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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DRUMMER TOWNER GALAHER SET TO PERFORM AT PUPPETS JAZZ BAR ON SEPTEMBER 19

Jazz Drummer/Composer/Educator
Towner Galaher
To Perform at Puppets Jazz Bar on September 19
In Support of his Latest Release Courageous Hearts

"Towner has done it again. He's managed to show off his drumming skills within his very melodic and swinging compositions. Towner is a triple threat. Great drummer, composer, and band leader. Great all-star cast." --Lenny White

Drawing primarily from the hard bop tradition, Galaher includes Brazilian, Afro-Cuban, New Orleans second line and Oakland funk, in the seven original tunes and his unique arrangement of "Hot House" and high-energy version of "Afro-Blue," for Courageous Hearts. This recording showcases Galaher's strength as a leader by bringing six gifted musicians together in a performance that lets everyone's talent shine while also unifying into a tight, cohesive sound.

His lineup is impressive, with participants including bassist Charles Fambrough (whose credits include work with Art Blakey, McCoy Tyner and Wynton Marsalis), pianist George Colligan (Cassandra Wilson, Ravi Coltrane, Robin Eubanks), trumpeter Brian Lynch (Blakey, Eddie Palmieri, Phil Woods), tenor saxophonist Craig Handy (Blakey, Herbie Hancock, Elvin Jones) and trombonist Fred Wesley (James Brown, Parliament, and Count Basie). Celebrated percussionists Gabriel Machado and Ze Mauricio guest on several tracks as well.

What impresses more is Galaher's willingness to share space equally with his colleagues; and, to everyone's collective credit, the intuitive communication achieved by these artists, who play as if they've been working as a unit for years even though some of them had never played together.

Galaher's vision for Courageous Hearts stems from his eclectic background as a drummer, composer and arranger. Since moving to NYC from the Pacific Northwest, he has worked with artists as diverse as Wynton Marsalis, former Louis Armstrong associate Arvel Shaw, jazz vocal scatmaster Jon Hendricks and Arturo O'Farill, leader of the Chico O'Farill Afro-Cuban Big Band.

Towner Galaher's debut CD, Panorama, introduced Towner's skills as a bandleader, composer, arranger and drummer with an impressive showing, reaching # 41 on the Jazz Week Chart and #34 on The CMJ Chart. The CD featured a mix of Jazz Veterans and Young Lions with Charles Fambrough on bass, Onaje Allen Gumbs - piano, Mark Shim - tenor, and Maurice Brown - trumpet, and special guest percussionists Johnny Almendra and Frank Colon.

His musical range grows from a solid academic foundation, as reflected by his Masters Degree in Jazz Performance from Queens College, his output as an author of performance textbooks and essays on jazz, Latin music and New Orleans R&B, and the praise that his work inspires from the highest levels of the jazz community.

That expectation is fulfilled on Courageous Hearts, which reached # 38 on the Jazz Week Chart and # 30 on the CMJ Chart."This is the result of persevering toward a dream I've had for many years, to make music of the highest integrity with the best players available," Galaher says. "That's why I dedicate it to 'all those who hold fast to the dreams and aspirations of their youth throughout their lives, living true to themselves.'"

Towner Galaher at Puppets Jazz Bar
Saturday, September 19 6:30-8pm

Towner Galaher - drums
Ben Stuyvers - organ
Duane Eubanks - trumpet
Peter Brainin - tenor sax

Puppets Jazz Bar
481 5th ave (btwn 11th & 12th st) Park Slope
Brooklyn, NY 11215
www.puppetsjazz.com

"Towner has outdone himself this time. His writing, his arrangements and his playing, the whole thing from A to Z all has all the necessary components for a great jazz CD. Towner's music is seasoned with plenty of grit, soul, roots, blues Latin, New Orleans second line and straight ahead New York style jazz that swings hard. Courageous Hears features some of the best jazz musicians in the business and they mean business...All of the elements that I love are on this one. A must for any serious jazz listener." --Mike Clark, Drum Legend

"Yeah, YEAH, THIS is how to make a great jazz album! Courageous Hearts practically explodes with many of the qualities that attracted me to jazz in the first place - swin/pulse/groove; a raw, aching/restless passion, unpredictability, and for lack of a better term, a "cry," an almost primal, indefinable what is that reaches past the frontal love down to your (dare I say it) soul...Don't miss it."
-- Mark Keresman, ICON Magazine

