Julian Lage – Soundpoint/Nominee for Best Contemporary Jazz Album – 52nd Annual Grammy Awards

Posted on December 8, 2009 by Fresh

Greetings readers. A somewhat frigid night here in the DC Metro area. I hope those in similar weather conditions are keeping warm.

The other day I perused this category and took a listen to Julian Lage. I had never heard of this nominee until this the nominees list came out, and was pleasantly surprised to find him as a guitarist. Being a child prodigy, musically, is nothing new at all, but being prodigious in a number of different genres and combining them into one style is no so commonplace. Receiving accolades from various music luminaries at such a young age is also uncommon. Being a guitarist, I’m naturally biased to him as a nominee (this goes for Mike Stern as well). What I found myself thinking about his style of music was…it didn’t quite match what I thought a contemporary jazz album should sound like. Lage’s style, to me, has somewhat heavy folk influences across the board and my experience with contemporary jazz, listening to it for 30+ years, doesn’t quite jive what that (I lend the same mindset to Mike Stern’s “Big Neighborhood” with the rock influences, as well). As I listened to the tracks from his most excellent release, Soundpoint, I became increasingly impressed by each song, particularly his rendition of Miles Davis’ “All Blues”. Equally impressive is the height of musical stature that he’s grown into, by not only releasing a Grammy nominated album, but already (by age 21) being a sideman to jazz great Gary Burton. Here’s Julian discussing Soundpoint, released on Emarcy Records:

To me, Soundpoint is a collection of very well done, intricate arrangements and performances that encompasses the mastery of his instrument. I find it interesting that the selections themselves find themselves in this category, but I enjoy them nonetheless. I wonder if he will, in the future, perform his arrangements with a larger electric ensemble or continue bring his compositions in a group such as this. In any event, it will be a welcome addition to my collection

Julian Lage Online

Official Website
Facebook
Myspace
All About Jazz

peace,
Fresh.

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The Sunday Soundtrack f/Afterlife – 06 Dec 09

Posted on December 7, 2009 by Fresh

Hello, and welcome back for another edition of The Sunday Soundtrack. I hope this post finds you well.

It’s been a crazy week. The GRAMMYs are well underway and I was chosen to be the official community blogger for the category of Jazz. We have an excellent group of community bloggers, all on Twitter, that do an excellent job of representing the major categories. Any time it gets busy, I usually resort to doing a very chilled podcast. That being said, I bring you the king of chiil, Afterlife. Steve Miller is Afterlife and is the top downtempo producer in the UK and the most played artist in Ibiza. I couldnt see why he WOULDN’T be the top rated. Take a listen to the tracks, and I’m sure you would agree.

Special shouts today to @mainelementlove, thanks for the comment you left. My apologies for posting the podcast late tonite (see above). @deegospel…go and get your scribe on.

I present to you the playlist


1. Clear Blue Sky – Afterlife/The St. Regis Chill & Groove
2. Ozo – Afterlife/Speck of Gold
3. Speck of Gold – Afterlife/The St. Regis Chill & Groove
4. Breather 2000 (Arithunda Mix) – Afterlife/The St. Regis Chill & Groove
5. Smooch – Afterlife/Speck of Gold
6. Miracles – Afterlife
7. Shine – AfterLife ft Cathy Battistessa/The Blue Bar
8. Falling – Afterlife/Simplicity Two Thousand
9. Cry – Afterlife/The Mix EP
10. Cry (Sunset Dream Mix) – Afterlife/The Mix EP
11. Sunrise [DJ Thunda & The K20 Allstars Mix] – Afterlife/Speck of Gold
12. Rood Beatz (Cornucopia Remix) – Afterlife/Speck of Gold

Afterlife Online
The Official Myspace Site
The Official Afterlife Website

Back to studio work…

Have a great day!

peace and blessings…
F!

