Brava Jazz Publishing Creates a Platform for Women Composers and Arrangers in the Field of Big Band Jazz!

The new publishing company, a collaboration between jazz composer/arrangers Annie Booth and Alan Baylock, launches in Spring 2023 with a diverse catalog of big band music for all ability levels from middle school to professional, composed and/or arranged by women.

DENVER, March 8, 2023 – The first jazz publishing outlet of its kind, Brava Jazz is on a mission to support and champion women composers and arrangers in the field of big band jazz by creating a platform for their music to be widely published and distributed.

In pursuit of music that would diversify the UNT One O’Clock Lab Band’s setlists, Alan Baylock (composer, arranger, conductor) discovered that the major publishing outlets offered very few, if any, big band charts composed and/or arranged by women. In considering how he could lend his strengths in jazz arranging, copywork, and bandleading to help the visibility of women in the field, he formed the idea of a publishing company.

Brava Jazz Publishing began to grow roots when Alan met Annie Booth (composer, arranger, pianist), whose experiences in advocacy for women and young women in jazz inform a meaningful part of her career. Her experience as a big band composer, coupled with her entrepreneurial spirit, made her a terrific match in this endeavor.

Brava Jazz Publishing boasts an impressive and diverse artist roster with some of the brightest voices in jazz composition and arranging today. With a diverse array of music for all ability levels from middle school to professional, Brava Jazz provides a definitive resource for jazz ensemble directors to diversify their setlists effortlessly through the performance of the highest quality music composed and/or arranged by women. Aiming to expand the recognition and number of women composing and arranging for big bands Brava Jazz Publishing is making jazz herstory.

For more information about Brava Jazz Publishing, its catalog, and its artists, visit the Brava Jazz website https://bravajazz.com.

Singer Noga Ritter Releases Inspirational Song + Video ‘Ima’ (Mother) Celebrating Womankind on International Women’s Day 8th March 2023!

Noga Ritter is an exciting singer-songwriter poised to release the title track single ‘Ima’ from her 2023 debut album. 'Ima' is a celebration of the creativity and power of womankind. As a much-loved and respected London-based eclectic jazz singer, Noga’s upbeat global grooves have sold out recent London shows including a performance as part of the 2022 EFG London Jazz Festival and the first Jewish fringe festival in London, Tsitsit. Translating from Hebrew as ‘mother’, ‘Ima’ is beautifully enhanced by the sounds of the African kora as performed by Senegalese star kora player, Seckou Keita. ‘Ima’ is being released on International Women’s Day, March 8th, 2023 through Galileo Music. 

Mother & Daughter ‘Ima’ is a very special and personal song for Noga who wrote both the music and lyrics for her mother, Michal Ritter’s 60th birthday. Michal was a super creative woman who worked professionally as a Feldenkrais therapist for many years. Due to unforeseen and a very unfortunate turn of events, in her 61st year Michal Ritter was diagnosed with cancer and passed away in Israel in March 2022. At the time Noga was completing work on her debut album, IMA. One of their last conversations gave Noga the strength to continue work with her album and create an exceptional video for ‘Ima.’

The Leviot Project Is Born. In her last months, Michal Ritter turned her Feldenkrais therapy studio into an art studio and had 3 art classes a week, 2 belly dancing classes dedicating herself fully to art, during her life she had focused on taking care of others. In a poignant conversation, Noga asked her mother what she would do if she was able to heal herself, to which Michal answered that she would create art, movement and dance meetings for women where they could share thoughts and insights exploring them through art, movement and dance. She would call this group Leviot which is Hebrew for ‘lioness.’

Fulfilling Michal’s legacy, Noga and her sister, Ossi Ritter created the first Leviot group residency at their parents’ house in Haifa in November, 2022. They invited 5 incredible women from West African and Afro Brazilian dance groups in London whose roots spanned from Brazil, Germany, Chile, Caribbean, Guinea, Yemen, Israel and the UK. Exploring the themes Michal Ritter spoke of towards the end of her life, the Leviot Project ended filming the music video for Noga Ritter’s single ‘Ima’ dedicated to her mother. The women in the video ‘Ima’ are the lionesses of the Leviot Project. 

