Terri Lyne Carrington

Various Artists - Fantastische FrauenCD / digital Julia Hülsmann & Rebekka Bakken, Anna Gréta, Solveig Slettahjell, Céline Bonacina, Ida Sand, Cæcilie Norby, Viktoria Tolstoy, Johanna Summer, Rigmor Gustafsson, Terri Lyne Carrington, Rita Marcotulli, Nesrine, Youn Sun Nah, Janne Mark, Kadri Voorand, Laila Biali Music is feminine. And it always has been, whether in Italian, German and French. Viva la musica. Die Musik. La musique. And in jazz? During the 20th century female musicians lives were lived in the shadows. Lil Hardin, for example, wrote compositions like “Struttin‘ With Some Barbecue”, and yet while her husband Louis Armstrong was becoming famous, she was hardly noticed at all. She was, as she described it later, “standing at the bottom of the ladder holding it and watching him climb.” Since then, however, things have moved on. Progress may be slow, but things are definitely changing. In jazz, today the female element has gone way beyond just the “girl singer with a band”. It is not only quite normal for a woman to be playing electric guitar, bass, drums or trumpet, we now have musicians such as Terri Lyne Carrington serving as important role models. “Fantastische Frauen” presents a selection of the strong female voices who have either forged their careers in partnership with ACT, or at least been with the label for part of their journey. Some came to the label at the beginning of their careers; others were already more established: Berlin-based pianist/composer Julia Hülsmann released three albums for ACT in the early 2000s, showing a refined sensitivity for language and a flawless instinct for setting poetry to music. “Same Girl” is her arrangement of the Randy Newman song, with Norwegian singer Rebekka Bakken as a kindred spirit on the album “Scattering Poems”.  Scandinavian singers have always been a major presence on ACT, including some stalwarts who have been with the label for several years: Viktoria Tolstoy, from Sweden, has eight albums to her name on ACT, of which “Shining On You” was the first. It features compositions by probably the most important Swedish jazz musician of the last 20 years, pianist Esbjörn Svensson. Icelandic pianist/singer Anna Gréta is a new member of the ACT family. “Nightjar in the Northern Sky” is simple, direct and con-cise. Solveig Slettahjell (Norway), Ida Sand (Sweden, both singer and pianist), Cæcilie Norby (Denmark) and Rigmor Gustafsson (Sweden) are important and well-established figures on the scene, and are all much more than “mere” singers: they have been writing and arranging their own music for many years, and also penning the lyrics and leading their own bands.  Janne Mark from Denmark occupies a very special place: she has found her own fascinating path between folk music, church hymns and jazz. Kadri Voorand from Estonia is also much more than just a singer. Alongside her mind-boggling vocal skills and her clever use of effects devices, the fact of quite how good a pianist she is – and also lyricist and composer – runs the risk of being overlooked. “I’m Not in Love” is both charming and unsett-ling, with just the right mixture of each. Youn Sun Nah, from South Korea, brought her love of French chanson and jazz to Europe, and has made some terrific recordings: “Momento Magico” with guitarist Ulf Wakenius stuns with its virtuosity, leaving the listener breathless. Nesrine creates magical worlds of sound with no boundaries: Cello and voice with Arabic roots and Mediterranean soul. Canadian vocalist/pianist Laila Biali combines everything which is good about singer-songwriting. Céline Bonacina takes on an unusual role; there are still not many well-known female baritone saxophonists, and even fewer who lead their own interesting bands. This Frenchwoman absolutely does her own thing... ...something which can also be said about pianist Johanna Summer. She chose Robert Schumann’s “Kinderszenen” (scenes from childhood) and “Album für die Jugend” (album for the young) as the starting point for free improvisations. Her album has had a major impact.  For Italian pianist Rita Marcotulli, the power of melody is the driving force – her album with the accordionist Luciano Biondini has a dreamlike quality. Today US-American Terri Lyne Carrington is one of the leading figures on the drum set and has played with all of the greats of jazz. She shared the stage with Wayne Shorter, composer of the classic “Witch Hunt” when she was still in her twenties. “Fantastische Frauen” is a very apt title for this album because music is female and so, increasingly, is jazz. The fact that this is now recognised and appreciated has been a major step forward. At some point in the future it will only ever be about the music, irrespective of whether it has been created or performed by male, female or diverse artists. And that will be the next big step forward.Credits: Curated by Siggi Loch Mastered by Klaus Scheuermann

