Espial release new album The Act Of Noticing on May 24th 2024, with DISCUS MUSIC

The Act Of Noticing is an invitation to enter a sound world rich in sonic imagery, evocative atmosphere, and finely wrought detail. This album takes listeners on a journey, at one moment guiding them through changing musical landscapes at high speed, at another inviting them to simply stop and stare.

Espial emerged from a discussion between David Beebee and myself about how to develop and extend the musical language we had established on our duo album for Discus, “Ripples”. David felt that expanding the group to a trio would be a good idea, and suggested inviting Josephine. Our first session playing together worked very well and so this new ensemble was born. 

The music on the album is almost entirely improvised. Listening back to the takes, there seemed to be a very evocative, organic quality to the pieces which informed the titling decisions. Just one piece, “… fresh snowfall at dawn”, used pre-composed material as a basis for improvisation. Everything else is entirely spontaneous. Everything is played live, with no overdubs. 

Espial is an archaic word meaning “the act of noticing”, which seemed hugely appropriate and appealing as the name for an improvising group.

Josephine Davies - tenor and soprano saxophones
David Beebee - electric piano / effects
Martin Pyne - vibraphone / balafon / percussion

BIOGRAPHIES

Winner of the 2019 Parliamentary Award ‘Jazz Instrumentalist of the year’, Josephine Davies is a musical artist at the forefront of the UK contemporary music scene. Her current main artistic project is Satori – a sax/bass/drums trio with an emphasis on extended and collaborative improvisation. It is a project that combines her seeking of freedom of expression with an interest in Japanese philosophy and lifestyle. As well as Satori she now leads her own big band ‘The Enso Ensemble’.  She is known for her melodic focus, versatility and unique style which has been described as “consistently inventive” (Jazzwise Magazine), “strong and authoritative” (The JazzMann) and “with winning immediacy” (MOJO Magazine).

David Beebee is a pianist , bass player, and composer. He leads his own trio, and a quartet playing his own music featuring saxophonist Julian Nicholas, drummer Eric Ford and bassist Jakub Cywinski. He plays in the trio Small Blue , with Marianne Windham and Martin Pyne , who have just released an album The Stealthy Moon,  and he  recently performed on singer Imogen Ryall’s highly acclaimed new album “Charles Mingus / Joni Mitchell Songbook” released on Rubicon Jazz. In addition to his work as a musician David is a highly accomplished recording engineer, and runs his own studio, Beeboss Studio, in Seaford on the South Coast of England.

Martin Pyne is a versatile musician, playing vibraphone, drums, and a range of other percussion. His own music ranges from free improvisation to relatively straight-ahead jazz, and takes in influences from jazz, world music, Americana, and the avant-garde. He leads a quartet, the trio Small Blue, and performs solo. He has an ongoing song writing partnership with singer Laura Zakian, and records and performs with Martin Archer and Charlotte Keeffe in the group Hi Res Heart. He also works regularly with leading silent film accompanist Stephen Horne. By far the greatest part of Martin’s professional time is spent working with contemporary dance. Martin’s solo album, Spirits Of Absent Dancers, was named by writer Richard Williams in The Guardian, as once of his top albums of 2020.

Josephine Davies website click here

LA-BASED SAXOPHONIST AND COMPOSER NICOLE MCCABE SHARES CAPTIVATING ORIGINAL MUSIC ON HER FOURTH RELEASE, MOSAIC
PRODUCED BY JEFF PARKER.

Release Date: 24th May 2024 on Ghost Note Records

Featuring:  Nicole McCabe – alto saxophone

Logan Kane – bass
Tim Angulo – drums
Julius Rodriguez – piano and Rhodes Jon Hatamiya – trombone (1, 8) Aaron Janik – trumpet (1, 8) Jeff Parker – guitar (6)

“Nicole’s saxophone tone ... is full, rich and self-assured with balance and nuance in all ranges.... Her improvisations are creative and informed by the jazz tradition in their substance and daring, [with] adventurous rhythmic pulses and challenging harmonic movements.” — Patrice Rushen

“There is humility and respect in her playing, a true cognizance of the tradition from where her art comes, and a feeling of surrender to where the music is directionally head.” — All About Jazz

Alto saxophonist Nicole McCabe established herself as one of the most compelling figures on the Los Angeles jazz scene with Introducing Nicole McCabe (2020, feat. George Colligan) and Landscapes (2022), two releases mainly for quartet on which she exhibited a strong sense of swing and an exploratory compositional approach. McCabe’s Improvisations EP, a 2022 solo session for alto with effects, revealed another part of her musical self, in terms of sonics and abstract, open-form extemporization. She is also one-half of the electro-jazz duo Dolphin Hyperspace with bassist Logan Kane, her partner in life and in music, bassist of choice for the great David Binney.

