Episode #57
Episode #57
Recording Date: July 28, 2013
Location: SubCat Studios
Musicians:
Gerald Veasley – Bass
Dave Hanlon – Drums
Mark Nanni – Keyboards
Michael Wolff – Piano
Gil Parris – Guitar
Chris Farr – Saxophone
Songs:
Amazing Grace
Come Together
So What
St. Thomas
In A Silent Way
Mercy, Mercy, Mercy
Norwegian Wood
This session brings us back to my hometown of Syracuse, NY. It was taped early one Sunday morning at Subcat Studios, a terrific facility in the heart of the city.
Actually, this was a relatively easy session to put together as it features musicians who have all appeared on previous episodes of Studio Jams. First, there is bassist Gerald Veasley from Philadelphia. Gerald is a good friend and strong supporter of the program. He has been on the show many, many times. Drummer Dave Hanlon and keyboard player Mark Nanni both live and work in Central New York, although they rarely have the opportunity to actually play together. Pianist Michael Wolff joined us from New York City as did guitarist Gil Parris. Michael and Gil are truly two of my favorite musicians. Both are extremely versatile performers and, in my humble opinion, somehow remain “under the radar.” Rounding out the group was Chris Farr on saxophones, another seasoned veteran who hails from Philadelphia, PA.
Being Sunday morning, it seemed quite appropriate that the group began the session with a loose but heartfelt rendition of “Amazing Grace.” It was the perfect start to the day, as it delivered a very nice and comfortable vibe to build upon. After “Amazing Grace,” Gil suggested doing something that he regularly performs with his own group…nicely combining the Beatles’ “Come Together” with Miles Davis’ “So What.” This worked beautifully, resulting in a fresh track that featured some terrific solos from Gil, Michael, Chris and Mark. Michael then lead the group in a fresh take on the Sonny Rollins classic, “St. Thomas.”
After a short break, next came a bit of Joe Zawinul. Both Michael and Gerald had close personal connections with Zawinul. Gerald actually was part of his band for over 7 years. So, in this session, they first put together an interesting take on “In A Silent Way.” This was followed by an excellent original arrangement of “Mercy, Mercy, Mercy” – interesting in that it featured Mark Nanni on accordion. Mark stayed with the accordion as they closed this early Sunday morning session with a beautiful take on the Beatles tune “Norwegian Wood.”
This was a fun and offbeat session with lots of different tunes, and some fresh new arrangements of each of them.
– Tom Emmi / Producer
