Ala.Ni’s Debut LP Proves To Be A Solid Offering On Phil’s Picks’ 2017 Top 10 New Jazz & Blues Albums List

Courtesy: Missing Piece Records

2017 has been a good year fans of jazz and the blues.  From more established acts such as Diana Krall, Charlie Watts, Trombone Shorty and Diana Panton to new yet equally promising acts such as Ala.Ni, Nova Collective and others, both genres, which despite their musical differences are still related to one another, have turned out a mass of enjoyable (and in some cases surprisingly) impressive albums.  Ala.Ni’s debut album You & I is one of those surprising releases.  It also tops this critic’s list of the year’s top new Jazz & Blues albums.  Also on this year’s list is Argentine musician Fer Isella’s latest LP The Art of The Possible, new offerings from Putumayo and Music Action Ensemble’s new album Foundation among others.

This year was not an easy one to choose top records.  Charlie Watts, who is known just as much for his jazz work as for his work with his band mates in The Rolling Stones, released quite the impressive new offering this year in Charlie Watts Meets The Danish Radio Big Band. Taj Mahal and Keb Mo partnered for the simply titled TajMo.  Even veteran blues man John Mayall is still going strong.  He released his new album Talk About That this year, too.  Back on the jazz side, Charles Lloyd and his new group of fellow musicians released their own standout offering in the form of Passin’ Thru.  Even here, there is so much to say.  Simply put, coming up with a final list for this year’s new jazz and blues albums was not easy because of the level of talent exhibited across the board.  So no dishonor was meant to any act on this year’s list.   

As is the case with each Phil’s Picks list, this list features the Top 10 Albums on the list and five additional honorable mention titles.  Enough rambling.  Without any further ado, here for you is Phil’s Picks’ 2017 Top 10 New Jazz & Blues Albums.

PHIL’S PICKS 2017 TOP 10 NEW JAZZ & BLUES ALBUMS

1. Ala.Ni — You & I
2. Jazzmeia Horn — A Social Call
3. Diana Panton — Solstice/Equinox
4. Charlie Watts — Charlie Watts Meets The Danish Radio Big Band
5. Taj Mahal & Keb Mo — TajMo
6. Charles Lloyd New Quartet — Passin’ Thru
7. Diana Krall — Turn Up The Quiet
8. Charnett Moffett — Music From Our Soul
9. Fer Isella — The Art of the Possible
10. Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band — Lay It On Down
11. Courtney Pine — Black Notes From The Deep
12. Trombone Shorty — Parking Lot Symphony
13. Music Action Ensemble — Foundation
14. John Mayall — Talk About That
15. Jimmy Greene — Flowers: Beautiful Life, Vol. 2

Again, this was NOT an easy list to assemble.  This critic still feels rough coming to terms with the list.  That is because so many great jazz and blues records were released this year including new material from Elvin Bishop and so many others.  Even with that in mind, the list noted here is this critic’s final choice for this year’s top new jazz and blues albums.  Now with this list completed, there is still plenty more to go including the year’s top new Rap/Hip-hop albums, reggae albums, rock and hard rock albums as well as the year’s top albums overall.  There are also a bunch of categories for DVDs and Blu-rays including box sets for families and for older audiences, new live DVDs and Blu-rays, etc.  So stay tuned!

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Trombone Shorty Launches ‘Parking Lot Symphony’ Support Tour

Courtesy: Blue Note Records

Trombone Shorty hit the road this week in support of his latest album Parking Lot Symphony.

Shorty, whose real name is Troy Andrews, launched his latest slate of live dates Monday in New York City.  His next live performance will be May 4 at Shorty Fest at the House of Blues in New Orleans, LA.  Andrews’ latest tour also includes a performance at The Ritz Raleigh on Saturday, June 3, Greenfield Lake Amphitheatre in Wilmington, NC on June 4 and The Fillmore in Charlotte, NC on Sept. 26 as well as performances in Pennsylvania, Montana, Texas and many other states across the country.

The current schedule for Trombone Shorty’s new tour is noted below.

