MEL MARTIN CD-JM1043
Where the Warm Winds Blow
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"Where The Warm Winds Blow" was selected in Ken Dryden's Top 10 CD releases for Jazzhouse Diaries - 2009
"The warmth of your CD left a lasting impression, something that doesn't happen often enough. " |
Rhythm Man (Do Not Disturb)
Where The Warm Winds Blow
Silly Hawk Walk
I Have A Dream
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Where the Warm Winds Blow is quite different from anything I've recorded since before the early '90s and is reminiscent in ways to my early Listen recordings but with much more of a jazz slant. It was recorded in July when the great jazz pianist Don Friedman came out from New York to do a California tour with my group including guitarist Brad Buethe, bassist Robb Fisher and drummer extrordinaire Jeff Marrs. Besides Don, special guests include John Santos on percussion and Barry Finnerty on guitar. The repertoire is broad and varied from the Latin-tinged Rhythm Man (Do Not Disturb) to the contemporary classical piece with a jazz breakout In The Stars by Stephen Melillo, I Have A Dream by the great Herbie Hancock including my adaptation for woodwinds of his original horn arrangement, the funky, Bitches Brew style of Silly Hawk Walk, a beautiful live version of Blue In Green, George Russell's inventive take on Love For Sale: Ezz-Thetic, The great Benny Carter composition Where The Warm Winds Blow, my personal tribute in 6/8 to my lovely wife Catey: To Catey With Love, and the chestnut Victor Young composition Weaver of Dreams. On many of the pieces, I overdubbed special woodwind arrangements appropriate to the particular composition or just featured the sextet and quartet. On Where the Warm Winds Blow, there is a strong compositional connection to all of the pieces represented here. That is not to say that they are all similar. I believe it’s quite the opposite. In fact, this recording may easily be termed eclectic, as no two pieces are alike. But the strength of this recording relies on the qualities of the composers involved. George Russell, Stephen Mellilo, Benny Carter, Herbie Hancock, Miles Davis, Victor Young and yours truly share an esthetic quality that transports the musicians and listeners on a journey. It could be a different journey upon each hearing or it could be a quality that triggers distinct emotional moods and zones that are always welcome. Often, this is done through the elevation by sound of the inner consciousness that brings on a heightened state.
"The song always comes first. But with nothing to prove, Martin puts the emphasis squarely on melody, group dynamics and swinging." - David Becker - San Francisco Examiner
"This is gritty, driving music from a high-octane performer who has been delivering the goods for many years."
Ted Goia - Jazz.com
"Never content to rest on his laurels, Mel brings a wide variety of jazz stylings to this release."
Jeff Krow - Audiophile Audition
"While this CD resists easy classification, it is among the most compelling recordings that Mel Martin has made during his entire career." Ken Dryden - Billboard and All Music Guide
"Martin’s a master of phrasing and a meticulous melody maker."
George Fendel - Jazz Society of Oregon
"Beautiful recording. I put it on right away and felt great!!!" Joe Lovano – 2009
"Where The Warm Winds Blow is a strong captivating collection of Jazz!"