"Slamming original material in a classic vein from drummer Galaher..."
-- Zookeeper Online, KZSU-FM

'(Galaher's) compositions are in the middle of the main stream but with unexpected harmonic and rhythmic twists. Galaher's reworkings of Tad Dameron's "Hot House" and Mongo Santamaria's "Afro Blue" are ingenious. So, too, are his drum fills behind soloists.'
-- Doug Ramsey, Rifftides

For more information, please contact:

Jordy Freed/ DL Media
jordy@jazzpublicity.com / 610.667.0501

THE OVERTONE QUARTET: SET TO APPEAR AT THE BLUE NOTE ON SEPTEMBER 8 THROUGH 13

THE OVERTONE QUARTET
FEATURING DAVE HOLLAND, CHRIS POTTER,
JASON MORAN AND ERIC HARLAND

TO PEROFRM AT BLUE NOTE SEPTEMBER 8 THROUGH 13
IN SUPPORT OF THE FORTHCOMING RELEASE
THE MONTEREY QUARTET:
LIVE AT THE 2007 MONTEREY JAZZ FESTIVAL

The Monterey Jazz Festival Records Label is proud to announce performance dates for the Overtone Quartet at the Blue Note on September 8 through 13. Overtone will perform in support of the forthcoming August 25 release, The Monterey Quartet: Live at the 2007 Monterey Jazz Festival. The quartet, which features bassist Dave Holland, saxophonist Chris Potter, pianist Jason Moran and drummer Eric Harland, is the 2009 edition of the Monterey Quartet (which featured Holland, Potter, Hardland and Gonzalo Rubalcaba on piano).

The best jazz festivals make musical history-whether it's bringing together artists who have never played together before or debuting new musical compositions or documenting a significant one-of-a-kind performance with a live recording. Yet it's unusual that all three components align. However, the Monterey Jazz Festival-one of the world's most renowned and prestigious jazz parties which throughout its 50-year-plus existence has continuously delivered adventurous programming-has scored that rarified trifecta with the remarkable album The Monterey Quartet: Live at the 2007 Monterey Jazz Festival.

While MJF Records was launched in 2007 with a series of archival recordings from throughout the festival's history (including dates by Miles Davis, Louis Armstrong, and Thelonious Monk), part of its mission is to also present jazz in the present tense. "The purpose of the label is to produce new as well as archival music," says Monterey Jazz Festival General Manager Tim Jackson. "We're trying to work with a new model that includes performing and recording in one package."

The first "tradition of the new" release was last year's Live at the 2007 Monterey Jazz FestivalCD recorded live by the Monterey Jazz Festival 50th Anniversary All-Stars. It was nominated for two Grammy Awards, and won one (Best Jazz Instrumental Solo: "Be-Bop," trumpeter Terence Blanchard soloist).

The Monterey Quartet: Live at the 2007 Monterey Jazz Festival was also recorded at the silver anniversary event, with the made-for-Monterey group headlining the arena-sized Jimmy Lyons Stage, followed by a performance at the intimate venue on the festival grounds, Dizzy's Den. While the first set intrigued the audience, the second set, with the band warmed up and in total sync, enthralled the crowd.

The vision of this quartet came more than a decade before its manifestation. MJF Records General Manager Jason Olaine, the brilliant booker at the renowned Yoshi's jazz club in Oakland, Calif., attempted to unite Holland with Rubalcaba when the latter's Cuba-based band mates were denied visas to perform in the U.S. However, the timing was off because of Holland's schedule. But Olaine continued to think of the creative potential of such a collaboration. Potter came to Olaine's attention when he was a Verve Records A&R exec a few years later. The final puzzle piece was Harland, who, it became apparent to all parties, would be the perfect fit to contribute to the making of a vital quartet.

Yet, the band idea stalled until 2007 when the MJF Records label was founded. "I pitched Tim Jackson the idea of them playing the festival, recording it, and having it come out on the label," says Olaine. "He said, 'Let's do it.'"

