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Summer 2003 New Releases
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NEW GRACE GRIFFITH CD DRAWS FROlM FOLK AND CELTIC
TRADITIONS
'Sands of Time' in Stores on June 17th from
Blix Street Records
Washington, DC-based vocalist Grace Griffith's
song selections have always melded elements of Celtic music with
traditional folk to create an eclectic mix that showcases her
eloquent and passionate vocals. Her newest recording, SANDS OF
TIME, is no exception. In fact, for this, her third recording
for Blix Street Records, she assembles her most varied collection
of material that ranges from Leonard Bernstein to Kris Kristofferson
to a song originally written in Italian and one whose lyrics are
taken from an ancient Vietnamese poem.
For SANDS OF TIME, which arrives in stores
on June 17th, Griffith joins forces with long-time producer and
multi-instrumentalist Marcy Marxer-half of the Grammy-nominated
duo Fink and Marxer-and Chris Biondo and Lenny Williams, producer
and keyboard player respectively for the late Eva Cassidy. The
result is an evocative work that is at once warm and compelling.
The selection of songs includes "Make
Your Garden Grow" from the Leonard Bernstein musical "Candide"
and a samba-infused take on Lerner and Loewe's "Almost Like
Being in Love" from "Brigadoon." as well as a non-traditional
version of the traditional "Black is the Color." Among
the other cuts are "Summer (Estate)" for which the original
Italian Iyrics were replaced by ones in English written by Joel
E. Siegel, the whimsical "'Til They Discovered Music,"
written by Lisa Aschmarm and Grant Livingston, and "Rebirth,"
comprising music by Carey Creed and lyrics from a poem by Man
Giac, written during Viet Nam's Ly Dynasty nearly 1000 years ago.
Leslie (Sam) Phillips' "Carry You" is reflective of
recent changes in Griffith's life, while the title cut, Jennifer
Cutting's composition, "Sands of Time," forms a heartfelt
cornerstone for the recording.
Winner of more than a dozen Washington Area
Music Awards (WAMA) in the Celtic, New Age and Traditional Folk
categories, Griffith, who was described in the Washington Post
as "one of the area's most thrilling singers," has been
a fixture on the DC folk club circuit for many years. "Griffith's
voice is one you will remember long after the CD ends," proclaimed
the Napa Valley Register of Grace's 2000 release, MINSTREL SONG.
The gap between her last album and SANDS OF TIME is partly attributable
to the devastating diagnosis of Parkinson's disease that has forced
her to give up her day job as a physical therapist, a career that
allowed her to heal with her hands. It is now her intention to
dedicate herself to the healing power of music.
Griffith has dedicated SANDS OF TIME to
the late singer Eva Cassidy with whom she shared a short, but
heartfelt friendship based on music and mutual admiration. It
was Griffith who introduced Cassidy's music, now an international
phenomenon, to the principals at her label, Blix Street, just
prior to Cassidy's death in 1996. Griffith's closing song on the
CD, Kris Kristofferson and Danny Timms' "Moment of Forever,"
poignantly recalls their bond: "We were young enough to dream,
we were old enough to learn something new, I'm so glad I got to
dance with you for a moment of forever."
FACING EAST
Music from "The West" (Europe
and North America) and from "The East" (in this case
India) has been fused together before, but seldom with the integrity,
passion, virtuosity and training that is heard on facing BELOVED,
the second album by the group Faclng East. The recording blends
traditional ragas, a J.S. Bach classical theme, Celtic jigs, jazz
melodies, South Indian vocal percussion, and meditative flute
improvisations.
Facing East is led by American flutist virtuoso
John Wubbenhorst (who has played with Paul Horn, Victor Wooten,
Hariprasad Chaurasia, Larry Coryell, Howard Levy, Paul McCandless,
Jack DeJohnette and Jeff Coffin). The group also features South
Indian drum masters T.H. Subash Chandran (on ghatam, a traditional
instrument made from a clay pot) and Ganesh Kumar (on kanjira,
a lizard-skin frame-drum), who have played together for 25 years.
They have performed with L. Subramaniam,
M.S. Subbulakshmi, Stephane Grappelli, Tony Williams, Yehudi Menuhin,
Zubin Mehta, Max Roach and Larry Coryell, and recorded with Bela
Fleck and Victor Wooten. Facing East is rounded out by two other
Americans -- bassist Steve Zerlln (who has his own solo album,
Still Life, and has played with Dennis Chambers, Jack DeJohnette
and Kenny Loggins) and guitarist Jorge Zamorano (who has a degree
in classical guitar from the Manhattan School of Music and who
has played with Clark Terry). Information and recordings from
Facing East are available at www.facingeast.com .
Perhaps the most unique aspect of the group
is that Wubbenhorst primarily plays the traditional bamboo bansuri
flute in the North Indian style, having studied for the past decade
with the leading North Indian flute player, Hariprasad Chaurasia,
while Subash and Ganesh are top South Indian percussionists. "The
two parts of the country have very different and distinct musical
styles and traditions," explains Wubbenhorst. "Many
Westerners are familiar with the rhythmic sound of the tabla,
which is from Northern India. It was featured prominently on all
of the popuiar Ravi Shankar recordings, and we used it on the
first Facing East album. But on this new CD, we purposely did
not bring in a tabla in order to emphasize the South Indian rhythmic
sound. In this way we are not only blending Indian music with
musical elements from Europe and the United States, but we are
incorporating two styles of music from India as well."
