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| McIntosh Releases SESSIONS Volume 1, A Vinyl Album Package (With Bonus 45) Featuring The Peter Erskine Quartet  The ability to project a defining sound is a powerful instinct built into the DNA of jazz artists. Peter Erskine, Bob Mintzer, Alan Pasqua and Darek Oles - award-winning artists, all - evince this truth with McIntosh SESSIONS Volume 1.It captures them - direct-to-tape - in a performance showcasing the partnership of hi-fidelity giants, McIntosh Laboratories and Sterling Sound. Produced by Jeff Levenson in L.A.'s famed Henson studio, the group was recorded on analog tape, and mastered with precise attention to detail. It is a vinyl-only package that delivers the richest of sonic and musical experiences. McIntosh SESSIONS Volume 1 is an audiophile's dream. In speaking about the musical marriage of drummer Peter Erskine, pianist Alan Pasqua and bassist Darek Oles, journalist Jim Worsley from All About Jazz once said, "The trio could be considered the perfect melting pot of creativity, complexity, and rhythm, pollinated with spontaneous interplay and intelligent conversation." That's quite a summary of these top-tier jazzmen who, after playing together for decades, find themselves at the top of their game. Their Live In Italy recording, which garnered a Grammy nomination in 2022, is evidence of their primacy. Bob Mintzer Alessandro Gentile What makes McIntosh SESSIONS Volume 1 extra special now is the addition of saxophonist Bob Mintzer, acclaimed composer, arranger, and founding member of the Yellowjackets. His presence elevate the group's collective mastery. Throughout Erskine's recorded history - with groups Weather Report, Steps Ahead and Bass Desires, for example - we hear a near obsession with crystalline captures. The Peter Erskine Quartet Alessandro Gentile A total of 20+ Grammy citations surround the music and production team on this record. Which leads us to a captured performance providing intimacy and immediacy - from the studio to home turntables. McIntosh SESSIONS Volume 1 speaks volumes about the singular power of jazz coupled with pure, reproduced sound. TRACKS 33-1/3 – Side A Leaving LA (from the film Sacramento) (Peter Erskine, Erko Music, BMI) 3:23 Blues For Old Friends (Darek Oles, LA Jazz Quartet Music, BMI) 6:43 Chilipso (Alan Pasqua, Itsall Music, BMI) 4:48 Gumbo Time (Alan Pasqua, Itsall Music, BMI) 3:39 33-1/3 – Side B Into The Dark (Darek Oles, HNH and Buster Ann Music, ASCAP) 5:14 A Few Good Notes (Bob Mintzer, Mintzer Music, ASCAP) 4:16 David's Blues (Peter Erskine, Erko Music, BMI) 6:07 The Folks (Alan Pasqua, Itsall Music, BMI) 4:22 45 – Side A Leaving LA (from the film Sacramento) (Peter Erskine, Erko Music, BMI) 3:23 Blues For Old Friends (Darek Oles, LA Jazz Quartet Music, BMI) 6:43 45 – Side B Into The Dark (Darek Oles, HNH and Buster Ann Music, ASCAP) 5:14 A Few Good Notes (Bob Mintzer, Mintzer Music, ASCAP) 4:16 Series Producers: Murat Aktar, Scott Burnett Album Produced By Jeff Levenson Henson Recording Studios (Studio A), Hollywood, September 14-18, 2023 Recorded & Mixed by Rich Breen Sterling Sound, Nashville, October 30-31, 2023 Mastered by Ryan Smith ADDITIONAL ALBUM FEATURES AAA production HQ-180 Gram Premium Vinyl Pressing by RTI Includes 12" 33-1/3 RPM LP with all 8 songs plus 12" 45 RPM EP with 4 of the 8 songs Packaged in an Old Style Tip-On Gatefold Jacket from Stoughton Printing AVAILABILITY, PRICING & ASSETS McIntosh SESSIONS Volume 1 is available on McIntoshLabs.com, as well as through authorized McIntosh dealers with an MSRP of $150. Outside the U.S., it will be available exclusively through authorized McIntosh dealers and distributors with an MSRP of $210 CAD / £200 including VAT / €225 including VAT (other countries please check with your local distributor for price). ABOUT Peter Erskine has played the drums since the age of four and is known for his versatility and love of working in different musical contexts. He appears on 700 albums and film scores, and has won two Grammy Awards, plus an Honorary Doctorate from the Berklee School of Music (1992). Fifty albums have been released under his own name or as co-leader. He has played with the Stan Kenton and Maynard Ferguson Big Bands, Weather Report, Steps Ahead, Joni Mitchell, Steely Dan, Diana Krall, Kenny Wheeler, Mary Chapin Carpenter, The Brecker Brothers, The Yellowjackets, Pat Metheny and Gary Burton, John Scofield, et al, and has appeared as a soloist with the London, Los Angeles, Chicago, Frankfurt Radio, Scottish Chamber, Ensemble Intercontemporain, Royal Opera House, BBC Symphony, Oslo and Berlin Philharmonic Orchestras. Peter is Professor of Practice and Director of Drumset Studies at the Thornton School of Music, University of Southern California. www.PeterErskine.com Bob Mintzer is a saxophonist/arranger/educator who resides in Los Angeles. He currently holds the Barbara and Buzz McCoy endowed chair at the USC Thornton School of Music. Bob is a 30-year member as saxophonist with the Yellowjackets. He is also the chief conductor of the WDR Big Band in Cologne Germany. Bob has written over 500 big band arrangements, several jazz study books, orchestral and chamber works. He has played on over 1000 recordings and has performed with Tito Puente, Buddy Rich, Thad Jones Mel Lewis Big Band, Eddie Palmieri, Jaco Pastorius, Mike Manieri, Randy Brecker, and the New York Philharmonic. Alan Pasqua is a Steinway Piano artist, Grammy Nominee and Professor of Jazz Studies at USC Thornton School of Music. He has played and recorded with Tony Williams, Jack DeJohnette, Paul Motian, Dave Holland, Michael Brecker, Randy Brecker, Joe Henderson, Stanley Clarke, Gary Burton, James Moody, Gary Peacock, Gary Bartz, Reggie Workman, The Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Jazz Orchestra, Sheila Jordan and Joe Williams. Darek Oles (Oleszkiewicz) was born on February 20, 1963 in Wroclaw, Poland. By the time he reached his early 20s he had become an award-winning and highly coveted acoustic bass player. In 1988 he arrived in Los Angeles and received a full scholarship from California Institute of The Arts and began studies with the legendary bassist Charlie Haden. Since 2002, Oles has been a jazz faculty member at the University of California in Irvine. Aside from his teaching duties, Darek Oles has been very active as a performer and became one of the most sought-after bass players on the West Coast, and has had the opportunity to perform and record with the greatest masters in jazz. write your comments about the article :: © 2024 Jazz News :: home page |