TROMBONE SHORTY & ORLEANS AVENUE – TOUR DATES (new dates in bold):

May 4 – Shorty Fest 2017 @ House of Blues – New Orleans, LA

May 7 – New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival

May 20 – Central Washington University Concert Hall – Ellensburg, WA

June 2 – Dominion Arts Center – Richmond, VA

June 3 – The Ritz – Raleigh, NC

June 4 – Greenfield Lake Amphitheatre – Wilmington, NC

June 6 – Ridgefield Playhouse – Ridgefield, CT

June 8 – Burlington Discover Jazz Festival – Burlington, VT

June 9 – Ocean City Music Pier – Ocean City, NJ

June 10 – Boarding House Park – Lowell, MA

June 11 – College Street Music Hall – New Haven, CT

June 15 – Sherman Theater – Stroudsburg, PA

June 16 – Westbury Theater – Westbury, NY

June 17 – Aura – Portland, ME

June 24 – Bayou Boogaloo & Cajun Festival – Norfolk, VA

June 29 – Meijer Gardens Amphitheater – Grand Rapids, MI

June 30 – Summerfest – Milwaukee, WI

July 1 – Grandview Park Bandshell – Sioux City, IA

July 2 – ESSENCE Festival – New Orleans, LA

August 3 – Freeman Stage at Bayside – Selbyville, DE

August 4 – Newport Jazz Festival – Newport, RI

August 5 – Summer Spirit Festival – Columbia, MD

August 14 – Wilma Theatre – Missoula, MT

August 16 – Red Rocks Amphitheater – Morrison, CO

August 17 – Red Butte Garden Amphitheatre – Salt Lake City, UT **co-headline with St. Paul & The Broken Bones**

August 19 – Edgefield – Troutdale, OR **co-headline with St. Paul & The Broken Bones**

August 20 – Woodland Park Zoo – Seattle, WA **co-headline with St. Paul & The Broken Bones**

August 22 – Mountain Winery – Saratoga, CA **co-headline with St. Paul & The Broken Bones**

August 24 – Green Music Center – Rohnert Park, CA **co-headline with St. Paul & The Broken Bones**

August 25 – Avila Beach Amphitheater – Avila Beach, CA **co-headline with St. Paul & The Broken Bones**

August 26 – The Chelsea – Las Vegas, NV **co-headline with St. Paul & The Broken Bones**

August 27 – Cal Coast Credit Union Open Air Theatre – San Diego, CA **co-headline with St. Paul & The Broken Bones**

August 30 – Hollywood Bowl – Los Angeles, CA **co-headline with St. Paul & The Broken Bones**

September 14 – ACL Live at the Moody Theater – Austin, TX

September 15 – Aztec Theater – San Antonio, TX

September 16 – Pavilion at the Music Factory – Irving, TX

September 19 – House of Blues – Houston, TX

September 20 – Saenger Theater – Mobile, AL

September 21 – Tabernacle – Atlanta, GA

September 23 – Pilgrimage Music & Cultural Festival – Franklin, TN

September 24 – Bourbon & Beyond Festival – Louisville, KY

September 26 – The Fillmore – Charlotte, NC

September 28 – Jannus Live – St. Petersburg, FL

September 29 – Revolution – Ft. Lauderdale, FL

September 30 – Revolution – Ft. Lauderdale, FL

October 1 – Ponte Vedra Concert Hall – Ponte Vedra, FL

October 10 – Orpheum Theater – Boston, MA

October 11 – The Fillmore – Philadelphia, PA

October 13 – Terminal 5 – New York, NY

October 14 – Terminal 5 – New York, NY

October 20 – Palace Theater – St. Paul, MN

October 21 – Riviera Theatre – Chicago, IL

October 23 – Danforth Music Hall – Toronto, Canada

October 24 – Danforth Music Hall – Toronto, Canada

October 26 – The Fillmore – Detroit, MI

October 27 – Egyptian Room at Old National Centre – Indianapolis, IN

Along with his new live dates, Andrews has also released the latest single from his new album.  ‘No Good Time,’ the record’s third single, is out now.  It is streaming online now here.  The song mixes elements of gospel, blues, jazz and R&B for an interesting new offering.

More information on Trombone Shorty’s new live dates, album, news and more is available online now at:

 

 

 

Website: http://tromboneshorty.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/TromboneShorty

 

 

 

Twitter: http://twitter.com/tromboneshorty

 

 

 

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Lickety Split Rocks Its Way Into The Year’s Best New Records List

Courtesy: Blue Note Records

Robert Randolph and the Family Band are back.  And they are back in grand fashion on their first album in three years.  The new record, Lickety Split is one of the best new records of 2013, hands down.  This twelve-song musical masterpiece mixes lots of fun anthems with some more subdued pieces and tosses in a pair of covers and a famous guest spot to make it an album that audiences will find themselves enjoying even more with each listen. 

