A Jazz Conversation with Composer-Arranger Lisa Maxwell

© -Steven Cerra, copyright protected; all rights reserved.

For Immediate Release Please

Composer/Arranger Lisa Maxwell to release highly-anticipated project

Shiny!

Boasts all-star big band lineup, dedicated to trumpeter Lew Soloff

CD AND DIGITAL FORMATS AVAILABLE IN STORES AND ONLINE ON

MAY 17, 2019.

RECORD RELEASE EVENT AT THE CUTTING ROOM, NEW YORK CITY,

MONDAY, MAY 27, 2019 (MEMORIAL DAY) AT 7.30 PM

TO WATCH THE VIDEO: http://bit.ly/Shinypromo

- Antje Hubner, Hubtone PR

The genesis for this Jazz conversation started with this press release sent to me by Antje Hubner of Hubtone PR. [You’ll find more details from it at the end of this piece.].

When I first received Shiny! Lisa Maxwell’s Jazz Orchestra,  the recording which accompanied Antje’s media release, I had no idea who “Lisa Maxwell” was but I always try to do what I can to support Jazz artists represented by promotional professional whom I respect, so I put up what Hubtone PR sent “as is” in the sidebar of my bar.

It was my way of giving Shiny! Lisa Maxwell’s Jazz Orchestra some exposure until I could spend more time listening to the music to see if it “spoke to me” and, if it did, to determine how I was going to handle developing a feature about it for my blog.

After listening to her efforts, I realized that Lisa’s music represented a generational leap forward for me and offered a connection with an era in the development of large ensemble Jazz that I had largely passed over for a variety of reasons, not the least of which involved earning a living and helping to raise a family.

While I was very familiar with the Jazz-inflected movie and television music from the 1950s and 60s, think Henry Mancini, Peter Rugolo, Elmer Bernstein, Johnny Mandel, and Lalo Schifrin, I really hadn’t paid much attention to this type of writing as it further progressed into a period where Jazz was combined with Rock and electronic instruments to the point that many of the orchestrations were played over heavily accented and repetitive grooves, as compared to the more free flowing or swinging rhythm of the earlier eras.

Ring modulators, wah wah pedals, synthesizers, Moogs, electronic drums, et al - all of these “colors” were familiar and yet foreign to me, because while I’d heard them as part of my listening experience while viewing films or watching television in the late 1960s and into the 1970s and beyond, I hadn’t incorporated them into an appreciation for how they had become compositional and arranging elements in the hands of people skilled at using them - people like Lisa Maxwell.

What was especially intriguing to me about Lisa was that she had actually lived through the media exposure that featured these fused musical elements; she had grown up watching and listening to these films and programs in much the same way that I had grown up watching and listening to Hank Mancini’s Peter Gunn, Pete Rugolo’s Thriller and Richard Diamond, Elmer Bernstein’s Johnny Staccato, Johnny Mandel’s I Want to Live and Lalo Schifrin's Bullet.

Now that my interest was engaged, I wanted to know more about how this music was made.

So I reached out to Lisa and asked if I could add her name to previous composer-arranger Jazz conversations on these pages which have included Mike Abene, Bill Kirchner, and John Altman.

Needless to say I was thrilled when she agreed and gave this interview.

You can learn more about Lisa by visiting her website at -

www.lisamaxwellmusic.com

How and when did music first come into your life?

Is this a trick question?

Probably in the womb, since my mother [Joanne] was a classical pianist and cellist. She had her chamber group rehearsals at our house all the time, and practiced piano every night after I went to bed. I remember being very small and thinking there was a whole orchestra downstairs.

Do you play an instrument?

I started playing piano when I was 6, and still play. I don't perform on piano but that's where I write all my music!

I switched to saxophone relatively late, at 16, and played until recently. I started having problems with my neck and had to put down the horn for awhile.