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Jazz is Life Music

Posted on December 5, 2009 by Fresh

Greetings readers. I’ve been rolling around the net checking out all the Grammy happenings online from the official Grammy site to Facebook to Twitter and see that, as usual, there’s a lot of buzz. About a half hour ago, I finished a recording session with a talented keyboardist and friend. As I listened to him play the piano tracks, I thought about his love for the instrument he plays and the level of training he has, he delivers his playing, oftentimes, via jazz progressions. I began to think about how musical education in the schools greatly lessened in importance of over the years. There are many dynamics that keep a young musicians desire alive other than formal school training, but the facts are clear that the importance itself has diminished. Jazz has been no stranger to this dissipation. One could say that the advancements in music composing technology has added to the lack of importance AND possibly the desire to learn an instrument when many composing tools (digital audio workstations) come complete with samples and loops designed to compose entire songs with at least mouse clicks on a workspace. As a guitarist for 30 years AND an electronic musician, I can embrace both methods of composing music, and frankly, they marry well. It’s the experience and memory of taking guitar lessons, playing in the high school jazz ensembles and having the opportunity to take part in school music programs that I found to be most enriching as a musician.

I came across an interesting article by Wynton Marsalis: Jazz Is Life Music. If you are fan of jazz and especially a musician, give it a read. Here’s an excerpt:

“”How to make students want to learn…hmmm…. My father used to say, Ê»You can bring a horse to water but you can’t make him thirsty.’ The best way I’ve found to combat the haze of uninspired participation that engulfs some of our young is for the director to be aggressively Inspired. Yeah, that’s what we need to do out here: stay inspired no matter what.
” You can read the entire article, originally appearing in the Oct 2009 Downbeat Magazine, here.

::: oceans of rhythm :::

F!

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Stefon Harris and Blackout/Urbanus – Nominee for Best Contemporary Jazz Album – 52nd Annual Grammy Awards

Posted on December 5, 2009 by Fresh

Good evening readers. It’s Friday night, a little after 10pm and I’m finally settled down in the studio after a LONG work week. Hope this blog post finds you well. Stefon Harris and Blackout is a group of young, very talented jazz musicians that have been nominated in Category 44 – Best Contemporary Jazz Album, for their release, Urbanus. As I listen to the CD in the background, I think of the category they’re nominated for, and the category keyword that remains most descriptive is the adjective contemporary. Take a listen to Stefon discuss the essence of Urbanus, the second CD as the group, Blackout

Stefon Harris, is what is known in the jazz genre as a “young lion”, due to, of course, his age in comparison to the age of legendary jazz musicians who have achieved what he is doing, but at a later age. I first discovered Stefon by his second CD, Black Action Figure, which was released in 1999 on Blue Note Records. I’ve always liked the vibes (Milt Jackson, Bobby Hutcherson, etc), and to hear a fresh new, and young vibraphonist on the scene was akin to cool water and I’ve been a fan ever since. Fast forward to the more recent recordings from the group, Blackout, He is associated with the subgenres hard bop, post bop and progressive jazz, but infuses comtemporary stylings into his music. He’s quoted in the December 2009 issue of Ebony Magazine as saying “There is a misunderstanding of what jazz is…jazz is incredibly pliable..our music is about the here and now; it is not about the past. People think we’re mixing jazz and hip-hop, but I think that this is what jazz is now. My music is indicative of my generation… and old school artists and fans should embrace all jazz forms”.

I, especially as a musician, agree full circle with that. I’m definitely liking this release, and see Stefon Harris as being on of the primary vibraphonists on the jazz scene for years to come.

Stefon Harris & Blackout

Stefon Harris – Vibes/Composer
Marc Cary – Keys
Ben Williams – Bass
Terreon Gully – Drums
Casey Benjamin – Alto sax

On the web:
Official Website
Myspace
Facebook Fan Page
Blogspot
Twitter
Ben Williams (bassist) – Twitter
Stefon Harris discusses Blackout
NPR Favorite Sessions: Stefon Harris and Blackout at WBGO-FM

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The 52nd Annual Grammy Awards Jazz Nominees – They Got The Jazz!

Posted on December 2, 2009 by Fresh

Jazz

Greetings Jazz Fans…

Did you catch the Grammy Live Nominations Concert Show this evening. It was pretty exciting and finally all the nominees have been made public! Earlier this evening I posted a a tweet with Sunday Soundtrack hotline number for commenting on the Jazz nominees. Even before the show started, I got a the call below:Well, the wait is over, my friend the wait is over, here they are: The 52nd Annual Grammy Awards Jazz Nominees

Here’s the young lion, Stefon Harris, one of the nominees in Category 44 – Best Contemporary Jazz Album
discussing his group, Blackout

Feel free to call in comments to The Sunday Soundtrack Hotline: 301.458.0499

Stay tuned…more posts to come!

