AAJ-NY: Best Of 2009

AllAboutJazz-New York published its annual Best of 2009 feature in the new January issue and we’re very proud to say our clients are well-represented.

Special congratulations to those recognized as the year’s best in the following categories:

Albums of the Year
Darcy James Argue, Infernal Machines (New Amsterdam Records)
Bill Dixon, Tapestries for Small Orchestra (Firehouse 12 Records)
David S. Ware, Shakti (AUM Fidelity)

Debut Albums
John Hébert, Byzantine Monkey (Firehouse 12 Records)
Darius Jones Trio, Man’ish Boy (A Raw & Beautiful Thing) (AUM Fidelity)

Vocal Releases
The Fay Victor Ensemble, The FreeSong Suite (Greene Avenue Music)

Large Ensemble Releases
Darcy James Argue, Infernal Machines (New Amsterdam Records)

Albums of the Year – Honorable Mention
Cleaver/Parker/Taborn, Farmers By Nature (AUM Fidelity)
Harris Eisenstadt, Canada Day (Clean Feed)
Garrison Fewell, Variable Density Sound Orchestra (Creative Nation Music)
KLANG, Tea Music (Allos Documents)
Michael Musillami Trio + 3, From Seeds (Playscape Recordings)

Remembering 2009

The latest can to be kicked around the jazz blogosphere (and beyond) is what records make the cut as the best of the decade.

As much as we enjoy the opportunity to reminisce about our first seven-plus years in business, and the 135 recordings we promoted for our clients in that span, we’re not quite ready to dip a toe in that nearly bottomless pool just yet.

But, we’re more than happy to shine a light on the recordings we promoted for our clients in 2009 (in order of their release).

Hopefully at least a few of these will end up on your year’s best list or at least your list for Santa.

David S. Ware
Shakti (AUM Fidelity)

Gerald Cleaver/William Parker/Craig Taborn
Farmers By Nature (AUM Fidelity)

The Ayn Inserto Jazz Orchestra
Muse (Creative Nation Music)

Garrison Fewell
Variable Density Sound Orchestra (Creative Nation Music)

Darcy James Argue’s Secret Society
Infernal Machines (New Amsterdam Records)

Michael Musillami Trio + 3
From Seeds (Playscape Recordings)

The Fully Celebrated
Drunk On The Blood Of The Holy Ones (AUM Fidelity)

John Hébert
Byzantine Monkey (Firehouse 12 Records)

Carl Maguire’s Floriculture
Sided Silver Solid (Firehouse 12 Records)

Joe Morris/Petr Cancura/Luther Gray
Wildlife (AUM Fidelity)

KLANG
Tea Music (Allos Documents)

Taylor Ho Bynum & SpiderMonkey Strings
Madeleine Dreams (Firehouse 12 Records)

Fay Victor Ensemble
The FreeSong Suite (Greene Avenue Music)

Fonda/Stevens Group
Memphis (Playscape Recordings)

Harris Eisenstadt
Canada Day (Clean Feed)

Darius Jones Trio
Man’ish Boy (AUM Fidelity)

Joe Morris Quartet
Today On Earth (AUM Fidelity)

Jessica Pavone
Songs Of Synastry And Solitude (Tzadik)

Bill Dixon
Tapestries For Small Orchestra (Firehouse 12 Records)

Harris Eisenstadt’s CD Release Tour Begins Tomorrow

Drummer/composer Harris Eisenstadt is about to hit the road to celebrate his latest recording, Canada Day (Clean Feed).

The record documents his original book of music for the longstanding quintet, Canada Day, featuring Nate Wooley (trumpet), Matt Bauder (tenor saxophone), Chris Dingman (vibraphone) and Eivind Opsvik (bass).

Check out Eisenstadt and Wooley playing a stripped-down version of the track “Kategeeper” in the Time Out New York office.

The tour begins Saturday with the first of two nights at New York’s Cornelia Street Cafe and continues with concerts in Buffalo, Rochester and Toronto.

Here’s the complete schedule:

10/24 :: Cornelia Street Cafe (New York, NY)
10/25 :: Cornelia Street Cafe (New York, NY)
10/27 :: York University (Toronto, ON)
10/27 :: Tranzac (Toronto, ON)
10/28 :: Hallwalls Contemporary Arts Center (Buffalo, NY)
10/29 :: The Bop Shop (Rochester, NY)

Free Jazz: Harris Eisenstadt’s Canada Day (Clean Feed)

This past Saturday on his influential blog, Free Jazz, Stef Gijssels weighed in on drummer/composer Harris Eisenstadt‘s new release, Canada Day (Clean Feed).