I also play flute, electric bass, and some drums. I've done a bunch of gigs on bass and I love it. I play along with (The Brothers Johnson's) "Stomp" and King Curtis almost every day.

What are your earliest recollections of Jazz?

The first show I saw was Sammy Davis, Jr. at the Cocoanut Grove in L.A. when I was 7. I loved everything about it!

My dad [Maxwell] played a lot of Ella Fitzgerald and Helen O'Connell, Anita O'Day, Oscar Peterson, and the dance bands. There was also a lot of Sergio Mendes Brasil '66 in my environment.

I really connected with all the TV themes that were playing when I was growing up, which were written by some of the great jazz composers – Mancini, Lalo Schifrin, Quincy Jones, Neal Hefti, Earle Hagen, Patrick Williams – although I didn't know at the time that it was jazz, just music! The first tune I remember actually thinking about was the I Love Lucy theme.

My dad grew up in New York and went to jazz clubs with his buddy, Jack Kerouac (the story was that Billie Holliday once called my dad a Motherfucker!). He taught me how to play an arrangement of "Deep Purple," which was the only thing he remembered from his piano lessons. It had a stride left hand, and I knew it was jazz. He also had a stack of sheet music on the piano and when I was able to sight read, I used to play through those. I was really into "Stardust."

Where did you go to listen to Jazz in performance when you were first learning about the music?

I lived in Paris during my junior year of high school when I was 15, and that's where I really "discovered" jazz. I went to the American School of Paris, and we went to hear George Benson, Chick Corea, Herbie Hancock, maybe Mahavishnu Orchestra?

Back in L.A., when I was 16 I got a car and started going to all the jazz clubs. Smokey Hormel lived down the street and turned me on to Marla's Memory Lane (where I saw Gerald Wilson's Orchestra), Donte's, Carmelo's, The Flying Jib, Pasquale's, The Baked Potato... I went to the Playboy Jazz Festival every year.

Many conversations about Jazz invariably turn to “impressions” and “favorites.”  Okay, so let’s turn to “impressions; who were the Jazz musicians who first impressed you and why?

Sarah Vaughan's singing...

Stan Getz's tone and phrasing. I had been listening to Lambert, Hendricks and Ross, and wanted to be a bebop singer. Someone told me to listen to sax players to learn how to improvise, and when I heard Stan Getz, I thought, "Screw singing, I want to play THAT!"

Sonny Rollins - My favorite tenor player, and what a guy!! When I first heard him, I connected right away. I love his spirit, his sound, his choices, his feeling. I have a Sonny Rollins tattoo on my forearm for inspiration.

Staying with your impressions for a while, what comes to mind when I mention the following Jazz musicians:

- Louis Armstrong:

Founding Father of Jazz whose influence is still felt today. Joy, talent, chops and personality, and he turned the world on to jazz!

- Duke Ellington

Master composer and arranger, who broke through the traditional dance band orchestration conventions. He wrote with the soloists in mind – his arrangements and repertoire were dependent on the individual players to complete the whole!

A vessel of the God of music.

- Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker

Game changers, without whom the history of music would have been totally different!

They created bebop and its vernacular. I saw Dizzy play several times.

- Gil Evans

The legendary arranger with ears of gold. He forged new paths in music, especially his collaborations with Miles. Miles Ahead and Birth of the Cool changed my life! Gil's coloristic use of rich textures was innovative, incorporating jazz + Ravel. I always identified with the non-vanilla voicings!!  Gil was a big influence on me, and I saw the Gil Evans Orchestra play every Monday night for years. A lovely man.

- Stan Kenton

A key bandleader who launched the career of many greats: Art Pepper, Stan Getz – a gateway for the L.A. cats. On my dad's playlist.

- Gerry Mulligan

West Coast Jazz icon. Fantastic bari player and arranger! I listened to Birth of the Cool one year almost every night when I went to sleep. Godchild is one of my favorites!

- Bob Brookmeyer

Fantastic arranger and trombone player. Thad Jones/Mel Lewis band. Just learned he was in Claude Thornhill's band!

