Jacques Schwarz-Bart - The Harlem Suite (2023) [Hi-Res]

Jacques Schwarz-Bart has been at the center of several musical revolutions: Neo Soul next to D’angelo and Erika Badu, New Jazz as a founding member of Roy Hargrove's RH Factor, and he is a leading pioneer in the creation of two surging new styles: Gwoka Jazz, and Voodoo jazz, reuniting jazz music with its Afro-Caribbean and spiritual origins. Jacques’ impressionistic writing, powerful tone, and wide-ranging language – both lyrical and angular – have fueled a growing presence on the world stage.

Jacques Schwarz-Bart's new release will be his 11th. Entitled The Harlem Suite, it is a harvest of tunes and arrangements that celebrate each step OF his perilous but rewarding journey, from his native island of Guadeloupe to the heart of modern black music: Harlem, where he lived for 18 years.

"I started playing the tenor sax at 24. Three years later, I quit my job at the French Senate to go to Berklee. At that point, coming to NY and playing with the likes of Roy Hargrove, D’Angelo, Meshell, Danilo Perez, was an impossible dream. And then it happened. Next to these giants, I started honing my playing and my musical vision."

The Harlem Suite portrays a modern jazz concept high in colors, built around powerful melodies, infused with uplifting Afro Caribbean spirit, and dancing on a tapestry of poly rhythms. The line up includes Terri Lyne Carrington, Marcus Gilmore, Sullivan Fortner, Victor Gould, MattPenman, Reggie Washington, Arnaud Dolmen, Gregory Privat, Stephanie McKay, Malika Tirolien and Ivanna Cuesta.