In Session
Gene is currently working on a collaborative writing and recording project with pianist and composer Tom Snow, a professor of music at Bates College in Maine, recording at The Studio in Portland.
Gene is also beginning a long considered project honoring the music of his friend Miles Davis. He will be lyricizing and recording some of Miles’ best known works. Stay tuned for more information on titles and release info.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Evolution’s Child | Eugene McDaniels with Ted Brancato
Track Listing: 1. Follow You Down | 2. Kingdom of the Unknown | 3. I Hear You | 4. Next Step | 5. American Wedding Song | 6. Bass Flute | 7. The Golden Trine | 8. Another Chance | 9. Curious Traveler | 10. Healing The Wounds | 11. Meet Me On The Moon | 12. Sweet Forever
The release, twelve tracks of soulful jazz ballads, is all presented with a richness that can only be fostered through the fantastic spread of musical works offered by McDaniels through his 50 years in modern music and culture. In total, “Evolution’s Child” spans decades of work and composition, threading the needle of Eugene’s many incarnations, inspirations, and motivations.
“Evolution’s Child” was produced and written with McDaniel’s longtime collaborator, pianist Ted Brancato. Together, they demonstrate fantastic restraint, offering spare piano -and-vocal takes on known themes, newly voiced by McDaniels. “Curious Traveler” is a crafty and nuanced tribute to “Giant Steps” by John Coltrane. The recording’s parting song, “Sweet Forever,” gives words to the composition of the same name by Eddie Gomez. And, in a nod to the man whom he calls his favorite jazz composer, McDaniels’ “Kingdom of the Unknown” reworks Wayne Shorter’s “Footprints.” McDaniels insists “All of these songs have really been favorites of mine, and I absolutely had to record them.”
Making special guest appearances, McDaniels welcomed friends, bassist Ron Carter and drummer Terri Lynn Carrington to lend their talents to “The Golden Trine,” a subdued, yet deeply grooving tune based on his son Mateo’s rap rhythm track.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Humans Being | Eugene McDaniels and Terry Silverlight
Track Listing: 1. Bout adoubt it / 2. Don’t Get Me Started / 3. Tonight / 4. Bathing in the Breeze / 5. So What / 6. Happiness / 7. Contradictions / 8. Beautiful Angel / 9. Don’t Let This Moment Slip Away / 10. Another Chance / 11. Sweet Kisses / 12. Garden of Eden
Humans Being Liner Notes: “Terry Silverlight brought the idea of this musical experiment to me and asked if I would like to be involved. My response was: ‘Gimme a couple of the tunes and let me see how my sympathetic reactions co-ordinate with the arrangement structure.’ The job was to come up with melodies and words that embraced the basic idea of Terry’s compositions. I finished the first tune and from there it was pretty much smooth sailing. Terry proved to be a gentleman and a dear friend. These compositions of his grow on me like a bad habit. I love this bad habit so much that we’re working on the next project . . . viva la musique! ” ~ McD.
Humans Being: All compositions by Terry Silverlight and Eugene McDaniels
Guest vocalist on Happiness: Carri Coltrane
Produced by Eugene McDaniels and Terry Silverlight
Orchestrations and arrangements by Terry Silverlight Virtual Orchestra
Mastered at The Studio, Steve Drown, engineer.
© 2010 Eugene McDaniels