Singer, guitarist and songwriter Eliane Amherd is a true cosmopolitan artist: Born in Switzerland, she lives in New York, and it is that city’s savvy multicultural energy that most influences the unique sound of her original compositions: jazzy, groovy and rooted in African, Brazilian and Latin music. Inventive, enchanted yet earthy. Amherd is an equally talented composer/lyricist whose words and music are as refreshing as the air of the Swiss Alps where she was raised.

A graduate from The New School University for Jazz and Contemporary Music, she performs as a leader or a featured artist in New York’s premiere clubs like SOB's, Blue Note, Nublu, BAM, BBKing etc. and tours in North- and South America, Canada, Europe and Asia, where she appeared in international Festivals in China, Thailand, the Philippines, Myanmar, Malaysia, Nepal and Mongolia, like the International Festival in Hong Kong, the Beijing Nine Gate Jazz Festival, the Shenzhen OCT Loft Festival, the Beishan International Festival in Zhuhai, the Jazzmandu Festival in Kathmandu, the Giant Steppes of Jazz Festival in Mongolia, the Yangon World Music Festival in Myanmar, the Unplugged Festival in Zermatt and the Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland, the Mondo.NYC Festival with Swiss Live Talents etc.  

Her albums “Now and from Now on” and "Skylines" which are broadcast internationally, continue to receive great press reviews and have topped the play list of several US Radio Stations. Eliane also arranged and produced the Swiss Miss Sampler “heimweh”, featuring reknown Swiss artists like Eliana Burki, Nubya, Gigi Moto, Corin Curschellas, Mia Aegerter etc. This recording has earned her many great press reviews, interviews on Swiss national radio stations and an appearance on the popular Swiss talk show "Aeschbacher".

In 2013 she was a candidate of the first edition of "the Voice of Switzerland" on Swiss National TV and in 2017 she was the runner up for "best Singer Songwriter in Switzerland" at the Montreux Jazz Festival. She plays guitar in different NYC bands like "As Lolas” ( Brazilian psychedelic 70ties Rock ) and “Dawn Drake & Zapote” ( Global Funk ). From 2010 to 2020 she was the musical director of the "Frauenstimmen Festival" in her home town Brig, Switzerland and in 2015 she was the musical director of the "OrchExtra Gottardo" at the Expo Milano, Italy.

Eliane plays at Embassy's around the globe and entertained companies like Bvlgari, Time Warner Cable, C.F. Bucherer, Myswitzerland Tourism and major events like the World Expo 2015 in Milan, the Soiree Suisse at the Swiss Embassy in Washington DC, the reopening of the Silverstein Building at the World Trade Center (alongside Lou Reed, Susan Vega, and the Brazilian Girls), the opening of the Swiss Business Hub in Hong Kong, the Swiss candidacy for the United Nation Security Council in NYC etc.

She has worked with greats such as Randy Brecker, Marcus Strickland, Bashiri Johnson, Bill Ware, Hagar Ben Ari and performs with the best musicians NYC has to offer. She played guitar in the Pacha Massive video “don’t let go“ on MTV, her original soundtrack is featured in the award winning web series "Constance Cooks". She appears on the Swiss National TV SRF production “A Night at the Apollo” and her song “As If” can be heard in the award winning movie “Approaching Union Square” by filmmaker Marc Meyers. Her voice is featured on Jeremy Mage's song "Slippery Light" which aired on the NBC hit TV series "Lipstick Jungle" and she appears on many albums of fellow musicians and DJ’s as a featured singer or guitarist. In 2010 she was the first recipient of the MUSIK PRO award from the Kulturrat Kanton Wallis.

The scene opens on lonely janitor Larry Goldings, with bucket and mop, working after-hours, eyeing an unused Hammond B3 organ under a spotlight in an otherwise dark studio. Gingerly, he presses down the D key. He recoils at the sound. A brief hesitation and he gathers the courage to hit a full-on chord. The scene erupts, cutting to the actual session at which Scary Goldings IV was recorded. The band is in full brilliant color, absolutely ripping, with MonoNeon on bass next to guitar legend John Scofield, the irrepressible Louis Cole on drums, plus of course the principals of the roving funk collective known as Scary Pockets: high school buddies Ryan Lerman on guitar (Musical Director and guitarist for the likes of John Legend, Michael Bublé and Ben Folds) and Jack Conte on Wurlitzer (CEO of Patreon and coleader of the band Pomplamoose). Put them all together and you’ve got the intergenerational Pockets sub-unit Scary Goldings.
 
This one-minute “janitor” promo spot, steeped in Goldings’ signature deadpan humor, offers the briefest glimpse of what went down at the Scary Goldings IV sessions. But with the rollout of full-length videos from those two magical days, and the release of the resulting album, we now get the full experience. Prepare yourselves.
 
Admitting to a bit of starstruck awe working with Scofield, Lerman offers: “Just having another guitar player in the band makes you approach things differently, so there’s that to navigate. I grew up listening to Scofield since I was 14, so there were slight nerves to contend with, but he was so encouraging and humble. We all had dinner the night before and Larry and Sco were telling stories and it was so fun to hear them talk. In the studio the next day I felt like, ‘Wow— that sound that I’m used to hearing through my speakers at 14 is now coming out of the amp next to me.’ I definitely had moments of pinching myself and nerding out.”
 