“I’m sure that many mainstream lovers will also enjoy this one,” he writes, “yet the album has at the same time a kind of unpredictability, a freshness of approach together with an enveloping warmth that is quite unusual. And that sensitivity is to be found in the compositions, the playing and in the interaction. With this band Eisenstadt not only brings a synthesis of many jazz subgenres (from the cool vibe sounds of the sixties to the kind of more modern Dave Douglas approach), but he brings it a step further, showing how modern music can be at the same time clever, rich in texture and emotionally intense.”

Harris Eisenstadt’s Canada Day Out Today

Drummer/composer Harris Eisenstadt‘s latest release, Canada Day (Clean Feed), officially hits the streets today.

The record, the Toronto native’s eighth as a bandleader, is the debut of his primary working ensemble, also called Canada Day, featuring Nate Wooley (trumpet), Matt Bauder (tenor saxophone), Chris Dingman (vibraphone) and Eivind Opsvik (bass).

It documents his original book of music for the group, which was written for the specific musical personalities of these musicians and developed in live performances in New York and beyond over the past three years.

“The material on the group’s self-titled album is as exciting as it is diverse,” declares Dusted‘s Marc Medwin, “with any clichés about group telepathy sounding entirely appropriate. Precision and spontaneity make every gesture simultaneously soloistic and supportive as the structures wend their complex but catchy ways forward. He’s the lynchpin of an exciting aggregate.”

“Drawing upon some of the best new talent in the Brooklyn scene,” explains AllAboutJazz.com’s Troy Collins, “Eisenstadt’s formidable quintet is as capable of adventurous timbral explorations as they are of in-the-pocket swing. Blending a mid-’60s Blue Note vibe with elastic post-rock grooves and subtle West African influences, Eisenstadt successfully unites his assorted interests into a cohesive ensemble sound. An accessible blend of inside and outside traditions delivered by an empathetic young ensemble, Canada Day is a welcome addition to the burgeoning discography of one of the new generation’s leading composers.”

AllMusic.com’s Michael G. Nastos adds, “A composer of great depth and diversity, Eisenstadt proves a fine trap drummer for this recording, and a formidable bandleader who deserves more recognition in both areas. The cohesion of the ensemble, glued by the steady, steaming, streaming rhythms of Eisenstadt, keeps the listener focused and compelled to hear more…this is a strong candidate for Top Ten status in the category of best jazz CDs of 2009.”

You can learn more about Eisenstadt, Canada Day, and his many other projects in a new interview by Clifford Allen posted yesterday at AllAboutJazz.com

And, the band will be celebrating its new release with Northeast tour dates in New York, Toronto, Buffalo and Rochester starting October 24th. Details are available here.

Harris Eisenstadt At Clean Feed Fest IV Tonight

Photo by Scott Friedlander

The official street date for Harris Eisenstadt‘s latest release, Canada Day (Clean Feed), is still a few weeks away, but listeners can get a live preview tonight at Clean Feed Fest IV at New York’s Cornelia Connelly Center.

Eisenstadt will be performing with his primary working group, also called Canada Day, featuring Nate Wooley (trumpet), Ellery Eskelin (sitting in for Matt Bauder on tenor saxophone), Chris Dingman (vibraphone) and Eivind Opsvik (bass).

“The cohesion of the ensemble, glued by the steady, steaming, streaming rhythms of Eisenstadt, keeps the listener focused and compelled to hear more,” writes AllMusic.com’s Michael G. Nastos. “This is a strong candidate for Top Ten status in the category of best jazz CDs of 2009.”

The group will hit the road in support of their new record, which comes out October 6th, in late October, stopping in Buffalo, NYC, Rochester and Toronto.

In the meantime, you can catch Eisenstadt in duos with Aaron Siegel (September 22nd at Death By Audio) and Sara Schoenbeck (September 26th at Vox Pop).

Exclaim: KLANG’s Tea Music + Harris Eisenstadt’s Canada Day

This week, Exclaim.ca, the Web site for the Canadian monthly music magazine, Exclaim!, posted new reviews of both KLANG’s Tea Music (Allos Documents) and Harris Eisenstadt‘s Canada Day (Clean Feed).

Glen Hall writes, “Chicago clarinettist James Falzone’s quartet, KLANG, comes on strong, with bold playing, smart compositions and empathetic group interactions. What makes for such pleasing listening is the beautiful blending of the warm clarinet and the glistening sheen of the vibes—a really cool combination.”

