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Tuesday, September 27, 2022

Straight-ahead jazz saxophonist Sam Taylor's defiant act of giving #jazz

His “Let Go” album, featuring trumpeter Terell Stafford, drops October 21.

 

One bright morning last January, saxophonist Sam Taylor started his day by writing down his intentions. It was an important day, the day that he would lead a quintet featuring trumpeter Terell Stafford in the same historic recording studio where John ColtraneSonny RollinsFreddie Hubbard and Stanley Turrentine recorded, to track his third album for Cellar Live. Locking in his focus, Taylor’s message to himself was to be grateful, mindful and fully present for the recording experience, and most importantly, to give and let go. The resultant ten-track swinging jazz set “Let Go,” produced by Taylor and Cory Weeds, drops October 21 on CD and October 28 digitally.

 


Taylor’s set list consists of selections from the Great American Songbook, including songs written by Barry HarrisHank JonesBenny Golson, and Jule Styne. However, one can argue that the centerpiece is Taylor’s own composition. The Harlem-based artist wrote the title track, marking the first time he ever recorded one of his own songs. “Let Go” embodies Taylor’s ethos as a musician.

 

“It was written during a year full of the unexpected, with invaluable new experiences and lessons. More than that was the validation of a virtue I have long held true in my heart as I live this life of music: music is an act of giving. Living a life of music is also a journey of generosity and letting go. The musician surrenders to the music, interprets the song and shares that with others. To surrender, to be tender and giving is a show of strength, an act of defiance. This is an empowering idea. Our world faces such heartache, fear and profound grief. How do we meet that every day as individuals and as a society? Tenderness and loving kindness could be the most powerful tools we have. In my own way, this recording is an act of defiance,” said Taylor.

 

Recorded at Van Gelder Studios, Taylor and Stafford are flanked on the album by a trio comprised of pianist Jeb Patton, bassist Neal Miner and drummer Willie Jones III. Taylor grew up in Philadelphia listening to Stafford, a renown and respected talent who teaches in the City of Brotherly Love at Temple University

 

“Terell Stafford is an international jazz star, a fixture on the Philadelphia jazz scene and one of the city’s artistic leaders. To have the opportunity to know him and play with him now as a professional musician is truly special. I remember attending a workshop while I was a young student at The Performing Arts High School in Philadelphia. We took a bus up Broad Street to Temple University where students across the city sat and listened to Terell’s group play and speak about jazz. I remember his emphasis on rhythm, the triplet, how to feel the beat. He was giving and patient. I can honestly say he is just as genuine and giving now. It is an overwhelming honor to play this music with him,” said Taylor, who will perform at Rite of Swing Jazz Café at Temple University on November 10.

 

Released as a single last week, the album opens with the bebop anthem “Luminescence,” which was penned by Harris, a seminal figure on the New York City jazz scene who passed away a few weeks prior to the “Let Go” recording date.

 

Taylor first discovered the melancholy “Angel Face” from a 1940s recording by tenor saxman Coleman Hawkins but decided to record his own version after falling in love with a take he heard featuring one of his favorite singers, Abbey Lincoln

 

“The melody is gorgeous, operatic in style and goes straight to the heart. Ms. Lincoln’s interpretation, including her own lyric, is perfection. She is a constant source of inspiration for me. Her honesty and fearlessness are undeniable,” said Taylor.

 

In choosing to interpret Golson’s  “Out of the Past,” Taylor pays homage to his hometown.

 

“The song has the classic Golson sound: lyrical melody, beautiful lead (sax) voice paired with the blues and deep swing. Benny Golson is a Philadelphian like me. As with my previous record, ‘Along The Way,’ it was important for me to honor and embrace my hometown while embracing my experience of over fifteen years living a life of music in New York,” said Taylor who will be running his first marathon in Philadelphia in November.

 

One of the more impromptu and magical moments that occurred during the “Let Go” recording date came at the end of the session. As the musicians were packing up their gear, Taylor asked the engineer to keep the tape rolling. With just his tenor horn and sparse accompaniment from Miner and Jones, Taylor emoted an impassioned “Prisoner of Love” with the woman he calls the love of his life sitting beside him.

