Last
April, drummer Billy Mintz and bassist Tony Marino and I
went into Big Twig studios and recorded a new trio album
"Agents Of Change." To those that are familiar with my
playing, the music on this record is a radical departure
from my usual fare. Playing in "Rubato" style, the
concept developed during the years since 2000 when I
disbanded my trio. After three decades of touring I
finally had time to practice, something that is almost
impossible to do while on the
road.
As
you may know, I've been teaching part-time at The New
School and Purchase Conservatory.
Thankfully
my academic schedule allows me much free time to work on
my music. Congruent with this, very few people were
calling me for gigs. I suspect that once you're a leader
you are always considered one. In any case, what would
have appeared as a negative turned out to be a positive;
since no one was calling me I had no "professional"
concerns trying to balance professionalism and artistic
endeavor, a conundrum every artist faces. I then had the
epiphany that I could play any way I wanted with out
trying to fit my playing into someone else's conception
and the devil take the hindmost! Trying to rid my playing
of as much artifice as possible, the music on this album
is a result of the work.
Pianist/Educator/Author
Jack Reilly's reaction summed it up nicely: "Listened
2x's and must say you're a different pianist. Good work.
You're now on you way to real loneliness!! Congrats to
you and the cats. "
I
think we've fashioned a unique approach to interpreting
an eclectic mix that includes three of my originals:
"Waiting For Chet," "Sonar," and "Liquid Audio," as well
as unexpected versions of the Tin Pan Alley evergreens
"How Deep Is The Ocean" and "On Green Dolphin Street." A
super-melodic version of Wayne Shorter's "E.S.P." opens
the album and tucked away in the middle of it all is
their rendition of the old Swedish folk tune "Dear Old
Stockholm."
This
is also the first release of a hard copy CD on my own
Fabola Records label. Heck, everybody else's is doing it.
I figured I'd try it myself and it has been an eye
opening experience.
Buy
directly from me, postage free on this site
(CLICK
HERE).
Check out Dan McClenaghan's All
About Jazz
review and a free download of both my pseudo-Brazilain
original "Desire" and "Dear
Old Stockholm,
from the new CD. " You can also purchase it from
CDBaby.com
or amazon.com.
Check
out what they're saying about "Agents Of
Change"
Billboard
Books, in its infinite wisdom decided to delete "The
Touring Musician" from its catalog. Though the book has
helped thousands of musicians organize their business,
Billboard didn't promote it enough to warrant keeping it
stocked in their warehouse.I managed to rescue some of
the remaining stock with the help
of Caris
Music
and Jamey
Aebersold.
You can get it from them. I'm in the process of
negotiating with a more appropriate music publishing
house.
If
nothing else, I'll publish it myself under my Amenable
Music imprint, maybe as a downloadble ebook More on that
later.
