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Fall 2003 Musical Notes |
RICK BRAUN: Esperanto
CHRIS DANIELS THE KINGS & FRIENDS: THE SPARK
ETHAN DAVID DANIELSON: DON QUIXOTE DE SUBURBIA
DAS EFX: RAP INNOVATORS FIRST STUDIO RELEASE IN OVER 5 YEARS
STRUNZ & FARAH: "RIO DE COLORES"
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Warner Bros. Records
If there's one key lesson that Rick Braun has learned from all his travels as both a sideman extraordinaire and one of contemporary jazz's most acclaimed and innovative artists, it's that music is truly the transcendent universal language.
The title of Esperanto, the trumpeter, composer and producer's long-anticipated follow up to his wildly popular 2001 Warner Bros. Records debut Kisses In The Rain, is a wistful reference to a language created in the late 19th century (by Dr. L.L. Zamenhof, who used the pseudonym "Dr. Esperanto") to facilitate communication between people of different lands and cultures.
In his colorful liner notes, Braun conveys the album's distinctive Euro-vibe influences (drawn from the realms of trance, electronica and acid jazz, including dramatic orchestral touches as well) with images of folks from various European countries sitting on an Italian portico, speaking different languages amongst themselves. Wafting over the conversations from inside the house is the music of Miles Davis, one of Braun's idols. "The idea is that music is a link between these people of varied backgrounds, a healing force that brings them together," he says. "It creates an atmosphere of mutual understanding."
The romantic language of Esperanto and the music of Miles may still be better known than Braun in the furthest reaches of the globe, but over the last ten years, no other artist's music has more fully captured the hip, thriving energy of R&B-influenced smooth jazz. Earlier recordings like Beat Street (1995) and Full Stride (1998) established his Miles and Chet Baker inspired trumpet as an exciting alternative in the sax-dominated genre, and his career has shot into a happy, heavy overdrive since signing with Warner Bros. Records in 2000.
Braun set a record at the 2002 National Smooth Jazz Awards in San Diego by winning a total of five "Smoothies," including Best Male Artist, Best Album (Kisses In The Rain, which hit #1 on Billboard's Contemporary Jazz Chart), Song of the Year (the title cut) and Best Brass Player.
He also shared a Best Collaboration award with labelmate Boney James for the ongoing success of their 2000 hit Shake It Up, which reigned at Number One on the Billboard chart for 11 weeks. That album's first single, "Grazin' In The Grass," was Number 1 on Radio & Records NAC chart for nine weeks. Braun also won three Smooth J~ Awards at the 2001 Event in Chicago, including Artist of the Year. His latest Warner Bros. Records ensemble, BWB featuring genre greats Kirk Whalum and Norman Brown, spawned the hit title track "Groovin'," a number one radio hit for five weeks, and a popular U.S. tour in the Fall of 2002.
Braun's finely cultivated eye for fruitful musical collaborations continues on Esperanto, which features two tracks co-written and co-produced with keyboard legend Jeff Lorber (the heavy-grooving, Euro-minded "Sir W" and the party-minded free for all jam session "Stereo," with saxman Gerald Albright and keyboardist Gregg Karukas) and two with longtime Braun keyboardist Mitch Forman (the exotic and percussive, hip-hop and jazz fusion influenced "Zona Rosa" and the poignant two minute duet closer "Mother's Day," fashioned as a tribute to their late mothers). "'Zona Rosa' was inspired by the tight harmonic concepts I admire in the music of German trumpeter Til Bronner, combined with the progressive ideas of Weather Report," says Braun. The album also includes cuts created with Rhodes player Johnny Britt (the moody chill tune "To Manhattan With Love"), keyboardist Tim Gant ffrom the band Chicago) and drummer Tony Moore (the orchestrally-enhanced easy hip-hop driven "DADDY-O") and longtime Dave Koz bassist Bill Sharp (the urban meets Euro-romance "The Villa De Costa," which features a provocative Italian voice sample).
CHRIS DANIELS THE KINGS & FRIENDS
Chrls
Danlels & The Klngs, one of the best rock'n'roll horn bands
for nearly two decades, hot-wire their music and kick it into
overdrive on their new CD The Seark, which represents a return
to Daniels' roots -- acoustic-guitar laying the base for Western
barroom and Southern roadhouse roots-rock with hints of alt-country,
bluegrass, Louisiana second-line and swamp funk, and south-of-the-border
Latin-styled brass.
Chris and The Kings accomplish this masterstroke blending of sounds and styles with the help of a remarkable gathering of friends who just happen to be world-class musicians, singers and songwriters in their own right -- mandolin and fiddle player Sam Bush (solo artist and founding member of The New Grass Revival, plus Emmylou Harris, Lyle Lovett, Alison Krauss, Steve Earle), keyboardist Blll Payne (founding member of Little Feat, plus James Taylor, Bob Seger, Bonnie Raitt, Doobie Brothers, Gregg Allman), guitarist Sonny Landreth (solo artist plus John Hiatt, Flying Burrito Bros., John Mayall, Jimmy Buffett), vocalist Rlchle Furay (solo artist plus founding member of Buffalo Springfield and Poco), guitarist Sam Broussard (solo artist plus Michael Martin Murphey, Jimmy Buffett, Steve Riley and The Mamou Playboys), keyboardist Steve Conn (solo artist plus Kris Kristofferson, Nanci Griffith, Dixie Chicks, Bonnie Raitt, Albert King), guitarist Tony Furtado (solo artist plus Alison Krauss, Sugarbeat, Jerry Douglas), vocalist Mollle O'Brlen (solo artist plus Tim O'Brien, The Mother Folkers, Don Edwards), trumpet player Tony Klatka (Blood Sweat & Tears, Michael Bloomfield, Woody Herman), vocalist Hazel Mlller (Big Head Todd & The Monsters), and vocalist Mark Obllnger (Firefall, Richie Furay).
