The Yoko Miwa Trio has released their new CD, "Songs Of Life". Like all of us, pianist Yoko Miwa found the year2020 a tough period to live through. The recording of this album was delayed and her long time home base for performing, Les Zygomates Wine Bar & Bistro in Boston closed its doors for good. Sadly, the pandemic has had the same effect on most musicians. No place to perform and a lot of Jazz venues closed down forever. In addition to this bad news, Yoko's father also passed away. To Yoko's credit she never let these serious roadblocks stop her from continuing her musical creativity. "Once the pandemic started, I decided to write something every day. I just tried to sit down at the piano and play whatever I felt on that day. Of course I was frustrated, but I tried to stay positive". The result of her super positive spirit was the birth of some uplifting emotional and optimistic music that is contained in the five original songs she composed for this CD.
Yoko Miwa plays piano with a Jazz-inspired spontaneity and when it is combined with her classically-trained virtuosity she moves to the top with the list of today's great pianists. Legendary pianist Ahmad Jamal had this to say about Yoko playing, "At 90 years plus, I have known and heard most of the great pianists, including Art Tatum, Oscar Dennard, Phhineas Newborn, Nat Cole, Dodo Marmarosa, Johnny Costa, and Erroll Garner. Yoko is amazing and will continue to grow."
The Yoko Miwa Trio has been performing together for more than 15 years and consists of Yoko Miwa on Piano, Will Slater on Acoustic Bass and Scott Goulding on Drums. When this trio plays they seem inspired and produce music sounds that are a joy to hear. This CD was inspired by Billy Preston's"Song of Joy""With every note I play, I play with love...With all the happiness this melody brings".
MUSICIANS:
Yoko Miwa- Piano
Will Slater- Acoustic Bass
Scott Goulding- Drums
Brad Barrett- Acoustic Bass-Track 11
PLAYLIST:
1. Freedom
2. Largo Desolato
3. Song of Joy
4. Small Talk
5. The Lonely Hours
6. No Problem
7. The Rainbirds
8. Think of Me
9. Inside A Dream
10. Tony's Blues
11. Babe I'm Gonna Leave You
I have attached two "YouTube" songs from the CD for your listening pleasure. The first is the BillyPreston's tune, "Song of Joy" and the second is a Yoko Miwa original "The Rainbirds".
I enjoyed and reviewed Albare's last CD, "Albare plays Jobim" a while ago. He has now published "Albare Plays Jobim Vol 2", and it is just as good as his first Jobim CD. Guitarist and Composer, Albare was born in Morocco and grew up in Israel and France. Amazingly his musical development was completely self-taught. Albare was 14 when he first heard the music of Jobim but he waited until he was in his 60's to produce his tribute to Jobim's music. Why the wait?, a reporter once asked him. He started thinking about the question and first answered "I liked the music and it's Samba rhythms". But as he thought about his quick first response, he knew the answer was deeper than this. "When I first started recording in the 90's, it was not Bossa Nova. As much as my love for the music kept growing, I assumed that everything in that genre was already said and done. As I got older, I felt a tinge of nostalgia and romance for my earlier years. Jobim's music was clearly in the past. So I decided that "if I was going to honor the music of my youth that I loved , I had to find my own voice".
So glad Albare came to this decision because great music never gets old. His sensitive Guitar playing brings new life into the wonderful music world of Antonio Carlos Jobim.
MUSICIANS:
Albare- Co-Producer, Acoustic and Electric Guitar
Joe Chindamo- Arranger, Orchestra Conductor, Piano
Pablo Bencid- Drums (Except for Once I Loved and Dindi)
Luisto Quintero- Percussions
Ricardo Rodriquez- Bass
Phil Turcio- Co-Prodiucer, Mixing, Mastering
Guest Musicians:
Randy Brecker- Fluglehorn (On Favela and So Dance Samba)
Nestor Turres- Flute (On Summer Samba and How Insensitive)
Antonio Sanchez- Drums (On Dindi and Once I Loved)
PLAYLIST:
1. Dindi
2. Summer Samba
3. A Felicidade
4. So Danco Samba
5. Caminhos Cruzados
6. How Insensitive
7. Triste
8. Girl From Ipanema
9. Once I Loved
10. Favela
11. Meditation
I have attached two beautiful and romantic "YouTube" videos for your listening and viewing pleasure. The first is "So Danco Samba" featuring guest artist Randy Brecker playing Flugelhorn and the second is "How Insensitive" featuring guest artists Nestor Torres on Flute.
Guitar Master and ComposerDoug MacDonald has just released a new CD, "Toluca Lake Jazz". The CD is a string Duo with Doug and world-class Bassist, Harvey Newmark. This talented Duo had some creative fun interpreting 7 standards and 6 original tunes composed by Doug. The inspiration for the CD came from the long history of live Jazz in the area. The Lakeside Golf Club was a place where many musicians performed regularly. The Club was also a destination for old Hollywood where many famous Hollywood giants were members including Bob Hope, Bing Crosby and W.C.Fields. This CD is meant to be a tribute to the wonderful Jazz that was performed here and in local Jazz clubs in the area and to a wonderful tradition of live Jazz music.
Doug MacDonald and Harvey Newmark are two of the most in-demand musicians in the country but especially in the Southern California area where they both reside.
Doug MacDonald has an interesting music background. He started in career in Hawaii and then relocated to Las Vegas where the music scene was bursting with opportunities to perform. While in Vegas, Doug performed with many of the Jazz greats like Joe Williams, Carl Fontana, Jack Montrose and Carson Smith. After many years performing in the Vegas scene, Doug moved to LA and performed with Bill Holman, Ray Anthony and John Clayton. He recorded with Jake Hanna, Rosemary Clooney, Jack Sheldon, Bob Cooper, Ross Tompkins, Ray Brown Buddy Rich and Ray Charles. You won't find any musician busier than Doug MacDonald! He has a regular Wednesday gig at AJ's on the Green inCathedral City California and still finds time to compose and tour participating in 300 performances a year from coast to coast. He also broadcasts a Jazz radio show on KAJI, a terrific local Jazz station in Palm Desert, CA.
Harvey Newmark was born in Hollywood California and startedlearning the Bass while he was in middle school. It was love at first sight of the Bass, and by the time Harvey entered Hollywood High School he was working with Bands playing for private events on weekends. After graduating from college, Harvey joined the Buddy Rich Band and at the age of twenty was asked to join the Lawrence Welk Band. Harvey has toured and or recorded with Terrence Blanchard, Carmen McRae, Joe Henderson, Anita O'Day,Cal Trader, the Baja Marimbo Band, Milt Jackson, Eddy Jefferson, Pepper Adams and Terry Gibbs.
The joining of these two wonderful experienced musicians together has produced a delightful musical Duo of great music! It is fun sitting back and listening to how they interpret old standards and also experience Doug MacDonald's creative composing.
I am already hoping to hear more from this talented Duo in the future with the appearance of "Toluca Lake Duo II". I have attached two "YouTube" videos for your listening pleasure. The first is an interesting MaxDonald original titled "New World". Doug shared that he wrote this song based on the changes of "It's a Blue World". The second song is the standard "Easy Living" with some outstanding Bass work from Harvey Newmark.
PLAYLIST:
MUSICIANS:
Doug MacDonald-Guitar and Composer for cuts 5, 6, 7, 9. 11, & 13
