CHIARA IZZIA rising star on the world jazz scene

M A G A Z I N EERIN DICKINS

Sizzle & Swing with a founder of the Manhattan Transfer

THE JOST PROJECTThe Jost Project rocks Philly with the release of “Can’t Find My Way Home”

Issue No 1 - Fall 2013

PLUS ALL THE LATEST ON

NEW RELEASES | NEWS | EVENTS & TOURS

TONY MICELIInterview with Philadelphia based

Vibraphone player Tony Miceli

w w w.dott imerecords.com

facebook.com/dottimerecords twitter.com/DotTimeRecords youtube.com/user/dottimerecords linkedin.com/company/dot-time-records

w w w.dott imerecords.com

8.

10. 14. 4.

Welcome to the inaugural edition of the Dot Time Magazine. I can hardly believe it is has been 18 months since Andrew and I launched Dot Time Records, an idea hatched by a conversation in Andrew’s car while on the A1 going from Amersfoort to Hengelo, The Netherlands.

After 5 months of planning the vision for the label, starting in April 2012 we released 4 recordings in 42 days and now we have 13 releases with 3 more in the hopper before the end of 2013.

I always have felt that as an artist myself, I wanted to be treated and respected, not as a meal ticket, but as a person that tries to bring joy to the life of others. In order to continue this life style, I need to have that security, both financially and artisti-cally, to live a creative life. The power that music has over us is that is it the nourish-ment that fuels the soul. That is what Dot Time Records is about. I am grateful to all our artists, who understand that and feed our souls with their artistry and creative sustenance.

The support we have received has been unbelievable. I need to shout Bravo to Michael Ricci and the gang at All About Jazz and to Johann van Deeg at Jazz in Europe for embracing our artists and our vision. Thanks to them for spreading the word and our successful business model, we can continue to bring the finest artists from around the world to your musical door. All you need to do is open it and let them in.

Remember, light allows you to see and may give you warmth, but music makes the soul glow even when it’s dark.Peace to all,

Johanan (Jo) BickhardtPresident - Dot Time Records

A word from the President

The Jost Project: Can’t Find M y Way Home

Erin Dickins: Sizzle & Swing with a founder ofthe Manhattan Transfer

Tony Miceli : Interview

Chiara Izzi : R ising star on the world jazz scene

Dot Time Records: Inter view with the founders

CD Reviews

Coming Releases

Latest News4.

6.

8.

10.

14.

18.

24.

31.

colophon:Published by: MFM Media | Tuindorpstraat 61| 7555CS Hengelo Ov | The NetherlandsEditors: Ronald Gerritzen & Deborah Greene | Artwork & Layout : MFM Media (VOF) | www.mfm-media.comContributors : Jo Bickhardt | Sharla Feldscher | Johan van Deeg | Andrew Read | Ronald Gerritzen | Jakob BaekgaardDot Time Records : 666 Shore Road, Suite 4F | Long Beach NY 11561 | USA | Phone +1 570 604 3181 Web : info@dottimerecords.com | www.dottimerecords.comJo Bickhardt & Andrew Read Interview courtesy of Michael Ricci - www.AllAboutJazz.com | Interview by Jakob BaekgaardTony Miceli & Chiara Izzi Interview courtesy of MFM Media - www.JazzInEurope.com | Interview by Johan van Deeg

6.

Latest news

Paula AthertonHer Second Single Hits Billboard Charts.Dot Time recording artist Paula Atherton continues to capture attention with her release ‘Enjoy the Ride’. The vivacious sax lady/singer/songwriter’s second single ‘Herbie’ has penetrated the Billboard Smooth Jazz Chart top 30 with a bullet, hitting #21. Paula, who plays flute on the track, has now enjoyed seven weeks of chart success with this single. Her initial single ‘Sassy Strut’ reached #15 in November 2102 and enjoyed 13 weeks on the charts.

Critics have been touting Dot Time’s ‘Groove Lady’ energetic talents. The Smooth Jazz Ride

emoted “Paula Atherton is one of those sweet, powerful entities in jazz who certainly deserves a place at the table of the heavyweights in this genre. Her new release, Enjoy the Ride, is proof positive of that. This CD comes bloated with loads

of sass, brass, and class.”

Jazz Monthly raved “Enjoy The Ride is Paula Atherton’s latest ‘bringing together’ of the various styles which she has mastered since emerging as an important player in contemporary Jazz and Pop. She offers a spicy “cauldron” of grooves, styles and sentiments with her latest release.”

The Elmont, NY lively lady of groove, has been active on the road in support of the album and has a fiesta of festival appearances in the upcoming 3 months. Catch her in Charleston, SC; Las Vegas, NV and Rehoboth Beach, DE. Non-festival dates include Jazzyblu in Louisville, KY on November 1st.

Thelonious4Thelonious4 announces US tour dates.

Since the release of their CD, “Thelonious4 meets Tony Miceli” Dutch band Thelonious4 have been making waves on both sides of the Atlantic. The release of “Thelonious4 meets Tony Miceli” has generated a great deal of media attention in the USA and to capitalize on this, the band will embark on their debut U.S. tour in October 2013. The members of

Thelonious4 met while studying at the Amsterdam Conservatory in the Netherlands. Coming from different countries and with differing musical backgrounds, they were eager to start a group dedicated to the music of Thelonious Monk in combination with other musical influences.

Some years ago Thelonious4 bassist, Andreas Metzler met U.S. based vibraphone player Tony Miceli on one of his famous European vibraphone work tours. Tony and Andreas ended up

talking about music and found out that they shared a common love for the works of Thelonious Monk. After some discussion the idea came up to join forces, set up a tour and record a CD together. This tour took place in Europe in 2012 and followed by a number of studio dates. The result was “Thelonious4 meets Tony Miceli”. The coming U.S. Tour is the continuation of this collaboration.

The U.S. dates will see the band playing clubs in New York, Baltimore, Washington and Philadelphia. Below you will find the full list of dates.

18 Oct : Chris’ Jazz cafe - Philadelphia

19 Oct : Somethin’ Jazz club - New York

20 Oct : Silvana’s New York

22 Oct : Jolly’s - Philadelphia

23 Oct : Twins Jazz club - Washington DC

24 Oct : Cabaret at Germano’s - Baltimore

25 Oct : Barnes Museum - Philadelphia

Greg Diamond & Maria Mendes play the Blue Note NYCBlue Note NYC Spotlights Dot Time Artists, Greg Diamond, Maria Mendes

The Blue Note, one of the pre-mier jazz clubs in the world, and a cultural institution in New York City will host the first Dot Time Records Artist Showcase on January 27th, 2014. The showcase will feature two up and coming Jazz performers, guitarist Greg Diamond and singer Maria Men-des. The showcase is the launch of an effort by Dot Time Records to create a vehicle to assist the label’s artists in raising their profiles, placing them in feature venues around the world and in front of new audiences.

The Blue Note is the natural and perfect choice for the initial show-case. While striving to preserve the history of jazz, the club is a place where progression and in-novation - the foundations of jazz - are encouraged and practiced on a nightly basis. The Blue Note is a leader in supporting the Jazz artist, being instrumental in en-couraging the development of up and coming musicians by giving them a chance to perform in one of the world’s finest venues. With twenty-five years of success under

its belt, The Blue Note continues to carry the torch for jazz into the 21st century in the cultural heart of New York’s, Greenwich Village.

Known for her crystal clear voice, The Blue Note will be the highlight venue for Maria on her first USA tour. She is currently receiving cri-tical acclaim in Europe and South America in support of her current

release ‘Along the Road’. This Portuguese singer, based in The Netherlands since 2007 and run-ner-up of the famous Montreux Jazz Festival Vocal competition sings melancholic and romantic stories combined with a passion for jazz and improvisation.

Brooklyn guitarist Greg Diamond has been an emerging force in recent years and is now situated at the forefront of a new generation of contemporary Latinjazz artists in New York City. Endowed with technical prowess and, above all, an impassioned distinguishable sound characterized by his mixed Latin American origins, Diamond puts forth an attractive and inno-vative concept of Latinfusion in a modern jazz context. His latest release ‘Conduit’ exhibits these traits from this talented artist and composer.Show and Ticket information will be forthcoming in November.

