My Kind of Bluesa Jazz Album by Lee SmithAvailable on iTunes
Personnel
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Recorded, mixed & mastered at MorningStar Studios, East Norriton, PA - Glenn Barratt, Engineer
Original compositions published by LEENET Music Publishing
Producer: Lee Smith
Cover Photography – Ruth Naomi Floyd
Additional photography - Brendan Mcgeehan
Album Design – Danny Schweers
Vectordisc Records: www.Vectordisc.com
Lee Smith online: www.LeeSmithMusic.com 2015
Original compositions published by LEENET Music Publishing
Producer: Lee Smith
Cover Photography – Ruth Naomi Floyd
Additional photography - Brendan Mcgeehan
Album Design – Danny Schweers
Vectordisc Records: www.Vectordisc.com
Lee Smith online: www.LeeSmithMusic.com 2015
Track List
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Review by Victor L. Schermer on All About Jazz
Review by Marty Sheller
Marty Sheller, produced several of Mongo Santamaria’s albums and played trumpet in Mongo’s band. Here’s what he had to say about "My Kind Of Blues" from Lee Smith.
June 10, 2015
Hey Lee,
"My Kind Of Blues" is my kind of music. What a terrific recording.
Your compositions are hip ... melodic yet harmonically challenging in a subtle way. Your arranging concept of stating the melody by giving everyone a piece is a gas and the horn voicings are uniquely yours. Beautiful writing. I love what you did with "Afro Blue". After Trane's recording, everyone who recorded it did a version of how Trane approached it rhythmically, but you maintained the original 6/8 groove (which I always preferred ... with all due respect to Mr. Coltrane) but reharmonized it in such a hip manner that the groove is deeper than Mongo's original version.
All the cats sound like they were serious about your music. You chose the right musicians. Everyone solos beautifully and that ain't easy with your music. Rehearsals must have been a gas. And the mix is clean ... I can hear everyone ... kudos to Glen Barratt. Since you are the leader, they made sure that the bass was heard throughout, not in the back ground like in some "jazz mixes", and that's a big plus for me, especially since you play your ass off.
PLEASE keep writing and recording. What seems to be popular in today's Jazz is music in odd time signatures that you have to play close attention to in order to hear the "1". I appreciate the cats who play the hell out of it but it's concert music with little or no ass shakin'. Your music pleases the intellect AND makes me shake my ass.
Congratulations on another wonderful CD.
--Marty
June 10, 2015
Hey Lee,
"My Kind Of Blues" is my kind of music. What a terrific recording.
Your compositions are hip ... melodic yet harmonically challenging in a subtle way. Your arranging concept of stating the melody by giving everyone a piece is a gas and the horn voicings are uniquely yours. Beautiful writing. I love what you did with "Afro Blue". After Trane's recording, everyone who recorded it did a version of how Trane approached it rhythmically, but you maintained the original 6/8 groove (which I always preferred ... with all due respect to Mr. Coltrane) but reharmonized it in such a hip manner that the groove is deeper than Mongo's original version.
All the cats sound like they were serious about your music. You chose the right musicians. Everyone solos beautifully and that ain't easy with your music. Rehearsals must have been a gas. And the mix is clean ... I can hear everyone ... kudos to Glen Barratt. Since you are the leader, they made sure that the bass was heard throughout, not in the back ground like in some "jazz mixes", and that's a big plus for me, especially since you play your ass off.
PLEASE keep writing and recording. What seems to be popular in today's Jazz is music in odd time signatures that you have to play close attention to in order to hear the "1". I appreciate the cats who play the hell out of it but it's concert music with little or no ass shakin'. Your music pleases the intellect AND makes me shake my ass.
Congratulations on another wonderful CD.
--Marty
Liner Notes
One of my more welcome challenges in recent years was accepting my father’s request of writing the liner notes for his debut CD, “Sittin’ on a Secret”. It was a challenge because exactly how was I to be a fair, impartial and objective writer when it came to the musicianship of my dad? Truth is; I LOVED “Sittin’ on a Secret”, so no fluff on any level was needed. What now could be an even greater challenge... writing his liner notes again.
I’m going to throw the objectiveness out the window and just tell you how magnificent my dad’s sophomore release is. Stylistically, it’s a logical and tasteful extension of “Sittin’ on a Secret”. The bass playing, writing, arranging, mood and vibe of this new recording is a great example of musical refinement.
Hearing “Afro Blue” has special meaning for me, as I heard my dad play it many times with Mongo Santamaria when I was a kid. Although I was very young and not yet a musician, I can say with certainty that the chord changes Mongo’s band used weren’t nearly as hip as the ones dad came up with here! What a great rearrangement.
Impressive yet again is dad’s writing. For example “Brighter Days” and “My Kind of Blues” represent two very different moods, but also represent a consistent level of sophistication.
I was quite pleasantly surprised when I heard the piano intro on “When Sunny Gets Blue” because somehow I knew the bow was coming. I think you’ll also be pleasantly surprised to hear my dad express himself with the bow. Very nice, dad!
I must also give kudos to the musicians. Every single musician played with such beauty, sensitivity and empathy – all necessary requirements to be a successful musician. But then again, look who hired them.
--Christian McBride, proud son
I’m going to throw the objectiveness out the window and just tell you how magnificent my dad’s sophomore release is. Stylistically, it’s a logical and tasteful extension of “Sittin’ on a Secret”. The bass playing, writing, arranging, mood and vibe of this new recording is a great example of musical refinement.
Hearing “Afro Blue” has special meaning for me, as I heard my dad play it many times with Mongo Santamaria when I was a kid. Although I was very young and not yet a musician, I can say with certainty that the chord changes Mongo’s band used weren’t nearly as hip as the ones dad came up with here! What a great rearrangement.
Impressive yet again is dad’s writing. For example “Brighter Days” and “My Kind of Blues” represent two very different moods, but also represent a consistent level of sophistication.
I was quite pleasantly surprised when I heard the piano intro on “When Sunny Gets Blue” because somehow I knew the bow was coming. I think you’ll also be pleasantly surprised to hear my dad express himself with the bow. Very nice, dad!
I must also give kudos to the musicians. Every single musician played with such beauty, sensitivity and empathy – all necessary requirements to be a successful musician. But then again, look who hired them.
--Christian McBride, proud son
Lee’s Comments:
“"Me time” has become a priority in my life and it’s enabling me to accomplish things that I had once only dreamed of. It’s become evident that my new passion has come to fruition. There is nothing more gratifying than writing, composing, sharing and receiving positive feedback from not only jazz aficionados, but from those who simply like what they like because they like it."
--Lee Smith, Bassist, Composer, Arranger, Producer
--Lee Smith, Bassist, Composer, Arranger, Producer