Pi Recordings News

yulun@pirecordings.com (Yulun Wang) — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 00:00:01 GMT

The new release from Steve Coleman: Harvesting Semblances and Affinities has been receiving some incredible press. The Wall Street Journal’s Larry Blumenfeld calls the CD “dazzling” in his fine profile on Steve.

In a great review of the Undead Jazz Festival in The New York Times, Ben Ratliff wrote of Steve Coleman: “But it was hard for anything to top Mr. Coleman’s set… Whatever this festival represents, he’s one of the regents of it; his recombinant ideas about rhythm and form and his eagerness to mentor musicians and …build a new vernacular have had a profound effect on American jazz. Playing new music from a fascinating new record, �Harvesting Semblances and Affinities� (Pi), his sextet made Sullivan Hall, unbearably hot, a kind of pure-art pressure chamber… Above all, the band was an amazing system. Sweating through my clothes, I heard couple of good musicians behind me � there was almost always one within arm�s reach � reacting with kind of sickened wonder. �What is going on up there?� one asked, sounding almost worried. Exactly.”

Finally, the June issue of Jazz Times asks on the cover “Steve Coleman: The most influential figure since Coltrane?” Well, we certainly think so.

yulun@pirecordings.com (Yulun Wang) — Sat, 12 Jun 2010 00:00:01 GMT

We’re proud to welcome the incredibly influential saxophonist/composer Steve Coleman to the Pi Recordings family with his release Harvesting Semblances and Affinities. Steve serves as the logical link between the original AACM masters on the label such as Muhal Richard Abrams, Henry Threadgill and Roscoe Mitchell and the new generation of ace musician/composers Rudresh Mahanthappa, Vijay Iyer and Steve Lehman. The New York Times has already called the CD “bracing” and The Wall Street Journal calls it “dazzling.” Please check it out!

yulun@pirecordings.com (Yulun Wang) — Sun, 09 May 2010 00:00:01 GMT

Some recent interesting Henry Threadgill stuff on the Internet: A nice interview with Jason Crane on The Jazz Session and a great VIDEO of Zooid performing at Roulette.

Also, Elliot Humberto Kavee, Zooid’s drummer and also erstwhile member of both the Rudresh Mahanthappa Quartet and Fieldwork, gets a great feature in Modern Drummer magazine. Check the stuff out!

seth@pirecordings.com (Seth Rosner) — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 00:00:01 GMT

Ben Ratliff of The New York Times wrote a fantastic review of Rudresh Mahanthappa and Bunky Green’s Apex premier show at the Jazz Standard in NYC. The band is in the studio today and tomorrow recording for Pi Recordings. Look for the release, featuring Jason Moran and Jack DeJohnette, in the fall.

yulun@pirecordings.com (Yulun Wang) — Sun, 18 Apr 2010 00:00:01 GMT

A must read article by Amir ElSaffar in All About Jazz about what he and Hafez Modirzadeh are trying to achieve musically on Radif Suite. Check it out!

yulun@pirecordings.com (Yulun Wang) — Mon, 05 Apr 2010 00:00:01 GMT

Amir ElSaffar and Hafez Modirzadeh’s Radif Suite was selected by Nate Chinen as part of his New York Times critic’s Playlist column! Chinen writes: “The two leaders pursue the sort of brash polyphony once synonymous with Don Cherry and Ornette Coleman, and now open for sharply rigorous adaptation.”

Thu, 01 Apr 2010 00:00:01 GMT

Check out the really fascinating article by Amir Elsaffar in the most recent issue of All About Jazz New York (on page 13) discussing the theories behind his new CD Radif Suite. There is also a review of the CD in the same issue.

Thu, 25 Mar 2010 00:00:01 GMT

Pi Recordings is proud to announce the new release from Amir ElSaffar and Hafez Modirzadeh: Radif Suite. The release has already been praised as:

“A rewarding collection thick with ideas and inspiration”
LA Times
“A new grammar for composition and improvisation”
Dusted Magazine

The CD is available for purchase from the website.

seth@pirecordings.com (Seth Rosner) — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 00:00:01 GMT

We are excited to tell you about a new publication that we think you will enjoy. Burning Ambulance is a quarterly journal of the arts. The writers who contribute have chosen an in-depth approach in opposition to the glib, superficial treatment commonly afforded popular culture in mainstream, advertising-dependent magazines. Contributing writers include: Matt Cibula, Philip Freeman, Kurt Gottschalk, Stephen Haynes, and Phil Nugent. We would like to thank Burning Ambulance for featuring an insightfully written 8000 word piece on Henry Threadgill and his music in its premier issue. Please take a moment to learn more about Burning Ambulance and enjoy.

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!