Crypto Musings

Judy Wexler at The Vic

Jazz singer Judy Wexler is having a concert and party on Thursday, May 5 to celebrate the release of her new album, Easy on the Heart. Both the concert and the album feature Crypto artists Alan Pasqua and Darek Oles. For more info you can go to http://www.judywexler.com, but here are the basic details:

• WHAT: Judy Wexler CD release party and concert
• WHEN: Thursday, May 5th at 8 and 10pm
• WHERE: The Vic, 2640 Main Street, Santa Monica, CA
• HOW: $20 cover, reservations required: Call 888-FOR-JAZZ
• WHY: Because the concert will be grand.

Purchase Easy On the Heart at IndieJazz.com!

Post-haste

The biggest news around the office these days is that Jeff has introduced use to a new brand of guacamole that transforms even the stalest of chips into a mouth-watering cornucopia of flavor. Three cheers for "Avocado's Number Guacamole," available exclusively through Trader Joe's.

Only slightly less newsworthy:

-Boulder's KGNU radio station loves us, and we love them. Not only was The Giant Pin the 3rd-most-played jazz recording at the station for the last month, but they're also putting together an interview with Nels and Alex Cline, to be aired during their funds drive on April 21st. The interview was recorded a couple nights ago at Crypto HQ. Afterwards, all parties involved relaxed with a bag of chips and a bowl full of Avocado's Number Guacamole.

-We've got a new CryptoRadio program up on the homepage! Click here to listen to audio streams of music by Scot Ray, Erik Friedlander, Alan Pasqua, the Nels Cline Singers and more.

-Early critical response to Cloud Plate and My New Old Friend is extremely positive. Check out the All About Jazz review of My New Old Friend right here, and the review of Cloud Plate here.

Pass the Pasqua

Nice review of My New Old Friend published on All About Jazz. Click here to read it. If you buy the album, you'll make these guys very happy:

Don't they look like they could use a pick-me-up? Purchase the album here.

Ray D. Oh

Although the same can't be said for the Pope anymore, Cryptogramophone radio presence is still infallible. During the first week of April, Darek Oles' Like a Dream stayed in the top 10 most-played jazz releases at WXYC in Chapel Hill. The Nels Cline Singers' The Giant Pin was at number two at WUOG Athens (inbetween the new William Parker and David S. Ware releases--nice company eh?), and number three at KGNU in Boulder, where the disc has been in heavy rotation for like two months straight. Darek and Nels are at number 5 and 6, respectively, at Rockland, Maine's WRFR.

Now that John Paul II is no more, it's about time for Darek to take his rightful place as the token world-famous Polish dude. How do you think he'd look playing bass in a pontiff hat?

New releases out!

And you never thought it would happen...our two newest releases, Cloud Plate by Alex Cline, Miya Masaoka, Kaoru and G.E. Stinson and My New Old Friend by Alan Pasqua (with Peter Erskine and Darek Oles) are in stores today! The two albums couldn't be more different musically, but they both document groups of world class improvisers at the top of their game, and the high production standards and luscious package design are just as you've come to expect from every Crypto release. Listen to samples and pick up your copies today at the Cryptogramophone homepage!

Also, All About Jazz just published the first of many sterling reviews for each album. Read the Cloud Plate review here and the My New Old Friend review here.