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| FYC | Eugene Marlow & Grace Schulman | Best Jazz Instrumental Album | "Blue in Green Remix"  "Blue In Green Remix" is the result of a serendipitous meeting between national award-winning poet Grace Schulman and award-winning composer and documentarian Eugene Marlow. The two almost immediately discovered their common love for jazz.Of this Schulman says: "Jazz has dominated my life and work as long as I can remember, especially John Coltrane's prayerful chords, Art Tatum's quicksilver arpeggios, Billie's high-lows, Miles' improvisations in Kind of Blue, of which I wrote: "if only my heart could teach my hands to play / and get it right on the first take." In writing about each one, I hoped I could capture something of the sound in my words – not how it felt, not even its larger implications, but the amazing sound." Eugene Marlow has composed over 300 pieces for solo instruments, classical and jazz chamber ensembles, and big band in various jazz, Afro-Caribbean, Brazilian, and classical genres. The result of their chance meeting was the 10-track "The Jazz Poems of Grace Schulman" (MEII Enterprises 2017). Taking the 10 poems one step further, composer Eugene Marlow realized an opportunity to record 10 jazz pieces to accompany the poems. Marlow's goal was to give musical voice to Schulman's verbal artistry. This inspired the current album "Blue In Green Remix." The collaboration between Schulman and Eugene Marlow on "The Jazz Poems of Grace Schulman" (2017) is the first and only time her award-winning poems have ever been recorded. "Blue In Green Remix" (2023) is the first time Schulman's poems have ever been juxtaposed with music in any genre. Numerous musicians are referenced in her jazz poems: Art Tatum, John Coltrane, Miles Davis, Billy Holliday, Bill Evans, and Thelonious Monk, as well as classical violinist Itzhak Perlman and Danish author Chris Albertson. Marlow's challenge was to record compositions with first rate musicians that reflected—in whole or in part-the content or tone of each of Schulman's 10 jazz poems. The Poems and Compositions The up-tempo "Nightcap" accompanies the poem "Art Tatum At The Gee-Haw Stable" (Track 1). The melodic line of "Nightcap" requires an improvisation approaching that of Art Tatum. Jazz virtuoso pianist ArcoIris Sandoval does it justice. "Inside Blues" (Track 2) is paired with Schulman's "A Love Supreme." While her poem mentions Coltrane's soprano saxophone, on this track Michael Hashim's improvisation on alto is reminiscent of Coltrane's style. "Ballad For My Sweetness" (Track 3), a love song—featuring a glorious solo by saxophonist Michael Hashim—was recorded in one take, a fitting complement to the "one take" theme in Grace Schulman's accompanying "Blue In Green" love poem. The poem "The Broken String" is followed by "The Romance Is Gone" on Track 4. Originally a composition for solo classical piano, for this album Marlow orchestrated it for piano, acoustic bass, and electric violin. Jazz violinist Ben Sutin improvises on top of the original composition's chords, a reference in Schulman's poem when violinist Itzhak Perlman had to improvise the completion of a concerto on three strings (instead of four) when one broke in concert. "Street Drummer" (Track 5), an improvised drum solo by multi-Grammy nominee Bobby Sanabria, accompanies Schulman's poem "Street Music Astor Place." Sanabria's solo was recorded in one take. The result is structured and highly musical, reflecting Schulman's description of street drummers in "Street Music Astor Place." "Oh, Yeah?!" (Track 6) features a muted trumpet solo by Rachel Therrien. It is about Miles. It echoes Schulman's poem "Cool Jazz." Marlow composed "Free At Last" (Track 7) for flugelhorn, electric bass, snare drum with brushes, and specifically accordion to give the track a "Paris" context to fit Schulman's poem "Shadow." "Where Are You Now" (Track 8) and "Send My Regrets" (Track 9) originally appear on Marlow's inaugural album "A Summer Afternoon With You" (MEII Enterprises, 2005). Both fit Schulman's accompanying poems "God Bless the Child" and "Thelonius Himself, " respectively. "Where Are You Now?" composed in a gospel tone, is dedicated to a high school friend who passed at too young of an age. Mike Abene's improvisation on "Send My Regrets" is in the style of Thelonius Monk. "Blues for Chris Albertson" follows Schulman's "Yellow, " a poem about the Danish author and jazz producer. Her poem describes the many "blues" in his life. The composition is an up-tempo "blues" celebration of his life. Credits: All poems written and narrated by Dr. Grace Schulman Poems recorded, edited, and mastered at Onomatopoeia (New York City), Ken Takeuchi, Engineer "Art Tatum, " "Blue and Green, " "Cool Jazz, " "The Broken String, " and "Thelonius Himself" appear in The Broken String (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt 2008) "God Bless the Child, " "Shadow, " "Street Music, " and "Yellow" published in Without a Claim (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt 2013) "A Love Supreme" appears in The Southampton Review (2017) Album Producer, Eugene Marlow. All compositions by Eugene Marlow Unless other indicated, compositions were recorded at Dubway Studios (New York City), Sam Palumbo, Engineer. Edited, mixed at Valhalla Studio (New York City), Jim Gately, Engineer Mastered at Onomatopoeia (New York City), Ken Takeuchi, Engineer CD Graphic Design by Jan Sileo write your comments about the article :: © 2023 Jazz News :: home page |