The first day of recording, sans Scofield, featured the superb Tamir Barzilay on drums. The following day it was Scofield with drummer Lemar Carter (Raphael Saadiq, Demi Lovato) in the morning and Louis Cole for the rest. “Tamir, Lemar and Louis are so different,” Lerman says, “and it was great to hear the same band with that moving element, the same drum kit even.” Neither Goldings nor Scofield had played with bassist MonoNeon prior to the session. “We obviously have our influences that come in,” Goldings says, “partly because of the instrumentation, we might go in a direction that’s a bit Meters or Booker T, stuff like that. But with MonoNeon, anything we came up with was going to sound great. He’s a man of few words — he’s there to absorb and respond. You know he’s heard everything and is ready for anything. So bold, just going for shit.”
 
Lerman points to engineer Caleb Parker and mixer Craig Polasko as essential to Scary Goldings IV and previous outings as well. Polasko, a bassist, met Lerman when they both toured together with Michael Bublé. “When Craig got off the road he started making these tracks that were like these dubby sound collages, really cool. His approach to mixing is more creative and producorial than a more traditional mixer might bring, the way he keeps the tracks sounding very live but does all these other things sonically. He’s very hands-on.”
 
Scary Goldings debuted eponymously in 2018 and followed up with The Ego Trap (2019, featuring guitar great Robben Ford) and Feel (with Josh Smith and Louis Cole) in 2020. For Scary Goldings IV, Lerman and Conte followed the speedy procedure they’d refined with Scary Pockets itself: groove-based songs, spontaneously cowritten, recorded right away, “players all in the same room with no headphones, no click,” in Lerman’s words, and nothing but the excitement of a fresh musical invention and the drive of the individual talents in the room to make it come alive.
 
Scary Goldings IV fell together just like that, prompting Goldings to remark: “If you get the right people into a studio you can make records really quickly. Just look at the history of jazz. One of the gifts that Jack has is to know when a song is ready. We have this short time frame, so we can’t be too clever. It’s kind of like guerrilla writing, which is a very good exercise. Scofield really liked it and thought it was so refreshing.”
 
Goldings is also pleased with how the group “pulls together the different strands that I’ve been involved in over the years,” he adds. “My Maceo Parker years, the funkier side of things that I’ve done, because as a leader I’ve never really put together a project to do that.” Scofield’s band, in fact, is one of the funkier ones in the Goldings discography, and their shared history runs deep — back to 1994’s Hand Jive all the way to 2016’s Country for Old Men, not to mention the 2006 ECM summit with Jack DeJohnette Trio Beyond: Saudades.
 
Lerman, Conte and Cole go back as well: “Louis and I met when I was 14 at Stanford Jazz Workshop, where we were put in the same combo. We were randomly paired up as roommates the next year. So I met Jack at 14 and Louis probably a year or two later. Louis and I had an organ trio in college with our friend Andrew Carroll, and we did a couple tours with Jack. We had a two-Prius tour, we’d book it ourselves and go up and down the West Coast playing for very small crowds. One show there was literally nobody in the audience. We’ve paid our dues.”
 
Louis Cole was 10 years old, Goldings estimates, when the two of them first met. “There’s a great old photo,” Lerman says, “of Larry and Louis playing together and Louis looks like a child Bill Stewart.” Goldings reflects: “I’ve always known it’s the younger generation that’s going to keep turning me onto new people. Through Scary Pockets, Ryan has exposed me to some great drummers, bassists, and all these under-the-radar singers I’d love to work in other contexts. It’s been a great way to extend the Los Angeles thing for me, and particularly people Ryan’s age. He’s 12.”
 
“Jack and I really view these sessions as, ‘We don’t have to do a lot,’” Lerman says. “We’re there to maintain vibe and direction but we really don’t want to overplay.” “To set up tightly all in one room is not the norm anymore,” Goldings adds, “but it really encourages listening and playing with dynamics, not unlike playing a live gig. It’s old-school, and really refreshing in this day and age.”

Julian Avila’s first love is and has always been Jazz music. He has an instrumental solo album, "Heart - Mind - Matter" and a new album coming soon "Vintage Soul. "

Julian Avila is a session musician who has played, toured, and recorded on many albums of varied music styles. His works include collaborations with artists such as:  Tony Succar, Sheila E., Betty Wright, Alain Perez, Gloria Estefan, Diego Torres, José Luis Rodríguez, Cabas, Miami Mass Choir, Jorge Celedón, Ruben Studdard, Santiago Cruz, The Miami Symphony orchestra MISO, Daniela Mercury, Vanessa Da Mata, Luis Enrique, Marcos Yaroide, and many more.  

Having played an array of different styles, Julian Avila is a versatile Musician who intuitively senses and executes the most tasteful vibe for each project he’s a part of.

About Vintage Soul:

After so many years collaborating with different artists, running studio sessions and tours, across so many different styles, I'm back! And I feel at home. My new album "Vintage Soul" is a mix that embodies my personal experiences and takes the listener on an emotional journey. It’s what I feel! Vintage soul is a studio album of 7 songs, composed, produced and played on my dear love, the guitar.

I’ve had the opportunity to play with some amazing musicians that I really admire so much, including Antonio Sanchez, Kemuel Roig, David Chiverton, Brian Charette, Nathaniel Stokes and more.

