{"title":"Smoke Sessions","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eSmoke Sessions is a renowned US record company and label that has been at the forefront of the music industry for years. With a passion for quality jazz music, Smoke Sessions has built a reputation as one of the leading labels in the genre.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eKnown for their commitment to preserving and promoting *talented jazz artists*, Smoke Sessions consistently delivers exceptional recordings that capture the essence of live performances. Their dedication to producing high-quality albums ensures that listeners can experience the magic of jazz from the comfort of their own homes.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAs an authority in jazz music, Smoke Sessions has collaborated with some of the most respected musicians in the industry. From legendary performers like *John Scofield* and *Christian McBride* to emerging talents such as *Veronica Swift* and *Emmet Cohen*, their roster showcases a diverse range of incredible artists who continue to push boundaries and redefine what it means to create captivating jazz music.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"witness-to-history-2","title":"Witness to History","description":"\u003cp\u003eTrumpet legend Dr. Eddie Henderson celebrates the 50th anniversary of his debut album as a leader, 1973’s \"Realization,\" with the exhilarating new release \"Witness to History.\" The stellar quintet on this album bridges that half-century of music: lifelong collaborator George Cables returns once again to the piano bench. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHenderson’s colleague in The Cookers, alto saxophonist Donald Harrison, and his more recent collaborator, bassist Gerald Cannon, have also appeared on the trumpeter’s recent string of releases for Smoke Sessions. They’re joined by legendary drummer Lenny White, who has reunited with Henderson in the studio for the first time since Realization 50 years ago). Henderson is also the subject of an upcoming PBS documentary \"Dr. Eddie Henderson: Uncommon Genius,\" set to arrive in February 2024 that charts his fascinating life in three disparate endeavors: as a medical doctor, as a pioneering figure skater, and, of course, as a legendary jazz musician. “My first trumpet teacher, way back in 1949, was Louis Armstrong,” recalls Henderson, “From that point on, I witnessed the evolution in music through Miles Davis, Freddie Hubbard, Lee Morgan, Booker Little, Woody Shaw, John Coltrane, up to the present. I lived through the turmoil of the ’60s and ’70s and the rise of Black Power in this country. So, I have been a witness to history, and inevitably that rubbed off on me musically.” \"Witness To History\" traces Eddie Henderson’s evolution through a remarkable span of time, but it’s abundantly clear that he’s done more than watch from the sidelines as history unfolds. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eDr. Henderson has made his own indelible mark on history, and this vital music reveals that he’s far from writing his final chapter.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Smoke Sessions","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":50394093158731,"sku":"2052416","price":14.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/Witness_to_History_bdc8140e_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1726432200"},{"product_id":"bridges-11","title":"Bridges","description":"\u003cp\u003ePianist Kevin Hays, bassist Ben Street, and drummer Billy Hart reconvene their collective trio for a second release, but unlike their first live album recorded in the heart of the pandemic, BRIDGES was recorded in the cozy confines of the recording studio. They lose none of the chemistry and magic so apparent on the previous record in this setting but add to it significantly with the closeness and camaraderie possible now without masks and distancing. There is an unusual warmth to this music, to this album of rich harmonies and subtle ensemble interaction by three modern masters, that distinguishes it as subtly unusual and exceptional.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Smoke Sessions","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":50394909114699,"sku":"2057130","price":14.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/Bridges_5fb5518c_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1726450157"},{"product_id":"big-george-3","title":"Big George","description":"\u003cp\u003eBig George is the first album from the all-star hard bop sextet One for All in seven years. It features special guest NEA Jazz Master tenor saxophonist George Coleman on three stunning tracks One for All is trumpeter Jim Rotondi, saxophonist Eric Alexander, trombonist Steve Davis, pianist David Hazeltine, bassist John Webber, and drummer Joe Farnsworth who are all acclaimed artists on their own but have an important shared history going back 30 years with this beloved group.