- Herb Pomeroy

Played trumpet in Ellington's band; great arranging teacher. Strong Boston accent.

- Dick Grove

Inimitable composing/arranging teacher in Studio City. A quote a minute: "Music is written for dancing or fucking," "Time is money and people are sight-reading."

- Wayne Shorter

One of my main guys! A beautiful tenor player, composer, and person. His melodic structures and sophisticated use of harmonies, had a big influence on me as a writer (also as a player). I love Wayne's music, from the Messengers to his solo stuff!

- Manny Albam

Key arranger in the 60's and 70's. Used a lot of West Coast guys.

I not as familiar with his repertoire as I'd like to be. On my to-do list!!

- Maria Schneider

A pioneering woman in jazz, who composes and arranges beautiful music. Also a huge advocate for trying to get fair compensation and legislation for musicians in today's atmosphere of streaming. Inspirational and someone I admire. Of course, she also worked with Gil. Weirdly, we never met, even though I was around at the same time. I guess I was hanging more with the band.

- Oliver Nelson

One of my arranging heroes. His arrangements satisfy the brain's love of symmetry. Blues and the Abstract Truth, Screamin' the Blues, and the Goin' Out of My Head and the Wes Montgomery albums were on heavy rotation. I also had an Oliver Nelson/King Curtis album that I loved. Maybe Soul Battle? [Yes, recorded in 1960 also included Jimmy Forrest].

- Bill Holman

One of L.A.'s legendary arrangers who wrote for many key big bands, including Buddy Rich's band. Dick Grove often referred to him, and growing up, I used to hear the Bill Holman big band around L.A.

Switching to the subject of “favorites:”

- What are some of your favorite Jazz recordings?

Definitely just SOME of them...

Kind of Blue (album)

Sonny Rollins - Newk's Time

Dizzy, Sonny Rollins, Sonny Stitt  - Eternal Triangle (song)

Miles Ahead

Mingus Ah Um

Herbie Hancock - Headhunters

Bill Evans Trio - Explorations

King Curtis live at Fillmore West

Wes Montgomery - Four on Six

Sergio Mendes and Brasil '66 -Look Around

Getz/Gilberto

Brecker Brothers - Heavy Metal Bebop

Nancy Wilson/Cannonball Adderley

Cannonball Adderley Coast to Coast

The Happy Horns of Clark Terry

Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers - Ugetsu

Oliver Nelson - Blues and the Abstract Truth

Jaco Pastorius (first album)

Charlie Haden - Silence
Thelonious Monk with John Coltrane

Miles in the Sky

Clare Fischer - Salsa Picante

any Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington albums

- Who are your favorite big band arrangers?

A lot of the guys you mentioned!

Gil Evans

Ellington

Mingus

Clare Fischer (I wore out my copy of Salsa Picante!)

Dizzy Gillespie

Quincy Jones

Count Basie

Oliver Nelson

Don Ellis

- Who are your favorite Jazz vocalists?

LOVE Sarah Vaughan (Sassy's my girl, although I do have 4 of Ella Fitzgerald's stereo speakers...)

Lambert, Hendricks and Ross!
Eddie Jefferson

Nancy Wilson

Sinatra

Nat King Cole

Mark Murphy

- Who among current Jazz musicians do you enjoy listening to?

As well as jazz, I listen to a lot funk, r&b, I love Rai music, Indian music, New Orleans music, hybrid electronica stuff, which all intersect with jazz. I'd put them all on the list!

Everyone who plays on Shiny!, obviously...

I just heard Eryn Allen Kane (fantastic R&B singer) at The Shed in NYC, and she was unreal!

Geoff Keezer has always been one of my favorite jazz pianists.

Carmen Staaf ( introduced to me by Keezer), who plays on 2 tunes on Shiny! is a super talented pianist. She and Allison Miller, a fantastic jazz drummer, have been doing a lot of projects together, and I love listening to them both!

