| 1 CD |
|
Notify when available |
| Label Challenge Records |
UPC 0608917349429 |
Catalogue number CR 73494 |
Release date 06 March 2020 |
"... A statement as courageous as it is important in increasingly selfish times... Impressive the realization of the virtuoso pianist, how Arriale wraps this in music and communicates it to the world."
Melodiva, 06-11-2020“One of the most exciting pianists in contemporary jazz” (The Guardian- UK), pianist/composer, Lynne Arriale, has performed on international concert stages over the past 25 years. Jazz Police called her "the poet laureate of her generation". She has touched the hearts and inspired the imaginations of audiences worldwide and has been consistently praised as having a "singular voice" as a pianist, bandleader and composer. “Lynne Arriale's music lies at the synaptic intersection where brain meets heart, where body meets soul. She achieves a special, deep connection with her audience, and the energy flows both ways. Arriale's emotional authenticity allows her audience to feel and think along with her…She is one of jazzdom's most intensely unique voices.” JazzTimes
“Chimes of Freedom”, Lynne Arriale’s 15th album as a leader, was recorded in Europe for release by Challenge Records International. Lynne is joined by renowned musicians, Dutch bassist/co-producer Jasper Somsen, drummer, E.J. Strickland, and guest vocalist, K.J. Denhert. In “Chimes”, her most passionate artistic statement to date, Lynne reflects on freedom, cultural diversity, and her wish that all refugee families may reach an inclusive safe harbor among the democratic nations of the world. This remarkable collection features seven of Lynne’s original, deeply personal works. The spiritual,”Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child”, together with Lynne’s evocative “Journey”, “The Dreamers”, “3 Million Steps”, “Hope”, “The Whole Truth” and “Lady Liberty” weave a dramatic narrative, crowned by the trio’s collaboration with K.J. Denhert singing Bob Dylan’s “Chimes of Freedom” and Paul Simon’s “American Tune”. “Chimes” is a worthy and timely successor to Lynne’s critically acclaimed “Give Us These Days”; a thematically-related suite that considers the transient nature of human existence.
Lynne is known throughout the jazz world for the clarity, honesty and lyricism of her melodic lines, her virtuoso technique, and her genius for creating a synergistic environment around the trio, whose sound is greater than the sum of its parts.
Her albums have topped the Jazzweek US Radio Charts and have been on numerous "Best Of" lists including The New Yorker, United Press International, JAZZIZ, JazzTimes and Jazz History Online. She toured with the 100 Golden Fingers tour of Japan with iconic jazz pianists, Tommy Flanagan, Hank Jones, Monty Alexander, Cedar Walton, Kenny Barron, Harold Mabern, Roger Kellaway, Junior Mance and Ray Bryant. Arriale has performed and/or recorded with jazz greats Randy Brecker, George Mraz, Benny Golson, Rufus Reid, Larry Coryell and Marian McPartland.
The world's great jazz festivals and concert stages have invited Lynne to perform, including five performances at the Kennedy Center and performances at Lincoln Center, Montreux, Burghausen, Gilmore, Spoleto Arts, Montreal, Monterey, North Sea Jazz, Stuttgart, Pori, San Francisco, Ottawa, Zagreb, Perth, Brisbane, Rouen, Cannes MIDEM, Sardinia, Rochester, Wigan, Poznan, Estoril, Palermo, Inverness, Cork and San Javier. Lynne has toured extensively throughout Europe, Australia, Japan, South America, South Africa, the US and Canada.She has been consistently praised as having a “singular voice” as a pianist, leader, composer and arranger. With stunning clarity, purpose and emotional force, that voice now rings out with “Chimes of Freedom”.
Dutch double bassist/composer/producer, Jasper Somsen has collaborated with some of the very best musicians on the international jazz scene including Peter Erskine, Enrico Pieranunzi, Joey Calderazzo, Jeff Ballard, John Beasley, Jean-Michel Pilc, Eric Marienthal, Bob Sheppard, Seamus Blake, Jorge Rossy, Kendrick Scott, Justin Faulkner, André Ceccarelli, Gary Husband and Paolo Fresu. Jasper produced ten albums for Challenge Records, which includes four albums as a leader.