\Wubbenhorst wrote, arranged and produced
all of the songs on facing BELOVED bringing together India's raga
tonal structures and rhythms ("all ragas are based on a solid
drone") with Western harmonic concepts. The album begins
with the upbeat, joyous "Continuous Celebration." On
"Bass Alap" Steve Zerlin plays electric fretless bass
in the droning style of an Indian rhythmic instrument.
The ten-minute "John Beyond" is
dedicated to John McLaughlin. "McLaughlin's recordings with
his Mahavishnu Orchestra and Shakti were some of my strongest
influences," Wubbenhorst states. "There is an integrity
to McLaughlin's work that often is missing when other musicians
use Eastern influences. The structure of the flute solo, with
its slow opening phrases over a fast, complicated background,
is something I learned from listening to Miles Davis. Plus, McLaughlin
once named a song 'Miles Beyond.' So, for me, it all ties together.
We also threw in some distorted guitar a la Hendrix. The highlight
of the tune is Subash doing vocal percussion, the South Indian
equivalent of scat singing, and often what he sings mimics the
percussion sounds he's making on the ghatam."
On the seven-and-a-half-minute "Irish
Raga," Wubbenhorst switches to his Western metal flute which
he plays here in a Celtic style. "Few flutists become proficient
on both Western and bansuri flutes because they require different
techniques and different ways of thinking," explains Wubbenhorst.
This piece is preceded by two short preludes, both flute improvisations
(the second featuring John on two high-pitched only-six-inch-long
piccolo bansuri flutes. Three guest artists contribute to "Irish
Raga" -- violinist Alexander Mitchell, saxophonist Dave Pietro
and percussionist Steve Bloom (the latter two have played with
Facing East many times).
The catchy, fast-paced ~Infectuoso Groovatissimo"
builds from a rapid-fire percussion-and-bass jam to flamenco-like
guitarwork and finally melodic flute. The 15-minute-plus title
track is a trio outing with John on flute doing variations on
a Bach flute sonata with Subash and Ganesh featured on percussion.
The album ends with "Celebration Continuous," the second
half of the opening track.
"All of the musicians in Facing East
have some kind of spiritual relationship between them," points
out Ganesh Kumar. Wubbenhorst agrees and says, "It's a very
spiritual group and I think that adds an emotional depth to the
music."
John, who was born and raised in Norwalk,
Connecticut, turned to Far Eastern music and religion at an early
age. He was listening to Indian music along with pop, rock, jazz
and classical while in grade school. "At first I was into
John Coltrane, John McLaughlin, Chick Corea, Weather Report, Keith
Jarrett and Miles Davis, and a few years later I got into Paul
Horn, Hubert Laws and Pat Metheny." When he was 14, he met
Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, read the Bhagavad Gita and the Autobiography
of a Yogi, and learned transcendental meditation. Wubbenhorst
later traveled to India and met many spiritual masters with special
affinity to Ramana Maharshi, and now John is a devotee of Adi
Da Samraj in the ancient Guru-Bhakti tradition.
Musically Wubbenhorst took piano lessons
at age 10, started singing at age 11 in rock bands (with names
like Wings of Peace and Creation) covering Cream, Ten Years After
and The Who, and learned to play flute when he was 14 (inspired
by Jethro Tull). "The school library had the Ravi Shankar
album Live at the Monterey Pop Festival and I listened to it every
day for an entire school year." John also started going to
concerts and saw the Mahavishnu Orchestra, Oregon, Keith Jarrett,
Thelonious Monk and Oscar Peterson. Wubbenhorst took a composition
class from Darius Brubeck (Dave Brubeck's son), studied jazz one
summer at the prestigious Berklee College of Music, graduated
from high school at age 16, and attended the Maharishi International
University in lowa (where he received his Bachelors degree). At
college he played in two groups, Prakriti and The Welcome Band,
that played jazz and Indian music (Paul Horn joined them onstage
for one concert).
Wubbenhorst's next group was Gandharva (which
means celestial musician) which also taught music at their own
Gandharva Institute. He began studying Indian music formally by
taking a Ravi Shankar Correspondence Course, moved to Washington
D.C., and began studying South Indian vocal music and bansuri
with Debu Prasad Banerjee and Vijay Rhagav Rao. Wubbenhorst first
traveled to India in 1992 where he began studying with top flutist
Hariprasad Chaurasia. "Indian music is not notated so you
learn it by repeating each phrase given to you by the teacher."
Hariprasad also taught at Rotterdam Conservatory and encouraged
John to study there, so in 1995 Wubbenhorst began traveling there
four or five times a year and eventually graduated with a degree
in 2002.
