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| Jazz Tuba Master JIM SELF's "My America 3: My Country" Melds Jazz with Country on his 24th Release Over his long career, tuba master JIM SELF has lived and worked all around the country. A prolific artist, Self has recorded over 20 albums as a leader in a variety of configurations – from duo recordings to small groups to big bands to orchestras. Although all his recordings are jazz-centric, his peregrinations around the U.S. have led him to appreciate the country's diverse cultures and musical offerings, which he has incorporated in several of his recordings. Self is now releasing his 24th album, MY AMERICA 3: MY COUNTRY, a collection of country tunes that pays respect to their original genre while bridging the wide divide between jazz and Americana. MY AMERICA 3 is a sequel to My America (2003) and My America 2 (2022), about which All About Jazz said, "Even though the charts may be whimsical and unique, the musicians take them quite seriously, and the result is an album that surprises and charms from start to finish." Self often works with one arranger for an entire album. He chooses some of the most talented arrangers on the music scene and gives them the freedom to express their own creativity. Like his first two My America albums, his newest venture was arranged and conducted by KIM SCHARNBERG, whose extensive resume includes writing several pieces performed by high level orchestras such as the Boston Pops, and orchestrating many Broadway musicals, television shows, and movies. Self has certainly earned the moniker "maestro." Besides his prolific recording career, he has worked for all the major Hollywood studios since 1974, performing for over 1500 motion pictures and hundreds of television shows and records. A favorite of John Williams, Self's solos have been featured on Williams' scores to "Jurassic Park, " "Home Alone, " "Home Alone 2: Lost in New York, " and "Hook." He was also the "Voice of the Mothership" from Spielberg's "Close Encounters of the Third Kind." Self has also recorded with Josh Grobin, Cassandra Wilson, Claus Ogerman, Mel Tormé, Randy Newman, Barbra Streisand, Frank Sinatra, the L.A. Philharmonic, L.A. Opera, the Pasadena Symphony, and the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra. And this is only a partial account of his stellar career. Traditional country music is usually played on instruments like pedal steel and acoustic guitars, harmonica, fiddle, and banjo. MY AMERICA 3 creates a unique sound by combining some traditional musical instrumentation with instruments more associated with jazz. Scharnberg's arrangements required players with a wide range of experience, so Self assembled a band of high-level jazz and country musicians that can play any style of music convincingly. The band includes KYE PALMER (trumpet, flugelhorn), BILL BOOTH (trombone, euphonium), STEVE MARSH (tenor sax, clarinet), CHRIS WOODS (country fiddle), DOUG LIVINGSTON (pedal steel guitar), JOHN CHIODINI (electric & acoustic guitars), STEVE FISTER (electric dobro, slide guitars), BILL CUNLIFFE (piano), MIKE VALERIO (string & electric bass), KEN WILD (string & electric bass), JOE LA BARBERA (drums), and BRIAN KILGORE (percussion). Self plays the tuba and the fluba on this record. The fluba is truly a unique instrument. Part tuba and part flugelhorn, it is Self's brainchild that was designed by Robb Stewart, who assembled it from parts. The essence of country music is storytelling. The music is usually sung and concerns itself with down-to-earth themes like love, patriotism, rural life, and personal struggles, whereas the tunes on MY AMERICA 3 are all presented as instrumentals. It's Self's deep, rich but very melodic sound that "sings" the stories of these songs. The album comprises 11 tunes, ten of which are easily recognizable even if you are not a country music aficionado. The opening number "Chomping at the Bit" was composed by Self, who always includes one original piece on all his albums. The tune opens with a horse's whinny, setting the fun tone for the album. "Chomping at the Bit" has a country shuffle groove and features Self on the fluba with solos on guitar, pedal steel guitar, and fiddle. "Wabashed" is a mash up "Wabash Cannonball" and "Orange Blossom Special, " two songs about trains. La Barbera's insistent drumming keeps the tune on track for burning tuba, sax, and piano solos. Scharnberg and Self pay homage Dolly Parton's crossover hit "Jolene" with a slowed down arrangement that features stirring solos by Self on tuba and Fister on slide guitar. Most people are familiar with Glen Campbell's version of Jimmy Webb's "Wichita Lineman." Self captures the song's soulful, wistful quality with a lyrical rendering on the fluba. Felice and Boudleaux Bryant wrote "Rocky Top" in only 10 minutes back in 1967. This fast paced, rollicking tune has been performed by dozens of artists, but not like it was done by this superb mixture of jazz and country artists who add their own unique spin to the music. Things slow down on Willie Nelson's ballad "Crazy." Self and Chiodini have been musical partners for many years. The two have shared top billing on several albums and have even produced four duo recordings. Performing this song as a duet, their chemistry is apparent. Charlie Daniels wrote "The Devil Went Down to Georgia" as a vehicle for a fiddle. Sharnberg's version features a fiddle solo with additional solos on tuba, tenor sax, and trumpet. Hank Williams' "Your Cheatin' Heart, " which he wrote about his ex-wife, finds new life in this arrangement. Scharnberg reimagines it as a dark, brooding piece that becomes a bossa nova. Johnny Cash's "Folsom Prison Blues" combines elements from two popular themes in country music, the train song and the prison song. The song became a big hit for Cash when he performed and recorded it live in Folsom Prison. Self's tuba is the perfect proxy for Cash's deep voice. "Sixteen Tons" was a hit for Tennessee Ernie Ford in 1955. Written about the travails of working in a coal mine, this fun version features a chorus of jazz musicians. Self closes the album with "I Can't Stop Loving You." A sad but charming song, Self's tuba gives it a more doleful sound. It takes a musician of Jim Self's stature and bona fides to put out a jazz album of country music and make it work so well. Kim Scharnberg's arrangements pay respect to the originals but add lush layers of hipness. And combining top jazz artists with top country musicians put the final sheen on MY AMERICA 3, a unique, fun, and ultimately delightful project. # # # MY AMERICA 3: MY COUNTRY was released on June 13, 2025 and is available at Bandcamp and all streaming platforms. write your comments about the article :: © 2025 Jazz News :: home page |