The Overtone Quartet at Blue Note

Tuesday-Sunday, September 8-13
8 pm & 10:30pm

Dave Holland, bass
Chris Potter, tenor saxophone
Jason Moran, piano
Eric Harland, drums


Blue Note
131 West 3rd Street
New York, NY 10012
phone: 212-475-8592
www.bluenotejazz.com/newyork/

For information 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

###

ELDAR TO PERFORM AT REGATTABAR ON SEPTEMBER 9 IN SUPPORT OF "VIRTUE"

JAZZ PIANIST ELDAR
TO PERFORM AT
REGATTABAR ON SEPTEMBER 9
IN SUPPORT OF VIRTUE

Sony Masterworks is proud to announce a performance date for keyboard virtuoso Eldar at Regattabar on September 9, in support of his most recent release, Virtue. Partnered by bassist Armando Gola and Ludwig Afonso, Virtue features mostly original compositions by Eldar and demonstrates the continued development of his writing.

This fourth album on Sony Masterworks affirms his position at the forefront of contemporary jazz and is a fitting follow-up to his 2008 Grammy-nominated album, re-imagination. Referencing re-imagination, Alex Miller, General Manager at Sony Masterworks, observes that Virtue "implements the same creative freedoms but in a new way. Eldar's band approached the studio with compositions fully formed, an esprit de corps that enlivens each song, and a balance between assertiveness and sensitivity that only maturity brings."

That maturity belies the fact that even after making a sensational first impression with the release of his debut album nine years ago, Eldar is still just 22 years old. His prodigious gifts were evident from childhood and Virtue balances exhilarating youthful energy with a new found sophistication and depth of reflection that mirrors his personal and creative growth.

"I'm so proud of this album, more so than any I've done so far," he insists. "In many ways, you could think of it as a soundtrack to my direct experiences since I've moved to New York City."

It's been three years since he relocated from Los Angeles and began processing the stimuli that his new home provided. The outcome on Virtue is at the same time adventurous and accessible. Its individual tracks combine to create an impression as complex as an urban skyline, through which Eldar and his group channel their ideas, challenging each other through interactions as alive as the rush of humanity through city streets.

Born in Kyrgyzstan and raised in Kansas City, Eldar started playing jazz festivals before the age of ten (in what was then the Soviet Union). In 1998, he and his family emigrated to the United States and resettled in Kansas City. He became the youngest guest ever to appear on Marian McPartland's Piano Jazz. Later, he pursued advanced study at the Thornton School of Music at the University of Southern California, and eventually began enjoying a career that has seen him in performances throughout the United States, Europe, Indonesia, Japan and South America.

Live national television shows fill his calendar, with highlights including a performance at last year's Grammy Awards telecast, the first time in many years a jazz artist was so honored, and the second time for such an appearance. Eldar has also been seen on Conan O'Brian, CBS Saturday Early Show, Jimmy Kimmel Live and CBS Sunday Morning. 2009 is a busy year for the artist with sets booked throughout the United States and Europe.

Eldar at Regattabar

Wednesday, September 9, 7:30pm

Eldar, piano

Armando Gola, bass

Ludwig Afonso, drums

Regattabar at the Charles Hotel
One Bennett Street,
Cambridge, MA 02138
phone: 617.661.5000
www.regattabarjazz.com

For more background and upcoming activities, visit www.eldarjazz.com

RCA Red Seal, Sony Classical, deutsche harmonia mundi, Masterworks Broadway and Masterworks Jazz are labels of Sony Masterworks. For email updates and information regarding RCA Red Seal, Sony Classical, deutsche harmonia mundi, Masterworks Broadway and Masterworks Jazz artists, promotions, tours and repertoire, please visit www.sonymasterworks.com.

CONTACT:

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

Susan Schiffer / Sony Masterworks/ susan.schiffer@sonymusic.com / 212.833.4763

JOHN PATITUCCI TRIO TO PERFORM AT CATALINA'S SEPTEMBER 24 THROUGH 27 IN SUPPORT OF "REMEMBRANCE"

THE JOHN PATITUCCI TRIO
FEATURING GEORGE GARZONE AND MARCUS GILMORE

TO PERFORM AT
CATALINA'S ON SEPTEMBER 24 AND 27
IN SUPPORT OF REMEMBRANCE

Concord Music Group is proud to announce performance dates for the John Patitucci Trio at Catalina's on September 24 through 27. The dates will feature tenor saxophonist George Garzone and drummer Marcus Gilmore.

