GUITARIST CHUCK LOEB SPANS THE GLOBE
ON NEW HEADS UP RECORDING
Between 2 Worlds Due At Retail on March 24, 2009
In many ways, each of us faces the world with multiple identities. On any given day, we are many things to many people, moving frequently from one persona to another. And in the end, the energy that emerges amid the transitions is what makes our lives sometimes challenging, but always interesting.
Guitarist Chuck Loeb understands this dynamic as well as or better than most jazz musicians. In the span of his prolific career that stretches across more than four decades, he has recorded and performed in countless corners of the world, forever balancing the bedrock elements of traditional jazz with the innovations of contemporary jazz. His ambitious schedule frequently takes him from his home in the U.S. to countless points on the map throughout Europe, Asia and beyond – places where the perceptions of his music in particular and jazz in general can vary greatly. Clearly, Loeb is an artist and musician who lives in more than one world, and moves with confidence among and between all of them.
His new album, Between 2 Worlds (HUCD 3151), is set for worldwide release on March 24, 2009, on Heads Up International, a division of Concord Music Group. The recording is a collection of material culled from sessions on either side of the Atlantic. The first seven tracks were cut in New York and the remaining four in Berlin. Regardless of points on a map, though, the two worlds that Loeb straddles on the album are more conceptual than geographical. Between 2 Worlds dispenses with much of the technology of his previous recordings and instead focuses on the basic trio of guitar, bass and drums. read more
1. Let's Go Featuring Brian Culbertson & Eric Marienthal 2. Hiram Featuring Will Lee 3. Mittens Featuring Till Brönner & Eric Marienthal 4. Between 2 Worlds
5. Oh No You Didn't Featuring Lizzy Loeb 6. Let's Play
7. Sò Tinha De Que Ser Com Vocè Featuring Carmen Cuesta 8. The Great Hall
9. Mean Old Man
10. 360
11. Early Turns To Late Featuring Pat Bergeson
GUITARIST CHUCK LOEB SPANS THE GLOBE
ON NEW HEADS UP RECORDING
Between 2 Worlds Due At Retail on March 24, 2009
In many ways, each of us faces the world with multiple identities. On any given day, we are many things to many people, moving frequently from one persona to another. And in the end, the energy that emerges amid the transitions is what makes our lives sometimes challenging, but always interesting.
Guitarist Chuck Loeb understands this dynamic as well as or better than most jazz musicians. In the span of his prolific career that stretches across more than four decades, he has recorded and performed in countless corners of the world, forever balancing the bedrock elements of traditional jazz with the innovations of contemporary jazz. His ambitious schedule frequently takes him from his home in the U.S. to countless points on the map throughout Europe, Asia and beyond – places where the perceptions of his music in particular and jazz in general can vary greatly. Clearly, Loeb is an artist and musician who lives in more than one world, and moves with confidence among and between all of them.
His new album, Between 2 Worlds (HUCD 3151), is set for worldwide release on March 24, 2009, on Heads Up International, a division of Concord Music Group. The recording is a collection of material culled from sessions on either side of the Atlantic. The first seven tracks were cut in New York and the remaining four in Berlin. Regardless of points on a map, though, the two worlds that Loeb straddles on the album are more conceptual than geographical. Between 2 Worlds dispenses with much of the technology of his previous recordings and instead focuses on the basic trio of guitar, bass and drums.
“Normally my CDs are quite orchestrated, with plenty of keyboards and programming, but there’s virtually none of that on this record,” he says. “So it’s more of an open sound, and there’s more room for me to be the driving force on the record – harmonically, texturally and melodically.”
Despite the streamlined approach, he does enlist the help of a few friends along the way, including saxophonist Eric Marienthal, trombonist Brian Culbertson, trumpeter Till Brönner and several others. Even Loeb’s wife and daughter – Carmen Cuesta and Lizzy Loeb – lay down vocal tracks and take co-writing credits on a couple songs.
“I wanted to challenge myself to do something different and work a little harder,” says Loeb. “I wanted to take more responsibility for all the different textures and sounds, and provide my own harmonic bed to play on. And I have to do it at the same time that I’m playing the melody. So this record was definitely a challenge, definitely a little more difficult. But I think in the end it sounds a little more personal.”
The set opens with the punchy “Let’s Go,” an uptempo track that positions a riff-heavy guitar-trumpet melody over the solid foundation set up by drummer Dave Weckl and percussionist Bashiri Johnson. In addition to Culbertson on trombone, Marienthal spices up the affair with some tasty sax work.
The exotic sounding “Hiram” derives its melody from the seamless interplay between Loeb’s guitar and Will Lee’s fretless bass. Cuesta’s breathy vocal refrain and Johnson’s subtle percussion add a layer to the song that borders on the mystical.
