A DAY IN THE PARK
Donation protected
The recording is done. Now it's time to put it all together. A new solo CD project titled "A Day in the Park" and dedicated to family members, both present and those passed, has been long in the making and has covered a lot of ground. I have always found that writing music that has ties to something or someone special means a whole lot more and holds a very special place in your heart. This project is a very personal telling of my love of family and my desire to honor them through my music.
"A Day in the Park" will feature some of my newest jazz works for both small combo and large big band. Included on this project are works for three of my aunts - for Ruby is "Ruby in the Ruff," for Mary Lou is "Boo's Bolero," and for Estelle is "Stellee & Jack." The title work, "Sebastian's Day Off: A Day in the Park," is dedicated to my son Sebastian. who is now nine years old. Also to be included on the project are newly completed pieces dedicated to my mom called "Poochie's Waltz" and to my aunt Marie called "Inky & Marie." One more in the works is for my aunt Della Mae.
The small combo pieces, five quintets and three octets, were written over a period of several years and were recorded at Ovation Sound in Winston-Salem, North Carolina in May 2016. When I mentioned the initial concept of this project to fellow Vermont College of Fine Arts alum William Stevens, who is the owner of Ovation Sound, he invited me down to North Carolina to use his studio, and to meet and work with some of his friends. I was fortunate to be able to work with some of North Carolina's finest jazz musicians, including Brandon Lee and Steve Haines of the UNC-Greensboro Miles Davis School of Music. The other musicians included Annalise Stalls, Dave Finucane, Evan Ringle, Thomas Linger, Chris Boerner and Daniel Faust, all exceptional musicians. They did not disappoint!
In November 2015, I was part of the PARMA Recordings venture to Havana, Cuba to record several jazz works under the People to People Exchange humanitarian program. The trip presented the opportunity for me to be among the first American composers to travel to Cuba since the US government eased travel restrictions to the country. Two of my big band pieces, "Hot Miami Nights" and "On An Autumn Day," were recorded with members of the infamous band Irakere at Abdala Studios in Havana. The two pieces were released by PARMA Recordings' Ansonica Records on the two disc album Abrazo: The Havana Sessions, a collection of works recorded by eight composers on that trip to Havana.
During the final steps of planning this project, I was approached by Chris Robinson of PARMA, who offered to release the CD on their Ansonica label. This will be my fourth project with PARMA, and I have come to recognize that their mastery of recording projects such as this is great and their reach is far. I am honored for the opportunity and look forward to the completion of this ground-breaking project showcasing my jazz music.
"A Day in the Park" will feature some of my newest jazz works for both small combo and large big band. Included on this project are works for three of my aunts - for Ruby is "Ruby in the Ruff," for Mary Lou is "Boo's Bolero," and for Estelle is "Stellee & Jack." The title work, "Sebastian's Day Off: A Day in the Park," is dedicated to my son Sebastian. who is now nine years old. Also to be included on the project are newly completed pieces dedicated to my mom called "Poochie's Waltz" and to my aunt Marie called "Inky & Marie." One more in the works is for my aunt Della Mae.
The small combo pieces, five quintets and three octets, were written over a period of several years and were recorded at Ovation Sound in Winston-Salem, North Carolina in May 2016. When I mentioned the initial concept of this project to fellow Vermont College of Fine Arts alum William Stevens, who is the owner of Ovation Sound, he invited me down to North Carolina to use his studio, and to meet and work with some of his friends. I was fortunate to be able to work with some of North Carolina's finest jazz musicians, including Brandon Lee and Steve Haines of the UNC-Greensboro Miles Davis School of Music. The other musicians included Annalise Stalls, Dave Finucane, Evan Ringle, Thomas Linger, Chris Boerner and Daniel Faust, all exceptional musicians. They did not disappoint!
In November 2015, I was part of the PARMA Recordings venture to Havana, Cuba to record several jazz works under the People to People Exchange humanitarian program. The trip presented the opportunity for me to be among the first American composers to travel to Cuba since the US government eased travel restrictions to the country. Two of my big band pieces, "Hot Miami Nights" and "On An Autumn Day," were recorded with members of the infamous band Irakere at Abdala Studios in Havana. The two pieces were released by PARMA Recordings' Ansonica Records on the two disc album Abrazo: The Havana Sessions, a collection of works recorded by eight composers on that trip to Havana.
During the final steps of planning this project, I was approached by Chris Robinson of PARMA, who offered to release the CD on their Ansonica label. This will be my fourth project with PARMA, and I have come to recognize that their mastery of recording projects such as this is great and their reach is far. I am honored for the opportunity and look forward to the completion of this ground-breaking project showcasing my jazz music.
Organizer
Timothy Miller
Organizer
Mahwah, NJ