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Bassist Lorenzo Feliciati Releases Elevator Man

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The Italian composer and bassist’s third RareNoise release (after Frequent Flyer and KOI) continues his path towards a unique musical language bridging jazz and rock.

Feliciati is accompanied by a plethora of exceptional musicians from across the globe.

As a follow-up to his most personal project to date, 2015’s KOI, in-demand Italian session bassist and RareNoise recording artist Lorenzo Feliciati has upped the ante on his latest project, Elevator Man. A powerhouse recording with echoes of King Crimson, Allan Holdsworth and other Prog Rock icons, this latest outing by the prolific bassist-composer-arranger features a rotating cast of stellar musicians, including King Crimson drummer Pat Mastelotto, former Holdsworth drummer Chad Wackerman, Swedish Freak Guitar shredder Mattias IA Eklundh (of the Jonas Hellborg Trio and Art Metal), Italian progressive metal guitarist Marco Sfogli (currently of the legendary Italian Prog Rock band Premiata Forneria Marconi, aka PFM), trumpeter Cuong Vu and Feliciati’s Naked Truth bandmate Roy Powell on distortion-laced clavinet. As well as composing and arranging all the material, Feliciati plays fretted and fretless basses, electric guitar and keyboards on his seventh and most potent recording as a leader to date “Elevator Man has a different lineup on every song,” explains Feliciati, a member of RareNoise bands Naked Truth, Berserk!, Twinscapes and Mumpbeak. “It’s the same ‘one song-one line up’ philosophy that I used on Frequent Flyer, but this time all the music for Elevator Man was composed at the same time, in a three-month period. So I was probably able to concentrate more and think more deeply about the direction of the album. And while a varied stylistic approach is something I always try to achieve, this one has a more clear Prog Rock flavor that was a planned decision. After KOI, I felt the need to move from the soundtrack-ambient soundscapes attitude that is a crucial ingredient of both KOI and Twinscapes, my duo project with bassist Colin Edwin of Porcupine Tree, to a more songs-oriented project.”

From the opening track, “Elevator Man,” Feliciati shifts to the dynamic “The Brick,” “14 Stories opens with an ambient, mysterioso vibe the top before the piece erupts into an orchestral crescendo. The melancholy ballad “Black Book, Red Letter,” also highlights some lyrical trumpet playing and some impassioned soloing from the alto saxophonist. The aggressive rocker “Three Women” has Feliciati grooving on fretless bass while “Unchained Houdini” is a slamming jam that pits Feliciati’s bass, guitar and keys against some whirlwind wailing on the kit. “The Third Door” has Feliciati going mano-a-mano with a turntable wizard while “S.O.S.” introduces a mellow vibraphone and an intense guitarist. The swinging “Thief Like Me,” features a strong bass solo from Feliciati, who also anchors the proceedings on Moog bass. And the haunting closer, “U Turn in Falmouth,” has Feliciati interacting on bass, guitars and keyboards. “The power to have these great musicians ready to play on the songs forced me to be a more focused composer on this project,” said Feliciati. “So this one is less on the abstract/improvised side. When you have so many amazing musicians ready to collaborate with you, you are the luckiest person in the world but you must have a very clear idea of what you will ask them to play on, what you want them to add to your music.”

Feliciati, who has worked with some of the great drummers throughout his career, seemed especially pleased with the crew of time-keepers he was able to recruit for Elevator Man. ”I love drums and drummers and to have such great players on this album as Pat Mastelotto (King Crimson, Stickmen), Chad Wackerman, Roberto Gualdi (PFM), Davide Pettirossi, Armando Croce, Gianluca Palmieri (Greg Howe Band) and the young star Davide Savarese is such a wonderful privilege. To compose some music and have so many choices in front of you is wonderful. And to realize that everyone involved is enthusiastic and willing to collaborate is truly fantastic.”

He also heaped high praise on the two sensational guitarists who appear on Elevator Man. “Marco Sfogli is a great friend of mine and we played together several times,” explains Feliciati. “I played on his latest solo album. Mattias Ecklundh did a masterclass at the school where I was teaching in Rome. I asked to do some music together and he enthusiastically agreed. I was happy when he agreed to play on this record.”