The Latin-flavored title song is a collaborative effort between Loeb and his wife that happened almost by accident. “I was working on something in my studio, and Carmen was practicing the guitar in the other room,” Loeb explains. “Sometimes when she gets an idea, she’ll want to record it in its roughest form, just to remember it. So she came in with the chorus to that song and recorded it very quickly. After she left, I thought, ‘Wow, I could steal this.’ That’s not unusual for us. Sometimes we’ll collaborate without even meaning to.”
“Oh No You Didn’t” is a funky, R&B-flavored collaboration between Chuck and Lizzy Loeb, with the latter providing sassy lyrics and a worldly-wise vocal style that belie her 22 years. The father-daughter songwriting team reconvenes for the gentle and melodic closer, “Early Turns to Late,” a track that includes a stirring harmonica line courtesy of Pat Bergeson.
“Lizzy has a more spur-of-the-moment, go-for-it attitude about songwriting,” says Loeb. “I tend to think more methodically about things. That’s the good thing about writing with someone else, no matter how old they are or whether I have some kind of personal relationship with them. It forces me to do things that I just wouldn’t do on my own. It’s always a great thing when someone pushes you outside your comfort zone.”
Also noteworthy is the easygoing rendition of Antonio Carlos Jobim’s “Só Tinha De Que Ser Com Vocé,” featuring sensual vocals by Cuesta and a comfortable Latin backbeat, as well as “The Great Hall,” an intriguing piece written by Loeb, with minimal but effective backing by bassist Dieter Ilg and drummer Wolfgang Haffner.
Whatever new territory Loeb chooses to explore in Between 2 Worlds – be it on the map or in the music – he successfully carves out a place for himself and his listeners that’s rarely predictable, but always exciting. “I’m trying to push myself to be a rounder, more unique guitarist,” he says. “I think it’s important to keep challenging yourself. And I think I’m challenging my fans, because this record is a little bit more adventurous musically. If people have heard me live, then they’ll recognize this music right away. But maybe some people who have only heard me on the radio may say, ‘Wow, this is a little bit different from what he normally does.’ But in the end, it’s still Chuck Loeb, and they’re going to like it.”
More than just a jazz guitar player, Chuck Loeb is the consummate musician. In a career that spans four decades, he has proven himself to be a versatile composer, arranger and producer in a wide range of musical styles and contexts. In addition to crafting a fine discography of his own and producing albums for a number of other high-profile artists, his resume also includes music for commercial jingles and a variety of television programs and motion pictures. Whatever your personal tastes in music, media, entertainment or popular culture, chances are good that you’ve had at least a passing acquaintance with the work of Chuck Loeb.
Loeb grew up in Nyack, NY, a suburb of New York City and the perfect environment for a young person with an interest in music. The area was home to many artists who worked in the city, as well as a center for many arts, music and performance education programs. It was there, at the young age of 11, that Loeb decided to make music his life’s work. Self taught for several years, he began working with local bands in the area when he was 13, playing dances at the local youth center and eventually throughout the metropolitan area.
This early teenage period marked Loeb’s first exposure to jazz, and he decided that in order to reach the level of technical kill he’d been striving for, he would need to study music formally. Along with local teachers Richie Hart and Hy White, he traveled as far as Philadelphia to study with jazz guru Dennis Sandole, who eventually recommended that he study with the great jazz guitarist Jim Hall in New York City.
After studying with Hall for the last two years of high school, he enrolled at the Berklee College of Music in Boston. Two years of intense study at Berklee greatly strengthened his musicianship – not only as a guitarist but as a composer and arranger as well – but the lure of professional work led to his departure from Berklee in 1976. That same year, he left the suburbs and moved to New York City.
Throughout his early years in the Big Apple, Loeb began making a name for himself as a sideman with jazz luminaries such as drummer Chico Hamilton, Latin percussionist and bandleader Ray Barreto, flutist Hubert Laws and various others. He also continued his musical studies with a vengeance, often practicing up to eight hours a day.
In 1979, jazz luminary Stan Getz invited Loeb to join his band. The gig proved to be a pivotal experience for him, both musically and personally. As a member of Getz’s group, and the composer of much of the band’s repertoire, he had the chance to tour the globe and perform at many of the world’s major festivals, jazz clubs and concert halls. Eventually, Loeb became the musical director of the group with his compositions comprising a large portion of the nightly repertoire. It was also during this time that he met and married Carmen Cuesta, a vocalist and songwriter from Madrid, Spain. In the years since, Loeb has produced a number of Carmen’s solo recordings, and the two have collaborated on various musical projects.
