ERIMAJ Runs Their Voodoo Down at Harlem Stage
Jamire Williams’ ERIMAJ took crowds on a journey at Harlem Stage this past weekend. They have certainly have taken the reigns for music change today.
ERIMAJ & Fabian Almazan at Harlem Stage 5/8/13
Tomorrow night (5/8/13), Harlem Stage is presenting an exciting double bill featuring ERIMAJ and Fabian Almazan as a part of the 2013 annual Harlem Jazz Shrines Festival. While ERIMAJ continues to intrigue fans with dynamic performances and original compositions from their recent Conflict of a Man, pianist Fabian Almazan will be debuting a special project with strings.
Give The Drummer Sum: J Dilla’s Influence on the Modern Drummer
James Dewitt Yancey has garnered all the posthumous acclaim you’d expect for a hip-hop visionary underappreciated outside of his circles. Whether it be for his impeccable choice of samples through a multitude of different styles, his uncanny knack of blowing your mind with his musicianship or his humility in a sea of egos and gold chains, he is revered as a legend beyond the realms of hip-hop music, and rightfully so.
David Weiss Leads Point of Departure
David Weiss is one of those unsung musicians on the scene in New York who has an eye for talented musicians and a penchant for fostering that talent. You can find him any number of nights frequenting jam sessions at Smalls, gigs at Le Poisson Rouge, and rehearsals in Midtown. A quick peek at his discography unveils names like Robert Glasper, Jeremy Pelt, and Marcus Strickland (all of whom he’s produced), Freddie Hubbard, Charles Tolliver, and the Cookers (whom he’s performed with), as well as the New Jazz Composers Octet and Point of Departure (both of which he leads). Point of Departure, his current focus, will be releasing their record and performing at DROM on Wednesday 3/6/13. Check out the concept behind Point of Departure and more!
NEXT Collective: Chris Dunn (Producer)
Leading up to the February 26th release of ‘Cover Art,’ we are bringing you interviews with the musicians and previews of the songs each one arranged for the record. Our last interview is with Chris Dunn, Senior A&R at Concord Records and Producer of the NEXT Collective.
NEXT Collective: Christian “aTunde Adjuah” Scott (Trumpet)
Leading up to the February 26th release of ‘Cover Art,’ we will be bringing you interviews with the musicians and previews of the songs each one arranged for the record, so check back with us often! Christian Scott brought one of the heaviest tunes to ‘Cover Art’ in arranging “No Church In The Wild” off of Jay-Z & Kanye’s ‘Watch the Throne.’ As a special guest and “quasi-producer,” Scott brought us some insight and storytelling from the process in a style very much his own. Check out what he had to say.
NEXT Collective: Matt Stevens (Guitar)
Leading up to the February 26th release of ‘Cover Art,’ we will be bringing you interviews with the musicians and previews of the songs each one arranged for the record, so check back with us often! This past week we spoke with guitarist Matt Stevens who arranged “Oceans” by Pearl Jam for ‘Cover Art.’
NEXT Collective: Gerald Clayton (Piano)
Leading up to the February 26th release of ‘Cover Art,’ we will be bringing you interviews with the musicians and previews of the songs each one arranged for the record, so check back with us often! Today we have a great interview with Gerald Clayton, one of two pianists on the record, who arranged D’Angelo’s “Africa” for ‘Cover Art.’
NEXT Collective: Walter Smith III (Tenor Sax)
Leading up to the February 26th release of ‘Cover Art,’ we will be bringing you interviews with the musicians and previews of the songs each one arranged for the record, so check back with us often! Check out tenor saxophonist Walter Smith III who arranged Bon Iver’s “Perth” for ‘Cover Art.”
NEXT Collective: Jamire Williams (Drums)
Leading up to the February 26th release of ‘Cover Art,’ we will be bringing you interviews with the musicians and previews of the songs each one arranged for the record, so check back with us often! Today we’re interviewing drummer Jamire Williams who arranged “Refractions In The Plastic Pulse” by Stereolab for ‘Cover Art.”
NEXT Collective: Ben Williams (Bass)
Concord Records’ NEXT Collective brings together what many are calling the supergroup of this generation of musicians. Combining the talents of Ben Williams, Christian Scott, Matt Stevens, Jamire Williams, Kris Bowers, Walter Smith III, Logan Richardson and Gerald Clayton, these musicians give some credence to the term “supergroup.” Originally conceived by Chris Dunn, Senior A&R at Concord, the record moves past the outdated “jazz” labeling and delves into the more pop-oriented influences of these incredible musicians.
The Stylings of Kenneth Whalum III
Jazz and Style have frequently intertwined throughout different eras, but let us be the first to say that the time has come again — it is “cool” to be a jazz musician. Style is something that we sometimes take for granted, but artists like Kenneth Whalum, Christian Scott, Jamire Williams, and others are taking it back to the days of Miles, Trane, and Bird with their unique personas, musical tastes, and physical appearances. Check out saxophonist Kenneth Whalum III featured in the Style section of the Washington Post for his musical stylings.