Kane and drummer Tim Angulo make up the formidable rhythm section on Mosaic, McCabe’s vibrant fourth release as a leader. On piano and Rhodes, impeccable and distinctive, is Verve recording artist Julius Rodriguez. McCabe expands the lineup on two tracks with trombonist Jon Hatamiya and trumpeter Aaron Janik, adding possibilities for denser orchestration and counterpoint. And guitarist Jeff Parker, of Tortoise and Chicago Underground renown, adds his focused melodic acuity on the ballad “Tight Grip.” Parker’s role as producer of Mosaic was a blessing, McCabe remarks: “I’m a big fan of Jeff’s music, and the way he’s able to push things forward. I was so grateful that he agreed to do this. He did what he does on his music, but in a way that fit my music.”

There’s a great deal of personal meaning to the two opening pieces, “Force of Good” and “Architect,” which McCabe refers to as a suite “for women that have influenced my life, who shaped me, female mentors specifically.” The final track, “Derecske” (pronounced DARE-ski), is named for a town in Hungary, McCabe explains: “It’s for my grandma, the only grandparent I have, one of the only family members I have. I called her and asked about her life, and that’s the town she grew up in. It means ‘little dew’ in Hungarian.”

Two of the tunes grew out of McCabe’s time in the Betty Carter Jazz Ahead residency program at the Kennedy Center, where she studied under Jason Moran. “‘Walking Statue’ is about preserving history and also moving things forward, which to me is what the Jazz Ahead program is doing,” she remarks. “‘Tight Grip’ was written for my uncle who I lost to drug addiction about a week before I started with Jazz Ahead. He was a musician, so I feel like he would be really proud of what I’m doing.” The dramatic crescendo and transition to all-out free playing toward the end, McCabe adds, “is maybe me venting my anger out about the cards my uncle was dealt and things I wish I’d done or said. And then at the end the tune enters a kind of peace. So the section before is about struggle, and at the end, it’s peace. I think everybody in the band really helped convey all those emotions.”

What Mosaic represents most, to McCabe, is the kind of live, spontaneous energy she and her colleagues aim for and consistently achieve on the bandstand. “It was fun to try out a new band, because this was something I wanted to build on compared to Landscapes, which was more about beauty and nature. For Mosaic I wanted to capture more of how I feel when I play live. And this felt so close to it.”

The band rises to the occasion in meeting that goal, lighting a rhythmic spark as they navigate forms and changes that aren’t as traditional as what McCabe might have used in the past. “‘Force of Good’ has the least amount of chords I think I’ve ever put in a piece,” she quips. “I’ve been listening to a lot of Joni Mitchell and things that depart from jazz, but I’ve also been influenced a lot this year by Kurt Rosenwinkel, Walter Smith III and Melissa Aldana, that kind of writing as well. To me Julius and Tim really embody the New York sound that I love. It’s very aggressive and right there with you—I can play whatever I’m feeling and they’re going to follow me. And Tim really pushes me to play beyond what I’m putting out. Julius is just incredible; he brings so many things to life in the music that I hadn’t written, different feels over things. And my musical bond with Logan continues to evolve. We always talk through gigs after the fact and advise each other a lot in the creative process. We both take pride in learning each other’s music really well, so if Logan is on a gig with my music I know that everything’s going to be okay.”

Originally from Marin County, California, Nicole McCabe now works and lives in Los Angeles, where she earned a Master’s from the University of Southern California’s Thornton School of Music, studying with Vince Mendoza, Patrice Rushen and Russell Ferrante. Her music stretches her hard-bop roots into new territory, informed by an expansive melodic sensibility. She’s become embedded in LA’s interdisciplinary scenes brewing outside the academy and around boundary-stretching labels including Ghost Note, Brainfeeder, Leaving and Minaret. She’s a mainstay at local hotspots Sam First, Altamira Sound and ETA, where she’s performed with Rachel Eckroth, Tina Raymond, Dave Harrington and more.

In addition to Mini Giraffe with Dolphin Hyperspace (2021), McCabe released the EP Orbit with beatmakers 10.4 Rog and Vooo. She was also featured on Jacob Mann Big Band’s Greatest Hits Volume

She has played with David Binney, John Escreet, Anna Butterss, Henry Solomon, Sasha Berliner, Louis Cole, Thumpasaurus and more. While at USC, she received the Los Angeles Jazz Society’s Jeff Clayton Memorial New Note Award and the Keep an Eye International Jazz Award. She currently teaches undergraduates at California State University, Northridge, as well as Los Angeles public school students through the Musicians at Play Foundation and the Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz program Jazz in the Classroom.

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London’s finest electro-prog-jazz group Emily Francis Trio are back to build on the futuristic soundscapes explored on their 2022 album ‘LUMA’. New EP ‘Atomic’, builds on the release of singles After The Rain and Lydian Child, creating a dystopian, sci-fi leaning soundtrack.

The ‘Atomic’ EP explores themes of conflict and turmoil, the importance of wellbeing, and even the supernatural, all channeled through the Trio’s customary approach to melody- driven, dynamic, and sonically ambitious compositions. Influences span the electro-jazz scenes of New York and Scandinavia, whilst also borrowing from vintage TV sci fi themes and 20th century contemporary classical and film scores. The project sees bandleader Emily Francis at her most free-wheeling to date, mixing up complex sound design with tender, melodic piano playing. Trevor Boxall’s other-worldy, thunderous bass tones compliment Emily perfectly, especially in the mix with the wildly innovative grooves of Jamie Murray.

“Where LUMA was occasionally sprawling, with its share of 7-minute-plus tracks, Atomic takes a more direct approach, placing melody front and centre, employing cinematic-style leitmotif, and propelling the music forward with driving rhythm and groove. The sound palette is more important than ever, playing a vital role in bringing characters within the music to life.”

Reflecting an emergence from a period of conflict and turmoil, lead single After The Rain paints an auditory picture of riding out a dystopian storm. Sparking images of a Blade Runner-esque cityscape pummelled by torrential rain, the dynamically rich composition builds to a captivating synth solo, before a triumphant resolution aims to inspire optimism for what lies ahead once the storm is over. Elsewhere, Lydian Child builds on the the bands distinctive blend of synth lines and other-worldly washes, emulating synesthesia with a vibrant assortment of sounds and harmonic flavours.

The Trio’s debut album, 2015's ‘The Absent', established their fresh take on the piano trio format, creating a sound with a strong emphasis on melody and groove, resulting in compositionally rich, original music. 2022's follow up ‘LUMA’ reinvented the trios sound, weaving synth-heavy soundscapes amongst prog-rock-tinged, odd-time grooves. Support for the record came from BBC Radio 6, Jazz FM, Music Is My Sanctuary, Twistedsoul and Women In Jazz, to name a few.

Buy and Listen here

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UK saxophonist, vocalist and composer KIM CYPHER presents her latest single release, ‘Birdie in the Grass’ – A light-hearted, jaunty, original Latin track with a feel-good summery vibe. 

This relaxed Bossa-Nova evolved out of appreciating the smaller things in life. One day during the pandemic lockdown, Kim observed a tiny baby bird playing in the grass, learning to fly, flapping its wings and just loving life. Standing at the window observing the activity, a cheeky little Latin melody soon evolved to accompany the joyful scene.

From Kim Cypher's forthcoming album 'Catching Moments', this track is one of twelve tracks on the album, including ten original tracks inspired by world and personal events of the past few years and focused around catching precious moments in life.

Featuring a whole host of special guest performers including Antonio Forcione, Liane Carroll, Ray Gelato, Ashley Slater, together with an ALL-STAR band, the album is part of Kim's vast, inspired 'Brighter Tomorrow' project, which has been devoted to paying tribute to those who work in The Arts #brightertomorrowforthearts

Track composed and produced by Kim Cypher

Personnel:

Kim Cypher - tenor saxophone

Antonio Forcione - guitar

Raph Mizraki - double bass

Karl Vanden Bossche - percussion

Mike Cypher - drums

Juanjo Lopez Vidal - recording engineer

Track release – 22nd May 2024

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Album release – 4th October 2024

Kim will debut ‘Birdie in the Grass’ together with a selection of other tracks from the album live at RONNIE SCOTT’S on Sunday 16th June as part of a special ALBUM PREVIEW Father’s Day celebration. Tickets available here

Jazz Vocalist Allegra’s latest album, Out Of The Question, is out of this world! Set for release on May 20, 2024

NEW YORK – “How deep is the ocean?” “What is this thing called love?” Jazz singer-songwriter Allegra Levy may not have all the answers, but she sure has plenty of questions. One thing about which there can be no question, though, is that her career is on the rise. Named one of the Top Ten Rising Stars among jazz vocalists in Downbeat’s 2021 Critics’ Poll, she has been dubbed a “double-barreled talent” by JazzTimes, and called everything from “sophisticated, worldly, and swinging” to “the new pin-up girl for cool.” Her latest album, to be released May 20, truly seals the deal. Out of the Question, Levy’s fifth release from SteepleChase Records, is composed entirely of songs in search of answers, from “Where Are You Going?” to Carole King’s “Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?” It features an all-star, all-women band, including Carmen Staaf on piano, Allison Miller on drums, and Mimi Jones on bass, with special guests Roxy Coss on sax, Aubrey Johnson on vocals, and Andrew Baird on guitar.

A Connecticut native now based in New York, Levy has appeared at most of the top jazz venues in NYC, including the Jazz Standard, the Blue Note, Birdland Theatre, Zinc Bar, and the Bitter End. “Fresh … exotic… and far beyond the ordinary,” declared The New York Times of her debut album, 2014’s Lonely City. Ever since, she has continued to pen a collection of harmonically adventurous-yet-familiar originals steeped in the Great American Songbook. Her third album, Looking at the Moon, was an Editor’s Pick in both DownBeat and JazzTimes. Her fourth, Lose My Number: Allegra Levy Sings John McNeil – featuring her own lyrics set to the tunes of renowned trumpeter John McNeil – was lauded in The New Yorker as “a showcase for Levy’s… agile vocalizing and her gift for sculpting words.”

Last spring, Levy ventured into jazz for the juvenile set with an internationally acclaimed children’s album, Songs for You and Me. Her new record, however, is strictly PG … or maybe even R, for rousing, riveting, and downright raunchy when it comes to her bluesy take on the ‘80s punk rock classic, “Should I Stay or Should I Go?” by The Clash.

This new project was the brainchild of Levy’s longtime collaborator, pianist Carmen Staaf, a winner of the Mary Lou Williams jazz piano competition, who currently serves as musical director for DeeDee Bridgewater. “She pointed out that some of the most beautiful songs are questions, not answers, and I became fascinated with the concept,” Levy says. “As I get older, I find that it really is more about the questions.”

The question remained what songs to choose. Although there were countless cross-genre standards to choose from — from Irving Berlin’s flapper-era “What’ll I Do?” to Michel Legrand’s haunting 1969 melody “What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life?” — the album also includes two classic instrumental numbers for which Levy wrote lyrics: “Are You Real?” by Benny Golson, and Horace Silver’s “Que Pasa?”

There are two of Levy’s originals as well, entitled “What’s In a Name?” and “What Are You Waiting For?” The latter is a sort of musical pep talk about going for what you want rather than waiting for dreams to magically come true. “It’s a message I want to pass on to newcomers and other young women on the scene,” Levy says, “to make your own dreams and shape your own existence, because nobody is going to hand it to you.”

One personal dream come true for her was getting to record with drummer Allison Miller. “She’s been one of my heroes ever since I got to New York,” Levy says. Called “a modern jazz icon in the making” by All About Jazz, Miller is known for everything from leading her own stellar band, Boom Tic Boom, to being a member of the supergroup ARTEMIS. Her frequent collaborators include singers Brandi Carlile, Ani DiFranco, and Natalie Merchant, organ legend Dr. Lonnie Smith, and reedists Anat Cohen and Ben Goldberg, as well as Staaf, with whom she has released two stellar albums.