I love Trombone Shorty

Jon Batiste is divine.

Catherine Russell is a gorgeous singer

Stanton Moore, a New Orleans drummer with a hit, "Here Come the Girls," that I can't get enough of.

Cheb Mami

Hybrid stuff/electronica like Parov Stellar,

Groove Collective, Jamieroquai, Mark Guiliana,

Ray Angry's doing cool stuff at Nublu!

Please describe what your time at UCLA and the Berklee School of Music was like in terms of coursework, instructors, projects and how these educational institutions helped prepare you to become a composer-arranger.

UCLA was 2 classes taught by Don Ray, who was an L.A. TV composer/arranger. He showed us how to figure out timings and make the music fit. Our final project was to record a cue from a Hawaii Five-O (original) episode at a recording studio! That was the first time I heard anything I wrote played by anyone else, and it was quite a thrill! The 20th Century Music class included writing for various small groups: string quartet, woodwind quintet, and other configurations. There again, hearing it in real time with live instruments was invaluable, and I learned about what types of chamber groups exist, and instrument ranges. I realized that I had the ability to write down exactly what I was hearing in my head. I'm not sure how that happened. Don was very encouraging.

Berklee was an amazing experience. My coursework was all music! I was coming from Dick Grove, so I looked at it like graduate school, to get my sax playing chops together (Joe Viola and Bill Pierce), and to write for the recording and performing bands. Every week, I signed up to have a new chart played by a rehearsal band. [Drummer] Steve Wolf played in that band a lot. That was great for workshopping new ideas. But the main gift of going to Berklee was that I made so many great friends and connections. There was an incredible body of talented musicians there at that time: Roy Hargrove, Donny McCaslin, Seamus Blake, Geoff Keezer, Lalah and Kenya Hathaway, Jim Black, Brian Tishy, Steven Wolf, Adam Dorn, John De Servio, Sarah Smith, Jeff Parker, Kenny Rampton, Antonio Hart, Sam Newsome, Andrew Sherman, David Delhomme, Ingrid Jensen, Jonathan Sanborn and more! I'm still close friends with a lot of these people, and so grateful for that. I have early recordings of my arrangements these guys played on at Berklee, which is pretty cool!

Let’s talk about how you technically approached creating some of your arrangements. You have been quoted as saying: “My writing is heavily influenced by the TV themes of the 1970s.” Could you elaborate in terms of how you incorporate this specific influence into your charts.

As I am a product of the late 60's and 70's, my writing no doubt reflects the cultural influences of that time. It was a great time for music, and a lot of funk and electric instruments had snuck into traditional jazz. There are so many classic movie themes from that era as well (which I revisited when I was older), but I mainly identified with the music from the TV shows, since I watched them week after week: Love American Style, Dick Van Dyke, Bob Newhart, The Odd Couple, Sanford and Son, The Dating Game, Medical Center, and on and on. All those TV and movie themes are so lyrical and memorable, really well-crafted. And have you ever listened to how funky the theme from Medical Center is? That one makes me so happy. The Moog ascends higher and higher until it becomes an ambulance siren! Lalo Schifrin's a genius.

And to me, that melodic sense and crafting the arrangements stylistically are what it's all about. America isn't walking around singing their favorite 12-tone melody!

The music I listened to on my stereo, however, was The Kinks, Stevie Wonder, Zeppelin, Sly and the Family Stone, Hair (the musical). I didn't consciously start listening to jazz until my teens. When I write now, I draw on all the music I've listened to. Usually, I'll write something, and then afterwards realize it reminds me of a show I used to watch from that era. But, for some reason, I think of composing in terms of scoring a TV show or a movie. It's always been my quirky process.

