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Joe Syrian Motor City Jazz Octet’s Secret Message Out November 15 on Circle 9 Records A refreshing, classics-oriented offering by the veteran drummer’s trusty “little big band” — featuring standards from “Bye, Bye Blackbird” to the Beatles — arrives next month via Circle 9 Jazz isn’t just on the ground floor of American popular music; it’s essential to its continued evolu tion. Even as its mainstream cachet declined, the eclectic AOR greats of the 20th century, like the Beatles, Joni Mitchell, Earth Wind & Fire, and Tower of Power, imbued their music with jazz’s values: advanced harmonies, sophisticated rhythms, and open frameworks. Jazz answered with hip, sophisticated arrangements of pop tunes. Joe Syrian, the veteran drummer and leader of the Motor City Jazz Octet, understands this dialogue — and their new album, Secret Message, out November 15 via Circle 9 Records — is an effervescent toast to elite popular music in all its forms, from standards like Ray Henderson’s “Bye, Bye Blackbird” and Cole Porter’s “Night and Day” to pop/rock classics like the Beatles’ “Here, There and Everywhere, ” Leon Russell’s “This Masquerade.” and Stevie Wonder’s “Don’t You Worry ‘Bout a Thing.” “Popular music resonates with people and works for many audiences, ” Syrian says simply. “We just take that and mold it to our unique framework.” And he has the best men for the job in pianist Adam Birnbaum, guitarist Paul Bollenback, acoustic and electric bassist Lorin Cohen, trombonist Doug Beavers, alto and baritone saxophonist Carl Maraghi, and trumpeter and flugelhornist Nick Marchionne. (Tenor saxophonist Tim Reis, and tenor saxophonist and bass clarinetist Dave Riekenberg, each appear on a handful of tracks.) Along with Birnbaum and Beavers, Dave Hanson, John Fedchock, David Caffey, and David Berger demonstrate their impressive arrangement acumen. “It’s kind of a little big band, having eight guys. Everyone is more exposed musically, ” Syrian says of the Motor City Jazz Octet, a rotating lineup of players not only from Detroit, but now all over the country. “But there are enough instruments there to really make good music, beyond just good solos. When everyone’s playing together, it feels like a large band. So as a musical concept, I just love the size of it.” For Secret Message, Syrian programmed “common tunes that most people would know — but with our musical twist to it.” The disc kicks off with a medium-swinging, Hanson-arranged “Bye, Bye Blackbird, ” — famously performed by everyone from Miles Davis to Peggy Lee and Joe Cocker — with outstanding solos by Birnbaum, Bollenback, Maraghi, and Marchionne. This leads into Gene de Paul and Don Raye’s “Star Eyes, ” oscillating between a Birdland-like meter and swing and featuring an excitable arrangement by Fedchock. Thom Bell and Linda Creed wrote “People Make the World Go Round, ” and Philly soul legends the Stylistics first recorded it in 1971. Syrian and the Motor City Octet’s ebullient version, arranged by Beavers, enlists further talents in vocalist Kenny Washington, vibraphonist Joe Locke, and percussionist Luisito Quintero. After a Latin-tinged ride through Wonder’s “Don’t You Worry ‘Bout a Thing” — a tip of the hat to Detroit, where Wonder grew up — Birnbaum turns in this stellar arrangement of “Here, There and Everywhere, ” Paul McCartney’s magnificent love ballad from the Beatles’ Revolver. Caffey gives Russell’s “This Masquerade” a similarly unexpected yet winning lilt. Secret Message concludes with two standards: “Night and Day” — another Berger arrangement — and Axel Stordahl, Paul Weston, and Sammy Cahn’s “I Should Care, ” arranged by Fedchock. Both are uptempo, electrifying, and indicative of these songs’ durability and perenniality. Not to mention the power of the Motor City Jazz Octet — that “little big band” that could. “It was just everybody standing on everybody else’s shoulders, ” Syrian says of the joyous Secret Message recording session, with a hint of awe. “I just can’t say enough about these guys. This is the biggest thing for me right now.” From “the D” to the world over: message received. Personnel Joe Syrian - drums, leader Adam Birnbaum - piano Paul Bollenback - guitars Lorin Cohen - acoustic and electric bass Carl Maraghi - alto and baritone saxophones Tim Ries - tenor saxophone (1, 2, 4, 5, 6) Dave Riekenberg - tenor saxophone (7, 8), bass clarinet (3) Nick Marchionne - trumpet, flugelhorn Doug Beavers - trombone Special Guests Kenny Washington - vocal (3) Joe Locke - vibraphone (3) Luisito Quintero - percussion (3, 5) CD Tracklist 1 Bye, Bye Blackbird - Victor Young, arr. Dave Hanson 05:27 2 Star Eyes - Don Raye & Gene DePaul, arr. John Fedchock 05:54 3 People Make the World Go Round (feat. Joe Locke & Kenny Washington) - Thom Bell & Linda Creed, arr. Doug Beavers 06:04 4 Here, There and Everywhere - John Lennon & Paul McCartney, arr. Adam Birnbaum 06:30 5 Don’t You Worry ‘Bout a Thing - Stevie Wonder, arr. David Caffey 05:28 6 This Masquerade - Leon Russell, arr. David Caffey 06:44 7 Night and Day - Cole Porter (Warner Bros Music a Div of Warner Bros Inc.), arr. David Berger 05:48 8 I Should Care - Cahn, Strodahl, Weston, arr. John Fedchock 04:54 Production Credits Produced by Doug Beavers Executive Producer: Joseph Syrian Recorded May 16-19, 2023 at Trading 8s Studios, Paramus NJ, engineered by CHRIS SULIT Mixed by DOUG BEAVERS at Circle 9 Studio, Jersey City NJ, USA April 2024 Graphic design by NADJA VON MASSOW / nad.works |
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