On the 20th
anniversary of its release, the multi-instrumentalist hitmaker returns
to his contemporary jazz roots to remake his debut album joined by many
of the accomplished artists that inspired him.
Brian Culbertson
was a 20-year-old student at DePaul University recording demos in his
bedroom “studio” in a crowded apartment that he shared with three
roommates above a costume shop on a busy Chicago street. Those demos not
only landed the then trombone player in DePaul’s jazz ensemble a record
deal, but they were released a year later - February 1994 - as part of
his debut album, “Long Night Out,” on which Culbertson played
most of the instruments himself. Twenty years later, he’s an
award-winning recording artist, songwriter and producer who is currently
in the studio revisiting that first collection of songs that will be
released in February 2014 as “Another Long Night Out,” but this time he’ll be accompanied by many of the contemporary jazz artists who influenced him when making the original.
Culbertson’s
recent releases have primarily been excursions aboard R&B and funk
grooves thus “Another Long Night Out” marks a return to his roots in
contemporary jazz. Among the preeminent musicians joining him in the
recording studio to play on the 11-song album are the Rippington’s Russ Freeman, Eric Marienthal, Candy Dulfer, Toto’s Steve Lukather, Paul Jackson Jr., Fourplay’s Chuck Loeb and Nathan East, Jimmy Haslip and Will Kennedy of Yellowjackets fame, Ricky Lawson, Michael Thompson, Lenny Castro, Michael Bland, Patches Stewart and a 38-piece orchestra with additional legendary artists soon to be added. Culbertson is producing the record.
Another
major change for the keyboardist-trombonist who has released his
13-album catalogue through major record labels is that Culbertson
decided to go the independent fan-funded route in order to get his
worldwide fan base intimately involved with the project. In recent
years, he has been a leading figure in contemporary jazz when it comes
to embracing technological innovation, social media and video blogs and
is energized about the new music business, the creative freedoms it
affords and the opportunities to interact directly with fans.
Said Culbertson, who discusses the new project and shares footage from some of the recording sessions in his latest video blog (www.YouTube.com/BrianCulbertsonMusic),
“I’m excited about being able to make the album the way I’ve always
wanted to make it. With the limited resources I had at the time, most of
‘Long Night Out’ was just me on drum machines, synth bass and
sampled/synth piano trying to sound like real instruments. Now I’ve got
some of the best contemporary jazz musicians on the planet playing those
parts. This record is a true passion project and a return to my roots
as a recording artist. I’m also enthused about opening up the recording
process to fans via fan funding, which is almost like having them there
in the studio with us. They’ll get to hear demo versions of songs and
early mixes in almost real time. The entire recording process will be
documented on my video blog. Plus we’ll be offering fans extraordinary
experiences such as personalized videos and phone calls, private
concerts, concert tickets, video blog shout outs or a thank you in the
album’s liner notes, signed sheet music and CDs, a limited edition vinyl
copy of ‘Another Long Night Out,’ an opportunity to hang with me at the
mastering session followed by dinner or the chance to come to a
rehearsal for my 2014 tour. I can even play on your record.”
A highly-popular headline concert performer, Culbertson is also the Founder and Artistic Director of Brian Culbertson’s Napa Valley Jazz Getaway,
a five-day festival of wine and jazz in breathtaking Napa, California.
The luminous lineup for the third edition of the Napa Valley Jazz
Getaway, slated for June 11-15, 2014, will be revealed by the end of the
month in conjunction with the release of tickets.
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