18 Oct : Chris’ Jazz cafe - Philadelphia

19 Oct : Somethin’ Jazz club - New York

20 Oct : Silvana’s New York

22 Oct : Jolly’s - Philadelphia

23 Oct : Twins Jazz club - Washington DC

24 Oct : Cabaret at Germano’s - Baltimore

25 Oct : Barnes Museum - Philadelphia

The Jost Project

If you’re a passionate jazz artist concerned about the future of your music, what would you do? If you’re Tony Miceli, internationally renowned vibraphonist, and acoustic bassist Kevin MacConnell, you reach out to new audiences by interpreting their music in a jazz format. Makes sense, right? I mean the music of Aerosmith – Led Zeppelin – Paul McCartney in jazz! You’d create new arrangements for their most popular songs like Walk This Way, Kashmir, and Maybe I’m Amazed. But, what else would you do to really make this music fly – to resonate in a completely unique way? If you were really lucky, you’d get your buddy Paul Jost to sing, to play harmonica, to write some of the arrangements. And, that’s exactly what Tony and Kevin did. Paul was

thrilled. “Sure, why not?” And, that was it. In fact, Paul’s influence is so great on this band that they changed their name to his.

In other words – I’d like you to meet The Jost project, a Philadelphia-based band of highly respected musicians who are also teachers and guest lecturers at universities and colleges. Their new CD was just released by Dot Time Records called “Can’t Find My Way Home” which includes drummer Charlie Patierno and they’re already getting raves!

If you look at the cover of the CD, you’ll see a beautiful photograph of a caterpillar meandering along a river bank. It fits perfectly with the title – “Can’t Find My Way Home.” And, what a story!

Can’t Find My Way HomeBy: Sharla Feldscher

The photographer is Roza Zah, a gentleman from Bucharest, Romania, an incredibly talented artist who happens to be in search of his own home. You see, he’s homeless. Tony met him when he was performing there and they struck a bond. Tony explained, “I was performing in Bucharest when this man came up to me after a concert, showing me photos he had taken. For someone who doesn’t like having his picture taken, I wasn’t so interested at first but then I couldn’t believe how great they were!” Miceli continued. “I wanted to buy them and I asked him where should I send a check, and he said, ‘I have no address. I’m homeless,’ I just couldn’t believe it. I asked how did he own such a great camera and when he said he borrowed it, tears came to my eyes.”

It’s stories like this that have captured the hearts of the band and their fans. Here’s another, the graphic

designer of a caterpillar, reflecting Roza’s photo, was designed by a young man from Holland who got the job through “Brug naar Werk” (The Bridge to Work -ed), a government agency that finds work for people who otherwise would not be employed. This man is severely autistic. This man is a gift! His caterpillar is on The Jōst Project tee shirts and hopefully more merchandise.

That’s what I mean about heart. Tony added, “And for the first time, I’m involved in a CD with so much meaning. This CD is about our lives, about Roza’s life and about a generation of people in search of their way home.  This is our music. It’s our songbook and our standards. It’s the music we want to play.”

For Kevin, the Spring City, PA resident who co-founded the group, the CD has much significance. “I’m not just making music here, I’m doing it with my friends, my longtime friends. When Paul joined Tony and me, I just knew he’d be right for this music and he nailed it. With Tony’s vibes, Paul’s voice, Charlie’s drumming and my own bass, we connect in so many ways and I think that comes through.”

Jost laughs because he had no idea about Tony and Kevin’s drive for him to join the band. Not only a

vocalist who scats and adds body percussion to some of the songs, he plays harmonica on the CD and is responsible for many of the arrangements. Jost said, “This music is fun to revisit and it opens doors to listeners who hear a new twist on some of the music we’ve known for years.  So many of these songs have become such a part of our fabric, it’s like visiting with an old friend who has new stories to tell.”

“I wanted to buy them and I asked him where should I send a check, and he said, ‘I have no address. I’m homeless,’ I just couldn’t believe it.

The Jost ProjectCan’t Find My Way Home (DT9024)

Available now on:

Erin Dickins, one of the founding members of The Manhattan Transfer, has always had an affinity for food. In a recent interview Erin stated “I have always had a passion for cooking. In fact all the original members of Manhattan Transfer were into food! We used to get together to rehearse, and once done, we would all move to the kitchen and keep right on cooking.”

Food played an important role in the early Manhattan Transfer days. Tim Hauser said recently in a radio interview that their rehearsals back then consisted more of a cooking get together with some singing than the other way around. Erin is not the only member of the original Manhattan Transfer to take her love of good food to the next level. In early 2014, Tim Hauser will be releasing his own

line of pasta sauces. With this in mind, it made perfect sense for Erin to tie all these passions together on her new release.

The CD’s title track is a new arrangement of the Ink Spots’ classic, “Java Jive”, that was featured on the first Manhattan Transfer album “Jukin.” During pre-production, Erin contacted long time friend and Manhattan Transfer co-founder, Tim Hauser, and invited him to perform a duet with her on “Java Jive.” Tim’s enthusiastic, “Yes,” started the ball rolling and remarkably, the track now features backing vocals by all the surviving original Manhattan Transfer members - with a great vocal arrangement by Marty Nelson. This recording is one of a kind - bringing the original Manhattan Transfer back together again in the studio after 40 years.

Erin DickinsSizzle & Swing with a founder of the Manhattan Transfer

By : Johan van Deeg

Tim’s enthusiastic,

“Yes,” started the

ball rolling, the

track now features

backing vocals by

all the surviving

members of

the original

Manhattan

Transfer

Vocalist Erin Dickins will release her latest CD entitled “Java Jive” on Dot Time Records in early 2014. “Java Jive” is a special release for Erin as it combines her love for jazz with her passion for food.

Erin Dickins has had quite a career, and has worked both on the road and in the studio with many iconic artists. After leaving The Manhattan Transfer in the mid 1970’s, Erin concentrated on her career as a session musician in New York. During that period Erin had the opportunity to record and tour with artists such as Leonard Cohen, Bette Midler, James Taylor, The Talking Heads, James Brown, Barry Manilow, Jaco Pastorius and Ashford & Simpson, to name but a few. It was also in this period that she first took her love of food seriously. Erin teamed with a group of her fellow session musicians to open a restaurant in Manhattan called “Possible 20”. The name is derived from a common recording session phrase, “with a possible 20 minutes overtime.” Not surprisingly, “Possible 20” soon became a hang-out for the NYC session scene, so much so, that many producers looking for a musician on short notice would call the restaurant first, - and most likely find him there! Erin says that she cherishes so many great stories from that time. A selection of her favorite recollections will be included in the cooking book included with her new CD.

Erin teamed with a group of her fellow session musicians to open a restaurant in Manhattan called “Possible 20”. The name is derived from a common recording session phrase, “with a possible 20 minutes overtime.”

Tony MiceliInterview by : Johan van Deeg

Philadelphia based Vibraphone player Tony Miceli can be heard on two of Dot Time Records current releases, “Thelonious4 meets Tony Miceli” and “Can’t Find My Way Home” by The Jost Project. This interview appeared on the prominent European jazz website : www.jazzineurope.com

Tony Miceli is a legendary vibraphone player who has been performing in the United States and Europe throughout much of his career. Tony’s credits include recording and concert engagements with numerous artists including Ken Peplowski, John Blake, John Swana, Joe Magnarelli, Steve Slagle and Diane Monroe to name a few.

A resident of Philadelphia, recordings include a self-titled compilation CD, “Looking East” with the Philly 5; “On a Sweet Note” with Gerald Veasley and the Electric Mingus Project; “Band Shapes” with French pianist Olivier Hutman; “Monkadelphia; Music From the Inside Out”, a companion CD for the documentary showcasing the Philadelphia Orchestra, Concord Jazz recording artist and guitarist Jimmy Bruno; “excerpt this!” with Adam Unsworth, French hornist and The Philadelphia Orchestra; and, “Thelonius4 Meets Tony Miceli”. Tony’s current project, “The Jost Project” is with Paul Jost, and Kevin MacConnell. Their debut CD titled “Can’t Find My Way Home” (DTR9024) was released in August.

As a teacher, Tony conducts master classes at the world-renowned Curtis Institute of Music and gives private instruction. He is on the faculty at University of the Arts at Temple Univer-sity and if this is not enough Tony also runs a website www.vibesworkshop.com , an online school of music for the vibraphone that boasts over 3000 members. We recently met Tony for a Short Interview.

It’s the musicians that need to draw the listener in. Many of us think it’s the listener’s job to come to us. No way. We come to them.

JvD: Tony, tell us a little about your background and how you discovered the Vibraphone?

