Pi Recordings News

yulun@pirecordings.com (Yulun Wang) — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 00:00:01 GMT

There will be a musical memorial service for the great bassist Sirone, who passed away on October 21, 2009. It will be held:

Thursday, February 25th, 7:00 P.M.
St. Peter’s Church
619 Lexington Avenue at 54th Street
New York, New York 10022

Many incredible musicians, will be on hand for the memorial, with surprise guests:

Andrew Cyrille, Ahmed Abdullah, Billy Bang, Jerome Cooper, Dave Burrell, Henry Grimes, Jason Kao Hwang, Ras Moshe, Hill Greene, Charles Waters, Andrew Barker, Adam Roberts, Sabir Mateen, Roy Campbell, Jr., Matt Lavelle, Ramsey Ameen, Michael Wimberley, Abdoulaye N�Diaye, Muhammad Ali, Kali. Z. Fasteau, Juma Sultan, Ted Daniel, Lawrence Clark, Bobby Kapp, Reggie Nicholson, Vattel Cherry

We hope you are able to join us in celebrating Sirone’s beautiful life.

yulun@pirecordings.com (Yulun Wang) — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 00:00:01 GMT

The German magazine Jazz Thing selected Pi Recordings’ releases Henry Threadgill Zooid - This Brings Us To, Vol. 1 and Steve Lehman Octet - Travail, Transformation, and Flow as the #1 and #2 best jazz releases of 2009! Thanks to all the critics who voted for us. It’s gratifying to see that great music knows no boundaries.

seth@pirecordings.com (Seth Rosner) — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 00:00:01 GMT

Muhal Richard Abrams will be honored at Lincoln Center next Tuesday January 12th with a 2010 NEA Jazz Masters Award. The ceremony and concert will be broadcast live on WBGO 88.3FM and can be heard via their stream HERE.

Josh Jackson’s most recent edition of The Checkout on WBGO features an interview with Muhal. Listen to it HERE.

seth@pirecordings.com (Seth Rosner) — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 00:00:01 GMT

We would like to thank the 99 journalists who participated in the Fourth Annual Village Voice Jazz Poll and who helped to make Henry Threadgill’s This Brings Us To, volume 1 the #2 recording of 2009 and Steve Lehman’s Travail, Transformation and Flow #5.

We would also like to thank the Wall Street Journal and Larry Blumenfeld for naming Henry’s recording the #1 release of 2009.

Happy New Year to all from Pi Recordings.

Mon, 21 Dec 2009 00:00:01 GMT

Special thanks to Jazz Times and the New York Times for their support:

New York Times Year End Best of List
Nat Chinen
Steve Lehman - Travail, Transformation & Flow #1
Henry Threadgill Zooid - This Brings Us To Vol.1, #3
Ben Ratliff
Steve Lehman - Travail, Transformation & Flow #5

Jazz Times Top 50 Releases of 2009
Henry Threadgill Zooid - This Brings Us To Vol.1, # 4
Steve Lehman - Travail, Transformation & Flow #11

PopMatters.com Best of Jazz 2009
Steve Lehman - Travail, Transformation & Flow #6
Henry Threadgill Zooid - This Brings Us To Vol.1, #7

Mon, 14 Dec 2009 00:00:01 GMT

Year end polls are starting to come in. We would like to thank the following critics for their support:

Bill Milkowski
Henry Threadgill Zooid - This Brings Us To, Vol. 1, # 1

Steve Feeney
Henry Threadgill Zooid - This Brings Us To Vol.1, # 3

Jason Crane
Steve Lehman - Travail, Transformation & Flow, # 9

Michael J. West
Steve Lehman - Travail, Transformation & Flow, # 7

Howard Mandel
Henry Threadgill Zooid - This Brings Us To, Vol. 1, # 1
Steve Lehman Octet - Travail, Transformation, and Flow, # 5

Hank Shteamer
Henry Threadgill Zooid - This Brings Us To, Volume 1, # 6

David R. Adler
Steve Lehman Octet - Travail Transformation & Flow, # 5

Christian Broecking Henry Threadgill Zooid - This Brings Us To, Vol. 1, # 2
Steve Lehman Octet - Travail, Transformation, and Flow, # 3

We would also like the thank Nate Chinen for choosing Travail, Transformation, and Flow, and This Brings Us To, Vol. 1 as his number one and two picks. Click here to check out the ongoing conversation.

