That would be great, Ken. Now, I'll bring my CD Walkman in addition to my iPod to listen to back at Hampton Inn. All I have to go by is that December demo. I'm sure the finished product will blow me away.
Also, we need to take another picture. I'm 40 pounds thinner than I was last year.
And Bonnie, I'll be looking for you. I don't know what I'll be wearing yet. It depends on the forecast. I'll definitely have on a beige jacket, though.

I am sure Mary and I will see you at some point, Mike.

Just a heads up, Ken has notified me the cd's came in a bit earlier than expected, so shipments are proceeding right now on the pre-orders, possibly receiving it by this weekend.
Yeeha-
I'm looking forward to it!

Later
TonyY

From Ken's Blog
"This new music opens up a whole new world for me and as my friend and musical compatriot Jay Rowe said - "this is a life changing album".

He's not exaggerating. Order this CD now. Just Click here and do it. You're not gonna believe this and you're not going to be able to stop listening to it once you start. Can't cherry pick songs of iTunes either, because 1. you won't want to and 2. Theres a continuity here. There just isn't anything else like this out there. Get it and spread the word. It's time to see if a CJazz CD can go viral on the internet and this one has the quality and the intangible vibe. A lot of us grew up with discovering music via word of mouth. It's baaaaacccck.

Shannon-
Hey girl, you got a liner note mention, that's very cool!
Good for you-

Can't say yet what I think of it, because I've been too stinkin busy to sit down and enjoy it, but I did get it in the mail Friday, cracked the wrapper open, and sampled several of the tunes.
Thanks, Ken, for the quick shipment!
I'm trying to listen to it now, so hopefully in a couple days I can say I've digested it enough to comment. Maybe after that, then I can go back and listen to the demo cd of all the songs, just to see what changes were made and how much the "live" players added. You can tell it's the real thing, a very warm and natural recording sound. Wonderful production qualities, to my ear at least. Track 5 (Perfect Circle Sun) is a very emotional song, to only be guitars multi-tracked....haunting and beautiful.
Track 9 (We Might As Well Dance) has Joel Rosenblatt going at it hard- this may be the high energy point of the cd, but not sure about that until I get to hear it all in one seating.

First impression is, fantastic. This is pretty involved stuff, but it flows very naturally from passage to passage without jarring the senses. I seriously doubt we'll hear much of it in the elevator, unless it's through an iPod....

So far, Ken, you've amazed me again. More later.

Tonyy

I got my copy from Ken in the lobby at Hampton Inn Saturday afternoon and I started listening 20 minutes later. I listened to tracks 1 through 7 there and listened to the rest yesterday. You're right, Tony. I can't get enough of it.
You've created a masterpiece, Ken. Thank you very much.

been listening while working late, it's usually the least interrupted part of my working day...on my fourth time through the whole cd. Each time I hear something familiar, then something new; yet another little bell or triangle or ride cymbal or guitar riff etc.
And new sounds, like the synth voices in On My Way To Somewhere; new but familiar, I think Metheny used a similar effect, but this sounds very modern and fits perfectly in the tune, giving a shot of pure joy and playfulness. That tune has gotten a few extra plays, may be the unsuspected favorite. Gotta be Jay on the keys/synth, right? Or is it a guitar synth? Both, maybe...and it seems to be in 7/4, but changes up in the chorus, I think...and the sounds of thunder etc....really sets the mind stage, like passing through a storm then the blast of fresh air and clear skies after the rain.

On the tune Ken shared with us, the 26/4 tune, the title track, Joel (and primarily his cymbal work, very crisp and natural) brings that track to life for me...and Jay's keyboard work is spot on. I think Ken may have added a few phrases in there, also...can't put my finger on it yet, but something sounded a bit, well, more structured. Not sure how to describe it, it's like a frame around a riff that makes it jump out at me more.

Interestingly, I know it's Joel R on drums, but for the most part I wouldn't guess it- it's different from a Spyro Gyra type setting where I was used to picking him out, hearing something distinctly Joel; this is more Metheny/Yellow Jackets-like territory. His playing is impeccable, the recording of his various parts of the drum kit is great...I'm learning just how hard that can be, since I'm the drum tech newbie now too, for our drummer...clearly Joel gave Ken his atmosphere he was looking for here.

As for Tom Kennedy, his acoustic bass work is excellent- I don't usually expect it to be as rocking as he can do it. Clearly a master of the bass. Again, I am so used to hearing him with Weckl, that it's different...not bad by any means, just a different setting. He and Joel are seamless together.

Of course, what would all this be without Ken...his guitar phrasing and riffs seem effortless, but I know they are the result of months of work and craftsmanship. Amazing.
And something else...it's not all noodle-y and wandering, like so many guitar driven instrumental albums can get, especially c-jazz. Everything seems to be there for a purpose, and the melodies are accessible while still being more musically advanced.

As much as I loved Meeting Place, this has raised the bar, and taken a turn in style, more jazz less pop. I think that's a great thing. It has more of a jazz club feel to it to me.

I also think Ken may have put together a band the equal of a Metheny or Yellow Jackets here, and I can only imagine what these guys could sound like live....I hope they tour!!

Oh yeah- another thing for you sharped eared folks out there; I'm not noticing a lot of compression, the volume levels are reasonable and not enhanced....doesn't seem to have that overproduced, lack of dynamic range issue. There's plenty of dynamic range here, and more things going on in the background than you can catch in the first few listens.

Sheesh, a bucket full of first impressions, huh...and all through a set of earbuds.
Obviously will have to try it out on the variety of sound systems around here, and with my UE in-ear monitors.

The true test will be a month from now, will I still be listening to it regularly; at this point, there's no doubt about that.

TonyY

ATTENTION ALL LURKERS, MEMBERS, AND BOARDERS....
just got this from Ken, now you have NO EXCUSE to not listen to this new cd! This is a very brave and unusual way to market this music, here's hoping it's the beginning of a new era!
-----------------------------------------------------------
"Hi All,

I have been working on a way to spread the word about my new, ground breaking CD "The Grace Of Summer Light". The official retail release date is not until June 17 but it is already available at my website and we have already sold over 500 to fans who simply could not wait.
This is a very special CD, with stunning compositions and ground
breaking performances from myself, Joel Rosenblatt (Spyro Gyra) on drums, Tom Kennedy on acoustic and electric bass (Michael Brecker, Al DiMeola) and Jay Rowe (Special EFX, Marion Meadows) on keyboards. It is already being called a masterpiece by critics and fans alike.

I want this new music of mine to reach new listeners for contemporary jazz and as many people as possible. So, I have decided to take an unprecedented step for contemporary and smooth jazz and make a page at my website where folks can hear a stream of the CD IN ITS ENTIRETY before they purchase it. Here is the link - Hear the FULL LENGTH CD, start to finish, streaming here
---------------------------------------------------------

I know you'll like it, so go ahead...listen to it for free! It doesn't get any better than this...

TonyY

Oh, I'll be grabbing this tonight! Good call! I've actually been waiting for this to be available.

This is an incredible work. Please pardon the analogy, but it is "symphonic" in nature to me.... in the way that a symphony has movements which are organized around a theme.

Each song flows into the next.... I have not removed this CD from the CD player since Saturday.