TM: I grew up playing the classical guitar, drums and piano. When it was time for me to go to college I told my dad I wanted to go for drums, hoping he wouldn’t make me go to school. All I really wanted to do at that point, was GET HIGH and play in a rock band and then GET HIGH some more! My dad being the great dad he was researched colleges and drums and found out that you could only go at that time for percussion not drums. So he got me percussion lessons and I fell in love with the Marimba and the Vibraphone. When I got to college all I played was the vibraphone. I fell in love with it. The vibes re-minded me of the guitar and I just went crazy on the instrument. I felt like the guitar had prepared me for playing the vibes! My dad made me WANT to go to college. He has helped so many times over the years. He’s a really great dad.

JvD: Your current project, The Jost Project states in their mission statement that the band “hopes to reach a generation of rock fans and introduce them to our music and pull them into our world of Jazz.” How do you intend to do this?

By playing music they recognize! All of us in the group play jazz standards and play all the great music in the world of jazz, whether it’s originals, or Cole Porter or Weather Report or Chick Corea or Gersh-

win. And we all love it. Meanwhile jazz musicians are trying to widen the audience which has shrunk and shrunk. There are many ways to do this and people are trying different things.

Our attempt is based on what happened in the 40’s and 50’s. Musicians started playing show tunes. Why, because they were great tunes. Also they probably played them because people recognized them. If you recognize the tune the improvisation, I think, will be clearer to the listener. If someone has never heard Stella By Starlight or Giant Steps then I bet the music is a little strange to them, especially if they are new to it. That’s the important part, new listeners. Cultivated listeners get the language and get the vocabulary!

New listeners don’t see the connection, and don’t necessarily get language. But if we play “Walk This Way”, segue into “Freedom Jazz Dance” and then play crazy solos, we got them. They hear something that I believe is in their psyche (Carl Jung stuff, know what I mean?). The music is already in their brains. Now we can do our thing! If we play Led Zeppelin, the Beatles, Hendrix, Iron Butterfly we ARE REACHING a brand new audience. I’ve seen it and watched their faces. They love hearing music from their culture, from their past. If we can play “Kashmir” then go into “Lover Man”, then “In A Gadda Da Vida” into “Summertime” I think we CAN reach a whole new generation of people and bring them into the world of jazz!

All the hippies are in the last parts of their lives, they are reflecting on their past, their culture. They’re ma-king sense of their lives. By us presenting their music to them in a whole new way, I think we are doing so-mething good in the world. And that’s the goal! Use all your superpowers for good and NOT evil!

JvD: Your playing has been compared to the le-gendary Milt Jackson and Gary Burton, would you agree with this and if not why?

TM: NO NO NO, I would never agree with this. Milt and Gary are my gods. I could never agree with being compared to them. Honestly, these guys changed music and changed my instrument and my personal life in a huge way! I’m just not worthy. But it’s nice when people do compare you to someone great. It simply means they appreciate what you do. That I appreciate. We play our instruments to move peop-le and affect their lives in any way. So it’s great that someone compliments me like that. I however, being a jazz musician must remain humbled. There are so many amazing musicians out there who I think are light years ahead of me musically. In jazz you have to remember all that and not get cocky! This is what keeps me learning and practicing.

You obviously read this on my publicity page. So I do use that quote. Why? Because it helps get me gigs. It was from a jazz writer trying to put into words how much he liked my playing. It’s incredibly flattering that someone would compare me to those guys. When club owners and agents and jazz presenters read that quote on my web page it helps me get in the door with them. This is the business side of music.

JvD: I recently received a copy of a CD just out on Dot Time Records titled “Thelonious4 meets Tony Miceli. Thelonious4 is based in Amsterdam and you in Philadelphia. How did this collaboration come about?

TM: I met Andreas Metzler in Holland. I go to Eu-rope a few times a year to do workshops and gigs. I met Andreas at a workshop I was doing. He knew I was into Monk and asked me if I wanted to play with his band. I said yes and the rest is history. Let me say what an amazing experience it was to play with these guys. First off, they’re not American. It’s a different culture and jazz means something a little different to them I think. For me that was great. I learned a lot playing with them. I play most of the time in a very traditi onal way. I like it! But they were crazy and that I loved. I felt free. I was playing all this music in a whole different way for me. After we did that CD, i came home inspired! They are really great players!

JvD: In your Bio, education seems to be a common thread. You are a member of the Jazz Faculty at the University of the Arts and Temple University and do workshops throughout the world. What do you think is the greatest issue in Jazz Education at the moment?

TM: The great issue with jazz right now is that it’s be-coming institutionalized. What’s the word? Codified? You know what I mean. Jazz was street music. Even when I graduated college, there were so many jazz clubs in Philly. You learned mostly about jazz from playing. I get it and understand why jazz is taught in colleges, but I think we have to be careful. Jazz is about expression and telling a story and playing from the heart, not from a college text book. It’s art. On the other hand and with that in mind, painting and sculpture and other art forms have been taught in schools for a long time, so in the end this might work out for jazz to be institutionalized. Maybe it’s a normal path for art? I don’t know.

Keep in mind though, that Rock and pop music are now being taught in college just like jazz and clas-sical music. That’s another discussion right? Where is music going? At the University of the Arts, you’ll hear a jazz band, a country music band and a rock band, all on the same floor. I’m not sure how I feel about someone paying thousands of dollars to learn how to play rock music! But if a student graduates from a school and feels like they’ve learned a lot, who am I to judge or criticize. It’s their futures and THEY know best. They are young and it’s their paths out in front of them. I hope I’m being clear. I can only really make decisions and judge my life and my future not anyone else’s and certainly not the future of jazz!! LOL.

JvD: What do you believe are the greatest challen-ges in keeping jazz alive and growing?

TM: Keeping people interested. Why should ANYO-NE listen to anything that doesn’t interest them. I don’t. I don’t listen to anything that doesn’t interest me and I don’t expect anyone else to. This is our chal-lenge. Because a person doesn’t listen to something because it’s not interesting to them, this does not mean the music or art is not interesting. Every per-son that’s gone to school has been educated. When I was 16 I hated jazz. Through my education I have fallen in love with it!

It’s the musicians that need to draw the listener in. Many of us think it’s the listener’s job to come to us. No way. We come to them.

Chiara, tell us a bit about your background, when did you become interested in jazz?

When people want to know how and when I became interested in jazz I usually answer : “I didn’t choose jazz, actually it was jazz that choose me.” When I began studying singing and piano seriously I was still a teenager and in that period of my life my goal was to become a pop singer. Destiny led me to study at a jazz school with some of the best jazz musicians and teachers from my home town. One day during a lesson I discovered Charlie Parker’s music. When we listened to his “Anthropology,” I was immediately shocked by his unique sound and virtuosity! Honestly at that time I didn’t understand what was really happening, I wasn’t able to distinguish the head from the solos. That tune just didn’t make any sense to me.

Strangely enough after that (even though I didn’t like his penetrating saxophone sound) I couldn’t help listening to him. Without knowing the reason, I became a fan of Charlie Parker’s music learning some of his bebop heads and solos beginning with Anthropology. From that moment on I started to challenge myself trying to focus on the depth of this music and finally jazz became my daily “drug of

choice”. It’s been that way now for many years.

In your bio, it states that you began performing at a very young age and that by age 17 you had already performed both in Italy and abroad with a number of influential Italian jazz musicians. How did this come about?

I consider myself to be very lucky as I had the opportunity to rise through the ranks very quickly! Since getting into music seriously, my musical training has always gone hand in hand with the live performances. In this way I had the chance to progress quickly, playing what I was studying, combining the theory with practice in front of a real audience under many different circumstances. Also having the opportunity to perform with some amazing Italian musicians provided me with constant inspiration to keep growing.

I also had the luck to be exposed to the international music scene very early in my studies. During my first year at the conservatorium a number of milestones happened for me, I formed my first band, and had the opportunity to participate in a workshop that had a huge impact on me. The school offered me (and all the guys in the band) the chance to perform at an international jazz workshop in

CHIARA IZZIA rising star on the world jazz scene

Dot Time Records is proud to announce the signing of young Italian vocalist Chiara Izzi. Chiara caught the attention of Quincy Jones and was awarded 1st prize at the Montreux Jazz Festival Vocal Competition in 2011. Chiara’s prize in this competition was the opportunity to record a CD and we at Dot Time are proud to bring this CD to the market. Johan van Deeg met Chiara for a short interview.

“ I consider

myself to be

very lucky

as I had the

opportunity

to rise

through the

ranks very

quickly!“

Belgium where professional musicians from around the world would meet every year to exchange their music and perform in some of the most beautiful venues and cultural institutions. At that time I only knew five or six jazz standards, I was literally scared out of my mind and felt at a disadvantage compared to the other participants. However I did my best, learned new music and performed with many musicians. I discovered the great charm of the interplay and improvisation and I realized that one of the most exciting things in music is to throw oneself into the unknown, especially in jazz. This was a great discovery for me and I consider this an essential element to develop musically and to be ready professionally to handle any kind of situation.