John recorded a limited-edition cassette
album, Flute Dreams, in 1995. His first official CD album was
Facing East in 1997 and that year he also performed in concert
with Hariprasad. Some of Facing East's concerts have featured
special guests playing with the band including Jack DeJohnette
(John Coltrane, Miles Davis), Howard Levy (The Flecktones) and
Paul McCandless (Oregon, Paul Winter). Wubbenhorst released a
solo flute album, Bansurai Dreams, in 2000. After his first visit
to India, John returned frequently and began performing there
in 2000. In addition to solo shows and concerts with Facing East,
Wubbenhorst has done several duet performances with Paul Horn
in recent years. John also has played with top Afghanistan singer
Humayun Khan, singer Marianne Svasek, Jeff Coffin and Victor Wooten
(both of The Flecktones), and tabla player Sandip Burman.
"Facing East's fusion style of music
is perfect for me because I have spent most of my life studying
both Western and Eastern music," explains Wubbenhorst. "Putting
them together is not so much of a conscious decision, but rather
a heartfelt blending of all my influences. The biggest challenge
is to create a sound with a depth that is true to the music of
both cultures without sacrificing the emotional resonance and
integrity of either style."
THE JEFF PRYOR BAND
A journeyman, by definition, is an experienced,
reliable, professional workman who has paid his dues and really
knows his trade. Journeymen musicians are hardworking guys who
come together and share their formidable talents, without ego
interferring, to the greater good of the band and the music. That's
what The Jeff Pryor Band is all about. This is a group of experienced
journeymen whose latest labor is the original, adult, pop-rock
music on the new album Loverland.
Pryor is a masterful guitarist, catchy songwriter
and occasional singer who built a large and loyal following throughout
Southern California for nearly twenty years on the club circuit
as a member of three different bands (Wedgewood, The Rhythm Rockers,
White Line Fever) that consistently broke club attendance records
with fans lined up around the block. Finally Jeff has stepped
further into the spotlight by putting his name up front and releasing
a national album.
The band that Pryor and producer Daniel
Moore put together for this recording is the ultimate in journeymen
-- vocalist Joey Bowen, rhythm and slide guitarist Stephen Bruton,
keyboardist David Paich, drummer Simon Phillips, and bassist Leland
Sklar. Pryor insisted on calling it The Jeff Pryor Band (and not
simply putting the album out under his own name) for two reasons.
"Each guy made unique and essential
contributions that helped create the sound we were striving for,"
explains Jeff. "And we went 'old school' on this project
and recorded all together as a band for two weeks, live-in-the-studio,
with virtually no overdubs."
The result is an album (on Teze Records)
of solid adult contemporary pop music with love as the theme running
through all 14 original songs by Pryor (some co-written with Daniel
Moore). The album cover depicts an amusement park called "Loverland"
(the ticket to get in is on the back). The album also is being
promoted with an 11-minute "Making of the Loverland Album"
DVD (available for purchase only at the band's website: www.jeffpryorband.com)
with footage shot in the studio during the recording plus interviews
with the bandmembers, who bring to the project a wealth of performing
and recording experience.
Jeff Pryor has played in bands with both
Mike Rhodes (Edwin Hawkins, Red Rhodes) and Danny Timms (Kris
Kristofferson, Willie Nelson, Bonnie Raitt). Jeff's bands have
been mainstays on the Southern California club circuit for two
decades selling out The Roxy, Whiskey, Troubadour, Palomino, Golden
Bear, Trancas, Crazy Horse, Stagecoach, Belly Up and numerous
others.
Pryor also has performed onstage with The
Moore Brothers, Richie Hayward (Little Feat, Robert Plant, Eric
Clapton), Gary Busey (actor and star of the film "The Buddy
Holly Story"), Randy Bachman (Bachman Turner Overdrive),
and Walter Traut (John Lee Hooker, Canned Heat, John Mayall);
and has jammed with Tim Bogert (Beck, Bogert & Appice), Red
Rhodes (The Byrds, James Taylor) and members of Ratt and The Knack.
Pryor also had regional success in Southern California with his
band The Quicktones which released two singles, "Sock Heaven"
and "Resolutions," that he co-wrote and which got strong
local airplay and sales.
Leland Sklar has proven to be the most-popular
session bass-player in the world over the past three decades having
recorded and toured with many of the biggest musical acts that
have sold hundreds of millions of records. He has appeared on
more than 2,000 albums. He also is a member of an instrumental
group called The Section. A few of his credits include James Taylor,
Linda Ronstadt, Jackson Browne, America, Clint Black, Jimmy Buffett,
Santana, Phil Collins, Cher, Ray Charles, Joe Cocker, Crosby Stills
& Nash, Neil Diamond, Celine Dion, Peter Frampton, Vince Gill,
Merle Haggard, Hall & Oates, Don Henley, Wynonna Judd, Carole
King, Reba McEntire, Bonnie Raitt, Rod Stewart, Barbra Streisand,
Deniece Williams, Brian Wilson, Jesse Colin Young and Warren Zevon.
Drummer Simon Phillips began his career
as a jazz and Dixieland drummer, and later led a jazz-rock band
under his own name and worked with jazz acts such as Gil Evans,
Larry Carlton and Stanley Clark. But Phillips is best-known for
his rock credits, especially as a member of Judas Priest, Toto,
Big Country and Metro; and performing in concert as part of The
Who and Whitesnake. In addition, as a top session player Simon
has performed with Roger Daltry, Pete Townshend,Mick Jagger, Jon
Anderson, Frank Zappa, Peter Gabriel, Jeff Beck, Asia, Russ Ballard
and Tangerine Dream among others.
