Bay Area Jazz Compilation by Various Artists

1. Zaria Z - Dann Zinn 6:36
2. The Nineteenth Floor - Paul Mousavi 7:43
3. Asa Verde - Claudia Villela 6:02
4. Business Man's Bounce - Dred Scott 7:43
5. Hope - The Jeff Massanari Group 4:47
6. Off The Top - Vijay Iyer 7:05
7. Social Call - Ann Dyer & No Good Time Fairies 5:22
8. Scratch Shot - Wally Schnalle 3:14
9. Hearts Broken Dance - Andre Bush 5:21
10. Tangier Docks - 3 Bean Salad 5:43
11. Odpharb - President's Breakfast 6:58
12. Nava-ye Mardom - Hafez Modirzadeh 6:30

Total Time: 73:50

With this extraordinary anthology in hand, you are standing on the proverbial tip of the iceberg, for beyond the twelve tracks gathered here looms a massive music scene in the San Francisco Bay Area. Perhaps iceberg is too cool an image; what's happening in this community is red hot. But these progressive sounds most definitely form a tip -- the advance guard of what Ornette Coleman once prophetically called "The Shape of Jazz to Come.

" In the strictly commercial terms of record sales, San Francisco is the second largest market in the United States. In terms of creativity, however, the Bay Area plays second fiddle to no one. You can add guitar, saxophone, keyboards, trumpet, bass, drums, percussion, and vocals to that list, as well, judging by the talents assembled between the bookends of Dan Zinn's intriguing opening contribution and Hafez Modirzadeh's evocative conclusion.

Awareness of Northern California's musical ferment has grown in recent years with the high profile of such players as guitarist Charlie Hunter, saxophonist/composer Peter Apfelbaum, and the three-guitar band T.J. Kirk. X Dot producers, and co-compiler Doré Stein have turned their sharply tuned ears to the broader context from which those young stars have risen. From a teeming cauldron of acid jazz, free improvisation, Latin and world music, and fusion that defies the common connotations of the term, they have plucked an exemplary batch of equally gifted contemporary innovators, whether signified by the name of the leader, such as Andre Bush, or a provocative group moniker like 3 Bean Salad.

Celebrated guest stars pepper this recording: bassist Eddie Gomez and drummer Al Foster in guitarist Paul Mousavi's rhythm section, and saxophonist Steve Coleman blowing with pianist Vijay Iyer. But take note, as well, of such names in the credits as Paul Hanson (revolutionizing the jazz bassoon in other contexts), John Yi (a member of the avant-garde trio Fatty Boom Boom), John R. Burr (a ubiquitous keyboard master), brothers Mark and Paul Van Wageningen (whose rhythm section skills are in constant demand), and Will Bernard (guitarist with T.J. Kirk, Jai Uttal and Peter Apfelbaum now stepping out with his own quartet).

As evidence of the scene's sense of community, witness the varied and more than coincidental cross-collaborations on this recording -- Hafez Modirzadeh joining Ann Dyer & No Good Time Fairies, Dann Zinn switching to alto on Wally Schalle's "Scratch Shot," Dred Scott stretching the keyboard sounds for President's Breakfast, Paul Van Wageningen drumming with both Zinn and Claudia Villela. And it as a representation of this fertile grassroots community, in all its diversity and experimental power, that X Dot's jazz sampler promotes the interests of exciting original music everywhere.

-- Derk Richardson

Compiled and Sequenced by Doré Stein & X DOT 25 Music
Executive Producers: X DOT 25 Music

Dann Zinn
Zaria Z 6:36

From the CD "Ten Songs" Composed & arranged by Dann Zinn

Personnel:
Kim Atkinson, talking drums;
Mark Van Wageningen, bass;
Paul Van Wageningen, drums;
Tim Volpicella, guitar;
Dann Zinn, soprano saxophone.

Produced by Hans Christian Reumschüssel and Dann Zinn
Recorded at Mesa Recording Studios, Sebastopol, California.
Engineered by Hans Christian Reumschüssel, assisted by Kenny Evans.
Mastered by Bernie Grundman.
P 1995 Z Music (BMI)

Paul Mousavi
The Nineteenth Floor 7:43

From the CD "Sound Mind" Composed & arranged by Paul Mousavi

Personnel:
Paul Mousavi, guitar;
Danny Walsh, Alto Saxophone;
Dave Kikoski, piano;
Eddie Gomez, bass;
Al Foster, drums.

Produced by Steve Epstein and Brian Melvin
Recorded at Sound On Sound Studios, N.Y.C. Engineered by James Farber.
Mixed by Howard Johnston at Different Fur Studios, San Francisco, California.
Mastered by George Horn at Fantasy Studios, Berkeley, California.
P 1994 Mudmen Music (BMI)

Claudia Villela
Asa Verde 6:02

From the CD "Asa Verde" Composed by Claudia Villela

Personnel:
Claudia Villela, vocals;
Andy Connell, soprano sax,
Weber Drummond, piano;
Gary Brown, electric bass;
Paul Van Wageningen, drums;
Carla & Christina Villela, additional voices.

Co-produced and arranged by Claudia Villela and Rich Wells
Recorded by Devon Rietveld at The Plant Recording Studios, Sausalito, California .
Mixed by Devon Rietveld and Claudia Villela at The Plant Studios.
P 1994 Tainá Music (BMI)

Dred Scott
Business Man's Bounce 7:43

From the CD "Small Clubs Are Dead" Composed & arranged by Dred Scott

Personnel:
Dred Scott, piano;
Wilbur Krebs, bass;
Joe Brigandi, drums.
P 1993 Robertson Music (ASCAP)

The Jeff Massanari Group
Hope 4:47

From the CD "Hip Flip" Composed & arranged by Jeff Massanari

Personnel: Jeff Massanari, guitar;
John R. Burr, Keyboards;
Paul Hanson, saxophone;
Terry Miller, bass;
David Rokeach, Drums

Recorded at Pyramid Studios, San Francisco, California.
Engineered and mixed by Gary Mankin
P 1995 Jazz Dog Music.

Vijay Iyer
Off The Top 7:05

From the CD "Memorophilia" Composed, arranged & produced by Vijay Iyer

Personnel:
Vijay Iyer, piano;
Jeff Brock, acoustic bass;
Brad Hargreaves, drums;
Steve Coleman (courtesy of RCA Records), alto saxophone.

Recorded, mixed and mastered by Cookie Marenco at OTR Studios, Belmont, California.

P 1995 Multiplicity Music (SESAC)

Ann Dyer & No Good Time Fairies
Social Call 5:22

From the CD "Ann Dyer & No Good Time Fairies" Featuring Hafez Modirzadeh - Composed by Gigi Gryce

Personnel:
Ann Dyer, vocals;
Hafez Modirzadeh, tenor saxophone;
Jeff Buenz, electric guitar; John Shifflet, acoustic bass;
Jason Lewis, drums.
Arranged by Ann Dyer and No Good Time Fairies.
Recorded at Live Oak Studio Berkeley, California.
Mixed at Different Fur, San Francisco, California.
Mastered at BMG Studios, NY

P 1995 Mr. Brown Records

Wally Schnalle
Scratch Shot 3:14

From the CD "It Rhymes" Composed, arranged & produced by Wally Schnalle
Personnel:
Wally Schnalle, drums, scratch remix, additional organ & synth sequences;
Dann Zinn, alto sax;
John Worley, trumpet;
Murray Low, organ;
Tom Bockhold, bass; Selector G, scratch.

Recorded by Scotty Smith at TRS, Sunnyvale, California. Mixed by Wally Schnalle, Scotty Smith and Cal Ball at TRS, Sunnyvale, California.
Pre-mastered at Session Kat Productions by Tim The Kat.
Mastered at Fantasy Studios, Berkeley, California by George Horn.

P 1994 Norma D Music

André Bush
Hearts Broken Dance 5:21

From the CD "Darwin's Waiting Room" Composed arranged & produced by André Bush

Personnel:
André Bush, guitar;
Paul Nagel, piano;
Michael Zilber, saxophone;
John Hettel, acoustic and electric bass;
Alan Hall, drums

Recorded and mixed and mastered at OTR Studios, Belmont, California by Cookie Marenco
P 1996 André Bush (BMI)

3 Bean Salad
Tangier Docks 5:43

From the CD "Legumanity" Composed and arranged by Dan Lederer

Personnel:
Tim Bolling, drums;
Scott Hill, saxes;
Dan Lederer, guitars.

Recorded by Mark Schleunes at CrowMagnon Music, Oakland, California.
Mixed by Mark Schleunes and 3 Bean Salad at CrowMagnon Music, Oakland, California.
Mastered by Scott Hill.
P 1996 3 Bean Salad

President's Breakfast
Odpharb 6:58

From the CD "Doo Process" Composed and arranged by Will Bernard
Personnel:
Click Dark, drums, samples, dub processing;
Nate Pitts, bass;
Will Bernard, guitar;
Dred Scott, keys and percussion,
John Yi, saxophones; Squantch, bone;
Jeremy Brooks, percussion;
Titus Pierce, turntable;
Blane Finell, trumpet.

Produced by Bill Langton.
Recorded at Komotion.
Engineered by Phred Cirillo, Hage Van Dijk, and Ed Herrmann.
Mixed by Click Dark, Phred Cirillo, Hage Van Dijk, and Ed Herrmann.
Mastered by Paul Stubblbine at Rocket Lab.
Digital editing by Hage Van Dijk and Click Dark.

P 1994 Pest Wortal Publishing (BMI)

Hafez Modirzadeh
Nava-ye Mardom 6:30

From the CD "People's Blues (Nava-ye Mardom)" Composed and arranged by Hafez Modirzadeh & Mahmoud Zoufonoun

Personnel:
Hafez Modirzadeh, tenor saxophone;
Ramin Zoufonoun, persian-tuned piano;
Shahram Kazemi, tombak;
Royal Hartigan, drums;
James Norton, soprano saxophone;
Timothy Volpicella, guitar and effects;
Ken Filliano, bass.

Produced by Hafez Modirzadeh. Recorded at OTR Studios, Belmont, California,
Engineered and mixed by Cookie Marenco and Generosa Litton.
Mastered by Victor Owens at Digisonic, Berkeley, California.

P 1996 X DOT 25 Music (BMI)