FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

PAULA WEST RETURNS TO SAN FRANCISCO FOR ONE NIGHT ONLY

First San Francisco performance in over a year

Paula West, San Francisco’s favorite jazz singer returns to the Herbst Theatre for one performance only on Saturday February 11, 2012 at 8:00 p.m. Performing with the George Mesterhazy Quartet, she will perform songs from her new CD, “Live at the Jazz Standard.” The CD features many of Paula’s best loved tunes never before recorded by her.

When: Saturday, February 11, 2012, 8:00 p.m.
Where: Herbst Theatre
Tickets: City Box Office $35.00/$40.00 www.cityboxoffice.com

A long time resident of San Francisco, Paula West has been a staple of the SF Jazz scene with sold-out, long run engagements at Yoshi’s, the Plush Room, and SF Jazz Performances. She has also performed at the White House; Jazz at Lincoln Center (where she performed with Wynton Marsalis); the legendary Oak Room in Manhattan’s Algonquin Hotel; and top Manhattan jazz clubs; Birdland, the Jazz Standard and The Blue Note where she has built a loyal following. She has won the prestigious Nightlife Award for Outstanding Jazz Vocalist three times. In addition, she has enchanted critics and audiences from coast to coast – and as far away as Tokyo, Athens, Moscow, and Paris.

The new CD “Live at the Jazz Standard” will be available at the concert.

What the critics have said about Paula West

David Wiegand, San Francisco Chronicle, “…the creative spark that Mesterhazy and West have been making for several years is very evident” in their music making.

Steven Holden, The New York Times, she is a “mischievously sexy jazz singer” with a “thick velvety voice” capable of making “the earth move.”

Steven Winn, San Francisco Chronicle, “It’s doubtful that anyone is singing better than Paula West these days”

Contact: Diane Dragone
415-517-7307
diane.dragone@gmail.com

Vocalist Carmen Lundy will be releasing her 12th album, Changes, on February 7. The promo video above tells us what to expect from her new release and I am very excited. I got to see Carmen in concert last summer at Yoshi’s Oakland and she and her band were amazing. In addition, there will also be a reissue of her Night and Day album next month.

I have been enjoying the music of Spanish Harlem Orchestra for several years. I first saw them burning up the Main Stage at the San Jose Jazz Festival. They were spectacular. They got the audience dancing on their feet. Their musicianship was superb and their vocals and dance moves were tight.

Spanish Harlem Orchestra’s new release Viva la Tradicón is their fourth album and their debut on the Concord Picante label. This album continues the fine tradition of wonderful music that the Spanish Harlem Orchestra has been making for the past ten years.

Viva la Tradicón opens the album with the spicy salsa number “La Salsa Dura” and “Mi Herencia Latina” (“My Latino Heritage”) celebrates the rich Spanish heritage. The 12-track collection is comprised largely of original compositions and arrangements of classic salsa tunes by bandleader/founder Oscar Hernandez. “Nuestra Cancion” (“Our Song”) is a beautiful ballad which makes you feel like you are dancing under the stars on a warm mid-summer night. It is one of the three songs arranged and composed by veteran composer and arranger Gil Lopez (“Son De Corazon,” “Nuestra Cancion,” and “Regala De Dios.”) “Rumba Urbana” is a swinging instrumental salsa and the album closes with “El Negro Tiene Tumbao” which features special guest Isaac Delgado on lead vocals.

Viva la Tradicón preserves the rich legacy of salsa music and will definitely bring new fans to Spanish Harlem Orchestra for years to come. “Preserving that legacy and introducing it to new audiences in a new century,” says Hernandez, “is more important than being the musical flavor of the month.”