“His quintet features some great young talent that attack his challenging compositions with passion,” explains David Dacks in his early review of Canada Day. “Eisenstadt’s songs deftly balance complex arrangements with subtle, elastic grooves. There are elements of post-rock, ’60s Blue Note sounds (à la Bobby Hutcherson) and West African styles—another Eisenstadt specialty.”

Tea Music was released this week and Canada Day hits the streets on October 6th. Both bands will be on tour this fall. Click here for details.

Previewing Our Clients’ Fall Performances

Mary Halvorson Trio by Peter Gannushkin

Here’s a preview of our clients’ Fall 2009 live dates in support of recent, current or forthcoming recordings.

[Updated 9/12/09]

Darcy James Argue’s Secret Society:

09/17 :: New Languages Festival (Brooklyn, NY)
09/18 :: The Jazz Gallery (New York, NY)
10/19 :: Brooklyn Big Band Bonanza @ The Bell House (Brooklyn, NY)
11/25 :: Iridium Jazz Club (New York, NY)

AUM Fidelity:

09/11 :: Joe Morris’ Wildlife @ Outpost 186 (Cambridge, MA)
10/14 :: Joe Morris Quartet @ The Local 269 (New York, NY)
10/15 :: David S. Ware/Darius Jones Trio/William Parker & Little Huey Creative Music Orchestra @ Abrons Arts Center (New York, NY)
11/20 :: Darius Jones Trio @ Firehouse 12 (New Haven, CT)

Taylor Ho Bynum:

09/19 :: Taylor Ho Bynum & SpiderMonkey Strings @ The Jazz Gallery (New York, NY)
09/25 :: Positive Catastrophe @ New Languages Festival (Brooklyn, NY)

Creative Nation Music:

09/05 :: Fewell/Hofbauer Duo @ Outpost 186 (Cambridge, MA)
09/23 :: Eric Hofbauer & The Infrared Band @ Cambridge YMCA Theater (Cambridge, MA)
09/30 :: Fewell/Hofbauer Duo @ OM (Cambridge, MA)
10/03 :: Garrison Fewell’s Variable Density Sound Orchestra @ Outpost 186 (Cambridge, MA)

Harris Eisenstadt & Canada Day:

09/16 :: Clean Feed Fest IV @ Cornelia Connelly Center (New York, NY)
10/24 :: Cornelia Street Cafe (New York, NY)
10/25 :: Cornelia Street Cafe (New York, NY)
10/27 :: York University (Toronto, ON)
10/27 :: Tranzac (Toronto, ON)
10/28 :: Hallwalls Contemporary Arts Center (Buffalo, NY)
10/29 :: The Bop Shop (Rochester, NY)

James Falzone’s KLANG:

08/30 :: Chicago Jazz Festival preview @ Hungry Brain (Chicago, IL)
08/31 :: Chicago Jazz Festival preview @ Skylark (Chicago, IL)
09/06 :: Chicago Jazz Festival (Chicago, IL)
09/23 :: The Hideout (Chicago, IL)
11/18 :: Thomas Moore College (Covington, KY)
11/19 :: Bela Dubby (Cleveland, OH)
11/20 :: Kerrytown Concert House (Ann Arbor, MI)
11/21 :: The Sugar Maple (Milwaukee, WI)
11/22 :: The Hungry Brain (Chicago, IL)

Firehouse 12 Records:

09/19 :: Taylor Ho Bynum & SpiderMonkey Strings @ The Jazz Gallery (New York, NY)
09/25 :: John Hébert’s Byzantine Monkey @ Cornelia Street Cafe (New York, NY)
09/26 :: John Hébert’s Byzantine Monkey @ Cornelia Street Cafe (New York, NY)

Mary Halvorson/Jessica Pavone Duo:

10/25 :: Studio Odeon (Bruxelles, Belgium)
10/27 :: Auditorium Parco della Musica (Rome, Italy)
10/29 :: Vooruit (Gent, Belgium)
10/31 :: Botticino Jazz Festival (Botticino, Italy)

Mary Halvorson Trio:

12/07 :: Cafe Wilhelmina (Eindhoven, The Netherlands)
12/08 :: Stadtgarten (Cologne, Germany)
12/09 :: Alter Schl8hof (Wels, Austria)
12/11 :: Jazz Dock (Prague, Czech Republic)
12/13 :: Venue TBA, (Ueberlingen, Germany)
12/14 :: The Vortex Jazz Club (London, England)
12/16 :: Rote Fabrik (Zurich, Switzerland)

Mary Halvorson Quintet:

09/11 :: International House (Philadelphia, PA)
12/02 :: Barbès (Brooklyn, NY)
12/04 :: Firehouse 12 (New Haven, CT)