Patitucci, at the top of his class on both acoustic and electric basses, delivers his latest Concord Jazz project, Remembrance (August 4), a remarkable outing of 11 straight-ahead-to-funky-to-classical-tinged originals featuring the astounding trio comprising saxophonist Joe Lovano and drummer Brian Blade. Almost every tune is dedicated to a musician, hence the title. The CD is the bassist's 13th as a leader and seventh for Concord, with which he made his debut in 1997 with One More Angel. Guests include his wife Sachi Patitucci on cello and percussionist Rogerio Boccato, who delivers simpatico rhythms with Blade on four tracks that Patitucci says makes them sound "like one giant organism."

"It's not an easy thing for a bass player to be able to lead his own group and record today," says Patitucci, who, in addition to being a leader, is a longstanding member of saxophonist Wayne Shorter's quartet (along with Blade) as well as a regular participant in trios led by drummers Roy Haynes and Jack DeJohnette. He adds, "Our musical elders were the trailblazers who forged a path for us to follow."

On Remembrance, Patitucci pays homage to several of his heroes, including tenor sax colossus Sonny Rollins (the upbeat "Sonny Side"), the late trumpeter legend Freddie Hubbard (the bouncy, joyful "Blues for Freddie"), tenor sax titan Joe Henderson (the bold, bright "Joe Hen" with Lovano's searing tenor solo) and bass elder Ray Brown (the lazy blues "Play Ball" that Patitucci says is "one of the slowest tempos I've ever played").

Remembrance teems with that loving sensibility throughout. "We're paying tribute, but we're also shaping the music to reflect who we are," Patitucci says. "We're not just copying or resting on the musicians who came before us. We're playing this music as our way of contributing to the evolution of jazz."

John Patitucci Trio at Catalina's

Thursday-Sunday, September 24-27
Sets at 8pm & 10pm

John Patitucci, bass
George Garzone, tenor saxophone
Marcus Gilmore, drums

Catalina Bar & Grill
6725 West. Sunset Blvd., CA. 90028
Tel. (323) 466-2210
www.catalinajazzclub.com

John Patitucci - Remembrance
CJA-31018-02 Release date: August 4, 2009

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

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

# # #

Pianist Eric Muhler Set To Release Fifth Album "The Jury Is Out" on September 22

Pianist Eric Muhler
Set To Release Fifth Album The Jury Is Out on September 22

Eric Muhler is poised to achieve the success he has long deserved - and he's earning it through a unique combination of talent, planning and a readiness to break all the rules.

The music on The Jury Is Out, Muhler's breakthrough fifth album, establishes this Bay Area pianist and composer's formidable gifts. It comes as the decisive step in a meticulously conceived career strategy that leaves little to luck but doesn't avoid embracing risk. And as for the rules, let Muhler speak for himself.

"I've never followed the correct path toward being a 'jazz pianist,'" he insists. "There are so many rules about what you can and can't play and how the proper interpretation should be done for this style or that style. It's almost stricter than classical piano."

Outspoken and opinionated, intellectually restless, quick both to laugh and challenge in conversation, Muhler brings these contradictory energies into the five seven original works that comprise The Jury Is Out. These compositions are difficult yet accessible; they embrace traditional structures while encouraging the members of his quartet to push themselves toward their highest capabilities of improvisation; and they complement the leader's distinctive keyboard style, which combines the profound understatement of Monk, the melodic eloquence of Jarrett, and elements that belong to Muhler alone.

There's contradiction even in the presentation of these performances. Though recorded live at the Hillside Club in Berkeley, Calif., the audience is almost completely absent from the final mix. "It was a great evening," Muhler says. "They gave us a standing ovation. But I left applause only at the end of the first two tracks because I don't really like to hear applause on records; it always makes me push the button to get to the next one. To me, it's always been about the music."

Perhaps the greatest of the many contradictions in Muhler's career is that he is about to emerge as an important creative force just as he celebrates his 60th birthday. While more typical players grab for the brass ring before the ink dries on their Berklee degrees, Muhler took a roundabout route that included a 20-year run as a stay-at-home father for his two daughters.

He never neglected music during that time. Having built a strong foundation through a combination of formal piano instruction, R&B and rock gigs beginning at age 12, a long association with guitarist and revolutionary innovator Dave Creamer, and co-leadership of the progressive jazz quintet Mobius, Muhler wove a regimen of strict practice into his schedule of caring for Alexander Cristina and Zoë. He composed too, doing soundtracks for Of Men and Angels as well as for other films and video projects. But his performances were rare; most of them involved improvising accompaniments for dance classes that ranged from experimental companies to the Oakland Ballet.