As Noga says, “This song ‘Ima’ celebrates women, mothers as the creators of life, infinite love and creativity. Featuring Seckou Keita's unique kora sound on this song really brings to life the blessing I wished for all women to fly high and express their full creative power. Dedicated to my mother, Michal Ritter, who passed away from cancer in Spring 2022, this song is a tribute song with a wider message of empowerment and inspiration for women to express their creative voices and celebrate their art.”

Noga Ritter’s new single ‘Ima’, video and album IMA was made possible by an Arts Council England Project Grant (national lottery fund), Help Musicians UK and by a crowdfunding campaign. The single + video ‘Ima’ is releasing on 8th March 2023 through Galileo Music ahead of Noga Ritter’s debut album, IMA, scheduled for international release on 12th May 2023. 

You are invited to watch the official video for 'Ima' by Noga Ritter featuring Leviot Collective: 'Ima'

‘Ima’ The Single Information

Artist: Noga Ritter
Label: Galileo Music
Digital Single: Ima (Mother) from the May 2023 album IMA
Language of Song: Hebrew

Special Note: ‘Ima’ features Senegalese kora player, Seckou Keita
Release Date: March 8, 2023 

Artist website for further information

The second single of the new CD "Colours" from Italian Drummer and Composer Cecilia Sanchietti.

COLOURS is the new Album (the fifth) of Cecilia Sanchietti, Italian drummer and composer based in Sweden and Italy, and will be released in September 23. Two singles have been launched Argento and now Pink. Dark Blue out in June.

The CD comes from the previous Album released in 2021 with the Cecilia Sanchietti Swedish Quintet “Postcard from Gamla Stan” and aims to continue that pathway: creating music with the fusion of Italian and Swedish sounds, modern jazz mood, contemporary, pop-jazz.

From the second Album of Cecilia Sanchietti, "La terza via" dedicated to courage, to “Postcard from Gamla Stan” dedicated to the kindness, the new CD “Colours” focuses on emotions and the different pictures that everyone gives to the states of soul. Each track has is colour, Dark blue, Pink, Argento (silver) and more, in which everyone can reflect any appeal or memory.

Colours is released in cooperation with the Italian Institute of Culture CM Lerici in Stockholm and the Swedish Embassy in Rome.

Cecilia Sanchietti - Drums and composition
Feat. Lutte Berg - Electric Guitar
Alberto Pinton - Bass Clarinet
Adam Forkelid - Piano
Par-Ola Landin - Doublebass

Available to buy here

Vocalist, performer & composer Vivienne Aerts new album Typuhthâng will be released March 3, 2023 in conjunction with International Women’s Day. Together with 100 next-generation female musicians, and in collaboration with Original Beans Chocolate, Typuhthâng aims to empower the female cacao farmers of Virunga State Park in Congo and replant the rainforest.

The album features 3 sampled soundscapes made from field recordings from Virunga State Park, Congo and 6 original songs with arrangements by Vivienne**, Zahili Gonzalez Zamora**, Ines Velasco Montiel, Ga Young Bae, Linnea Lundgren, Camila Meza and Mariel Roberts as well as recordings by 100 female musicians from over 40 countries.

The songs featured in Typuhthâng are meant to empower women to participate in every role of the project including performing, recording, arranging, mixing, and mastering. Vivienne aims to create a larger collective awareness about sustainability and female empowerment, and how we can work together to make the world a better place.

The album will be available physically, and digitally. When ordered physically, buyers will get a bar of chocolate with the album. The initial pressing of 500 exclusive copies will feature Cacao nib paper and screen print.

Aerts’ music translates feelings into song and connects with people of various backgrounds on a deep and personal level with a light-hearted approach. It contains themes of self-appreciation and the ability to create your own path in life.

“My work with Vervool, a bespoke multi-sensory experience launched with my pastry chef husband, Ted Steinebach, connected me with Original Beans Chocolate,” says Aerts. “Talking with Philipp Kauffmann, the founder, I was inspired by their passion for sustainability, The Femmes de Virunga are a cacao farm collective of 1500 women in Virunga State Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The collective, initiated and supported in 2008 by Original Beans, gave women the tools and opportunities to overcome extreme hardship and political unrest. These women, often victimized and routinely left to undertake hard agricultural labor, were empowered through literacy campaigns and leadership training, invited to cultivate cacao and set up a tree nursery. In cultivating this crop, they cultivate their communities. Continued learning, regenerative farming and stable "living wage" from Original Beans enables them to elevate their standard of living.”