Track Listing:

1. La Salsa Dura 5:56
2. Mi Herencia Latina 5:31
3. Son De Corazon 6:27
4. Como Baila Mi Mulata 5:41
5. Si Me Quieres Te Quiero 5:22
6. Baila Latino 5:41
7. La Fiesta Empezo 5:04
8. Nuestra Cancion 5:22
9. Linda 4:47
10. Regalo De Dios 5:28
11. Rumba Urbana 6:35
12. El Negro Tiene Tumbao 6:24

VOCALIST WHITNEY JAMES CELEBRATES RELEASE OF STUNNING DEBUT CD “THE NATURE OF LOVE” IN CONCERT, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 4 in SF

“Whitney James ain’t your typically thin-voiced, self-obsessed pseudo-diva. She’s got a spine-tingling presence” – James Kirchmer, The Stranger

“A startlingly impressive and mature debut CD.” – Philip Booth, St. Petersburg Times

Join world-class vocalist Whitney James as she celebrates the release of her debut CD “The Nature of Love” in concert at 9:30 p.m. on Thursday, February 4 at Coda Jazz Supper Club, 1710 Mission Street, San Francisco, CA. Joining James are guitarist Terrence Brewer (winner SF Weekly Music Award, Best Jazz Artist), others TBA. Tickets are $7. Call 415-551-CODA (2632) or log on to: http://codalive.com/february_calendar_2010.htm

James takes her rightful place among today’s great jazz singers with this stunning debut album released January 19 on Stir Stick Music. The CD features her working rhythm section – pianist Joshua Wolff, bassist Matt Clohesy and drummer Jon Wikan, along with special guest trumpeter Ingrid Jensen. James blends a singer’s sensitivity to lyrics with an instrumentalist’s command of phrasing, melody, and timbre. The album’s ambitious program of material includes classics from the Great American Songbook such as Jerome Kern and Ira Gershwin’s “Long Ago and Far Away” and Irving Berlin’s “How Deep Is the Ocean,” as well as challenging jazz tunes such as Benny Golson’s “Whisper Not” and Jimmy Rowles’s “The Peacocks.”

James doesn’t just sing a tune-she creatively engages it. Every time she approaches a melody and a lyric, she finds a new way to phrase them, shape them, highlight a word or a few notes that shade the meaning and make the music richer. Her sense of time and pacing make her a consummate musician’s singer-she knows how to work with a band, instead of asking it to merely back her. Her supple alto voice wraps itself around a song like a sheer silk scarf. She sings with a bright clarity of tone, yet she colors her sound with earthy inflections, subtle squeezed notes, dark growls, and notes of soaring purity.

Her polished musicianship helps her interpret the best of American popular music as well as challenging originals of jazz composers rarely attempted by singers. The upper edge of her voice gently caresses “Tenderly,” highlighting the song’s romantic glow, then she matches trumpeter Jensen tone for tone with an instrumentalist’s full sound. She subjects “Long Ago and Far Away” to playful transformations, making the song her own without ever obscuring the composers’ original intent. She negotiates the transitions between Latin and swing beats on “How Deep Is the Ocean” with elegance, phrasing behind the beat at times to create an exquisite tension. And she remains unfazed by the tricky melody of “The Peacocks,” making the composition’s daunting contours sound graceful and natural.

Her band mates are sensitive accompanists with strong voices of their own. In a duo version of “Be Anything,” Wolff, who has also worked with singers Jay Clayton and Mark Murphy, weaves lovely countermelodies and rich harmonies around James’ sincere reading of the song. He’s alert to every twist and variation that James makes to “Long Ago and Far Away,” then swings hard in a lyrical, incisive solo of his own. Bassist Clohesy, who has recorded with Seamus Blake, Pete McCann and Geoffrey Keezer, among others, is a versatile accompanist and soloist. His time is impeccable and his note choice adds depth to the ensemble. His solo on Abbey Lincoln’s “My Love Is You” is a beautifully constructed statement, coherent and moving. Wikan has played with the Maria Schneider Orchestra, Jensen, and shared rhythm duties with Clohesy in the bands of Torben Waldorff and Keezer. His attention to dynamics and space and his crisp time-keeping make him a perfect drummer for vocalists, but he can power a band as well, as he does on the hard driving “Whisper Not.” Jensen is featured with the Schneider Orchestra and has performed and recorded as a leader and with Jeff ‘Tain’ Watts, Dr. Lonnie Smith, Marc Copland, Gary Bartz, Chris Connor, and many others. Her warm tone blends beautifully with James on “Tenderly” and “Whisper Not.” A lyrical player who is nevertheless full of surprises, she crafts an exciting solo on “Whisper Not” and a poignant ballad performance on “The Very Thought of You.”

