Author: sbs66

RECORDED IN HONOR OF ‘BIRD’S 100TH YEAR CENTENNIAL!!!

LISTEN IN GOOD HEALTH! LONG LIVE THE POWER OF MUSIC!

RECORDED AT BIRDS NEST STUDIOS IN WEST HARLEM NYC

1. DEWEY SQ. — This great composition by Bird was written when he was staying at the Dewey Sq. Hotel in Harlem and I arranged it with an extended latin vamp at the end  that many forget he in fact started the song with.
   
2. ALIVE—This is our title cut and the first piece we recorded for this session.I kind of re-wrote it for this new trio and feel this is the definitive version,done ^st take.
   
3. BELIEVER—I wrote this ballad very quickly first on piano and arranged it recently for Joe Lovano’s Nonet which debuted it at Birdland. I like it bare with the trio and it expresses my feelings in these times.
   
4. SISTER—I have daughters and they all have a swagger which is in this song….written when my youngest was first born the refrain is “Hey- Little- Sister!”
   
5. I REMEMBER YOU—We love playing a  great old song like this. Intro and all the rest is off the cuff and in true inspiration from the song, to improvise on and on,even the ending….
   
6. BARBARA—The great Horace Silver has always been one of my favorite composers and bandleaders.This one in particular from his ‘late period’ seemed perfect for my flute.
   
7. REDEMPTION SONG—This is my favorite song of this kind. Some called them ‘protest songs’ and the lyrics are really a big part of this great composition. It is the only recording I’ve done with my LOW-A Yanagisawa saxophone, a deep instrument! STEVE SLAGLE

Playing lead Alto was a real throw-back to good times and arrangements for MBB–It was a great nite all around….