David Paich is not only one of the most
in-demand session keyboardists in the music business, he has been
a member of the group Toto from their beginnings in the late Seventies.
His lengthy list of recording credits include working with Steely
Dan, Boz Scaggs, Michael Jackson, Joe Cocker, Jackson Browne,
George Benson, Diana Ross, Donna Summer, Bob Weir, Sarah Vaughn,
Dolly Parton, the Pointer Sisters, Joan Baez, Blackhawk, Chicago,
Neil Diamond, Don Henley, Cher, Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin,
The Doobie Brothers, Julio Iglesias, James Ingram, Elton John,
The Isley Brothers, Quincy Jones, Jefferson Airplane, Kenny Loggins,
Randy Newman, The Righteous Brothers, Rod Stewart and many more.
Paich also has written songs for many top acts such as Cher, Glen
Campbell, The Jacksons and Andy Williams.
Stephen Bruton -- who plays rhythm, slide and wha-wha guitars
as well as mandolin on Lo~verland -- comes out of the Texas music
scene and is a respected solo recording artist in his own right
with albums such as Right On Time, Nothing But The Truth and Spirit
World.
He got his start as a member of Kris Kristofferson's
band and went on to become an active session player with Carly
Simon, Barbra Streisand, Willie Nelson, Sonny Landreth, James
McMurtry, Rita Coolidge, Tish Hinojosa, Billy Paul, Marcia Ball,
T-Bone Burnett, Peter Case, Gene Clark, Double Trouble, Alejandro
Escovedo, A.J. Croce, Bob Neuwirth, Ray Wylie Hubbard, Hal Ketchum
and others. Stephen also has written songs for Escovedo, Ball,
Kristofferson, Ketchum, The Highwaymen and Patty Loveless.
Vocalist Joey Bowen's biggest influences
are Donny Hathaway, Marvin Gaye and Otis Redding. Bowen, who sings
lead on 12 of the 14 tunes on Loverland, has two solo albums of
his own, Begin To Begin and In This World (the latter was named
"Best Pop Album of the Year" at the San Diego Music
Awards). Bowen started with Detroit-based rock band DC Drive,
whose self:titled album was on Capitol/EMI. Bowen's second rock
band, General Cluster Funk, included Chad Smith (Red Hot Chili
Peppers) on drums and released the album Straight At The Sun.
Joey's group Hot Chicken Stew was named the "Best Unsigned
Band in California" at the Discmakers Band World Series (1,100
contestants). Bowen also has performed onstage with Stevie Wonder,
Peter Wolf and The Temptations; jammed with Rare Earth; and sang
on Keith Washington's album.
Producer Daniel Moore previously handled
the reins for Kim Carnes, Delbert McClinton, T Bone Burnett, James
Booker and Don Preston. But Moore, who co-wrote four of Loverland's
tunes, is best-known as a hit songwriter with compositions such
as "Shambala" (Three Dog Night) and "My Maria"
(B.W. Stevenson, Brooks & Dunn). Other artists who have recorded
his songs include Carnes, Joe Cocker, The Everly Brothers, Kenny
Rogers, Bonnie Raitt, Waylon Jennings, Dizzy Gillespie, Bobby
Blue Bland, Canned Heat, Thelma Houston and The Band. In addition,
Moore is a recording artist himself with several albums. Daniel
has played with Carnes, Cocker's Mad Dogs 8 Englishmen, Gene Clark,
John Stewart and The Moore Brothers (the latter with his brother,
Matthew, who also co-wrote two songs on Loverland).
Jeff Pryor -- whose biggest influences are
Jimi Hendrix, Jeff Beck, Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page, Lynyrd Skynyrd,
The Allman Brothers, Toto, The Eagles and Willie Nelson -- wrote
the songs on Loverland through the pain of a divorce and as he
fell in love again. "I got the idea for Loverland sitting
at the beach, playing guitar for my girlfriend and thinking of
love as a great place to go to. Pretty soon I realized I had a
theme going and an album full of love songs ranging from heartache-heartbreak
to hope for the future."
KlRK
WHALUM
Into My Soul
I used
to envy the Marsalis family and others who grew like prolific
weeds in the rich musical soil of a town like New Orleans. Then
I did my homework, only to discover that Memphis music-folks
like B.B. King and Al Green-have impacted just as many people
the world over. Often the first thing people associate with Memphis
is Elvis and Graceland, and rightfully so, but he often deflected
credit to the long and rich history of black musicians who created
a unique musical style distilled over centuries. Going home to
reconnect with the essence of this timeless music was not only
important but also enriching. I smiled nonstop. To, hopefully,
register in some small way on this amazing continuum of Memphis
soul- which if extracted would leave the /ast 50 years of popular
music and popular culture immeasurably diminished and void of
a certain "feeling" was both a proud and humbling experience.
