CD Review: Adam Schroeder "Let's"

I have been an Adam Schroeder fan ever since I heard him playing his Bari Sax several years ago at one of Pete Carlson's Jazz nights.  Adam is one of the few masters of the Bari Sax.  As a former Alto Sax player, I can tell you that even though the keys of all Saxophones are the same,  it's unusual to hear any Alto and/or Tenor player also playing Bari Sax.  My guess as to why is that the Bari Sax is so big it takes a much greater effort and a lot more air to navigate this horn correctly.

When performing, Adam Schroeder makes it look like playing the Bari Sax is easy!  His tone is smooth and mellow and his improvisation is fresh and pleasing.  I met Adam again last month when he was playing a Jazz concert at Pete Carlson's Jazz Club and during our conversation, he mentioned that he wanted me to hear his lasest CD that I had missed.  This CD, "Let's" was released a few years ago and it lives up to my Adam Schroeder expectations.

Adam composed 5 of the 11 songs on this CD and his compositions are impressive.   He also invited three of the best current Jazz players in the country to join him on this CD.  Every player is on my Jazz favorites list: Anthony Wilson on Guitar, John Clayton on Bass and Jeff Hamilton on Drums.

Players:
Adam Schroeder- Bari Sax
Anthony Wilson-Guitar
John Clayton-Bass
Jeff Hamilton-Drums

Playlist:
1. "Hello Bright Sunflower"
2. "In the Middle of the Kiss"
3. "Just Clap Your Hands"
4. "You and I"
5. "Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams"
6. "A Hawkeye, A Hoosier, and Two Cali Cats"
7. "Contemplation"
8. "Patient Endurance, Steady Hope"
9. "Let's"
10. "Southside Samba"
11. "The Smulyan Spectacles"

I have attached a "YouTube" of the song "Just Clap Your Hands" written by Adam Schroeder that fully utilizes the outstanding rhythm section of Wilson, Clayton and Hamilton.  I also attached a second "YouTube" of the group playing the Benny Carter tune, "Southside Samba"  that is a fun recording.  Adam Schroeder performs with several big bands in the California area so don't miss any chance to hear him play!

 

CD Review: Julie Kelly "Happy To Be"

My first listening introduction to Julie Kelly was by way of her new CD "Happy To Be".  After listening to just the first few songs, it became clear why Julie is one of the most respected Jazz singers on the West Coast.  If anyone ever asks you to define Jazz singing, save your time and theirs by simply telling them to listen to Julie Kelly and her CD "Happy To Be". Julie's pure warm voice has a sensibility to melody and lyric that's very rare.  Her selection of songs on this CD reinforces her perfect taste in the best in melody and her wonderful lyric writing abilities.  She wrote the lyrics for two songs on the CD, "The Blues According to Orpheus" and "For Joni".   "For Joni" began as a poem she wrote for Joni Mitchell.  Tierney Sutton the marvelous Jazz singer in her own right calls this tune nothing less than a "gorgeous anthem" to all who love Joni Mitchell.

One of the essential talents that all Jazz singers need to develop is the ability to pick the best  musicians who will lift the singer to higher levels.  The musicians Julie has selected to support her on this CD are spectacular!  Bill Cunliffe has worked with Julie on other projects and is a widely respected pianist and Grammy Award-winning arranger, Anthony Wilson the outstanding guitarist who works with only the best musicians including Diana Krall, Tom Warrington known as one of the best Bass players in the country, world-class Drummer Joe LaBarbera who worked with Bill Evans for years and a Horn section comprised of A-list players including Bob Sheppard, Clay Jenkins, Ron Stout and Bob McChesney.  Also, there is an additional contribution made by the following fine musicians:  Walter Rodriguez, Percussion, Kim Richmand, Saxophone and on Vibes the "superb" Nick Mancini.

Julie Kelly has given the Jazz world a wonderful gift of great music that validates that Jazz singing still has a special place in today's music scene!

I have attached a "You-Tube" video of Julie singing "You're The Dangerous Type" from her CD "Happy To Be".

CD Review: Adam Schroeder's "Lets"

I started playing Alto Sax when I was in 3rd grade, but it wasn't until 8th grade when I fell in love with the sound of the Baritone Sax. That's when I discovered Gerry Mulligan and the magic he was able to produce with his Baritone Sax. I never had much success in creating a pleasing tone from my Baritone Sax which only increased my desire to hear anyone that could make this giant Saxophone sing! Over the years, there have been few Jazz Bari Sax players that have caught my interest until I heard Adam Schroeder on his new CD, "Let's".  Adam Schroeder produces a remarkably rich tone when combined with his amazing dexterity (on this big horn) and brings the listener to musical heaven. His ability to produce rich lows and soar to exciting highs from his Bari Sax are so good that at times the listener might forget these sounds are coming out of a Baritone Sax!