Returning from KOI is the three-piece horn section of trombonist Pierluigi Bastioli, baritone saxophonist Duiliu Ingress and bass trombonist Stan Adams, who also arranged and conducted the section. “The idea for the horns came while working on KOI, where the same three-piece section plays on several tracks,” Feliciati explains. “I was wondering about doubling the bass riffs with a horn section on that recording but I immediately understood that a funky-jazzy section of trumpet/sax/trombone would have been too conventional or traditional sounding. So I switched to this low-end section consisting of bass trombone, trombone and baritone sax, and the final result was so good I immediately decided to use them on some of the songs of Elevator Man.”

The bassist-composer-arranger describes his daily creative process that has led to the realization of such visionary projects as Frequent Flyer, Koi and Elevator Man: “I love to wake up early in the morning, have

breakfast with family and then walk upstairs to my home studio and ask myself, ‘What do you like to work on today?’ I always had a home studio and the technology related to recording (software like ProTools, etc.) became way less expensive. This way I can work on different projects at the same time, switching from one to another; not to mention all the sessions I do at home for music that arrives via Dropbox from all over the world, People want me on their music and with the files-exchange approach they can have my bass track on their album easily and fast.”

The great bassist also acknowledges the towering influence of Jaco Pastorius on his own playing and on this recording, particularly on “Elevator Man”, “S.O.S.” and “Black Book, Red Letter.” Says Feliciati of Jaco’s influence: “For me you can easily divide not only bass playing but also Jazz Rock Fusion in before Jaco/after Jaco segments. The influence he had on my love for the bass and music is endless. I saw Weather Report in 1980 in Rome on their Night Passage tour. That night changed my life. I decided to play the bass after that because I realized how much the instrument can drive a band and be the center of the sonic spectrum. If the song, the music needed one note, Jaco was playing one note…if the song needed one hundred he was playing the right ones the most soulful ones and with such an incredible timing and groove. But I really love Jaco the composer. And of all the wonderful tunes he wrote and played, the one that is touching me the most is still ‘John and Mary’ from his Word of Mouth album. Together with Night Passage and Joni Mitchell’s Shadows and Light, these are timeless classics.

That Pastorius influence is present throughout Elevator Man. But Feliciati also carves out his own unique niche on this superb prog-rock flavored outing.

Visit online at www.rarenoiserecords.com.

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New Album: Iron Axxis, 2286

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New Album: Iron Axxis, 2286

Iron Axxis, 2286…

New York’s metal scene is growing and mighty, and bringing the genre to new heights is instrumental metal band Iron Axxis.

Iron Axxis is gearing up for the release of their forthcoming album 2286. Due out March 29, 2024, the album highlights the band’s unique progressive, guitar-driven songwriting. “The sound is closer to Dream Theater than Van Halen, but there are some neat tips of the hat to Eddie, with some playful bends and whammy bar horse whinnies, while the track also crosses into Vai-esque meditative phrases and Holdsworthian scalic runs.” (GuitarWorld)

The band states, “‘‘2286’ is our first full-length album release. The album blends the high-risk Influences of the ‘guitar & bass guitar virtuosos’ of yesteryear and looks into the future by incorporating modern metal.. for a futuristic take on ‘guitar music. The listener will hear that ‘2286’ runs deep with their favorite metal influences with badass heavy riffage, thundering bass lines, and monstrous drum grooves, all while exploring metal through a wide cinematic lens, which ultimately takes it up a notch to an untamed guitar universe. “

Iron Axxis was forged from a friendship between Anupam Shobhakar and Phil Duke, two metal heads. They have worked together on previous recording studio projects and were in Book of Harmony, which was signed to Sony affiliates. Hailing from Brooklyn, they began to develop Iron Axxis at their studio in 2022.

Visit online at ironaxxis.live

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New Solo Album: Derek Frank, Origin Story

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New Solo Album: Derek Frank, Origin Story

Former Gwen Stefani/Shania Twain Bassist Announces New Solo Album “Origin Story”…

Veteran session/touring bassist Derek Frank is thrilled to announce the release of his new instrumental album “Origin Story” on March 25th, 2024. 

Origin Story is Derek’s third album as a solo artist, and his second album project with multiple Grammy award-winning producer Jim Scott (Tedeschi Trucks Band, Tom Petty, Wilco, Sting, Red Hot Chili Peppers). He is joined by his touring band, which includes guitarist Joshua Ray Gooch (Derek’s longtime bandmate with Shania Twain), keyboardist Carey Frank (Social Distortion, Tedeschi Trucks Band), drummer Randy Cooke (Smashmouth, Brit Floyd), percussionist Demian Arriaga (Miley Cyrus, The Jonas Brothers), along with keyboardist Matt Rohde (Janes Addiction, The Chicks), guitarist Anthony King (Buffy Sainte-Marie), Vegas horn Section The Fat City Horns, featured guests Karl Denson (saxophone), Brent Mason (guitar), among others. 