Enoch Jamal "E.J." Strickland is world-renowned drummer and composer who has appeared on over 60 albums. He is in great demand in New York's jazz scene and has toured, performed, and recorded with some of the greatest names in contemporary music: Wynton Marsalis, Ravi Coltrane, Cassandra Wilson, Terence Blanchard, Lizz Wright, Russell Malone, George Colligan, David Gilmore, Vincent Herring and Nnenna Freelon. As a bandleader, E.J. has released three albums.
Being recognized as “one of the most exciting pianists in contemporary jazz,” (The Guardian, UK) pianist Lynne Arriale has performed on the most prestigious international concert stages over the past 30 years. Jazz Police called her “the poet laureate of her generation.” JazzTimes said of her, “Lynne Arriale’s music lies at the synaptic intersection where brain meets heart, where body meets soul. She is one of jazzdom’s most intensely unique voices.” Jazz Journal commented, “Arriale is clearly one of the best contemporary jazz pianists.“
Lynne won the Great American Jazz Piano Competition and toured Japan with “100 Golden Fingers” with Tommy Flanagan, Hank Jones, Monty Alexander, Cedar Walton, Kenny Barron, Harold Mabern, Roger Kellaway, Junior Mance and Ray Bryant. She has performed and/or recorded with jazz masters, Randy Brecker, George Mraz, Benny Golson, Larry Coyell and Marian McPartland, to name a few. Her international festival performances include Montreux, Burghausen, Gilmore, Spoleto Arts, Montreal, Monterey, North Sea, Stuttgart, Pori, San Francisco, Ottawa, Zagreb, Perth, Brisbane, Rouen, Sardinia, Rochester, Wigan, Poznan, Estoril, Inverness, Cork, and San Javier. Lynne’s tours have taken her to Brazil, Germany, Austria, Serbia, Poland, Switzerland, Italy, Croatia, France, Belgium, the Czech Republic, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Greece, Australia, Japan, Spain, Portugal, South Africa, England, Ireland, Scotland, Canada, China, South Africa and the U.S. She has given five performances at the Kennedy Center.
Lynne’s 17 albums as a leader have topped the JazzWeek radio charts including: Inspiration #1, Arise #1, Come Together #3, The Lights Are Always On #3, Nuance #4, Convergence #4, Being Human #5, Chimes of Freedom #8 and were recognized on numerous "Best Of" lists, including The New Yorker and United Press International. LIVE (CD/DVD) was named one of UPI’s Best Jazz CDs and among The New Yorker magazine’s Best CDs of the year. Solo was named one of the top CDs of 2012 by JAZZIZ magazine, and Convergence was named one of the top 50 CDs of 2011 by JazzTimes. Her release, Give Us These Days, was included in the top Jazz CDs of 2018 by Jazz History Online and the Best New Jazz Releases of 2018 by The Arts Fuse. Chimes of Freedom was named one of the Best CDs of 2020 by DownBeat and Best Jazz Instrumental Releases of 2020 by Jazz History Online. Lynne’s release, The Lights Are Always On ranked #19 on the JazzWeek Radio year-end charts for all 2022 airplay, #2 on Ken Franckling’s Jazz Notes “Favorite Jazz Records of 2022,” “Sounds Like America” on Ken Franckling’s Favorite New Compositions from CDs released in 2022, and #6 on Textura’s year end “Top 30 Jazz Releases.”Being Human received five four star reviews, and 2024 “Best of” lists: DownBeat’s Best Albums of 2024, Textura’s 30 Best Jazz Albums of 2024, All About Jazz’s Best Jazz Albums Of 2024, and ArtsFuse’s Best Jazz Albums of 2024. It was also #26 in the Jazz Week Year End Chart for all radioplay in 2024.
Live TV and radio appearances and concert performances include Profile of a Recording Artist, NPR’s Weekend Edition, Jazz Set, Marian McPartland’s Piano Jazz. Print media features include Billboard, Downbeat, JazzTimes, JAZZIZ, BBC Magazine, and The London Times.
