Insight into the World of....Java Festival Production

Tuesday, December 8, 2009

Due to Perform at Java Jazz Festival 2010.... Jane Monheit

It is a lifelong musical journey from the dreamy innocence of "Never Never Land" to the world-weary delusion of "Something Cool." Yet, Jane Monheit, now firmly established as one of the post-millennial jazz world's foremost vocalists, has managed to make the trip in just eight years. In 2000, Monheit chose the sweet, escapist Peter Pan lullaby as the title tune for her debut album. Now, with The Lovers, the Dreamers and Me, her sophomore release for Concord (following 2006's sumptuous Surrender), she is plumbing the gin-soaked escapism of the heartrending tune made famous by June Christy in 1953.

But "Something Cool" is just one of several tracks on The Lovers, the Dreamers and Me, Monheit's widest-ranging and most accomplished album to date, that suggest the honey-voiced chanteuse is ushering in an artistic era of heightened sagacity and maturity. She also navigates the dark corners of Tommy Wolf and Fran Landesman's poignant "The Ballad of the Sad Young Men," delivers a superlative interpretation of Paul Simon's bittersweet "I Do It for Your Love" and embraces such contemporary songwriters as Corrine Bailey Rae ("Like A Star") and Fiona Apple ("Slow Like Honey"). "I was," confesses Monheit, "obsessed with Fiona Apple's first record when I was in college, and that's the album that song is from. I thought it was interesting to do it and "Like A Star" because both are by female songwriters who are almost exactly my age, and they're songs I really love. I'm always doing songs from the Great American Songbook by long-dead composers, mostly male. Standards are still where my heart is, but it's great to go beyond that."

And, of course, The Lovers, the Dreamers and Me, produced by Matt Pierson, does include a rich assortment of jazz and pop classics, ranging from Cole Porter ("Get Out of Town") and Jimmy Dorsey ("I’m Glad There Is You") to Leonard Bernstein ("Lucky to Be Me"). Nor does Monheit ignore her deep adoration for Brazilian gems, adding Ivan Lins' "Acaso" ("No Tomorrow") and the effervescent samba "A Primeira Vez" to her recorded repertoire.

Jane Monheit's Myspace

Jane Monheit's Website

Check out Jane Monheit's Youtube Video HERE

Due to Perform at Java Jazz Festival 2010.... Eric Benet

They say home is where the heart is, and Eric returned to his Milwaukee, Wisconsin roots to record his Friday/Reprise/Warner Bros. Records CD Love & Life. Collaborating with his longtime production partner Demonte Posey and writer/producer/cousin George Nash, Jr., Eric completely opened his heart and soul with this decidedly organic production, exercising complete creative control over for the first time in his career. Co-writing and producing eleven of the twelve tracks with his partners, "musically and creatively, it's just as I envisioned it. I wanted to make a record that was a good feeling R&B record, and some of the best R&B for me growing up had a dash of gospel, a couple dashes of jazz. You could feel the social consciousness and you could feel where the artist was in their life. Whatever challenges, victories, blessings that I'm presently experiencing and the fruit of all that, are the songs that I write." Having fun through the entire process, Eric's sustained motivation from experiencing love and living life can be heard skillfully weaved throughout every album track.

Eric Benet's Myspace

Eric Benet's Website

Check out Eric Benet's Youtube Video HERE

Due to Perform at Java Jazz Festival 2010.... Tony Monaco

On Tonys sixteenth birthday, his prayers were answered--he received an encouraging phone call from the late Jimmy Smith, who soon became his guru. This was the first of a regular series of calls where Smith taught Tony the secrets of the Hammond B-3. Four years later, when he was twenty, Jimmy Smith invited Tony to come play with him at his club in California--a peak lifetime experience for Tony Monaco. In 2005, thanks to the success of Fiery Blues, Tony traveled extensively, including the US, Australia, New Caledonia, and Canada. Returning home in September after a 10 day tour of Australia, Tony recorded his newest CD East to West on his newly formed Chicken Coup Records with Adam Nussbaum on drums and Bruce Forman on Guitar. With the release of East to West, earlier in 2005, Tony has experienced another burst of interest, playing the Java Jazz Festival in Jakarta, Indonesia, as well as gigs in Europe and US.

Tony Monaco's Myspace

Tony Monaco's Website

Check out Tony Monaco's Youtube Video HERE

Due to Perform at Java Jazz Festival 2010.... Carl Allen

With over 150 recordings to his credit, the gifted Milwaukee-born, New York-based drummer, sideman, bandleader, entrepreneur, and educator, Carl Allen's profound and propulsive percolations provided soulful and syncopated support for nearly three decades. Born on April 25, 1961, Allen grew up on gospel, R&B, and funk, but later turned to jazz after hearing an LP by the legendary saxophonist Benny Carter. He studied with drum instructor Roy Sneider and band director Robert Siemele. His first hometown gigs were with sax greats Sonny Stitt and James Moody. Allen studied at The University of Wisconsin at Green Bay from 1979 to 1981, and transferred to William Patterson College in New Jersey, where he graduated in 1983 with a Bachelor's Degree in Jazz Studies and Performance. Allen joined trumpeter Freddie Hubbard a year before his graduation, served as his Musical Director for eight years, and recorded several recordings with the trumpeter including Double Take and Life Flight. Allen also played with Michael Brecker, Randy Brecker, Benny Golson, Jennifer Holliday, J.J. Johnson, Rickie Lee Jones, Sammy Davis Jr., Branford Marsalis, Kenny Garrett, Lena Horne, Ruth Brown, Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock, Bobby Hutcherson, Mike Stern, Nellie McKay, Terence Blanchard, Phil Woods, Benny Green, Cyrus Chestnut, Joe Henderson, Billy Childs and many others. Allen's phenomenal sideman discography also includes Jackie McLean (Dynasty), Donald Harrison (Indian Blues, Noveau Swing), Donald Byrd (A City Called Heaven), and Art Farmer (The Company I Keep). Piccadilly Square (Timeless) was Allen's first CD as leader, released in 1989, followed by The Dark Side of Dewey (Evidence), The Pursuer (Atlantic), Testimonial (Atlantic), and Get Ready, his 2007 Mack Avenue gospel/Motown accented debut release with co-leader, bassist Rodney Whitaker. Allen is also an accomplished businessman. He co-founded Big Apple Productions in 1988 with saxophonist Vincent Herring, produced several recordings for several Japanese labels with future stars Roy Hargrove and Nicholas Payton, and created The Art of Elvin, a tribute band dedicated to his two drum influences.

He currently leads his exceptional quintet and Carl Allen & New Spirit as well as being the co-leader of the Allen-Whitaker Project with bassist Rodney Whitaker. Allen also produced recordings for pianist Eric Reed, Dewey Redman, Pharoah Sanders, Freddie Hubbard and guitarist Lage Lund, the winner of the 2005 Thelonious Monk International Monk Competition and many others totaling nearly 70 credits as a producer. A talented educator, Allen has served on the jazz faculty at Julliard since 2001 as coordinator of Small Ensembles and drum instructor. Currently I am serving as the Interim Artistic Director of Jazz Studies. Allen maintains an exhaustive schedule of recording, touring and teaching. He remains active as a leader (most recently co-leading The Carl Allen - Rodney Whitaker Project, leading The Carl Allen & The Art of Elvin - a musical tribute to Art Blakey and Elvin Jones), New Spirit and as an in-demand sideman (recent recordings with Jackie Ryan, Wayne Escoffery, Alex Graham, Barbara King and many others).

Carl Allen's Myspace

Carl Allen's Website

Check out Carl Allen's Youtube Video HERE