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Smoke Sessions","offers":[{"title":"Black LP","offer_id":50400654655819,"sku":"2183072","price":27.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"CD","offer_id":50400653967691,"sku":"2183069","price":14.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/test_ba40450f_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1726514651"},{"product_id":"bridges-3","title":"Bridges","description":"\u003cp\u003ePianist Kevin Hays, bassist Ben Street, and drummer Billy Hart reconvene their collective trio for a second release, but unlike their first live album recorded in the heart of the pandemic, BRIDGES was recorded in the cozy confines of the recording studio. They lose none of the chemistry and magic so apparent on the previous record in this setting but add to it significantly with the closeness and camaraderie possible now without masks and distancing. There is an unusual warmth to this music, to this album of rich harmonies and subtle ensemble interaction by three modern masters, that distinguishes it as subtly unusual and exceptional.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Smoke Sessions","offers":[{"title":"Black LP","offer_id":50400903233867,"sku":"2185394","price":27.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/Bridges_c84f05f5_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1726517053"},{"product_id":"reverence-9","title":"Reverence","description":"\u003cp\u003eLegendary alto saxophonist Charles McPherson makes his Smoke Sessions debut with an inspired new album, Reverence, dedicated to his lifelong mentor and friend Barry Harris. These thrilling performances were captured in front of a live audience at Smoke Jazz Club and feature his quintet of Terell Stafford, Jeb Patton, David Wong, and Billy Drummond and represent the first of a series of live recordings scheduled for release to celebrate the 10th Anniversary of Smoke Sessions Records and the 25th anniversary of Smoke Jazz Club. McPherson certainly reveals why he’s been held in such reverence for the last 60 years. The set is a showcase for McPherson’s gifts as both composer and soloist and bridges his deep and far-reaching exploration of the full jazz spectrum.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Smoke Sessions","offers":[{"title":"Black LP","offer_id":50413343408459,"sku":"2193665","price":27.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"CD","offer_id":50413343179083,"sku":"2193636","price":13.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/test_c8f5ddea_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1726672919"},{"product_id":"soul-jazz-2","title":"Soul Jazz","description":"\u003cp\u003eSomething Else!, a new all-star group assembled by and featuring the great alto saxophonist Vincent Herring, is on a mission to make jazz music that is energetic, fun, and popular. Their first release, Soul Jazz, celebrates the music that their parents would feature in heavy rotation on the turntable, which would subsequently inspire each of them to pursue careers in music. R\u0026amp;B, soul, and jazz were all part of the same musical family and were blended together to create music that is still loved today. Jeremy Pelt, Wayne Escoffery, Paul Bollenback, David Kikoski, Essiet Essiet, and Otis Brown III join Herring in this irresistible romp through some of those classics by Stanley Turrentine, Eddie Harris, Herbie Hancock, Donald Byrd, and more.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Smoke Sessions","offers":[{"title":"Black LP","offer_id":50428062466379,"sku":"2202351","price":27.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"CD","offer_id":50428059255115,"sku":"2202347","price":14.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/test_70690c14_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1726829670"},{"product_id":"sanyas-3","title":"Sanyas","description":"\u003cp\u003eTrombone legend Steve Turre (Ray Charles, Rashaan Roland Kirk, Art Blakey, and many more) assembled a sextet of fellow legends, modern masters, and an up-and-coming star to celebrate the post-pandemic reopening of Smoke Jazz Club with 10 searing sets of live music in front of enthusiastic audiences. Elder statesmen Buster Williams and Lenny White on bass and drums are joined by trumpeter Nicholas Payton, and Turre's SNL bandmate Ron Blake on saxophone and young piano phenom Isaiah J. Thompson. The resulting performances are electrifying live jazz music.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Smoke Sessions","offers":[{"title":"Black LP","offer_id":50433618248011,"sku":"2203922","price":27.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"CD","offer_id":50433617494347,"sku":"2203905","price":14.