THESE PRECIOUS DAYS is the latest album by New York-based jazz vocalist and radio host MARY FOSTER CONKLIN. The project features mostly women writers in a savory mix of lesser-known jazz and pop tunes, all beautifully rendered by Conklin’s distinctive contralto voice and affective delivery.

THESE PRECIOUS DAYS is her fifth album and follows Crazy Eyes (1998), You’d Be Paradise (2001), Blues for Breakfast (2006), and Photographs (2016). Cadence Magazine said, “As someone who values freshness over music that appears regularly in everyone’s repertoire, Conklin brings to life seldom heard or forgotten songs with meaningful lyrics…Conklin’s versatility, not to mention her eclectic choices, proves she’s her own person, her possible influences being but a component of her totality.”

Conklin has been playing music that celebrates women composers and lyricists on her radio show, called “A Broad Spectrum – the Ladies of Jazz,” since 2016. The program streams online every Sunday on WFDU.FM’s HD2 channel at http://www.wfdu.fm, which is broadcast from Farleigh Dickinson University in New Jersey. She has long been interested in championing women artists, so when the opportunity arose to host her own radio show after the release of Photographs, she jumped at the chance.

The album features top New York musicians, including pianist JOHN DI MARTINO, who wrote all the arrangements, violinist SARA CASWELL, bassist ED HOWARD, drummer VINCE CHERICO, guitarist GUILHERME MONTEIRO, and percussionist SAMUEL TORRES. Like her radio program, THESE PRECIOUS DAYS focuses mostly on women composers and lyricists, but also includes several choice songs by writers whose lyrics reflect the disruption and loss of the past few years.

The seed for THESE PRECIOUS DAYS was planted on a gig she did at Pangea, an intimate East Village club in March 2020. The show featured Conklin on vocals, Di Martino on piano, and, along with her rhythm section, Caswell on violin. The music was centered around neo-cabaret "art songs" written by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, whose legendary rock and roll hits overshadowed a unique catalogue of material first recorded by Peggy Lee on the 1975 cult classic Mirrors.

Unfortunately, that show was their last live performance before the Covid lockdown, but it did give Conklin the time to collect new material while in isolation. In January 2021 she was invited to submit a video performance of “Some Cats Know” as part of the Peggy Lee centennial for the Mabel Mercer Foundation with Di Martino and Caswell, and later that year the trio presented a full set at the Soapbox Gallery in Brooklyn. When Conklin, Di Martino and Caswell went into the studio the following January, they added additional instrumentation for some extra seasoning, and so were joined by her regular rhythm section of Ed Howard and Vince Cherico.

The album opens with “Summertime,” but not the more famous Gershwin song of the same name. This tune was written by Leonard Cohen and Sharon Robinson, a frequent writing collaborator with Cohen. The song’s restless lyrics, like “And I want to drive forever / Wanna roll my windows down / Get the breeze back on my body / Get my feet back on the ground” particularly resonated with Conklin after being sequestered in her Manhattan apartment for many months due to the shutdown.

“Some Cats Know” is a smart, sexy song by Leiber and Stoller from Mirrors which Conklin first performed at Pangea. The Brill Building songwriting team of Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil wrote “Just a Little Lovin,” which appealed to Conklin for its message about the importance of the simple things in life. “Come in From the Rain” is by Melissa Manchester and Carole Bayer Sager, two of the most successful female writers on the pop scene.

Conklin has a special affinity for Beat poet Fran Landesman, having recorded several of her songs on her previous album. “Scars” was composed by Simon Wallace, and Conklin prefaces the song with a Landesman poem The Past Is A Foreign Country. “Just for Now,” was written by Dory Previn and her then-husband, André Previn, set to a samba tempo. “A Little White Ship” is another Leiber/Stoller song from Mirrors which was inspired by Tennessee Williams’ most dreamlike play, Camino Real.

The songs of loss include “Heart's Desire” by Alan Broadbent and the late Dave Frishberg, whom Conklin knew personally. “Rainbow” is an obscure number by Melba Liston and Abbey Lincoln, which Conklin was drawn to by its simple promise of hope. Conklin closes the album with Buffy Sainte-Marie’s “Until It's Time for You to Go” and “September Song” by Kurt Weill and Maxwell Anderson, in memory of her father who died in 2018.

 THESE PRECIOUS DAYS will be released on February 24, 2023 on Mock Turtle Music and will be available everywhere.

Mary Foster Conklin website

Already nominated as “most innovative concert experience of the year” in their homeland of Denmark, hotly-tipped Neo-soul group ‘Tigeroak’ present their debut album ‘Living and Living’ (Feb 24th on April Records).

Denmark’s vibrant scene is among Europe’s finest in its diverse and forward-thinking nature, as displayed in full force by the young group. Led by the duo of Laurits Steen Møberg, an electronic musician, producer, and guitarist, and Anna Prinds, a vocalist and lyrical composer, the music is inspired by underground jazz, hip-hop and neo-soul. Combined with their Nordic roots, the music is crafted with a nuanced palette of sounds and bridges the gap between accessible songs and an experimental jazz spirit. Propulsive grooves, melodic choruses and figurative lyrics grab the attention, but dig a little deeper, and you’ll hear intricate rhythms, complex lines and ear-catching effects.

Recorded at Abbey Road, Living and Angel Studios, ‘Living and Living’ features exceptional modern production which combines warm, jazz musicianship with immersive electronic and atmospheric textures. Thick vocal harmonies, intimate recordings of acoustic instruments, and hard-hitting drum beats effortlessly come together to form a dynamic and immersive sound world.

Tigeroak was selected for Jazz Denmark’s National Jazz Competition and performed twice on the popular national television show DR’s: “Sammen - hver for sig”. Along with their Danish Music Award nomination for “most innovative concert experience of the year” their debut looks to bring their immersive live show to a wider, international audience.

Laurits Steen Møberg | electronics, guitar Anna Prinds | vocals

Martine Bak Toldam | piano, rhodes Peter Marott | trumpet Jakob Marker | drums

Ditte Warrer Bech | Flute

Available here

The upcoming new single from experimental Afro Caribbean female trio Nite Bjuti, featuring acclaimed Grammy-winning musician Val Jeanty. Entitled ”Illustrious Negro Dead”, the powerful song "reclaims this impassioned plea that dignity and legacy of Black artists not die in 'conspicuous forgetfulness' as Black people of all nations continue to face state sanctioned racial violence and hegemonic occupation in Haiti and throughout the Diaspora," confides lead singer Candice Hoyes. Drawing upon the words of cultural pioneer Zora Neale Hurston in her unrequited letter to W.E.B DuBois, the trio found inspiration. Hoyes further foretells, “Although we improvised these words in the studio on Sept 21, they resound this week. Art is meant to break the cycles of oppression and offer new ways of being." 

Featuring intoxicating basslines, eccelctic mystical landscapes, and the significant spoken word prose ”Illustrious Negro Dead”, the song is a poignant and profound musical masterpiece. The track is the second single from their highly-anticipated debut album set for release April 14, 2023.

Nite Bjuti crafts and produces an intentional and freshly intoxicating jazz meets electronica sonic experience, complete with hypnotic vocals, Haitian inspired drums, and soul penetrating basslines. Together, Nite Bjuti has performed at the nationally recognized 'Jazz at Lincoln Center' and has received acclaim from NPR, Earmilk, Jazz Times amongst many others. Thanks for your consideration.

Nite Bjuti is Candice Hoyes, Val Jeanty and Mimi Jones, an evocative improvised trio of Afro Caribbean artists using electronics, vocalism, bass, Haitian drum rhythms, sampling and spoken word to cultivate their narrative journey. They are UMEZ Arts Engagement Grant recipients for their 2022 mixed media installation commissioned by the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, and 2020 recipients of the NYC Women's Fund in Jazz Music to fully fund their forthcoming debut album.  

As inspiration, Nite Bjuti draws from a centuries old Haitian folklore called "Night Beauty,” about a girl whose bones begin to sing in her afterlife, her spirit seeking justice. Nite Bjuti has recently played Nublu Jazz Fest, NYC Winter JazzFest, WBGO live broadcast performance, The Schomburg Center, and Jazz at Lincoln Center. Internationally, they envision their music from concerts at electronic and jazz music venues, museums, cinema and dance and visual art installations. Nite Bjuti plays to rediscover the buried Diasporic beauty in the world, transcendent across generations. Intentionally, they improvise to build layers of intimate community both inside the band and with its audiences. Nite Bjuti debuted at Jazz at Lincoln Center as part of celebrating 2018 International Women’s Day.

Available here

Jazz flute meets hammond organ trio on Isabelle Bodenseh’s “Flowing Mind” (GLM Records) this February, in a celebration of the reinvigoration and relief shared by many after the Coronavirus pandemic.

The period saw the flautist face adversity on two fronts. The first, a total shutdown of performances,  was shared by many. But the virus also caused her to lose her breath, the basis of her craft and livelihood as a flute player. The waves of adrenaline she felt travelling to her first gig post-pandemic released an inner dam, both of creativity (hence the album's name) and by easing her breathing.