It’s rare that a performer emerges fully formed on their first album. But Whitney James has the musicianship and deep emotional power of a mature artist.

Music has been a part of Whitney James’ life since she was a little girl growing up in San Francisco. She began dance lessons at the age of 5, but it was winning the lead role in a musical, at age 10, that set her on the path that eventually led to her debut CD. She continued to study singing and dance as a teenager. At age 22, her interest in jazz singing led her to Cornish College of The Arts in Seattle, where she studied with Jay Clayton and earned a B.A. in Music with a focus on vocal performance. After graduating from Cornish, Whitney remained in on the West coast, working with her trio Vocal Flight, which won a DownBeat Music award, toured France, and played with the incomparable Betty Carter. She has also formed a neo-jazz soul band that toured the Northwest to rave reviews. In 2006, Whitney moved to the East Coast, splitting her time between New York City and Florida. In New York, she reunited with two of her favorite musicians from her years in Seattle -pianist Joshua Wolff and drummer Jon Wikan – to begin work on her debut CD. “I want to make good music, keep singing and developing my craft and musical language,” Whitney says. “Anything can happen but I am hoping folks like the record and connect with my voice and the music.”

http://www.whitneyjames.com

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INTERNATIONALLY RENOWNED VIOLINIST REGINA CARTER RELEASING REVERSE THREAD, A CELEBRATION OF AFRICAN FOLK MUSIC

EI Entertainment to Release REVERSE THREAD on May 18th

When preeminent violinist Regina Carter made the decision to record an album primarily of African folk tunes, she created a great challenge for herself: how do you take beautiful traditional music and infuse it with a contemporary feel while remaining true to its past – and then, not compromise its beauty? Her newest release, Reverse Thread, due out on E1 Entertainment on May 18th brilliantly responds to the challenge.

To achieve the uplifting and stirring result, Regina added an accordion and kora-the West African harp traditionally played by village storytellers-to her longstanding rhythm section. Kora virtuoso Yacouba Sissoko was brought on board to help recreate the spirit of passing stories from generation to generation. The result-unlike anything previously heard-is a haunting and beautiful compliment to Regina’s sumptuously seductive violin.

Without the support of the prestigious MacArthur Foundation, which “awards unrestricted fellowships to talented individuals,” Reverse Thread might never have been realized. As a MacArthur Fellow – a recipient of what is commonly known as the “genius grant” – Carter was armed with the funds and the freedom to follow her muse.

Regina turned to the World Music Institute in New York City, in which she found a diverse and inspirational resource for material, including ethnographic field recordings.

Regina looked not just to the music, but also the accompanying sounds and nuances of everyday life from anthropological and sociological perspectives which informed the spirit of the new arrangements.

“There is an immense amount of amazing music coming from all around the world, much of which is barely accessible,” emphasized Regina. “Reverse Thread gave me the opportunity to explore and celebrate a tiny portion of music that moved me.”

Both “Hiwumbe Awumba” and “Mwana Talitambula” are based on field recordings from the Ugandan Jews, a community in eastern Uganda who although are not genetically or historically Jewish, practice the Jewish religion. Setting the inspirational tone for the album, the first track “Hiwumbe Awumba” originates from a field recording of a group singing, “God creates and then He destroys.” Although the title is dark, the uplifting quality and spirit of the voice on the recording inspired Regina, and the final arrangement is a paean to the resiliency of the human spirit.

Using the field recording of a woman singing “Mwana Talitambula” as a departure point,

Regina’s bass player Chris Lightcap split the melody between the violin and bass with a hypnotically emotive result.

Reverse Thread also embraces music of the African Diaspora. As but one example, “Un Aguinaldo” skillfully layers the rhythmic aspects of African music with harmonies originating in India and Puerto Rico.