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/test_7cdc33f5_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1726881380"},{"product_id":"for-such-a-time-as-this","title":"For Such A Time AS THis","description":"\u003cp\u003e For more than three decades, Eric Reed has been one of the most influential and beloved jazz musicians. He’s recorded close to 30 accomplished leader albums showcasing his virtuosic chops, intellectual clarity and unwavering will to swing. Most remarkable is his ability to refract and coalesce a wide range of musical, spiritual, and personal influences into a single stream of consciousness. This is perhaps the most personal of them all. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eFor Such a Time as This\u003c\/i\u003e is a powerful and uplifting program framed by the realities of global pandemic anxiety, persistent racism and racial injustice, and an acrimonious, fraught Presidential election season. It was in Los Angeles in early 2020, when the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic triggered a city-wide shutdown, that Reed made the decision to record the album with local L.A. musicians. By the end of June, he was ready and had assembled a gifted, young quartet to record a set of recently penned originals, carefully chosen standard old chestnuts, and - as he has done regularly over the past 15 years - some restorative Gospel selections.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe group (drum virtuoso Kevin Kanner, Australia-born bassist Alex Boneham, tenor and soprano saxophonist Chris Lewis) nonetheless displays the chemistry of a long-established band. Reed’s original composition \u003ci\u003eMake Me Better\u003c\/i\u003e is sung by the soulful Henry Jackson, who “puts a fine point on everything I’m hoping and wishing for – that I will be made better by this experience, and that I will encourage other people to be better as well.”\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Smoke Sessions","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":50473529966923,"sku":"1107250","price":14.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/e264ae09-10e2-4c94-88d3-1be618c9aed1_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1727429661"},{"product_id":"preaching-to-the-choir","title":"Preaching to the Choir","description":"\u003cp\u003eRenowned jazz saxophonist Vincent Herring battles back from COVID-19 and its career-threatening side effects with a defiant and joyful new album, \u003ci\u003ePreaching to the Choir\u003c\/i\u003e. It’s a paean to Herring’s fans and supporters, celebrating real triumph over hardship with soulful jazz. Despite the prevailing darkness, \u003ci\u003ePreaching to the Choir\u003c\/i\u003e delivers a sermon of optimism and hope to the jazz faithful, aided by as fervent a congregation as a swing disciple could pray for: pianist Cyrus Chestnut, bassist Yasushi Nakamura, and drummer Johnathan Blake. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“We have to have hope for the future,” Herring insists. “I’ve been in a constant state of disbelief with so much going on that is negative in the world, but I try to look at the positive side of everything. 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Now long established as one of the most renowned musicians and composers on the scene, Payton has convened two of the legendary musicians who played with Davis on that album, bassist Ron Carter and, as a special guest on two tracks, saxophonist George Coleman, to craft some exemplary sounds of his own. Far from a tribute or a look back, however, \"Smoke Sessions\" is a wholly contemporary new album that vibrantly captures Payton’s open-eared blend of swing, funk, soul and hip-hop influences with drummer Riggins’ expansive fluidity behind the kit and Carter’s renowned, rock-solid majesty on the bass. Payton seizes the opportunity to engage with that recognizable voice in multiple forms, taking both the Miles and Herbie roles as trumpeter, pianist and keyboardist via the multi-instrumentalism that has become a thrilling trademark of his approach.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Smoke Sessions","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":50475301372235,"sku":"1134834","price":14.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/3ddfe07b-3305-483e-8eb0-869c9a5200a4_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1727446030"},{"product_id":"city-of-sounds","title":"City of Sounds","description":"\u003cp\u003e Drummer Joe Farnsworth celebrates the fortitude of New York City’s jazz community with his new recording \u003ci\u003eCity of Sounds\u003c\/i\u003e featuring a superb trio with legendary pianist Kenny Barron and bass titan Peter Washington. A group that is without question an impressive example of the classic piano trio—a format Farnsworth has thrived in throughout his storied career including collaborations with McCoy Tyner, Cedar Walton, Harold Mabern, Hank Jones, David Hazeltine and ELEW, among many others. Prior to the events of 2020, it may have been easy to take New York City’s thriving and diverse music scene for granted. Farnsworth was determined to remain a stalwart jazz warrior throughout the pandemic. His celebratory new album is both a testament to his efforts and a heartfelt tribute to the musical melting pot he’s called home for more than three decades.