Monthly Archives : July 2016

CONTINUUM – WITH JOHN HEINRICH

A MAN FOR ALL GENRES

In this featured original track ‘CONTINUUM’, I’ve called upon the sweet, soulful sax sounds of John Heinrich.  Here he plays a fantastic and interpretive session.  Just the sound and feel I had envisioned for the track.

John was a New York native who has travelled and stayed throughout Europe before settling down in Nashville, Tennessee.

He is a talented multi-instrumentalist who plays the sax, steel guitar, Dobro and flute.

John Heinrich

In the late 80s to mid 90s he played in the famous Stockyard/Bullpen Lounge where visiting artiste used to sit in for a song or two.  Artists like Jerry Lee Lewis, Reba McEntire, Rick Astley, Travis Tritt, Shania Twain and many more.  Currently he is an in demand session player but he also plays in Ronny Milsap‘s touring band. In and around Nashville he has also played with artists such as Jim Purdy, Hank Williams Junior, T. G. Sheppard and Wayne Jackson.

I first contacted him through the Fandalism site and asked if he would do a collaboration on my tune called ‘In She Walks’.  I’m always searching for great sax players tor my more jazzier tunes and John’s melodic playing fit perfectly.

John is also an accomplished music producer and publisher.
https://www.facebook.com/heinrichmaneuverproductions/?fref=nf
http://www.songwriterdemo.com

SOIL AND PIMP SESSIONS AT THE MONTREAL JAZZ FESTIVAL

JAZZ FOR THE NEW AGE

Last weekend I left the Toronto Jazz festival scene and took the 5 hour journey over to the Festival International de Jazz de Montreal (Montreal Jazz Festival).  This jazz festival is world renown for not only its attraction of great talent over the years but also its fantastic venues and always superb hospitality.

I went to as many bands as I could fit in but as I mentioned in my blog on June 27th here my aim this year was to check out the lessor known but hugely talented bands.  In the three days I was there I was rarely disappointed.  There were acts from big bands on big stages to to duets and trios in tight little bars to weird vehicles with built in instruments. Music from gospel to blues, from dixieland to Jewish folk, from jazz to funk to blues and virtually everything in between.

The stand out concert for me was a group called Soil And The Pimp Sessions.  Wow, these guys came to play.  You’ve got to check these guys out. Huge energy with bright and intelligent playing.  It did not take long for the front of the stage to be filled with young twenty somethings moshing and pumping to the rock, funk and hip hop infused jazz.

Did I mention these dudes were from Japan?  The group was fronted by the “pimp”, who played no instrument or sang any tunes but pranced around the stage in a robe snapping his fingers, grooving to the music and occasionally stirring up the crowd.  The other band members were each quite talented in there own right.

Soil And Pimp Sessions

The group played a few standards but arranged with their own contemporary touch.  The majority of their songs were high energy originals, laced with electrifying and very creative solos.

I loved this group not only because they were really a very good jazz band, but they incorporate the music of now and seem to be willing and able to take the music forward.

You can find out more about the group here.

Here are a couple short video clips.