Jim Manley releases new CD

Trumpet player Jim Manley has released a new CD on the St. Louis based Victoria Records label. Titled Brass Poison, the disc evokes memories of the mid-1970s, before "jazz-rock" officially became "fusion."

In the liner notes, Manley says, "I grew up listening to all the MF and Don Ellis Columbia stuff along with Blood,Sweat & Tears, Chicago, Tom Scott, the Brecker Brothers and so many others. I still love that era and it brings back many great memories when music seemed more creative and exciting."

The CD features Manley and an 11-piece band performing jazz standards and new arrangements of popular tunes associated with Elton John, Carole King, Sting and The Isley Brothers and others, plus the title track, written by Manley. The cover of the Isley's "It's Your Thing" features a guitar solo from special guest Ernie Isley, while other tracks include "Go Back Home," "Rocket Man," "Soul Makossa," "Seven Days," "Santa Cruzin'," "Well You Needn't," "Spooky," "Brass Poison," "Rocket," "Blues for Miles," "I Feel the Earth Move," "Grazin' in the Grass," and "Last Night."

Look for a more detailed review later, but on first listen, Brass Poison (pictured) is a well-produced, slickly arranged outing that should have considerable appeal to fans of the influences Manley cites. In particular, the title track would have fit right into one of Maynard Ferguson's MF Horn volumes, and several other arrangements recall Ferguson's approach to remaking pop hits of the day. Manley's playing is characteristically bright, nimble and energetic, and there also are nice solo contributions from saxophonists Jason Swagler and Larry Johnson, keyboardists Jim Owens and Arthur Toney, and others.

Brass Poison is available now online at www.jimmanley.net and downloadable via iTunes and Amazon MP3.

Larry Johnson CD release event set for Tuesday, December 29 at the Sheldon

Saxophonist Larry Johnson will celebrate the release of Circles, his debut CD as a leader, with a performance at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, December 29 at the Sheldon Concert Hall.

Johnson is a frequent musical associate of trumpeter Jim Manley and pianist Carolbeth True, and both will be on hand to perform at the CD release event, along with singer Charlie Boehme, trombonist Jim Owens, guitarist Brian Simms, bassist Glen Smith and drummers David True and Joe Weber.

Tickets will be available at the door, and are priced at $10 for adults, $5 for students and children, cash or check only. Copies of Circles also will be on sale for $15 each. You can hear some samples from the CD on Johnson's website; follow the link and scroll down the page to the embedded player at the bottom.

Rick Haydon, Reggie & Mardra Thomas release Eastern Central Pacific

Guitarist Rick Haydon, keyboardist Reggie Thomas and singer Mardra Thomas have collaborated on a new CD released by the St. Louis-based Victoria Records label.

Titled Eastern Central Pacific, the disc features jazz standards performed by Haydon and the Thomases with help from drummer Harold Jones, a jazz veteran who has played with stars including Count Basie, Eddie Harris and Tony Bennett, and bassist Jeff Campbell, a member of the Rochester (NY) Philharmonic Orchestra and a faculty member at Eastman School of Music. Campbell also is the program director at the Birch Creek Music Performance Center in Wisconsin, and that's where the group, dubbed Standard Time for purposes of the CD, came together while the various members were teaching summer sessions there.

Eastern Central Pacific can be purchased via the Victoria Records site, and also may be available at select local retailers such as Webster Records, which seems to carry many Victoria releases. You can read more about Haydon and the making of Eastern Central Pacific in this article written by Vicky Bennington for the Alton Telegraph.

Stamps, Owens to celebrate CD release with concert on September 9 at The Sheldon

Trombonists Brett Stamps and Jim Owens will celebrate the release of their new Victoria Records CD Bad To The Bone with a performance at 7:30 p.m. next Tuesday, September 9 at the Sheldon Concert Hall.

Stamps and Owens will be joined for the concert by all the musicians who played on the CD, including guitarist Rick Haydon, pianist Reggie Thomas, drummer Miles Vandiver, bassist Zeb Briskovich and fellow trombonists Jim Martin and Cody Henry. Tickets will be available at the door, and are $5 for students with ID, $10 for general admission, or $20 for a general admission ticket plus a copy of Bad To The Bone.

SIUE faculty, students have three jazz events coming up

From the StLJN mailbox: Brett Stamps, local trombonist of note and Director of Jazz Activities at Southern Illinois University - Edwardsville, sends word of some upcoming events involving the University's jazz program.

First up is an evening promoting the recent release of Stamps' own debut CD In Your Own Sweet Way, which came out in February on the St. Louis-based Victoria Records label. Stamps premiered material from the CD that month at the Sheldon, and on Thursday, May 17 he'll do more of it during two sets at Jazz at the Bistro, accompanied by Rick Haydon on guitar, Zeb Briskovich on bass and Miles Vandiver on drums.

Then, as previously mentioned here, on Saturday, June 2 the SIUE Concert Jazz Band (which features primarily students along with some guest musicians drawn from the faculty) will perform from 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. on the main stage at the Saint Louis Jazz and Heritage Festival in Clayton's Shaw Park.

Finally, on Monday June 4, members of the SIUE Jazz Faculty will give a free concert on their campus as part of the university's Summer Arts series. The event is open to the public, and begins at 7:00 pm in room 1109 of SIUE's Dunham Hall. Featured performers will include Stamps, Haydon and Vandiver along with Jason Swagler (alto saxophone), Reggie Thomas (piano) and Tom Kennedy (bass).