And with the mixing and mastering of the amazing Alex Medina.
The vibes felt in Vintage Soul represent my own life growing up as a kid in Colombia, and later moving to the United States where my jazz fusion style became solidified. I hope you enjoy listening to it as much as I enjoyed making it!- Julian

Song Credits:

1. Colombian dope fire - Nathaniel Stokes/ Drums, Joshua Esther/ Bass, Brian Charette/ Organ. Julian Avila/ Guitars.

2. Vintage Soul - Nathaniel Stokes/ Drums, Joshua Esther/ Bass, Brian Charette/ Organ, Julian Avila/ Guitars.

 3. Say no more - David Chiverton/ Drums, Diogo Brown/ Bass, Vaughn Henry/ Organ and Rhodes, Julian Avila Guitars.

 4. Tesla - Antonio Sanchez/ Drums, Joshua Esther/ Bass, Kemuel Roig/ Piano, Julian Avila/ Guitars.

5. Emi’s Lullaby - Nathaniel Stokes/ Drums, Daniel Mateo Avila/ Bass, Julian Avila/ Guitars, Lap guitar.

6. Norte a Sur - David Chiverton /Drums, Diogo Brown/ Bass, Vaughn Henry/Organ, Julian Avila/ Guitars.

7. Jaco’s Town -David Chiverton/ Drums, Diogo Brown/ Bass, Vaughn Henrry/ Organ, Julian Avila/ Guitars

Carl Fischer & T.Ë.T.I. is a tribute to the greats that postured as more than just trumpet players, but also as innovators in the music, styles and social movements that surrounded them. These are the trumpet icons that are recognizable even by only their first name. The ones you can recognize from the first note or phrase. They helped to create, and give identity to, musical genres and even crossed between them. Louis, Dizzy, Miles and Maynard! These were the game changers that shaped not just the way trumpet was played, but also the music itself!  T.Ë.T.I., or Tribute to Evolutionary Trumpet Icons, gives audiences a sonic and visual live “look” into these master musicians, with compositions representing everything from their early developments to that which continues to influence the trumpet greats of tomorrow.

The instrumentation of T.Ë.T.I. helps to showcase and accentuate Carl Fischer’s unique, exciting, big sound and style as a trumpet soloist, section player and multi-instrumentalist. TËTI is truly a gumbo of the trumpet greats, interpreted by Fischer, and presented with his own sound…developed in part by the life and legacy of these icons.

About Carl Fischer

Carl Fischer is one of the most visible trumpet players of today, keeping a consistent world-wide touring schedule.  “The crowd goes nuts… He’s just such a good musician. He just blows people away.” (Billy Joel/SiriusXM Radio Interview)

Fischer can be seen on some of the biggest stages in the world as a featured soloist/multi-instrumentalist (Trumpet, Flugelhorn, Trombone & Saxophones) as a part of record-breaking sold-out stadium & arena tours with pop music icon Billy Joel whose band Fischer has been a member since 2005. This includes Joel’s first franchised house band playing monthly sold out concerts at the world famous Madison Square Garden in New York City for 8 years and counting. Fischer also earned a platinum record/DVD for his performance and participation in Billy Joel’s “Last Play at Shea”.  

He’s been a featured soloist with the legendary Diana Ross, the former music director and lead trumpet player with the iconic jazz-rock horn band Blood Sweat & Tears, in addition to sharing the stage or recording with a virtual who's who of the music industry! Maynard Ferguson, Wynton Marsalis, Chick Corea, Aretha Franklin, Paul Simon, Stephen Tyler, Axel Rose, Gavin Degraw, Jamie Cullum, Randy Brecker, Elton John, Bruce Springsteen, Sir Paul McCartney, Diane Schuur, Mariah Carey, Randy Jackson, Shakira, Dave Matthews, Sting, Mary Wilson, Charlie Daniels, Blue Man Group, Bill Cosby (Little Bill), Jimmy Heath, Branford Marsalis, Nat Adderly and has played for President Obama, the Kings of Thailand and Bahrain, and also the Prince of Morocco.

In September of 2019, Fischer received an honorary Doctorate of Music from Five Towns College in Dix Hills, New York. In a letter to Fischer, Five Towns College President David M Cohen J.D. officially recognized Fischer for his “outstanding contribution to Rock and Roll and to contemporary music.” Cohen continued saying, “Because you serve as wonderful example for aspiring musicians, always displaying the highest standards of musicianship, the Board of Trustees enthusiastically joins in their decision.” Fischer officially accepted the award at a ceremony during the colleges opening convocation for the 2019 school year, by giving an address to the faculty/student body as well as a short performance.

As a band leader, Fischer has four groups of his own creation: Carl Fischer & TËTI, Carl Fischer’s Sunshine City Brass, Carl Fischer & Organic Groove Ensemble, and the larger high energy Carl Fischer Nouveau Big Band.

His unique playing style is the result of a lifetime in music. Fischer first picked up the trumpet at age 5, inspired by his father, a talented trumpet player himself. His professional career started more than 30 years ago touring with bar bands an a stint with a circus band . After this Fischer was asked to join the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra led by highly acclaimed trumpet virtuoso Wynton Marsalis. Following this, he then moved on to join up with Maynard Ferguson, where he began working as trumpet player/personal assistant and ended over a decade later as a featured soloist, musical director, and concert opener. This was the first time in Ferguson’s 40 years of touring in which Maynard asked a trumpet player to open shows for him and resulted in the late jazz legend saying Fischer is “one of the best jazz trumpeters of today.”

In April 2020, Carl Fischer’s Sunshine City Brass, released “Down by the Riverside” featuring Fischer on a multitude of instruments along side his Billy Joel bandmate Michael Delguidice on vocals and receiving rave reviews. It also garnered a live performance spot on Fox Television. The concept of Sunshine City Brass started during the pandemic and takes you on a jazz journey to where the north meets the south, with second line grooves and familiar tunes that conjure vibes of the Crescent City. All paired with the energy of the Big Apple.

