Monty Alexander, Randy Weston, Malika Zarra, Rene Marie, and JC Stylles Are Among Nominees
Of The 11th Independent Music Awards

Artists Among More Than 300 Self-Released & Independent Label Artists Nominated

Recordings by Motéma artists Monty Alexander, Randy Weston, Malika Zarra, René Marie, and JC Stylles are among the nominees named by Music Resource Group (MRG) for The 11th Independent Music Awards (The IMAs), the influential awards program for independent bands and fans.

Two Motéma projects were nominated in the “Live Performance Album” category, both of which were recorded live at Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola: Monty Alexander’s Harlem-Kingston Express Live! (which was nominated for Best Reggae Album at this years 54^th Annual Grammy Awards, and spent multiple weeks at #1 in both world and jazz radio charts on JazzWeek), and NEA Jazz Master Randy Weston & his African Rhythms Sextet’s The Storyteller. Motéma is also represented with two projects in the “Jazz Album” category: Vocalist René Marie’s outrageous emancipation proclamation: Black Lace Freudian Slip and Australian guitar ace JC Stylles, whose critically acclaimed break-out album Exhilaration & Other States was hailed by All Music Guide as, “a highly charged state of musical pleasure, presenting a range of styles that work well on Exhilaration And Other States,-a state worth exploring.” In the “World Beat Album” category, Moroccan artist Malika Zarra is honored for her outstanding CD Berber Taxi, which gained major radio and press attention including multiple weeks at #1 on the JazzWeek world music chart. Zarra & Marie were also honored last week with awards from SESAC.

These nominations recognize the diversity and excellence on Motéma Music’s growing roster of award-winning jazz, and visionary jazz, world and other creative musicians.

About The IMAs
Representing the broad spectrum of today’s global independent music scene, the Nominees in over 70 Song, Album, Music Video and Design categories were culled from thousands of submissions from North America, South America, Asia, Africa, Australia and Europe.

Winners will be determined by a panel of 77 influential artist and industry judges including Keith Richards, Tom Waits and Kathleen Brennan, Suzanne Vega, Joshua Redman, Tori Amos, Michael Franti, Bettye LaVette, Del McCoury, Ozzy Osbourne, Shelby Lynne, Alan Light (Live From The Artists Den), Kevin Lyman (Warped Tour), Bill Bragin (Lincoln Center), Sara Beesley (Joe’s Pub), Chris Diaz (Knitting Factory Entertainment), and Evan Schlansky (American Songwriter). The results will be announced in April 2012.

In addition to industry-determined Winners, music fans from around the world have until Friday, July 20, 2012 to cast their votes at The IMA Vox Pop Jukebox to determine the fan-selected program winners.

For details and to see a complete list of Nominees and Judges visit: TheIndependentMusicAwards.com

More About Motéma’s Nominees

Monty Alexander just completed a sold out two-week residency at the renowned Blue Note, celebrating the pianist’s 50 years in music. Time Out New York hails, “Jamaican pianist Monty Alexander has built a comfortable niche for himself by doing something that few other pianists with his credentials would attempt: He makes the reggae backbeat a base for swinging improvisation.”

Randy Weston, has been celebrating a remarkable year in music. The NEA Jazz Master and 2011 Guggenheim Fellow, who’s received multiple awards and honors this year, premiers his Guggenheim Fellow project, “An African Nubian Suite” on April 8th at NYU’s Skirball Center for Performing Arts. Weston composed the piece, with funding from his Guggenheim fellowship, which pays tribute to the Nubians, the first human race on earth and the oldest of the great civilizations in Africa. See details on the show here.

Rene Marie’s Black Lace Freudian Slip, nominated for Jazz Album has received consistent critical acclaim and made it into many 2011 “Best of” lists including JazzTimes and Jazz Police. Marie also made the short list for the JazzTimes 2011 Expanded Critics’ Poll for Female Artist and Christopher Loudon hailed the album as “one of last year’s most exciting jazz vocal releases.”

Malika Zarra brings a unique point of view to her recording Berber Taxi, nominated for World Beat Album. Born in Morocco, raised in France, and now thriving in the polyglot metropolis of New York City, this gifted composer, producer and singer has invented a new Moroccan urban-world-jazz sound by tastefully using traditional North African chaâbi, Berber and Gnawa polyrhythms to underpin her distinctly contemporary urban compositions, all the while maintaining a sophisticated improvisational modern approach. French Culture Guide calls the singer, “a multi-cultural shape-shifter.”