You have received a great deal of critical acclaim from some very prominent musicians including Quincy Jones, Benny Golson and Aaron Goldberg to name just a few. How does a young musician living in Italy attract the attention of such high profile musicians?

These incredible meetings took place mostly by chance. Generally speaking I always try to find a

way to get in touch with musicians that I like and who in some way have influenced my approach to music. Certainly it’s not so easy in Italy to meet prominent international musicians and singers, however sometimes it is possible, especially if they come in Italy for workshops or gigs. I usually try to take advantage of these situations and try to draw inspiration from them directly.

As a consequence of this I sometimes have the chance to play with them if they appreciate my singing. In addition, I have to say that life is incredible and beautiful, and unexpected things can happen. For example, I met Benny Golson after a performance at a Festival that is held each year in the region where I come from. I had no idea that he was in the audience and I couldn’t believe my eyes when he and his wife and daughter approached me to congratulate me on my performance. It was unbelievable and so rewarding!

You won the Montreux Jazz Festival Voice Competition in 2011. What impact has this had on your career so far?

Winning the Montreux Jazz Festival Voice Competition meant a great deal to me. It was certainly an important achievement that helped me to become more known in Italy and abroad. To be honest, receiving this attention from Quincy Jones was far more rewarding than the prize in itself. His support and encouragement helped me to grow from both a personal and musical perspective. As a consequence my self-confidence has increased a great deal together with the strong desire to realize my musical ideas without fear.

Listening to your material, I can hear many influences, what and who would you say has had a major influence on your vocal style?

You can hear many influences in my music due to the fact that I like a lot of musicians and singers from different musical backgrounds. I am not able to make a complete list of who exactly has had a major

influence on my vocal style however I can say that giants such as Ella Fitzgerald, Clifford Brown, Charlie Parker, Anita O’Day, Carmen McRae, Cannonball Adderley, Michel Petrucciani have influenced my vocal approach and continue to teach me how to swing both in music and life!

I am also influenced by Brazilian songwriters such as Jobim, Djavan, Milton Nascimento, Ivan Lins and Italian ones to name a few, Sergio Caputo, Pino Daniele, Fabrizio de André and Caterina Valente. Also James Taylor, Bobby McFerrin, Dianne Reeves, Ray Charles and Bach inspire both me and my music. And many many more…

I have read that you have been signed to New York based label, Dot Time Records, When can we expect the release of you new CD, and why did you sign with this label instead of releasing the CD independently?

The release of my new CD will be on Dot Time Records in December this year. Before signing with this label I considered releasing the CD independently however I thought at this point in my career it was wiser to work with a professional team who can support my projects and help get my music in front of a wider audience with far more expertise than I could have independently. I choose Dot Time

Records because I know that they are really focused on the artist’s interests in the first place and that they can help me to grow as an artist from many points of view. They also welcomed me into their team so kindly, I am really happy to be a part of it!

On your upcoming CD you have recorded a mix of Italian repertoire together with American Songbook repertoire How did this choice come about?

Recording the album came as a result of my winning the Montreux Jazz Festival Voice Competition. This great opportunity came so unexpectedly, in fact at that time I didn’t even have plans to record an album. When the dust setteld and I realized I now have an opportunity to record an album at the great Balik Studio’s in Switzerland, I realized that this would be my first album as a leader.

Speaking about the repertoire for my coming CD, I

decided to put together a collection of songs that I feel is representative of my current musical identity while at the same time adding some new tunes and arrangements. The choice of repertoire came naturally and I believe reflects exactly where I am at this point on my musical journey. I have a lot of fun when I improvise and I feel very comfortable mixing different styles and singing in different languages. On the album I sing in English, Italian and Portuguese. I would probably feel caged if I sang only originals, standards, Brazilian or Italian songs. This is the reason why I have a colorful repertoire consisting of songs and tunes that bridge many genres and transport me through different moods. I believe it’s the song itself that provides a vehicle to express my personal interpretation, hoping to transmit this to the people who listen to me.

What are your plans and goals for the immediate future?

I hope that my music could reach a wider audience thanks to this upcoming album. I am also planning to move definitely to New York and I am eager to work there and take advantage of the unique vibe of the city. And mostly I can’t wait to perform live in Italy and abroad with the amazing musicians who accompany my musical journey and to share it with old and new friends of mine!

To be honest, receiving this attention from Quincy Jones was far more rewarding than the prize in itself. His support and encouragement helped me to grow from both a personal and musical perspective.

All About Jazz: Could you speak about your background? How did you get into music, and jazz in particular? Did it ever occur to you that you would be label owners some day?

Andrew Read: I was born in Australia and come from a musical family. My mother was an opera singer and my father a great jazz fan. I began music lessons at the age of 8 and at age 17 switched to double bass. I have degrees in both jazz & classical performance. After leaving the conservatorium in Melbourne in the late seventies, I ended up in the pop/rock scene in Melbourne, however, jazz was

always my passion. After I left the pop scene in Australia, I returned to universi-ty to study Business Management. After graduating I had decided that a career in the business world was not for me and decided to return to the music business. I moved to the Netherlands in 1993 to further my classical studies and 20 years later I am still there.

Did it ever occur to me that I would own 50% of a jazz label one day?

The short answer is NO, although I have always been interested in the business side of the industry. From 2002 until 2008 I managed a baroque orchestra and

Dot Time Records Placing the Artist in the Center

By JAKOB BAEKGAARD, Originaly Published on July 2, 2013 on AllAboutJazz.com

Photo : Greg Diamond First artist signed to Dot Time Records

One of the problems with the record industry is the potential distance between label owners and artists. This is especially the case with major labels, where there are many people involved in music production who care more about sales than the vision of the artist.

Then there’s a label like Dot Time Records whose entire identity is built on artistic freedom and trust. This becomes clear when reading the short manifest on the label’s website: “Dot-Time Records is the new Jazz and World music label being launched in 2012. Dot-Time releases feature exciting virtuoso artists, both establis-hed and newly discovered from around the globe. The branding of Dot-Time Records can be found in the creativity, artistry, passion and energy of these artists and musicians.”

The people behind this manifesto are just as passionate as the musicians themselves and they know the busi-ness from both sides of the table. Jo Bickhardt and Andrew Read have a combined history of work that covers all aspects of the industry, from performing to managing and distributing. They have followed a record from every step on its way from demo to the stores before they decided on launching their own label. Based in the Netherlands and New York, Dot Time Records isn’t the vision of one producer and owner, but a team based on friendship, experience and mutual respect. More than anything, it is a modern label that has left the dusty image of the record mogul and entered the age of networking and collaboration.

After

graduating I

had decided

that a career

in the business

world was not

for me and

decided to

return to the

music business.

later took on a number of jazz artists as well. I met Jo Bickhardt (my partner in Dot Time) through a release from my jazz trio. Jo Bickhardt was the US distributor for the label I was on at the time and we just clicked. There were so many points of synergy that we started working together. Dot Time came out of this relationship.

Jo Bickhardt: I was born in New Jersey, USA and I have been immersed in music from birth. My father was a great lover of classical music as well as a fabu-lous singer. From my earliest recollection I loved to sing and I have been doing so professionally my enti-re life. I am classically trained and also a cantor. Whi-le at conservatory in Chicago I was fortunate to work with some recording engineers who discovered I had a great set of ears for classical recordings and they stuck me behind the console. People began to ask me to help produce their work. I started a small classical label to help out friends and realized that distribution was extremely difficult and made no business sense, which still holds true to this day. So I started a small independent distribution company with my own set of rules and have managed to survive all the storms and current forecasts.

Jazz is new to me and I have come to enjoy many

cord label that was really not doing their due diligen-ce for an artist that he was representing. Being a US based Distributor I was able to do some research, ask some questions, and point out a few issues that really hurt the artist in the USA. The answers I heard were so off the wall and mark that I walked out extremely agitated and laughing at the same time. In the car back to Hengelo I kind of said something like...” I am sick and tired of seeing really good artists get scre-wed by these kinds of labels...I could do this better in my sleep...”And Andrew said “OK, do it!” So in the car on the A1 to Hengelo the label was born.

AAJ: Is there a story behind the name Dot Time Records. What does it mean?

AR: Yes, the story is as told. However, the real story is that we wanted to create a label where every deal we make is a “win-win” for both the artist and the label. We run the label from an artist’s perspective as we understand that our most valuable asset is not the catalogue but the artist themselves.

