Randy Waldman - SUPERHEROES (BFM Jazz September 21, 2018)

IT’S A BIRD, IT’S A PLANE… IT’S “SUPERHEROES”! RANDY WALDMAN’S JAZZ SUPERHEROES-PACKED CD COMING SEPTEMBER 21, 2018 ON BFM JAZZ

Waldman’s newest project is called SUPERHEROES. Five years in the making, SUPERHEROES features the stellar rhythm section of pianist RANDY WALDMAN, drummer VINNIE COLAIUTA and bassist CARLITOS DEL PUERTO, who are joined by jazz luminaries including CHICK COREA, WYNTON MARSALIS, STEVE GADD, RANDY BRECKER, EDDIE DANIELS, GEORGE BENSON, JOE LOVANO, ARTURO SANDOVAL, CHRIS POTTER, and the vocal group TAKE 6.  Waldman re-arranged theme music from his favorite superhero movies and TV shows, transforming them into fun, accessible, and exciting jazz tunes. 

Waldman got the idea for this project a few years ago when he had the good fortune to be seated at an event next to actor Adam West, the original TV Batman. “We talked a lot about music,” relates Waldman. “Adam loved jazz, and the thought occurred to me that he was an actual jazz superhero. That surprising and unexpected conversation stayed in the back of my mind for years.” That chance encounter percolated in Randy’s mind, and inspiration came like a bolt out of the blue. He would make a CD of superhero theme music played by some of his jazz superheroes!  

Although he works with artists across many genres, jazz is Waldman’s first love, and he’s previously produced and released three Randy Waldman Trio CDs. Wigged Out (1998) features jazz greats John Patitucci on bass (Chick Corea) and Vinnie Colaiuta on drums (Herbie Hancock, Sting), as well as several legendary musical guests, including Arturo Sandoval, Michael Brecker, Bob Berg and Freddie Hubbard. UnReel (2001) comprises a variety of soundtrack and theme music from many different films and television shows that Waldman re-arranged and presents as jazz tunes. Timing is Everything (2003) features bass player Brian Bromberg and drummer Vinnie Colaiuta. 

Like most kids growing up, Waldman watched all the popular superhero TV shows, but his favorite was “Adventures of Superman,” and he included in this project the themes from both the TV show and the movies. Waldman opens the TV theme with voiceover cameos by JOHN TRAVOLTA, JEFF GOLDBLUM, JAMES BROLIN, OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN, MICHAEL BUBLÉ, AND JOSH GROBAN. The track features Eddie Daniels, who leads off with a beautifully crafted tenor sax solo. Trumpeter Randy Brecker effortlessly follows up the piano solo with a harmonically rich and textured improvisation. The track culminates with a drum solo by Colaiuta that defies the rhythmic laws of physics. 

Waldman captures the clash between good and evil on the “Superman Movie” theme in a musical interchange between guitar legend George Benson and bassist del Puerto. 

“Mighty Mouse” was also popular in the movies and on TV. Waldman created a difficult, polyrhythmic arrangement of the theme that features an intricate drum pattern by Colaiuta and a powerful 13-piece horn section with solos by del Puerto and saxophonist Joe Lovano. 

“Spiderman” movies are surely one of the most popular, contemporary superhero franchises, and the theme from the movies is instantly recognizable. The vocal group Take 6 performs an a cappella intro to the tune, arranged by MARK KIBBLE, while saxophonist Chris Potter wails over the Latin groove.

In a unique pairing, drummers Colaiuta and Steve Gadd perform together for the first time on the theme to the “Six Million Dollar Man.” The tune also features trumpet great Arturo Sandoval soaring over the propulsive Latin beat.  

“Super Chicken” begins with a slow, deliberate, ascending Rhapsody in Blue-like clarinet glissando by Eddie Daniels, which quickly turns into a barn-burning 360 beats per minute number that features BOB McCHESNEY on trombone and Sandoval on trumpet.  

For “The Incredible Hulk,” Waldman chose to focus on the character’s sensitive human side rather than on his manifestation as a gigantic green monster. Chick Corea, one of Waldman’s favorite pianists, joins in on this track with a signature synth solo. 