Historically the preferred soloist of the classic organ trio lineup has been the tenor saxophone, but Bodenseh’s stylistic idioms and extended flute techniques provide a refreshingly new take on the format. Influenced by her classical training, love for the jazz tradition and time spent in Cuba studying the Afro-Cuban style, the album presents a series of original compositions performed by an ensemble of long-term collaborators and dear friends.

Frequent shifts in texture and mood create the space for each member of the ensemble to make their mark on the record’s voice. Adventurous improvisation, bubbling, laid back grooves and confidently lyrical compositions come together to convey Bodenseh’s sense of joy through embracing her creativity after a long period of darkness.

Isabelle Bodenseh | Flutes Thomas Bauser | Hammond Organ Lorenzo Petrocca | Guitar  Lars Binder | Drums Hilde Singer-Biedermann | Violin (Track 9) Ruth Sarrazin | Cello (Track 9)

Track Listing

1. Confluting
2. ASAP
3. Flowing Mind
4. Molecular Cooking
5. Dog Rose
6. Mediterranean Sea
7. Sans Moi
8. Chilli Challi
9. Flowing Mind (Bonus Track)

Available here

Feb 3rd Manon Mullener releases her new album Insomnia. Available here

For her second album, Insomnia, pianist Manon Mullener performs with a quintet formed by young musicians bursting with creativity from the Swiss jazz scene.

With Insomnia, we witness the diversity that jazz has to offer. Influences sometimes jazz, sometimes Latin, Manon makes us travel in her universe for a colorful result and a guaranteed freshness.These musical explorations remain animated by Manon's trademark: an overflowing energy and a groove that never fails to make one dream and even dance.

Manon Mullener is a 25 year old pianist from Fribourg, Switzerland. Born into a family of musicians, she began her studies in Fribourg and then at the Bern University of Music, alongside Colin Vallon and Django Bates. In 2019 she recorded her first album as a piano duo with Cesar Correa and David Stauffacher on percussion. In 2022 she launched the Manon Mullener 5tet and recorded their first album, Insomnia, that same year. Despite her young age, Manon has performed and toured in numerous clubs and festivals in Switzerland and abroad, including France, Germany, Spain and Mexico.

Personnel

Manon Mullener – piano and composition

Victor Decamp – trombone

Samuel Urscheler – saxophones

Benjamin Jaton – doublebass

Lucien Mullener – drums

Recorded by Sacha Ruffieux at Studio de la Fonderie, Fribourg

Mixed and mastered by Erwan Boulay at Studio Sextan, Paris

Artwork by hervé studio, Fribourg

 All tracks written and arranged by Manon Mullener.

Manon Mullener website

16th January 2023: BBC Jazz Award Winner Anita Wardell and Australian Jazz Pianist Dave McEvoy have just self-released the first single 'Wouldn’t It Be Loverly?' through the distribution company, Distrokid, from their up-coming album “Stars”. You can now hear this track on most platforms including iTunes, Spotify, YouTube andmore. Anita and Dave will continue to release some more singles before the whole album comes out.

'Wouldn’t It Be Loverly?' available here

Having known and performed with each for many years, they decided in May 2022, to record a duo album exploring love and loss; the vulnerability of human experience; and the vast expanse of sky that can at once liberate you or bring you undone.

Anita and Dave released the album in Melbourne, Australia on Dec 8th 2022 with a live performance at the Melbourne Women’s International Jazz Festival. The album “Stars” is set to be released in the EU on the 29th April 2023 with a performance at the amazing Birdland Club in Hamburg, Germany. There will also be performances of this project in the UK.

Stars features some beautiful re-worked jazz standards and some originals including a dedication to the late, great British jazz singer Tina May.

How the record came about…….

The idea for the record originated in late April 2022 when Dave and Anita got together around the piano and talked about what we each wanted to convey with the music. “A connection with our respective authentic selves, our vulnerable selves, was something we both wanted so, we set about describing to each other, what the lyrics and the melodies represented to us. After ruminating for some time on the colour of the harmony and how it would enhance each song, and the way we heard it, we worked on reharmonising the chords, marrying it all together “

The Recording then took place on May 10/11 2022 at Wizard Tone Studios in Adelaide Australia with the talented engineer Jarrad Payne who totally captured the essence of this set of songs.

Anita, recipient of the prestigious BBC Jazz Award, was once described by Mark Murphy as ‘a gift’. Lauren Henderson (2020 winner of the National Jazz Awards) writes, ‘Anita Wardell is my hero; a world-class storyteller and improviser. Dave McEvoy embodies everything I believe jazz to be—honesty, heart, and playfulness—all the while maintaining impeccable technical command of the instrument. Don’t miss your chance to see two of the greatest living jazz musicians do their thing. It will change you.’