Physical CDs are still published, although nowadays methods of fruition of music tend to vanish the idea of a closed project to contain art and creativity. Just like romantic warriors, collectors of vinyls and compact discs continue to believe in an ancient way of producing and transmitting musical projects. And so do I. That’s why every year I put out a list of the most interesting Cds among quality productions in territories like adult contemporary, jazz, fusion and brazilian music.
A wide choice for 2018, fifteen cds, as usual each one included here with audioclip for a pre-listen. Music that really be worth a listen.
My “2018’s Wild Bunch” is all about women and I’d like it could be intended as a signal, a way to propose “women” as a symbol of intelligence and sensitivity, opposed to narrow lines of thinking traced by reactionary and religious governments throughout Islam, USA, Brazil, Italy, etc., etc.
“Music is culture” (música é cultura) was the slogan on the back cover of every published Lp in Brazil, during the horrible period of dictatorship between Sixties to Eighties. This time we could say even better “music is culture and woman is culture”. Listening to the right things could be like a first step of a good revolution. So, up against it!
Giancarlo
Giancarlo Mei is an independent journalist and writer, host of radio and author for television. He is also the author of the critically acclaimed books “Canto Latino. Origine, evoluzione e protagonisti della Musica Popolare del Brasile” (Nuovi Equilibri, 2004) and “Spiriti Liberi – L’avventura brasiliana di Flora Purim & Airto Moreira (Arcana Jazz, 2017)
– 2018’s Wild bunch –Monika Herzig – “Sheroes” (Whaling City Sound, WCS106)
A good pianist with an all-female jazz band, eight originals and two covers: a fantastic album. German composer and arranger Monika Herzig create this ensemble to pay tribute to jazz women. An effort turned into a perfect goal putting together talents from all over the world: trombonist Reut Regen from Israel, canadian trumpeter Ingrid Jensen, deutch guitarist Leni Stern, cuban percussionist Mayra Casales and mexican drummer Rosa Avila, bassist Jennifer Vincent and flautist Jamie Baum from the U.S. A such powerful band offers to Herzig’s compositions dense quality and great energy. The language is complex but really exciting; a coral work with musicians always ready to start great solos and sheet music that covers the whole scale of jazz colors and moods. Herzig is a remarkable composer and pages like the “Nancy Wilson Portrait”, and “Time Again, D.B.” are very impressive. Other members contribute with quality creations too, just like it happens with Vincent’s “Song For C.C.” and Baum’s and “Wayning”. A jazzy “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” and a soulful cover of The House of The Rising sun, complete this vary and inspiring work. Rich.
*”Time Again, D.B.”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3A60oYFf4NE
*”Nancy Wilson Portrait”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bsYFvJL4MfU
CD Release Events
New York, NY • Wed Apr 4 The New School in the Jazz Performance Space, Arnhold Hall, 55 West 13th Street, 5th Floor. Panel discussion with SHEROES from 4:30 – 5:30. Concert 6:00 – 7:00. Free event but seating is limited, first come first served.
The new album of pianist and composer Monika Herzig for the Whaling City Sound label is a logical continuation of not only her previous work The Whole World in Her Hands (2016), but also the whole creation of this German-born Germany. Monica is making great efforts to expand the presence of women in instrumental jazz, which in this case is emphasized even by the name of the album for which she invented the punky neologism of Sheroes – a combination of the concepts she (she) and heroes (heroes). Thus, the title of the project can be read as “Heroines”.
Who are they, these heroines? As part of the ensemble of Monica, with whom she tours, with which she recorded Sheroes, you can see many participants and the aforementioned previous project. This is the guitarist Leni Stern, the German, like Herzig, and the American Jennifer Vincent, who has postponed the cello and acts only as a bass player, and the Israeli trombone player Reut Regev, and the famous American flutist Jamie Baum, and the percussionist with the Cuban roots of Myra Casales. There are also impressive new faces: a very creative performer on the pipe Ingrid Jensen from Canada, Mexican drummer Rosa Avila, Italian tenor saxophonist Ada Rovatti. All of them are purely geographically united by the presence on the jazz scene of the world capital of this music – New York. And the principle of composing an album, which included plays not only of Herzig herself, but her colleagues,
Herzig herself is represented here by four compositions and two arrangements, including the well-known theme House of the Rising Sun. The most interesting of them seemed to me the starting Time Again, DB, dedicated to the late teacher Monica David Baker, and filled with Caribbean intonations Cantos, writing which Herzig thought of the melodism peculiar to such an outstanding jazz pianist as Chick Corea. Jamie Baum dedicated her composition to another giant of modern jazz – Wayne Shorter, she is called: Waining. Leni Stern once had occasion to encounter African music, where the appropriate intonations in her play Bubbles came from. The drama of the plot of the song Vincent Song For CC is broadcasted by the music of this play.
