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 BUZZBox May 2005 Blue Note Records has signed pianist Robert Glasper, marking the label’s first new jazz artist signing in 5 years. The Houston-born Glasper has become an important member of the Jazz, R&B and Hip-hop communities since moving to NYC, working with such musicians as Terence Blanchard, Roy Hargrove, Nicholas Payton, Carmen Lundy, Q-Tip, Bilal, Mos Def, and Me’shell Ndegeocello. He will enter the studio this month to record his label debut. Anoushka Shankar is currently putting the final touches on her new recording for Angel Records. Daughter of the legendary Ravi Shankar, Anoushka is the only sitar player ever to have been entirely trained from the earliest stages by Ravi. This new project finds Anoushka expanding beyond the traditional Indian classical music of her previous efforts, subtly adding other touches, including bass & keyboards. Wynton Marsalis is mastering his third Blue Note offering, live recordings taken from a private concert he gave at the House Of Tribes in NYC’s East Village. The band includes saxophonist Wess “Warmdaddy” Anderson, pianist Eric Lewis, bassist Carlos Henriquez, and drummer Joe Farnsworth. Marsalis can be heard playing his a** off on a set of standards. Pat Martino will enter the studio in May to record his fifth session for Blue Note. The new record will be a tribute to guitar icon Wes Montgomery. Band line-up is still TBD. Greg Osby recorded a new project this February; an exploratory trio date featuring the drummer, Jeff “Tain” Watts, along with young bassist, Matt Brewer. The material was a program consisting mostly of Osby originals bookended by compositions by alto saxophone icons, Ornette Coleman & Eric Dolphy. Cassandra Wilson is recording her new project with T-Bone Burnett as producer. The result is a daring departure of sound, which at the same time, remains true to Wilson’s unique aesthetic and strong blues foundation. Musical support includes legendary players Keb Mo & Jim Keltner, and the repertoire is a mix of new originals and classics such as Easy Rider and The Folks Who Live On The Hill. Bill Charlap recorded a special duet album of standards with his mother, the esteemed vocalist, Sandy Stewart, aimmediately following their stint at the Algonquin in October. In February, Charlap also recorded the next installment to his “great composer” series, this time addressing the music of George Gershwin with his acclaimed trio augmented by a front-line horn section, including alto saxophonist, Phil Woods, tenor saxophonist, Frank Wess, trumpeter, Nicholas Payton and trombonist, Slide Hampton. |
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