At the bottom of this deep well, I've discovered something interesting;
it doesn't have a lot to do with notes and chords- Memphis soul
must be felt as much as listened to. As I continue to leam about
my hometown and the rich musical legacy that's still being forged
there, I have never been prouder to be called a Memphis muslclan.
- Kirk Whalum
Memphis, Tennessee.... The music is as wide
and deep as the Mississippi River. It echoes out of doorways,
floats and blasts from second story windows and shakes the foundations
of the city's churches at least twice a week. It literally infuses
the atmosphere. Kirk Whalum, accomplished producer, composer and
the most influential saxophonist of his generation, breathed it
in growing up.
His performance and compositions have always
reflected the diverse musical, rhythmic and spiritual influences
of the city on the river, but on his current album, Into My Soul,
Whalum goes much deeper. He explores, redefines and expands the
meaning of Memphis soul.
For Whalum, whose award-winning saxophone
stylings have not only landed him at the top of the charts but
also taken him around the world, it was time to come home. "What
we wanted to do was tap the root of the spirit of Memphis music,"
says Whalum. "When we mentioned doing a Memphis record, everyone
thought we would go back and do covers of those great songs.
But in fact, we did only two: the first
was the David Porter/lsaac Hayes song, 'Hold On, I'm Coming,'
a huge hit for Sam & Dave, and the second was Elvis Presley's
Sun Records debut, by Arthur Crudup, 'That's Alright Mamma.' It
wasn't about covers, it was about writing new songs in the spirit
of Memphis music. We wanted to make a point. The Memphis sound
is ongoing, ever expanding. It's future is connected to its past,
but not limited by it."
With that in mind, Whalum enlisted David
Porter-whose hit-making history at Stax Records and beyond is
nothing short of awe-inspiring-to co-produce and co-write with
him. "In a big way, it was a dream come true to work with
this historic writer," reflects Whalum. Joined by Garry Goin,
who served as associate producer, the three co-wrote six songs
for the album, with Goin also contributing acoustic and electric
guitars and keyboards. "We literally-David, Garry and me-wrote
these songs on historic Beale Street in downtown Memphis.
The studio address is No. 1 Beale Street.
If you start and walk toward the river, the last building before
you dive into the Mississippi River is David's studio, so we could
see the river, the Pyramid, the riverboats, all that," enthuses
Whalum.
Continuing, Kirk describes the process.
"It was like groove A, groove B. We went in like it was a
workshop: the Memphis-feel workshop. What can you do with this
Memphis groove? 'Your mission, should you accept it, is to come
up with a melody for Memphis groove A-49.' It's like you get in
touch with what makes you tick. To get in a room with some great
Memphis writers and just let it happen is a real blessing."
Memphis, of course, is as much about the
musicians as the music and Into My Sours all-star backing band
includes Kirk's childhood friend, distinguished London-based drummer
Blair Cunningham, bassist Alex Al, Warner Bros. Iabelmate John
Stoddart on keyboards, and celebrated percussionist Luis Conte.
Among the album's special guests are Whalum's
stellar cohorts in Warner Bros. Jazz super group BWB, Norman Brown
and Rick Braun on a spicy number "Hoddamile (Hot Or Mild)."
The title was inspired by the question asked in every barbeque
joint in the city by the river: Trumpeter Rod McGaha delivers
a tasty and atmospheric solo on "Hold On, I'm Coming"
and Maurice White sings on the Whalum-penned "You Had Me
At Hello."
A number of towering talents in the ongoing
Memphis story make an appearance on Into My Soul. Isaac Hayes
and Wendy Moten perform the old school r&b ballad, "I
Loved You In Memphis," complete with a classic mid-song rap
from Hayes (who co-wrote the song with Whalum and top Nashville
writer Benita Hill). J. Blackfoot, former lead singer for The
Soul Children, another significant chapter in the Memphis story,
sings on the irresistibly sassy album opener "Do You Feel
Me." Whalum comments, "He's from my favorite group from
that period; they really did personify the Memphis sound...soulful...just
dripping."
Perhaps most meaningful for Whalum, both
his brother Kevin and his son Kyle put in a notable performance.
Kevin brings his tasty trademark vocals to "That's Alright
Mamma," with a delicious duel of saxophone and scats and
bassist Kyle demonstrates some very impressive technique for a
19 year-old by providing both bass line and chords simultaneously
on the ultra-cool bonus track, "Postlude In B Flat."
Living up to its name, the infectious "Another
Beautiful Day," is slated as the first single. "We'd
finished writing. We'd wrapped it up and David came into the studio
and began pacing the floor with this agitated look I don't think
I had ever seen before and said, 'Man, we need one more song...lt's
got to be Chuck Mangione's 'Feels So Good' mixed with Spyro Gyra's
'Morning Dance' mixed with George Benson's 'Breezin.' This has
got to be something that everybody's going to love.' I was incredulous!
'We just got this finished,' I said, 'and you're telling me we
need to do another song.' But, boy am I glad we went for it! It
gave me another kind of challenge. It's that pushing beyond what
you think you're capable of.
Sure enough, this one quickly became my
favorite song on the whole record. It's the one I just didn't
think I had in me. In fact, I didn't have it in me! It was the
direct response to a prayer I whispered the moment I accepted
the challenge; 'Lord, I need you.' There's no question in my mind
who wrote this one."
