Jim Black Trio - Actuality (2014) [Hi-Res]

Monday Night at the Mensa Disco is the band's 11th release. Melodic, powerful and fresh, this 7 song studio recording written by band leaders Doug Wilde and Matt Zimbel is at once joyous and muscular. With melodies often helmed by instruments considered off the beaten path of jazz such as bass clarinet and alto flute, the tracks are under pinned by the deep skin on skin grooves of hand drums and grounded by kit, acoustic piano and bass.

Recorded at Toronto‘s remarkable Revolution Recordings by 4 time Juno award winning engineer Jeff Wolpert the album sonics are larger than life.

The Mensa Disco is where the intellectuals gather to dance, it's where the time signatures are odd and so are the clients. It's where the doorman, (himself a PhD in the Advanced Behavioral Theory of Drunks) says, 'yeah, I can let you in but I'm going to have to see some IQ.'

The band has toured the world from the Hollywood Bowl to the North Sea Jazz Festival. They have shared stages with Miles Davis, Weather Report, Van Morrison, Gloria Estefan, The Yellow Jackets and Ella. They have been a finalist for the Juno Award for Best Original Jazz Album three times and won the Juno for best instrumental once. The band's extensive archives have been collected by the National Library of Canada and their recordings have been released around the world, with numerous releases in the Unites States, Germany, South Africa and Asia. Critics have consistently praised their appearances and recordings as 'innovative, unique and exhilarating'.

Colleen Allen, Alto, Tenor, Baritone, Soprano Saxes, Flute, Alto Flute
Kelly Jefferson, Tenor Sax, Bass Clarinet, Flute
Mark Ferguson, Trombone, Bass Trombone
Charlie Cooley, Drums, Percussion
Matt Zimbel, Congos, Cajon, Percussion
Art Avalos, Timbales, Bongos, Djembi, Cajon, Percussion
Doug Wilde, Piano, Keyboard
Jason Logue, Trumpet, Flugelhorn
Pat Kilbride, Electric & Acoustic Bass

Tracklist:
01. Manteca - Mind Monday (5:50)
02. Manteca - Carmen's Way (6:08)
03. Manteca - Seeing Things (5:10)
04. Manteca - Levitate (7:09)
05. Manteca - Casserole (5:03)
06. Manteca - Dart Echo (7:18)
07. Manteca - Ballade Noir (5:58)