“I wanted to use my music to raise awareness of this project. I wanted to use my music, not to inspire charity but to match their entrepreneurial spirit and generate business, ‘Let’s make an album that sells their chocolate.’ And of course, chocolate and music are a bit of a magical combination, right?”

Aerts is a Dutch New York-based vocalist, conductor, and composer with a focus on electronics and multi- sensory experience design. She studied on a Fulbright and graduated Suma Cum Laude at Berklee College of Music (Boston, USA) where she worked with renowned jazz artists such as Danilo Perez, Joe Lovano, and John Patitucci. Since then, Vivienne has shared the stage with both national and international Jazz icons such as Lee Konitz, Kenny Werner, Chris Potter, Peter Erskine, and Florian Weber. Vivienne released her first album Roofgarden in 2009 and her second album Polaroid in 2012. Vivienne has been residing in New York City since 2015 where has performed at the Blue Note Jazz Club, Jazz Standard, Metropolitan room and Mezrow. Together with her husband she organizes events and performances under the name Vervool using jazz, haute cuisine, and modern art.

Aerts also works with Kenny Werner and the Effortless Mastery Institute at Berklee. Before moving to America, she graduated as a jazz/pop choir conductor and got a master's degree in Clinical Psychology after which she worked several years as a psychologist, a teacher, and a conductor of several choirs besides performing with different bands as a singer. In 2018 Aerts spoke at the National Fulbright conference in Mexico at two TEDx events and recorded on Kenny Werner’s 2019 Vinyl release Church On Mars with Dave Liebman, Terri Lyne Carrington and James Genus for NewVelle records.

Available here

Saxophonist and composer Kira Linn is releasing her next album Illusion on April 7th with the renowned English label Whirlwind Recordings. In preparation for the album release Kira is released the single ‘Women To Sky‘ on March 2nd. The single is about female empowerment. “That's why I decided to release the corresponding music video on the occasion of International Women's Day on March 8. I produced the music video very elaborately in collaboration with the director Geraldine Rodriguez and some female dancers“

The new album Illusion, by Kira Linn and her Linntett is an exciting mix of styles, in the context of which the German baritone saxophonist is treading several new paths.

“Over the past two years I listened to a lot of pop, indie, electro, neo-soul and R&B - Billie Eilish, Hiatus Kaiyote or Bon Iver, for example. Accordingly, these influences can also be heard in my new compositions.” Kira Linn

At the same time, Linn does not limit her discoveries to composing, but mixes the big picture with other ideas. For the first time, the trained musician sings and has written her own lyrics for a selection of songs. The instrumental ground for this is provided by the Linntett, which in addition to the Cologne band leader consists of Nino Wenger (as, fl), Christopher Kunz (ts, ss), Lukas Großmann (p, synth), Lukas Keller (eb) and Johannes Koch (dr). Also on board is Italian-German singer Francesca Gaza as co-producer, which gives the whole project an electronic makeover. "Illusion" combines synth, rhodes and electric bass sounds with acoustic elements of alto, tenor and baritone saxophone as well as drums. Soundscapes, noise and overdubs form additional stylistic elements, so to speak, as glitter of this highly interesting body of work. Stephan van Wylick recorded in the Osnabrück studio "Fattoria Musica", Swiss producer Patrik Zosso was responsible for mixing and mastering. The listeners find themselves in the midst of a combination of jazz gestures, neo-soul romanticism and latent-irreverent Nintendo pop - and the lyricism is just as contrary.

“During the Pandemic, many new feelings came up that I hadn't felt before. I also had a lot of time to think about issues like equality and climate protection. I put all these thoughts into lyrics for the first time on "Illusion". Anger and powerlessness, but also strength, diversity and freedom are core concepts that run through the whole album.”

The mentioned states of mind and their consequences can be found on the record in various forms; as extended saxophone improvisations, for example, by means of a one-minute speed song - or simply when Kira Linn sings beguilingly deep about the search for that certain something or the mutual support of women. But also in the design the different values were implemented: bright, strong colors and a bandleader, who takes a new form on every picture, testify to the multifacetedness of the album. However, the following applies: no mirage - everything is real. Just the way Kira Linn and her Linntett like it.

Kira is releasing a music video on International Women's Day on March 8 which we will be sharing on our platforms. Kira produced the music video in collaboration with the director Geraldine Rodriguez.

To follow and support Kira, please visit her website here