Even on this short list, you can judge the musical diversity of the album. Add to this the high performance class, lots of bright solos and duets, the general spirit of creativity that reigns in the album – and you will understand that this work is worth listening to. Of course, the final statement of I Am A Superstar is somewhat ironic. But the fact that all the participants of the project headed by Monika Herzig are genuine Sheroes of modern jazz, I do not personally change myself!
–End–
Library Bookwatch: June 2016
Jazz artist, pianist, composer, and educator Monika Herzig presents The Whole World in Her Hands, a jazz album enriched with the performances of expert musicians from around the globe – guitarist Leni Stern (Germany/NYC), percussionist Mayra Casales (Cuba),trombonist Reut Regev (Israel), flutist/saxophonist Jane Bunnett (Canada), drummer Arianna Fanning (Indian-American), and more. Both original compositions and expressive rearrangements of classic hits are present in this extraordinary album, enhanced with bonus video content. The tracks are “Plenty of Nothing” (5:06), “Mosquitoes” (4:14), “The Cat That Stole The Moon” (3:04), “In a Nutshell” (5:26), “Song for Argentina” (5:49), “istop” (5:30), “Royals” (5:22), “Oh Muddy Waters” (4:59), “2-Way Mirror” (4:32), “A Total Non-Impossibility” (5:40), “Peaceful Piece” (3:48), and “The Whole World In Her Hands” (5:09).
Also highly recommended for jazz connoisseurs is the album “Swing That Music!” ($14.99, in which vocalist/soprano sax player Danny Bacher and associates pay tribute to the legendary jazz greats Louis Armstrong, Louis Prima, and Louis Jordan, with vibrant performances of some of their most widely beloved songs.
CD Review
By
Norman Vickers
_______________________
Monika Herzig:
The Whole World In Her Hands
Whaling City Sound
Release Date: June 10, 2016
Monika Herzig is a performing pianist, educator and author. She has assembled a group of talented women musicians to perform on this recording. She brings guitarist Leni Stern (Germany/NYC), percussionist Mayra Casales (Cuba), Flutist/saxophonist Jane Bunnett (Canada), saxophonist Lakecia Benjamin( USA/NYC) and bassists Linda Oh (Malaysia/Australia) Anna Butterss(Australia) and cellist Jennifer Vincent(USA) and uses them in varying combinations. Ms. Herzig plays piano on all twelve tracks.
There ís plenty of excellent piano on this recording but it ís the ensemble which is featured.
One possible drawback for the average listener is that all twelve pieces are new except for a reworking of “The Whole World in Her Hands” (Get it?) It ís challenging to the average jazz listener to listen to new compositions. Ms. Herzig plays on all numbers but she assembles groups in varying combinations. One of my favorite cuts is “Peaceful Piece” featuring piano, bass, flute, alto sax and trombone. There ís much here to appreciate as Ms. Herzig has put the ensembles together with thoughtfulness. So, give this one a listen and stretch your “ears.”
This was recorded at New York’s Avatar Studio May and August 2014 and produced by Suzi Reynolds. Ms. Reynolds spent a few years in Pensacola before launching her successful career as producer in New York. I’m pleased to see and hear this latest triumph from a longtime friend.
