Dave Douglas / Donny McCaslin Quintet live at JazzBaltica 2011

Dave Douglas - Trumpet
Donny McCaslin - Tenor Saxophone
Jason Linder - Keyboards
Tim Lefebrve - Bass
Mark Guiliana - Drums
recorded live at Konzertscheune Salzau, Jazzbaltica Salzau, July 3, 2011

1. Five Hands Down (Donny McCaslin)
2. Creature Theme (Dave Douglas)
3. L.Z.C.M. (Donny McCaslin)
4. Prologue (Dave Douglas)
5. Memphis Redux (Donny McCaslin)

Donny McCaslin´s Perpetual Motion meet Dave Douglas´ Keystone. For this concert the two Greenleaf recording artists joined forces.

Following the sparse tenor trio album Recommended Tools (Greenleaf, 2008), Perpetual Motion is a 180° turn for McCaslin. Never sounding more confident, McCaslin delves into angular post-bop, blistering polyphonic funk, backbeat-driven R&B, and delicate, ethereal balladry, all without compromising his distinct compositional voice.

On April 24th, 2010, Dave Douglas and experimental filmmaker Bill Morrison unveiled their multimedia collaboration, Spark Of Being, at Stanford University. On film, it stands as a reinterpretation of that Frankenstein myth using new, archival, and distressed footage. The themes, penned by Douglas for his Grammy-nominated band Keystone, integrate electronics seamlessly into the improvised music, piecing sounds and movement together to make three strikingly different Creatures.

Donny McCaslin Quartet live at Jazzclub Unterfahrt, Munich, 2010

Donny McCaslin - Tenor Saxophone
Uri Caine - Piano
Scott Colley - Bass
Antonio Sanchez - Drums
Unterfahrt München, November 14, 2010

1. M (Donny McCaslin)
2. Fat Cat (Donny McCaslin)
3. Memphis Redux (Donny McCaslin)

Following the sparse tenor trio album Recommended Tools, Perpetual Motion (released on Greenleaf Music) is a 180° turn for McCaslin. Never sounding more confident, McCaslin delves into angular post-bop, blistering polyphonic funk, backbeat-driven R&B, and delicate, ethereal balladry, all without compromising his distinct compositional voice.

Electronic elements are well-represented here: Adam Benjamin (Kneebody, Dave Douglas’ Keystone) conjures the Rings of Saturn with his highly modulated Fender Rhodes, bassist Tim Lefebvre punches sub-octave squarewave fuzz, and producer David Binney contributes his own synth sonics occasionally. All of this on a bed of deep drum grooves—that duty split between the masterful Antonio Sanchez and Mark Guiliana. Guest musician Uri Caine makes appearances as well, contributing his unique Fender Rhodes and piano playing to the tracks including the emphatic record closer.

Jazzbaltica-Ensemble 2010 directed by Martin Wind

Martin Wind - Bass, Composer, Arrangements
Johannes Enders, Niels Lyhne Løkkegaard - Saxophones
Axel Schlosser - Trumpet, Flügelhorn
Karin Hammar, Øyvind Brække - Trombone
Christopher Dell - Vibraphone
Michael Wollny - Piano
Andy Haberl -  Drums
Guests:
Donny McCaslin - Tenor Saxophone
Nils Wülker - Trumpet
Nils Landgren - Trombone
Don Friedman - Piano
Wolfgang Haffner - Drums
Lars Danielsson - Violoncello

recorded live at Große Konzertscheune, Salzau, July 2, 2010

1. Out in Pennsylvania
Soloists: Dell, vib, Schlosser, tp
2. Cruise Blues
Soloists: Wülker, tp; Enders, ts
3. Remember October 13th
Soloists: Enders, ts, Brakke, tb, Hammar, tb, Wollny, p, Haffner, dr
4. Get It

Soloists: Dell, vib, Landgren, tb, McCaslin, ts, Enders, ts
5. Memories Of Scotty (Don Friedman)

6. Theresia
Soloists: Lars Danielsson, cello; Nils Landgren, tb; Donny McCaslin, ts
7. Rainy River
Soloists: Michael Wollny, p; Martin Wind, b; Axel Schlosser, flh