With live performances on hold for many months during the pandemic, Fischer took that time to add even more to his bag by coming out with “The Tuesday Night Hang with Carl Fischer” which is an interactive, online livestream which gives fans the opportunity to hang out, chat, listen and learn from Fischer and so far more than 50 guests from all aspects of the music business; giving viewers a unique behind the scenes perspective to the music and artists/bands they see on the stage and hear on their radio. The livestream has even grown in to a featured show hosted by Fischer and airing multiple times on the Billy Joel Channel on SiriusXM satellite radio.

In 2015 Fischer released, “Pure Imagination”, a collaboration with established producer Andy Snitzer, featuring a more lush lyrical side of Fischer’s playing and having a more commercial appeal, while still including a dash of fireworks thrown in that can only be described as Carl Fischer! Portions of the proceeds from the project benefited children’s hospital charities.

In 2011, Fischer started the Carl Fischer Nouveau Big Band, comprised of some of the finest first call musicians in the NYC area, which was a mainstay in the NYC club scene as well as headlining jazz festivals.

“Adverse Times” (2009), by Carl Fischer & Organic Groove Ensemble, was released to rave reviews and garnered high placement on multiple music charts. As the esteemed Mr. Joel commented, “From pop melodies to hard-driving funk, from world flavors to renditions of some of my own compositions, the album will appeal to a wide range of listeners and definitely should not be missed.” Organic Groove was founded in 2001, and its well-received 2003 self-titled release is still having success in the digital market. “They will excite you, move you and leave you breathless”. (AllAboutJazz.com)

Fischer also continues beyond the stage into education, as well as trumpet and mouthpiece design. Fischer provides workshops for university and secondary education students on trumpet, trombone, saxophone and rhythm sections. Throughout Fischer’s career, he’s been fortunate to work with major instrument companies and, after years of research & development, is elated to be collaborating with Warburton Music Products. Terry Warburton and Carl have collaborated to create the highly popular “CF Horn” (trumpet) which has sold like wild fire even before it’s initial release! Fischer also has a 18+ yr relationship with mouthpiece guru Gary Radtke (GR Mouthpieces) who, with Carl, developed his “Carl Fischer Signature Series” line of mouthpieces which has been revolutionary in saving major professional players careers, as well as helping out novices and students of all ages alike. To say Fischer has a passion for music, education and design would be an understatement. It’s his way of life!

Building on a long track record of scholarship and interpretive artistry focused on the great Mary Lou Williams, vibraphonist and composer Cecilia Smith is proud to announce the release of Volume 1: Small Ensemble Repertoire, the new album from her NEA American Masterpiece Award-winning Mary Lou Williams Resurgence Project. Through countless hours of immersion in the Williams archive at the Institute for Jazz Studies, and direct access to manuscripts and scores from Williams’ former manager Father Peter O’Brien, Smith and her top-tier bandmates put their unique stamp on music either composed by Williams, composed in honor of her, or arranged and recorded by Williams during her lifetime. Among the timeless gems on Volume 1: Small Ensemble Repertoire is Williams’ previously unrecorded “Tell Me How Long the Train’s Been Gone,” sung by the acclaimed Carla Cook.

Pianist and composer Mary Lou Williams made her reputation as a road warrior with the storied Midwestern territory bands of the 1930s (notably Andy Kirk’s 12 Clouds of Joy). She gained renown as a formidable boogie-woogie pianist, but her pioneering role in Swing Era big band arranging and composition was for far too long unheralded. She also served as a mentor to Thelonious Monk, Bud Powell and other icons of the bebop revolution, and continued to refine and deepen her creative vision until her death in 1981. In Smith’s treatments we hear the intelligence and inventiveness that Williams brought to all her endeavors. With her seasoned swing feel and sparkling touch on the vibes, Smith finds a solid rapport with longtime colleagues Lafayette Harris, Jr. and Carlton Holmes (sharing piano and Hammond organ duties), bassist Kenny Davis and drummer Ron Savage. The album is coproduced by Smith, Harris, Jr. and master trumpeter and educator Cecil Bridgewater.

Smith gave her first public performances of Mary Lou Williams’ work in 2000 at Brooklyn’s Our Lady of Victory Church and in 2002 during a residency at New England Conservatory. With guidance from Bridgewater, she built on these early efforts to stage a historic concert at the Kennedy Center in 2005 titled The Sacred and Secular Music of Mary Lou Williams (as part of the 10th annual Mary Lou Williams Women in Jazz Festival). Smith’s multigenerational, multigender lineup at the Kennedy Center included Bridgewater with fellow esteemed veterans Benny Powell, Howard Johnson, Jack Jeffers, Amina Claudine Myers, Bill Easley and Eddie Allen, as well as rising stars Lakecia Benjamin, Tia Fuller, Montez Coleman, Keith Loftis and more. Carlton Holmes and Kenny Davis, featured so effectively on Volume 1: Small Ensemble Repertoire, were on hand at the Kennedy Center as well.