Finally, a special thanks to Seth Colter Walls for citing Travail, Transformation, and Flow in his Newsweek article, Jazz Is Dead. Long Live Jazz.

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 00:00:01 GMT

Pi Recordings is proud to announce our presence in Downbeat Magazine’s 74th Annual Readers Poll.

Some highlights from the poll:

Rudresh Mahanthappa was voted into the Alto Saxophone category and was also acknowledged for his release Kinsman for Album of the Year.
Multi-Instrumentalist Roscoe Mitchell was voted in this year’s poll for the Soprano Saxophone category.

Last, but not least:

Pi Recordings was voted into the Record Label of the Year category!

Thank you to all the Downbeat readers who voted, and thank you to all of our devoted Pi fans who let their voices be heard!

yulun@pirecordings.com (Yulun Wang) — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 00:00:01 GMT

The praise is streaming in for Henry Threadgill Zooid�s This Brings Us To, Volume 1. It�s awfully gratifying to see so much renewed attention being paid to �one of the most important living composers in and around the jazz idiom,� as Nate Chinen said of Threadgill in The New York Times. If you�ve been like us, waiting with bated breath for a new release from Henry, your time has come. Along with the release, there has been a flood of great feature articles and interviews that reveal much about the person behind so much of the finest, most original music of the last 40 years. We can all take inspiration from a man who has consistently refused to rest on his laurels, who�s not afraid to break down what he already knows, to keep studying and learning, and to create music that is truly new and challenging. If you are a fan of Threadgill�s, or if you are just interested in the thoughts of a great musical genius, you owe it to yourself to read or listen to each of these:

Fine feature article by Nate Chinen in The New York Times:
Master of the Mutable, in an Idiom All His Own

If that�s not enough, here is a more thorough analysis by Chinen in his excellent blog of Threadgill�s musical system for Zooid with help from Henry and the band�s guitarist Liberty Ellman: Regarding Henry

You need to pick up the November issue of The Wire for a great article by Hank Shteamer on Henry. But if that only served to whet your appetite, you owe it to yourself to read this full and unedited transcript of the interview.

A leisurely chat with Henry by Josh Jackson for WBGO�s The Checkout.

Howard Mandel�s honest and heartfelt reflection on how he approaches Henry�s new music: Henry Threadgill refuses to supply sweet, simple tunes

Enjoy!

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 00:00:01 GMT

Henry Threadgill’s This Brings Us To hits stores October 27th, 2009. It has been receiving excellent press with much more to come.

“Ths Brings Us To, Volume I” is a deep and enigmatic album, serene and funky, radiant with purpose.” � Nate Chinen, The New York Times

A disciplined kind of free jazz in which sophisticated, often meticulous compositional forms and strategies merge with an exploratory approach to improvisation and a post-everything inclusiveness.
� Mark Stryker, Detroit Free Press (Four Stars)

This Brings Us To lunges at the listener with enigmatic twists and Threadgil�s unmistakable wailing alto sound.
� Bret Saunders, Denver Post

The groups sound is thrillingly thorney, Threadgill�s alto saxophone and flute tones brusk and rough at key moments, rich and velvety at others.
- Marc Medwin, Dusted Magazine

Effortlessly weaving solos into an ever-shifting pulse of brass and rhythm, the tunes offer immediate and visceral pleasures.
� Destination Out

This Brings Us To, Volume 1 is a spectacular return from an important jazz composer.
�Troy Collins, All About Jazz

seth@pirecordings.com (Seth Rosner) — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 00:00:01 GMT

RIP Sirone September 28th, 1940 - October 21st, 2009. We thank you for the time we got to spend with you, your music, humor and outlook.

yulun@pirecordings.com (Yulun Wang) — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 00:00:01 GMT

Steve Lehman’s Travail, Transformation, and Flow was featured in an enthusiastic review on NPR’s Fresh Air today. Critic Kevin Whitehead said “In Jazz like any art form, there are historical moments when it seems like all the angles have been covered and there’s nothing left to explore. And then someone comes with a new idea or a new influence that points out a fresh direction.” Thanks, Steve for paving a new way for the music!

