Sons
of Sound eNews: Spring 2005 |
In This Issue…
1. In Stores: Trio
East and Low
Standards
2. On The Air: Cool by The
Jay Leonhart Trio goes Top 10
3. In Print: Four stars
for Thought Trains by
Mike Holober & The Gotham Jazz Orchestra
in February DownBeat
4. New Artist: Anthony
Branker & Ascent
5. Gigs: Peter
Eldridge; the Rutgers Jazz
Faculty;Trio East; Ted
Rosenthal; the DiBlasio/Mancini Quartet
6. Music Education: Jimmy Heath at Princeton;
Teeing up for Swing 'N Jazz VIII
7. Distribution Update: Sons
of Sound announces partners in Italy and Portugal
8. Up Next: New releases from Ray Marchica and Mike
Holober
|
In Stores…
Sons of Sound is proud to announce two new
releases this quarter:
 Stop-Start is
from Trio East, a collaboration among Eastman
School of Music colleagues Rich Thompson (drums), Clay
Jenkins (trumpet), and Jeff
Campbell (bass). Highlighting their
instrumental technique and improvisational
skills, Jazz Improv magazine writes: “Improvisation
that sizzles. Great for intelligent fans
of well-played bop.” Download the press
release and one-sheet and check out the
band in New York City in early April.
 Low
Standards is a laid-back session
of jazz standards and originals from
vibist Steve Shapiro (Steely
Dan) and guitarist Pat Bergeson (Lyle
Lovett). The band features vocalist Annie
Sellick, profiled in the June
issue of DownBeat, where Robert
Doerschuk wrote of seeing her “purr,
scat, and swing through the standards,
moving allurningly in the spotlight.” Complete
with Scott Kreitzer (Peter
Cincotti) on tenor saxophone, Doug
Weiss on bass and Jeff
Williams on drums, Low Standards delivers
the retro-modern lounge sound without
studio tricks. Download the press
release and one-sheet.
|
 On
The Air…
 Cool from The
Jay Leonhart Trio, featuring Ted
Rosenthal on piano and Joe
Cohn on guitar, is in its 10th
week on US national jazz radio as tracked
by JazzWeek, having spent over
a month in the Top 10,
peaking at #6 on the chart, and currently
hanging in at #13.
|
 In
Print…
DownBeat awarded
four stars to Thought
Trains from Mike Holober & The
Gotham Jazz Orchestra. Featuring Ron
Carter on bass and John
Riley on drums (#1 Big Band Drummer,
2004 Modern Drummer Poll), the GoJO
also boasts many of New York's first call
jazz session players, including Tim
Ries, Tony Kadleck, Charles
Pillow, Scott Wendholt, Jon
Gordon, and others. Read all the reviews
here.
 "Pianist
Mike Holober establishes a strong identity
as a jazz composer of substance with Thought
Trains." — DownBeat,
February 2005
Cool by
the Jay Leonhart Trio continues
to attract positive notices. From Bass
Player (Feb. 2005), "a
rewarding set of standards that shows off
Leonhart's effortlessly swinging
ensemble and solo work as well as his amiably
hip vocals." From Jazziz (Mar.
2005), "The communication between the
trhee musicians is quite close and they often
speak with one voice. Leonhart takes a couple
fine bowed solos, Cohn has a particularly
appealing voice on guitar, and Rosenthal
sounds quite comfortable swinging in this
loose but tight settings. This is an
easy set to enjoy." And from The
Irish Times, four stars: "It's
a fluent, hand-in-glove working band that
wears its individual and collective
virtuosity with a light touch." |
New Artist…
Sons of Sound is proud to announce that
composer Anthony Branker will
release his next project, Spirit Songs,
on the label. The uplifiting project features
Branker's ensemble Ascent,
with alto & soprano saxophonist Antonio
Hart, tenor and soprano saxophonist Ralph
Bowen, trombonist Clifford
Adams Jr., pianist Jonny
King, bassist John Benitez,
and drummer Ralph Peterson Jr.
Two of the album's works, "Spirit Songs" and "J.C.'s
Passion," were completed as part of
a commission that Branker recieved from The
Commission Project in 2004. |
 Gigs…
We are pleased to announce that we are working
with New York Voices founder Peter
Eldridge. Peter headlined at
the Jazz
Standard on Monday, March 28th,
and the performance was videotaped for promotional
purposes in support of Peter’s next
release on Sons of Sound. Thanks to everyone
who joined us for great food and music.
Trio
East (Rich Thompson, Clay
Jenkins, and Jeff Campbell) will perform
in NYC at The
Garage Restaurant & Café,
99 Seventh Avenue South, on Saturday,
April 2nd, from 10:15PM until 2:15AM.
Check our website for additional dates
and times.
 The Rochester
International Jazz Festival will feature
Sons of Sound artists Trio
East (Thursday, June 16th,
at two different venues) and the Denis
DiBlasio/Dave Mancini Quartet
(Sunday, June 12th). Thanks to festival
producer John Nugent for his support of
the local artists and this label.
Also in Rochester, pianist Ted
Rosenthal will be performing with The
Rochester Philharmonic on April 22nd and
23rd in a pops concert conducted by Jeff
Tyzik. In addition to accompanying
vocalist Ann Hampton Callaway,
he will be featured with the orchestra
on two Jobim pieces – A
Michael Abene arrangement of "Triste," and
his own arrangement of "No More Blues."
 We
encourage you to support the Rutgers
Jazz Faculty All-Stars (Stanley
Cowell, Vic Juris, Victor Lewis, Tim Ries,
Conrad Herwig, Mike Richmond, and Ralph Bowen)
at The
Blue Note, 131 West 3rd Street,
NYC, on Monday, April 25th. Please support
the outstanding jazz studies program at the Mason
Gross School of the Arts.
|
Music Education…
 Sons
of Sound has been collaborating with The
Commission Project (Ned Corman,
Director) and the Princeton University
Jazz Ensemble (Anthony Branker,
Director) to bring important composer/instrumentalists
to the University to interact with student
musicians. Following a successful residency
and commission from Bob Mintzer in
2003-2004, Jimmy Heath has
begun working with the group during the 2004-2005
academic year.
 Swing ‘N
Jazz VIII is teed up for June 3-5,
2005 to benefit The
Commission Project. The annual celebrity
golf tournament will be augmented by free
student workshops and a gala concert celebration.
The all-star group of musicians led by
music director Fred Wesley includes many
label artists and long-time supporters
of The Commission Project. Scheduled to
participate are Mike
Holober, Jay
Leonhart, Keter Betts, Bob
Sneider, Akira
Tana, Rich
Thompson, Paquito D’Rivera, and
Marvin Stamm. The Swing ‘N Jazz All-Stars
recording will be released later this year
on Sons of Sound for the benefit of TCP
and its music education endeavors.
 The
photo features Sons of Sound recording artists
Bob Sneider, Jay Leonhart, and Rich Thompson
join Fred Wesley on stage for Swing 'N Jazz
VII last year.
|
 Distribution
Update…
In our first transactions following MIDEM
2005, we are pleased to announce the completion
of distribution deals for the countries of
Italy and Portugal. Sons of Sound will be
represented in Italy exclusively by I.R.D. – International
Record Distribution, S.p.A. and
in Portugal by Multidisc,
a division of Megamusica. More announcements
are forthcoming as we expand our distribution
network. |
Up Next…
 Ray
Marchica climbs In The
Ring with Rodney Jones, Lonnie
Plaxico, and Teodross Avery to go nine
rounds of funk, bebop, and Latin instrumental
music. This is the New York jazz-funk sound
from four of the City's most fit contenders.
After six years together as house band
for The Rosie O'Donnell Show,
Marchica and Jones know each others moves
and can bob and weave their way though
any groove.
Mike Holober’s next quintet recording, Wish
List, will feature Wolfgang Muthspiel,
Tim Ries, John Patitucci, and Brian Blade.
The follow up to Canyon will be
released this summer. |
More…
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