JB: (laughing)—There is always a story...I was looking for a name that expressed meter or tempo because I felt that life works in that way. We live in a time where ‘time’ itself is lost. People don’t like to

avenues of it. Andrew and I talk music but very diffe-rently, as I approach things from a very classical side. It helps me to think that way and keeps me clear of the numerous issues that jazz musicians face regar-ding genre expectation. It never was an issue to own a label, and the one we have created is much different than the industry norm.

AAJ: When did you form your label and how did it happen?

AR: Our label was formed in my car on the A1 in Holland. Jo and I had just attended a meeting for one of my artists at the offices of their label. The point of the meeting was to discuss the contract for their co-ming release. The deal on offer was so ridiculous and on the way back Jo said “You know, with my distri-bution and your experience in management we can do this much better.” My answer was OK then let’s do it. Dot Time was born. This was November 2011. In April 2012 we released our 1st CD.

JB: Andrew asked me to attend a meeting with a re-

wait. Decisions in life are now made based upon speed and quickness. Dot Time expresses a specific set of time based on the artist’s perception of time and space. However, the real inside story (scoop) is, and I never told Andrew, was I liked DOT, which is the acronym for Department of Transportation. Of all the arts, music transports us the most and has the most spiritual effect in our lives. It takes us places unrealized and rarely explored. Each listening is an experience on to itself and potentially inspires us for more. It allows us to leave the physical world and ex-plore the spiritual world. That is an attractive quality and jazz is at the forefront of that.

AAJ: How do you see your role(s) as label owner(s) and how would you characterize the sound(s) you are looking for?

AR: One of the advantages we have with Dot Time is the fact that we have a foot in the scene on both con-tinents. In this way we can open doors in the US for our European artists and the reverse for US artists in Europe. My Role in the label is A&R Manager and

`However, the real inside story (scoop) is, and I never told Andrew, was I liked Dot, which is the acronym for Department of Transportation. Of all the arts, music transports us the most and has the most spiritual effect in our lives.`

through my media company the coordination of the online marketing. Jo looks after the US office (this is our Head Office) and coordinates the distribution and business end of things. Jo and I both handle the development of label strategy and branding.

The label has one main criteria, and that is the music has to great. As you can see from the catalogue so far, the selection is rather eclectic and covers a wide range of styles within the jazz genre. We are very involved with our artists, in fact this is the basic phi-losophy of the label. It’s not our job to get intricately involved with the music from an artistic point. We leave the artist completely alone in this. If they ask our advice on this, of course, they will get my opini-on. We do get heavily involved with the branding and marketing aspects, this is often an area that the artist has no clue about.

AAJ: You have offices both in the Netherlands and in New York. How do you coordinate your work? How is a typical day at the office?

JB: I have always been an early riser. Furthermore, when I was really developing the distribution side of my life I was on the phone to Europe early every morning so I guess it became ingrained in me. We live on Skype and email and we know each other’s schedule pretty much. So coordinating isn’t much of a problem. Typical day starts at 6 am.

AR: Hardly a day goes by that Jo and I do not speak.

Also we do travel a great deal. Jo is in Europe at least 4 times per year. Due to time zone differences both Jo and I have adjusted our schedule so that we are available for each other at least 6 hours a day. In effect a typical day at the office could be described as LONG.

AAJ: You have a very eclectic catalog. Is this a cons-cious choice or a coincidence? Is there any type of jazz that wouldn’t fit in on your label?

AR: Indeed, the catalogue is eclectic, this is no coincidence. We feel that for a label to be succes-sful, we need to offer music to a wide audience. This makes the branding of the label a little more difficult. However, we believe in the long run this will work in our advantage. As the catalogue grows we may see a specific direction emerge and it is not unthinkable that we will introduce some sub labels in the future if this makes sense from a marketing and branding perspective.

I don’t think you could expect to see any Dixieland coming out on Dot Time. Also I am allergic to pro-grammed music. I hear a lot of smooth jazz where the backing tracks are sequenced and sampled. This you will never hear on Dot Time.

JB: The challenge for the label is that we see an in-dustry where there are many blurred areas that box in the artist to be something that they are really not. Traditionalists or purists run the risk of really mis-sing wonderful virtuoso musicians, who have their own story to tell. The ability for the label to be eclec-tic was a choice Andrew and I made really from day one, because we saw the artist as artists ourselves. We treat them as we would want to be treated. Each one is like a family member. I don’t know what wouldn’t fit as of yet.

AAJ: What is the ideal record to you? What kind of record labels do your admire yourself and why?

JB: The ideal record is one where there is musical passion. Even some records that are not well recor-ded, you can still feel the artist’s passion. If that isn’t there the rest is irrelevant.Having come in contact with lots of labels from the distribution side, I really admire Opera Rara and what he has done. I also really like Profil, Gunter Haenssler’s label in Germany. Labels like that are inspiring. They had an idea and vision and have put out great material. I have learned a lot watching them build their labels.

AR: This is a very difficult question to answer, ho-wever, with my A&R manager hat on I would say

the ideal record is well recorded, contains consistent repertoire and most importantly a recording where you can feel the passion of the artist.

Regarding labels I admire, I would have to say ECM would be on the top of my list. This is a label with a vision and a great catalogue that has achieved gre-at success by remaining true to its vision. Also the German label Neuklangrecords I admire a great deal. This label is very artist oriented and has a great catalogue.

AAJ: Tell me about the package and design of your albums. Do you work with a particular designer and do you include liner notes and/or photograp-hy. Is it important to you that there is a historical context or does the music speak for itself?

AR: All our CDs come to the market in Digipak form. Some of our artists wish to use their own de-signer and this is no problem for us. We have a num-ber of requirements that the artwork must conform to. However, up until now we have had no problems. We do look at the packaging from a marketing stand-point. The cover of the CD is still the main thing that draws a potential purchaser in. This still applies to both physical & digital editions. We always produce separate artwork for the download sites.

For 90% of our CDs, we have done the design in-house through my media company MFM-Media. Usually the artist delivers the photo material they

wish to use. We also have some great photographers that we use in the case that the artist leaves this to us. Regarding liner notes, we believe that pictures speak louder than words. However, some productions are better served with well written liner notes. Often the artist wishes to write these themselves and we will respect this wish, but we do retain the right to edit if need be. There have been some releases where we hired a professional writer in to do the liner notes.

JB: I have basically let Andrew run the design side. I am critical of space, how it is employed on and in each recording. Before the listener even hears the music, there will be an attraction to the design—but even more—the space. If the CD looks busy and is crowded that leaves a negative impression. I read everything and try to get the artist(s) to understand that the CD is a business card in a way and to treat it as such.

AAJ: Are there any records in your catalogue that hold a special place in your heart or have an unu-sual story? What are the musical highlights for you so far?

JB: Every artist on the label is family to me. They are all favorites. Musically they all offer me something extremely special. Greg Diamond, Arik Strauss and Simone Gubbiotti are more my taste. My favorite track is off of Zandscape (“What a Difference the Bass Makes”). I love Maria Mendes’ voice and The Jost Project is really going to be special. Paul Jost is an amazing vocalist. I also heard the new mix of Java Jive last week from Erin Dickens and the harmonies are fabulous. I love what they all create.

AR: So far every CD in our catalogue has a special place in my heart. However there are one or two that stand out, for example our first release, “Cond-uit” from Greg Diamond, is one of my favorites. Also, Along the Road by Maria Mendes is a great CD and has done very well. We expect big things from Maria. In August, we released “Can’t Find My Way Home” by the Jost Project, a band out of Philadelphia consisting of Tony Miceli, Kevin MacConnell, Char-lie Patierno and Paul Jost on vocals. Paul is one of the most exciting male vocalists that I have heard since Mark Murphy. The CD is so out of the box and one of the best recordings I have heard for years. This is without a doubt one of the highlights so far. Ano-ther highlight for us was Paula Atherton hitting the number 15 spot on the Billboard Smooth Jazz charts.

AAJ: You have a lot of artists from the Dutch jazz scene. How would you characterize this particular scene and how did you become involved with it?

AR: The Dutch scene has always been vibrant. Due to the many great schools here in Holland. We have a fantastic pool of world class jazz musicians. If you ask, is there a Dutch sound? I would have to say no. I think that due to the openness of our society, the scene has absorbed many influences and this can be heard in the diversity of the Dutch scene. Regarding how I became involved in the scene, I came to Hol-land 20 years ago to study classical music and never left. Although I studied classical music, my jazz roots have never been far away.

JB: It made sense. Andrew is in the Dutch scene and there is a Dutch treatment or attitude to Jazz.