After years of touring the world with artists such as Gwen Stefani, Shania Twain, Shakira, Air Supply, and others, veteran LA bass player Derek Frank decided it was time to take a slight detour from the life of a “hired gun” musician and focus on his own instrumental quintet. Described as “Seventies-Inspired Funky Instrumental Jams With Fewer Bass Solos Than You Would Expect”, Derek and his band blend funk, blues, soul, jazz, southern rock, and seventies soundtrack music into a genre all their own. 2020 saw the release of “Eleven Years Later”, Derek’s first solo album since his 2009 debut “Let the Games Begin…”, and now Origin Story is set for release on March 25th, 2024 on all download and streaming platforms. The 2-disc vinyl version (with bonus live tracks) will be available sometime in May 2024. 

In concept, Origin Story is an instrumental homage to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the city where Derek was born, grew up, discovered his love for music, and decided what he wanted to be when he grew up. 

For more information, visit online at derekfrank.com 

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New Album: Tom Kennedy, New Start

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New Album: Tom Kennedy, New Start

Tom Kennedy, New Start…

Autumn Hill Records is pleased to announce the March 22nd release of Tom Kennedy’s New Start.  Autumn Hill Records is a worldwide leader in instrumental music, boasting 11 billion streams and counting, and Tom Kennedy ranks as one of the top electric and acoustic bass players on the planet.  The new album features the Grammy-winning and Modern Drummer Hall of Famer Dave Weckl, as well as performances from Eric Marienthal, Randy Brecker, Mike Stern, Bill Evans and others. It is the sixth solo album from Tom Kennedy.  New Start will be available digitally on all major streaming and download platforms March 22nd, 2024. 

Kennedy writes that “The legendary pianist Keith Jarrett once said of his recorded music, ‘If there were words to express it, there would be no need for the music.’ Ironically, Keith’s sentiment provided the perfect verbiage for describing the process I’ve experienced in creating the music for this album.  These compositions did not come to me in complete thoughts, but rather as bits and pieces of melody, harmony, or rhythm to build from, much as in a live improvisation.  A single note or chord could inspire a pathway to a new section or critical transition of a song, and at times a completely orchestrated idea would just pop into my head.  No method, no foresight…just the music.”

Kennedy’s musical roots were on the acoustic bass, an instrument he started playing at age 9 and took to so naturally that within a few years, he was performing with internationally known players such as Freddie Hubbard, James Moody, Nat Adderley, Sonny Stitt and Stan Kenton. At age 17, Tom would create a musical alter ego when he began playing the electric bass. Intrigued by the endless possibilities of the instrument, he began developing his now signature style best described as deep, soulful grooves merging seamlessly into acrobatic, horn-like soloing.

Gaining a reputation that soon traveled beyond his native St. Louis, Tom relocated to New York City, where he quickly gained work with multiple groups. Further accolades came through a recording with guitar great Bill Connors and tours with tenor saxophonist Michael Brecker in the world-renowned jazz-fusion group Steps Ahead. Additional tours and recordings with Brazilian pianist Tania Maria and guitarist Al DiMeola followed. In 1998, Tom became an integral part of Modern Drummer Hall of Famer Dave Weckl’s band, a group he toured, composed and recorded with for over nine years. Tom and Dave have continued to perform and record together on various of Tom’s own albums as well as projects for other artists, including Mike Stern, Didier Lockwood, Dave Grusin and Lee Ritenour.  They’ve been performing this music live for the last two years during tours of The Dave Weckl/Tom Kennedy Project.

Visit Online

www.autumnhillrecords.com
www.tomkennedymusic.com

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New Album: EZRA’s Self-titled Debut Album

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New Album: EZRA's Self-titled Debut Album

EZRA released their self-titled debut album with Adhyâropa Records…

Founded by award-winning composer and multi-instrumentalist Jesse Jones, EZRA is a collective of classical, jazz, rock, and bluegrass musicians focused on the creation of genre-crossing and style-inclusive new music. The ensemble consists of world-renowned mandolinist Jacob Jolliff, banjo virtuoso Max Allard, and bassist extraordinaire Craig Butterfield, with Jones on guitar- and keyboard-related instruments.