Monika Herzig is a fearless and complete jazz artist touring internationally as a pianist, bandleader,award winning author, and advocate for jazz music, its genres and its players. It’s not surprising that great talent is at the center of her work. In this stunning and contemporary project, Monika showcases her artistry and those of top women band-leaders and composers working in jazz today. Her intelligence and depth are audible in these songs, from unexpected and exciting originals, to re-arrangements ofthe traditional (“The Whole World In His Hands”) to current hit (“Royals”). Bringing together an All Star international band including the likes of guitarist Leni Stern (Germany/NYC), percussionist Mayra Casales (Cuba), flutist/saxophonist Jane Bunnett (Canada), drummer Arianna Fanning (Indian-American), bassist Jennifer Vincent (USA), trombonist Reut Regev (Israel), flutist Jamie Baum (USA/NYC), alto saxophonist Lakecia Benjamin (USA/NYC) and bassist Linda Oh (Malaysia/Australia) to play this panoply of music has created a whole that is truly greater than the sum of its impressive parts.
Quotes: “…I have not heard a more important or pleasing recording this year!”
~Russ Davis Partner/Programmer/Presenter at MOJA Radio LLC/Voice of America
Radio promo by WPFW Radio Show, New World ‘n Jazz: JazzWeek chart: 6/25 #39, 6/18 #38, 6/15: 31; 6/8: 33; 6/1: #27; 5/25/15 #30; 5/18/15 #27; 5/11/15 #21; 5/4/15 #22; 4/27/15 #20; 4/20/15 #35; 4/13/15 #36; 4/6/15 #80; 3/30/15 ‘Kind of New’ Most Added; Peaked at 4/27/15 #20
Whaling City Sound is proud to announce that on Feb. 12, the project will be the first vinyl album release on the label. It was specially mastered for vinyl by Mike Fosenkemper of Turtletone Studios, New York City, and it has that special, warm sound only found on vinyl.
Jason Miles says of the release, “we are thrilled that Whaling City Sound agreed just how special this music and project are, and made the investment as their first vinyl release. These days it is hard to get such a commitment, and we thank them for their belief in the global possibilities of this music.”
Influenced by Miles Davis’s small electric ensembles of the early 1970’s that had Keith Jarrett, Jack Dejohnette, Michael Henderson, Gary Bartz and Airto , Kind of New visits the spirit of the new fusion music that spawned such bands as Weather Report, Return to Forever, Mahavishnu Orchestra, the Headhunters and others.
After performing at the Blue Note NY, the Berks Jazz Fest, the Hudson Valley Jazz Festival and others, the project now has global representation and is looking forward to performing for crowds at festivals, clubs and other venues around the world.
The album is available from whalingcitysound.com and all outlets including amazon through naxosusa.com
FEBRUARY 12th VINYL release: “Kind of New” by Jason Miles/Ingrid Jensen
(CD peaked #20, 16 weeks on JazzWeek chart, #72 Top 100 Year End)
MARCH 11th release: “Jason Miles presents: To Grover with Love / LIVE IN JAPAN,” (WCS078) by Jason Miles
Even the title of Kind of New tells you where Ingrid Jensen and Jason Miles are coming from. This suite of compositions use Jensen’s horn as the primary soloist against a bank of grooves directed by keyboardist James, largely from his Rhodes. The reference point, despite the title, is not Kind of Blue but those late ‘60s and early ‘70s records (though occasionally Jensen’s sound is more 1959 than 1969). The opening gives you Jensen’s wide, echoey open horn arcing out through the air before a fat bass and tight drum pattern kick in with “The Faction of Cool” — a track that uses the slow funk tempo of those great ‘70s jams to allow Jensen to really explore the space.
Though the Jason Miles arrangements are certainly tighter and more programmed than the improvised grooves of Davis’ ‘70s bands (including the judicious use of B3 organ sounds and precise percussion parts from Cyro Baptista), the inclusion of shadowy bass clarinet parts is an explicit reference to the role that Bennie Maupin played on Bitches Brew. “Shirley” is pretty melody (not particularly similar to ‘70s Miles Davis) etched with bass clarinet. More plainly, “Close to the Action” uses bass clarinet as a smoky counterpoint that makes this music — while certainly much cleaner than ‘70s-era Davis — a far cry from the sanitized fusion that earned the word “smooth”.