Rather than think of these as years of lost professional opportunity, he sees them as essential in preparing for the leap he makes with The Jury Is Out. "No one can quantify what you get from life experience; you just know that without it you're screwed," Muhler says, punctuating the thought with a typical explosive burst of laughter. "When you try and get your first gig when you're 20, you might do something crazy, like lash out at a club owner somebody for being an idiot - which I've done. But when you've lived successfully, you become a lover of life and everything that it entails - children, misery, suffering, love, all of it. You get compassion with age. You get the maturity to plan your career path slowly but surely, as I've done. And that has to inform the music you play and write too."

So do the twists that can insert a sharp turn into even the most carefully charted path. Muhler has had his share of these, from chauffeuring Jimi Hendrix at the Monterey Pop Festival to discovering at age 18 that his grandfather was the notorious occultist Aleister Crowley, once reviled as the most evil man in the world. But Muhler has learned to welcome and benefit from the unexpected too.

Whether Crowley's personal behavior was bad is somewhat irrelevant to me," he says. "What's important is that he was amazingly prescient. He knew what was going on. And as a musician I'm actually happy that occultism is nothing without practice. I do magical tricks with music because I practice a lot. You get music to the point that it appears to be magic, even though there ain't no magic. The only magic in the universe is the magic that we create ourselves."

This helps explain the spells cast by The Jury Is Out, though as Muhler makes his mark that title will surely prove untrue. "Well, the jury is still out on me," he says. "I'm just a strange and different person. I've always felt that way. But now we're calling that into court to hear my case."

Eric Muhler - The Jury Is Out
Release date: September 22, 2009

www.EricMuhlerJazz.com

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

# # #

Vocalist Magos Herrera To Perform at Joe's Pub on September 11 In Support of Recent Release "Distancia"

Vocalist Magos Herrera
To Perform at Joe's Pub on September 11
In Support of Recent Release Distancia

"The Mexican-born Herrera sings in Spanish, English and Portuguese. But
really, what she does on Distancia transcends language. Blending elements
from various traditions, she's stretching the very notion of jazz singing,
pushing past the diva pleasantries into a sound that's bold, thrilling and
effortlessly global" - Tom Moon, NPR

Vocalist Magos Herrera will perform with her group at Joe's Pub on September 11 in support of her most recent release, Distancia (May 5 on Sunnyside Records). The performance, which also features special guest Tim Ries on saxophone, is a part of the citywide festival Celebrate México Now, showcasing the vanguard of contemporary Mexican art and culture.

If you listen to "Salt of the Earth," the sensational track from saxophonist Tim Ries' Sunnyside CD, Stones World, you'll hear a sensuous and thrilling contralto voice that swings and sighs, like no other. That voice belongs to the brilliant and beautiful, Mexican-born, New York-based singer, Herrera. Like Luciana Souza and Claudia Acuna, she is a world-class jazz vocalist in the literal sense of the word: She's fluent in English, Spanish, and Portuguese, and is likewise proficient in deciphering and delivering the syncopated science of jazz, and Afro-Hispanic musical genres. Her gifts are on full display on her Sunnyside debut, Distancia, supported by an exceptional rhythm section featuring guitarist Lionel Loueke, pianist Aaron Goldberg, bassist Ricky Rodriguez, drummer Alex Kautz, with background vocalists Ingrid and Jennifer Beaujean. Buoyed by that stellar lineup, Herrera delivers a delicious, dancing and diverse ten-track potpourri of original songs, and standards by Antonio Carlos Jobim, Milton Nascimento, and Cesar Portillo de la Luz.

Magos' love and thanks come through loud and clear on this disc - co-produced by Tim Ries. Her self-penned songs "Reencountro" "Tu Ojos," "Staying Closer," "Alegria," are pulsed by scintillating vocal percussion, interlocking, Pan-Afro/American rhythmic structures, tinges of Joni Mitchell-style rock timbres, and flamenco-flavored handclaps. Magos reinterprets the works of master composers with equal verve. She updates Caesar Portillo De la Luz's famous bolero "Tu, Mi Delirio," with a kind of "quiet storm" vibe. Nascimento's "Vera Cruz" is resurrected with a deep groove, which morphs into a spirited Tower of Babel-style vocal beat box. And Jobim's "Retrato em Blanco E Preto," "Inutil Paisaje," and "Dindi" are rendered in impassioned ballad, bossa nova-scat, and John Coltrane-ish settings.