On Volume 1: Small Ensemble Repertoire, Smith extends her considerable performance history with Mary Lou Williams’ music, bringing new insights and ideas to the work at every opportunity. She leads off with her original “Sketch One — Truth Be Told,” incorporating a sequence of motifs drawn from Mary Lou’s pieces “Nicole,” “Waltz Boogie” and “Truth” (a.k.a. “Scratchin’ in the Gravel”). The fourth and final motif, commonly identified with Thelonious Monk’s “Rhythm-a-ning,” is in fact a riff from the killer shout chorus in Mary Lou’s “Walkin’ and Swingin’” (1936) — just one of Williams’ innovative contributions to the band book of Andy Kirk’s 12 Clouds of Joy. “Sketch Three — 100 Years of Mary Lou Williams,” a Smith original in ¾ time, is another fine example of elevated swing and flowing lyricism. “I’ve combined a gospel feel with unique harmony and a simple melody,” the composer remarks. “My mission is to keep Mary Lou’s music current and in the world as part of the jazz narrative.”

“Spiritual 2 – Who Was Mary Williams?” knits together Williams’ affecting gospel-tinged theme (“the only sacred piece on this recording,” Smith observes) with an original text by scholar and liner note author Dr. Tammy Kernodle, presented as a spoken-word by beloved radio presenter Sheila Anderson (a voice that many a diehard northeast jazz fan will warmly recognize).

Smith’s vibes-piano duo chemistry with Lafayette Harris, Jr. is an important element of her musical life that she also wanted represented on the album. “Body and Soul” and W.C. Handy’s paradigmatic “St. Louis Blues” are the two fine duo picks, both standards that Williams notably arranged and recorded, but that Smith and Harris take in their own direction. Another fresh departure on Volume 1: Small Ensemble Repertoire is the richly expressive voice of Carla Cook on the aforementioned “Tell Me How Long” as well as the jaunty “What’s Your Story, Morning Glory?” — the latter another brilliant vehicle for the Andy Kirk band, co-composed by Williams with Paul Francis Webster and Jack Lawrence.

“It’s a Grand Night for Swinging,” a soulful midtempo minor blues, was composed by the late Dr. Billy Taylor and recorded half a dozen times by Mary Lou. Taylor founded the Mary Lou Williams Women in Jazz Festival during his tenure as Artistic Director of Jazz at the Kennedy Center. “Dr. Taylor hired me to perform at a few of the festivals,” Smith recalls, “and he made it possible for me to perform and arrange music for small ensemble, big band and choir. I wanted to pay homage to Billy Taylor, who shared the mission to lift up Mary Lou Williams as a major figure in jazz history.”

“Miss D. D.,” utterly striking in its bass ostinato pattern and Ellingtonian harmonic and rhythmic character, appears in both a studio version and a live version (from Power Station at Berklee NYC Black Box Theater, September 13, 2022). Williams composed this bit of mystery in honor of late philanthropist Doris Duke, whose Doris Duke Charitable Foundation and its programs continue to impact jazz artists of many stripes.

Smith envisions further volumes from the Mary Lou Williams Resurgence Project, moving away from small ensemble to focus on big band and choral works. A composer and musical thinker of Williams’ stature deserves nothing less.

This recording is supported in part by Chamber Music America’s Artistic Projects program (funded through the generosity of The Howard Gilman Foundation); by Integrity: Arts & Culture Association; and by the American Composers Forum/innova Recordings National Call Grant.

ABOUT CECILIA SMITH:

Cecilia Smith is a leading vibraphonist of the four-mallet technique and an avid composer and arranger, with six albums as a leader to her credit. She has recorded and performed with Gary Bartz, Milt Hinton, Randy Weston, Marian McPartland, Donald Harrison, Greg Osby, Billy Pierce, Mulgrew Miller and Cecil Bridgewater. Her vibraphone stylings can be heard on Cassandra Wilson’s acclaimed Traveling Miles, Digable Planets’ Blowout Comb, Lonnie Plaxico’s Short Takes and more. She received a Joyce Foundation Award to develop her multimedia work Crossing Bridges. Another multimedia work in development, Decisive Moments, is being made in collaboration with Blue Man Group video artist and filmmaker Kevin Frech. Smith is a 2016 recipient of the Ziegfeld Club’s Elizabeth Swados Award. She is the Artistic Director of the Mary Lou Williams Resurgence Project and a teaching artist for nonprofit organizations and social service agencies.

With An Exquisite Moment, Joel Goodman's deeply personal and improvisation-rich debut album of "full-experience" music, the Emmy-winning composer of more than 150 film and television projects – including many Oscar nominees and Emmy recipients – embarks on an epic voyage of self-discovery alongside some of the most accomplished and creative names in jazz.

Special guests Randy Brecker (flugelhorn, trumpet), Brandee Younger (harp), Lisa Fischer (vocals), John Patitucci (bass), and Philippe Saisse (piano, vibes, marimba) join an A-team core group consisting of Donny McCaslin (saxophones), Eric Harland (drums), Adam Rogers (guitar), Mino Cinélu (percussion), Scott Colley (bass) and Goodman himself on keyboards and bass. Together they take flight on the wings of music written by Goodman in a spontaneous burst of creativity.

"Although I've spent my life composing, most film music can sound incomplete without visuals or a story," Goodman says. "An Exquisite Moment, however, is about creating a full listening experience radically different from my film work. I wrote and recorded it simply for the sake of making good music – and I found the process completely liberating."

In May 2021, Goodman composed An Exquisite Moment's earliest sketches on electric bass in his Topanga Canyon studio. "I wasn't consciously composing music for an album, just sitting there playing what felt good," the native New Yorker says. "I then called my old friend, producer/arranger, Joe Mardin and told him I was thinking about making an album of my own and asked if he’d be interested in co-producing. When he immediately said yes, it kind of hit me that this is now real and propelled me to continue writing. "Within days, I'd written all this music that caught me by surprise. It was nothing like I'd ever written; it was entirely different."