That said, "Ludie" [track # 3 on Shiny!] was directly inspired by the Mannix theme song! I wanted to write a tune for Lew [Soloff] (whose grandparents had nicknamed him Ludie). When I sat down to write it, the theme from Mannix came into my head, and I couldn't stop singing it. I loved the major feel of the waltz, and it really reminded me of happy Lew! I remembered a melody I had written a few years ago in 4/4, that had that same feel. So I changed the meter to 3/4, and imagined I was writing the theme for a show about Lew. Haha!! Now that would have been a funny show!

"Shiny!" [Track 1] is also a nod to that time. That one had been brewing for awhile, and I'll discuss later how it came about.

You’ve mentioned Dick Grove and Herb Pomeroy as “mentors.” In what way have they shaped your approached to arranging?

I don't know if I'd call Herb Pomeroy a mentor, exactly. He was a great teacher for me, but kind of ... gruff. I learned about writing in the Ellington style, though, which opened up a whole new avenue for me in terms of orchestration and voicings. I still have a lot of exploring to do in that area, but "The Craw" [Track 8] is very Duke-ish, and  in "Hello, Wayne?" [Track 5] I used line writing. It's important to pick key placed to use it, where it will be most effective. Herb also had excellent rehearsal skills, and showed me how to make the best use of time on the stand.

Dick Grove was a mentor, and I feel so lucky to have studied with him. He helped shape my approach to arranging more than anyone. Prior to that, I had taken film scoring and 20th Century music classes at UCLA when I was 17 or 18, and I had studied arranging privately with Ray Copeland (trumpeter with Monk and Randy Weston), who taught me about II-V-I, blues, and voice-leading. I knew how to write music, how to get my ideas on paper, but I didn't have a system in place. Dick gave me all that, and opened up my ears to the jazz orchestra. He was brilliant. Not only did he develop a comprehensive jazz harmony method, but he also had techniques for creating an arrangement from start to finish. I had to write for a different style of music every week for one year, including copying the charts, conducting them, and having them played and recorded by hired studio musicians. I wrote the arrangement for "We'll Be Together Again" when I was 22 at Dick Grove, and that was Lew's favorite chart of mine!

Dick was unapologetically honest, dry, hilarious, chain-smoked Saratoga 1000's, and looked me in the eye and told me I had what it took to make it and that I could go far. He listened thoroughly to every chart I wrote, analyzed the scores, and gave me invaluable suggestions, as well as plenty of praise and encouragement. He cared a lot about his students, and no one was happier than he was when one of us hit a home run with a chart. That was a great feeling all around!

You have a new recording coming out on May 17, 2019 entitled Shiny! Could you select two or three tracks from this recording and explain how you approached arranging them?

1. "Shiny!" has the components of two different styles. I originally heard the melody as Pink Panther-ish: mysterious, laid back, sparse rhythm section. But I had also been wanting to write an authentic-sounding 1974 boogaloo chase theme for awhile. I knew I didn't have time to write two more tunes before the recording session so I combined them into one and finessed it until they fit. I hear the rhythm of the boogaloo bass line first. The notes came to me when I decided to make it a blues with a 4-bar vamp at the end, like Watermelon Man. Knowing Will [Lee] was going to be playing, I had no doubt the feel was going to be really groovin'!

The instrumentation was dictated by the style: alto flute, wah-wah guitar, clavinet or B-3 organ, Fender Rhodes, and Randy's wah-wah trumpet (a sound he pioneered)!

I made the intro sound stealthy, a la Schifrin, to foreshadow the A section of the melody. Then the tempo picks up and goes into a boogaloo long enough to establish it, and switches back to mystery when the melody does come in. It contains wide leaps and chromaticism, while still being lyrical. In contrast, B section of the tune is totally simple. It's swingin' with a lighter, "whack-a-doo" feel, and flows right into a ridiculously funky rhythm section pocket for the solos.