Kenneth Martinez Burgmaier - Jazz Alley TV
"Honestly, this new disc is a winner." Linda Yohn- Program Director WEMU-FM
"This new release by multi-reed player
Mel Martin is a sonic delight." Bob Bernotas - Just Jazz Newsletter
Reviews: Jazz.com, Audiophile Audition, Billboard, Jazz Society of Oregon, Just Jazz |
1. Rhythm Man (Do Not Disturb) 7:16 *
Mel Martin – Microtone Music BMI
2. Ezz-Thetic 5:07
George Russell
3. In The Stars 7:27*
Stephen Mellilo – Storworks (ASCAP)
4. Silly Hawk Walk 6:19*
Mel Martin – Microtone Music (BMI)
5. Where The Warm Winds Blow 6:01
Benny Carter – BeeCee Music
6. I Have A Dream 10:02*
Herbie Hancock - Hancock Music Company
7. Blue In Green 8:51**
Miles Davis, Bill Evans - Universal
8. To Catey With Love 5:17
Mel Martin – Microtone Music BMI
9. Weaver of Dreams 5:31
Victor Young, John Elliott - Chappell
Total playing time 62:11
Personnel; Mel Martin – soprano and tenor saxophones, clarinet, bass clarinet, flute and alto flute
Don Friedman - piano and Fender Rhodes
Brad Buethe – guitar *
Barry Finnerty – guitar**
Robb Fisher – bass
Jeff Marrs – drums
John Santos – congas and percussion
Produced by Mel Martin for Bebop and Beyond
Recording Engineer – Dan Feiszli
Recorded at Bay Records Studios – Berkeley, CA July 14 & 15, 2008
Blue in Green recorded at Jazz at Pearl’s, San Francisco, CA October 13, 2006
MEL MARTIN / BENNY CARTER QUINTET CD-JM1025
JUST FRIENDS - LIVE @ YOSHI'S
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Downbeat (****)
Perdido
People Time
Spritely
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Bay Area saxophonist Mel Martin honors his longtime musical partnership with the late alto saxophonist and composer Benny Carter – and Carter’s birth centennial in August 2007 – with the release of Just Friends, a new CD by the band he co-led with Carter in the 1990s. Martin calls Just Friends “one of the best-sounding live recordings I’ve ever heard.” Recorded at Yoshi’s in Oakland in April 1994, the CD features exceptional support by Roger Kellaway on piano and drummer Harold Jones – frequent Carter accompanists – as well as bassist Jeff Chambers, who shares a long working relationship with Mel. “The arrangements were all spontaneous,” says Martin. “You can hear that we were listening closely to each other, and contributing to the ongoing conversation.” Reviews |
Mel Martin - tenor saxophone & flute, Benny Carter - alto saxophone, Roger Kellaway - piano, Jeff Chambers - bass and Harold Jones - drums.
1. Perdido Juan Tizol
2. People Time Benny Carter
3. Secret Love Webster-Fain
4. Spritely Mel Martin
5. Elegy in Blue Benny Carter
6. Just Friends Klemmer-Lewis
Produced by Mel Martin for Bebop and Beyond
Assistant producer for original session - Dr. Herb Wong
Funded in part by the National Endowment for the Arts and the Marin Arts Council
Recorded live at the original Yoshi’s in Oakland, California April 30, 1994, by Syntropy Audio, recording supervisor - Bud Spangler,
Mixing engineer - Brian Walker, assistant engineer - Robert Berenson
Mel Martin and Bebop and Beyond CD-5006
Friends and Mentors - Bebop and Beyond Plays the Music of Mel
Martin
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Song for M
Whizbang
For
Duke and Mingus
Reviews |
A new recording by Bebop and Beyond featuring
all original compositions by leader Mel Martin. It is a return to the
original instrunmentation of the band featuring an all New York cast.
In the words of Dr. Herb Wong - Mel's saxophone playing uncovers
his deep plumbs of the tradition as he enlarges a spread of timbres.
His improvisations are fired by infusions of imagination, cloaked with
a high sense of urgency. His fluent delivery is garnished with an appealing
vibrato and discrete staccato veins. Mel is a product of the fundamental
bebop core and recognizes it as the mother language of modern jazz and
the most technically challenging music extant. "My goal is to play
something different on each occasion with spontaneity" says Mel.
"I want to make a new, memorable statement each time." He
prizes the concept of expressing ideas coherently and places primacy
on tone and phrasing--"People need to feel the sound!" This
contributes to the shaping of the chassis of his playing and to the
underlining of his composing.
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Mel Martin - Tenor and Curved Soprano Saxophones, Bobby Watson - Alto Saxophone
, Jack Walrath - Trumpet, Mike Longo - Piano*, George Cables - Piano**,
Ray Drummond - Bass, Winard Harper - Drums*, Billy Hart - Drums**
1. Song For M *
2. Music Is (Benny Carter) *
3. Whizbang **
4. For Duke and Mingus **
5. Riding with C **
6. In Walked Diz *
7. Longhorn *
8. From Pops to Bop **
9. Hub-Trane **
Recorded at Acoustic Recording, Brooklyn, NY 11/23/99 & 6/4/00
Produced for Bebop and Beyond by Mel Martin
Mel
Martin Plays Benny Carter
featuring Benny Carter CD-90412
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