::: oceans of rhythm :::

Fresh!

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“Just a little bit of Jazz” – The 52nd Annual Grammy Awards

Posted on December 2, 2009 by Fresh

Greetings readers….

I trust this post finds you well AND in good spirits. Here we are approaching the end of another year…December 2009. While we are close to that end, it’s conversely just the beginning (again) for the annual Grammy Awards…The 2010 52nd Annual Grammy Awards, to be exact. I was chosen to provide the official podcast for the nominees in the Jazz category last year and I am extremely honored to be picked by The GRAMMYs to be the official community blogger for this year’s award category of Jazz. Honored in that this genre represents the indigenous music of America…born and raised here. Even so much so, that the drumset, an instrument so foundational to the genre, was originated in the US.

Jazz, in itself, has taken an evolutionary journey. While the foundations of classical jazz, hard bop, bebop, ragtime, etc are very much alive, there have been many sub genres culminating from the formation of what I like to call jazz hybrids…neo-jazz, nu-jazz, hip-hop jazz, acid jazz, jazz fusion etc. While we do and will always have jazz purists, the evolution of this great musical art form remains to breath life into generation after generation of music lover.

Tomorrow, December 2 at 9pm ET/PT, The GRAMMYs Nominations Concert LIVE! will air on CBS. Hosted by LL Cool J, the show will have a host of phenomenal performances, along with the category nominee announcements. I can’t think of a better kickoff to the greatest and most respected music awards show ever.

This year, The GRAMMYs have fully embraced and leveraged social media to the greatest possible extent, Facebook and Twitter, being among the two major entities. This, I am sure, is just the beginning of what’s store.
Picture 1

The GRAMMYs theme this year is “We’re All Fans” , a mindset and mantra, if you will, that says EVERYONE, from the professional agency columnist to the everyday listener, is a fan of the universal language of music. The GRAMMYs blogger community Twitter link is where you’ll be able to catch not only my thoughts on the jazz nominees but other chosen community bloggers that were given the opportunity to share their thoughts on the nominees they are covering up until the award ceremony itself Sunday, January 31, 2010.

There are some exciting things in store between now and then, so let’s get ready for the ride. Again, I express my sincere thanks to The GRAMMYs for choosing me to represent the bloggers worldwide to represent and cover the nominees in the category of jazz, You know I’ll be keepin’ it jazzy from “hear” on out!

The GRAMMYs Official Twitter Link
The GRAMMYs Facebook Fan Page

Let’s go!

Best…
Doug

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Welcome To The Sunday Soundtrack – 22 Nov 09

Posted on November 22, 2009 by Fresh

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Good evening listeners…

Thanks, as usual, for checking back in. It’s about 8:15pm here in the DMV. It’s been a pretty midline weekend in that it wasn’t too busy or too laid back. I’m definitely glad we’re approaching the holiday season because I’m in definite need of some time off, for sure.

I hope this blogpost and selection of tracks finds you well. All but two of these tracks are new and in that, I hope you’ll enjoy the recent discoveries. I’m bringing back an artist that I featured over the summer, Joe Pacheco aka Inner Light Spectrum. I happen to like his brand of ambient and downtempo tracks. Not only is he a talented musician, but personable gent as well. Hope it hasn’t started getting TOO cold up in Canada as of yet. I will say that I remember those crisp, brisk days in Hamilton, like it was yesterday. Thanks for letting me feature more of your tracks.

Starting off the podcast is my choice of one of the smoothest, mid-tempo tracks I’ve discovered lately. Jimpster pretty much works magic with any remix he touches, and this one is no exception. I’ve posted the video of Panacea to the Sunday Soundtrack Facebook Group. Closing out the Sunday Soundtrack is one of my TOP favorite chill tracks that I’ve come across. “Really?” is a track that….well…listen and you tell me what you think (smile).

The one track that describes my personality in this playlist comes from producer and DJ, Jose Padilla. He brings to us “Come Back”, the bonus track from the ever popular Cafe Del Mar Series, Disc 2. This track is definitely me. That being said, I present to you the playlist.