AAJ: You’re musicians yourselves. How does it reflect on your work as label owners?

AR: Although I am a musician, I understand the business side of music inside out. I often say that my greatest asset as a label owner is being ripped off by a number of the majors back in my rock & roll days. I know what an artist needs from a label and I know what a label can realistically do for an artist.

JB: I try to treat an artist like I would want a label to treat me. All aspects of Dot Time’s business model have this in mind.

AAJ: Is there a particular studio that you use and do you prefer a more clean studio sound or a live feeling?

JB: The true essence of a good recording is inviting the listener to a place as if it is live. Music, virtuo-sity and artistry are about a live experience. It is an illusion to think that you can create a true live ambi-ence in a studio. Therefore, a clean sound is the only choice. On the rare occasion that a live recording can be captured cleanly and aesthetically, I prefer live recordings.

AR: Most of our catalogue is licensed from the artist and they come to us with a finished recording. If we do a full production, we look at this on a case by case basis. Personally I prefer a clean studio recording over a live recording.

AAJ: How has the reception of Dot Time Records been so far, and how is it working with your distri-bution? How do you see the future of jazz and your own label in particular?

JB: The initial response has been very positive. It takes time to create a brand or an emphasis on what you are creating, so in some ways it is still early. Clearly, the distribution is the simplest for me as a lot was already in place and all I had to do was plug it in. However, universal distribution isn’t really the issue anymore. Everything is available digitally or online.The future for jazz and for Dot Time, I think, needs

“ Regarding the future of the label, both Jo and I are in it for the long haul and I think long term the future is bright. Our industry is very dynamic and as a label you just can’t sit back and do this the way it has always been done.” - AR

to be in developing an impresario business motif. Jazz is a live vehicle and when the vehicle is in the garage because it has no place to go and be seen, then you have to address that issue. I understand the eco-nomics involved, but jazz is passion and that passion needs a platform to be heard. We are working on ways to make this possible. We have our first artist showcase at the Blue Note in NYC on Jan 27, 2014 and we are looking at other places around the world to do the same.

AR: So far I think we have done well. All of the CDs have received good reviews and for a new label to produce 11 CD’s in their first year is quite a perfor-mance. The distribution in the US has been no pro-blem as we had this organized through Jo’s existing distribution company. Asia is also doing well for us and so far this is the market where we have achieved the greatest sales. Europe is quite different due to the fact that the market is rather segmented. In the beginning, we had our entire European distribution with one company. However, this was not a great success. Currently we are handling the European dis-tribution in house and although this is a great deal of work, it is working better for us. We have a separate distributor for Spain and Portugal that we are happy with.

I think the future of Jazz is strong. We have just returned from JazzAhead in Bremen (Germany) and although the European industry is going through a difficult phase, I think that there are many oppor-tunities out there. Regarding the future of the label,

both Jo and I are in it for the long haul and I think long term the future is bright. Our industry is very dynamic and as a label you just can’t sit back and do this the way it has always been done. Jo and I are constantly looking at ways to reach a wider audience and expand our reach both within the jazz world and to new audiences.

AAJ: How does your release schedule look? Any future projects lined up?

AR: In the first year we focused on building the catalogue and this has been quite successful. For the rest of 2013 we have 4 new releases planned and this might end up being 5. Also, we are working with two artists currently for releases that will hit the mar-ket in early 2014. We believe that it is important to build critical mass in the catalogue but we need to be careful that this does not stretch our resources to the point where each release does not receive the atten-tion that it deserves. We are both on a steep learning curve but have a great deal of confidence in what we are doing. We have great industry partners and if we all work together and the quality is there, we will be successful in the long term.

JB: Having learned from our mistakes at the start up, we need to give more space between our releases allowing our artists needs to be met from the mar-keting and promotional side. We have changed a number of ways we approach the market and we are seeing positive results from that. Most important to me is to stay true to what we are, what we offer and what we mean.

Virtuosity needn’t be on display at every moment; restraint, in fact, is an important yet often over-looked aspect of true virtuosity. Norma Winstone is a clear example; certainly capable of plenty, more often than not the British singer’s performances are defined by nuance, subtlety and a direct line to the heart of the music. Maria Mendes is another, with the spirit of Brazil looming large over this young Portuguese-born/Netherlands-resident singer’s impressive debut, Along the Road—a nine-song set of standards, material by well-known South Ameri-can composers, one original and one very pleasant surprise.

With harmonicist Wim Dijkgraaf sharing the frontline, Mendes is ably supported by a trio of Dutch musicians clearly conversant in both jazz and Brazilian traditions. The set opens on a gently optimistic note with Brazilian songwriter Ivan Lins’ enticing 1989 hit, “Love Dance.” From the get-go, Mendes finds the essence of these songs and, with a pristine, pure voice and the slightest turns of phrase, makes each one her own. “Love Dance” also features a lovely, lyrical solo from Dijkgraaf; unmistakably influenced, in his formative years, by the great Toots Thielemans, with Dijkgraaf ’s now-personal confluence of “elegance, sophistica-tion and emotion,” as accurately described on his

By JOHN KELMAN, January 24, 2013 on All About Jazz

website, the harmonicist may well turn out to be the aging Belgian’s torch-carrier.

The session doesn’t exactly burn, but it does sim-mer on Dori Caymmi’s “Obsession,” a showcase for Mendes’ accurate (and impressive) articulation, empathically supported by pianist Karel Boehlee, who—alongside bassist Clemens van der Feen (pianist Harmen Fraanje’s trio) and drummer Jas-per van Hulten (trumpeter Eric Vloeimans’ Gate-crash)—ratchets the energy up, pushing and pulling with Dijkgraaaf during the harmonicist’s themati-cally focused solo. Mendes’ wordless improvisation at the song’s end epitomizes her effortless control, leading to a final upper register note that she holds, crystal clear and strong, for ten full seconds before fading with a gently introduced vibrato.

Unlike some singers, Mendes’ vibrato is simply one more color on her palette rather than a stylistic constant. And if she avoids overt virtuosity at the end of “Obsession,” Mendes proves she can scat with the best of them on Hermeto Pascoal’s end-uring “Chorinho Pra Ele,” which also gives bassist van der Feen a rare but fine moment in the spot-light. As for Mendes, her articulation is rapid-fire and absolute accurate, as she proves as capable of navigating Pascoal’s changes as her band mates.

But beyond a soft look at “Come Rain or Come Shine” and a metrically playful yet wholly orga-nic look at “Somewhere Over the Rainbow,” it’s Mendes’ “Olha Só No Meu Olhar” that’s Along the Road’s biggest surprise. On this reverent yet personal adaptation of Pat Metheny’s “Always and Forever,” from the guitarist’s classic Secret Story (Nonesuch, 1992), the singer takes the more ex-pansively orchestral original and, with the addition of her own Portuguese lyrics, makes it even more intimate.

All too often, young jazz singers feel the need to prove something and all the attendant excesses that go along with it; on the elegant, gentle, joyous Along the Road, Mendes makes clear she has abso-lutely nothing to prove but plenty of promise and much to say.

Maria MendesAlone the Road - DT9013

CD Reviews

By JAKOB BAEKGAARD, July 2, 2013 on All About Jazz

Pianist Arik Strauss grew up in Israel and also knows about Jewish culture, but he is more influen-ced by the tradition of American standards than Klezmer music. However, he does have something in common with Lucette van den Berg: Both share the ability to sing from the heart. Van den Berg does this through her voice and Strauss uses the keys of the piano.

As the title of his album “Mostly Ballads” implies, Strauss explores the form of the ballad, and it is not an easy form to master. As fellow pianist Marc Copland once remarked in the notes to his album Haunted Heart & Other Ballads: “Playing ballads is, in many ways, the ultimate challenge. A ballad is like a window into the soul of the artist.”

Strauss meets the challenge and comes away as a winner because he dares to enter the emotional ter-ritory where a ballad becomes interesting. “In My Father’s Song” he plays with refined sense of feeling and sensitivity somewhere between Bill Evans and Frédéric Chopin and yet there’s also the charm of the pop song present. It is characteristic of Strauss that he is open to many influences. Thus, there’s a clear taste of Bossa Nova in the appropriately titled “Paris Bossa” where he quotes Antonio Carlos Jo-bim’s “The Girl from Ipanema” and receives tasteful backing from his trio of drummer Dudu Kochav and bassist Tal Ronen. Together these three balla-deers get the best out of the material and capture the sweetness and sadness of love in all its guises.