The “X-Men” theme, from another popular and very contemporary movie franchise, features solos by trumpeter TILL BRÖNNER and Colaiuta. 

The “Batman” TV theme is backed by a supercharged 13-piece horn section accentuating the “bam,” “sock,” “pow” hits. Legendary Wynton Marsalis lends his super talents to this caped crusader’s musical mission. The “Batman” movie theme is very different than the TV theme. Waldman captures the dark and mysterious feel of the theme, which is highlighted in a solo by guitarist MICHAEL O’NEILL. 

Colaiuta and Gadd bounce off each other in asymmetrical rhythms in the “Underdog” theme. McChesney’s trombone solo achieves stunning, technical articulations. 

SUPERHEROES is serious music performed by superheroes of the jazz world. This is music of the highest caliber. It’s fun and accessible even for people who don’t normally listen to jazz.

SUPERHEROES can be pre-ordered at PledgeMusic.com starting mid-August, along with a selection of unique SUPERHEROES related merchandise and experiences that can't be found elsewhere. The album will be available online everywhere and at BFMjazz.com on September 21, 2018.

Featuring

RANDY WALDMAN  piano, trumpet (3,4,5), background vocals (5)

GEORGE BENSON guitar(2)

WAYNE BERGERON lead trumpet (4)

RANDY BRECKER trumpet (1)

TILL BRÖNNER trumpet (10)

VINNIE COLAIUTA drums

CHICK COREA piano (9)

EDDIE DANIELS clarinet (1,11)

CARLITOS DEL PUERTO bass

BRANDON FIELDS saxes

STEVE GADD drums (5,7,8)

JOE LOVANO sax (5)

WYNTON MARSALIS trumpet solo (4)

BOB McCHESNEY trombone (7,11)

MICHAEL O’NEILL guitar

RAFAEL PADILLA percussion

CHRIS POTTER  (6)

TAKE 6 vocals (6)

ARTURO SANDOVAL trumpet (8,11)

STEVEN SZABADI trombones

Cameos by 

JAMES BROLIN, MICHAEL BUBLÉ, JEFF GOLDBLUM,

JOSH GROBAN, OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN, JOHN TRAVOLTA

Tracks

1. THE ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN (TV THEME) 6:53

2. MIGHTY MOUSE THEME 5:16

3. SPIDERMAN THEME 5:07

4. SUPERMAN (MOVIE) 4:52

5. BATMAN THEME (TV) 5:17

6. THE INCREDIBLE HULK (MAIN TITLE) 3:19

7. SIX MILLION DOLLAR MAN THEME 6:08

8. BATMAN THEME (1989 MOVIE) 4:53

9. X-MEN TV THEME 5:02

10. UNDERDOG TV THEME 6:36

11. SUPER CHICKEN THEME 4:06

jazzheroes.com

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Dave Tull (feat. Randy Porter, Randy Waldman, Larry Koonse, Kevin Axt, Wayne Bergeron, George Stone, Cheryl Bentyne, Inga Swearingen, Les Benedict, Doug Webb & Andy Martin) - Texting and Driving (ToyCar Records 2018)

DAVE TULL is a witty observer of the trials and tribulations of everyday life… especially the life of a professional musician. Tull is a veteran drummer who, among his many credits, performed in Chuck Mangione’s band for 10 years and accompanied Barbra Streisand on three of her most recent tours.

Although Tull has been playing for over 30 years and has appeared on dozens of recordings as a sideman, he released his first CD as a leader, I JUST WANT TO GET PAID, only in 2009. That was a full-length vocal project that showcased Tull’s smooth vocal stylings and clever compositions. Now, his newest CD, TEXTING AND DRIVING, will cement his reputation as a top-notch lyricist and humorist in the vein of Dave Frishberg and a singer with a sly, tongue-in-cheek sensibility and improvisatory style that sounds like he might be the unacknowledged son of Jack Sheldon and EddieJefferson.