Now back to our Henry Threadgill sale. Make sure you pick up a copy of Travail while you’re at it! (See below for details)

yulun@pirecordings.com (Yulun Wang) — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 00:00:01 GMT

Pi Recordings is proud to announce the long-awaited new release from Henry Threadgill: This Brings Us To, Volume I, his first CD in eight years! Featuring his long-time band Zooid, the release has been praised by The New York Times as one of the highlights of the fall season, calling it a ��deep and enigmatic album, serene and funky, radiant with purpose.� For an exclusive preview of the CD, please head over to one of our favorite blogs: Destination: Out, where Chilly Jay Chill and Prof. Drew LeDrew provide their usual insightful and pithy analysis.

The official release date will be October 27th, but you can already purchase a copy here at this site. To celebrate the release, we are having a sale on the entire Pi Recordings catalogue. For a limited time:

� Buy any two CDs for $12 each!

� Buy three or more CDs for $11 each!

� Buy five or more CDs and your copy of This Brings Us To will be autographed by Henry Threadgill!

� Double CDs are $16 if you buy two titles, and $15 if you buy three or more titles.

� Pay one flat price for shipping, regardless of quantity ordered.

� Sale pricing will be reflected in your cart.

We hope you take advantage of this opportunity to discover more great and innovative jazz on Pi Recordings.

yulun@pirecordings.com (Yulun Wang) — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 00:00:01 GMT

The official results of the 57th Down Beat Critics Poll are out and, as usual, the Pi family is well represented. Rudresh Mahanthappa, in particular, had a stellar year: His release Kinsmen was named #5 top album of the year; he entered the top alto sax category for the first time, coming in at #7, and was #1 in the Rising Star alto saxophone list as well; plus he was named the #1 Rising Star Jazz Artist and #5 Rising Star Composer. Vijay Iyer also had a spectacular year: He was named five times (six if you count Rising Start Jazz Group ranking for Fieldwork.) Finally, Muhal Richard Abrams came in at #4 in the Hall of Fame balloting. Could next year be Muhal�s year?

Balloting results below. Congratulations to everyone!

Hall of Fame - Muhal Richard Abrams #4; Jazz Album - Rudresh Mahanthappa, Kinsmen #5; Jazz Artist, Rising Star - Rudresh Mahanthappa #1; Jazz Artist, Rising Star - Vijay Iyer #3; Jazz Group, Rising Star - Vijay Iyer Quartet #2; Jazz Group, Rising Star - Fieldwork #11; Trumpet - Wadada Leo Smith #8; Trumpet, Rising Star - Corey Wilkes #9; Trombone - George Lewis - #7; Soprano Saxophone - Roscoe Mitchell #10; Alto Saxophone - Rudresh Mahanthappa #7; Alto Saxophone - Anthony Braxton #9; Alto Saxophone, Rising Star - Rudresh Mahanthappa #1; Alto Saxophone, Rising Star - Steve Lehman #5; Flute - Henry Threadgill #12; Piano, Rising Star - Vijay Iyer #1; Electric Keyboard/Synthesizer - Craig Taborn #5; Electric Keyboard/Synthesizer, Rising Star - Craig Taborn #1; Guitar - Marc Ribot #11; Acoustic Bass, Rising Star - Drew Gress #7; Electric Bass, Rising Star - Stomu Takeishi #1; Electric Bass, Rising Star - Drew Gress #5; Drums - Eric Harland #10; Drums - Jack DeJohnette #2; Drums - Nasheet Waits #12; Drums, Rising Star - Eric Harland #1; Drums, Rising Star - Dafnis Prieto #2; Drums, Rising Star - Marcus Gilmore #4; Drums, Rising Star - Nasheet Waits #6; Drums, Rising Star - Gerald Cleaver #10; Drums, Rising Star - Tyshawn Sorey #11; Vibes, Rising Star - Bryan Carrott #4; Vibes, Rising Star - Chris Dingman #12; Violin - Charles Burnham #7; Composer - Vijay Iyer #6; Composer, Rising Star - Vijay Iyer #3; Composer, Rising Star - Rudresh Mahanthappa #5; Blues Artist/Group - James Blood Ulmer #6.

