Nov 19, 2024 12:57 PM
In Memoriam: Roy Haynes, 1925–2024
Powerhouse jazz drummer and bandleader Roy Haynes died Tuesday in Nassau County, New York. He was 99. One of the few…
Kurt Rosenwinkel will release Caipi, his debut album on Heartcore Records & Razdaz Records, on March 10.
(Photo: Osamu Kurihara)Guitarist Kurt Rosenwinkel signals a new musical direction with the March 10 release of Caipi, the long-awaited debut album on his new label, Heartcore Records.
Ten years in the making, Caipi features Rosenwinkel playing all the instruments (drums, bass, piano, synthesizers and percussion) and showcases his vocals on a bevy of deeply personal tunes, such as the ballad “Ezra,” named for his youngest son, and “Little B,” a tribute to his elder son, Silas, who was nicknamed Little Bear as a toddler. Nine other original compositions round out this 11-track program.
On Caipi—the title takes its name from a Brazilian cocktail similar to a mojito—elements of rock and jazz co-exist with all the recognizable features of Rosenwinkel’s lucid modern-jazz style. Brazilian music features prominently as well, to some extent symbolizing Rosenwinkel’s natural inclination toward melodies that are instantly accessible yet emotionally impactful.
Although most of the instruments on the album were played by Rosenwinkel, there are some notable guests: Amanda Brecker (daughter of vocalist Eliane Elias and trumpeter Randy Brecker) provides Portuguese lyrics on “Kama” and contributes layered backing vocals throughout the album. Special guest Eric Clapton contributes his signature guitar sound to the upbeat pop number “Little Dream.” And Rosenwinkel’s former musical partner Mark Turner delivers potent tenor saxophone on “Ezra” and “Casio Escher.” “I had to bring Mark in because it was very important to me to have that close friendship and collaboration represented on the album,” said Rosenwinkel. Caipi also features the participation of a new young Brazilian multi-instrumentalist and singer Pedro Martins.
Regarding his new role as a frontman lyricist, Rosenwinkel said, “Writing songs with lyrics has always been very much a part of my musical world, but they’ve usually stayed in my private sphere. With Caipi, I realized that these were also lyric songs and that ultimately I would sing them as well. It’s definitely something different from my other albums, but it’s a familiar place for me and it was just a matter of doing what the music needed.” DB
“I treat every day like it’s Thanksgiving,” said Roy Haynes.
Nov 19, 2024 12:57 PM
Powerhouse jazz drummer and bandleader Roy Haynes died Tuesday in Nassau County, New York. He was 99. One of the few…
“Watching people like Max Roach or Elvin Jones and seeing how they utilize the whole drum kit in a very rhythmic and melodic way and how they stretched time — that was a huge inspiration to me,” Hussain said in DownBeat.
Dec 17, 2024 9:58 AM
Tabla master Ustad Zakir Hussain, one of India’s reigning cultural ambassadors and a revered figure worldwide…
“I love doing ballads,” Mike Stern says. “It’s just a part of me, some part of emotionally how I feel sometimes.”
Dec 3, 2024 12:52 PM
Stories of major shifts and rebirths among musicians during the past five years are common, from weathering the…
Jazz journalist Michael Jackson, left, dispenses a live Blindfold Test to drum master Billy Cobham.
Nov 19, 2024 12:26 PM
Drum king Billy Cobham, who, believe it or not, turned 80 in May, ruled the roost at January’s Panama Jazz Festival.…
Queen Latifah extols Harlem and the Apollo Theater at this year’s Kennedy Center Honors.
Dec 12, 2024 1:58 AM
Cuban-American jazz trumpet legend Arturo Sandoval and Harlem’s Apollo Theater were among the honorees at the 2024…