Among the best of the album’s more full on songs is its opener, ‘Amped Up.’  This was the perfect choice with which to open the album.  It wastes no time at all getting listeners moving.  The energy kicks right into gear at one thousand percent, making listeners want to pump the volume on their stereos and iPods to eleven.  It’s just a fun, full on song that anyone will enjoy.  Randolph sings cheerfully, You’ve only got one life to live/So give it everything you’ve got to give/If anybody asks you why/Look ‘em in the eye and say/I’m about to get amped up/Everybody throw your hands up/Come on and get cranked up/Everybody get amped up.”  The energy from the lyrics mixes with the song’s music to easily achieve its goal at getting audiences amped up and moving.  Once the song ends, Randolph and company pull back, but not too much, in the bluesy/gospel hybrid ‘Born Again.’ 

‘Born Again’ isn’t as high energy as ‘Amped Up.’  But, it still has its own energy.  The song’s bluesy/gospel hybrid sound is just like something that one might actually hear in a church.  Ironically enough Randolph himself stated of the song that this song was originally a love song.  “It’s about finding the joy again,” he said.  “At first, it was more of a love song, about the sense you get when you find the right person.  Then as we were recording this new music with a whole new sense of direction and feeling free again it all came together.  It’s not a religious thing, it’s just new energy—which is really the old energy that I had at the beginning of my career.”   It’s interesting that he notes that it not only started out as a love song, but that it was also not a religious thing.  That’s because with its hybrid sound, it could just as easily pass for a song one might hear in a church.  Regardless, it’s a song that any listener will enjoy.  Vocalist Lenesha Randolph’s vocals are so strong throughout the song.  And the addition of a choir to back the band serves to make the song that much better.  It’s such an impressive follow-up to the album’s opener that by its end, some listeners might even find themselves out of breath and energy having danced their way through both songs.  Thankfully, the band pulls back just a little more on the next song, ‘New Orleans.’

New Orleans is even more pulled back than the first two songs on Lickety Split.  After all of the energy carried by those two songs, this seeming love letter to one of America’s greatest cities is perfectly placed in the album’s overall sequencing.  Again, Lenesha Randolph takes center stage, her vocals so gentle and calming.  Set again Robert Randolph’s slightly more upbeat sections, the two make for a wonderful juxtaposition celebrating Nola.  Lenesha sings fondly of the city, “I heard a sound/Sweet soulful sound/And a happy song/In my dreams/A marching band/Piano man/And that soul…/So sad and sweet.”  The tone in her singing instantly creates such a sense of nostalgia among listeners.  This includes even listeners who have maybe never been to New Orleans.  One can almost see images in sepia tone in their minds, everything of which she sings.  Robert Randolph’s counterpoint, on the other hand, brings everything into full color.  It helps to paint a massive, happy picture of a city that has done and meant so much to America.  It’s one more wonderful addition to an album that boasts so many high points. 

The joy of this album doesn’t end with its first trio of songs.  As soon as ‘New Orleans’ fades gently away, the party gets moving again with the aptly titled, ‘Take The Party.’  This piece brings back the energy of the album’s opener before easing into the more old school funk influenced ‘Brand New Wayo.’  The fun doesn’t end here, either.  Randolph and company keep listeners’ ears throughout the rest of this album. This is thanks in large part to the band’s continued talent and skill as musicians.  Credit will be given where credit is due here.  The people behind the boards are also to thank for this album’s fun factor, as well as guest guitarist Carlos Santana and trombone player, Trombone Shorty. 

Engineer Eddie Kramer (Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin) and mixer Jim Scott (Tedeschi Trucks Band) deserve their own credit for the work behind the boards on this record.  It’s no wonder that Lickety Split bears significance to the Tedeschi Trucks Band with Scott on board.  If one didn’t know any better, one would think that one of the husband/wife duo of Susan Tedeschi and Derek Trucks was in fact guesting, hearing the guitar work throughout the record.  Though having fellow legend Carlos Santana on board, helping with guitar duties doesn’t hurt, either.  That bonus, and the work of everybody else involved on this record makes Lickety Split a must hear for any long-time Robert Randolph fan and for anyone that is new to the work of this highly accomplished musician and his family.  It will be available tomorrow, July 16^th in stores and online. Audiences can keep an eye out for it in the official Robert Randolph online store at http://www.robertrandolph.net.  Fans can also go here and the band’s official Facebook page, http://www.facebook.com/rrtfb and “Like” it to keep up with all of the latest news and tour information from the band.

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