If, as the saying goes, "it takes a village to raise a child," then it takes an musician open to all of the world's musical hues and grooves to produce an artist like Magos Herrera. Born in Mexico City, Magos graduated from the Musicians Institute of Technology, and studied at Mannes College of Music, the New England Conservatory, and privately with opera teacher Konstantin Jadan. She moved back to Mexico City in 1998, where she released her first CD, Cajuina (Independiente, 1998), followed by Orquideas Surrantes (JM Distributors, 2000), Whispering Orchids(Opcion Sonica, 2000), Mexican Divas II/III (Opcion Sonica, 2001-2002), Pais Maravilla (JM Distributors, 2003), Magos Herrera Compilacion (Mecca Records, 2004) and Todo Puede Inspirar (EMI Music, 2005). She's toured Latin America, India, Japan, and the United States and performed and recorded with Jerry Gonzalez, Diego el Cigala, Tim Ries, and Ute Lemper.

Magos Herrera has evolved into a global-centric musician, capable of expressing herself in a multiplicity of languages, and vocal settings; from straight-ahead, ballads, scats, and the various dimensions and invention of Afro-Latin music. As Distancia, proves, no style of music is distant from her.

Click here to read Tom Moon's NPR story on Magos

"... [S]he forges new paths in her repertoire ... Afro-Latin, pop, and Brazilian influences - all perhaps unifying the Latin experience in a contemporary sense - yet most of all - brilliantly meshing and resonating with Mexico's vast, diversified cultural legacies"

-Evangelina Kim, New York Times

"Though jazz long ago embraced Afro-Cuban influences that ought to make
Mexico a logical bastion of the music, there are few well-known players
from Mexico. But here is a brilliant singer, Magos Herrera, with a US
debut on Sunnyside Records, recording with a top-flight band (Aaron
Goldberg's piano, Lionel Louke on guitar, among others) and making Mexican
jazz sound as obvious as chocolate ice cream."
- Will Layman, PopMatters

Magos Herrera at Joe's Pub
with special guest Tim Ries

Friday, September 11, 9:30pm

Magos Herrera,vocals
Aaron Goldberg, piano
Ricky Rodriguez, bass
Alex Kautz, drums
Ingrid Beaujean, vocals
Jenny Beaujean, vocals
Time Ries, saxophone

Joe's Pub
425 Lafayette Street
New York, NY 10003
phone: 212.967.7555
www.joespub.com

Click here to listen to an exclusive streaming track,
"Tus Ojos," from Magos Herrera's release Distancia

For more information, please contact:

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

# # #

ELDAR TO PERFORM AT JAZZ STANDARD FROM SEPTEMBER 10-13 IN SUPPORT OF "VIRTUE"

