Out Now On Qobuz: Exclusive Live Album From Clam City (Jeff Babko, Tim Lefebvre, Mark Guiliana) Via Sam First Records

Listen on Qobuz HERE

Album release performance at LA’s Sam First tomorrow, Saturday, April 13, 2024, to be livestreamed worldwide, with free virtual admission for Qobuz users

Qobuz, the music lovers’ high-quality music streaming and download platform, is partnering with Los Angeles’s Sam First Jazz Club and its new home for high-fidelity recordings of select live performances, Sam First Records, to exclusively release a digital live album from Jazz improv masters Clam City, out today. The trio, composed of long-time collaborators (and friends) pianist/keyboardist Jeff Babko, bassist Tim Lefebvre, and drummer Mark Guiliana, recorded the album during performances on April 29 and 30, 2022. To celebrate the release, the trio will perform two live-streamed sets at Sam First tomorrow, April 13th with free virtual admission for Qobuz users.

Set 1 livestream (7:30pm PST) HERE

Set 2 livestream (9:30pm PST) HERE

Listen to the Clam City album on Qobuz HERE

Together, Clam City’s three GRAMMY-nominated virtuosos are known for their work in Guiliana’s “Beat Music L.A.” ensemble. Individually, Babko, Lefebvre, and Guiliana’s credits span from David Bowie’s Blackstar album and Donny McCaslin’s band, to performances with Brad Mehldau, Steely Dan, James Taylor and Toto.

“The bond between Tim Lefebvre, Mark Guiliana, and I is palpable within the grooves of this disc.” says Jeff Babko in the Clam City Liner Notes. “To the casual listener and avid music participant alike, the music heard on this record should reflect the magic that happens in a ‘real-time’ moment with little prejudice, expectation or direction.”

The live album was produced by Sam First owner Paul Solomon and Staff Producer David Robaire, and was recorded, mixed, and mastered by Nick Calapine, and features liner notes by Jeff Babko, design by Spencer Cole Porter, and cover photograph by Paul Solomon.

Keeping with its “Boutique in a Superstore World” approach, Clam City is the latest of Qobuz’ exclusive works for Jazz fans and other hard-core music lovers. Previous exclusives include International Anthem’s Qobuz series (featuring live-to-record performances by Makaya McCraven, Alabaster DePlume with Jeremiah Chiu & Marta Sofia Honer, and Carlos Niño with DJ-producer Photay); Qobuz’ live-to-EP SXSW showcases (featuring Yazmin Lacey, Shana Cleveland, Miss Grit, Cosmo Pyke, Caramelo Haze, and Barrie); and other exclusive releases from the likes of Dinosaur Jr., Circuit des Yeux, Christian McBride, Frank Zappa, Tower of Power, and many more.

“We are excited to partner with Qobuz in this innovative way,” says owner Paul Solomon and producer David Robaire. “The musicians at Sam First represent the finest group of creative players in the Jazz world. Qobuz curates Jazz and creative music unlike any other platform. Qobuz’ focus on quality, on artistry, and its bespoke approach to bringing music and an audience together is totally on point with Sam First Records’ approach. We are Qobuz users ourselves and we are excited and tremendously enthusiastic about this partnership, and look forward to ongoing collaborations.”

Qobuz Managing Director Dan Mackta added “We recognized Sam First as like-minded music lovers so this partnership made perfect sense. Qobuz is happy to be able to give this release the attention it deserves.”

See below the tracklist for Clam City @ Sam First:

01 The Church of Bill Hilton 9:05 (Jeff Babko)

02 New Wave Theater 12:31 (Jeff Babko)

03 New Jersey Ballad 1:37 (Mark Guiliana)

04 This West 7:44 (Jeff Babko)

05 Boo Boo’s Birthday 7:58 (Thelonious Monk)

06 Fugue Robotique 18:59 (Jeff Babko)

07 Chongo’s Song 14:56 (Jeff Babko)

08 Return To Jerz 1:41 (Mark Guiliana)

About Qobuz 

Founded in 2007 and a pioneer in high-quality sound, Qobuz is a French music streaming and download platform for anyone who wants to fully experience and share their passion for music. Available in 26 countries around the world, including Europe, the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Latin America, and Japan (for high-resolution download service only), Qobuz offers a range of exclusive editorial content written by a team of experts. With a catalog of over 100 million tracks, Qobuz also has the richest selection of high-resolution (Hi-Res) references on the market. Qobuz is a licensed Hi-Res Audio provider by the Japan Audio Society (JAS). For more information: www.qobuz.com

About Sam First Records

Sam First Records documents concerts at Sam First, home since 2017 to a vibrant Los Angeles Jazz and creative music scene. The recordings capture the natural acoustics, placing the listeners “in the room” where they feel the moment of creativity. Releases include recordings by Justin Kauflin Trio, Josh Nelson featuring Gaby Moreno, Joe La Barbera Quintet, Rachel Eckroth, Clam City and Devin Daniels Quintet. For more information: www.samfirstrecords.com