COLLABORATIVE OUTING STRIKES THE
JAZZIEST CHORD
IN THE RARE NOISE CATALOG
JAMIE SAFT JOINS STEVE SWALLOW
AND BOBBY PREVITE
ON
The New Standard
AVAILABLE IN STORES AND ONLINE MAY 20, 2014
AND THROUGH RARE NOISE RECORDS
ON CD, VINYL AND HI-RES DIGITAL DOWNLOAD
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Jamie Saft
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Piano, Organ
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Steve Swallow
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Electric Bass
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Bobby Previte
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Drums
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Joe Ferla
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Engineer
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The New Standard Vinyl Cut Session at Masterdisk
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ABOUT THE LABEL - RareNoiseRecords was founded in late 2008 by two Italians, guitarist/arranger/ producer Eraldo Bernocchi and all-round music nut Giacomo Bruzzo. Located
in London, the label was created to present a platform to musicians and
listeners alike who think beyond musical boundaries of genre. For
further information and to listen please go to www.rarenoiserecords.com.
New York, April 15, 2014 - While Jamie Saft
has been a significant presence on previous RareNoise recordings by
Slobber Pup, Plymouth and Metallic Taste of Blood, the renegade
keyboardist and essential Downtown improviser steps into a dramatically
different role on The New Standard. A collaborative trio outing featuring the dream rhythm tandem of drummer Bobby Previte and bassist Steve Swallow,
both prolific composers and venerable bandleaders in their own right,
it showcases Saft alternating between piano and organ and making
thoughtful, melodic contributions throughout. On ten original tracks,
seven of which the keyboardist composed, Saft blends brilliantly with
his esteemed elders on this remarkable RareNoise release. "Bobby
suggested that I put together simple structures for us to use as
starting points," he explains. "I tried to put together pieces that were
super soulful and honest. I wanted compositions
that would highlight Steve's absolute mastery of melody and Bobby's
incredibly soulful approach to groove. They took my simple pieces and
made them into grand structures on which to improvise. Beginnings and
endings were all improvised and this gives the album a special type of
magic."
Though
the three kindred spirits may not have played together before as a unit
prior to this recording, their connections run deep and their chemistry
in the studio was immediate. As Previte put it, "It was the simplest,
chillest record I have ever done. We set up, went out and had a nice
lunch, went back to the studio and three hours later it was all done in
one take. It's kind of incredible it actually worked out as it did. And
my 1965 Rogers Holiday model tubs, which I got when I was 14 years old,
have never, and probably will never sound better. The sound is so full,
so creamy I feel like licking it!"
Saft, who first met Previte in 1993 when he was hired to play in the drummer's band Weather Clear, Track Fast, calls The New Standard
"100% collaborative." As he explains, "Steve and Bobby have been
working together for decades and Bobby introduced us many many years
ago, at first to discuss espresso, which is a shared passion of ours.
Steve was also extremely generous with his knowledge of coffee and we
struck up a fond correspondence. Bobby, of course, was secretly trying
to put us together musically and finally a few summers ago, we all
convened at my new studio near Kingston, New York (Potterville
International Sound) for this session. So this album came from the
purest of sources -- a genuine desire from old friends to make music
together."
Master
bassist Swallow, whose track record includes landmark jazz recordings
with the likes of George Russell, Jimmy Giuffre, Gary Burton, Paul Bley,
Art Farmer, Chico Hamilton, Stan Getz, Steve Kuhn, Carla Bley and John
Scofield as well as several of his own recordings as a leader, had
previously recorded and toured in Previte's Bump quintet beginning in
2003. 5 time Grammy winning engineer Joe Ferla, who is regarded as the fourth member of the band
for this remarkably empathetic session, had been working with Previte
for decades. "This recording was accomplished with Joe's incredible
mastery at capturing mixes on the spot," says Saft. "Joe recorded
everything analog direct to two-track 1/2" tape through a Neve console
right here at Potterville International Sound as we played. Joe brought
the same magic that Steve and Bobby contributed to this session. He's
got absolute attention to detail, he's inside the music like a master,
plus he has the wisdom to capture it on the spot direct to tape
brilliantly. We're so lucky to have had him as part of this recording."
Adds
Previte, who created his own intuitive drum feels throughout the
session: "The music is highly improvised, more than you think. We did
the entire record in three hours. Some tunes were completely improvised,
some were brought in by Jamie but I think even he would agree they were
sketches, really. He'd just tell Steve the harmonic rhythm, or we'd
discuss it for a second, literally, and we were off! All first takes.
And we never ever talked about how to start or how to end. The
beginnings and endings are probably
my favorite parts of this record because you can hear there was nothing
planned in the least. We all dovetailed to the ends together. In fact,
the endings are like little pieces in themselves. For instance if you
listen to a Coltrane record, often you can tell they didn't have an
ending, but there was no panic, no stress. They knew the tune would end
itself and there was patience there. That's a quality in short supply
today but on The New Standard you can hear that, especially with
Steve. For instance, when I will take a left turn on one of those
improvised endings, instead of interacting with me he stays at home
within himself, and it's just magnificent. When you do that, when you
don't cling too tightly to the other musicians, you bestow upon the
other players so much freedom. As he said to me once, 'Interaction is
overrated.' I couldn't agree more, except for the fact what he does IS
interaction. It's just interaction on a much higher level than is usual
in improvisation."
The New Standard
opens with Saft's relaxed swinger "Clarissa," which is fueled by
Swallow's unerring bass pulse and Previte's slick brushwork on the kit.
This perfect introduction to the triumvirate leads into another Saft
composition, "Minor Soul," which is rendered with all the patience and
downhome quality of vintage Wynton Kelly or Junior Mance piano trios.
"Step Lively" is a more buoyant rumba-boogie number paced by Previte and
Swallow. Jamie's organ makes its first appearance on the gospel-tinged
number "Clearing," which bears not a small resemblance to one of Jamie's
significant influences, The Band. "About seven years ago I moved my
crew to the Hudson Valley between the Shawangunk and Catskill Mountains.
We live right in the seat of where so much essential music from the
past 60 years was created -- Bob Dylan, The Band, Woodstock. Certainly
these sounds were in my head as I constructed pieces for us to work
with. I've been a huge fan and proponent of the music of both Dylan and
the Band and certainly they were both heavy influences for this session.
I also was looking to capture something placid and serene that reflects
my love for country living and a more sustainable way of being."
"Trek"
opens with Previte's drum 'n' bugle corps cadence on the kit, setting a
compelling foundation for the piano trio piece that follows. The title
track is a showcase for Swallow's signature melodic playing on the
electric bass guitar while the uptempo swinger "I See No Leader" has
Previte setting the pace with his insistent ride cymbal work. Says Saft
of that composition, "The idea behind 'I See No Leader' is twofold. The
obvious on being there is no real leader to this group. Though I have
contributed most of the structures, when you have absolute masters like
Steve and Bobby (and Joe for that matter), all it takes is a group of
the simplest structures and suddenly there's magic on the tape. The
title of this song also refers to the analog tape on which this album
was recorded. As we progressed through the sessions I ran out of fresh
reels of tape and we were forced to start rolling over old reels from my
studio vaults -- a reel in which we 'saw no leader' referred to the
leader tape used to mark beginnings and ends."
"Blue
Shuffle" opens with some bluesy solo organ by Saft before the trio
settles into an early '60s organ lounge vibe with Swallow walking on
bass and Previte providing a supple backbeat for the dancers. "All
Things to All People" is a throbbing race on the B-3 fueled by Previte's
jungle drums and the closer,
"Surrender the Chaise," is an intimate, slightly melancholy piano trio
number that sounds like one of Chopin's nocturnes as played by Bill
Evans. Swallow adds a solo on this closing number that is a sheer
masterpiece of melody. Saft has high praise for the great bassist. "It
was an absolute honor to work with a musician of Steve's caliber," he
says. "It was like walking on air! Steve has the deepest intuition found
so rarely these days. It was as if I could go ANYWHERE and Steve was
standing there waiting for me with arms outstretched. A true master!"
"The New Standard
is an honest and inspired picture of the first meeting of these four
minds," adds the pianist-organist-composer. "It is wholly informed by
decades of friendship, collaborations and camaraderie. The album's title
refers to what I feel is a "New Standard of Excellence" in the
improvising arena. I'm absolutely thrilled this album has found a proper
home on such a fantastic label as RareNoise Records. The sonic
integrity of the session will be realized with a fully analog vinyl
master -- the 180-gram dual gatefold vinyl pressing of the album will
never have seen ANY computer interference. We were also extremely
fortunate to enlist Scott Hull and Alex DeTurk of Masterdisk for both
the CD and vinyl masters. The vinyl master was done straight from the
original analog master tapes from the session. The record was recorded
and mixed direct to two track analog tape and Scott compiled the vinyl
masters by editing the original master recordings together one side at a
time. Alex DeTurk cut the vinyl lacquers for us under Scott's
supervision on the vinyl lathe at Masterdisk direct from the compiled
analog masters. The depth of the vinyl masters is, frankly, sonically
stunning. It harks back to the golden age of jazz recordings of the
'60's. It is absolutely at the highest level. I'm beyond proud of the
sound of this one and truly believe that this album will really stand
out from the pack, sonically."
TRACKS
- Clarissa
- Minor Soul
- Step Lively
- Clearing
- Trek
- The New Standard
- I See No Leader
- Blue Shuffle
- All Things To All People
- Surrender The Chaise
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