All press release News

Alma Adentro: The Puerto Rican Songbook Receives Latin Grammy Nomination

On September 25, 2012, the Latin Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences (LARAS) announced nominations for the XIII Annual Latin GRAMMY Awards. Congrats to Miguel Zenón for his nomination! Alma Adentro: The Puerto Rican Songbook, Miguel’s collection of reinterpreted Puerto Rican standards, was nominated for Best Instrumental Album. Alma Adentro was also nominated during the 54th Annual GRAMMY Awards for Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album. The XIII Annual Latin GRAMMY Awards will be held at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas and will be broadcast live on the Univision Network on Thursday, Nov. 15.

Submitted by Bobby on September 27th, 2012 — 04:02pm

Claudia Acuña included in UNESCO jazz exhibit

A portrait of Marsalis Music artist Claudia Acuña will be featured in a collection of thirty photographs curated to provide an overview of the evolution of jazz across the world at UNESCO headquarters in Paris to celebrate the inauguration of International Jazz Day on April 30, 2012. Curated by the Smithsonian’s John Hasse, Claudia’s photo will be featured alongside photographs of jazz greats including Thelonius Monk, Charlie Parker, Louis Armstrong, and Billie Holiday. UNESCO describes International Jazz Day as “intended to raise awareness in the international community of the virtues of jazz as an educational tool, and a force for peace, unity, dialogue and enhanced cooperation among people.” For more information about International Jazz Day and activities happening to mark the Day in Paris and around the globe, please visit the UNESCO website. Read more »

Submitted by Bobby on April 18th, 2012 — 04:12pm

Miguel Zenón and Alma Adentro receive nods from the JJA

The Jazz Journalists Association announced their nominations for the 2012 JJA Jazz Awards today, winners to be announced at the June 20 awards party at the Blue Note Jazz Club in New York. The nominations recognize Miguel Zenón’s 2011 release Alma Adentro: The Puerto Rican Songbook in several ways.

Miguel is nominated for Alto Saxophonist of the Year, Alma Adentro is nominated for Record of the Year, and the album’s liner notes written by A.G. Quintero-Rivera (available online here) were nominated for Best Liner Notes of the Year.

Congrats to Miguel!

Read more »

Submitted by Bobby on April 13th, 2012 — 03:49pm

New album from the Branford Marsalis Quartet available on vinyl only for Record Store Day 2012

CAMBRIDGE, MA: Legendary saxophonist Branford Marsalis and his tight-knit working band will deliver Four MFs Playin’ Tunes on deluxe 180-gram high definition vinyl just in time for Record Store Day on April 21, 2012. This is the first recording of the Branford Marsalis Quartet with an electrifying young drummer who joined the band three years ago and the results are a nimble and sparkling album, featuring ambitious original compositions by members of the band, a Thelonious Monk classic, and one standard dating to 1930. The record blends the beautiful and subtle ballad sounds of the 2004 release Eternal with the ecstatic contrasts of the critically-acclaimed Braggtown. In other words, this just might be the Branford Marsalis Quartet’s most sublime musical achievement yet.

This is the first vinyl release from Marsalis Music, and the label is so excited to be able to offer something special to the folks who support independent music stores. Four MFs Playin’ Tunes will be available on compact disc and digitally on August 7, 2012. Vinyl purchases will come with a download card that enables purchasers to register to receive a free digital copy of the album on August 7.

On Four MFs Playin’ Tunes, the song takes center stage, with the band members bringing their considerable musical expertise to bear, as they focus on each tune as an important musical entity unto itself and not merely a vehicle for showcasing individual talent. Branford Marsalis elaborates: “We need to quit thinking of songs as vehicles and think of them as songs, and treat each with equality… What we are trying to do is to figure out the emotional purpose of each song we play and then play according to that purpose, as opposed to musicians who spend their time developing what they call a concept.”

Those sentiments are echoed unanimously by the group from the youngest and most recent member, drummer Justin Faulkner, who joined the band in 2009 and has been impressing audiences and critics alike during the band’s electric live performances, to core fixtures pianist Joey Calderazzo and bassist Eric Revis. Asked to describe the challenge of his first recording session with the Quartet, Faulkner responds with a question, “What can we do to make each tune an actual song rather than just a bunch of notes on a page?” Read more »

Submitted by Bobby on April 2nd, 2012 — 03:14pm

Zenón's Alma Adentro Receives Grammy Nomination!

We are so proud to announce that Miguel Zenón’s Alma Adentro: The Puerto Rican Songbook received a Grammy nomination for Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album last night! Congrats to Miguel and all of the musicians involved with the album. Full list of Grammy nominees here.

Submitted by Bobby on December 1st, 2011 — 11:57am