seth@pirecordings.com (Seth Rosner) — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 00:00:01 GMT

Pi Recordings is very pleased to announce that at last night’s Jazz Journalists Association awards presentation, Rudresh Mahanthappa was named Alto Saxophonist of the Year. This is the first time that Rudresh has been given this honor, but we think, probably not the last. We would like to congratulate Rudresh and thank all of the journalists who voted for him.

yulun@pirecordings.com (Yulun Wang) — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 00:00:01 GMT

What an exciting week for Pi Recordings!

Our latest release: Steve Lehman Octet�s Travail, Transformation, & Flow is out, and the critical accolades have been amazing. Nate Chinen in The New York Times put it in his Critic�s Pick list, calling it �Superb�a perfectly ultramodern gesture.� Ben Ratliff, also of The Times, also gave it a rave review in this feature on radio station WBGO�s great new show: The Checkout. While you are there, be sure to �check out� this INTERVIEW with Steve conducted by show host Josh Jackson. Finally, over at our favorite blog Destination Out, Chilly Jay and Prof. Drew LeDrew, were nice enough to preview the CD for their readers.

But enough for Steve, we have a new BLOG post from our resident smart kid and fine musician Rafiq Bhatia. He took the words right out of our mouths, except he�s more articulate with those words. There is also a nice link from NPR�s fine new blog, where Patrick Jarenwattananon wrote that Pi Recordings �seems to put out at least one of my favorite new releases every year.� Wow! Thanks Patrick!

If you are in New York City this week, be sure to come to The Vision Festival. The lineup is fantastic as usual, and it’s a great opportunity to immerse yourself in music and mingle with this super-friendly community of music lovers. Seth and I will be there selling all of our great releases, T-shirts and other goodies. Be sure to stop by and say hi!

yulun@pirecordings.com (Yulun Wang) — Thu, 21 May 2009 00:00:01 GMT

Great news! Muhal Richard Abrams, a founder of the AACM and a dear friend of Pi Recordings has been named a National Endowment of the Arts Jazz Master for 2010! The recipients will be honored in a ceremony at Jazz at Lincoln Center on January 12, 2010. Check out Muhals latest releases: Vision Towards Essence and Streaming for just a small sense of all that Muhal has accomplished in his long and illustrious career.

Congratulations Muhal!

yulun@pirecordings.com (Yulun Wang) — Fri, 08 May 2009 00:00:01 GMT

You are in for a treat if you are in New York this week � Marc Ribot is having a 55th birthday celebration and festival at venues all over town. Go to our Events page for all the listings. He�ll be revisiting many of his various projects, the sheer breadth of which is astounding. You can read more about them in The Village Voice, Time Out New York and Billboard.

Happy birthday Marc!

yulun@pirecordings.com (Yulun Wang) — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 00:00:01 GMT

Due to overwhelming demand, we have extended our sale on all things Rudresh Mahanthappa and his incredible CD Kinsmen. to the end of April. Purchase a copy of Kinsmen at our regular price and get ANY other CD in the Pi Recordings catalog for only $12 ($18 for double CDs) all with one flat shipping fee. For a limited time only, we also have Rudresh’s other acclaimed release Apti out on Innova Records and Black Water, his early release on Red Giant. Among other CDs that you might find interesting include Rudresh�s other releases on Pi: Codebook and Mother Tongue. He is also prominently featured on the Vijay Iyer Quartet recordings Blood Sutra and Reimagining and in duo with Vijay on Raw Materials. Finally, he is an important part of Iraqi-American trumpeter Amir ElSaffar�s Two Rivers, a ground-breaking synthesis of jazz with the Iraqi Maqam. You can also pick up a limited edition Kinsmen T-shirt on sale for $18 with the purchase of a Kinsmen CD. We hope you take advantage of this chance to discover more innovative jazz on Pi Recordings. (Note that the discount prices will not show up in your cart but will be reflected on your charge.)