 

“I first heard this old American Songbook standard on the ‘Coleman Hawkins Encounters Ben Webster’ two tenor record. It was one of the first records I really tried to understand. I would constantly play along with it without any real understanding of harmony or what I was doing. It just moved me, and I wanted to be a part of it somehow. This song has now taken on new meaning for me as I dedicate it to Maia. Recording it was a moment I’ll never forget, filled with such joy and love,” said Taylor.

 

Taylor underscores the Philly and New York City theme on “Philly New York Junction.” He grew up listening to trumpeters John Swana and Joe Magnarelli playing it, regularly seeing Swana perform in Philadelphia jazz clubs.

 

“Swana’s playing, along with that of Larry McKennaBootsie Barnes and Sid Simmons really informed and inspired my choice to live a life of music. They showed me - and continue to do so - that being a musician is to be part of a community. The music is bigger than you, and living it means honoring those that came before, that lived and transitioned in its name,” said Taylor.

 

The album concludes with a pair of unlikely tunes. Taken from the musical “Annie,” “You’re Never Fully Dressed Without A Smile” is an earnest attempt to do something Taylor’s “all-time hero” had a flair for doing.

 

“It became my theme song over the year, one that I would always play in a tenor trio format - saxophone, bass and drums - on my weekly gigs in New York City. This is my favorite format if I’m honest, thanks to my love of Sonny Rollins. The song always makes people smile and tap their feet. Recording it is also a subtle way to honor Rollins, who is known as an indisputable musical genius who often picks the most unlikely of tunes and makes them incredibly hip and swinging. I hope we achieved that with this one,” said Taylor.

 

Closing the set is “Bye Bye Baby,” which Marilyn Monroe sang in “Gentleman Prefer Blondes.” Taylor’s rendition was influenced by a version he heard played at dazzling speed by pianist Harold Mabern.

 

Taylor studied and was mentored at Purchase College, State University of New York. Among his noteworthy performances was playing with saxophone greats James MoodyJimmy HeathFrank WessJoe LovanoSteve WilsonMark Turner and Ralph Lalama. He released his critically lauded solo debut, “My Future Just Passed,” in 2015 followed two years later by “Along the Way,” which was the first time he teamed up with Patton and Miner. Twice Taylor has toured in Canada, and he’ll be supporting “Let Go” at concert dates there next month around the album release date. Closer to home, Taylor serves as artistic director for the West Harlem Jazz Festival.  

 

In the “Let Go” liner notes, Taylor writes about music giving voice to an experience, both personal and collective. He believes music is an expression of love and respect, inspiring hope and a reason to overcome challenges and triumphs. Understanding the role music can and does play is why before stepping foot inside the recording studio earlier this year, Taylor put pen to paper to state his intentions.       

     

“I invited my musical heroes to come together, to bring their powerful voices into a space, surrender and let go. Terell, Jeb, Neal and Willie were masterful. The space, a studio that echoes with jazz history, made the day that much more meaningful. I havent the words to express my gratitude. My hope is the music communicates that clearly and fully.”

 

“Let Go” contains the following songs:

 

“Luminescence”

“Let Go”

“Angel Face”

“Getting’ Together”

“Out of the Past”

“Prisoner of Love”

“Here’s That Rainy Day”

“Philly New York Junction”

“You’re Never Fully Dressed Without A Smile”

“Bye Bye Baby”

 

For more information, please visit www.samtaylormusic.com

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Monday, September 26, 2022

Smooth Jazz Chart - Weekly Top 100 - September 26, 2022 #jazz

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This chart from smoothjazz.com generally updates every Monday. 
When it updates, this post will be repeated with the most recent link. 






Saturday, September 24, 2022

‘Drumology, Vol. III' features drum & percussion greats from jazz, fusion, prog & rock #jazz

DRUM VIRTUOSO ROB SILVERMAN GATHERS ANOTHER ROSTER OF MASTER PERCUSSIONISTS FOR THE THIRD VOLUME OF HIS ACCLAIMED DRUMOLOGY PROJECT

Drumology, Volume III, due out November 4 from Autumn Hill Records, features drum and percussion greats from jazz, fusion, prog and rock including Steve Gadd, Dave Weckl, Roy “Futureman” Wooten, Gavin Harrison, Gumbi Ortiz, Gergo Borlai, Glen Sobel and Casey Adams
For Rob Silverman, assembling the all-star summit of master drummers for his 2020 project Drumology was a dream come true. What he didn’t realize at the time was that it would become a recurring dream. After the success of the first volume, Silverman began to reach out to more of the names on his list of favorites – but more importantly, many of those names began to reach out to him. Soon enough, he had recorded enough material for not one but two sequels.
 
Due out November 4, 2022 via Autumn Hill Records, the thrilling Drumology, Volume III concludes the trilogy with yet another jaw-dropping conglomeration of percussion virtuosos along with special guest musicians from across the spectrum of jazz, fusion, and progressive rock. As with the first two volumes, all proceeds will benefit the Neil Peart Fund for brain cancer research at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.
 
“This project is deeply significant in my lifelong musical journey,” Silverman says. “It has truly been a dream come true, thanks to everyone involved: my family, my friends and the most inspiring musical heroes of my life.”
 
The line-up for Volume III boasts a stellar line-up to rival its predecessors: drummers Steve Gadd (Paul Simon, Steely Dan), Dave Weckl (Chick Corea, Mike Stern), Roy “Futureman” Wooten (Béla Fleck and the Flecktones), Gavin Harrison (King Crimson, Porcupine Tree), Gergo Borlai (Scott Kinsey), Glen Sobel (Alice Cooper), and Casey Adams, a lifelong friend and collaborator who has become one of the most in-demand drum teachers in St. Louis; and percussionists Gumbi Ortiz (Al Di Meola) and Jamie Brauner.
 
While all three albums have focused on the rhythmic showdowns, those drum duets have been sparked by masterful new compositions by the Silverman brothers and keyboardist/producer Jay Oliver (Eagles, Sheryl Crow). Pianist/keyboardist Michael Silverman and bassist Larry Kornfeld (Randy Brecker, Jeff Lorber) form the core band for the project, joined by special guests including Oliver, banjo master Béla Fleck, guitarists Frank Gambale and Jennifer Batten, saxophonist Eric Marienthal, bassists John Patitucci and Victor Wooten, and vocalist/guitarist Paul Molkenbur.
 
“After the release of Drumology, the project became broader in so many different senses,” says Michael Silverman. “The first volume was really concentrated on jazz and fusion, but our love of rock music became a big part of Volume II, which featured a number of rock legends. Now we’ve added Latin percussion and world music influences that have taken the music to an even higher level.”
 
Ask any drummer to name the idols they’d most want to share the stage with and nearly every list would include Steve Gadd and Dave Weckl. Gadd is one of the most revered and prolific drummers in history, with the foundational beat to Paul Simon’s “50 Ways to Leave Your Lover” and the showstopping solo on Steely Dan’s “Aja” just two highlights from a career that has included significant collaborations with Chick Corea, Eric Clapton, James Taylor, and countless others.
 
Weckl is one of the key groovemakers of jazz fusion with tenures in Chick Corea’s Elektric and Akoustic Bands as well as work with Robert Plant, Paul Simon, and George Benson. Silverman brings these two legends together for the explosive album opener “The Alchemist,” with its Middle Eastern-tinged melody setting off a breathless series of drumkit pyrotechnics.
 
“Jaco’s Dream” pays blistering tribute the influential bass master Jaco Pastorius with Hungarian-born fusion drummer Gergo Borlai and Zappa Plays Zappa guitarist Jamie Kime.
 
Another wish fulfillment track is “Fibonacci Pie,” which reunites three quarters of the Flecktones: banjo maestro Béla Fleck, bassist Victor Wooten and his brother Roy “Futureman” Wooten on percussion and Zendrum, the hybrid drum-guitar that he helped conceive.
 
“Falcon Nine” is a more pared-down and intimate affair. Longtime St. Louis friend and colleague Casey Adams returns from the original Drumology to join the Silverman brothers on a soaring prog-pop tune.
 
The funky “Sevenish” features the trademark intricate rhythms of King Crimson and Porcupine Tree drummer Gavin Harrison, while “Talk of the Town” provides an epic arena rock finale with Michael Jackson guitarist Jennifer Batten and Alice Cooper drummer Glen Sobel along with Eric Marienthal’s sinuous sax.
 
You can feel the breeze in your hair as you listen to “Sailing,” an anthemic ode to cruising the open waters with a vocal turn by guitarist-songwriter Paul Molkenbur (backed by Shaina Adams) and percolating Latin rhythms from longtime Al Di Meola percussionist Gumbi Ortiz and Jamie Brauner.
 
The release of each of Silverman’s Drumology albums has become a can’t-miss event for drum aficionados and music lovers in general. Volume III doesn’t disappoint, with an elite cadre of drummers playing propulsive, memorable new songs – and all for a good cause.


Rob Silverman on the web:
Official Site: https://www.robsilvermandrums.net/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/robsilvermandrums/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3hA2N_XBB_bIj3sfdBgbBA

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Thursday, September 22, 2022

Contemporary jazz guitarist Richard Smith continues the legacy of groove #jazz

The new single, “Groove Assets,” which goes for playlist adds on October 3, was produced by his former student, hitmaker Adam Hawley.

 

Whether he’s teaching at USC’s Thornton School of Music or abroad in such diverse locations as Tokyo, Kuala Lumpur, Hong Kong, Manila, London, Oslo, Amsterdam, Helsinki, Palermo, Rome or Bueno Aires, contemporary jazz guitarist Richard Smith gets asked about playing in the groove. So much so that the globetrotter thinks that playing in the pocket may be America’s greatest cultural export musically. Recorded in London, Amsterdam and Los Angeles, Smith’s new single, “Groove Assets,” captures that soulful sound with the aid of one of his former students, multi-time Billboard chart-topping guitarist Adam Hawley, who produced and cowrote the song with his former professor.

 


"I've found that no matter where I go in the world, I hear American popular music - R&B, hip hop, soul and jazz - coming out of restaurants, bars, cars and classrooms as much or more as the indigenous music. The minute I come back to the States and fire up my Los Angeles band, it hits me: the groove, lock, pocket, and soulfulness that is embedded so deeply in our American music culture. When I teach or give masterclasses abroad, they want to know about what ‘playing in the pocket’ is, as if it is a mysterious, elusive phenomenon. And it IS a cultural phenomenon that comes out of our deep and diverse musical heritage. So, I have developed a lot of classes around that, sort of a how to lock-it-up and groove. I say that one of the best musical ‘assets’ that they can have is groove assets,” said Smith about his inspiration for the single.

 

“Groove Assets” has a certain laid back, chill quality to the midtempo groove fronted by Smith’s cool electric jazz guitar licks, which are embellished by Hawley’s rhythm guitar harmonies. Bolted to a taut rhythmic pocket crafted by drummer Eric Valentine and bassist Mel Brown, the song’s cowriter Tico Pierhagen adds keyboard melodies. Trumpeter Michael Stever architects the lush horn arrangements that form a proscenium around the R&B groove.

 

Smith has been traveling internationally since he was seven and for most of the last twenty years, he’s taught and performed each year in Europe. The guitarist has served as a visiting professor of contemporary jazz and popular music at major music conservatories and academies all over the world, which he’s been doing since he was in his twenties. He was one of the youngest tenured professors at USC’s Thornton School of Music where he created the world’s first doctorate program in contemporary guitar. That’s where he first connected with Hawley, whom he calls a “success story.” 

 

Shortly after the pandemic hit in 2020, Smith was diagnosed with stage four throat cancer. To divert his mind, he reached out to Hawley to help him write and produce a few singles. “Groove Asset” is their third collaboration.

 

“The first two songs (“Let’s Roll” and “Soul Share”) we did together were hits, and it feels like we are onto another one with 'Groove Assets'. There is no greater pleasure or prouder moment in a jazz professor's life than the act of hiring a former student for the incredibly important job of producing a single. I am a very lucky, proud soul indeed,” beamed Smith, whose cancer is in complete remission.

 

"We train jazz and rock stars. I am super proud of all our students who have gone on to play with Chick CoreaHerbie HancockJohn LegendGwen StefaniMarc AnthonyThundercatJustin BieberMichael BubléJason MrazElton JohnMadonnaBonoMaroon 5Jennifer LopezJohn Mayer, and on hit television programs ‘American Idol’ and ‘Glee’ to name a few."  

 

Smith was a student at USC when he attended the last masterclass given by Spanish classical guitar great Andre Segovia, which had a lasting impact.

 

“The Maestro said many profound things, but the one that really stuck with me and guided my life was ‘When you teach, you learn twice.’ That, and the fact that my mother, father, cousins, aunts and uncles were all professors at schools like OxfordMITOberlinTuftsHong KongUCLAMichigan and Liverpool guided me toward university life as my recording and performing career grew. It has all been something of a mission,” said Smith who plans to perform next summer in England, Holland, Greece and Italy.

 

“Our (America’s) jazz and popular music are our greatest cultural export, and I am proud to be an ambassador for that.”

 

Closer to home, Smith will be a featured performer alongside Greg Adams and East Bay Soul at the Catalina Island JazzTrax Festival on October 22.

 

For more information, please visit www.richardsmithguitar.com.


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Tuesday, September 20, 2022

Jazz fusion guitarist Ron Bosse blazes a path via mindset and the power of collaboration #jazz

“Burning Room Only,” produced and cowritten by Grammy winner Jeff Lorber, drops October 28.  

 

Inherently jazz is about collaboration, the sum of the whole being greater than the parts due to the magic that results from improvisation when the chemistry amongst the musicians is right. That’s the approach jazz fusion guitarist Ron Bosse took to record “Burning Room Only.” The Boston-based fretman hooked up with Grammy-winning fusion icon, keyboardist Jeff Lorber, to write and record the eleven-song set produced by Lorber that drops October 28 on the Deep Cat Records label. 

 


Bosse views “Burning Room Only” as a mindset. Yes, musicians love to describe scorching performances as “burning,” and that certainly applies to the masterful musicianship on display throughout this collection, but Bosse takes the meaning deeper.

 

“On a deeper level, the name is a metaphor for how I feel about people. If you want to be successful in life, you need to surround yourself with people who share the same mindset. In essence, there’s ‘only room’ for positive people who have a ‘burning’ desire to succeed,” said Bosse.

 

Over the course of fourteen months, Bosse spent hours talking to Lorber about the funky contemporary jazz grooves, intense rock fusion explorations and compelling melodies they were creating. Led by the guitarist’s remarkably proficient and alacritous finger work, the set that Bosse and Lorber crafted is a team effort with this formidable team featuring some real “burners.” Lorber deploys nimble keyboard harmonies and unleashes fiery solos. Drummer Gary Novak (George Benson, Lee Ritenour, Chick Corea) anchors the beats with precision, locking into the bass lines etched by Ben Shepherd, Jimmy Haslip (Yellowjackets), Frenchman Hadrien Feraud, or the colorfully experimental MonoNeon (Prince). Robust horn section arrangements by David Mann add muscle and might, with two saxophonists - the Yellowjackets’ Bob Mintzer and Snarky Puppy’s Bob Reynolds - harnessing soul, power and passion in spotlight solos. 

 

Citing jazz guitar great Pat Martino’s “El Hombre” as inspiration for the groove-jazz style of play that proliferates “Burning Room Only,” Bosse said, “There are two songs on Pat’s album - “Cisco” and “A Blues for Mickey-O” - that are more groove oriented rather than traditional swing, yet Pat still solos with his classic linear approach of fluid eighth-note lines. Ever since hearing that album, I’ve wanted to record an album that was groove oriented, with a contemporary rhythm section, but where the guitar still had a classic clean jazz tone, and the solos were super swinging. With ‘Burning Room Only,’ I think we nailed this approach.”

 

First out of the gate is the album opener, “Bossman,” which was issued as a single last Friday (September 16). 

 

“My solo on this song really crystallized some of the technical approaches I had been working on for quite some time. I was going for a super streamlined and fluid way of playing eighth-note lines over funky 16th-note-based grooves, and I feel like I really locked in this approach on this song. It definitely set the tone for the solos that followed. Anyone who knows me, knows that I am very dedicated to my instrument in the sense that I’m constantly practicing. In the years leading up to recording this album, and throughout the recording process, I got to a heightened level of practicing of almost 6-8 hours a day. I was really trying to push myself as hard as possible to be able to improvise as fluidly as possible without boundaries with respect to tempo. Essentially, I wanted to be able to play anything that came to my mind and be able to deliver it effortlessly,” said Bosse, who was called “Bossman” by friends when he was a kid.

     

Tracks from “Burning Room Only” will aptly be promoted at multiple jazz radio formats. Sweetly melodic, invitingly familiar yet grand and challenging in scope, “Kiss The Sky” will begin collecting playlist adds on the smooth side of jazz on September 26.

 

“To me, the song takes you on a journey through every twist and turn. The melody evolves throughout the song without much repetition, and keeps you closely engaged. The harmony is very complex and enchanting. This was one of the first songs on the album that made me see the true genius behind Jeff’s writing. He has this unique ability to write extremely rich chord progressions, yet he keeps the melody so strong and memorable that you sometimes miss how elaborate it really is. I think that with all art, this is a constant challenge – trying to balance complexity and richness with accessibility,” said Bosse.

 

Funky with a rock edge that Bosse says reveals his love for Stevie Wonder and Lenny Kravitz, “Rumble Strip” will hit as a second single on October 7.

 

“This is the first song on the album that we got Snarky Puppy saxophonist Bob Reynolds to play on and I love how he plays on it. His intonation on the melody in unison with the guitar is spot on, and his solo is a great blend of tasteful, bluesy playing combined with some killer jazz lines,” said Bosse admiringly.


Bosse has been playing in jazz bands and leading his own outfits ever since graduating Berklee College of MusicGuitar Player magazine voted him “Outstanding Guitarist,” saying that he’s “a master in the making.” He created the Next Level Jazz concert series in 1998, producing over a hundred shows throughout the US and Canada. Six years later, he founded the Bosse School of Music, a premier pre-college-level program for contemporary music in Weymouth, Massachusetts. In 2007, he launched Bosse Studios, a world-class audio recording and video production studio that produces content for major brands, including DisneyParamountSamsungAmazonLockheed MartinWalmartHarvard UniversityNFLThe U.S. Open Tennis Series and many others. Five years ago, Bosse paired up with Grammy-winning R&B-jazz guitarist Norman Brown on a series of duet performances and instructional videos focused on improvisation, technique, composition and production.

 

Meticulously attentive to details large and small, Bosse poured a lot into making an impactful statement on “Burning Room Only.” And he knew that statement would benefit in ways unimagined via collaboration. In Lorber, Bosse not only found a producer and co-songwriter, but a partner with a shared ethos who is able to coax the best performances possible from the guitarist. Lorber also played a role in surrounding Bosse with the finest musicians available. The chemistry and community formed during the recording sessions elevated the project, forging lasting bonds.    

 

“When I first began the process of recording this album with Jeff, I immediately noticed that we shared similar values in that we feel that all aspects of the production require a high level of attention and detail. Not only is it about the songs, it’s about the orchestration, it’s about the musicians, the solos, the way it’s recorded, how it’s mixed and mastered, the album artwork, the song titles. One of the things I think about when reflecting on the process of writing and recording the album is how collaboration can yield a result far more unique than going it alone, especially if you put the right people together,” Bosse reflected.

 

“This time period has been one of the most prolific for me which is a true testament to the power of collaboration. My most memorable experience throughout the process of recording this album is the camaraderie and connection with the musicians involved. It’s these personal experiences that really mean the world to me.”

 

“Burning Room Only” contains the following songs:

 

“Bossman”

“Power Drive”

“Strutter”

“Checkin’ In”

“Kiss The Sky”

“Rumble Strip”

“Aerodynamic”

“Event Horizon”

“Ante Up”

“DNA”

“Deep Cat”

 

For more information, please visit www.ronbosse.com


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Monday, September 19, 2022

Smooth Jazz Chart - Weekly Top 100 - September 19, 2022 #jazz

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Sunday, September 18, 2022

Fresh Air remembers jazz pianist Ramsey Lewis #jazz

This is FRESH AIR. Jazz pianist Ramsey Lewis died Monday at the age of 87. In 1965, his trio reached the pop charts with a live recording they made in a Washington, D.C., nightclub. That record, "The 'In' Crowd," was the rare jazz single that landed on the Billboard Top 10 list. In 2015, on the 50th anniversary of "The 'In' Crowd," our jazz critic, Kevin Whitehead, told us how that single came to be.

Friday, September 16, 2022

"Sound Alchemist" Myron McKinley mixes up an audacious jazz and neo soul collection #jazz

“Sound Alchemist” Myron McKinley mixes up an audacious jazz and neo soul collection

 

The keyboardist will drop the album on October 28 accompanied by a series of imaginative videos.

 

Keyboardist Myron McKinley has a clear vision for his own creative expression, but perhaps more importantly, he has a clear vision for providing a necessary impetus to shatter the boundaries and stimulate the evolution of jazz. Dropping October 28 on the Dark Elf Music label, the ten-song “Sound Alchemist” is a learned thesis of sonic exploration and experimentation written and produced by McKinley as a mélange of contemporary, straight-ahead and fusion jazz; hip hop, R&B and soul; and multicultural nuance.

 


While the music industry continues to shift towards singles as singular musical statements, McKinley prefers taking listeners on a complete journey via an album. “Sound Alchemist” does just that. Deftly, he offers enough of the familiar allure, such as recording The Carpenter’s “Close to You,” Sting’s “La Belle Dame San Regrets,” Earth, Wind & Fire’s “Imagination,” and Drake and Jhene Aiko’s “From Time,” but he reinvents each one - sometimes radically - making you forget the source material.

 

McKinley’s own compositions are just as far-reaching and ambitious, challenging jazz to grow and listeners to open their minds. He offers “Will You” as a tribute to Nat King Cole, who long before he was known for seducing and charming with his elegant and silky voice, he was a remarkably dexterous pianist. Another track on which McKinley performs all the instruments is “Matrix,” a wildly adventurous instrumental rooted in elements that are seemingly polar opposites: bebop and European electronic club music. In the company of guitarist Morris O’Connor and trombonist Reggie Young, the keyboardist stretches out even further on “Crowded Club,” referencing early 1970s funk and jazz fusion hybrids created by The Headhunters and Herbie Hancock. McKinley fuses straight-ahead jazz, hip hop beats and electronic dance music on “Let’s Just See,” the result of which is a vividly ingenious recording. Sensual and somber elements spawn “Remembering You.”

 

An all-star lineup illumines the centerpiece selection “Tunisian Morning.” Grammy-winning saxophonist Gerald Albright solos amidst fellow saxman Gary Bias, bassist Reggie Hamilton and percussionist Munyungo Jackson.

 

“I got the chance to play at Nelson Mandela’s birthday party and while we were there celebrating, I heard all these different types of rhythms. I thought it was amazing. So, I kind of took a Bob James approach to the melody but using the rhythm that I heard over there and then had everybody play on it. I was blessed to have all those musicians play on it. They had so much fun doing it. I literally had to stop Munyungo from adding more tracks. He wanted to do more, but he had filled it up so much that you don’t even notice that there’s no drums on the track,” said McKinley.

 

Visuals are an important aspect to McKinley’s approach for “Sound Alchemist” thus three videos were created with a fourth in the planning stages. On the auspicious date of September 21, McKinley’s tribute to Earth, Wind & Fire drops and his “Imagination” video is quite personal. For the past twenty years, McKinley has toured with the legendary band, serving as their musical director for the last dozen years. The group’s energizing bass player Verdine White plays on the track featuring falsetto singer Danny McClain. The video consists of McKinley’s photos from two decades of touring the globe with EWF.

 

The “Let’s Just See” video arrives October 5. The clip depicts the real-life story behind the song.

 

McKinley explains, “I was in New York City, and it is just so loud. I was trying to practice and then kept getting distracted by the noise. Finally, I decided to go hang out at the club and I brought a melodica. I went in there and the DJ was playing. He gave me a mic and I started playing melodica there with him. It turned out really cool. Everybody was enjoying it and I had a lot of fun. The DJ played a bunch of different stuff and we just fooled around, and it became a thing for about a good hour. For the video, I had to write a script and time everything. It was the first I’ve ever done anything like it. I had to write the timeline and tell the animator what is supposed to happen in each cartoon. We had a lot of fun creating that.”

    

The animated video for “From Time” is slated to hit October 21. What drew McKinley to the song was the lyric “I love me enough for the both of us,” which is sung in dreamlike voice by Denaine Jones.

 

“I think that statement is going to resonate with any man because that means you’re not going to have to supplement for her what she’s supposed to have already. When I heard the song, I fell in love with what she’s saying. For the video, I was thinking how a lot of people play music and do other things while they’re messaging people. I thought it would be nice to have her texting a guy about how she feels. ‘I love me enough for the both of us.’ You see her sitting up against the wall in New York, texting during the solo and at the end. I thought it was an interesting journey to add a lot of feeling to it,” explained McKinley, who will perform music from “Sound Alchemist” at Denver’s Soiled Dove Underground on October 22.

    

Los Angeles native McKinley studied classical and jazz piano, including under the tutelage of Grammy-winning trumpeter Wynton Marsalis. But hip hop’s influence in his works is just as prevalent as jazz and classical.

 

“I grew up in the hip hop era. I was listening to A Tribe Called Quest and Oscar Peterson on the same radio station. I loved all of those. When you come up like that, it’s still a part of you, even though you have classical and jazz. It still becomes a part of your DNA musically. I think ‘Sound Alchemist’ shows a lot of that. You can hear church aspects, classical aspects, jazz aspects and it also shows hip hop aspects.”

 

In addition to his long-time duties with Earth, Wind & Fire, McKinley has toured with Whitney HoustonKenny LattimoreStanley ClarkeEn Vogue and Shai. He has written, cowrote or produced songs for EWF, Clarke, Doc PowellSilkVestaCherokee and Howard Hewett. He’s also composed music for film and television scores, contributing to “Soul Food,” “Romeo Must Die,” “The Best Man,” “Think Like A Man,” “Shaft,” and “The Godfather of Harlem” among many others. But jazz is home, so McKinley makes time to perform with his own straight-ahead jazz trio.  

 

McKinley’s bold spirit and intrepid scope heard throughout “Sound Alchemist” are purposely sprawling, purposely edgy, purposely youthful and vibrant, and purposely inclusive. That’s where he believes jazz needs to go in order to thrive again in relevancy.

 

“I don’t think musically right now the boundaries are being pushed. I could have easily done (recorded) something else and directed it towards a certain genre and left it there without pushing, but musically, to really make things grow, it takes adventurers to push the genre.”

 

“Sound Alchemist” contains the following songs:

 

“Close To You”

“Will You”

“Matrix”

“Crowded Club”

“Let’s Just See”

“Imagination”

“La Belle Dame Sans Regrets”

“Remembering You”

“Tunisian Morning”

“From Time”

 

For more information, please visit https://myronmckinley.com


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