\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eCity of Sounds\u003c\/i\u003e is taken from a thrilling live concert from Farnsworth’s birthday week performances in February 2021, playing to an empty Smoke Jazz Club for an audience of virtual listeners streaming the music live at home. Yet, the trio plays with as much vigor, wit and muscularity as if the place was packed throughout a rollicking set that spans the stylistic spectrum. That’s one of – if not the main – reasons that Farnsworth remains so dedicated to his adopted hometown, and one that he was proud to see survive the travails of a turbulent period. “We're at Smoke and there's no one there, there're baffles between us, and we have masks on – Kenny Barron, who is royalty and could easily have decided just to stay home and not deal with this, is across the stage with a double mask on. But he's out there. That’s the fortitude of the New York musician. You have to have it to be here because you get smacked around by so many different things, but you just keep showing up.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“People ask all the time if it's still relevant to come to New York anymore,” Farnsworth concludes. “Without a doubt, if you were to spend a year here you would be a better musician. Why? Charlie Parker's not here, but you still feel him. Monk's not here, but you still feel him. Their presence flows through the streets. It flows through the people. 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In the summer of 2023, saxophonist and composer Wayne Escoffery found himself alone in a way that he’d never quite experienced before. He was away from home, on sabbatical in Europe with a month to himself between tours. A long-term relationship had just ended, and he was confronted with the loss of friendships that he’d once valued. Worst of all, he’d suffered a broken finger that left him unable to play the saxophone for the first time since he’d picked up the horn in high school. “Normally, my coping mechanism would be the saxophone,” Escoffery laments. “But even that wasn't available to me for about nine weeks, so I just had to be alone in my thoughts.” He made good use of this alone time, conceptualizing the music that makes up his striking and singular new album. What emerged from that solitude was an extended mood piece, a workunique in Escoffery’s typically wide-ranging catalog for its sustained atmosphere of stark melancholy and searching introspection. Alone was conceived during a time of isolation, heartbreak, regret, and reflection, but the experience of the album is far richer even than that. 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A steadfast figure in modern straight-ahead jazz and one of the genre’s most respected drummers, Farnsworth has built his name playing with legends like Wynton Marsalis, McCoy Tyner, Pharoah Sanders, Benny Golson, George Coleman, Cedar Walton, and Kenny Barron, among many others. Long regarded as a torchbearer of the tradition, Farnsworth brings the same reverence and drive to his latest evolution as a bandleader and creative catalyst. In recent years, Farnsworth has stepped beyond the traditionalist’s lane, working with boundary-pushing peers like Kurt Rosenwinkel and Immanuel Wilkins, without ever abandoning the core values that have shaped his artistry: swing, soul, and sincerity. The Big Room reflects his widening vision and is the natural next step — a celebration of deep roots and new possibilities. 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On his breathtaking new album \"Enduring Sonance,\" veteran saxophonist and flutist Steve Wilson celebrates the music that has left the deepest imprint on his musical life. “Some of the tunes on this record have stayed with me for, in some cases, over 50 years from the time that I first heard them,” Wilson says. “I wanted to put some music out there that people can connect with, no matter what kind of music they like.” Originally conceived as a ballads project, Enduring Sonance evolved into something broader and more personal. Rather than focusing on tempo or style, Wilson gravitated toward a sense of lyricism—music whose emotional clarity and melodic resonance endure across genres, decades, and listening habits. To realize this vision, Wilson assembled a deeply intuitive ensemble featuring pianist and arranger Renee Rosnes, vibraphonist Joe Locke, bassist Jay Anderson, and drummer Kendrick Scott, with special guest Kevin Newton (French horn, Imani Winds) appearing on two tracks. 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