1. Panacea (Jimpster remix) Fragile State/Selected Remixes 2000|2003
2. S.I.P. – Boozoo Bajou/Dust My Broom
3. Rhythmbreeze (Spy Mix) – Fresh Moods/Fresh Moods
4. I just wanted to say… – Inner Light Spectrum/The Path to Reality
5. Come Back (Bonus Track) РJose Padilla/Caf̩ del Mar: The Best Of (disc 2) .
6. Drop The Pain – Kuba/Through A Lense
7. Curiosity – Amba/Amba
8. Smooch – Afterlife/Speck of Gold
9. The Geometer of Dreams – Darshan Ambient/From Pale Hands To Weary Skies
10. Really – Bluemind/Om Chilled, Vol. 2

I’d like to give a shout out to some new listeners and members of the Facebook group as well. Susan Curry and Holly Algeo. Thank you both for joining the group. Both cool people! Susan is a very talented photographer, I hope to showcase some of her images in future podcast blogposts. Holly and I go back, I mean waaaay back…waaay waaay back….high school…yeah, that far. All the best to you and the family, Holly.

For those celebrating Thanksgiving, I want to wish you a very happy one. Remember to give thanks everyday.

For those of you on Twitter, you can follow The Sunday Soundtrack here. Facebook fans, the group is here.

I’ll be taking a break next Sunday and will be back on 6 December. Til then, best wishes.

peace,
F!

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PSA: 2010 Census is Coming – Beware of Scammers

Posted on November 12, 2009 by Fresh

Sharing some advice from our company’s Security Office. Read and heed.

Have a great day,

F!

2010 Census to Begin

THIS IS PRETTY BASIC ADVICE; BUT, IN TODAY’S TIMES, I CAN SEE IT COULD LEAVE AN OPEN DOOR FOR PASSING OUT YOUR PRIVATE INFORMATION.
WARNING: 2010 Census Cautions from the Better Business Bureau

Be Cautious About Giving Info to Census Workers by Susan Johnson

With the U.S. Census process beginning, the Better Business Bureau (BBB) advises people to be cooperative, but cautious, so as not to become a victim of fraud or identity theft. The first phase of the 2010 U.S. Census is under way as workers have begun verifying the addresses of households across the country.. Eventually, more than 140,000 U.S. Census workers will count every person in the United States and will gather information about every person living at each address including name, age, gender, race, and other relevant data..

The big question is – how do you tell the difference between a U.S.. Census
worker and a con artist? BBB offers the following advice:

If a U.S. Census worker knocks on your door, they will have a badge, a handheld device, a Census Bureau canvas bag, and a confidentiality notice. Ask to see their identification and their badge before answering their questions. However, you should never invite anyone you don’t know into your home.

Census workers are currently only knocking on doors to verify address information. Do not give your Social Security number, credit card or banking information to anyone, even if they claim they need it for the U.S. > Census.

REMEMBER, NO MATTER WHAT THEY ASK, YOU REALLY ONLY NEED TO TELL THEM HOW MANY PEOPLE LIVE AT YOUR ADDRESS.

While the Census Bureau might ask for basic financial information, such as a salary range, YOU DON’T HAVE TO ANSWER ANYTHING AT ALL ABOUT YOUR FINANCIAL SITUATION. The Census Bureau will not ask for Social Security, bank account, or credit card numbers, nor will employees solicit dona tions. Any one asking for that information is NOT with the Census Bureau.

AND REMEMBER, THE CENSUS BUREAU HAS DECIDED NOT TO WORK WITH ACORN ON GATHERING THIS INFORMATION.. No Acorn worker should approach you saying he/she is with the Census Bureau.

Eventually, Census workers may contact you by telephone, mail, or in person at home. However, the Census Bureau will not contact you by Email, so be on the lookout for Email scams impersonating the Census.

Never click on a link or open any attachments in an Email that are supposedly from the U.S. Census Bureau.

For more advice on avoiding identity theft and fraud, visit www.bbb.org

Keep your Personal Information Safe.