JC Stylles, mixing a range of R&B and pop tunes with jazz standards, expands the guitar/organ trio into exciting new territory on Exhilaration & Other States, nominated for Jazz Album. The Australian-born guitarist serves up a mix of relentless swing, relaxed grooves and beautiful ballads on this recording. Jazz Inside hails, “JC Stylles and his trio swing out strong!”

Motéma congratulates all its artists nominated for the Independent Music Awards. For more information on the nominated artists and to sample their music please visit www.motema.com and www.independentmusicawards.com/imanominee/11th

Please vote for your favorites in the Vox Pop Jukebox and spread the word.

Randy Weston sits down with Democracy Now! for this hour long special, where the pianist discusses the impact of African rhythms, his collaboration with Langston Hughes and two of his biggest influences: Marcus Garvey and Paul Robeson.

The interview was hosted at the TRIBECA Performing Arts Center, where Randy Weston and his African Rhythms Orchestra are performing a special tribute concert celebrating James Reese Europe & the Harlem Hellfighters, on Saturday, February 25th.

Via TRIBECA PAC: “James Reese Europe was an American ragtime and early jazz bandleader, arranger, and composer. In 1918, Lt. James Reese Europe made military and music history by being the first African American to lead troops into battle during World War One and to spread the ‘jazz germ’ throughout continental Europe. Mr. Europe obtained a Commission in the New York Army National Guard, where he saw combat as a lieutenant with the 369th Infantry Regiment (the “Harlem Hellfighters”), the band of which he directed to great acclaim.”

Purchase tickets

The African Rhythms Orchestra includes: T.K.Blue — saxophones, Neil Clarke — percussion, Alex Blake — bass, Howard Johnson — tuba, Vincent Ector — drum, Ayodele Ankhtawi Maakheru — banjo and Robert Trowers – trombone.

Results are in for the 59th Annual Downbeat Critics Poll

Randy Weston scored mentions for: Hall of Fame, Jazz Artist of the Year, Jazz Album of the Year and Composer while Gregory Porter made the list for Rising Star Male Vocalist.

Best of year lists also feature:

Piano – Geri Allen

Rising Star Electronic Keyboard – Marc Cary

Rising Star Guitar – Roni Ben-Hur

Bass – Charnett Moffett

Rising Star Female Vocalist – René Marie

Rising Star Composer – Ari Hoenig (Pilc Moutin Hoenig trio)

Rising Star Arranger – David Weiss

Bass and Rising Star Bass – Francois Moutin (Pilc Moutin Hoenig trio)

Congratulations to everyone mentioned and to all the winners! See the full list of winners here. Check out motema.com for more information and news about all our artists.

Gregory Porter, Geri Allen, TK Blue and Randy Weston are all JJA Jazz Awards 2011 nominees!

Renowned artist Geri Allen is nominated for Pianist of the Year up against Fred Hersch, Jason Moran, Kenny Barron, Matthew Shipp and Vijay Iyer, while soul singer Gregory Porter is nominated for Male Singer of the Year alongside nominees Bobby McFerrin, Freddy Cole, Giacomo Gates, and Kurt Elling.

Geri and Gregory have had great years so far. Geri and Timeline was nominated for Outstanding Jazz Album for the 42nd NAACP Image Awards this past year, and Gregory received a Grammy nomination for Best Jazz Vocal Album for his Motema debut Water. The album currently holds the #1 spot on the UK iTunes Jazz Album chart.

Producer/director Brian Grady received a nomination for Best Short Form Jazz Video of the Year for the video he did for T.K. Blues, Latin Bird. Randy Weston was nominated for Best Book About Jazz for his autobiography African Rhythms (composed by Randy Weston/arranged by Willard Jenkins; Duke University Press). In addition Lena Adasheva’s photo of Benny Powell which was used in Randy Weston’s package was nominated for Best Picture of the Year.

Furthermore trumpeter, composer, and arranger David Weiss of The New Jazz Composers Octect received a nomination for Arranger of the Year.

Motema’s artists are in great company. We are thrilled by the news, and congratulate all the artists and nominees!

