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Liminality
(Origin Records/OA2)
Liminality refers to the time during a ritual when the participant has left their former state but the ritual is not yet complete. This album represents some of those moments of transition in my own life. The arrangements revolve around the guitar trio, with lush horn harmonies augmenting the sound.
Midwest Record (Chris Spector)
A Chicago guitarist leads a local crew on a set of art leaning jazz that moves and breathes rather than makes you labor over it. Delighting in some Zen ambiguity that works it's way into the grooves, this is music of discovery that never signals it's left turns ahead of time but keeps you paying rapt attention for when they turn up. Extended leng ...Jazz Weekly (George W. Harris)
Guitarist Erik Skov composes all of the tunes for the front line of Emily Kuhn/tp, Dustin L aurenzi/ts, Euan Edmonds and the rhythm section of Kitt Lyles/b and Gustavo Cortinas/dr. Skov's got an elegant sound that is lovely as he hovers through the horns and Lyles' line on "Summer Meditation" and gives dark reflections as the horns sway on the refl ...Music Frames (Netherlands) (Mattie Poels)
Beautiful debut album by American guitarist (and banjo player) Erik Skov, who plays a kind of landscape jazz with his sextet Liminality . In his self-written compositions we hear a range of beautiful instrument combinations with which he creates splendid sound colors. Jazz guitarist and composer Erik Skov works in the Chicago area. He studied at ...All About Jazz (Jack Bowers)
Liminality is defined as "occupying a position at, or on both sides of, a boundary or threshold." Guitarist Erik Skov had a good idea: infuse his debut album with a certain amount of liminality (ambivalence) in the form of eight long-form compositions designed to lend his able sextet weighty meat on which to chew. While Skov's essentially laid-b ...
Erik Skov - Guitar
Dustin Laurenzi - Saxophone
Euan Edmonds - Trombone
Emily Kuhn - Trumpet
Kitt Lyles - Bass
Gustavo Cortinas - Drums
Buy it here!
Kind Regards / Saludos Afectuosos
2022 - Desafío Candente Records
Kind Regards gives life through music to words that attempt to build bridges and understanding in times of borders and ignorance; words that focus on our feet and the dust on which they walk, instead of the stars under which they dream.
Saludos Afectuosos,
Kind Regards focuses on the immigrant experience in the US — its cover, by Mexican artist Saúl Aguirre, depicts an image of two children on each side of the border wall between the US and Mexico. “Kind Regards gives life, through music, to words that attempt to build bridges and understanding in times of borders and ignorance; words that focus on our feet and the dust on which they walk, instead of the stars under which they dream,” the bandleader explains. And words are indeed the fundamental focus of this music, as the album is a collection of songs in which the bandleader was both the composer and lyricist in its entirety, representing a significant departure and evolution from previous work.
“Chicago band-leader and composer has a talent for executing projects that are ambitious in scope. now Cortiñas builds upon this foundation with his fourth release as a leader, Kind Regards…a significant departure and evolution from his previous work”.
“Drummer/composer Gustavo Cortiñas, born and raised in Mexico City and currently based in Chicago, is set to release a new album, Kinds Regards – Saludos Afectuosos on September 2 via Desafio Candente Records. The album is inspired by the immigrant experience, which it represents via ten original compositions. We’re delighted to present the exclusive premiere of the video of one of its tracks, the poignant and heartfelt “Emigraste,” featuring an impassioned lyrical solo by trumpeter Emily Kuhn and vocals by Meghan Stagl.”
“Kind Regards (Saludos Afectuosos) showcases a different, more personal, aspect of Cortinas' creativity. Being a multifaceted artist the young drummer maintains a remarkable uniformity of musical excellence while exploring different forms of expression with each release.”
Meghan Stagl - vocals & piano / voz y piano
Emily Kuhn - trumpet / trompeta
Erik Skov - guitar / guitarra
Katie Ernst - upright bass / contrabajo
Gustavo Cortiñas - drum set / batería
Kitt Lyles - Wake Before Dawn (2020)
Saluda Records
“Wake Before Dawn represents both a tribute to Lyles’ roots and a statement of progression for this transplanted South Carolinian who has become a part of the Northern world and its midwestern melting pot, Down Home Chicago. Given his apparent composition chops, it will be interesting to see where this rising artist goes from here”
CHICAGO JAZZ MAGAZINE
The Water and the Wind is an original composition of Kitt Lyles', performed by his band Real Talk Collective. This song is featured on Lyles' 2020 release "Wake Before Dawn." The song features special guests from Chicago band Son Monarcas: Mercedes Inez Martinez- vocals Irekani Ferreyra- requinto jarocho Yuri Hevia- bombo leguero.
Possibility
by Garrett Asher
About Possibility. “Possibility is my debut album. This is an album with roots in mental health, reflection, positivity, and soul. It's the first time I've been able to fully express my voice, my thoughts, and ideas within my music. It's coming out at a difficult time in our country and world. Now, more than ever, we need to believe in the possibility of our future.
While this pandemic continues to affect us, please support your independent music venues. While I can’t get out and do a tour, we need to support the music venues that have promoted and birthed so many great artists, especially in Chicago.
And, lastly, I don’t think it would be right to make this project and release it during a time of turmoil in our country without recognizing that the music that I write and intend to profit off of was directly influenced by the black men and women before me. Soul music has always touched me in ways that other music hasn’t and I am grateful for the incredible talent, the beautiful creations, and the bravery that came before mine. Black Lives Matter.”
I look forward to seeing you on the road when the time is right. In the mean time, enjoy “Possibility.” - Garrett Asher
credits
released September 25, 2020
Lead vocals - Garrett Asher
Guitar - Erik Skov
Bass/Slide Guitar/Keyboard - Kitt Lyles
Piano/Organ/Keyboard - Joaquin Garcia
Drums/Percussion - Sam Schiller
Trumpet - Ben Phillips
Trombone - Chris Shuttleworth
Tenor Sax/Bari Sax - Roy McGrath
Background Vocals - Vilmarie Rosario