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| Rising Star Trumpeter AL STRONG Releases "Love Stronger" (Virgin Music, August 19th) Although AL STRONG is not yet a household name, his newest album, LOVE STRONGER, will surely give him the wide exposure he deserves. Strong is a trumpet and flugelhorn player, composer, and arranger. IndyWeek Magazine said, of his debut recording Love Strong (2015), "Though it's a clean, cool and virtuosic workshop of a record, Strong mostly sidesteps rigid jazz musicality for raw emotion during these 10 wide-ranging tracks." Strong continues his passionate embrace of music on LOVE STRONGER with six of his original compositions and four standard and not-so-standards tunes re-imagined with Strong's soulful touch. Strong has attracted the attention of major artists, performing with legends including Aretha Franklin, Branford Marsalis, Adonis Rose, and Mike Phillips, as well as with R&B/Soul artist Eric Roberson, and rap music legend Rakim. Two nationally known jazz stars, pianist SULLIVAN FORTNER and guitarist MARK WHITFIELD, appear on this album. He has also headlined shows at the Blue Note Jazz Festival, Winter Jazz Fest in NYC, Smoke Jazz Club, and Blues Alley in Washington, DC, and recently opened for jazz/R&B star Ledisi. LOVE STRONGER is an exciting showcase for Strong's affective playing, composing, technical mastery, and lush arrangements. Personnel AL STRONG trumpet SULLIVAN FORTNER piano (7) MARK WHITFIELD guitar (8) BRAXTON COOK alto sax (6, 9) CHRIS PATISHALL piano (1, 2, 4, 5, 8, 9) CHARLES 'CHUCKEY' ROBINSON piano (10) RYAN HANSELER piano (6) MARC CARY Fender Rhodes (3) LEWIS HAWKINS tenor sax (2, 3, 5, 6, 8, 9) BLUFORD THOMPSON, JR. tenor sax (10) HUGH SWASO guitar (10) KEVIN BEARDSLEY acoustic bass (2 - 9) THURMAN 'PEANUT' WOODS electric bass (10) JEREMY 'BEAN' CLEMONS drums (2 - 9) BREVAN HAMPDEN percussion (2) SHAVONA BURTON vocals (4) GABRIEL CAVASSA vocals (7) TREVOR WIGNAL violin (10) AUTUMN BRAND violin (10) MATTHEW BRANT viola (10) KENNETH STEWART cello (10) AL STRONG Executive Producer & Arranger LAVAE MCCLINNAHAN Associate Producer Tracks 1. Lullaby For The Ancestors 2:00 2. At-Nimara's Journey 6:42 3. Pure Imagination 6:24 4. Out My Mind, Just In Time 5:24 5. The Dog Who Always Finds His Way Home 6:44 6. Bull City Bounce 5:31 7. Fly Me To The Moon 7:30 8. Black Love 5:47 9. Old Town Diera 7:48 10. Lift Every Voice And Sing (LEVAS) 8:16 write your comments about the article :: © 2022 Jazz News :: home page |