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Welcome To The Sunday Soundtrack – 08 Nov 09

Posted on November 8, 2009 by Fresh

kenyastreet

Photo Credit: Kenya Allmond

Greetings Listeners…

How’s everyone’s weekend been? I hope well and extend the wishes to your day if the weekend is over when u are listening to this. Next month will be the two year anniversary of The Sunday Soundtrack. I can’t believe how two years flew by that quick, but I’ve loving every minute of this. Someone tweeted me a question asking if I get any money from doing the podcast. I replied that I don’t, and that it is a labor of love project. While I definitely DON’T and WON’T mind any donations (hmm, how do I get that Paypal Donate button on here…LOL), the comments my listeners leave are so very much worth it, so I extend a great thanks to all of you. I’ve made, and continue to make, cool connections with listeners as well as artists with whom I love showcasing their tracks. Brings me new material, as well as u, my listening audience. The thing I love the best is bringing to you underground artists that u may not have heard otherwise, and making u aware of a genre that I think pretty much (as mentioned in the podcast) describes me, as a person. I think the tracks in this podcast that provide a pretty good description are Secret Garden, The Hook, and Ozo….

That being said, XM Radio and somafm’s Groove Salad were both on point this week flowing some brand new tracks I didn’t have in my collection. Today, I share them with you. Without further adieu, the playlist:


1. Ford Transit – The Dzihan & Kamien Orchestra Live In Vienna
2. Ocean Air – dZihan & Kamien/Freaks & Icons
3. Ozo – Afterlife/Speck of Gold
4. Beautiful Being (DJ Brian Seed Mix – Eastern Sun and John Kelley Beautiful Being – EP
5. Life and How to Do It – All India Radio/Permanent Evolutions
6. Bingelsession – Visitors From Venus/Cocktail Hour
7. Our Secret Garden – Sine/Cool Off Chillout, Vol. 2 (Bonus Track Version)
8. Smoke & Mirrors – Worldwide Groove Corporation/Chillodesiac Lounge, Vol. 1: FEVER
9. The Hook (DJ Spinna Instrumental Mix) – Grand Pianoramax/The Hook (Remixes) – EP
10. Satellite Anthem Icarus – Boards of Canada/The Campfire Headphase

All the above tunes can be found on iTunes, and I suspect Amazon.com

Shout out to my entire podcast massive (see the links to the right) for doing it big everytime the drop musical goodness. Big up to Kenya for letting me post the photo. You’ve got great photographic eye.

Have a great day….

Best,
F!

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Fusion: An Interview with The Big La (Todd Kelley)

Posted on November 6, 2009 by Fresh

Coming soon.....

Hello readers and listeners.

I trust all is well today. This post is a follow-up to the previous post about the subject of an upcoming podcast I hope to resurrect entitled Fusion. The concept of this podcast came to me via an off the cuff discussion I had a few years ago with a fellow podcaster/recording artist/graphic designer. Both of us, being musicians in our own right, began discussing our backgrounds and influences in making music, which invariably talking about how technology (past and present) played a role taking the music from inner to outer.

I began to see the different paths he had taken and compared them to mine. I also began to see, along our separate journeys, how there were things we couldn;t *readily accomplish* (but did) that we could easily accomplish now. The conclusion of the discussion led me to develop the concept for this podcast – one that would share the insights of an (generally musical, but not limited to) artist by which they leverage technology to get their art out there – including their journey along the way, their influences etc.

The format of the podcast is to use an audio interview, very casual but basically formatted, and to just have some fun with it (which is the most important part). Being a techy, I have to include the usual aspects of what kind of hardware/software was/is being used, suggestions/recommendations, tips, etc…but fuse the overall flow with some laid back fun.

That being said, here is an interview I did with Todd Kelley, aka The Big La, back in 2007. We had a good time kickin’ it about what got him started, how he creates music, collaboration, music today, marketing music in today’s environment, the use of social media, etc.

Ironically, two years later, the collaboration he talks about (mentioning Fave of The Friday Favecast as well) has finally come to fruition in a project we are collaborating on entitled “contempojazzsoulhiphop” (those of u on Twitter have seen the tweets, as well as the video below)

Todd Kelley’s social media homes:
Twitter
Flowink
MySpace

Fave:
The Friday Favecast
Twitter

Me:
Twitter
MySpace

peace and blessings…

F!

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