Rounding out the band is bassist Mimi Jones, voted No. 2 Rising Star jazz bassist in Downbeat’s Critics’ Poll three years in a row. During her more than two decades as both a leader and sought-after sidewoman, she has worked with everyone from Beyoncé, Dianne Reeves, and DeeDee Bridgewater to Roy Hargrove, Ravi Coltrane, and Terri Lyne Carrington. The combined force of these three phenomenal femme fatales helped inspire the album’s title. “I have this all-female trio that can’t be reckoned with,” Levy explains, “and messing with them is really ‘out of the question.’”

The same could be said for Levy herself, who continues to accumulate accolades. She was among last year’s winners of the John Lennon Songwriting Competition for Best Children’s Song. She was also a 2023 finalist in the International Songwriting Competition’s Children’s Music category for her song “It’s So Hard to Be You.” Plus, she took first place in the 2019 Great American Song Contest’s Adult Contemporary Music category for her pop tune “Waste My Time.” Yet she is equally known for her jazzy originals and rich, emotive, contralto voice. A graduate of New England Conservatory, she proudly serves on the leadership of the Women in Jazz Organization. She wishes to dedicate this album to her young daughter, Stella Plum, as well as her future son, due this summer, about whom she wonders,“Who will you become?” But in the end, “Sometimes we don’t need all the answers,” Levy says. “We just have to explore the questions.”

Out of the Question will be available on all major platforms.

Album Details: Out of the Question

Release Date: May 20, 2024

Label: SteepleChase Records

Out of the Question Track Listing

1. Are You Real?

2. What Are You Waiting For?

3. Where Are You Going?

4. Should I Stay or Should I Go?

5. What Is This Thing Called Love?

6. Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?

7. Que Pasa?

8. What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life?

9. Will You Still Be Mine?

10. What's In a Name?

11. How Deep is the Ocean?

12. What Are You Doing New Year's Eve?

13. What'll I Do?

Allegra Levy website

BOREAL SUN channel broken beat, 70s fusion and acid jazz on highly anticipated debut project!A collaboration between Swedish vocalist Liselotte Östblom (Sput, Ghost-Note) and UK producer/multi-instrumentalist Matt Roberts (Cleo Sol, Jorja Smith), BOREAL SUN are set to release their highly anticipated debut EP via Bridge The Gap on Friday 17th May. It follows the success of singles which drew support from tastemakers including Jamz Supernova and Deb Grant (BBCR6), Gilles Peterson (WWFM), Kev Beadle (TWR) and Tony Minvielle (Jazz FM), as well as recieving widespread airplay across Jazz FM, Rinse FM, NTS and more.

Formed in London, BOREAL SUN showcases the very best talent of the city’s thriving jazz, groove and independent music scenes. ‘Dawn’ features contributions from bassist/producer Robin Mullarkey (Brotherly, Jacob Collier), percussionist Yahael Camara Onono (Balimaya Project), saxophonist Emma Rawicz, drummer Josh Blackmore (Troyka, SiZE), flautist Gareth Lockrane and many more.

The group combine syncopated grooves, sweeping orchestrations, uplifting vocal hooks, powerful lyrical themes and explorative improvisations. The result is a rich, captivating sonic landscape that speaks to the breadth of influences, ranging from the 1970’s fusion excursions of Herbie Hancock and Wayne Shorter, to London’s broken beat and acid jazz movements of the 1990’s.

Scene-setting opener ‘First Light’ flows seemlessly into ‘New Beginning’, where West African influences are channeled into a utopian tale of endless possibilities and opportunities to flourish. Continuing with the theme of utopia, ‘Horizon’ acts as a call to action for fragmented social movements to come together for collective liberation, set against a backdrop of broken, jazz-funk grooves that build into an expansive string chorale.

 Lead single ‘ Code’ explores themes of hedonism and the strains of modern society, presenting a dancefloor-ready concoction of broken beat and 70s fusion. Its frantic grooves dissolve into uplifting soul-fusion cut ‘Gold’, written as a letter to a young child to encourage self-worth and to pursue a brighter future. ‘Can We Take A Moment’ closes the project on a memorable note, relating back to themes from ‘ Code’ and featuring a Brecker-esque saxophone solo from Emma Rawicz.

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