Episode #35

This was a fun session for me. I first met flutist Althea Rene the year before this session, through Baldwin “Smitty” Smith, a jazz manager and media personality (radio, print, etc.) in Houston, TX. Smitty strongly encouraged me to bring her in for a Studio Jams taping. When I learned that she would be appearing in nearby Reading, PA (for the Berks Jazz Festival), I decided to finally try to make it happen. As fate would have it, there were also a few other musician friends in the area at that time who I thought would fit it nicely – some who had also appeared in previous Studio Jams tapings.

So with that in mind, I put together the following musicians for the session…Althea Rene on flute, Alan Hewitt on keyboards and vibes, Michael Manson on bass, Marcus Baylor on drums, Hector Rosado on percussion and Demetrios Pappas on keyboards. Alan was another musician that I had wanted to work with for quite a while. He is truly one of the nicest people you would ever hope to meet. His positive energy is just so warm and inviting. Although he has his musical roots in rock ‘n roll, he is also an accomplished composer for movie and television soundtracks (Survivor Latin America, Oprah, etc.). He now tours as part of The Moody Blues.

To get things started and give everyone a chance to get comfortable with each other musically, Michael suggested something that required very little rehearsal, Miles Davis’ So What. We recorded 1 take of this tune.

After So What, Alan suggested that in the spirit of a true jam session, perhaps they could simply create a little Open Jam, based in part on a short melodic riff he spontaneously introduced to the group. And so they did. It was so interesting (and always is!) to see music being created on the spot, and to see how ideas are presented, shaped and given form.  This Open Jam featured wonderful solos from Althea, Michael, Alan, and Demetrios. We also recorded 1 take of this.

It was then time for a short break. During the break, it was clear to see that all of the musicians were having a good time. Energy was up and the vibe was very creative.

After 15 or 20 minutes, we were ready to go back into the studio. When we did, I think it was Michael who suggested a cover of the Wayne Shorter classic, Footprints to wrap things up. After a short rehearsal, they hit it hard – again, with some wonderful solos from Althea, Michael Alan and Demetrios.

It was a great few hours that afternoon…and wonderful to finally get the opportunity to work with both Althea and Alan for the first time. Both of them are terrific musicians – as were all of them – and such a pleasure to work with.

– Tom Emmi / Producer