Interdisciplinary artist, activist and educator Terri Lyne Carrington releases New Standards, an ambitious new endeavor created to uplift the voices of women composers. New Standards arrives in the form of a groundbreaking lead sheet book of jazz compositions published by Berklee Press/Hal Leonard, a newly recorded album of 11 selections from the songbook featuring an all-star band and superb line-up of special guests, and a dynamic multi-media exhibition at Detroit’s Carr Center coming this October.
The project has already been celebrated by Billboard, WNYC, Jazziz, Boston Globe, WBGO, The Guardian, and more for its groundbreaking mission and admirable ambition — read more about New Standards and the necessary fight for inclusivity in jazz in a profile on Terri Lyne at The New York Times here: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/13/arts/music/terri-lyne-carrington-new-standards.html
The album new STANDARDS – vol. 1 is out today on the relaunched Candid Records label, featuring recordings of 11 selections from the New Standards lead sheets book. Carrington (on drums) is joined by a core band of Kris Davis (piano), Linda May Han Oh (bass), Nicholas Payton (trumpet), and Matthew Stevens (guitar and co-producer) and welcomes special guests Ambrose Akinmusire, Melanie Charles, Ravi Coltrane, Val Jeanty, Samara Joy, Julian Lage, Michael Mayo, Elena Pinderhughes, Dianne Reeves, Negah Santos and Somi.
From the gossamer harp of Brandee Younger’s “Respected Destroyer”, to the sultry, latin-tinged grooves of Abbey Lincoln’s “Throw It Away”, new STANDARDS – vol. 1 is a dynamic collection of the limitless universe of jazz and the first installment of recordings from the New Standards project. Listen here: https://candid.lnk.to/NewStandardsVol1PR
Curated by Carrington, the New Standards lead sheets book features 101 compositions from a remarkable range of acknowledged titans, young visionaries and unsung heroes in jazz: Mary Lou Williams, Alice Coltrane, esperanza spalding, Geri Allen, Maria Schneider, Cecile McLorin Salvant, Cassandra Wilson, Dianne Reeves, Dorothy Ashby, Nubya Garcia, Nicole Mitchell — plus many composers from the global world of jazz, including Chilean tenor saxophonist Melissa Aldana, Japanese American pianist Toshiko Akiyoshi, and many more.
New Standards is a continuation of Terri Lyne’s tireless work to advocate for inclusivity and raise the voice of gender minorities in jazz. The project is the first initiative for Berklee’s Institute of Jazz and Gender Justice — which Carrington formed in 2018 — and a new chapter for the larger Jazz Without Patriarchy Project. New Standards was born out of necessity, after Carrington was prompted to search for women composers in the infamous Real Book of jazz charts, and to her dismay, found virtually none. The project offers an alternative to the accepted jazz standards canon that has served students, teachers and professionals for decades.
Following the release of the album and book this September, Detroit’s Carr Center will host New Standards as the first part of the forthcoming larger exhibition Shifting the Narrative: Jazz and Gender Justice, from October 13 to November 27. Curated by Carrington, it will feature live performances, panel discussions, a photo exhibit, archival material and artwork created by many contemporary jazz artists on the theme of “new standards” as well as the installation’s three other sections: The Female and Non-binary Gaze, Invisible Labor, and Geri Allen and Mary Lou Williams In Conversation.
Last week, Carrington also released a live album featuring Wayne Shorter (saxophone), esperanza spalding (bass, vocals), Leo Genovese (piano) and Carrington (drums) titled Live At The Detroit Jazz Festival. Recorded in 2017, the album captures a magnificent, one time only concert spectacular. Listen and read more here.
Track list:
1. Wind Flower (Sara Cassey)
2. Circling (Gretchen Parlato)
3. Uplifted Heart (Shamie Royston)
4. Moments (Eliane Elias)
5. Continental Cliff (Patricia Perez)
6. Throw It Away (Abbey Lincoln)
7. Respected Destroyer (Brandee Younger)
8. Two Hearts (Lawns) (Carla Bley)
9. Unchanged (Marta Sanchez)
10. Ima (Anat Cohen)
11. Rounds (Live) (Marilyn Crispell)