New Music Monday — Emmet Cohen ft. Houston Person; Donald Vega; & Cory Weeds

Join us on Monday, October 23 at noon for New Music Monday with Arturo Gómez at Lunchtime! Arturo will debut new music from Emmet Cohen, Donald Vega and Cory Weeds.

Emmet Cohen Featuring Houston Person: “Masters Legacy Series Volume 5”
Since emerging on the jazz scene after graduating from the University of Miami, Emmet has rapidly soared to the top of the most talented young pianists with a very faithful following around the world. His shows are always at full capacity and his recordings always rise to the top of the jazz charts. Cohen is also a splendid jazz ambassador with an engaging personality attracting younger listeners. If that wasn’t enough to propel his stardom, during the pandemic Emmet because a worldwide phenom by offering jazz concerts from his Harlem apartment every Monday night with a stellar cast of guests via Zoom! His latest entry of the Masters Legacy Series finds him teaming up with the veteran soulful saxophonist Houston Person joining Cohen’s trio for a joyful journey of 8 songs guaranteed to captivate the listener from its first song straight through to its concluding tune!!

Donald Vega: “As I Travel”
Born in Masaya, Nicaragua, a town renowned for its artists and handicrafts his fate as an outstanding pianist was in the stars. Departing his homeland at 145 to relocate to Los Angeles in quest of improving his piano skills and education. He began playing classical music and then switched to jazz when he was mentored by Los Angeles stand-out jazz musicians and instructors, drummer Billy Higgins and bassist John Clayton. After graduating from USC, he moved to New York City to attend the Manhattan School of Music and Julliard School. His extensive discography includes several as a leader and a myriad of dates as an accompanist with a wide variety of musicians. To date, his greatest achievement is to have been chosen by the living legend of the bass, Ron Carter to be the pianist in his Golden Striker Trio, recording an album with Mr. Carter and touring with him including a recent 3-day stop at Denver’s Dazzle Jazz Club. Donald’s new session has him playing with John Patitucci on bass and Lewis Nash on drums, 2 astounding players! Moreover, he selected the Venezuelan Grammy® nominee timbale player of note, Luisito Quintero to round out the ensemble that plays 9 originals by Vega reflecting his travels from Nicaragua to Los Angeles to New York and touring worldwide.

Cory Weeds: “Home Cookin’”
Beginning his career as a saxophonist Cory quickly developed a following in his home province of British Columbia, Canada Weeds decided to open a jazz club in Vancouver that had an impressive run with many top-rated players from the United States and Canada until it folded during the pandemic. Cory is also the proprietor of Cellar Records which issues live music from his Cellar Jazz Club as well as studio sessions. For his new recording, Cory wanted to have a little big band that could generate as much power as a full-sized orchestra, so he enlisted 11 of Vancouver’s finest musicians and arrangers Bill Coon and Jill Townsend to obtain his goal and did he ever! From the opening Horace Silver classic, “Home Cookin’” to the ending “Metamorphosis” another classic from Horace Silver, the band swings and plays magnificently. Cory opted to include a song composed by his father; “Corner Kisses” after performing it live with the late Joey DeFrancesco to much audience acclaim.  This home cookin’ will please even the heartiest jazz appetites.

Now in its 21st year of debuting the latest arrivals to the KUVO Jazz library, many of them are played ahead of their official release date. In addition to the music comments, I’ll provide a few tidbits about the artist, if it’s a new or an up-and-coming artist. It all begins at Noon every Monday.

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