EZRA’s debut album EZRA includes nine works by Jones, and was recorded while Jones was on a one year sabbatical from his composition professorship at Oberlin Conservatory. Jones, who is also a luthier, used much of his sabbatical to build some of the instruments he plays on the album. He then invited longtime collaborator Butterfield, together with Jolliff and Allard, for an intense week of rehearsals and recording in Oberlin. It was the first time all four musicians had been in the same room, much less played together, but things fell into place from the first notes.

This speaks to the musicianship and camaraderie of all involved, but it is also due to the fact that Jones had been collecting these pieces for years, waiting for the right moment, and the right musicians. Jones says, “I sat alone in my living room for at least a decade playing through the dozens of compositions I had in my head. When I met Craig, who shared a lot of similar classical, roots, and folk interests, I decided to stretch myself and see if I could hang (musically) with a world-class musician like him. We hit it off, and from 2013 through 2019 we co-wrote and recorded three albums as a duo. I grew immeasurably as a musician as a result.”

Jones continues, “When the pandemic closed everything down, I found myself back in my living room, writing tune after tune alone with my instruments. In 2021, I fortuitously reconnected with an old friend, the phenomenal mandolinist Jacob Jolliff, and around the same time became acquainted with banjo wunderkind Max Allard. I jumped on the chance to get these guys together and record nine of the tunes I had lying around. The result was beyond what I could have imagined and was heaps of fun to rehearse and record.”

“Fabulous playing! So great to hear the next generation of string wizards dive in and continue the tradition forward.” — Mike Marshall

Jones began building instruments in 2020, studying with Alan Chapman of Chapman/Fisher Guitars. In the last year and a half, Jones has built a variety of instruments, including a quarter-tone Irish bouzouki, a 13-tone small instrument, a Pardessus, several steel string guitars, four classical guitars, two ukuleles, three mandolins (two of them experimental, single string designs), and a mandola.

On the track “Jarrah,” Jones plays the banjo-tuned guitar he built using jarrah wood, a deep red wood he particularly enjoys working with: “I have just a small block of it and used it for the rosette/headstock — when I got the instrument up and running, a tune fell from it into my hands, and I named it “Jarrah” after the wood.”

Jones explains that a lot of his compositions come about that way: “I play a lot of different instruments, and when I go down the rabbit hole on one of them (say the banjo in double C tuning), I tend to fall into several new tunes, almost by accident — Banjaleena, Dix-Neuf (at least the 4/4 melody part), Smoke in the Valley, and Garden Gate all came as I was searching and discovering new shapes and sounds on the banjo (the parts Max plays). “Cowboy Walks” just emerged from the first classical guitar I made.”

Though Jones wrote all nine compositions for the debut album, EZRA’s focus is centered around collaboration. Working up the arrangements together was part of the process (and the fun). Recorded and engineered by Paul Eachus at First Church in downtown Oberlin and mastered by Dave Sinko (Punch Brothers, Béla Fleck, Edgar Meyer), EZRA’s debut album captures lightning in a bottle.

EZRA is available on all services. For more information, visit online at ezraquartet.com

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New Album: Alberto Rigoni, Unexpected Lullabies

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New Album: Alberto Rigoni, Unexpected Lullabies

Alberto Rigoni, Unexpected Lullabies…

In an exhilarating revelation, the musical genius Alberto Rigoni has announced his latest masterpiece, “Unexpected Lullabies”, set to hit the airwaves on June 4th, 2024.

This album isn’t just any release; it’s a bold exploration of sound, merging the soothing essence of lullabies with the raw energy of rock-metal to create a musical hybrid that’s absolutely groundbreaking. Rigoni’s latest venture is a heartfelt ode to the circle of life, dedicated to newborns everywhere, symbolizing hope and the beautiful continuity of life with the poignant message: “There are no just tragedies in this world, life is going on!”

*A Stellar Lineup of Musical Legends*

What makes ‘Unexpected Lullabies’ even more exciting is the assembly of musical titans. The album features the legendary bassist Michael Manring, the keyboard wizardry of Alessandro Bertoni (of the Graham Bonnet Band) and Vitalij Kuprij (known for Artension and Trans-Siberian Orchestra), and many more yet-to-be-revealed guest artists.

Unexpected Lullabies is now available on pre-order from Shop Sliptrick at deadpulse.com/product/alberto-rigoni-unexpected-lullabies/

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