Mareike Wiening - Future Memories - COMPACT DISCS [CD]

As she set out to conceive the music for her third album as a leader, drummer/composer Mareike Wiening [pronounced Mar-EYE-kuh VEE-ning] glanced around and discovered a wealth of potential inspirations in the tumultuous events of recent years. Of course, there were the global upheavals that we've all watched unfold with bated breath the pandemic, the war in Ukraine, political divisiveness in the U.S., Europe and beyond.Realizing that such heady subjects could result in a decidedly stark and somber album, Wiening chose not to react but to reveal, searching inward for the warmth and spirit that connected her with music in the first place. On Reveal, her third album for Greenleaf Music, Wiening has crafted her richest and most deeply personal music to date.Reveal reunites Wiening once again with her longtime working band tenor saxophonist Rich Perry, pianist Glenn Zaleski, guitarist Alex Goodman, and bassist Johannes Felscher. They are joined on three tracks by esteemed trumpeter and Greenleaf founder Dave Douglas, a fervent supporter throughout Wiening's career. Multi-faceted and intriguing, moving and exhilarating, the album is ultimately exactly what the title promises a revelation.1. Time for Priorities2. Choral Anthem3. Reveal4. Encore5. Declaration of Truth6. Balada7. Old Beginning8. The Girl by the Window

New York-based German drummer and composer Mareike Wiening releases her debut album featuring her original compositions performed by an outstanding quintet of New York improvisers. Metropolis Paradise is dedicated to Wiening's six year residence in the Big Apple. Wiening's compositions are lyrical, direct and emotional, as well as rhythmically intricate, maintaining an accessible sound that draws you in. Featuring Wiening on drums and cymbals along with Rich Perry (tenor saxophone), Dan Tepfer (piano), Alex Goodman (guitar), and Johannes Felscher (bass), the group sound is one of give and take, a musical dialogue between soloist and accompanist.

The iconic music of Thelonious Monk has inspired generations of instrumentalists and vocalists. The composer's singular style offers challenges ideal for interpretation. Organist Gregory Lewis has long been a Monk acolyte and specialist who is always in search of a new way to frame Monk's work. On Organ Monk Sings, Lewis joins forces with vocalist, lyricist, producer, and artistic director Raina Welch (professionally known as Ms. Raina) for a dramatic and original program of Monk compositions.Gregory Lewis is recognized as a Monk scholar and is best known for presenting Monk's repertoire on the Hammond organ. Seeking new ways to highlight Monk's music, Lewis began exploring the integration of voice into his long-running Organ Monk project. A longtime fan of vocalists who had tackled Monk's music, including Carmen McRae and Abbey Lincoln, he sought a collaborator who could bring something distinctive and fresh to the tradition.Lewis and Welch connected through New York's vibrant music circuit, and their musical chemistry developed naturally through performance, conversation, and a shared commitment to the Black American musical lineage.A classically trained vocalist, Ms. Raina studied at Long Island University Brooklyn and Temple University, refining her technique under the mentorship of soprano Alba Quezada Bloomgarden and mezzo-soprano Dr. Lorie Gratis, with advanced mentorship from soprano Christine Moore Vassallo and Grammy-nominated vocalist Carla Cook. In her crossover journey, Cook's influence grounded Ms. Raina's phrasing, rhythmic placement, and storytelling in the lineage of vocal innovators such as Carmen McRae, Abbey Lincoln, Leon Thomas, and Eddie Jefferson, preparing her for the interpretive and technical demands of Monk's work.Over time, Ms. Raina's engagement with Monk's repertoire deepened through Lewis's perspective as an organist and her own study of