Lynne was the first woman to have the cover story for JazzEd Magazine, and additional cover stories include One Way and M magazines. Live media appearances include CNN/FN’ Biz, NPR’s Jazz Piano Christmas – Live from The Kennedy Center, and radio/TV interviews throughout the U.S., U.K., and Europe, including the BBC, Radio France and German National Television. In 2020, Lynne was named in “The 50 Wisconsin Musicians With the Biggest Impact Over the Past 100 Years” by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
She is an active educator and adjudicator and has conducted master classes and clinics internationally throughout the US, UK, Europe, Canada, Brazil and South Africa. Lynne adjudicated the Chamber Music America’s New Jazz Works, the Montreux Jazz Competition, American Pianists Association Fellowship Awards, The Kennedy Center’s Mary Lou Williams Competition, The American Jazz Pianist Competition and the Jacksonville Piano Competition. She was a featured mentor at The Mary Lou Williams Emerging Artist Workshop at the Kennedy Center. Lynne is a Yamaha artist and is currently Professor of Jazz Studies and Director of Small Ensembles at The University of North Florida in Jacksonville. In 2018, she was awarded the UNF Presidential Leader Award and was runner-up for the 2019-2020, 2021- 2022, 2022-2023, and 2023-2024 UNF Faculty Association Distinguished Professor Award.
Being Human, Lynne’s 17th album as a leader, is her fourth for Challenge Records International. Her suite of 10 original compositions celebrates the ways that our lives are enriched by acts of passion, courage, love, persistence, heart, soul, curiosity, faith and joy. Featuring bassist Alon Near and drummer Lukasz Zyta, the album explores these life-affirming facets of humankind. Many of the songs are dedicated to people who’ve inspired Arriale, including climate activist Greta Thunberg, National Youth Poet Laureate Amanda Gorman and Nobel Laureate Malala Yousafzai.
In recent years, Lynne’s compositions and albums have reflected current social issues. Chimes of Freedom (2020) highlights the worldwide immigration crisis and the experiences of refugees who risk everything to find a better life for themselves and their families. The Lights Are Always On (2022) examines the life-changing events wrought by COVID-19. Some compositions are named in honor of heroes, including those who served as caregivers on the front lines of the pandemic and those who defended American democracy. In Being Human, Arriale affirms the need for love, hope and unity in a world torn by the negative effects of political and cultural polarization. It is a musical inspiration to fully appreciate the incredible potential in each of us, and to best express what it means to be human.
“I wrote this suite in response to the division and turmoil in our world,” Arriale says. “The music focuses on qualities we all share, that define our humanity. I hope this album will be uplifting and convey a sense of unity and optimism.”
Dutch double bassist, composer and producer Jasper Somsen (1973) graduated in both Jazz and Classical double bass. He is an open minded versatile musician. Best known as a Jazz musician his field of interest and expertise also includes cross overs to classical, pop, world and film music and theater productions.
Jasper has collaborated with some of the very best musicians on the international jazz scene including Peter Erskine, Enrico Pieranunzi, Joey Calderazzo, Jeff Ballard, John Beasley, Jean-Michel Pilc, Eric Marienthal, Bob Sheppard, Seamus Blake, Jorge Rossy, Kendrick Scott, Justin Faulkner, André Ceccarelli, Gary Husband, Gabriele Mirabassi and Paolo Fresu.
Besides a performer and composer, Jasper Somsen is a Challenge Records artist and a renowned studio producer. Jasper performs world wide and can be heard on more than 45 albums, video and film music scores. Outside a busy playing and studio producing schedule he is an educator at the ArtEZ University of the Arts, Arnhem (NL) and the general director of the foundation Cultural City of Wageningen, in his hometown.
