The Official Record Label of the Blue LLama Jazz Club
Listen: “The Big Push”
Nick Collins Sextet
The Late Set
Sept 27, 2024
Now in their second year of residency at the Blue Llama Jazz Club, the Nick Collins Sextet found their home playing the late set on Saturday nights. Accustomed to coming onstage after acts from Sean Dobbins to Kenny Garrett, the sextet keeps audiences engaged late into the night by keeping the energy high and the arrangements varied. Their first live album is called "The Late Set," because that's just what it is - they transport the listener to the Blue Llama Jazz Club for their band's set. The album is an honest presentation of the sextet, recorded entirely in one night in March 2024 by their resident sound engineer Jacob Wargo. The band assembled here is a dream team of the Detroit scene, with Dwight Adams on trumpet, Andrew Bishop on tenor saxophone, Vincent Chandler on trombone, Rick Roe on piano and Jeff Pedraz on bass. The Big Push was released on September 27, 2024 via Bandstand Presents in collaboration with Live at Blue LLama Records.
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Listen: “Going Viral”
Charlie Porter Quintet
Live at Blue LLama
June 28, 2024
Recorded live at the state-of-the-art jazz club in September of 2022, Porter’s latest album embodies the raw energy and spontaneity that have come to be associated with live recordings. Following in the footsteps of his previous album, “Hindsight",” which explored themes of pandemic, social justice, and environmental concerns, this live collection features five previously unrecorded original compositions, each with its own unique story. In addition to the renowned trumpeter, this album boasts Adam Birnbaum on piano, Nick Biello on alto saxophone, Mark Whitfield Jr. on drums, and David Wong on bass. Live at Blue LLama was released on April 24, 2024 via Bandstand Presents in collaboration with Live at Blue LLama Records.
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Listen: “Silver Bells”
Sean Dobbins Quintet
“Silver Bells” - Live at Blue LLama
November 24, 2023
This was recorded in December of 2022 at the Blue LLama Jazz Club during the Sean Dobbins Quintet Holiday Show. It's Sean's arrangement of the holiday classic "Silver Bells" featuring an all-star lineup of Marcus Elliot on saxophone, Peyton Miller on Vibraphone, Rick Roe on Piano, Brandon Rose on Bass and Sean Dobbins on drums. This worldwide digital release on the Live at Blue LLama Records label will kick off a series of new releases in 2024, following the success of the June 2023 full-length release from Allan Harris, entitled Live at Blue LLama.
Listen:
Listen: “Sunny”
Allan Harris
Live at Blue LLama
July 28, 2023
Renowned vocalist and guitarist Allan Harris is proud to announce the release of his new album, Live at Blue LLama. Recorded live at the state-of-the-art jazz club in January of this year, Harris’ first live album in over thirteen years showcases his current working band at their artistic peak, and displays their deep musical bond and connection, all in front of an attentive live audience. Joining the soulful crooner is pianist and keyboardist Arcoiris Sandoval, bassist Marty Kenney, drummer Norman Edwards, and saxophonist-flutist Irwin Hall. Live at Blue LLama will be released on July 28 via Love Productions Records in collaboration with Live at Blue LLama Records.
Album Highlights:
“Sonny”
“Spain”
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LISTEN: PIECE OF MIND "ENTROPY"
Adonis Rose
Piece of Mind
September 25, 2020
Piece of Mind features some of the most talented voices in jazz today through live concert highlights at the Blue LLama Jazz Club. The album speaks to freedom and celebration and healing in response to a time of global disease, racism, social injustice, uncertainty and death. Noting what makes the project special, Adonis Rose says: “Let’s just start with having the pleasure of performing with some of the best musicians in the world at one of the best jazz clubs on the planet and being afforded the opportunity to present music that I’ve desired to record for some years now. Piece of Mind brings these things together for me.” (Quoted on Storyville Records)
Album Highlights:
"Piece of Mind"
“Keep Your Soul Together”
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LISTEN: Live at Blue LLama “Into the Sky”
Mathis Picard
Live at Blue LLama
August 31, 2022
LIVE AT BLUE LLAMA RECORDS
Mathis Picard’s Live at Blue LLama is a three-track EP that was recorded at the Blue LLama Jazz Club during Picard’s U.S. solo piano tour in 2022. Throughout, Picard is masterful in placing the smooth and delicate in conversation with the soulful and lively. “Infinity Blues” especially feels like wandering through a peaceful dream, with more bluesy spices gradually thrown into the mix as the music progresses.
Album Highlights:
"Into the Sky”
“Prana”
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LISTEN: Live at Blue LLama “Midnight Special”
Soul Message Band
Live at Blue LLama
April 29, 2021
LIVE AT BLUE LLAMA RECORDS
As A2Pulp editor Christopher Porter describes, “Soul Message Band’s feel-good Live at Blue LLama, which was recorded by [Blue LLama artistic director Dave] Sharp and mixed and mastered by another local, Josef Deas, hits all the buzzwords when it comes to organ trios: funky, greasy, bluesy, soulful, smoking.” Songs like “Midnight Special” have moments, when the organ wails from a memorable refrain, that take you to the gospel church. “Frame for the Blues” showcases the group’s blend of gospel, soul, jazz and blues with tunes that will have you humming even after the song is over.
Album Highlights:
"Midnight Special”
“Frame for the Blues”
Listen:
LISTEN: Live at Blue LLama
“SEVEN CUPS OF TEA”
Mike List
Live at Blue LLama, VOL. 1
July 12, 2022
LIVE AT BLUE LLAMA RECORDS
Mike List’s Live at Blue LLama was written in May 2020 when solo performances were growing to be a necessity in the place of groups. List used this as an opportunity to experiment and explore with various instruments and sounds found right in his basement. Speaking about improvisations as different paths in the album, he says: “I typically have an idea where the start of the trail is and where it might end up, but all the individual twists and turns are unique.”
Album Highlights:
"Seven Cups of Tea”
“Logs and Loops No. 1”
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