The overdriven Rhodes groove of “Ferrari” should remind you of vintage Herbie Hancock, and then the alternation between Jensen’s Harmon-muted sound and then a soprano sax that serpentines much like Wayne or Dave Liebman or Sonny Fortune back in the day. The inclusion, at the program’s end, of a mysterious and haunting version of Shorter’s Bitches Brew class “Sanctuary” pretty much seals the deal. But the next tune (not listed on the CD booklet, reminds us that Davis himself wasn’t finished in the ‘70s. The real closer is “Jean Pierre”, a concert staple of Miles Davis in his comeback period, a bumping tune with an impish children’s song melody that was one of the coolest things Miles did in the last ten years of his life. Nice.
Jason Miles/Ingrid Jensen CD review on Ken Frankling’s Jazz Notes
Kind of New, Russian Review
Woman playing jazz on the trumpet, relatively few of those who make it great – even less. A native of Canada, Ingrid Jensen – one of them. After graduating from the renowned Berklee College, Ingrid worked in one of the best big bands of the world, Maria Schneider Jazz Orchestra, several times nominated for Dzhyuno Canadian analog of Grammy, has played with many famous jazz world. Her partner on the new project also is one of those. The producer and keyboardist Jason Miles got worldwide recognition when Marcus Miller introduced him to the circle of musicians who worked with the late Miles Davis. “Black Magician” in his memoirs called Jason’s “genius software synthesizer music” – do the best certification?
At Jensen and Miles have worked in 2009 when Ingrid played one night with a group of Global Noize, led by Jason Miles. But it was an episode, and now we are talking about a big and very ambitious project. Its name – Kind Of New – very clear allusion to one of the greatest albums of Miles Davis’ Kind Of Blue. Indeed, it is creativity that Davis was the starting point for the joint flight sound Ingrid and Jason. But while they were inspired not made-up in the title Kind Of Blue, and the work is much more recent, the time of birth of electrified jazz-rock, the famous concert box set of five discs The Cellar Door Sessions 1970, published in 2005. It was there with Miles Davis plays the Fender Rhodes elektrofortepyano young Keith Jarrett then.
The combination of sound and keyboard pipe framed and supported by the rhythm section, saxophone, and (in one track) guitar – a sound that is prepared for you, Ingrid and Jason. Classic jazz-rock, funk enriched reminiscent reinterpreted to date are the most recent Davis albums in which he played Jason Miles – it’s the music that they embodied the Kind Of New. Together Ingrid and Jason wrote nine songs, two composed Miles with Harrell and Michael Brecker and Wayne Shorter Sanctuary – the only cover on the album. That last play with Seeing Through the Rain, and a pair of interludes – the only island of calm and tranquility in this album. All other compositions with their tough funk rhythms and synth accents, like the Super City and Close to the Action, is unlikely to allow you to sit still. I note another Ferrari, play, composed in memory of Jason them with Miles Davis road trips – here Ingrid usually plays smooth sound added to the voice of his trumpet sensual vibration. At the height of the two leaders and assisted the project musicians, particularly the saxophonist Jay Rodriguez. In a word, spectacular album that gives jazz lovers experienced the opportunity to recall the heyday of jazz-rock and young – imagine how it was. http://jazzquad.ru/index.pl?act=PRODUCT&id=4208
“A better title by keyboardist Jason Miles and trumpeter Ingrid Miles might have been “Kind of Brew” as the electronic sounds on this attractive disc seem more akin to Miles Davis first electronic session than his ’59 classic. Nevertheless, Jensen’s got a sweet and gently swinging sound to her horn, and Miles mixes B3s and all sorts of things that go plunk in the night with a rotating rhythm team as well as guitarist Nir Felder, Jay Rodriguez/ts-bs-ss-bcl and Jeff Coffin/ts-bs-ss. There’s a lot of funky blues that sounds like a vintage CTI session with Freddie Hubbard on ”The Faction of Cool” and “Ferrari” and Wayne Shorter’s “Sanctuary” has a moody and spacey feel along with Jensen’s gasping horn. There’s some vintage 70s funk with wacka-wooka guitar on “Kat’s Eye” and “Cuper City” has some excellent latin percussion along with Rodriguez’s gurgling baritone. The mixture of drummers varies the feel from Mike Clark’s lunar soul to Gene Lake’s deep pocket, but the overall wall paper makes for a rich and thick carpet of hip sounds and deep grooves.” Grammy Award-winning producer/keyboardist Jason Miles and
acclaimed trumpeter Ingrid Jensen celebrate their superb Whaling City Sound Records debut recording, Kind Of New, at The Blue Note, on Monday July 13, 2015 .