In-between composing and recording, Goodman found himself listening to John Coltrane's A Love Supreme and other spiritual-jazz masterpieces. "Listening to Alice Coltrane, I could almost feel the presence of her Sai Anantam Ashram just a couple of miles away from where I live," he says.

In September, Goodman and co-producer Joe Mardin (Chakha Khan, George Benson, Aretha Franklin) oversaw two long days of sessions in New York's storied Power Station studio, with Grammy-winning engineer Elliot Scheiner behind the console. The musicians worked from charts leaving plenty of room for spontaneous interplay. Eric Harland in particular was allowed unfettered rhythmic rein. "None of the tunes had written drum parts," Mardin says, "because we didn't want to lock Eric into a groove. Joel wanted to see what would happen to his music in a room full of really gifted players, what these guys would bring to this music before he reshaped it in any way."

An Exquisite Moment became a work that well rewards repeat listening. With Goodman playing Fender Rhodes and providing atmospheric touches on his Arturia MatrixBrute synthesizer, each song blossomed in performance while offering rich possibilities for post-session expansion. The electrifying opener "What Dreamers Dream," for example, sounded nearly perfect in the studio, Goodman says. "But I'd been listening to Brandee Younger and thought she'd sound great on it. Joe was like, 'Really? Harp?' I played one pass of harp on my keyboard and he saw what I meant. And then she came in and significantly elevated the tune."

The mesmerizing title track went through more changes than anything else on the album. After reshaping the original take's mood and form, the producers brought in John Patitucci, for a soulful bass solo, and Mardin suggested Lisa Fischer, whose wordless soprano takes it over the top. "Drifting in Wonder," meanwhile, is an incandescent daydream featuring Adam Rogers's guitar and one of the album's many passionately sculpted Donny McCaslin solos. "The Mystery of Trees" contemplates the arboreal realm with a steadily ascending melody and harmony, and features Grammy-winning horn legend Randy Brecker on flugelhorn. "Rumi and the Whirling Dervish" rewrites the book on the Sufi poet with a thrilling and festive celebration involving McCaslin and Harland. And the extended-form "A Change of Heart" features post-session strings and winds in intimate rapport with the soloists.

"Astral Projection" is a cosmic grand finale in four movements: "The Vision," "Orbit," "Bliss," and "Exaltation." The piece grows melodically and harmonically more complex through "Bliss," where Scott Colley performs an extended solo fleshed out by strings and winds, with rapturous results.

"Without exception, every single person who plays on the album came with the willingness to take risks, step out of their comfort zone, and try new ideas," Goodman says. "And because of that, there's real emotional value in every single note they played."

Goodman thrives both inside and outside of the film world. Most recently he scored the social-justice documentary Loudmouth, which will make its theatrical debut this fall and is currently scoring the HBO film Entangled: Tree Stories for the Oscar-nominated director Irene Taylor, their 4th collaboration. And, as he has his entire life, Goodman continues to compose for the sheer love of music. One future project will highlight piano-based compositions for solo piano, duos, and groups. Another venture focuses on electronic music. "People have been describing me as 'organic' for years," he notes, "so nobody expects me to do an electronic album."

Joel Goodman defies expectations throughout An Exquisite Moment – a transcendent collection of exquisite moments capturing the sound of a new and robust creative force. - Richard Gehr (Rolling Stone, Apple Music)

About Joel Goodman:

“Joel Goodman… has contributed to many of the more prominent nonfiction films of the past 30 years.”

- Wall Street Journal

Joel Goodman creates emotion through music. As a multi-talented composer for feature films, documentaries, television, album releases, performance ensembles and other forms of collaborative media, his signature style thrives in musical settings that express the full range of human emotion.

An Emmy-winner and four-time Emmy nominee known for a deeply nuanced sound filled with intricate subtleties, Goodman’s diverse body of work includes scores to over 150 films and television programs that have received 5 Oscar nominations, 30 Emmy awards and over 40 Emmy nominations. He has scored over 40 films for HBO and composed the Main Theme for the long-running and critically acclaimed PBS series American Experience.

His scores can regularly be heard in movie theaters and on television around the world. His notable award-winning films include Loudmouth (Greenwich Entertainment), Obit (Amazon), Everything Is Copy (HBO), Claude Lanzmann: Spectres of the Shoah (HBO), Walt Disney (PBS), An Honest Liar (Netflix), Being Elmo (PBS), Once Upon A Time in Queens (ESPN), and Murder Among the Mormons (Netflix). As a record producer Joel’s credits include releases for Chuck Mangione, Livingston Taylor and Carla Lother.

Joel has collaborated with an impressive array of distinguished directors and producers including Neil LaBute, Albert Maysles, Andrew Jarecki, Barbara Kopple, Wong Kar-wai, Rachel Grady, Marshall Curry, Sebastian Junger, Barak Goodman, Alexandra Pelosi, Michael Epstein, Joe Berlinger, Oren Jacoby, Irene Taylor, Betsy West, Lesli Iwerks and Fisher Stevens.

Always looking to give back to his community, Joel conducts master classes and has been composer-in-residence in the United States and Europe, including seminars on film music at the American Film Institute, USC, Berklee College of Music – Boston & Valencia, University of North Texas, AFI Docs, The Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts in Denmark, Columbia College Chicago and the International Documentary Association’s Getting Real conference. He is also a regular panelist for such organizations as ASCAP, PMA, IFP, AFI and SCL amongst others.