Bassist and composer Martin Wind was born in Flensburg, Germany in 1968 and moved to New York in 1996 to study at New York University (NYU) with a scholarship by the German Academic Exchange Service.
In 1995 he earned himself a diploma as Orchestra Musician at the Music Conservatory in Cologne, Germany while studying with Prof. Wolfgang Guettler, former bassist with the Berlin Philharmonics.
In 1998 he earned his Master’s degree in Jazz Performance and Composition studying with Mike Richmond, Jim McNeely, Tom Boras, Mike Holober and Kenny Werner.
Since his move to New York Martin has become a regular at all major jazz clubs and is also in demand as a session player; his credits include movies such as "The Alamo", "Intolerable Cruelty", " Mona Lisa Smiles", "Fur", "The Bounty Hunter", and "True Grit".
In 1995 Martin came in third at the International Thelonious Monk Bass Competition in Washington, D.C.
In 1996 Martin Wind won the first Cognac Hennessy/Blue Note Jazz Search in Germany with his trio "Dreiklang" and got to record an album for Blue Note Records.
Since 2007 he’s been leading his own quartet featuring the talents of Sott Robinson (reeds), Bill Cunliffe (piano) and Tim Horner (drums). They’ve released the albums "Salt’n Pepper!" (2008), and "Get it?" (2010).
After their performance at JazzBaltica 2009 (released on DVD), Martin Wind was asked to compose and arrange the programme for the 2010 edition of the JazzBaltica Ensemble.

 

Torben Waldorff “Afterburn” feat. Donny McCaslin live at JazzBaltica 2009

Torben Waldorff, g
Donny McCaslin, ts
Maggi Olin, p
Matt Clohesy, b
Jon Wikan, dr

recorded live at Kleine Konzertscheune, Salzau, July 5, 2009

1. Skyliner
2. Introduction by Torben Waldorff
3. Espresso crescent
4. Eel thye deeflat
5. Choro dancado (Maria Schneider)
6. Daze

Torben Waldorff, born in Denmark, is based in the Oresund region of Malmo, Sweden and Copenhagen, Denmark. After having attended Berklee College of Music from 1984 to 88 studying with Herb Pomeroy and Charlie Banacos and gigging the Boston clubs with Sam Newsome, Jim Black a.o. Torben moved to Copenhagen in 89 and gigged the Denmark festival and club scene
"Afterburn" is his second ArtistShare release, following 2006's Brilliance: Live at the 55 Bar, further showing a player with a distinct presence whose music conveys modernism and his Scandinavian roots.

Bunky Green Salzau Quartet feat. James Moody, Donny McCaslin & Miguel Zenón live at JazzBaltica 2009

Bunky Green - Alto Saxophone
Carsten Daerr - Piano
Eva Kruse – Bass
Nasheet Waits - Drums
James Moody - Tenor Saxophone
Donny McCaslin - Tenor Saxophone
Miguel Zenón - Alto Saxophone

recorded live at Große Konzertscheune Salzau, Germany, July 5, 2009

1. Choice Blues
2. Let´s Talk About It
3. The Journey
4. September
5. Felicia
6. What Is This Thing Called Love?
7. All The Things You Are
8. Straight, No Chaser

Vernice "Bunky" Green´s big break came when he was hired in New York City by Charles Mingus as a replacement for Jackie McLean in the 1960s. His brief stint with the eccentric bass player made a deep impression. Mingus' sparing use of notation and his belief that there was no such thing as a wrong note had a lasting influence on Green's own style.
Originally strongly influenced by Charlie Parker, Green spent a period reassessing his style and studying, emerging with a highly distinctive sound that has deeply influenced a number of younger saxophonists, including Steve Coleman and Greg Osby.
Green gradually withdrew from the public eye to develop a career as a leading jazz educator. At JazzBaltica 2007 he had his on stage debut in Germany featuring his "Salzau Quartet" with Carsten Daerr, Eva Kruse and Nasheet Waits. That concert was released on CD in 2008 on Traumton records.

Dave Douglas: Blue Nile - the Music of Randy Weston live at JazzBaltica 2007

Dave Douglas - Trumpet

Donny McCaslin - Tenor Saxophone
Nils Wogram - Trombone
Martin Taxt - Tuba
Geoffrey Keezer - Piano
Nasheet Waits - Drums
Jan Bang - Samples

recorded live at JazzBaltica 2007, Große Konzertscheune Salzau, Germany

Tracklist:
1. The Shrine
2. Mystery Of Love
3. Zulu
4. The Call
5. African Cookbook
6. Prayer Blues
7. Afro Black

Dave Douglas has an amazing output on records. The discography can be found here.

Steps Ahead live at Leverkusener Jazztage 2008

Mike Mainieri - Vibraphone

Till Brönner - Trumpet
Donny McCaslin - Saxophone
Bryan Baker - Guitar
Etienne M´Bappe - Bass
Rodney Holmes - Drums

recorded live at Leverkusener Jazztage, November 2, 2008

Tracklist
1. auzz
2. Los Dos Lorettas
3. All In a Row
4. Distant Episode
5. Send Me a Postcard
6. Nothing Personal
7. Beirut

The latest record featuring Steps Ahead is released on NYC records, called Holding Together: