz line-up featuring Herbie Hancock (piano), Butch Warren (bass), Billy Higgins (drums), and Garvin Masseaux (tambourine). Blue Note Tone Poet Series features all-analog, remastered 180-gram vinyl in deluxe gatefold packaging.

The first thing that strikes you about Kenny Burrell's second album for Blue Note is the cover, which features an illustration by Andy Warhol. The second is the music drawn from 4 different sessions recorded in 1956 with the guitarist featured in a variety of settings. Blue Note Tone Poet Series features all-analog, remastered 180-gram vinyl in deluxe gatefold packaging.

This deluxe 3-LP set greatly expands Vince Guaraldi Trio’s landmark achievement, which included the Grammy® winning hit “Cast Your Fate to the Wind” (No. 22 on the Billboard Hot 100 pop chart). The set features 16 bonus tracks including alternate takes and previously unreleased music along with new liner notes. Recordings were transferred by Plangent Processes, with remastering by Paul Blakemore. LP lacquers were cut by Kevin Gray at Cohearent Audio & pressed on to 180-gram vinyl at RTI.

Simply put, Samara Joy is next. At just 22 years old, her Verve debut `Linger Awhile' shows that with a voice, tone, and phrasing that harkens back to the most legendary jazz vocalists, Samara belongs in the company of iconic labelmates from Ella Fitzgerald to Sarah Vaughan to Billie Holiday. Samara is remarkably savvy on TikTok and Instagram, fostering a community of devoted followers through fully organic means. She is poised to be a household name, synonymous with timeless jazz music.

Drummer, composer, and producer Tom Skinner who is the drummer for The Smile and Sons of Kemet releases his new album, Voices of Bishara, on November 4, 2022, via Brownswood / International Anthem / Nonesuch. The first recording under Skinner’s own name is a reference to an album he listened to repeatedly during the COVID-19 lockdown: cellist Abdul Wadud’s 1978 solo album By Myself, which was privately pressed on Wadud’s label, Bishara. The common Arabic name has the intention or meaning of “good news” or “the bringer of good news.”  Voices of Bishara began life when Tom Skinner asked some musician friends to join him for a Played Twice session at London’s Brilliant Corners. These regular sessions had a simple format: play a classic album in full through the venue’s audiophile system and then have a live ensemble improvise a response. The night in question focused on drummer Tony Williams’ 1964 Blue Note album, Life Time, and the music conjured that night inspired Skinner to write an album’s worth of new music.  Skinner recorded an album of that music with a cellist, bass, and two saxophonists subsequently putting it aside, occasionally bringing it out for some attention in between his many other creative projects. Gradually, the record began to take shape as he embraced the studio recordings and accentuated their idiosyncrasies.

Guitarist Julian Lage discovers new possibilities with orchestration on the follow-up to his acclaimed 2021 Blue Note debut, Squintby, expanding his trio with bassist Jorge Roeder and drummer Dave King with the addition of fellow guitarist (and Blue Note labelmate) Bill Frisell. A View With A Room presents 10 compelling new original compositions by Lage that explore a wide range of guitar sounds and textures with these two distinctive masters seamlessly blending their unique 6-string styles.