In picking the songs for this album, Adam wrote 5 out of the 11 songs.  The remaining 6 songs were selected by Adam using Melodies as his criteria. "Each of the songs written by others had to have the great melodies first and foremost. These are tunes that make you smile when you first hear them, and then reveal their compositional and harmonic depth the more you listen to them. They also offer vast freedom of expression for everyone to improvise on."

Adam has been able to put together what I think is the "Dream Team" of supporting musicians for this CD. Starting with Anthony Wilson on Guitar, John Clayton on Bass and Jeff Hamilton on Drums.  I first discovered this group of fabulous Jazz players when they backed Diana Krall on her "Live in Paris" album. This album is still one of the best Jazz standards album I have ever heard. As they like to say on the PGA Tour, "These guys are good"! The solos from this trio of world-class musicians are wonderful. They all have a way of improvising that is new and refreshing. The listener can hear every single note they play and yet they are always part of the supporting group even though each one of them could take the lead any time.

This CD will be release on June 17 on Capri Records. Make the effort to get this CD; it will be a keeper for your Jazz collection for many years to come.

I found a cut from the CD on YouTube and would like to share it with you. Attached below is Adam Schroeder Playing his own composition from his new CD "Let's".  The song is titled: " A Hawkeye, A Hoosier and Two Cali Cats". Great Music!

                                         

"Live" CDs Trump "Studio" CD's Almost Every TIme!

Brown Onions

I had an interesting conversation with one of my favorite singers, Aubrey Tadman, about why it seems that CDs recorded "live" produce better recordings compared to recordings by the same musician that are cut in a "studio". I am sure many of you have purchased CDs recorded by an artist who you heard singing "live"in a club or restaurant. You loved the artist's performance but when you got home and listened to one of their recorded CDs, it just didn't have the exact effect on you as did the live performance, right?

I would like to offer some reasons that cause this difference. First, music is art and in great music and works of art, producing a perfect reproduction of your subject or written notes in a song, can be great but seldom outstanding. Most time the beauty in art and music is found in the embodiment of emotion that the painter or singer adds to the subject. Also, sometimes slight imperfections in art and music can enhance the value to the listener or viewer. Life is not perfect but real beauty in life can be found when we uncover the emotional spirit of the creator, unveiling not only the perfect parts but also the slightly bruised parts.

Consider the difference between two of the best singers of the Great American Songbook,  Frank Sinatra and Vic Damone.  Even Sinatra said more than once that Vic Damone had the best singing voice of anyone he had ever heard, and I have no argument with that.  Damone has had a wonderful career, lots of fans and sold millions of records So what was missing in his recordings that put Sinatra on the top of the heap? I think the answer is Sinatra's ability to bring his life experiences both good and bad and inject them into his recordings. If anyone can record in a studio and instill emotional life into the cuts, Sinatra can; but to me, Sinatra's greatest recordings are the ones recorded live. They were not as perfect as his studio recordings. A Great performance like great art can sometimes create greater value with slight blemishes or imperfections. Listening audiences do not necessarily crave perfection but they do want emotional reality.

The last factor in the mix is the emotional lift that all performers get from an appreciative audience. If you ever played or sung for a live audience, you know exactly what I mean. Another friend of mine, the great bassist, Jim De Julio played in Sinatra's band in Vegas for years. Jim shared this story with me.  Just before the curtain was set to go up, Jim would look over to the side and he would see Sinatra standing there waiting to come on.  According to Jim, he would almost know exactly when the curtain would rise because he could see Sinatra's blue eyes actually getting bigger and this was Jim's signal that Frank was ready to roll. As great as Sinatra was, he always became bigger than life on stage and I believe it made his live recordings just the greatest!

I have attached a couple of YouTube recordings that I think support my point. The first is a live recording from Diana Krall from her "Live In Paris" CD.  As you listen to this recording, I believe you can feel the emotion and love for great American Jazz coming straight from the audience to Diana and her band which impacted her performance.  This is one of my all-time favorite "live" CDs and one of the reasons is the great supporting musicians that performed with her.  I don't think it is possible to put a better Jazz group together than this one with the great Jeff Hamilton on Drums, the one and only John Clayton on Bass and the marvelous Anthony Wilson on Guitar.
                                 
                                                   Diane Krall "Live In Paris" CD

The second YouTube is of Ella Fitzgerald singing "Mack The Knife" from her 1960 classic "Ella In Berlin" recording. It's far from perfect but just a brilliant recording!