yulun@pirecordings.com (Yulun Wang) — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 00:00:01 GMT

We have new releases on the horizon! First up is “Cries from tha Ghetto” from Corey Wilkes, one of the hottest young trumpeters on the scene today. Corey is one of the busiest musicians in Chicago and was hand-picked by Roscoe Mitchell to join The Art Ensemble of Chicago, replacing the legendary Lester Bowie. He also plays and tours extensively with other heavy hitters like James Carter, Kahil ElZabar and Will Calhoun of Living Colour. “Cries…” shows off Corey’s incredible range as a musician, a mastery of every corner of jazz. If you can stand toe-to-toe with both Roscoe Mitchell and James Carter on stage night after night, you better be able to bring it. Read more about the CD and hear some tracks right HERE. You can get a copy right now, only from us, in advance of the official release date on April 28th.

yulun@pirecordings.com (Yulun Wang) — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 00:00:01 GMT

Check out the latest BLOG entry from our own Rafiq Bhatia, where he interviews alto saxophonist / composer Steve Lehman about his music and upcoming CD release on Pi, Travail, Transformation, and Flow.

yulun@pirecordings.com (Yulun Wang) — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 00:00:01 GMT

The hits keep on coming for Rudresh Mahanthappa and his CD Kinsmen. This time, he is featured on National Public Radio’s Fresh Air, in an extensive interview with Terry Gross. You can listen to that along with Howard Mandel’s NPR piece HERE.

Also this week, Peter Margasak in the Chicago Reader called Kinsmen “a paradigm shift, accomplishing his most dramatic and insightful fusion yet of jazz and Indian classical music. It delivers a downright ecstatic jolt, with Mahanthappa�s bright tone gaining energy and depth in the presence of the more stately improvisations of the great Kadri Gopalnath…”

seth@pirecordings.com (Seth Rosner) — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 00:00:01 GMT

We are so pleased to let everyone know that the new issue of the New Yorker features an article by Gary Giddins on Rudresh Mahanthappa’s two new recordings Kinsmen and Apti. Without question Giddins is one of the top voices writing about music today and this article is one of the best that we have read on Rudresh, his music and in particular his collaboration with Kadri Gopalnath. Giddins writes: “Kinsmen is a momentous achievement that will be around for a long time to come.” Please read it and enjoy.

yulun@pirecordings.com (Yulun Wang) — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 00:00:01 GMT

Rudresh Mahanthappa has posted a very personal introduction to Indian classical music on the Destination:Out blog. It provides some rich insight into how this music provides melodic and rhythmic inspiration for his own work.

yulun@pirecordings.com (Yulun Wang) — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 00:00:01 GMT

The accolades keep piling up for Rudresh Mahanthappa and Kinsmen. The New York Times’ jazz critic Ben Ratliff listed Kinsmen as one of the top 10 jazz releases in the seven years since his book “Jazz: A Critic�s Guide to the 100 Most Important Recordings” was released in 2002. Read the full list and his response to other questions from readers here.

yulun@pirecordings.com (Yulun Wang) — Sun, 04 Jan 2009 00:00:01 GMT

WOW!!! Rudresh Mahanthappa’s Kinsmen takes second place in the Third Annual Village Voice Jazz Critic’s Poll. The poll tallies the votes of 79 jazz critics. Sonny Rollins’ Roadshows Vol. 1. took first place but two other members of the Pi family, Vijay Iyer and Wadada Leo Smith, took fourth and fifth place, respectively. Congratulations Rudresh!