A native New Yorker, Joel splits his time between Paris, Los Angeles and New York, and anywhere he can enjoy the great outdoors.

ADDITIONAL MUSICIANS

Marcus Rojas - Tuba

Scott Tibbs - Piano

Greg Herzanach - Acoustic and Electric Guitar

Joe Mardin – Additional Arranging and Instruments

Phil O’Connor - Clarinet, Bass Clarinet

Bobby Shulgold - Flute

Brian Scanlon - Alto Saxophone, Clarinet

Charlie Morillas – Trombone

Kat Robertson Concertmaster, Philip Vaiman, Wynton Grant, Sharon Jackson, Erika Walczak, Yihuan Zhao -Violin

Matt Naabours, Karolina Naziemiec, Drew Forde -Viola

All music composed by Joel Goodman

All arrangements by Joel Goodman with Joe Mardin, except

An Exquisite Moment arranged by Joe Mardin and Joel Goodman

Produced by Joe Mardin and Joel Goodman

Recorded at The Power Station, NYC September 19 & 20, 2021

by Elliot Scheiner, assistant engineer Akihiro “Aki” Nishimura

Strings & Winds recorded at Sonic Fuel December 1, 2021

by Josh Margolis, assistant engineer Caitlyn Holley

Various recordings at NuNoise by Joe Mardin

Mastered at The Bunker by Alex DeTurk

Art Director – Dave Bett

Stony Plain Records today announces the release of roots music legend Taj Mahal’s ground-breaking new album Savoy, released on April 28. 2023.

Taj Mahal can rightfully be called a living legend for his contributions to popular music. With a voice as instantly recognizable as Louis Armstrong, Ray Charles, or Johnny Cash, throughout his career Taj has pushed the envelope of American roots music forward by incorporating sounds from the Caribbean, Africa, traditional blues and jazz. He has won three Grammy Awards from 14 nominations, was inducted into the Blues Foundation Hall of Fame, and presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Americana Music Association.

With Savoy, Taj takes a new direction in his musical journey, exploring a collection of blues tinged classic material with his good friend and acclaimed record producer John Simon, whose resume includes producing classic albums by The Band, Leonard Cohen, Gordon Lightfoot and Blood Sweat & Tears. Recording Savoy is the realization of a musical collaboration they had been discussing for decades, finally locking in the studio time in Oakland, California to make it happen in August, 2022.

In the introduction to the first track “Stompin’ at the Savoy,” Taj Mahal talks about his parents meeting for the first time at the famous Savoy Ballroom in Harlem during the initial run of Ella Fitzgerald with the Chick Webb Band in 1938, writes Stony Plain Records co-founder Holger Petersen in the album’s informative liner notes. The album is a loving throwback to the sounds of the swing jazz big band era. With guest vocals of Maria Muldaur on “Baby It’s Cold Outside” and Evan Price’s violin on two tracks, the album covers 14 standards composed by the likes of Duke Ellington, Louis Jordan, George Gershwin and Louis Armstrong, brought to life by the unique voice and character of the one and only Taj Mahal.

Taj explains, “I heard [the songs on Savoy] as a kid when all of those people who made those musics were alive and speaking to us through the records. Those weren’t just records to collect. Those were like listening to your relatives, your uncles, your cousins, your grandparents speaking to you through that medium, the medium of music.”

“The music was good then. It’s going to be good now,” concludes Taj, “especially when you got people who really respect what it is. Also, [who] respect the gift they’ve been given. It’s a gift to be able to play music, art, dance, write, do science, whatever, ‘cause you’re contributing to humanity. What you’ve been sent to do, that’s the whole thing.

Taj’s exploration of music began as an exploration of self. He was born in 1942 in Harlem to musical parents -- his father was a jazz pianist with Caribbean roots who collaborated with Buddy Johnson, Taj’s godfather.  His mother was a gospel-singing school teacher from South Carolina -- who cultivated an appreciation for both personal history and the arts in their son. “I was raised really conscious of my African roots,” Taj says.  ”My parents came together around music, which was swing and the beginnings of bebop. That was significant, in terms of what kind of music I heard from them.”

Fans of Taj know that he started working with Ry Cooder in the mid-60s LA band, The Rising Sons. His first two solo Columbia albums, Taj Mahal’ (1967) and The Natch’l Blues (1968), are two of the most influential blues albums of all time.  Never one to be pigeonholed, Taj has recorded more styles of roots music than any other artist. Those releases include music from the Caribbean, Hawaii, Africa, and India, as well as gospel, rock, early R&B, children’s music, soundtracks, and nearly every kind of acoustic and electric blues. He brings a musicologist’s quest to each project.

Taj first met producer John Simon at the New York City Columbia Records Studios in 1968. John was producing and playing piano on the first Electric Flag album. Taj was already a fan of John’s productions, playing and arrangements, in particular his arrangements for an album featuring Marshall McLuhan, the influential media guru. At the time, John was a staff producer at Columbia. Taj invited John to play keyboards on his tours during the ‘70s and he also played on Taj’s landmark The Real Thing (1972) album as part of an adventurous band that included four tuba players. Taj and John have remained close friends and kept in touch over the years and toured together again in 2006. Talk eventually turned to their mutual love of classic standards with a blues twist and to doing another album together. Trading songs, the two came up with a list of 59 possibilities before settling in on the 14 contained in Savoy.

Savoy was recorded at 25 th Street Recording in Oakland with engineer Gabriel Shepard.  Taj showed up the first day about 1:00 PM and settled in with cups of sweet tea. Backing Taj Mahal vocals and harmonica on Savoy is a rhythm section comprised of Danny Caron – guitar; Ruth Davies – bass; John Simon – piano; and Leon Joyce, Jr. – drums; with background vocals by Carla Holbrook, Leesa Humphrey, Charlotte McKinnon, Sandy Cressman, Sandy Griffith and Leah Tysse.

On the first day of recording, the band was running down John Simon’s arrangement of “Stompin’ at the Savoy” with encouragement from Taj. Chick Webb had the first hit with the song in 1934 and Ella later recorded it with Louis Armstrong.  Taj said, “It needs a little more sashay. You’ll know it when you hear it.” Co-Executive Producer Holger Petersen who was at the session shares, “and everybody did! Taj’s scat singing is a highlight. Except for “Killer Joe, fans would likely have heard all the others at one time or another at the Savoy Ballroom during its long run from 1926 to 1958. This is a Taj album like no other and a deep part of his long history. “

Savoy was released on compact disc, vinyl, and digital formats on April 28, 2023.

"Savoy" Track Listing:

1-STOMPIN’ AT THE SAVOY - 3:44

2-I’M JUST A LUCKY SO AND SO - 3:23

3-GEE BABY, AIN’T I GOOD TO YOU - 3:51

4-SUMMERTIME - 2:50

5-MOOD INDIGO - 4:09

6-IS YOU IS OR IS YOU AIN’T MY BABY - 4:37

7-DO NOTHIN’ TILL YOU HEAR FROM ME - 5:05

8-SWEET GEORGIA BROWN - 3:18

9-BABY IT’S COLD OUTSIDE - 4:33 (duet with Maria Muldaur)

10-LADY BE GOOD - 3:52

11-BABY WON’T YOU PLEASE COME HOME - 3:25

12-CALDONIA - 3:32

13-KILLER JOE - 4:09

14-ONE FOR MY BABY - 9:14

DB & the Soho Nine-Six is the highly anticipated self-titled debut of American bassist David Barber, slated for global release on January 26, 2024. Drawing inspiration from jazz, rock, funk, and more, this album is packed with deep grooves, tight arrangements, and vivid, memorable melodies that grab you like a captivating novel, leaving you eager to discover the next musical chapter.

About David Barber

DB & the Soho Nine-Six is American bassist David Barber’s self-titled debut of his long-awaited instrumental fusion project.

Born in Oakland, California and raised in what was then, the small Bay Area town of Walnut Creek, piano lessons stimulated his first interest in music. By the age of eight, it was a fascination with the saxophone that exposed him to the world of jazz and instrumental music. David actively participated in both jazz and symphonic bands through high school, and in his senior year, sat first chair in the California All-State Honor Band.

When David was 16, a peculiar twist of fate put a bass guitar in his hands for the first time. Due to an excess of saxophonists in the music program, and the absence of a bass player for the jazz ensemble, David’s teacher asked him to learn the bass guitar over one summer to be ready to play starting his Junior year. Embracing this challenge, he picked up the bass and quickly became proficient, immersing himself in the world of bass.

David grew up in a time of extraordinary musicianship in all genres of music. He was strongly influenced by legendary bassists Sting, John Patitucci, Curt Smith, Donald ‘Duck’ Dunn, Muzz Skillings, Marcus Miller, Stanley Clark, and Victor Wooten, to name a few.

While attending the University of California at Santa Barbara, David and Surfdog Recording Artist Jeremy Kay met and joined forces, becoming a fixture in the Santa Barbara and California Coastal music scene. Their music found its way into popular television shows such as MTV's 'Real World’, Boston Legal, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Smallville, and most notably, the single "Have it All" was featured on the Scrubs soundtrack. David and Jeremy toured nationally opening for Crosby, Stills, and Nash as well as Dan Hicks and the Hot Licks, and also secured openers for Pat Benatar, Joan Osborne, and The Bangles.

During that time, the music scene in Santa Barbara thrived with exceptional talent, giving rise to renowned bands such as Toad the Wet Sprocket, Dishwalla, Summercamp, and Ugly Kid Joe. This vibrant scene revolved around shared rehearsal spaces where musicians from diverse bands and genres, including David and Jeremy, came together, collaborating, jamming, and frequently venturing into side projects spanning a wide range of musical styles.

Among the bands that emerged from this eclectic music scene was Common Ground, a blend of rock, jazz, and funk, among many other styles. The band featured David on bass, guitarist Daniel Zimmerman (Luis Munoz, Teka, and Jay Ferguson), percussionist Kevin Winard (Sergio Mendez, Tom Scott), saxophonist Justin Claveria (Kenny Loggins, The Nate Birkey Jazz Quintet), and drummer Bucket Baker (Michael Jackson, Justin Timberlake, and Macy Gray).

Showcasing music composed by David Barber and Daniel Zimmerman, Common Ground was a fixture at the SOhO Jazz Club on State Street in Santa Barbara, captivating standing-room-only audiences with their performances. The band won the title of Santa Barbara's Best Band in 1996.

In 2022, David found an old picture of Common Ground, taken by legendary jazz photographer, William Claxton, and posted it to social media, bringing him back in touch with several members of the band. Plans to try and organize a reunion were discussed, however, due to conflicting schedules and prior commitments, it just wasn’t in the cards. Not to be deterred, David’s passion for that music has been reignited and inspired him to craft new compositions as well as reimagine some of his original material.

The culmination of this artistic journey is the self-titled album "DB & the Soho Nine-Six.”