  |
|
|
 |
| Lookin' for a Change |
| Joe McBride |
| első megjelenés éve: 2009 |
|
| (2009)
|
|
CD |
| 4.521 Ft
|
|
| 1. | Crazy
|
| 2. | 1000 Miles
|
| 3. | The Scientist
|
| 4. | Word Up
|
| 5. | It's Over Now
|
| 6. | This Is How A Heart Breaks
|
| 7. | Kiss From A Rose
|
| 8. | Like A Star
|
| 9. | Secret Rendezvous
|
| 10. | I Don't Wanna Be
|
| 11. | Say
|
| 12. | Lookin' For A Change
|
Jazz / Jazz-Pop, Smooth Jazz
Joe McBride - Piano, Producer
Dave Love Executive Producer
Martin Walters Producer, Mixing, Engineer
Paul Blakemore Mastering
Versatile Singer/Pianist Recasts Contemporary Pop Tunes In Straightahead Jazz Arrangements
In the digitally-driven 21st century, the landscape of American popular music exists in a constant state of metamorphosis. At any given moment, the lines between jazz, R&B, soul, funk, pop, hip-hop and countless other styles can become indistinguishable, and sometimes disappear altogether. Singer/pianist Joe McBride, an innovator since his first recordings in the early '90s, understands this phenomenon on a first-hand level. And like any versatile artist who's in it for the long haul, he's learned to not only roll with the changes, but actively seek them out and explore their maximum artistic potential.
A longtime stalwart of the contemporary jazz scene, McBride takes a detour from his usual path for an intriguing new recording that reinterprets a dozen contemporary pop songs via straightahead jazz arrangements. His new CD, Lookin' For A Change (HUCD 3144), is set for worldwide release on Heads Up International, a division of Concord Music Group.
Fleshed out with the help of a live trio - guitarist Dan Wilson, bassist Roger Hines and drummer Elijah Gilmore - Lookin' For A Change is a collection of songs originally written and recorded by a range of pop luminaries, including Gnarls Barkley, Coldplay, John Mayer, Seal, Jill Scott and several others. These reinterpretations, along with three original compositions from McBride's own inspirational well, make for an engaging juxtaposition of the best elements of contemporary pop and traditional jazz.
"The majority of my releases in the past have been primarily electronic," says McBride, "with an acoustic piano playing over the top of arrangements that were primarily put together with drum machines and other technology. I've loved contemporary jazz. It's been a lot of fun playing that kind of music. But I wanted to move forward a little bit, demonstrate a little growth, try something new."
The set opens with a buoyant take on Gnarls Barkley's "Crazy," wherein McBride augments his energetic piano work with a vocal line reminiscent of Al Jarreau. The followup track, a syncopated reading of Vanessa Carlton's yearning "1000 Miles," is a bit more down to earth and pensive. "I like how easily the Vanessa Carlton tune translated to jazz," says McBride. "It swings very easily. It was very easy to put into a straightahead bag."
Further into the set, McBride injects Corrine Bailey Rae's "Like a Star" with a Latin groove that's full of energy without being overbearing. "I like the samba feel on that track," says McBride. "There's a really great acoustic guitar solo in there by Dan Wilson."
In the home stretch, McBride's rendition of Seal's "Kiss From a Rose" puts a gentler jazz spin on this passionate ode without sacrificing any of the emotional impact of the source material.
The set closes with the infectiously rhythmic title track, an appeal for greater tolerance and understanding in a rapidly evolving society. Written by McBride, the song is laced with subtle but unmistakable hints of R&B and funk amid the predominantly jazz-flavored arrangement. This is McBride at his best - sending a clear and positive message without delivering a heavy-handed sermon.
More than just pure musical entertainment, McBride sees Lookin' for a Change as a learning experience for listeners from different generations - himself included. As is so often the case, creating something new required a reacquaintance with the old stuff.
"As the project came together, the process became very educational - for me as much as anyone else who heard some of the early tracks," says McBride. "I had forgotten some of the jazz roots of my youth, the straightahead stuff that I had learned back in high school and college - the Miles and the Coltrane and the Charlie Parker. So this project kind of took me back a little bit too. I had to really do my homework on some of the theory in this music."
But McBride has no reservations about digging in and doing the hard work for the sake of his craft. "I wouldn't trade now for any of the other years of my life," he says. "I feel very good about this record. I feel like I'm in a fresh spot. I'm ready to broaden my horizons, and maybe broaden the horizons of some of my listeners as well. It's all about the love for the music, and the willingness to try something new. Anyone who knows me knows that I'm trying something new every day."
