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Release Date: February 22, 2022
Fazz. /faz/ noun. category of music combining Folk music and Jazz. First known public reference attributed to Dave Brubeck Quartet member Paul Desmond during tour with trio Peter, Paul and Mary at the midpoint of the 20th century. A fusion of styles characterized by musical subtlety, improvisation, syncopation, and often a regular or forceful rhythm. While brass, woodwind instruments and piano are often associated with jazz, the guitar and other stringed instruments are often found in support of those pieces containing a more lyrical or reflective content.
I'm a great believer in 'alternative' chords...color chords they're sometimes called. If you have an ear for musical nuance, you can readily hear the difference between an A major chord and its smoky, mysterious cousin the A major 7th. I'll admit the application of these chordal variations should be judicious, as they may not always be appropriate to the task. Case in point: tuning backstage with Peter Yarrow and being cautioned that one does not use a Major 7th while playing a Woody Guthrie tune. But still, every song is not a sing-along, and every melody deserves its own place in the sun.
The songs contained in FAZZ:NOW&THEN are a reflection of how the interpretative nature of jazz has impacted my creative impulses over these past 60 years. To me, the framing of words in a musical setting makes possible a 3rd interpretative window; even beyond the emotional and intellectual meaning of a song. A lyric, particularly one that tells a story, has a unique impact if presented within a chord structure that surprises (and sometimes challenges) the expectations of the listener.
And so, herein are the results of this 'burning desire' to bring a broader musical palette to the lyric and power of folk music. In these Covid times, it's been frustrating to be working long-distance with my fellow musicians, yet rewarding knowing that any space between us has been 'covered in the heart'.
With much thanks and credit to:
- Robert Milstein, Co-production
- Ed Mottau, Co-production
- Jim Mason, Co-production, Mastering, Neworld Publishing
- John Stuart (Stuart Audio), Co-production, Recording, Mixing Engineer
- Mike Clark (Clark Creative), Recording, Mixing Engineer
- Tom Swift (Swift Kick Productions), Mixing Engineer
- Jim Brady, Mastering
- Sally Farr, Graphics
- Joyce Hall, Neworld Logistics
- David Snyder, Neworld Media Integration
- Betty Stookey, Patience, Understanding, Perceptive Critiques