Because Tull started his musical life as a drummer, his development as a singer started with scatting along with his drums, and he learned to improvise vocally before learning any actual melodies. It’s an approach that shaped his vocal style and sets him apart from other singers.

For anyone who’s familiar with Tull’s career, his singing chops comes as no surprise. He began singing on gigs in the 1990s when he worked in PageCavanaugh’s trio. Cavanaugh, the veteran pianist and singer who became one of Southern California's most enduring lounge jazz artists, like dTull’s singing so much, he often wrote vocal parts for him and gave him solo time at the microphone. After leaving Cavanaugh, Tull became both the drummer and lead vocalist in Chuck Mangione’s band. His vocal on Mangione’s “The Children of Sanchez” and his bebop scat vocal on “Dizzymiles” was featured at hundreds of concerts, including The Playboy Jazz Festival at the Hollywood Bowl and The Blue Note in New York City. Tull has also played on eight of Cheryl Bentyne’s solo projects, and he accompanied her on six tours to Japan.Bentyne had Tull sing on two tracks of her CD “Moonlight Serenade,” including the song “Tull Tales.”

On TEXTING AND DRIVING, Tull displays his wide command of subject matter and musical styles. Tull says, “I don’t sit down to write a funny tune.If a song turns out to be humorous, it’s because it’s just a big part of who I am. I love to laugh. Besides, there’s so much more to write about than romantic love. I savor the absurdities of life.”

Songs like “The Texting Song,” a big band swing number in which he sings about the dangers of texting and driving, or “Watch Your Kid,” a waltz in which he laments the lack of parental supervision when kids run amok in public,are laugh-out-loud funny. As a busy,tourin gmusician, Tull is someone who travels a lot and meets more people than he could possibly remember. “Please Tell Me Your Name” is a funny send-up of running into a fellow musician at the airport, but he just can’t remember the guy’s name, an embarrassing position most people have faced. On “Clapping on One and Three” he wonders if he can continue a relationship with a beautiful woman after discovering that she doesn’t know anything about jazz.

Although he excels at wry observations, he also has a more serious, ruminative side. “I Will Sing to You” is a gentle lullaby he wrote for his children, Henry and Frannie, while “You Remind Me,” a samba, is a love song for his wife, Dawn. “The Stoplight at the End of the Street” is perhaps Tull’s most philosophical piece as he imagines the point of view of a stoplight close to his home that observes the daily flow of humanity.

Tull is joined by a roster of A-list musicians, most whom are old friends and musical compatriots that he’s toured with in various bands over the years.The band includes guitarist LARRY KOONSE, whom he’s been friends with since high school, and trumpeter GEORGE STONE,whom he’s known since college. RANDY PORTER is a Portland-based pianist whom Tull to flew in to L.A. to anchor the trio.Tull and Porter worked together on several tours with The Rebecca Kilgore–DaveTull Quartet. Tull worked with trumpeter WAYNE BERGERON i nMaynardFerguson’s band in 1987 and with trombonist LES BENEDICT in Steve Huffsteter’s band. Tull and pianist RANDY WALDMAN both appeared on Michael Buble’s first two albums and worked together on Barbara Streisand’s tours. Tull and bassist KEVIN AXT toured for ten years with Chuck Mangione, and sax player DOUG WEBB met Dave on the Bill Holman BigBand.

He’s also joined by two outstanding vocalists on a couple of songs. INGA SWEARINGEN, a popular singer-songwirter from California’s Central Coast, sings a duet with Tullon “The Moment,” a lush,romantic ballad with a string arrangement by Stone. Vocalist CHERYL BENTYNE joins him on “The Date,” a flirty song wherein Tull and Bentyne have very different impressions about the same encounter, revealing their thoughts as internal monologues as they sing over one another.

For those who know Tull only as a superb session drummer, TEXTING AND DRIVING is an engaging project that showcases the range of his other talents as a singer, composer, and arranger. Although he’s frequently witty and sometimes sardonic,there’s also a sweetness to his writing and singing that gives this CD an endearing and affable quality that is inviting and enchanting.