Through her albums, incessant touring and various guest appearances and collaborations, Regina has developed into a distinctly diverse musical personality. She has repeatedly toured throughout the world, was the first jazz artist and African American to play Niccolo Paganini’s famed Guarneri “Cannon” violin, has been featured with several symphony orchestras and performed with artists as diverse as Aretha Franklin, Lauryn Hill, Billy Joel, Kenny Barron and Mary J. Blige.

With Reverse Thread, Regina takes a giant step forward by making a meaningful musical contribution on her own terms.

REVERSE THREAD:
Regina Carter / Violin
Yacouba Sissoko / Kora
Adam Rogers / Guitar
Will Holshouser & Gary Versace / Accordion
Chris Lightcap & Mamadou Ba / Bass
Alvester Garnett / Drums & percussion

www.reginacarter.com

For more information, to receive a copy of Reverse Thread or to set up an interview with Regina Carter, please contact:

Pamela Lipshitz | Lip Service Media | pam@lipservicemedia.com | 917-859-6852

ICONIC JAZZ PIANIST AND BANDLEADER RAMSEY LEWIS TO RELEASE CONCORD JAZZ DEBUT SEPTEMBER 29TH

SONGS FROM THE HEART INCLUDES EIGHT ORIGINAL TRACKS WRITTEN
FOR JOFFREY BALLET COMPANY’S PRODUCTION OF “TO KNOW HER”

On September 29, Concord Jazz will release Songs From the Heart: Ramsey Plays
Ramsey, the debut Concord Jazz CD from iconic pianist and bandleader Ramsey
Lewis.

Songs From the Heart contains a refined collection of 12 new originals that he
composed over a period of two years, and including music from two
commissioned world premiere performances at the Ravinia Festival in Highland
Park, Illinois, just north of Chicago. Eight songs come from the score of 2007′s
ballet To Know Her…written for the Joffrey Ballet Company and four pieces come
from 2008′s Muses and Amusements suite performed with the Turtle Island
Quartet.

At the age of 74, Ramsey Lewis has not only continued to be active in the jazz
world, but he’s also forging ahead with a newly inspired creative instinct as a
composer. Songs From the Heart, Lewis’ first trio recording in five years, features
eight pieces with bassist Larry Gray and drummer Leon Joyce, and four piano
solo performances.

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

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).

The beautiful Side Steps boxed set features:

*24-bit remastering from the original analog master tapes
*72-page book with rare photographs, discography, and sessionography
*Insightful essays by noted music historian Ashley Kahn
*Interview transcript with Prestige founder Bob Weinstock
*Fully reproduced original album cover artwork and notes

AN IDEAL GIFT IDEA FOR THE HOLIDAY SEASON!

Editor’s Note: I have had the opportunity to listen to this wonderful disc and it is most excellent. It is definitely a great addition to your music collection.

Jazz piano legend McCoy Tyner’s new release, Solo: Live From San Francisco (Dig) [LIVE] was recorded live during the SFJAZZ Spring Season in May 2007. I attended this magnificent concert and am very excited about this album which includes, “Naima,” “You Taught My Heart To Sing,” “I Should Care,” “Sweet And Lovely,” and “In A Mellow Tone.”

Young jazz piano virtuosos Eldar and Robert Glasper also have new releases on Tuesday.
Eldar’s Virtue features mostly original compositions by Eldar performed with bassist Armando Gola and Ludwig Afonso. Eldar also welcomes guest appearances by trumpeter Nicholas Payton and saxophonists Joshua Redman and Felipe Lamoglia.

Pianist Robert Glasper presents both sides of his musical persona with Double-Booked, his third album for Blue Note Records, which will be released on August 25. The album bridges Glasper’s parallel careers as the leader of an acclaimed jazz trio and a first-call sideman with hip-hop artists such as Mos Def, Q Tip and The Roots. Moving nimbly from the acoustic Robert Glasper Trio to the hip-hop fusion Robert Glasper Experiment, the young keyboardist puts his versatility front and center. Special guests on the album include vocalist Bilal and a cameo appearance from rapper Mos Def.