Terence Blanchard & Co. Are Magnetic With A New Release
On Tuesday, May 28th jazz trumpet legend Terence Blanchard will be releasing his new record, ‘Magnetic,’ on Blue Note Records featuring saxophonist Brice Winston, pianist Fabian Almazan, bassist Joshua Crumbly and drummer Kendrick Scott as well as special guests Ravi Coltrane, Lionel Loueke, and Ron Carter. From 5/29-6/2 Blanchard and crew will be gracing audiences at the Jazz Standard with live performances of material from the album. We sat down to discuss his process in recording, the importance of young composers, as well as an array of topics in a conversation with the musical titan.
Gregory Porter Signs With Blue Note Records
Blue Note Records has announced that they signed singer-phenom Gregory Porter for his major label debut.
Derrick Hodge’s Blue Note Solo Debut Announced!
Derrick Hodge — one of the preeminent bassists, composers, and artists of our time — has officially announced a release date for his solo debut on Blue Note Records entitled Live Today. On August 6, 2013 Hodge will release the fruits of his recording sessions featuring special guests Common, Robert Glasper, Alan Hampton, and more!
Previously Unreleased: Donald Byrd Live at Montreux 7/5/73
Blue Note Records has graced us with an amazing gem in the unreleased recording of Donald Byrd with his band at the 1973 Montreux Jazz Festival. Blue Note explains, “As a special tribute to this Jazz Immortal and as a gift to the legions of aficionados who, like all of us at Blue Note Records, treasure the music he’s left behind, we are honored to present – for the first time – Donald Byrd, Live at Montreux from July 5, 1973.”
Wayne Shorter’s Without a Net
The same Wayne Shorter behind game-changing standards like “Footprints,” “Nefertiti,” and “Kryptonite” was ever-present throughout this album, but that also indicates he’s on a pathway to unknown territory, too. Without a Net flies a heart-pounding trapeze of dizzying melodies and acrobatic rhythms that leaves the listener breathless and exhilarated. Never has it been so great to feel so unsafe.
Feature Giveaway: Giant Step Presents José James at the Highline Ballroom
José James is gearing up to drop his highly anticipated No Beginning No End (NPR First Listen) and we’ve got a pari of tickets to giveaway to his Highline Ballroom Show! “No Beginning No End sums up how I feel about music right now, I don’t want to be confined to any particular style. I decided I didn’t want to be considered a jazz singer anymore and that was really freeing. Once I realized that jazz singing is just something that I do and it’s just a label, it freed me as an artist to just write without any boundaries.”
José James Performs “Trouble” on Conan
This week José James performed “Trouble” off of his upcoming album No Beginning, No End on the Conan O’Brien Show. As always it was a stellar performance with his band that boasts Kris Bowers on keys/piano, Solomon Dorsey on bass, Nate Smith on drums, Takuya Kuroda on trumpet, and Corey King on trombone. This is without a doubt one of the baddest live bands around now.
Strata: Kenny Cox’s Clap Clap! (The Joyful Noise)
Kenny Cox might not be the most well known jazz musician of his generation, but he certainly made an impact that is still being felt and will continue reverberating for years to come. As a recording artist, Cox became known for his group, the Contemporary Jazz Quintet, with whom he recorded two records with under the direction (or opposition to) Blue Note A&R director at the time, Duke Pierson. This ultimately led him to leave the major label scene despite heavy interest from Arista Records at the time Clap Clap! (The Joyful Noise) was recorded.
The “Blue Notes” of Blue Note: 8 Lesser-Known Samples from the Blue Note Records Catalog
The term blue note is defined as “a minor interval where a major would be expected, used especially in jazz.” Having said that, consider the following sample list to be the “blue notes” of Blue Note, so to speak. This is a list of several Blue Note samples that were either used in an atypical manner, or were found on lesser-known tracks by largely popular artists.
Wayne Shorter Announces 2013 Tour
When we got the news that Wayne Shorter would be returning to Blue Note Records this year for his first recording with them in over four decades, the excitement really started to brew. Now with tour dates for the project announced, it is definitely fair to share our excitement.
Robert Glasper Interviews José James in a 3-Part Series
Ahead of the highly anticipated release of José James’ No Beginning, No End, the team released a series of videos featuring iconic pianist and collaborator Robert Glasper interviewing James about the new record, his unique voice and influences, and what’s next.
Amir Abdullah: Rebuilding Strata Records
Amir Abdullah is currently in the process of relaunching Detroit’s Strata Records with reissues and never-before-heard records from the historic artists who recorded on Strata. The Strata Records catalog contains some of the most exciting music that has never been released from artists who later went on to obtain legendary statuses. Moreover, Strata was a community of artists who never ceased to amaze both in personality and material. We brought in Amir to tell his story, the story of Strata, and the ongoing journey to bring this incredible music to the our ears. Read up and be ready for a steady stream of exclusive content in the coming months!
