This heartfelt jazz is a blend of melody, fire, water, groove, mutual exploration and beauty which I hope will uplift you as much as creating it has uplifted me. Sincerely, Richard Shulman
Richard Shulman - piano
Jacob Rodriguez - tenor & soprano saxophones
Zack Page - bass
Rick Dilling - drums
Wendy Jones - vocals on tracks 4, 7 & 9
Jacob Rodriguez - tenor & soprano saxophones
Zack Page - bass
Rick Dilling - drums
Wendy Jones - vocals on tracks 4, 7 & 9
All compositions by Richard Shulman except Track 4 - music by Richard Shulman, lyrics by Richard Shulman & Brenda Lee Morrison. © 2018 RichHeart Music, BMI
(bar code) 723867182626
(bar code) 723867182626
This is the fourth album of original music from The Richard Shulman Group and I am honored to be working with Jacob Rodriguez - tenor and soprano saxophones, Zack Page - bass and Rick Dilling - drums along with vocalist Wendy Jones on three extraordinary tracks.
I invite you to visit the RichHeart Music website and the Richard Shulman Youtube channel to explore and listen to other jazz albums as well as music for healing and meditation. Sincerely - Richard Shulman
Recorded October 2 & 3 2017 and mixed at Seclusion Hill Music by Phil Ludwig. SeclusionHillMusic.com Mastering at Soundsmiths Mastering by Stephen Smith. soundsmiths.com Piano Tuning by Trip Gilbert. pianoperfect.net Cover photo Ice Cold Lemonade at the Beach by Michael C. Gray. Back cover photo Lemon in Water by Chepko Danil Vitalevich, Both photos used under license of shutterstock.com. Art Direction by Brenda Lee Morrison. Graphic Design by Susannah Haskell.
Notes from the Composer:
1. Atmosphere - a haunting mood piece exploring the movement from minor to major.
2. I Claim my Day - A musical reflection of creative thought.
3. In Between the Blue and Green - The only straight - ahead, post bop tune on the album, this song languished in my 1983 notebook for years because I thought it was too similar to Bill Evans' "Blue in Green." I rediscovered it a few years ago, realized that it is its own song, and finished it.
4. The Gifts You Gave to Me - A ballad with rich images moving from regret to thankfulness.
5. For Mom - Written for Mother s Day.
6. No Matter What They Say - I like sweet music....
7. Homage to Pharoah - When I first heard Pharaoh Sanders The Creator has a Master Plan I was moved by the spiritual potency of this musical prayer. Homage to Phaoah reflects my gratitude for this devotion.
8. It s All Inside - Another musical prayer.
9. Finding Peace - May we all find peace within ourselves and in our world.
10. Buried Diamond - another half-written piece from my 1983 notebook. When I found it a few years ago it just needed a bridge and it was fun to write.
11. Turned into Lemonade - When Life gives you lemons turn them into Lemonade!
12. Sunny Samba - A happy, fun song.....
13. Write Again - A jazz samba with joy and passion.
14. Nostalgia - A duet with Jacob and me.... A beautiful slow waltz to end the album.
1. Atmosphere - a haunting mood piece exploring the movement from minor to major.
2. I Claim my Day - A musical reflection of creative thought.
3. In Between the Blue and Green - The only straight - ahead, post bop tune on the album, this song languished in my 1983 notebook for years because I thought it was too similar to Bill Evans' "Blue in Green." I rediscovered it a few years ago, realized that it is its own song, and finished it.
4. The Gifts You Gave to Me - A ballad with rich images moving from regret to thankfulness.
5. For Mom - Written for Mother s Day.
6. No Matter What They Say - I like sweet music....
7. Homage to Pharoah - When I first heard Pharaoh Sanders The Creator has a Master Plan I was moved by the spiritual potency of this musical prayer. Homage to Phaoah reflects my gratitude for this devotion.
8. It s All Inside - Another musical prayer.
9. Finding Peace - May we all find peace within ourselves and in our world.
10. Buried Diamond - another half-written piece from my 1983 notebook. When I found it a few years ago it just needed a bridge and it was fun to write.
11. Turned into Lemonade - When Life gives you lemons turn them into Lemonade!
12. Sunny Samba - A happy, fun song.....
13. Write Again - A jazz samba with joy and passion.
14. Nostalgia - A duet with Jacob and me.... A beautiful slow waltz to end the album.
Review
Highly inventive original jazz The Richard Shulman Group Turned into Lemonade
By Dick Metcalf, editor, Contemporary Fusion Reviews May 21, 2018
By Dick Metcalf, editor, Contemporary Fusion Reviews May 21, 2018
Though this is my first review of Richard's energetic jazz piano work, it s actually his fourth original release... as I listen to tunes like the 5:01 I Claim My Day, it helps me to renew my spirit in most positive fashion... full of life & the living of it to the MAX.
Joining Richard are some of the hippest jazz players on the planet... Jacob Rodriguez tenor & soprano saxophones; Zack Page bass; Rick Dilling drums, and Wendy Jones doing vocals on tracks 4, 7 & 9... Wendy's vocal on the 6:19 Finding Peace is (without question) one of the most comforting jazz vocals I've heard (yet) in 2018... a perfect match with the other players!
The highly-charged Write Again will have you up on your feet & swaying round the room... I totally dug Zack's bass work on this one... excellent recording as well.
If truly solid jazz is what your ears are yearning for, you'll find In Between the Blue and Green to be one of those tunes you ll play over & over & over again... it s stuck in replay mode on my iPhone playlists, to be sure... Richard s piano on this track is right up-front & shows talent beyond compare.
I m a lover of Latin-flavored jazz, to it was easy to decide on my personal favorite of the fourteen songs offered up for your listening pleasure... Sunny Samba is about as tasty as it gets... I think you can expect to be hearing this one on jazz stations across the nation frequently!
I give Richard and his talented crew a MOST HIGHLY RECOMMENDED, with an EQ (energy quotient) rating of 4.98 for this lively and entertaining album. Get more information on the Rich Heart Music label page for the release. Rotcod Zzaj --By Dick Metcalf, editor, Contemporary Fusion Reviews May 21, 2018