JAZZ PIANIST ELDAR TO PERFORM AT JAZZ STANDARD SEPTEMBER 10-13 IN SUPPORT OF VIRTUE Sony Masterworks is proud to announce performance dates for keyboard virtuoso Eldar at Jazz Standard on September 10-13, in support of his forthcoming release Virtue. Partnered by bassist Armando Gola and Ludwig Afonso, Virtue features mostly original compositions by Eldar and demonstrates the continued development of his writing. This fourth album on Sony Masterworks affirms his position at the forefront of contemporary jazz and is a fitting follow-up to his 2008 Grammy-nominated album, re-imagination. Referencing re-imagination, Alex Miller, General Manager at Sony Masterworks, observes that Virtue "implements the same creative freedoms but in a new way. Eldar's band approached the studio with compositions fully formed, an esprit de corps that enlivens each song, and a balance between assertiveness and sensitivity that only maturity brings." That maturity belies the fact that even after making a sensational first impression with the release of his debut album nine years ago, Eldar is still just 22 years old. His prodigious gifts were evident from childhood and Virtue balances exhilarating youthful energy with a new found sophistication and depth of reflection that mirrors his personal and creative growth. "I'm so proud of this album, more so than any I've done so far," he insists. "In many ways, you could think of it as a soundtrack to my direct experiences since I've moved to New York City." It's been three years since he relocated from Los Angeles and began processing the stimuli that his new home provided. The outcome on Virtue is at the same time adventurous and accessible. Its individual tracks combine to create an impression as complex as an urban skyline, through which Eldar and his group channel their ideas, challenging each other through interactions as alive as the rush of humanity through city streets. Born in Kyrgyzstan and raised in Kansas City, Eldar started playing jazz festivals before the age of ten (in what was then the Soviet Union). In 1998, he and his family emigrated to the United States and resettled in Kansas City. He became the youngest guest ever to appear on Marian McPartland's Piano Jazz. Later, he pursued advanced study at the Thornton School of Music at the University of Southern California, and eventually began enjoying a career that has seen him in performances throughout the United States, Europe, Indonesia, Japan and South America. Live national television shows fill his calendar, with highlights including a performance at last year's Grammy Awards telecast, the first time in many years a jazz artist was so honored, and the second time for such an appearance. Eldar has also been seen on Conan O'Brian, CBS Saturday Early Show, Jimmy Kimmel Live and CBS Sunday Morning. 2009 is a busy year for the artist with sets booked throughout the United States and Europe. Eldar at Jazz Standard Thursday-Sunday, September 10-13 7:30pm & 9:30pm Eldar, piano Armando Gola, bass Ludwig Afonso, drums Jazz Standard 116 East 27th Street New York, NY 10016 phone: 212.576.2232 www.jazzstandard.net For more background and upcoming activities, visit www.eldarjazz.com RCA Red Seal, Sony Classical, deutsche harmonia mundi, Masterworks Broadway and Masterworks Jazz are labels of Sony Masterworks. For email updates and information regarding RCA Red Seal, Sony Classical, deutsche harmonia mundi, Masterworks Broadway and Masterworks Jazz artists, promotions, tours and repertoire, please visit www.sonymasterworks.com. CONTACT: Jordy Freed / DL Media/ jordy@jazzpublicity.com / 610.667.0501 Don Lucoff / DL Media/don@jazzpublicity.com / 610.667.0501 Susan Schiffer / Sony Masterworks/ susan.schiffer@sonymusic.com / 212.833.4763 ###

2009 Angel City Jazz Festival Set For Labor Day Weekend

August 6, 2009

Who: Dave Douglas, Bennie Maupin, Billy Childs, Nels Cline, Larry Goldings, Wayne Horvitz, etc.
What: Jazz Concerts - The Angel City Jazz Festival
When: Labor Day Weekend, Sept. 6-7 2009. 4PM-11PM
Where: The John Anson Ford Amphitheatre, 2580 Cahuenga Blvd. East, Hollywood CA
Tickets: adults $35 ($30 before Aug 31) children under 12 and under & students with ID $12
Contact: Don Lucoff - DL Media - 610-667-0501, don@jazzpublicity.com
Web: angelcityjazz.com, www.fordtheatres.org
Press Materials: cryptogramophone.com/AngelCity.html

Angel City Jazz Festival Set For Labor Day Weekend
LA's Only Alternative, Non-Commercial Jazz Festival

The 2009 Angel City Jazz Festival is set to take place on Labor Day weekend, September 6-7, at the intimate and affordable John Anson Ford Amphitheatre in Hollywood, CA. Headlining this year's festival will be veteran woodwind player/composer Bennie Maupin and Dolphyana, with an all-star band performing West Coast premieres of newly discovered compositions by the great Eric Dolphy. Also headlining will be world renowned trumpeter Dave Douglas and Brass Ecstasy, a recently formed band with the unique instrumentation of trumpet, French horn, trombone, tuba, and drums. Other artists appearing at the festival are Grammy Award-winning pianist Billy Childs' Jazz-Chamber Ensemble, The Nels Cline Singers with Jeff Parker of Tortoise, The Larry Goldings Organ Triowith Peter Bernstein on guitar and Bill Stewart on drums, The Satoko Fujii Four
with Natsuki Tamura on trumpet, and Mark Dresser on bass, Seattle based pianist Wayne Horvitz'sGravitas Quartet, pianist Motoko Honda & Butoh master Oguri, Jesse Sharps' The Gatheringfeaturing vocalist Dwight Trible, and many others (see full schedule below).