During the last edition of the Jazz Ahead club night in Bremen (Germany) I had the pleasure of seeing Greg Diamond, a young NYC based guitar player. This was for me one of the highlights of Jazz Ahead 2011 and I left the venue knowing that we will be hearing a great deal about this talented guitarist in the years to come. Surprisingly enough Greg’s se-cond CD “Conduit” landed on my desk for review a few weeks ago. The CD features a number of heavy hitting players from the current NYC scene inclu-ding Seamus Blake on tenor sax, Henry Cole on drums and Mike Eckroth on piano, all in all a very impressive lineup.

The CD features 8 of Greg’s compositions and shows Greg as not only a wonderful player but a very talented composer as well. “Yvette” opens the CD with a unison melody played by guitar and tenor leading into a strong solo’s from Seamus Bla-ke and Greg. The contemplative “Inertia” follows. Mike Eckroth on piano sets the tone for a beautiful melody again played in unison by Greg and Alto saxophonist Brian Hogans. The track gradually develops into a slow montuno grove and sets the stage for an impressive solo’s from both Greg and Brian Hogans.

“El Martillo” is a 7/4 Latin jazz romp and displays this rhythm section at its best. In contrast “El Pozo” provides a vehicle for Greg to demonstrate his affinity with latin jazz. His playing on this track displays the utmost taste. Bassist Edward Perez

By JOHAN VAN DEEG, January 2, 2013 on Jazz In Europe

Arik StraussMostly Ballads - DT9015

Greg DiamondConduit - DT9011

shows great skill in “Turbulence” with a short but well crafted solo reminiscent of Scott LaFaro. My personal favorite is the beautiful ballad “Song for Jerry (Mi Viejo)”. This well crafted composition is full of surprises and features an impressive solo from Tenor player Seamus Blake.

Greg Diamond, I consider to be one of the most ex-citing guitarists that I have heard in years. Although well established in his native New York City outside of the big apple he is largely unknown. With this release I am sure he will gain the attention of the international jazz world that he deserves.

Greg Diamond - Cont.

ZandscapeZandscape - DT9014

By JAKOB BAEKGAARD, July 2, 2013 on All About Jazz

In a mock dictionary entry on the artist’s website, the word Zandscape is defined as “Zandscape [Zand-skeyp] noun, 1. A musical landscape created by Mark Zandveld. 2. A band playing the creations mentioned above.”

While it might be perceived as a gimmick, the dic-tionary entry actually gets to the heart of the band’s aesthetic. It points out that it relies on Mark Zand-veld’s distinctive composing skills, but also that the music is conceived through collective playing and not only one man’s vision. Finally, there’s a great deal of humor and creativity involved, and this is also shown in titles like “Barhopping,” “Boptopus”

and “What a Difference the Bass Makes.” Clear-ly, these guys like to play together, but make no mistake, behind the smile there’s also a stone-cold seriousness and an ambition to create an expression that is both musically curious and singular.

The sound is carried by the prominent interplay be-tween the strings of Zandveld’s creamy bass and the stylistic breadth of guitarist Daniel “Tato” de More-as. Combined with Gunnar Graafmans’ vibraphone and Enrique Firpi’s funky drumming, the group creates a sophisticated brand of fusion where there’s both room for relaxed swinging and tight grooves. Zandscape relies on the kind of sounds that were created in the 70s on such labels as ECM and espe-cially GRP, but Zandscape still has its very own feel. A sound carried by the “Joy Felt” to quote another title from their eponymous album.

Paula AthertonEnjoy the Ride - DT9014

Since becoming familiar with this marvelously ta-lented saxophonist/flautist/vocalist a few years ago, I have become completely enamored of her stylish, sleek, and energetic talents. Paula Atherton is one of those sweet, powerful entities in jazz who certainly deserves a place at the table of the heavyweights in this genre. Her new release, “Enjoy the Ride”, is proof positive of that. This CD comes bloated with loads of sass, brass, and class.

This latest demonstration of this comely artist’s skills (including having written all of tracks here) pushes her strengths beyond sax as she opens on

By RONALD JACKSON, July 16, 2012 on Smooth Jazz Ride

flute with a hefty and funky throwback track called “Herbie” (undoubtedly in tribute to the late great flautist Herbie Mann, I’m sure).

Taking off from there like a bird in flight, she soars on with such finesse and ease as she dives confi-dently into such tracks as “Can’t Get You Out of My Mind,” a sexy, seductive look at another of her strengths– top-tier sexy and seductive vocals sung with charm and clarity totally suited for contem-porary jazz and her silky style. Intent on capturing every possible mood. That tune is followed by the stompin’ groove, “Sassy Strut,” featuring the smooth Chicago “windy cat” guitarist Nick Colionne.

Capturing the Latin mood, she cooks up a mean dish of “Rice and Beans” with lots of spice and rhy-thm with the help of very competent accompani-ment, including the lovely trumpeter Cindy Bradley who always manages to light up any track on which she appears.

If you’re into serious vocals, you have plenty to enjoy here (in addition to the previously mentio-ned “Can’t Get You Out of My Mind”) as Atherton croons sweetly on tracks “Let It Be,” the determined “I Won’t Give Up,” and the swaying, soulful “Try It Again.”

Before she closes with the instrumental version of “Can’t Get You Out of My Mind,” we are again trea-ted to the stirring, funky side of the saxtress as she leaps into a mid-tempo number called “Turn It Up.” Full of phat presence, to say the least.

To say that Paula Atherton has the right formula for success as a competent force to reckon with in smooth jazz would obviously be an understatement. If her previous releases — including “Groove With Me,” her last release before this project—haven’t brought you on board yet, hop on this groove vehi-cle. You’re truly bound to enjoy the ride.

Matt BakerUnderground - DT9012

By JAKOB BAEKGAARD, July 2, 2013 on All About Jazz

With an office in the Netherlands and one of the owners based in that country, it is natural that Dot Time Records has a close connection to the Dutch jazz scene, but the label also has a jazz office in New York and has its finger on the pulse when it comes to the sound of the city.

Australian-born Pianist Matt Baker is one of the label’s New York-signings and his album Under-ground has an all-star cast of New York cats that include drummer Gregory Hutchinson and trum-peter Jeremy Pelt.

The opener is a skewed take on “I Wish I Were Bell” with odd time signatures and breaks, but the swin-ging pulse of the tune is intact. The group’s version of Duke Ellington’s “Mood Indigo” is just as idio-syncratic. It is played in 5/4 and features a superb singing bass solo from Joe Sanders. The group sheds new light on familiar material, but there’s also a healthy dose of originals. The making of “Refu-ge” has actually been the subject of a short docu-mentary that can be found on YouTube. Here it is possible to follow these creative musicians as they unfold their mastery. The writing is complex, but also melodic and accessible and throughout there are strong solos from Pelt and saxophonist Dayna Stephens.

The title of the album might be “Underground”, but Baker’s band shouldn’t remain a secret only known by those hip few in the know. It’s an album that captures the energy and innovation of the New York jazz scene and it deserves wide exposure.

Andrew Read TrioA2B - DT9019

Another excellent piano trio on Dot Time Records is helmed by bassist Andrew Read and luckily he finds time to play music while also running the label with Jo Bickhardt. On the album “Through the Years”, the trio of Read, pianist Hans Kawakkernaat and drummer Erik Poorterman are joined by two guest stars: vocalist Lilis Mackintosh and saxopho-nist Wouter Kiers. The lovely hazy voice of Mackin-tosh and Kiers’ smoky saxophone are certainly not to be missed. But the trio can be heard in its purest form on “A2B” where their musical chemistry is on full display.

“Absent Friends” kicks things off and immediately throws the trio into the eye of hurricane. Kawak-kernaat paints with broad brushstrokes that bring both Herbie Hancock and McCoy Tyner to mind and Read anchors the groove solidly and delivers an organic solo that leaves out unnecessary embellish-ment and gets directly into the feeling of the music.While the album begins with a sophisticated hard-bop tune, things proceed in a swinging style in the reading of the standard “If I Were a Bell” where drummer Poorterman changes effortlessly bet-ween complicated breaks and relaxed playing with brushes.

The trio certainly has a soft spot for good, timeless melodies and knows how to treat a standard like “Caravan” or “Night and Day.” They also pay res-pect to a lyrical master like Bill Evans on “How My

By JAKOB BAEKGAARD, July 2, 2013 on All About Jazz

Heart Sings,” and bring in their own tunes that hold up well in the prominent company.

Whether playing songs from their own book, great American standards or embracing material from Evans, the trio infuses the music with dynamism and sensibility that allow the material to sigh, swing and sing.