The Spark differs from The Kings' previous eight albums in that Daniels plays acoustic guitars and acoustic National steel resonator guitar throughout. "l started my musical career on acoustic guitar and I have been hired to play acoustic on studio sessions for years, but it wasn't until this album that I was able to bring acoustic guitar into The Kings' sound in a big way."
Sam Bush's mandolin and fiddle on select tracks also adds an acoustic edge to the project. Another integral part of the sound on The Spark is slide guitar which is featured on two-thirds of the tunes (played either by Landreth, Broussard, Furtado or Daniels).
Daniels wrote nine of the album's dozen tunes on the CD with a distinctive western backdrop. Those songs include the funky "50/50," "The Spark" (subtly relating a relationship to the Hayman Fire that devasted Rocky Mountain forests last year), a humorous duet with Mollie O'Brien on "Biggest Heartache on the Block" (with a haunting clarinet solo by Bill Pontarelli), the bouncy "Kelly Jean" and the missed-opportunities song "If I'd Only Taken You Dancing."
The Kings also cover Professor Longhair's "In The Night" (a longtime concert staple for them with its New Orleans second-line syncopated rhythms), the rockin' "She's The Reason" written by Gary Nicholson (Bonnie Raitt, Delbert McClinton), and the appropriately-titled swingin' jump-blues of "Jump" penned by Dave Steen (The Jayhawks).
The core of the sound on The Spark is provided
by The Kings -- bassist Kevin "Bro" Lege (bandmember
16 years; jazz background), keyboardist Dean "The Frenchman"
LeDoux (16 years; jazz and rock history), electric guitarist Colin
"Bones" Jones (11 years; Albert King, Ken Hensley of
Deep Purple), saxophonist Jim Waddell (two stints totaling 10
years; Firefall, Steve Taylor); drummer Randy Amen (nine years;
Dave Beegle, The Jurrasic Casters), and trumpet player Darryl
"Doody" Abrahamson (four years; progressive rock-ska
horn band
Psychedelic Zombies).
UAll of the special guests on the album truly are friends and some of those connections go clear back to the mid-Seventies when we were all just starting out as musicians," explains Chris.
"My first main group was the all-acoustic Magic Music which was influenced by Pentangle from England and the New Grass Revival. We were living in this tiny Colorado mountain town called Allenspark, playing at The Hummingbird Cafe and occasionally recording nearby at the famous Caribou Studio. That's when l met Kings guitarist Colin 'Bones' Jones and Sonny Landreth."
"Then Magic Music played at the second and third Telluride Bluegrass Festivals and l met Sam Bush there. l went to Boston to attend the Berklee College of Music, and when l returned to Colorado, l started the band Spoons with Sam Broussard and we recorded an album. Then l put together a band for Russell Smith of the Amazing Rhythm Aces and we toured for three years. Steve Conn was in that band. When l started The Kings, l got the horn section from a group Conn had called Gris Gris. Landreth, Broussard and Conn are all Louisiana guys who have spent time Colorado."
Daniels goes on to say, "I played the Telluride Bluegrass Festival regularly for ten years. L first l was backed by Sam Bush, Bela Fleck and New Grass Revival on the main stage. After l formed The Kings, we started playing the After Hours Show at the festival and then a few years later we were playing the main stage as Sam Bush and John Cowan's backing band. The Kings toured Europe with Sonny Landreth on guitar."
"Sonny and Bill Payne both played on The Kings' album ls My Love Enough and Bill co-wrote the title tune with me. lt's all kind of incestuous since both Landreth and Bush have sat in with Bill Payne and Little Feat many times. The exter~sive use of slide guitar on The Spark harkens back to Lowell George playing slide on the early Little Feat albums. All those albums of theirs featured original cover artwork by Neon Park which inspired me to contact Neon and have him illustrate three album covers for The Kings. So you can see that many of the players on The Spark go way back."
Chris Daniels was born and raised in St. Paul, Minnesota, and at age 10 began playing guitar and singing folk music. His early influences were Taj Mahal, Mississippi John Hurt, John Sebastian and Minnesota-natives Koerner, Ray & Glover. While still a teenager, Chris went to New York City to be in David Johansen's band (the former New York Dolls singer also known as Buster Poindexter).
After studying music in San Francisco, Chris played in two Colorado-based bands before taking time out to earn a BA Degree in Music. A few years later he earned his Masters Degree in American History and Folklore.
ln the mid-Eighties Chris Daniels & The Kings began recording a series of well-received albums -- Has Anyone Seen My Keys (with special guests The Nylons), When You're Cool (with The Nylons, David Bromberg and Sam Bush), Ihat's What l Like About the South (produced by Al Kooper; with guest Benmont Tench of The Heartbreakers), In Your Face, ls My Love Enough and Live Wired! (recorded on tour in both the United States and Europe including at the Parkpop Festival in Holland in front of a crowd of 450,000).
The Kings tour Europe regularly and have a large and loyal following there, especially in Amsterdam. They had two #1 hit singles in Holland. The Kings have backed both Al Kooper and David Bromberg in concert (and played on David's Sideman Serenade album).
According to Chris, "During my career, I have had the good fortune to play with some of the musicians who were big influences for me -- Al Kooper, David Bromberg, Bill Payne and Sam Bush. The Spark showcases many of those influences and also brings together some of my favorite musicians and longtime friends. lt's like a good Louisiana gumbo. The Kings are the roux and all the friends sitting in are the spices."
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