The same way I combined two “feels” into one song, I wanted 2 guitar players to solo, and instead of choosing one, I decided to use them both (but it wasn't like a planned Noah's Ark thing...LOL). I was going to have guitar solo/trumpet solo/guitar solo, but decided to put Smokey and Oz back-to-back for contrast, which would build to Randy. When the interlude section repeats in the outro, I thought it would be cool to have Dave Taylor solo over that, initially as a sparse background and building up in dynamics and orchestral weight until it practically drowned him out. That kind of thing happened spontaneously all the time in Gil's band, so I just laid down the framework for Dave. The ending is the B section shout chorus with a tag. Boom!

2. "Son of Creeper" was a tune I was so excited to arrange. When Hiram [Bullock] left us, the world lost one of the greatest guitar players ever! It devastated those of us who were close to him, including Lew, and not a day goes by that I don't think of Hiram. He was a gem and a friend like no other. So there was no question that I was going to use one of his tunes.

I chose "Son of Creeper" because I had always loved that tune (it's got a really great melody)  and it was a shuffle, which I didn't have on the album. I had heard him play it so many times as in a power trio with Will and Charley (Drayton), or Jaco and Kenwood. So I started singing it, and realized it would sound great with guitar and alto playing the melody, kind of an SNL vibe with fat chords and funky background lines. And it could be really effective to use the entire band at the end to take it out screaming.

I basically left of the melody in tact and kept the shuffle, but changed the form, and played with the melody and phrasing on the B section (rock). Much like Gil's band, when Hiram played live, the solos could go into completely different styles, forcing a tune to take a hard left into another zone of consciousness. I had been listening to a lot of New Orleans music when I wrote the arrangement, and it certainly seemed like a plausible direction he might have gone in during one of his solos. So I added a "spontaneous" New Orleans brass segment between the B and C sections after the guitar solo. I wanted Mike Stern's guitar solo to be the only full-length solo, so having a bunch of the guys to trade 4's with Paul Shaffer on organ was a great way to get more solos without having 20-minute tunes.

People are curious about how creative people do their work. Do you have a set routine? A particular place or setting that you like to write in? Do you use a piano when you arrange.

I do use a piano when I compose and arrange.

I don't have a set routine for how the ideas come. It all depends on what the arrangement is for. In terms of planning the arrangement, I still go through the same process I did when I was starting out: draw an emotional contour for the chart, figure out who's going to play what where to achieve the desired effects, do a top note sketch, and it's off to the races!

In a big band context, what qualities do you look for in a lead trumpet player; a lead alto player; a rhythm section?

Certain qualities in musicians across the board are important in a large band setting: shows up on time, has a good attitude, brings a pencil, doesn't do the crossword puzzle or play Scrabble during a take...

More specifically, a lead trumpet player's name should always start with Tony and end with Kadleck. (haha!!) Seriously, Tony's one of the best, and a great guy as well. A lead trumpet player who has a versatile tone is always nice. I use Tony as an example because he can play virtually any style and have get the exact right sound, on the money.  That's something that I, personally, appreciate and covet, because I don't write in just one style. As opposed to a powerhouse lead player who's only belts out double fortes...who might be better on a pure rock gig. On Shiny!, I used Bryan Davis on second trumpet, an incredibly strong lead player in his own right, who gave Tony solid support and really added a lot to the section sound. He and Tony alternated a couple of the tunes on lead as well, which gave Tony's chops a break.

Lawrence Feldman is the perfect example of a great lead alto player. He's versatile and can deliver in any style, an unbelievable reader, equally accomplished on all the doubles, excellent at sight transposing, a great blender, and he's a great section leader.

A rhythm section has to swing and has to groove. Listening and feel are key.

What projects are you working on? What projects would you like to work on?

Is there a “concept album” that you’d like to write for?

Right now I'm preparing for my album release show on Monday, May 27th (Memorial Day) at The Cutting Room NYC, which everybody should come to. Tickets are available at www.thecuttingroomnyc.com.

I'm eager to start working on a few new ideas I have for tunes and arrangements for the next album.