"Speaking of prayer, unashamedly I
confess that this is the thread, besides good old Memphis soul
food, that wove through the whole project. We prayed before every
writing session and every recording session that the living Lord
Jesus, the Great Musician, would write and then play a melody
through us that would impact each listener (as opposed to us merely
'impressing' them)."
Among Into My Sours most evocative compositions
is the title track. Lyrical and melodic, it is classic Whalum,
and like the CD, a revelation of not only Memphis soul, but also
the soul of the artist himself.
The spunky and delightful "Club Paradise"
reflects how much of the album was created. "We started out
with the spirit of a Memphis groove in mind and just really let
a melody find its way. The whole feeling part of it is axiomatic
to the Memphis sound. We always went for the feeling first."
The piece, like so much of the album draws on local color and
personal history. "That was the name of a nightclub, the
first nightspot I sneaked into as a teenager," says Whalum.
"And I first heard one of my Memphis heroes, Hank Crawford
there.
His daughter graduated with me from Melrose
High School, where that same year I had my first hack at 'celebrity'
as I won the 'Mr. Melrose' contest playing 'Mr. Magic' by Grover
Washington- another hero whom I would ultimately come to know,
love and perform with many times."
Rounding out the album's 11-plus-one tracks
are "Me, Me And You" and the dimensional and ascendant
"Memphis Reason." The former alludes to an ongoing joke
between Kirk and his wife Ruby. "I'm hanging out with my
two favorite people: me and you."
Whalum describes the inspiration behind
"Memphis Reason," which he wrote solo: "There's
a peculiar dichotomy about Memphis culture, and about Memphis
music. It's sacred and secular, played in bordellos and in church.
Folks play the same song in one Saturday night and the other Sunday
morning with different Iyrics. It's like the flipside of a 45,
the same players and the same feelings on both sides. It's like
a friction, like opposites colliding. It's the blues capital of
the world and yet you can turn on four different stations and
hear gospel 24 hours a day. Al Green is the poster child for this
curious thing. There's a conflict that plays out in some amazing
music-one minute, the preacher's lifting you to the heights, and
then it's a love song."
Just like the city and music inspired by
it, Into My Soul encompasses a lot of compelling stories. One
of them is the reunion between Kirk and Blair Cunningham. "The
first experiences I had playing music were shared with a drummer,
my childhood buddy, Blair. Everything I first did in music I did
with him, talent contests when I was fourteen, you name it. He
was the last of ten brothers who played drums. His older brother
Carl played with the Barkays and Otis Redding and went down in
the plane crash.
l had this wild idea to have Blair come
back from England where he's been living for the last twenty-five
years. It would be the first time we would play together since
we were kids. l remember turning on the TV and seeing him on stage
with Paul McCartney or The Pretenders. When I was touring with
Whitney Houston, he was touring with Sade. It was a risky proposition
after all these years. Let's fly this now famous rock & roll
drummer in from London! That was my splurge for this record-thankfully
David, Isaac and Maurice White all gave me the 'Homeboy you can't
afford it anyway' discount! My gamble paid off because Blair put
love on every beat."
Although this album is present tense in
every way, it includes all of the richness that Whalum absorbed
growing up in one of the music capitals of the world. He was born
there and played in the church choir. "If you think about
how I got started, it was the live gospel instrumental experience
there in my home church where my dad was pastor. Blair and I played
together at church. We lived two houses apart. We would sit up
and listen to rock 'n' roll music, The James Gang, Grand Funk
Railroad, Queen, which for us growing up in 'the hood' was pretty
unusual considering the fact that when we hung out with our friends,
we listened to the Isley Brothers, George Clinton and Rufus featuring
Chaka Khan. Stations like WDIA and WHBQ always featured a wide
range of styles. Memphis is the town where so many famous DJ's
like Nat D. Williams, the first black DJ in the country, and Rick
Dees-and many more hit songs and stellar careers-got started."
Having soaked in R&B, blues, gospel,
pop, funk, rock and soul, Kirk made the jazz connection while
in high school. He received a music scholarship from Texas Southern
University in Houston, where he formed his own band, playing original
compositions on the Texas club circuit.
After opening for Bob James in Houston one
night in 1984, Whalum was invited to New York by the pianist to
appear on his album 12. Whalum signed with Columbia shortly thereafter,
releasing five albums for the label: Floppy Disk, in 1985, And
You Know That (1988), The Promise (1989), Cache (1993) and In
This Life (1995).
In 1992, in the middle of this period, following
the release of The Promise, Whalum kept a promise to himself and
moved with his wife Ruby and all four kids to Paris for two years
to fulfill a personal dream. There, he discovered for the first
time the incredible richness of his hometown. "For me, growing
up in a town like Memphis, where music is everywhere, when you
leave, you think, 'I'm gone. l'm out of here, see you!' And yet
when you go somewhere so far away and, people say, 'Whoa you're
from Memphis.' And you consider, 'mmm, it must be special.' As
you're maturing you begin to see things differently and for me
that was magnified. Here I am living in Paris and what do I run
into constantly, in bistros, cafes and on the radio, but Memphis
music. l think the seed to do this record was probably planted
then because it boosted my confidence so much and sort of validated,
in a way, my upbringing."