After leaving the Getz ensemble, Loeb resettled in New York and began to pursue a career as a studio musician. He logged thousands of studio hours recording, composing and producing albums, soundtracks, television show themes and jingles. It was here that he developed his talents as a producer, which would become a major focus of his career in later years.
In 1985, Loeb joined the group Steps Ahead with Michael Brecker, Michael Mainieri, Peter Erskine and Victor Bailey. Returning to the festivals and stages of the jazz world rekindled his desire to focus on his own music. In 1988, after nearly ten years of intense studio work, he made the decision to develop his own recording career. His first offering as a solo artist was My Shining Hour, released Jazz City, a Japanese label. A year later, he released Magic Fingers on DMP, an audiophile label that was one of the first in the world to release recordings on compact disc.
After four more releases on DMP, Loeb left to sign with the jazz and world music label Shanachie, where he released The Music Inside in 1996 (the album’s title song held the number 1 position on the contemporary jazz charts for six weeks).
Concurrent with his solo career, Loeb also recorded with Metro, a four-piece contemporary jazz combo that included keyboardist Mitch Forman, drummer Wolfgang Haffner and a succession of bassists: Anthony Jackson, Victor Bailey and Mel Brown. Metro cut four albums on the Lipstick and Hip Bop labels between 1994 and 2002. In addition, Loeb played with the Fantasy Band with bassist John Lee, drummer Lionel Cordew and several session players. The Fantasy Band recorded three albums on DMP and Shanachie between 1993 and 1997.
After nine years and seven solo albums, Loeb left Shanachie and joined Heads Up International, a division of Concord Music Group Inc., with the worldwide release of Presence in January 2007.
His new album, Between 2 Worlds, is scheduled for release on March 24, 2009. The new recording is a collection of material culled from sessions on either side of the Atlantic – seven tracks crafted in New York and four in Berlin. Regardless of points on a map, though, the two worlds that Loeb straddles on the album are more conceptual than geographical. Between 2 Worlds dispenses with much of the technology of his previous recordings and instead focuses on the basic trio of guitar, bass and drums.
“Normally my CDs are quite orchestrated, with plenty of keyboards and programming, but there’s virtually none of that on this record,” says Loeb. “So it’s more of an open sound, and there’s more room for me to be the driving force on the record – harmonically, texturally and melodically. I’m trying to push myself to be a rounder, more unique guitarist. I think it’s important to keep challenging yourself. And I think I’m challenging my fans, because this record is a little bit more adventurous musically. If people have heard me live, then they’ll recognize this music right away. But maybe some people who have only heard me on the radio may say, ‘Wow, this is a little bit different from what he normally does.’ In the end, it’s still Chuck Loeb, and they’re going to like it.”
Greece
Greek Record Club
57 Akadimias Street
10679 Athens
Tel: 0210 363 8877
Fax: 0210 363 2277
Email: grc@otenet.gr
Hong Kong
Universal Music Ltd.
Level 28, Millennium City 6
392 Kwun Tong Road
Kwun Tong
Kowloon, Hong Kong
Tel: 852 2301 5888
Fax: 852 2312 7328
Web: www.umg.com.hk
Hungary
Karsay Es Tarsa KFT
Koszta Jozsef Utca 26
1124 Budapest
Tel: 01 200 6443
Fax: 01 200 9650
Email: gyukars@t-online.hu
India
Jelly Bean Inc.
#48 Cubbon Road
Bangalore
Tel: 080 509 6741
Fax: 080 553 5668
Email: prithvijellybeaninc@yahoo.com
Indonesia
Pt. Suara Sentral Sejati
Jl. Pluit Permai 7
No. 8 Jakartia-Utaza
Tel: 021-662-6935
Fax: 021-662-6931
Ireland
Proper Note Ltd.
The New Powerhouse
Gateway Business Centre
Kangley Bridge Road
London SE26 5AN
Tel: 020 8676 5114
Fax: 020 8676 5190
Email: pn.info@propernote.co.uk
Web: www.propernote.co.uk
Israel
NMC United Entertainment Ltd. Cinema City Complex
Zomet Glilot
P.O. Box 9036
Ramat Hasharon 47100
Israel
Tel: 03-6909800
Fax: 03-6909801
Email: info@nmc-music.co.il
Web: www.nmc-music.co.il
United Kingdom
Proper Note Ltd.
The New Powerhouse
Gateway Business Centre
Kangley Bridge Road
London SE26 5AN
Tel: 020 8676 5114
Fax: 020 8676 5190
Email: pn.info@propernote.co.uk
Web: www.propernote.co.uk