I'd love to write a concept album! How about a Broadway show, or the songs of The Brothers Johnson, or... music for the Oscars?

I'm available for any and all of that, and can't wait to see what's next on the wacky highway of life!

If you could create a drinks and dinner fantasy scenario, what Jazz luminaries, past and/or present, would you invite and why?

Hiram, Lew, Jaco, Gil, Billie Holiday, Bird and Miles, Monk, Lee Morgan... as well as a bunch of comedians like George Carlin, Richard Pryor, Garry Shandling, Don Rickles, Redd Foxx, Joan Rivers. It would be moderated by Mel Brooks and Carl Reiner! And just for fun, I'd invite Buddy Rich and all the Buddy Rich Band alumni, and let them yell at him! Why?... Why not??

Have you written any articles or books about Jazz arranging? If not, do you plan to?

I haven't, but I would love to!

Do you agree with the adage that Jazz can't be taught but it can be learned. If you do, why?

I do. Jazz is about feel and swing. And that can't be taught. You can do finger exercises, play scales, learn harmony, play with metronomes, study voicings and orchestration, but if you don't have that feel and swing inside, telling you to let it out, skill and technique don't mean anything. I hear plenty of music that is well-executed and well-crafted, but if it doesn't move me in some way, I find it boring. The Duke said it best: It don't mean a thing if it ain't got that swing!

For Immediate Release Please

Composer/Arranger Lisa Maxwell to release

highly-anticipated project

Shiny!

Boasts all-star big band lineup, dedicated to trumpeter

Lew Soloff

CD AND DIGITAL FORMATS AVAILABLE IN STORES AND ONLINE ON

MAY 17, 2019.

RECORD RELEASE EVENT AT THE CUTTING ROOM, NEW YORK CITY,

MONDAY, MAY 27, 2019 (MEMORIAL DAY) AT 7.30 PM

TO WATCH THE VIDEO: http://bit.ly/Shinypromo

Randy Brecker, Tony Kadleck, Chris Rogers, Trumpets

Wayne du Maine, Bryan Davis

Lawrence Feldman, Alex Foster, Lou Marini, Ada Rovatti, Woodwinds

David Mann, Roger Rosenberg, Claire Daly

Tom "Bones" Malone, Dan Levine, Trombones

Mike Davis, Dave Taylor

John Clark French Horn

Paul Shaffer, Pete Levin, David Delhomme Keyboards

Carmen Staaf, Andy Ezrin Piano

Will Lee, Mark Egan, David Finck Bass

Mike Stern, Oz Noy, Leni Stern, Smokey Hormel Guitar

Danny Gottlieb, Steven Wolf, Ben Perowsky Drums

Will Lee, Daniel Sadownick Percussion

Kenya Hathaway, Will Lee Vocals

Beth Gottlieb Vibraphone

Special Guest: Mocean Worker (Bonus Track Remix)

New York, April 10, 2019 - Celebrated within the jazz community as a multi-talented musician, Lisa

Maxwell, finally releases a long-awaited album of her own material, dedicated to a special cohort.

The lineup reads like a Who's Who of the music world.

TRACKS

1. Shiny! [9:37]

2. Son of Creeper [6:41]

3. Ludie [4:01]

4. We’ll be together again [5:28]

5. Hellow, Wayne? [6:07]

6. Beauty and the Beast [8:53]

7. Israel [4:51]

8. The Craw [4:38]

9. Shiny! Remix [5:18]

All Arrangements by Lisa Maxwell

Compositions by: Lisa Maxwell, Wayne Shorter, Hiram Bullock, John Carisi, and Carl Fischer

Recording Engineer: Noah Evans Recorded at Sear Sound NYC 2018

Mixing Engineer: Paul Wickliffe at Skyline Productions

PRESS CONTACT

Antje Hübner

hubtone PR | New York

phone: 212-932-1667

cell: +49-174-584-6063

antje.huebner@hubtonepr.com

www.hubtonepr.com