Festival director Rocco Somazzi says, "We're honored to be presenting great artists like Dave Douglas, Bennie Maupin, Billy Childs, and Nels Cline in the beautiful and historic Ford Amphitheatre. Bringing creative jazz back to the Ford is a great thing for Los Angeles and a big step up for the Angel City Jazz Festival."

The Angel City Jazz Festival is a two-day outdoor event featuring innovative and original jazz musicians from the West Coast and around the world. The 2009 festival presents established jazz artists as well as lesser known emerging talent, with a focus on West Coast creative jazz. The Angel City Jazz Festival was founded in 2007 by jazz promoter Rocco Somazzi, and the first event was held at Barnsdall Art Park in Hollywood. Co-Producing the festival this year is Los Angeles based Cryptogramophone Records.

Nestled in the Hollywood Hills, the 1200-seat John Anson Ford Amphitheatre is one of the oldest performing arts venues in Los Angeles, with a rich history of West Coast jazz. The open-air theater sits atop a 45-ac.re park-like setting in the beautiful Hollywood Hills, and is a great venue for family entertainment, and picnicking under the stars. The Ford Ampitheatre was originally known as the Pilgrimage Theater, and in the 1960s and 70s the "Jazz at the Pilgrimage" series was a destination for many West Coast "cool" jazz artists like Art Pepper, Mundell Lowe, Chico Hamilton, Harold Land, Oscar Brashear, Buddy Collette, Barney Kessel, Shelly Manne, and Don Ellis. The Angel City Jazz Festival resurrects this historic venue as a nexus for West Coast creative jazz.

In addition to the music, this year's festival will feature Live Painting by Unification Theory. In the picnic area of the Ford Amphitheatre from 4pm to 11pm both days of the festival, visual artists Fumiko Amano, Favianna Rodriguez and Gustavo Alberto Garcia Vaca will be painting live, inspired by the music being performed during the festival. All live paintings will be available for sale at affordable prices ranging from $20 to $100. Proceeds will benefit the Angel City Jazz Festival.

For tickets, log-on to www.FordTheatres.org, or call the Ford Box Office at 323-461-3673. Tickets are priced at $35 for adults, and $12 for full-time students with ID and children 12 and under. Through the Ford's early buyer incentive, adults who buy tickets on of before August 30th pay only $30.

The Ford Amphitheatre is located at 2580 Cahuenga Blvd. East, Hollywood, CA 90068, Just off the 1010 Hollywood Freeway across from the Hollywood Bowl and south of Universal Studios. The grounds open two hours before showtime for picnicking. The Ford offers a number of dining options: a variety of food and beverages is available on site, and box dinners for evening events may be ordered in advance. Patrons are welcome to bring their own food and drink. The Ford is disabled accessible. Portable wireless listening devices are available upon request.

On-site stacked parking costs $5 per vehicle for evening shows. Free non-stacked parking serviced by a free shuttle to the Ford for evening performances only, is available at the Universal City Metro Station lot at Lankershim Blvd., and Campo de Cahuenga. The shuttle, which cycles every 15-20 minutes, stops in the "Kiss and Ride" area.

This event is part of the Ford Amphitheatre 2009 Season, a multi-disciplinary arts series produced by the Los Angeles County Arts Commission in cooperation with Los Angeles County-based arts organizations. For a complete season schedule, directions to the theater and parking information, log-on to www.FordTheatres.org

Festival Schedule

Sunday, September 6th 4PM - 11PM
4:00 PM Plays Monk (Ben Goldberg, Devin Hoff, Scott Amendola)
5:15 PM The Satoko Fujii Quartet
6:30 PM Jesse Sharps' The Gathering with Dwight Trible
intermission
8:00 PM The Billy Childs Jazz-Chamber Ensemble
9:15 PM Larry Karush - solo piano
9:50 PM Dave Douglas & Brass Ecstasy

Monday, September 7th 4PM - 11PM
4:00 PM Alex Cline's Band of the Moment
5:15 PM The Wayne Horvitz Gravitas Quartet
6:30 PM The Nels Cline Singers with Jeff Parker
intermission
8:00 PM The Larry Goldings Organ Trio
9:15 PM Motoko Honda & Oguri
9:50 PM Bennie Maupin and Dolphyana

For information, please contact:
Don Lucoff / DL Media: don@jazzpublicity.com
610.667.0501
www.jazzpublicity.com


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