Episode #59

Over the years, I have been able to work through many, many different issues that invariably come up when trying to put together sessions like this. But none compare to what I had to face this particular morning.

This was a fun session that literally came together at the very last minute. Two of the four musicians that were there I had literally met only moments before we began. My plan was to have a four piece band in the studio that day…piano, bass, drums and saxophone. My drummer, Jae Sinnett, drove five hours from Virginia Beach, VA just for the opportunity to play with the pianist I had lined up for the session. My saxophonist, Andrew Neu, was also on time and ready to go. So those two positions were not an issue at all. However…

Issue #1: The night before the session, my bassist sent me an email telling me that, unfortunately, he was feeling incredibly ill and that he might not be able to make the session. He advised that it might be a good thing to try and lineup a sub…just in case. He was kind enough to make a few suggestions. So for a few hours that night, we both were on the phones trying to find someone who could be available on such short notice. Luckily, we were able to reach and lock in our first choice… Jonathan Smith. Jonathan is a young player from here in Philadelphia, and incredibly talented, as you will see. Whew…so together, we were able to dodge that bullet.

Issue #2: It was 9am and I was in the studio. Everything was set up and we were just waiting for the musicians to arrive. Our plan was to start the session at 11am.

My cell phone rings and I find myself speaking with the manager of the pianist that was supposed to be walking through the door in an hour. I was suddenly very concerned because he would have to be on the road by now to get here on time, as he would be coming to Philadelphia from New York which is about an hour and a half drive. The manager proceeds to tell me that, unfortunately, the pianist is not feeling well and cannot make the trip. I sat there stunned. “You’re kidding me, right?” I say. She wasn’t kidding. So here I am, in the studio two hours before the session, without our featured pianist…someone the drummer is driving five hours for just the opportunity to play with him. And all I have in place now is bass, drums and saxophone. No chordal instrument whatsoever.

Inside, I begin to panic. Outside, however, I cannot show it as I have to remain cool, calm and collected. I share the news with the audio engineer and together we start working our musician contact lists hard. Real hard. For without a pianist or guitarist, we really have no session…and all the work we have put into it thus far would be a total waste of effort and money. We are both calling everyone we know within an hour drive of the studio to see if they can adjust their schedule and join us. Again, we are in total controlled panic. The other musicians begin to arrive so I try to remain positive as I tell them about the last-minute cancellation. Much to my delight, they take the news like true professionals and join me and hoping for the best. The engineer and I continue to frantically make calls. Suddenly the engineer tells me that he has someone on the line who is a terrific pianist and is available. His name is Jim Holton. Although I had never heard of him, and had no idea what to expect, I went ahead and told the engineer to invite him to come on down right away! I met Jim for the first time at 10:55am. He came in, sat down at the piano, and off we went.

Wow, what a stressful morning. The most stressful time I have ever had with a Studio Jams taping. But thanks to our audio engineer at the studio, we were able to make it happen. Big kudos to everyone at Forge Recording Studios in the Oreland, PA.

The moment Jim sat down at the piano, I knew we were in for a good session. Jim is a wonderful player and someone I hope we can have on the show again in the future.

To start things off, and to first get acquainted with one another musically, the guys kicked into an interesting 7/4 version of “Caravan.” We recorded two takes of this song with nice solos from all four of the musicians. In my opinion, Jonathan’s bass contribution, together with Andrew’s strong lyrical phrasing on soprano saxophone, gave both the defining perspective and feel to the arrangement.

They followed this with a nice latin-flavored standard, “Blue Bossa.” It was interesting in that for both the saxophone and piano solos, the musicians modulated up a half-step each time they went through the form of the song. Interesting, and nicely done, by both of them. It was Andrew who then suggested the Coltrane-classic “Giant Steps.” I remember feeling a bit concerned as to how they might pull this off, as”Giant Steps” is a tune that can be quite challenging to play well. But the guys pulled it off beautifully.

For a closer, Jim suggested “Just The Two Of Us” – a song written and performed by Ralph McDonald and Grover Washington, Jr.

As stressful as it was getting started, the session did come together nicely…thanks to the skill and spirit of four excellent musicians.

– Tom Emmi / Producer