Various Artists - Hendrix in the Spirit of JazzCD / digital Various Artists “When I die, I want people to play my music, go wild and freak out and do anything they want to do.” Jimi Hendrix’s wish has been posthumously fulfilled. Although he had such misfortune in life, and died in 1970 at a mere 27 years of age, his immortal music has continued to be played ever since his death - very much in the spirit of that quote. Countless musicians in rock, pop and jazz have been influenced by Hendrix, and many have overtly based their own music on his. Among the ACT family of artists, several have been inspired by his music, and have found their own individual ways to play it. In November of this year this icon of the 1968 protest movement, this pioneer of rock would have been 75. A good reason, then, for ACT musicians to gather together for a retrospective called “Hendrix in the Spirit of Jazz”, to let the unique spirit of this genius of the electric guitar soar again.Pride of place here goes to Nguyên Lê. 25 years ago, he was the first artist to have an exclusive contract with ACT, in its first year of existence. As a self-taught guitarist, the Vietnamese-French musician is stylistically close to Hendrix, and the American has discernably influenced Lê’s instantly recognizable world music, which innovatively blends elements from Europe, Asia and America. Indeed, one of Lê’s very greatest successes was the 2002 CD “Purple – Celebrating Jimi Hendrix”. His versions of “1983…(A Merman I Should Turn To Be)” and “If 6 Was 9” form the centre of “Hendrix in the Spirit of Jazz”. Lê is immaculate in the way he lives up to the challenge of the title, taking all the freedom and danger of Hendrix’s rock music, and using the subtle craft of the jazz improviser to enhance it. Alongside Lê, Terri Lyne Carrington is a pivotal figure in this recording. Hendrix's themes are sometimes furiously rocky, sometimes soulful or atmospherically dream-like, and she not only propels them from the drums, she uses her voice to express his lyrics, which she also expands with thoughts of her own. And the other ACT stars on this album demonstrate what a kaleidoscope of colours, a diversity of styles and and lively cosmos Hendrix's pieces can become: whether it is Bugge Wesseltoft transforming “Angel” into a tender solo piano ballad, or his Finnish pianist colleague Iiro Rantala in a trio with Lars Danielsson on bass and Peter Erskine on drums on “Little Wing”. Or it can be the unique Youn Sun Nah’s “Drifting”, intoning an irresistible call of longing, or her soulful Swedish sister-in-jazz Ida Sand, wonderfully expressive in “Manic Depression”. From the NDR Bigband rocking out on “Voodoo Chile” to the ACT Family Band - Cæcilie Norby, Céline Bonacina, Wolfgang Haffner, Lars Danielsson with Nguyên Lê again – performing the most famous Hendrix anthem “Purple Haze” in front of an ecstatic audience celebrating the 20th birthday of ACT.“Hendrix in the Spirit of Jazz” is an anthology which shows that Hendrix’s music is as alive as it ever was – maybe even more so. And what it does - musically at least - is to encourage listeners to ‘go wild and freak out and do anything they want to do’.Credits: Music composed by Jimi Hendrix Compiled by Marco Ostrowski Mastered by Klaus Scheuermann