Derrick Hodge: Living Today
I think that’s the one thing that’s essential in our records that we’re putting out now. It’s got to definitely sound a certain kind of way. It can’t sound like we tried to skimp on mixing or mastering. The studio has to sound up to speed with anything else a person puts on the radio. That’s the audience we want. We want it to be heard by as many people as possible. It can’t sound like they have to sit and think about whether they like it or not.
Robert Glasper & José James To Perform at the iTunes Festival 2012
2012 has been a big year for both José James and the Robert Glasper Experiment. José is set to release his new album No Beginning, No End, while The Experiment continued touring for their release of Black Radio (and the release of Black Radio remixed). Both are set to take the stage at the 2012 iTunes Festival with José James at 7:45pm GMT (2:45pm ET) and The Experiment at 9:00pm GMT (4:00pm ET) this Sunday, September 23rd.. Performing with the Robert Glasper Experiment will be a slew of special guests including Bilal, Lalah Hathaway, Lionel Loueke, Doom, and Phonte, so be sure to tune into the festival (streamed from London).
Blue Note Records Launches Spotify App!
Within the past year, Spotify has proved that the Mix-and-Match innovation style is to be reckoned with. Marrying the worlds of digital music and social media (Spotify = iTunes + Facebook) has not only brought the discovery method for music into a new era, but the innovation of Spotify apps has brought the powerhouses of print and digital media into a new venues with brand new functions. Today we are excited to announce the Blue Note Records Spotify App which brings a whole new level of jazz discovery to Spotify users.
DJ Spinna Presents: The Eccentric Movements of José James Mixtape
If there is one thing you should know about DJ Spinna it’s that he is an auteur. No matter the context, Spinna’s creative vision shines through project after project with each new idea bringing together an original piece of artistry with an overarching theme that lets listeners appreciate the originals in a new light. With his latest mix tape entitled “The Eccentric Movements of José James,” Spinna intertwines the early releases James put out with some of his favorites as well as a peak at some music from James’ forthcoming No Beginning, No End.
Lionel Loueke: Honoring Your Heritage
Lionel Loueke is a different type of musician. Not bound by the conventional techniques and thought processes, Loueke has pursued music his entire life through an entirely original set of eyes. Even upon moving from Benin to Paris and on to Boston where where he was exposed to the history behind the music he pursued, Loueke managed to keep his mind open to the endless possibilities the music allowed him and that has translated into an unmatched sense of originality, rhythmic innovation, and musical bliss. On August 28th, 2012 Lionel will release his most recent endeavor entitled “Heritage” which features co-proudcer and pianist Robert Glasper, bassist Derrick Hodge, and drummer Mark Guiliana.
Lionel Loueke Drops Heritage 8/28/12
Acclaimed and inventive guitarist, songwriter, vocalist Lionel Loueke will drop his latest endeavor, Heritage, August 28, 2012 on Blue Note Records. The album is co-produced by Robert Glasper who is also featured on piano with Derrick Hdoge on electric bass and Mark Guiliana on drums. Gretchen Parlato also adds in her flavor with some background vocals. In total, Heritage will feature seven compositions by Loueke, two by Glasper, and one co-written by the two of them. The title comes from Lionel’s personal ancestry.
Jose James + Taylor McFerrin at LPR 5/11/12
Tonight, 5/11/12, Jose James will be showcasing new material from his upcoming album, No Beginning, No End. On the heels of being signed to Blue Note Records, James has been on a performance stretch that has covered the world. For this concert his frequent collaborator, Taylor McFerrin, will also be showing off his one-man production/performance show, no doubt with some help from James.
Robert Glasper Experiment f. Bilal & Lupe Fiasco on David Letterman
What an amazing time for music! Glasper has been a household name within the jazz community for almost 10 years now and the music has always been deserving of more and to be known by the masses. Glasper figured out a way to bring jazz to commercial audiences and this is only the beginning. Check out The Robert Glasper Experiment performing on David Letterman featuring guests Bilal and Lupe Fiasco. Musicians include Derrick Hodge (Bass), Casey Benjamin (Vocoder/ Vocals) and Mark Colenburg (Drums).
BBC Radio | Gilles Peterson X New Robert Glasper f. KING
Check out a link to Gilles Peterson’s radio broadcast that aired on Wednesday, Nov. 9th on BBC Radio with a sneak peak of a new Robert Glasper tune called “Move Love” featuring KING from their new record called Black Radio. It will be coming out Feb. 28th on Blue Note Records.