Details about the Jazz Awards via the JJA press release:

The winners in each category will be chosen by the votes of the professional journalist members of the JJA, the non-profit professional organization of jazz writers, broadcasters, photographers and new media producers.
The winners will be announced at a benefit Gala at City Winery in New York City on June 11, 2011, from 1 to 5 pm EDT. The Gala, with Awards presentations and featured musical performances, will be video streamed live online at jjaJazzAwards.org and simultaneously celebrated with satellite parties thrown by jazz fans and grass roots organizations in cities around the U.S. and elsewhere.
This year’s Jazz Awards nominees demonstrate the musical vigor of jazz’s elders as well the fresh spirits of its new stars: In the Musician of the Year award category, for example, tenor sax legend Sonny Rollins, age 80, vies with 26-year-old bassist/ vocalist Esperanza Spalding (who received the 2011 Grammy for “Best New Artist” ).

Brian Pace of the Pace Report sat down with Randy Weston recently to to talk about his autobiography “African Rhythms” as well as the 50th anniversary of Uhuru Afrika and the new album The Storyteller.

In search of a thriller night? Hit a high note this Halloween with Motema. Our artists are performing in a number of cities and venues across the US and Canada.For those on the West coast, rouse your spirits at the Earshot Jazz Festival featuring performances by Tessa Souter and Rufus Reid. For a tasty treat, satisfy your eyes and mouth at the Oran Etkin JazzPhest Brunch session in Philadelphia. Be brought to life and attend a special film viewing of, “Randy Weston Live in St. Lucia” and book Signing of, “African Rhythms: the Autobiography of Randy Weston.” The musical legend and visionary will also perform with a 27-piece orchestra, featuring a number of jazz greats, at the Tribeca Arts Center, BMCC Campus.

There are plenty of thrills this weekend. Check out all the listings below and see who’s performing in your area!
October-29-2010 Tessa Souter Earshot Jazz Festival Seattle, Washington
October-30-2010 Rufus Reid Yardbird Suites Edmonton AB, Canada
October-30-2010 KJ Denhert 55 Bar New York, NY
October-30-2010 Tessa Souter Earshot Jazz Festival Seattle, Washington
October-30-2010 Randy Weston Tribeca Arts Center, BMCC Campus New York, NY
October-31-2010 Rufus Reid Earshot Jazz Festival Seattle, WA
October-31-2010 KJ Denhert Smoke Jazz New York, NY
October-31-2010 Oran Etkin JazzPhest Brunch Philadelphia, PA

View all Motema events

Us jazz-heads are thrilled and honored to announce legendary pianist Randy Weston as the latest artist to join Motéma Music!  With a career that spans over sixty years and shows no signs of slowing down, Weston will release an exceptional new album, The Storyteller, this fall.

Recorded live at Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola, The Storyteller features new arrangements of Weston classics and includes accompaniments by Alex Blake on bass, Lewis Nash on drums, Benny Powell on trombone, TK Blue on flute & saxophones, Neil Clarke on percussion, and music by the Jazz Heritage Orchestra of Cleveland State University.

With a lifelong career collaborating with creative greats including Langston Hughes, Duke Ellington, Dizzy Gillespie, Thelonious Monk, Max Roach, Charlie Parker, Miles Davis and more, Weston has endless stories to share from his historic career.  Not only does Weston vocalize these stories, he transcribes them.  In addition to his album release, Weston is also releasing the autobiography African Rhythms in October, arranged by music journalist Willard Jenkins.

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Weston’s Motéma debut The Storyteller will be released in November, and coincides with the 50th Anniversary of Weston’s landmark 1960 recording, UHURU Afrika which helped introduce jazz to Africa, and African rhythms to jazz. Weston’s most recent accolades (of the scores) include a win in the Composer category in The annual Downbeat Critics’ Poll as well as being named to the Hall of Fame joining jazz legends and piers Thelonious Monk, Dizzy Gillespie and John Coltrane. He was also inducted into ASCAP’s “Jazz Wall of Fame” this year.

We welcome Weston aboard and look forward to being a part of this exciting new chapter in his career!

Tracklisting for The Storyteller

1. African Sunrise
2. African Cookbook (Suite)
3. The Shrine
4.  Loose Wig (Suite)
5.  Hi Fly

Upcoming

Date: November 13
Venue: BMCC Performing Arts Center  Tribeca, NY

The anniversary performance of UHURU Afrika will feature Weston with a 22 piece orchestra. Heads of state of 17 African nations (also turning 50) are expected to attend.
Performance dates and events in honor of Weston’s 85th year and Autobiography are scheduled throughout the fall and into the new year.  Stay tuned for further details!

Meanwhile, take a look at our Randy Weston video playlist: