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JAZZ CONNEXION: Studio Date NOTES / BIO / DESCRIPTION WHAT WE'RE ABOUT: We are four pretty cool guys playing mainstream jazz, standards and blues, mostly from the 20s through 60s. We play the best of these great tunes from great composers like Gershwin, Richard Rogers, Jerome Kern, Cole Porter, Johnny Mercer, Duke Ellington, Neal Hefti, JJ Johnson, Jobim, Thelonues Monk, Clifford Brown and others. We play simply, in a way that honors these great jazz and standards composers, and does not tax the listener with meaningless or repetitive solos that add nothing to the tune as a whole. So in short, we play absolutely the best music, from the greatest creative period in the history of music since Beethoven, Bach and Mozart and the birth of modern music. It is truly American music, and we try to play it well. Our people say they can just sit and listen, though the music has energy and the pulse is undeniable - a point of differentiation. Or they can move to the music. The educated listener will think 'these guys know what they're doing.' Live, we have been called the perfect backdrop for large parties, charitable events and corporate functions, but we also belong at the elegant small cocktail get-together to separate it and take it up a notch from everything else that's out there. We also "perform" featuring vocal and instrumental solos. ABOUT THIS CD: We walked into the Heartsrtings Recording Studio in Mountain View California on May 29, 2004 at 10 o'clock in the morning, and by 1:30 had laid down 12 tracks. It was like a one-set gig, one tune right after another, except for a couple of takes on My Romance to get the order of solos right. So the tunes on this CD have the feel of a live performance, without the background noise, which is just what we intended. And also without the absolute perfection that you get when you record separate tracks and then perfect the mix later in the studio. Several other things make our music and this CD distinctive. First, these tunes were selected because they include blues, ballads, and standards representing the breadth of the jazz idiom as these tunes were composed and performed by those remarkable jazz musicians during that extraordinarily creative period from the late 1920s through the 50s and into the 1960s. Secondly, we honor these great composers by staying fairly close to the original melody lines, without elaborate arrangements. Hearing only the second or third solo chorus the listener is likely to be able to identify the tune, which we think most will find reassuring in view of all the futuristic recordings out there. Thirdly, we included no original music (maybe someday). And finally, we are the Jazz ConneXion, we love what we do, and we hope you hear this in our music. Dale (piano): My Dad, a terrific Depression-era jazz piano player in the style of Teddy Wilson, filled our tiny house with music literally every day. When a high school band buddy handed me a vinyl Time Out by Dave Brubeck, I was addicted, and spent hours trying to emulate him. Then along came Andre Previn's My Fair Lady, which for me literally defines piano trio jazz. When I came to the San Francisco Bay Area, I was right there with Oscar Peterson and Carmen McRae from 1970 on, in the tiny Matador or the stately Masonic Auditorium. Oscar is king, and Carmen can move macho men to abject tears. I take energy from these people and try to add energy along the way. Jazz is energy. Even in a small trio setting with ballads, we want energy in our playing. Johnny (alto/vocal): My earliest influence as a sax player was Johnny Hodges, followed by Paul Desmond and Stan Getz. All three got beautiful tone quality out of their instruments and coupled that with musically refreshing ideas. In my own playing I strive for a strong full tone. I have always wanted to record Duke Ellington's Warm Valley, and am delighted that it is included here. Paul (drums/harmonica): Our first studio date calls to mind "kids in the candy story." We wore smiles for three straight hours. For me, the controlled conditions, the ability to hear every tiny sound - that was special. I felt we really played in the sonic crevices, giving each other space, and that provided a nice lift to the overall sound. Bill (bass): I was painting my porch in suburban Philadelphia in the mid 60s when I first heard the Oscar Peterson Trio playing "I Remember Clifford", the most beautiful and sensitive marriage of bass (Ray Brown) and piano I could possibly imagine. Other influences include John Heard, John Clayton, and Christian McBride. Jazz is a team effort, and they truly excel. Track List: 1. Have You Mt Miss Jones 2. All the Things You Are 3. Dindi 4. My Romance 5. Joy Spring 6. Hogtown Blues 7. Triste 8. Why Try to Change Me Now 9. A Foggy Day 10. Warm Valley 11. Blue Monk 12. My Romance, Take 2 Suggested CDs:Other Genres:
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