Trying To Take A Picture Of The Moon/ Then The Light Changed-
Album-EP
Real Life
Chilteen Suite
Mindy#16/30
Always Be Kind
Goodness
Gratitude
Sunrise On The Strip
When I Fail
Excuse Me
What Became Of It
Electric Lefty/ Woogie Boogie/The Mailbox On The Corner, I'll Show You Our Poster
What Is That, Tea?
Tallest Trees
One Hit Wonder
A Hodge Podge Story Based on Real Life
Featuring in order of appearance-
Jez Graham
Emrah Kotan
Bill Graham
Janna Graham
Mike Hinton
Chuck Bithorn aka Chuckie B.
Will Bernard
Sam Skelton
Rick Bell
Bob Lewis
Francine Reed
Jennifer Ferren
Fitzhugh Jenkins
Victor Bisetti
Tony Graham
Don Rowlands
Suzette
Art
Johnny Miller
I was at a stoplight a couple of weeks ago, leaving my gig at the airport. I attempted to take a picture of the amazing moon up to my left, all of a sudden, I heard a horn honking and realized that the light had turned green, so I clicked and took off, a few days later, I was attempting to show Mindy and our friend Jenn the pic of the moon but I couldn’t find it, then I realized I did find it, only the moon was nowhere in sight. Still, the pic was a good one and several who saw it when I posted it on social media without an explanation told me I had my next album cover, The only thing was I was between concepts, so after a few days of rumination, a theme emerged.
I had several tracks that were recorded for a few projects that needed a home became the basic concept, but then, when assembling the songs, I realized that it was the story I wanted to tell. 2 of the songs (1 and 6) are from the 2022 Percolate sessions, recorded in pristine sound by the brilliant Shalom Aberle at Eddie Owen’s Red Clay Theater with no audience which is same spot and recording of tracks 3, 4, and 8. However, an audience is present on those tracks, which documents a night that remains my most special memory of performing with our family band 3 out of 4 featuring Bill and Janna Graham with our 4th member who works behind the scenes as our guiding light, Mindy. Thanks to Shalom, Eddie, and Francine Reed for having us open the show, I had the treat that night in 2014 of playing as the opening act and then accompanying my favorite singer I’ve had the pleasure of accompanying Francine( if you can find the CD Francine Reed and The Jez Graham Trio Live At Eddie’s Attic also recorded by the great Shalom Aberle you’ll get a taste of what our set was like that night). Track 5 featured Francine on background vocals along with our good friend Jenn Ferren( One of the most soulful singers we love) Bill sings as well and wrote the cool horn arrangement played so beautifully by Sam Skelton, Rick Bell, and Bob Lewis. Sam has enhanced many of my Jazz recordings through the years and I am grateful for his friendship and contributions. Another special aspect of this recording, which was done in 2006 is the funky, soulful guitar playing of my long-time pal Will Bernard. We co-led the Rainbow Quartet along Don Rowlands back in 1976/77. For this track, I’m on Moog Bass and Rhodes, and the groove is laid down by my longtime drummer and friend Mike Hinton, along with the legendary Chuck Bithorn’s congas adding the special sauce needed for this ode to Goodness, which is one of my favorite collaborations based on the inspiring words of Stephen Kalinich.
Track 7 is a rare Synth workout recorded in 2023 inspired by Dec 30th, 1983, when Mindy and I eloped in Las Vegas. The Sunrise the next morning represented all the possibilities and hopes that have sustained us for all these years. Track 3 is a 30th-anniversary edition of my most durable and long-lasting Mindy songs. The single 40 commemorating our 40th is available to stream as well.
The final track is an extremely lo-fi recording(in my young voice)captured on the Montgomery Ward boombox Mindy had given me our first Christmas. It’s a song I wrote in 1984 and was originally part of my first love operetta, “Two Hearts In The Land Of Um”. This version features my musical traveling copilots, Victor Bisetti and Fitzhugh Jenkins. It was recorded on A Monday live at Skippy’s Golden Gopher in Monterey Park, Ca. where I honed my craft and learned so much of what I know about playing gigs plus we had the added treat of the legendary Johnny Miller of The Nat Cole Trio on Acoustic bass Thursdays-Saturdays. I used to roam the club on breaks with that boombox and record conversations with the wonderful patrons. You will hear a brief snippet of Johnny's wonderful walking on track 3 "What Is That, Tea?" of the EP after the coffee discussion. That reminds me, The only time Johnny ever took a break(he usually stayed on the bandstand and practiced when we took a break), he would refill his coffee and water and I've always called Coffee and Water
(my preferred gig beverage) The Johnny Miller Special.
Track 6 is a song that Mindy and I wrote for Rev. Arlene’s Thanksgiving Unity service in 2004. This marks the first official release of “Gratitude”.
Track 2 features the brilliant drummer-percussionist Emrah Kotan. It’s a suite inspired by my childhood homes in NYC and Stockbridge MA. and is also available on our 2023 collaborative Piano and Drums album “In A Pine Groove,” Available exclusively on my Bandcamp page. I’ve included it here to showcase it as it’s one of my favorite recent compositions, and the chemistry between Emrah and I is on full display as we navigate the Latin Jazz, Mellow Space Vibe, and, ultimately, Gospel Jazz feel. This piece and the rest from that project, as well as another batch of instrumentals that I am presently in the process of completing, will be presented and recorded by me, and Emrah in a new Electric and Acoustic Quintet that is being assembled and should be ready sometime in 2025.
The next release is an E.P. titled “Then The Light Changed.” It features a couple more of the Montgomery Ward experimental field recordings that include the patrons of Skippy’s mixed in with other home recordings from our cottage on Effie Street in Silver Lake which are mainly Me and my dear friends Don and Fitzhugh, that is the amazing Don Rowlands on Drums and Sedona's finest Fitzhugh Jenkins playing through some electric Jazz songs I wrote in the early and mid-’80s, with two cuts going back to 1980 that I wrote with one of my longest term collaborators Victor Bisetti. The Section 8 Theme, with me on guitar and Victor on drums, is a brief snippet of a 5 over 4 New Wave groove morphing into my favorite time signature of all 7 that signaled the band of the same name that I started with another great pal, David Steinberg, We played shows on the LA club circuit in 1981/82. The other Graham/ Bisetti cowrite is What Became Of It, with its measures of 5 interspersed into the 8th note feel that came from the same jam as the Section 8 theme, this solo piano and vocal version was recorded during a Section 8 session at Monterey Studios in Glendale, Ca.
Interspersed into these sound collages are some solo synth improvisations that go back to 1979, and rounding out the EP are one each from The Red Clay Sessions of 2014 and 2022. Track 4 is the one I announce as the next song after track 3 on Trying To Take A Picture Of The Moon, Track 5 of Then the Light Turned Green is not written about a specific person, any resemblance to Bobby Vinton, Vee, Me, or any number of none, one, or multi-hit wonders in the song are purely the creation of Papavonne. (More About This On The Blog)
The piano solo over the vamp of E-7 to A7th(altered) pays tribute to some of my earliest keyboard influences, and the lyrics delve into the challenges and rewards of the musical road that I am grateful to have traveled for all these years. Thanks to all my collaborators and you as well for listening.
Streaming Now Everywhere
Happy Thanksgiving 2024 from
Jez And Mindy
TRYING TO TAKE A PICTURE OF THE MOON
THEN THE LIGHT TURNED GREEN
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