Keiko Matsui’s 2013 Soul Quest album was particularly important to the Tokyo-born pianist, not only because it celebrated the 25th anniversary of her debut U.S. release but also because she made it following the 2011 earthquake and tsunami that devastated Japan—which she experienced first-hand. Live in Tokyo, presented here on both audio CD and DVD, captures Matsui’s first return to her hometown since the tragedy, the finale of her 2014 tour. It reprises most of Soul Quest more or less faithfully, Matsui accompanied by her road band of guitarist JP Mourao, saxophonist Tom Braxton, Rico Belled on bass and Dave Karasony drumming. She’s also joined by guitarist Chuck Loeb, who produced half of Soul Quest, and tenor saxophonist Kirk Whalum, who played on it.

Keiko Matsui is an icon of Contemporary Jazz. With over 1.2 million units sold in the U.S. along and sold out appearances at concert halls across the world, she is one of the most recognized artists in the genre. Her elegant piano melodies and gentle jazz grooves have enormous appeal and never disappoint the loyal fan base which she has cultivated with over a dozen albums and hundreds of stunning live shows.
Keiko follows up 2012 s critically acclaimed production The Road with the brilliant new album Soul Quest without a doubt her most heartfelt release yet. The impressive list of special guests includes saxophone greats Kirk Whalum, Andy Snitzer (of Rolling Stones fame) and Dave Mann, hit making guitarist Chuck Loeb (Fourplay), superstar bassists Marcus Miller (Miles Davis) and Will Lee (of David Letterman fame), drummer and mega-producer Narada Michael Walden (Mariah Carey, Whitney Houston) and more.

After our 3-year-long and sensuous journey and love affair with the remarkable Soul Quest release and tour, our resident princess ofKeiko Matsui Journey CD contemporary jazz and World music, pianist/keyboardist/composer/visionary Keiko Matsui is back with – what else?—another guaranteed smash hit project called Journey to the Heart. Oh yes. Get ready for yet another colorful and soul-satisfying journey offered up by one who has never learned the meaning of the words “quit” or “mediocre.”

A sophisticated, forward-thinking jazz bassist, Gary Peacock is a subtle yet distinctive musician whose intuitive, sympathetic ear for group interplay has found him crossing from straight-ahead standards to avant-garde free jazz. While his intellectual curiosity has drawn him to such wide-ranging pursuits as biology and Eastern philosophy, his immense musical talents, most often associated with pianist Keith Jarrett's "Standards" trio, have kept him at the epicenter of progressive jazz and creative improvisation for over four decades.

German brothers Julian and Roman Wasserfuhr have been highly regarded talents in their home country since they were teenagers. Signed to the ACT label in 2006, their debut album that year, Remember Chet (for Chet Baker), showed remarkable maturity. By their sophomore outing Upgraded in Gothenburg (2009), the brothers had sufficient brand equity to draw bassist Lars Danielsson and trombonist Nils Landgren to their group. Landed in Brooklyn is the brothers fifth album and derives its name simply from their arrival in the epicenter of creative music, the location they had chosen to create this album.

With roots firmly in jazz and blues, tinged with a pop sensibility, guitarist Larry Carlton has appeared on hundreds of recordings. In addition to his own, he has added just the right touch to the recorded works of Steely Dan, Bobby Bland, The Crusaders and Quincy Jones, in addition to the multi-platinum jazz group Fourplay. On Lights On, Carlton's six strings meet up with Europe's SWR Big Band for a live date full of originals, some Miles, Steely Dan and more. Larry is in top shape throughout, his sound seemingly custom-made for the SWR's charts, and vice-versa.

Bridgewater's 2015 effort, Dee Dee's Feathers, found her paying homage to the history of New Orleans, as well as marking the tenth anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. A collaboration between Bridgewater, New Orleans trumpeter Irvin Mayfield, and the New Orleans Jazz Orchestra, the album also featured appearances from such New Orleans luminaries as keyboardist Dr. John and percussionist Bill Summers.

Midnight Sun, a collection of love songs from throughout Grammy and Tony Award-winning artist Dee Dee Bridgewater's ritically acclaimed career, is set for release on DDB Records/Emarcy (Universal) on August 23rd. A love letter of sorts, Midnight Sun, produced by Tulani Bridgewater-Kowalski, is the ultimate mixed tape, traversing landscapes of melodically mournful tales of love lost, heartrending ballads about forever afters and sultry promises of bliss. Midnight Sun is the fourth release on Bridgewater's own label, DDB Records.

Christian Sands may appear onstage as a sideman to bigger names, but when he puts his tender fingers on those hard black and white keys, he changes the scenery of a room. In his upcoming new Mack Avenue record debut REACH, the 27-year-old jazz pianist steps into the limelight as the disarming revelation he is in person. Reach is scheduled for release April 21 and features three-time Grammy®-winning bassist Christian McBride as co-producer and a special guest on one of the tunes, that bowed bass in the Bill Withers cover, “Use Me.” Sands regularly tours with McBride’s Grammy-nominated Trio far and wide, giving audiences a glimpse of the tasty measures rolling around in the versatile pianist’s fertile imagination.

Saxophonist Jeff Kashiwa will be always connected with the Rippingtons, although he already left the group in 1999 to concentrate on a solo career. This decision bore plenty of fruit with nine albums before he reunited with the Rippingtons in 2006 again. In 2004 he founded together with Steve Cole and Kim Waters The Sax Pack, a trio of saxophone headliners. . Jeff describes the new album as “a collection of songs that express the bittersweet awareness of how quickly time passes and in the same breath the excitement of what is to come as we travel the long road ahead.”

Japanese edition of 2002 album for the British sophisti-pop act. Described as vibrant & up-tempo with a strong samba influence & a very relaxed acoustic vibe, like Rio on a nice spring day. Includes the first single, 'Fire' & the bonus track, 'Fire' (Meltdown Mix).

Thurman is a modern player who both honors the past and looks towards the future. Her promotional materials make the legitimate claim that her sound on tenor evokes Dexter Gordon and Joe Henderson and that her vocals are suggestive of Ella Fitzgerald and Betty Carter. While this is all true, yet Thurman’s concepts are fresh, innovative and modern. She takes delight in presenting material that is informed by the legendary masters while simultaneously imbuing it with the hip language of her current generation.