Got an email from Ken about an update to his blog. There's some great stuff going on with the new cd due out next year and he talks about it in the blog.....CHECK OUT THE LIST OF MUSICIANS! Spyro Gyra fans, notice the drummer!! Dave Weckyl fans, notice the bass player! Yeeha!

We're moving in a totally new direction here, further away from snooze and more into energetic jazz.

Having some trouble copying the blog entry to here...

anyway- here's the gist of it.

"The demos for all of my new compositions are now finished and I have booked the recording sessions with some of the best contemporary jazz musicians in the world for this new CD. Joel Rosenblatt will be playing drums and I believe he is the perfect fit for this new music of mine. Joel has played with many great musicians including Michael Brecker and Steve Kahn and he is probably best known for his great work as Spyro Gyra's drummer for many years. On acoustic bass and electric basses will be the amazing Tom Kennedy. Tom also has a very impressive resume including recording and touring work with Al DiMeola, Steve Gadd and Michael Brecker but he is probably best known for his recording and touring work with drummer extraordinaire Dave Weckl. On acoustic piano and keyboards will be my longtime keyboardist and musical associate Jay Rowe. Jay and I are already doing some pre-production work on the keyboard parts and his input on this new music will be very important."

This makes at least one really fresh, exciting and definitely anti-smooth cd to look forward to in the coming months.

A few weeks ago, Ken had surprised me with a link to a rough (in his words, sounded great to me) demo of a tune that will be on the new cd.
(It's main purpose was just as an example,to get the players on the same page. But Ken does these very elaborate demos, so by most standards it's a completed recording.)

He'd mentioned in a previous blog that he was working on a tune in 26/8 time, which seems like it would be really weird; but I swear, you'd never know it was oddball time signature. It has a 7/4 feel to it, but all the time shifts are smooth and unobtrusive, very natural.

By the way, it's a killer tune- you guys will love it. I can't share it, Ken wants to have a more finished sample ready before he opens the door on that, but let's just say lovers of Pat Metheny and outstanding musicianship will be right at home. Even has a touch of Yellow Jackets or something in there.

It looks like Ken's taking what he started on Meeting Place, and ratcheting up the complexity and energy at least a couple notches. I don't think it'll be music that's over most of our heads, but it will challenge us to listen more deeply for sure.

Background music during dinner, it ain't.

Anyway, thought you guys would want to know- I'm sure Ken will let us know when another sample is available, just wanted to give you guys a heads up to be watching out for it.

And with Joel R and Tom K in the rhythm section and Jay Rowe on keys, well....makes me anxious to hear what that combination can do. All the fundamental ingredients for a great cd are in place.

What a touring band that would be, too...wow.

Later
TonyY

Jay's latest albums were all smooth jazz albums. I don't think that Ken will record an anti-smooth jazz album. I assume there will definetely more complexity in his album. But please don't leave the melodious path.

I will be keeping my ear on this one! And what a killer lineup! I love Jay Rowes playing!

hbh, maybe I need to define what I meant.

When I say anti-smooth jazz, I mean not your average smooth jazz. Not the same repititious tempos on a programmed drum loop, not the predictable sax solos, the "formula" smooth jazz approach. Music you can fall asleep to, the marketplace is full of that. You ought to know, you've reviewed a lot of them. Ken will stand out from all that.

If Ken is anything, he's melodic, so no worries there; I'd say he's leaving behind the rest of the pack that call themselves "Smooth" and reaching for a higher goal, to be truly energetic and sophisticated contemporary jazz.

I never said he was going to abandon melody, just abandon boring. Hopefully that clears it up.

From the one tune I've heard, I'd say think Pat Metheny on caffeine....no doubt plenty of melody and dynamics, soft and light to hard and crunchy.
And all that is in one tune.
And with the band lineup, it should just ooze energy.

In real life, Jay is not smooooth.... although I think he acknowledged what he had to acknowledge for his last CD. But as we know, everyone is moving away from the depiction of smooth jazz.... no sense in clinging to the stereotype anymore. (especially with the Beastie Boys nominated for pop instrumental Grammies).

He's a good guy and very talented.... and I'll be lending a helping hand to 2008's Smooth Jazz for Scholars.

Ken, nice to hear about your latest venture. Hope to see you soon.....

Ken, I'm lookin' forward to hearin' your new material with Joel, Tom, and Jay. That should be great complexities on the ears.

Bassix, I review a lot of everything

Very true! And you do a good job of it.

What I meant by that was, I'm sure you've noticed how many artist's sounds and tempos and even the songs at times, can seem to be interchangeable, or how one artist does two different cd's, and you can barely tell them apart- it all blends together into a bland and "vanilla" sound, like the artist is just going through the motions and doesn't really care what it sounds like, so long as they have a chance of getting airplay (by sounding like everyone else.)

I've basically quit listening to anything that's considered "smooth" anymore, it's just boring.

That's why someone like Ken interests me, his music is different, challenging, and far from bland.

Later
TY

With this attitude you will miss surprises. Things can change.