Jason Miles , keyboards
Ingrid Jensen , trumpet, effects
Jay Rodriguez , saxophones
Fima Ephron , electric bass
Mike Clark , drums
The Blue Note , 131 W 3rd St., NYC
Two shows , 8:00 and 10:30 pm
Cover charge: $15 ($10 at bar)
info/reservations: ( 212) 475-8592
“Ingrid plays trumpet and flugelhorn with all the brilliance and fire of a true virtuoso, following the spirit of the muse as she creates. Warm,sensitive, exciting and totally honest.” – Marian McPartland
“Jason Miles has raised the level of excellence for the musicians who have had the good fortune of working with him, myself included. The work he did with my friends, Miles Davis and Marcus Miller have helped to define the modern face of jazz music.” – Roberta Flack
Rave Reviews :
“Kind Of New is a superb album s uffused with the sound and spirit of Miles Davis. But this is no pastiche – producer/keyboardist Jason Miles and trumpeter Ingrid Jensen stamp their own voices on an array of melodies, harmonies and rhythms, that hit both the head and the heart. Even today, people ask: ‘I wonder what Miles would be doing now?’ We’ll never know of
course, but there’s a good chance that he would be making music like this.”
– George Cole, author of The Last Miles – the music of Miles Davis 1980-1991
“Jason works the Fender Rhodes and organ for maximum texture behind a piercing Jensen while a funky electric bass and power drums are joined by a range of horns and percussion support. A new chapter in fusion’s evolution .”
– Marc Meyers, Jazzwax.com
“Jensen’s horn runs the gamut as Miles’ electric backdrops and the tidy band gamely shift gears and switch colors like dressers: she jaunts a self-conscious, careful runway strut on “Faction of Cool”; nails carefully scripted hits on “Super City”; and gets comfy in the blues-drenched vernacular of “Shirley” (for singer Horn).”
– Fred Bouchard – The New York City Jazz Record
“The album title is a play on Miles Davis‘ immortal Kind of Blue, but it’s not hubris for this team to reference the master; Jason Miles was Davis’ keyboard player for several years. This delightful disc features Ingrid Jensen on trumpet, and while the tracks occasionally evoke memories of Davis’ Jack Johnson period, the groove and melodies are rooted in a more accessible foundation. Mellow but never, ever falling into the tepid “smooth jazz” trap, K ind of New works equally as well as rewarding subject of active listening as it would for groovy background music for your next cocktail party.” – Musoscribe
“Miles Davis fusing elements of rock and funk into his music was nothing short of revolutionary and people still get into heated debates over the quality of the music that Davis released during this period. But just as people overlook Maggot Brain when discussing P-Funk, this free flowing brand of jazz/funk/rock fusion sometimes gets excised from the contemporary jazz canon. So the conscious effort that Jason Miles and Ingrid Jensen make to rehabilitate it on K ind of New is definitely welcome. Solidly Recommended .” – Howard Dukes, Soul Tracks
“ Miles and Jensen hit it far out of the park ” – Chris Spector, Midwest Record Review
Saturday June 13, 2015 | 1:30pm- 7pm
Pier 3 Downtown New Bedford
Featuring: WCS “Kind of New” by Jason Miles playing at 6pm
Legendary saxophonist Joe Lovano is coming to the 25th annual Boscov’s Berks Jazz Fest, set for April 10-19. When Jason Miles and Ingrid Jensen debut their “Kind of New” project, Lovano will be part of their all-star ensemble. Miles, Jensen and Lovano will be performing Saturday, April 18, 7:30 p.m., at the Miller Center for the Arts on the Reading Area Community College campus. They will be joined by Jay Rodriguez, Mike Clark, Buster Hemphill, plus special guest Lionel Loueke.
“We are thrilled and honored to have Joe Lovano join us for the Berks Jazz Fest concert,” said Jason Miles. “Look forward to performing the ‘Kind of New’ music with Ingrid, Joe and the rest of the ensemble.”
If you enjoyed the music of Weather Report and Miles Davis, mixed with the vibe of CTI Records, you do not want to miss this concert.