Terri Lyne Carrington - The ACT YearsCD / digital Herbie Hancock piano Nguyên Lê guitar Greg Osby alto saxophone Adam Rogers guitar Jimmy Haslip bass Terence Blanchard trumpet and many more "Oooh man! She’s good, man! That little girl can play!" What was clear to Dizzy Gillespie from the start is now undisputed: Terri Lyne Carrington, born in 1965 in Medford, Massachusetts, is "the best-known female jazz drummer in the world" (Spiegel Online). For almost 25 years she has been at the top of the jazz genre, not only on the drums, but also as a composer, arranger, producer and university professor. She plays/has played with the planet's biggest jazz stars, including Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Al Jarreau, Stan Getz, David Sanborn, Joe Sample, Cassandra Wilson, Clark Terry and Dianne Reeves. ACT discovered the extraordinary potential of this Grammy-winning artist very early on, and signed her to an exclusive deal. "The ACT Years" now looks back on that time, with 12 tracks that showcase the versatility of this fascinating percussionist. The collaboration began in 2002 with "Jazz Is A Spirit." Carrington made her first international mark on the music industry with this album, replete with guest stars the likes of Herbie Hancock, Terence Blanchard and Wallace Roney. It builds on the American jazz tradition and is a clear avowal to Afro-American music in all its facets. "The ACT Years" presents the cool, swinging "Middle Way" from it, with Hancock and Blanchard in the leading roles, and the trance-like "Journey Of Now," heavily under the influence of African percussion. On the successor album "Stucture," out in 2004, Carrington joins forces with three strong individualists: saxophonist Greg Osby, guitarist Adam Rogers and bassist Jimmy Haslip. "I'm only as good as the people I play with. I have to get inspired to really burn." Carrington's credo clearly applies to all of the musicians here. "Structure" is an orchestration adventure of top-level mutual empathy. Complex, often delicate and yet powerful, sensual, intricate compositions cast their spell on us. The playing is close-knit and intense, while the sound remains highly transparent. "Mindful Intent" and "Omega" from this session can be found on "The ACT Years," and in them we feel the joy of experimentation and the free, multifaceted interaction of this dream team. On Joni Mitchell's geopolitical accusation "Ethiopia," Carrington even shows off her qualities as a highly expressive vocalist, for which she was awarded a Grammy for Best Vocal Jazz Album in 2012 ("The Mosaic Project"). Together with Nguyên Lê, Carrington shows her powerful rock side. The Jimmy Hendrix project "Purple" is a timeless ACT classic. This homage to the great rock guitarist is a multilayered cultural puzzle with a strong Afro-American influence; a jazzy world music creation that contrasts contemporary concepts of sound with the raw original compositions in unconventional arrangements: "So for that, Terri Lyne was the most important counterpart for me," Nguyên Lê recalls, "because she is a symbol of that world. She has the jazz background that was required and a close relationship to Hendrix's songs. And she is not only fantastic drummer, she also sings from way deep down, as a woman, and that was that important additional level that was important to me." "The ACT Years" transports you into Terri Lyne Carrington's musical cosmos with the title track "Jazz Is A Spirit." Carried by the new jazz sound and hip-hop rhythm, this track provides an answer to the question of what jazz means to the artist: "Jazz is letting yourself go within certain limits, the logical breaking down of something you think cannot be moved," thus referencing Abbey Lincoln, who put it in a nutshell: "Jazz Is A Spirit." "The ACT Years" condenses this spirit impressively. Credits: Songs chosen from the albums: Jazz Is A Spirit (ACT 9408-2, 2002) Nguyên Lê: Purple - Celebrating Jimi Hendrix (ACT 9410-2, 2002) Structure (ACT 9427-2, 2004) Compilation mastered by Klaus Scheuermann Cover Photo by Peewee Windmüller

"A fantastic record" - STEREO

Terri Lyne Carrington's dynamic jazz fusion with Greg Osby, Adam Rogers, and Jimmy Haslip, recorded in 2003 at Castle Oaks Studio.

Discover Nguyên Lê's groundbreaking "Celebrating Hendrix" with a star-studded lineup. Recorded in Paris and NYC, mastering by Uwe at Electric City, Brussels.

Experience Terri Lyne Carrington’s dynamic jazz featuring Herbie Hancock, Wallace Roney, and more. Recorded in Burbank, CA, and mastered in Santa Monica.