2/26: The NEXT Collective Cover Art Album Release Concert
Get ready NYC! Tuesday, Feb. 26th is the premier and album release concert of The NEXT Collective at Le Poisson Rouge. Featuring rising stars: saxophonists Logan Richardson and Walter Smith III, guitarist Matthew Stevens, keyboardists Gerald Clayton and Kris Bowers, bassist Ben Williams, drummer Jamire Williams, and special guest trumpeter Christian Scott (aka Christian aTunde Adjuah).
1-Year Anniversary of Mark de Clive-Lowe’s CHURCH NYC
Our monthly residency with Mark de Clive-Lowe’s CHURCH NYC is about to celebrate its 1-Year Anniversary this Friday 12/7/12 at DROM with special guests including Questlove, Casey Benjamin, Mark Kelley, Nate Smith, and more! We caught up with MdCL to bring us back to the beginning of CHURCH and take us on through where we’re heading with the event. Check out words from the man himself as well as comments from the artists who have been involved with CHURCH over the past year.
NEXT Collective Drops EP
A new project dropped this morning exclusively on iTunes featuring the likes of Christian Scott, Matt Stevens, Jamire Williams, Ben Williams, Kris Bowers, Walter Smith III, Logan Richardson and Gerald Clayton. They are calling themselves the NEXT Collective and have dropped a sneak peak of the project on Concord Records in the form of a three-song EP.
Gizmo Announces Release of Red Balloon on Revive Music
Recording artist Gizmo has announced the release of his debut record, Red Balloon. Vocalist, bassist and musical director for projects with Bilal, Meshell Ndegeocello and Lalah Hathaway, Gizmo’s debut Red Balloon (Revive Music) is produced by Derrick Hodge (Robert Glasper Experiment, Kanye West, Maxwell, Common) and features a mixture of jazz, experimental, hip-hop, funk, soul, rock and latin music.
Christian Scott releases new record, “Christian aTunde Adjuah”
Award winning trumpeter Christian Scott’s compelling eighth album, Christian aTunde Adjuah, is arguably the most personal project to date for the young artist. The album is an inspired and provocative two-disc, 23-track collection, that features guitarist Matthew Stevens, drummer Jamire Williams, bassist Kris Funn and pianist Lawrence Fields. It includes the tracks “When Marissa Stands [...]
Kris Bowers: Layering In The Organ
We caught up with Kris Bowers the other day to get the facts on some rumors we had been hearing around town about him picking up the organ in addition to his repertoire of skills. He gives us the story on how and why he took up the organ in the past year as well as what he’s working on now (HINT – Debut Record!). Read on as we break it all down.
5/4: CHURCH with Mark de Clive-Lowe + Rich Medina + Special Guests at Drom
Get ready for the sixth installment of New York’s Jazz and Electronic House monthly series Church, a very special night with world-renowned DJ, producer, remixer, composer, musician, and Tru Thoughts recording artist Mark de Clive-Lowe (MdCL). The last edition with Jose James and DJ Spinna was a success with a packed room of people dancing. On May 4th, MdCL will be joined by resident vocalist Nia Andrews, Jamire Williams (ERIMAJ/Christian Scott) on Drums, and Mark Kelley (The Roots) on bass.
Jamire Williams: Infinite Possibilities
It’s kind of an organic way of me putting all of those things together. We can’t just call it one thing, or one specific genre, if you will. I like to call it “social music” because it’s for the people to enjoy. I’m really happy about it because it blends a little bit of everything with vocals and lyrics. The vocalists [do] not necessarily sing lyrics, but they are another instrument and will just sing the melodies versus melodies and lyrics. ERiMAJ explores that big beat, alternative rock and hip-hop—everything’s in there.
Sarah Elizabeth Charles: The Sociology of Songwriting
Life holds many interests and many routes to get to many different places. For vocalist Sarah Elizabeth Charles, the duality of her interests –music, sociology, sports, politics — has begun to inform her songwriting and artistry to the point where she has become something very special and intriguing. Her music is informed by her social interactions and thus by extension society. While most music is arguably reflective of culture, Charles holds the often fleeting ability to discuss her music intellectually and takes an active interest in the continual study of both music and life. Read on for the story of Sarah’s journey into artistry.
New Erimaj Single
Check out the release of the first single from all-star drummer, Jamire Williams, upcoming release Conflict of a Man under the name Erimaj. Williams comprises an experienced and multi-talented group to join him on the project including Corey King, Vicente Archer, Chris Turner, Matt Stevens and Alan Hampton guest-songwriting.
The Robert Glasper Trio at the Village Vanguard: A Perspective
A fundamental lesson that I’ve been taught is that there should be strength beyond the presence of any one individual. The Robert Glasper Trio is a testament to that. The Trio consisted of Robert Glasper on keys, Vincente Archer on bass, and Jamire Williams on drums.