Hailed by The New York Times as “one of the greatest musicians in jazz history,” Grammy Award-winning Lovano has distinguished himself for some three decades as a prescient and path-finding force in the arena of creative music. He has earned praise not just for his compelling tone and improvisational ability, but also for his forward-thinking presentation of new musical ideas and ensemble concepts.
For Jason Miles, the inspiration for these new original compositions was Miles Davis’ Cellar Door Sessions, a recently discovered collection of live recordings captured at the legendary Washington, D.C., club in 1970.
The 10-day Berks Jazz Fest features the best in contemporary and traditional jazz, fusion, blues, R&B, gospel and more. In addition to Jason Miles and Ingrid Jensen, the lineup also features Dianne Reeves; Kirk Whalum’s Gospel According to Jazz with special guest Yolanda Adams; Boney James; Gerald Albright; Pieces of a Dream; Pat Martino Trio; Incognito; New York Voices with the Reading Pops Orchestra; Brian Culbertson; Strings Attached featuring Larry Coryell, Jimmy Bruno, Jack Wilkins, and many more. More than 150 events at large venues, clubs and restaurants throughout the Reading area-something for everyone.
New Bedford, MA, For Release April 7, 2015 —You don’t hear fresh grooves and melodies much these days on the contemporary jazz scene, a vibrant culture that had its roots in the 1970’s, with such artists as Miles Davis, Weather Report and The Crusaders and was also exemplified by the output of such labels as CTI Records. This seems a shame. Because in the hands of the right musicians, those vintage grooves, that driving beat and electric tempo can really soar. It makes you wonder why we haven’t heard much from that musical neighborhood in some time.Thankfully, this groove runs through the very heart of Kind of New, the debut collaboration featuring Jason Miles and Ingrid Jensen, out now on Whaling City Sound. You can feel the vibe from its very first notes.Renowned producer, keyboardist and conceptualist Jason Miles’ first-hand intimate experience working with Miles Davis informs this new collaboration, and indeed its title is a wink at the master from whom he learned so much. Initially hired for his mastery of synthesizer programming, Jason became an integral part of the groundbreaking 1986 album Tutu and its two follow-ups, Amandla and Music From Siesta. The Brooklyn native had become good friends with the legend in the ’80s, and he absorbed all that his mentor imparted.Miles Davis’ work with Keith Jarrett however, when the latter was twenty-three years old, behind the Fender Rhodes in 1970-71, was a great inspiration to Jason and was a point of departure in the creation of Kind of New. Though he’d done over a dozen albums as a bandleader, and many more as a producer, including tributes to Weather Report, Ivan Lins (which netted Jason a Grammy) and others, nothing excited him the way Jarrett’s Rhodes did on Miles’ early ’70s live work, as exemplified by the legendary Cellar Door Sessions. Jason says “I never got the Keith Jarrett connection and why Miles [Davis] thought he was so funky until I heard him killing on the Fender Rhodes on that 6-CD set.” Jason wanted to revisit that instrument, because in this progressive setting it’s been ignored for years, yet it was undeniably the impetus that drew so many younger people into jazz in the late 60’s and early 70’s.Ingrid Jensen, a Berklee grad and NYC-based trumpeter, grew up in British Columbia, Canada with the brave sounds of Bitches Brew coursing through her soul. She recalls the fun she had with her rock band jamming over Bitches Brew tracks. Jason Miles had known Ingrid and has admired her great talent for many years when he invited her late one night in 2009 to sit in with his band Global Noize. She blew the roof off the place! It was then that he was convinced they needed to do something, to nurture a project together. Now they’ve concocted this truly progressive album, the culmination of their collective years of experience.
Kind Of New
Faithful to their inspiration, the duo waste no time getting into the groove. You can hear it from the outset on “The Faction of Cool,” which gets its lift from Jensen’s husband, drummer Jon Wikan, and continues on funky electric tracks like “Super City,” that feature exciting exchanges with baritone saxophonist Jay Rodriguez. On the deep grooving “Kat’s Eye” you can hear how Miles’ synth bass lines and Steve Wolf’s drum programming propel Jensen’s searing trumpet performance. Guitarist Nir Felder is also featured. Then there’s a gorgeous dénouement in the form of the beautiful ballad “Shirley” (dedicated to Shirley Horn) that features the great rhythm section of bassist James Genus and Gene Lake on brushes.