It isn't hard to figure out why pianist/keyboardist/vocalist Joe McBride decided to call this 2009 release Lookin' for a Change. On most of his albums, McBride has functioned as a soul-jazz/smooth jazz instrumentalist who occasionally sings. But there are no instrumentals on Lookin' for a Change; McBride sings on all of the tracks, favoring a gritty yet sophisticated vocal style that is greatly influenced by George Benson but also contains hints of Al Jarreau. If McBride wanted a change, he got one -- and the interesting thing is that while Lookin' for a Change is less produced and more acoustic-oriented than McBride's albums typically are, it is also his most R&B-oriented effort. Lookin' for a Change isn't jazz with R&B elements; it is really vocal R&B with jazz overtones. So it is best to judge this 66-minute CD by R&B standards rather than jazz standards -- and from an R&B standpoint, Lookin' for a Change is pleasingly solid. McBride soars as an R&B vocalist on his own material as well as on intriguing arrangements of Vanessa Carlton's "1000 Miles," Cameo's "Word Up," and Seal's "Kiss from a Rose." The Missouri native has no problem taking "1000 Miles" out of adult alternative and making it sound like something he heard on one of Benson's R&B vocal albums of the '80s, and his interpretation of "Word Up" is funky but in a much more bluesy and low-key way than Cameo's original 1986 version. Some of McBride's albums have been uneven, but there are no weak moments on Lookin' for a Change -- which turns out to be one of the most consistent releases in his catalog. ~ Alex Henderson, All Music Guide
Joe McBride
Active Decades: '90s and '00s
Genre: Jazz
Styles: Fusion, Jazz-Pop, Smooth Jazz
Born and raised in Fulton, MO, keyboardist/singer Joe McBride began playing the piano at age four. His uncle Bake McBride was an outfielder for the St. Louis Cardinals and the Cleveland Indians. His earliest influences were gospel music, bebop, straight-ahead jazz, Motown, and '70s R&B and funk. As a teenager, he began singing and playing at jazz clubs. Around this time, McBride was stricken with a degenerative eye disease that eventually claimed his sight, but his passion for music didn't diminish. He continued his musical studies at the Missouri School for the Blind and Webster University in suburban St. Louis, where he majored in jazz performance. He also attended the University of North Texas. Around 1983, McBride trekked to San Diego, CA, a bastion of smooth jazz radio. He began playing with the band Fattburger and guitarist Steve Laury.
In 1985, McBride visited his brother in Dallas, TX. What was originally planned as a two-week visit evolved into an abundant opportunity. He was flooded with performing offers, leading to McBride becoming a popular musician of the city's jazz club scene. During that time he met a young trumpeter named Dave Love at a function for North Texas State University. The two became fast friends and when Love ventured into the other side of the music business and started the Heads Up International label, the executive remembered the soulful pianist/vocalist he had met in Dallas and signed him to a record deal. In 1992, the keyboardist was featured on Heads Up labelmate Kenny Blake's debut, Interior Design, and began touring with the Heads Up Superband along with Blake, Gerald Veasley, andHenry Johnson. McBride has also been the opening act for Whitney Houston, Larry Carlton, and the Yellowjackets. His reputation has reached overseas, making McBride a favorite in Europe and Spain.
McBride's debut album, Grace, released in 1992, instantly made him a core artist at smooth jazz radio. McBride's other albums released during the '90s include A Gift for Tomorrow (1994), Keys to Your Heart (1996), and Double Take (1998). A stellar guest list of artists that have appeared on his releases includes Grover Washington, Jr., Richard Elliot, Phil Perry, Peter White, Dave Koz, Rick Braun, and Larry Carlton, among others.
At the start of the 21st century, McBride's long sought-after dream was realized: an album that featured his band, the Texas Rhythm Club. His CD Texas Rhythm Club was recorded in his home base of Dallas and issued by Heads Up International on June 27, 2000. Highlights are "Howzit in Dallas," "Everything Remains the Same," the tender ballad "It's You," the snappy "Lone Star Boogie," and the humorous "Texas Blues Cruise." His recorded output has continued during the new millennium, as 2002 saw the release of Keepin' It Real, while Texas Hold'em came out in 2005. Lookin' for a Change appeared in 2009 from Heads Up Records.
---Ed Hogan, All Music Guide |
|
CD bolt, zenei DVD, SACD, BLU-RAY lemez vásárlás és rendelés - Klasszikus zenei CD-k és DVD-különlegességek |  | | Webdesign - Forfour Design |
|
|