Being recognized as “one of the most exciting pianists in contemporary jazz,” (The Guardian, UK) pianist Lynne Arriale has performed on the most prestigious international concert stages over the past 30 years. Jazz Police called her “the poet laureate of her generation.” JazzTimes said of her, “Lynne Arriale’s music lies at the synaptic intersection where brain meets heart, where body meets soul. She is one of jazzdom’s most intensely unique voices.” Jazz Journal commented, “Arriale is clearly one of the best contemporary jazz pianists.“
Lynne won the Great American Jazz Piano Competition and toured Japan with “100 Golden Fingers” with Tommy Flanagan, Hank Jones, Monty Alexander, Cedar Walton, Kenny Barron, Harold Mabern, Roger Kellaway, Junior Mance and Ray Bryant. She has performed and/or recorded with jazz masters, Randy Brecker, George Mraz, Benny Golson, Larry Coyell and Marian McPartland, to name a few. Her international festival performances include Montreux, Burghausen, Gilmore, Spoleto Arts, Montreal, Monterey, North Sea, Stuttgart, Pori, San Francisco, Ottawa, Zagreb, Perth, Brisbane, Rouen, Sardinia, Rochester, Wigan, Poznan, Estoril, Inverness, Cork, and San Javier. Lynne’s tours have taken her to Brazil, Germany, Austria, Serbia, Poland, Switzerland, Italy, Croatia, France, Belgium, the Czech Republic, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Greece, Australia, Japan, Spain, Portugal, South Africa, England, Ireland, Scotland, Canada, China, South Africa and the U.S. She has given five performances at the Kennedy Center.
Lynne’s 17 albums as a leader have topped the JazzWeek radio charts including: Inspiration #1, Arise #1, Come Together #3, The Lights Are Always On #3, Nuance #4, Convergence #4, Being Human #5, Chimes of Freedom #8 and were recognized on numerous "Best Of" lists, including The New Yorker and United Press International. LIVE (CD/DVD) was named one of UPI’s Best Jazz CDs and among The New Yorker magazine’s Best CDs of the year. Solo was named one of the top CDs of 2012 by JAZZIZ magazine, and Convergence was named one of the top 50 CDs of 2011 by JazzTimes. Her release, Give Us These Days, was included in the top Jazz CDs of 2018 by Jazz History Online and the Best New Jazz Releases of 2018 by The Arts Fuse. Chimes of Freedom was named one of the Best CDs of 2020 by DownBeat and Best Jazz Instrumental Releases of 2020 by Jazz History Online. Lynne’s release, The Lights Are Always On ranked #19 on the JazzWeek Radio year-end charts for all 2022 airplay, #2 on Ken Franckling’s Jazz Notes “Favorite Jazz Records of 2022,” “Sounds Like America” on Ken Franckling’s Favorite New Compositions from CDs released in 2022, and #6 on Textura’s year end “Top 30 Jazz Releases.”Being Human received five four star reviews, and 2024 “Best of” lists: DownBeat’s Best Albums of 2024, Textura’s 30 Best Jazz Albums of 2024, All About Jazz’s Best Jazz Albums Of 2024, and ArtsFuse’s Best Jazz Albums of 2024. It was also #26 in the Jazz Week Year End Chart for all radioplay in 2024.
Live TV and radio appearances and concert performances include Profile of a Recording Artist, NPR’s Weekend Edition, Jazz Set, Marian McPartland’s Piano Jazz. Print media features include Billboard, Downbeat, JazzTimes, JAZZIZ, BBC Magazine, and The London Times.
Lynne was the first woman to have the cover story for JazzEd Magazine, and additional cover stories include One Way and M magazines. Live media appearances include CNN/FN’ Biz, NPR’s Jazz Piano Christmas – Live from The Kennedy Center, and radio/TV interviews throughout the U.S., U.K., and Europe, including the BBC, Radio France and German National Television. In 2020, Lynne was named in “The 50 Wisconsin Musicians With the Biggest Impact Over the Past 100 Years” by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
She is an active educator and adjudicator and has conducted master classes and clinics internationally throughout the US, UK, Europe, Canada, Brazil and South Africa. Lynne adjudicated the Chamber Music America’s New Jazz Works, the Montreux Jazz Competition, American Pianists Association Fellowship Awards, The Kennedy Center’s Mary Lou Williams Competition, The American Jazz Pianist Competition and the Jacksonville Piano Competition. She was a featured mentor at The Mary Lou Williams Emerging Artist Workshop at the Kennedy Center. Lynne is a Yamaha artist and is currently Professor of Jazz Studies and Director of Small Ensembles at The University of North Florida in Jacksonville. In 2018, she was awarded the UNF Presidential Leader Award and was runner-up for the 2019-2020, 2021- 2022, 2022-2023, and 2023-2024 UNF Faculty Association Distinguished Professor Award.