Jessica Pavone & The Toomai String Quintet:

11/10: Roulette (New York, NY)

Playscape Recordings

10/15 :: The Fonda/Stevens Group in Bucharest, Romania
10/16 :: The Fonda/Stevens Group in Sibiu, Romania
10/17 :: The Fonda/Stevens Group in Dunajska Streda, Slovakia
10/19 :: The Fonda/Stevens Group in Budapest, Hungary
10/20 :: The Fonda/Stevens Group in Budapest, Hungary
10/21 :: The Fonda/Stevens Group in Muenster, Germany
10/22 :: The Fonda/Stevens Group in Katowice, Poland
10/23 :: The Fonda/Stevens Group in Katowice, Poland
10/24 :: The Fonda/Stevens Group in Nurnberg, Germany
10/25 :: The Fonda/Stevens Group in Brussels, Belgium
10/26 :: The Fonda/Stevens Group in Neustadt, Germany
10/27 :: The Fonda/Stevens Group in Bergneustadt, Germany
10/28 :: The Fonda/Stevens Group in Dornbirn, Austria
10/29 :: The Fonda/Stevens Group in Leverkeusen, Germany
10/30 :: The Fonda/Stevens Group in Oberengstringen, Switzerland
10/31 :: The Fonda/Stevens Group in Saignelegier, Switzerland

Fay Victor Ensemble:

10/01 :: Roulette (New York, NY)
10/04 :: The Rotunda (Philadelphia, PA)

Harris Eisenstadt & Canada Day On Tour In October

Photo by Scott Friedlander

This October, Brooklyn-based drummer/composer Harris Eisenstadt and his working quintet, Canada Day, will tour in support of their eponymous October 6th debut on Clean Feed Records.

This active ensemble, featuring Nate Wooley (trumpet), Matt Bauder (tenor saxophone), Chris Dingman (vibraphone) and Eivind Opsvik (bass), has been Eisenstadt’s primary focus as a bandleader since returning to New York in 2005.

The tour will begin Saturday, October 24th, the first of two nights at New York’s Cornelia Street Cafe, to be followed by stops in Buffalo, Rochester, and Eisenstadt’s native Toronto. A September 16th performance at New York’s Cornelia Connelly Center, as part of Clean Feed Fest IV, will serve as a preview.

Tour itinerary:

Saturday, October 24th at 9:00 and 10:30 p.m.
Sunday, October 25th at 8:10 and 10:00 p.m.
Cornelia Street Cafe
29 Cornelia Street in New York, NY (Greenwich Village)
Admission is $10 per set
Reservations available at (212) 989-9319

Tuesday, October 27th at 12:30 p.m.
York University Music Department
Martin Family Lounge, 371D Accolade East Building
4700 Keele Street in Toronto, ON
Admission is free and open to the public

Tuesday, October 27th at 10:00 p.m.
Tranzac (Toronto Australia New Zealand Club)
292 Brunswick Avenue in Toronto, ON
Suggested donation at the door

Wednesday, October 28th at 8:00 p.m.
Ressurrection Music
Hallwalls Contemporary Arts Center
341 Delaware Avenue in Buffalo, NY
Admission is $8 members and students; $12 general public

Thursday, October 29th at 8:00 p.m.
BOP ARTS
The Bop Shop Atrium
274 N. Goodman Street (in the Village Gate) in Rochester, NY
$10 requested donation

Learn more at http://www.harriseisenstadt.com

Harris Eisenstadt In August

Photo by Peter Gannushkin

August may be the cruelest month, and often a little quieter than normal as people gear up for the flood of new fall releases and tours, but it does provide you with three chances to catch Harris Eisenstadt in New York behind the drum kit with some noteworthy ensembles.

He’ll fill-in for Andrew Drury in Jason Kao Hwang’s Edge at the Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival, be part of the second performance of Jessica Pavone‘s new quartet at Barbès and reconvene with an improvising quartet led by James Ilgenfritz at Le Grand Dakar.

Jason Kao Hwang’s Edge
Sunday, August 9th @ Flushing Meadows Corona Park (New York, NY)

Jessica Pavone  Presents Wordless Songs Inspired by Life’s Cast of Characters
Wednesday, August 12th @ Barbès (Brooklyn, NY)

Dave Ballou/Ben Gerstein/James Ilgenfritz/Harris Eisenstadt
Tuesday, August 18th @ Le Grand Dakar (Brooklyn, NY)

Please stay tuned for more news about Eisenstadt’s upcoming release, Canada Day (Clean Feed), including fall tour dates!