In Whalum's continuing relationship with
Bob James, the two collaborated on the 1996 Warner Bros. Records'
release Joined At the Hip, which won Kirk his first of six Grammy
nominations. In '97, he signed to Warner Bros. Records and released
Colors, his solo debut for the label.
Whalum has dominated the contemporary jazz
charts for the past few years. 1998's For You charted at No. 1
and yielded four Top 10 NAC hits, while the critically acclaimed
The Gospel According to Jazz, Chapter 1, released that same year,
ascended both the Gospel and Jazz charts and received a Dove and
Stellar award nomination.
In 2000, Whalum released Hymns in the Garden,
which received a Grammy nomination for best Pop Instrumental Album.
Unconditional, also released that year, has generated three Grammy
nominations over two years for Pop Instrumental (2001 and 2002)
and Pop Instrumental Album (2001). Unconditional captured the
No. 1 spot on the Jazz Charts, his fourth album to do so, and
also generated a No. 1 radio hit, "Now 'Til Forever."
This past year, Kirk released his second installment of The Gospel
According To Jazz and his sixth Grammy Nominee, The Christmas
Message.
In the course of his career, he has graced
the recordings and stage performances of the pre-eminent vocalists,
instrumental artists and soundtracks of our time including supplying
the stunning sax solo on "I Will Always Love You," performed
by Whitney Houston in The Bodyguard. Whalum has lent his Iyrical
phrasing and melodic artistry to Babyface, Luther Vandross, Nancy
Wilson, George Benson, Bebe & Cece Winans, Barbara Streisand,
Vince Gill, Michael McDonald, and Quincy Jones, among many others,
with well over a hundred recordings to his credit.
Whalum's contributions to contemporary music
moved the Memphis Chapter of NARAS to honor him with The Premier
Players Award for Outstanding Achievement in April of 2003, and
that same month he contributed to the events celebrating the opening
of the Stax Museum of American Soul in Memphis.
This year has been a celebration of his
past, present and future in myriad ways. With Into My Soul, not
only has he created the most important album of his life to date,
his journey home has enriched Kirk and his music as well. He set
out to tap the root of Memphis soul and his journey of discovery
took him deeper into his own. "It is a life-fulfilling apex
kind of a project. This is as good as it gets. The thing I'm known
for is soul. They say 'he's very soulful.' Hopefully with this
record, those who listen to my music will now identify that as
Memphis soul."
www.kirkwhalum .com
Stage
Ryan
Stahr - vocals, guitar, piano
Petr Anselmo - bass
Justin Parker - drums
Greg Meyer - guitar
Stage. It's a point of departure, of arrival,
of progression.
Take your pick. Any and all of the above
describes the compelling, consummately crafted sound of Stage,
a Long Island-bred quartet whose debut album on Maverick Records,
featuring the single "I Will Be Something," takes modern
music to a whole new place.
Schoolmates and fledgling musicians, Ryan
Stahr (vocals, guitar, piano), Petr Anselmo (bass) and Greg Meyer
(guitar) first joined forces in 1993 for a one-off talent show
appearance, rehearsing a set of Soundgarden and Screaming Trees
covers before they discovered their own natural songwriting skills.
"We started putting original music together that very first
day," recalls Ryan. "It was like a shared obsession.
We just clicked."
The creative connection continued over the
next several months as Stage built a burgeoning fan base in and
around the New York area, thanks to a string of club appearances
including a stint at the legendary CBGB's. "Our parents would
drive us home right after the show," recounts Greg with a
laugh, "because we weren't old enough to hang out in the
bar."
Word of mouth spread quickly, thanks to
an independent release, Historical Underdosing, and a series of
opening slots for the likes of Bon Jovi and KISS. By then, the
group had rounded out its line-up with the addition of drummer
Justin Parker, a childhood friend of Ryan's and a perfect complement
to the band's rapidly evolving sound. Deftly blending rock &
roll fundamentals with a cinematic sweep and ringing anthemic
hooks, the Stage sound was anchored to a creative commitment that
had set the band apart from the very beginning. "Our music
is in our bodies, our blood," asserts Ryan. "It's what
we've got to do...as simple as that."
Stage continued to perform over the next
few years, perfecting their seamless ensemble sound. It was a
lengthy apprenticeship, but the group turned their learning experiences
into creative raw material with no second thoughts or backward
glances. "Sometimes it was frustrating," admits Petr,
"but we knew we were all working toward the same thing. It's
taken this long to get to ready to make the music we knew we had
in us."
Bringing that music to birth was the privilege
of Maverick Records, who signed the band. Determined to make the
best possible record, the band adopted a workman-like ethic and
chose to record on their home turf. "There's bands that go
to Hawaii to record," observes Ryan, "but we were commuting
to Manhattan every day like businessmen. It felt like work, and
it wasn't easy, but it kept us in check with reality and in the
end the effort really paid off."