Simone GubbiottiPromise to my friend - DT9021

Born in Assisi (Italy) Gubbiotti studied at the Berklee college of Music and commutes regularly between Italy and the US performing and recording with musicians including Peter Erskine, Darek Oles, Walter Calloni, Alison Burns, Mark Panascia, Sid Jacobs, and Joe LaBarbera.

“Promise to my Friend” is a collection of eight ori-ginal tracks composed by Gubbiotti, together with arrangements of two standards, “Who can I turn to” and the Irving Berlin classic “Always”. The CD recorded in Los Angeles features Peter Erskine on Drums and bassist Darek Oles. Gubbiotti is in great form and the subtle accompaniment from Erskine and Oles compliment his playing beautifully.

Highlights on the CD include, the title track “Pro-mise to my Friend” and the ballad “Anger and a bit of tears”. “Promise to my Friend” is a medium Latin piece with a beautifully structured melody and harmonic scheme. The track features strong solos from both Oles and Gubbiotti. “Anger and a bit of tears” is my favorite track on the CD and it

By JOHAN VAN DEEG, June 24, 2013 on Jazz In Europe

features a beguiling arpeggiated melody. The sparse accompaniment from Erskine and Oles adds to the late night feeling of the track. Gubbiotti’s mellow tone throughout the CD reminds me of some of the early Jim Hall recordings, specifically on the waltz “Hope” and the Irving Berlin classic “Always”.

Gubbiotti has dedicated this CD to a good friend who unfortunately passed away before the project could be completed. Peter Erskine stated in the liner notes that “Simone kept a very important promise by making this CD” and I believe Paolo (Gubbiotti’s friend and mentor) would be proud of the results. While this CD is far from the cutting edge of mo-dern jazz the compositions are well crafted and the performances are beautiful. I recommend this CD highly.

Thelonious4Thelonious4 meets Tony Miceli - DT9023

By JAKOB BAEKGAARD, July 2, 2013 on All About Jazz

Respect for tradition is an important part of the ethos of Dot Time Records. The label’s catalog features many artists that reinvent and pay respect to jazz tradition. This can be done in many ways: Through bold reinventions of standards like Matt Baker or a respectful tribute to the swinging sounds of the past on an album like Shoutin’ Out whe-re trumpeter and vocalist Herman Nijkamp and saxophonist Jacco van Santen lead a quartet that mainly focuses on standards and manage to recre-ate some of the magic of the good old days without sounding anachronistic.

Another way of paying respect to tradition is by exploring the oeuvre of a particular artist and this is exactly what Thelonious4 has decided to do. The ar-tist in question is, of course, Thelonious Monk, one of the great composer and players in jazz history.

In the spirit of Monk, the quartet of saxopho-nist Iman Spaargaren, guitarist Guillermo Celano, bassist Andreas Metzler and drummer Jurjen Bak-ker doesn’t play a streamlined version of the music. Celano isn’t afraid to use distortion on his guitar and Spaargaren once in a while gives his horn a healthy honk—just to prevent things from getting too smooth.

But make no mistake, this isn’t just advanced intel-lectualism, but infectiously swinging and harmonic music . It might be “Nutty,” but it’s also filled with “Bemsha Swing” to quote two of the Monk titles played on the album.

A welcome addition to the group’s universe is vi-braphonist Tony Miceli, who has the same balance between free-wheeling swing and advanced rhy-thms and harmony. It is simply a joy to follow the unison lines between guitar, saxophone and vibes. This is a group that plays as an organic unit, but still has the refreshing idiosyncratic individualism that characterized Monk’s music.

The Jost ProjectCan’t find my home - DT9024

By JAKOB BAEKGAARD, July 2, 2013 on All About Jazz

Vibraphonist Tony Miceli turns up again on one of the latest releases from Dot Time Records. He and bassist Kevin MacConnell got the idea for a band

The Jost project - Cont.

whose focus would be to play the rock music they grew up with, such as bands like the Beatles, Aeros-mith and Led Zeppelin, in a jazz context.

Instead of playing purely instrumental versions, which would be the easiest thing to do, Miceli and MacConnell decided to add a singer. This sin-ger, Paul Jost, became so important in terms of the band’s sound that he got the honor of naming the band: The Jost Project.

Jost is truly an exceptional singer, instrumentalist and arranger whose technical prowess and natural musicality benefit the band immensely. Even when they decide to speed up the tempo on a high-paced version of Aerosmith’s “Walk This Way” that could easily be re-named “Run This Way,” Jost doesn’t lose focus. He masters every thinkable nuance of the singer’s palette, from lightning-fast scatting to smoky, blues phrasings and elegant crooning.

The band is just as eclectic as its singer and never get stuck in one instrumental bag. Drummer Char-lie Patierno is able to change between full throttle rock rhythms, solid grooves and elegant swinging. Bassist McConnell is just as intriguing whether he plays with bow or anchors the complex changes in tempo and sound.

The combination between Miceli’s ethereal, chiming vibraphone and the down-to-earth grooves of bass and drums become the perfect foil for Jost’s chame-leon-like ability to change musical expressions at will, but in the middle of it all, the music is carried by a rooted jazz ‘n’ blues feeling, which makes all talk of postmodern shallowness redundant.

Lucette van den BergBenkshaft - DT9018

By JAKOB BAEKGAARD, July 2, 2013 on All About Jazz

It might seem like the Latin American standards of Maria Mendes and Lucette van den Berg’s Yiddish music are worlds apart, but in fact they’re more like kindred spirits. What they share is a deep sense of feeling and the ability to tell a story through music. A story that can be told through tears, but also be carried by strength and will.

Benkshaft is the third album from Lucette van den Berg. Here, her congenial understanding of Yiddish balladry is allowed to shine. The accompaniment is sparse, but effective, and the combination of guitar, upright bass, subtle percussion and classic Klezmer instruments like violin and accordion, provide the perfect foil for Van den Berg’s musical tales.

The opener, “A Kleyn Wiglid Far A Groyse Libe,” is an achievement in itself. With its eight minutes, it’s a ballad of epic proportions that starts with a gently picked guitar before Van den Berg’s voice enters. The song slowly builds in tension as bass and a weeping violin is added and in the end, percussi-onist Ines Klink joins as Van den Berg’s swirls in a wordless cry.

The violin is a prominent instrument on the album and Madelien Verheij really makes it sing like a human voice. So much so, that it’s almost like a duet where Verheij makes the strings burn with emo-tion. Like all the music on the album, it’s intense and soulful and proves that folk music isn’t a thing of the past, but a timeless expression of the human heart.

Like all the releases on Dot Time Records, this is music that is carried by the integrity of the artists and not the prejudice of what art should be. With their inside knowledge of what it means to be a mu-sician, Andrew Read and Jo Bickhardt know how to place the artist in the center and this shines through on a label that is driven by the energy, creativity and passion of the music and those who make it.

Coming ReleasesD E F T R I O | Bushwick ’d

Dot Time Artist, Greg Diamond returns this time with a new project under the name Deftrio. This trio is an experimental hammond based groove trio founded by Greg Diamond, Mike Eckroth, & Jeffrey Fajardo. Just about everything played is improvised, and groove is paramount. Deftrio’s debut release tit-led Bushwick’d will be released in November 2013. Watch out for this one.

Ori Dakari has established a reputation as a most promising guitarist to arrive on the scene. Ori’s music can be described as deeply rooted in Israeli, East European and North- African music. With his upcoming re-lease in the Spring 2014, we are delighted to welcome him to the Dot Time Records family.

Paul Jost is a rare talent, award winning producer, Michael Barbiero, stated “Once in a great while an artist comes along who-se talent and vision allow us to view music through a new facet. Paul is such an artist.” We look forward to his first solo release in the Spring of 2014.

A resident of New York City, Alon has performed at Carne-gie Hall, Central Park Summer Stage, The Blue Note and Joe’s Pub. All About Jazz called him a fantastic pianist-composer with abundant chemistry and boun-dless eclecticism. Alon’s new release will appear in early 2014.

Alon NechushtanPaul JostOri Dakari

Dot T ime Records Presents :

G reg D iamond Band

Maria Mendes

Live at the:

Date: January 27th 2014

No stranger to the Blue Note, Greg Diamond returns with is band to present tracks from is current CD "Conduit" and preview new compositions from his follow up CD.

After sold out performances throughout Europe and Brazil,

Maria Mendes makes her New York debut in the Blue Note. Maria will

be performing repertoire from her current CD "Along The Road".

Showtimes : 8:00pm & 10:30pmFor more Informationinfo@dottimerecords.com

Blue Note Jazz Club 131 W. 3rd StNew York, NY 10012212-475-8592