Saxophonist Marion Meadows Shares Secrets

From a certain perspective Marion Meadows is something of a magician, in that there is seemingly always something up his sleeve – something he’s not showing outright – that ultimately reveals itself when the music starts.

The next best thing to Meadows fully disclosing his secrets would be the upcoming release of his album, Secrets, which will be available on April 28th.

For Meadows, the secrets lie within the music and reveal themselves on a subconscious level – a place where instinct and intuition take over. And for as much as Meadows may be the keeper of these secrets, they are often just as much a revelation to him as they are to the listener.

“Secrets are things that are kept hidden beneath the surface of our own intellect, our own decision-making,” he says. “They’re these treasures that are often right in front of our eyes and yet we don’t even see them or know they’re there.”

Unearthing these subconscious treasures requires a more organic approach to the music, says Meadows. “I wanted to incorporate a more live sensibility into the recording process in the making of this record,” he explains. “I wanted to use musicians who have also been part of my live performances.”

The majority of the tunes on Secrets, such as “Let the Top Down,” “Soul Sugar,” “Flirt” and the title track, were written by Marion and keyboardist/programmer Michael Broening. Marion also includes a cover version of Bobby McFerrin’s “Friends,” which features vocalist Brian Chartrand, and Pat Metheny’s classic song “Here to Stay.”

Secrets is ultimately an album that takes into consideration the assembly of ears on the other side of the musical equation, says Meadows. “When we put these records out, we tend to forget about the fans’ initial response to them,” he says. “We live with these projects from their conception and birth all the way up to the final details of post-production and pressing. In a lot of cases, once it’s done and out the door, we need some distance from it for a few weeks. But at that same time, it’s a fresh new experience for the fans who buy it. They’re saying, ‘What’s this thing going to sound like?’ For them, it’s still a secret. It’s something that has yet to be discovered and explored.”

For more information on Marion Meadows you can visit his website, marionmeadows.com.

Posted by: smoothjazznetwork.com

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