It was a pay-off due in large measure to
producer Gregg Wattenberg, recruited by the band after helming
several of their earlier demos and proving his unique affinity
for the group's dynamics. Also on hand: engineer Brian Scheuble
(U2 and Fiona Apple) and mixer Tim Palmer (Pearl Jam). A rigorous
work schedule ensued as the band honed a collection of original
songs, both road tested and written especially for their Maverick
debut.
The result is Stage, eleven original tracks
that lay convincing claim to authentic originality, vision and
that indefinable element that separates the best from the rest.
From "The World Has Come Between Us," the album's soaring
opener, to the lacerating "Live Happy, Live With Anorexia,"
and the powerful debut single, "I Will Be Something."
Stage is an immediate and involving musical experience that settles
for nothing less than a complete connection between artist and
audience.
It's a connection that's anchored in another
aspect of the band's extraordinary appeal, a dynamic live energy
that transforms their concert appearances into communal celebrations,
thanks in large part to the dramatic, charismatic presence of
Ryan Stahr.
"Perfection isn't always the key,"
he concludes. "It's the act of creation, of putting something
out there, something new. That's progress."
That's Stage.
Guster
Affirming the enduring virtues of solid
songwriting, understated and openhearted performances, and a penchant
for off-kilter moments of ecstatic inspiration, the Boston-based
trio Guster releases its stunning new album, Keep It Together,
on Palm Pictures/Reprise Records.
Guster's hardcore fans, along with the merely
curious and accidentally intrigued, are in for something of a
surprise with Keep It Together. The album's baker's dozen of original
selections includes the new single "Amsterdam" and standout
selections like "Diane," "Red Oyster Cult,"
"Backyard," and "Come Downstairs And Say Hello."
Together they take the team of Ryan Miller (guitar, vocals), Adam
Gardner (guitar, vocals) and Brian Rosenworcel (percussion) into
some intriguing new aural territory, a landscape scattered with
vivid cinematic imagery, unsettling insights, and autumnal shadings
of the most brilliant and fleeting subtlety.
All pretty much standard operating procedure
for a group that has built a fanatical fan base through near constant
touring and three previous releases: 1994's Parachute, 1996's
Goldfly, and 1999's Lost And Gone Forever, which in aggregate
neatly lifted Guster from the teeming ranks of alt-rock underdogs
into the rarified realms of The Real Deal. This status has been
cemented by the group's performances at everything from Woodstock
'99 to their own sold-out shows in venues like the FleetBoston
Pavilion (Boston), Central Park SummerStage (New York), The Riviera
Theater (Chicago), The Warfield (San Francisco), and The Tabernacle
(Atlanta), not to mention sharing bills with a raft of heavy hitters.
In the process, Guster has racked up a wealth
of performing and recording experience since its formative days
at Tufts University. It was in 1992 that the trio first met, made
common creative cause, and kept the ball rolling, busking by day
and playing steady club dates by night, quickly carving a niche
for themselves on the bustling Boston music scene.
The previously mentioned run of acclaimed
albums strengthened the band's underground resume, while aboveground,
the cognoscenti were catching wind thanks to "Airport Song,"
a left-field radio hit off of Goldfly, sporadic appearances on
The Late Show with David Letterman, Late Night with Conan O'Brien,
Late Late Show with Craig Kilbom, and prominent placement in the
feature film Life As A House.
Thus buoyed, Guster returned to the studio
last year with producers Roger Moutenot (Yo La Tengo, Freedy Johnston,
Sleater-Kinney) and Ron Aniello (Days Of The New, Lifehouse),
along with contributors/friends Josh Rouse, Ben Kweller, Joe Pisapia,
and Tony Goddess (Papas Fritas), to begin work on a collection
of new songs that would eventually coalesce into Keep It Together.
"We'd made up a bunch of rules over
the years and we decided to just throw them all away," explains
Rosenworcel on the subject of Guster's startling new instrumental
proliferation. "Ryan plays bass, Adam's taken on piano and
I do a bit of kit drumming. It all took a lot longer because we
had to learn to play everything."
"We get bored very easily," admits
Miller. "It's one of the main reasons we wanted to fill up
all the spaces in this music. That way there's always something
to listen to." "All those layers made it a very long,
hard process," adds Gardner. "But the hardest work was
trying to make it sound simple. We wanted to invite people into
the songs and then have a look around."
What they're likely to notice, even on the
earliest spin, is a certain and singular confessional quality
to Miller's Iyrics. "I was going through a break-up at the
time," he reveals. "That's what was on my mind and it
helped to try and turn it all into music. I would have to say
it was a difficult birth, but the baby is healthy."
"We've tried hard to make a connection
to our fans," ventures Rosenworcel. "And in turn, they're
loyal enough to let us experiment. Some of these tracks aren't
so over-the-top catchy and the arrangements can be pretty out
there, but in the end it's still the three of us. That's what
remains constant."
"We focused on feelings and moods,"
concludes Gardner. "It's a way to keep the interaction between
ourselves and our audience as open as possible. We like to keep
things honest, because we're just not very good at faking it."
So there you have it. Guster: the band that
can't fake it. And that -- along with the willingness to learn
new musical skills and share a broken heart with the whole world
-- is where good music begins.
www.guster.com
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2003 EntertainmentMagazine.net