The music moves and undeniably grooves. A quick listen to the pulsating pace of “Close to the Action” reveals a lockstep band with a penchant for some truly nasty grooving, evoking Tutu-era Miles Davis, featuring the solid performance of drummer Gene Lake. There are a few areas Miles and Jensen allow for a quick rest, a minor pause, as on the liquidy romantic Wayne Shorter composition “Sanctuary” (which was on Bitches Brew) and the atmospheric “Seeing Through the Rain” (a tune dedicated to Ferguson, Missouri), which features Jensen exploring some edgy melodicism along with Jeff Coffin’s saxophone symphony.
But for the most part Kind of New pushes its way into your ears, your feet, for a truly engaging listen. Along with “Sanctuary,” two additional tracks were recorded live at The Shape Shifter Lab in Brooklyn: “Ferrari,” written by Jason about driving with Miles Davis down the Pacific Coast Highway, and which features an inspired electric piano performance; and “Street Vibe.” Jason adds, “Ingrid and I also wanted to present ourselves in a live, spontaneous situation, to give the audience an example of what this band is about.
“When I first approached Ingrid about this and we started playing gigs,” says Miles, “I said to her, ‘Let’s see if we can really grow this thing into something, for real.’ And that’s what we’re trying to do.” Kind of New is real, that’s undeniable, and it’s an exciting step in a new direction.
Winter Jazzfest 2015 at Judson Memorial Hall: day one with Jason Miles, Ingrid Jensen…
“Kind Of New is a superb album suffused with the sound and spirit of Miles Davis. But this is no pastiche – producer/keyboardist Jason Miles and trumpeter Ingrid Jensen stamp their own voices on an array of melodies, harmonies and rhythms, that hit both the head and the heart. Even today, people ask: ‘I wonder what Miles would be doing now?’ We’ll never know of course, but there’s a good chance that he would be making music like this.”
George Cole, author of The Last Miles – the music of Miles Davis 1980-1991
“Using Miles Davis’ expansive output as their core inspiration, these contemporary jazz luminaries have delivered an impressive release that seamlessly bridges the past, present and future of their genre. It’s an aural time machine that explores how Miles might have harnessed his muse if he was still around today.” — Anil Prasad, Innerviews
Producer Jason Miles couches his new muse, trumpeter Ingrid Jensen, in a noirish wash of eras-bridging groove, mood and vibe.” – A. Scott Galloway
“The best combo of modern and rootsy space funk heard in many moons, maybe even years. jason miles’ electro beds and arrangements, forward and retro, are luxurious and funky. Ingrid Jensen’s trumpet tone carries the aggressive and cerebral melodies beautifully. i’ve never heard her sound better, ever. new direction ensemble music to which you can groove, rock and drift way. It’s a dangerous, trap-laden genre to walk into, but these two take the risks and pull it off flawlessly.” – Kent Zimmerman
“The Jason Miles and Ingrid Jensen collaboration on the Kind of New project is a winner. Ingrid’s brilliant trumpet bring their compelling compositions to life. “Look forward to presenting Ingrid and Jason and Kind of New at the 25th annual Berks Jazz Fest in April.” -John Ernesto GM-Berks jazz Fest
🎉Congratulations Aaliyah Fuentes on graduating at Johnson & Wales University! Wishing all the best as she gets ready to leave Mixed Media and graduate with a degree in Media & Communications!🎉 #gradseason🎓 #springintern2024#mixedmedia... See MoreSee Less
🎉Congratulations Aaliyah Fuentes on graduating at Johnson & Wales University! Wishing all the best as she gets ready to leave Mixed Media and graduate with a degree in Media & Communications!🎉 #Gradseason#Springintern2024#mixedmedia... See MoreSee Less
Wishing #JWU’s 2024 Spring Intern Aaliyah Fuentes all the best as she gets ready to leave Mixed Media and graduate with a degree in Media & Communications! linkedin.com/in/aaliyah-fuentes02
Music industry consultant and publicist Ginny Shea has garnered international exposure for her clients through radio and video promotion, print media, and her vast industry network.
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Music industry consultant and publicist Ginny Shea has garnered international exposure for her clients through radio and video promotion, print media, and her vast industry network.
