Episode #63

This was the first of two different sessions we taped at Forge Recording Studio that day. Due to some timing issues, we only had about an hour to tape this one. (Typically, it takes about an hour and a half to two hours to tape an episode.) I was very much looking forward to this one because I was finally able to bring in both drummer Rocky Bryant and bassist Keith Horne. Rocky and I had been trying to line up our schedules for probably 5 or 6 years to make it happen, so I was thrilled when I learned that he would be in the area that day. It was well worth the wait…good things really do take time. Keith was another musician who has been on my radar for quite awhile. I first became familiar with him probably 30+ years ago when I lived in the Tidewater, VA area. Keith was playing in a great local jazz fusion band called “Secrets”…that also included current Dave Matthews Band drummer Carter Beauford and the great saxophonist Steve Wilson. Wow…what a band THAT was! Keith graciously made the long drive to the Philadelphia area from Richmond, VA, where he returned to after spending many years in Nashville. Joining Rocky and Keith were guitarist Dean Brown and pianist Eldar Djangirov, arguably one of the finest all-round pianists in the world. Dean is one of the freshest musicians I have ever met. His playing is always so inspiring and totally in-the-moment. I knew Dean would end up being the musician who would guide the session…and so beautifully he did.

To “warm up” and get a little comfortable with the studio set-up, the group simply starting playing an “Open Jam.” After a few minutes of that, Dean suggested an old John Coltrane piece called “Tunji.” It was a slow blues tune, which we recorded in a single take. After two relatively slow tunes, Keith suggested an up tempo version of the Freddie Hubbard song “Super Blue.” Surprisingly, it was a song that was totally unfamiliar to Dean. Per Dean’s suggestion, Keith played the melody on bass. After talking through the changes and rehearsing it for 10 minutes or so, we were ready to record it in a single take. To close out the session, Dean thought it would be nice to record “Nardis” – written by the great Miles Davis. After about 10 minutes of rehearsal, we recorded two takes of the song.

Again, all in all, the session was a little shorter than they usually are, but still very productive. It was nice to see it all come together – albeit with a little pressure from the clock pushing things along.

– Tom Emmi / Producer