Being Human, Lynne’s 17th album as a leader, is her fourth for Challenge Records International. Her suite of 10 original compositions celebrates the ways that our lives are enriched by acts of passion, courage, love, persistence, heart, soul, curiosity, faith and joy. Featuring bassist Alon Near and drummer Lukasz Zyta, the album explores these life-affirming facets of humankind. Many of the songs are dedicated to people who’ve inspired Arriale, including climate activist Greta Thunberg, National Youth Poet Laureate Amanda Gorman and Nobel Laureate Malala Yousafzai.
In recent years, Lynne’s compositions and albums have reflected current social issues. Chimes of Freedom (2020) highlights the worldwide immigration crisis and the experiences of refugees who risk everything to find a better life for themselves and their families. The Lights Are Always On (2022) examines the life-changing events wrought by COVID-19. Some compositions are named in honor of heroes, including those who served as caregivers on the front lines of the pandemic and those who defended American democracy. In Being Human, Arriale affirms the need for love, hope and unity in a world torn by the negative effects of political and cultural polarization. It is a musical inspiration to fully appreciate the incredible potential in each of us, and to best express what it means to be human.
“I wrote this suite in response to the division and turmoil in our world,” Arriale says. “The music focuses on qualities we all share, that define our humanity. I hope this album will be uplifting and convey a sense of unity and optimism.”
... A statement as courageous as it is important in increasingly selfish times... Impressive the realization of the virtuoso pianist, how Arriale wraps this in music and communicates it to the world.
Melodiva, 06-11-2020
... When listening to them, one can only be thankful that Arriale musically goes far beyond the means of these icons of 1968, whose melodies, stuck in the collective consciousness, are newly harmonized and saved into an unnostalgic present...
Jazzpodium 07 08 2020, 06-7-2020
... restriction to the essentials that distinguishes the pianist's style. For although the New Yorker has a solid classical education, she does not place virtuoso skills in the foreground. Only every now and then does dexterity show up. Otherwise Lynne Arriale focuses more on musical qualities, namely superb melody leading and rhythmic security...
Piano News, 06-7-2020
She swings great!
Klassieke zaken, 05-6-2020
May this beautiful music inspire us to greatness.
Jazzhistoryonline.com, 31-5-2020
... fantastic: it swings, it grooves and yet remains very refined.
Le Soir, 29-4-2020
The pianist, plays orchestral, uses the entire piano, and performs, besides many serious things, a hopeful and sparkling Caribbean piece: Reunion.
Jazzism, 24-4-2020
Arriale’s fingers tickle the piano to the rustling rhythm on “The Dreamers” after Strickland opens up the intriguing tune. The three create an almost Coltranesque rubato on the traditional “Sometimes I Feel Like A Motherless Child”.
Jazz Weekly, 16-4-2020
This is nice unpretentious mainstream jazz, the musical fun just explodes.
De Standaard, 08-4-2020
Lynne Arriale's fifteenth album as a leader. This time, next to the leader's own songs, the trio took Bob Dylan and Paul Simon's classics to the workshop.
Jazz Press/ Poland, 02-4-2020
... the music is inspired by the energy to preserve the idea of America's greatness beyond the arrogance of the white old men.
Jazzthing, 24-3-2020
... This fusion works magnificently and produces a result full of playing pleasure, a mixture of technique, feeling and passion that is very stirring.....
Musikansich, 12-3-2020
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