I am pleased to present this material to you all. I couldn’t have done so without a great band.
Let me introduce them.
Chris Bacas-Tenor and soprano sax
Tina Richerson-Baritone sax
Chris Dingman-Vibraphone
Ratzo B. Harris-Bass
Tahoma Hauptman-Drums and composition
I have been working with a singer, Yvonne, recording her demo.
She is doing a latin jazz thing, however she did one cover in another style.
That one cover didn’t live up to her expectations and was discarded.
I asked if I could do something with it and she agreed. Transforming her
material into something exciting and fulfilling was so satisfying for me.
I realized I had found a new process worth exploring. In the upcoming year,
I plan to recreate the whole situation on my own terms. I’ll pick songs,
hire a band and do a recording, then take that recordings home and have
my way with them, just to see what I can do. Here is that first piece, just to
show how much fun can come out of such a process.
My mother used to listen to Pel Mel back in the 80′s and 90′s.
I remember a black and white cassette case living in our Volvo.
I was like 10 or 11, and I don’t think I ever listened to it.
Jump to several months ago, my friend mentioned Pel Mel,
like “hey we should cover Pel Mel!” or something to that effect.
I found a song I liked and decided to remix it.
Whether we ever play any Pel Mel remains to be seen, lol.
Drift is the tittle, from Interstate.
Here is my remix, Drift On.
What a treasure, I found some more of my raw recording, with Jason Little.
Of course, I slapped some paint on it…. and here it is.
Rod McKuen
Cheers to my multi talented friend Jason Little.
I am remembering back to 08 when the studio on Maujer was an infant and I was itchy to play. My friend Jason, said something like, ” I have a song” so I invited him over for a late night of drinking whiskey in the dark and the rest was magic. I hope you enjoy this and thanks Michael Gittleman for playing bass and Chris Stewart for playing guitar.
And now I am proud to present……
Man Of the Sea
I was recently in Taipei and my friend Ed took me to Sappho De Base, a Jazz club.
Toshiyuki Chiba was visiting from Okinawa Japan and had local musicians,
JASON HAYASHI-PIANO
KINYA IKEDA-BASS
BENSON-DRUMS
I chatted with the band on brake, everyone was very nice and offered me the opportunity to play.
I had an awesome time thanks everyone!!
Hey all, I am excited to share an early listen to a song from the new album.
Tahoma Hauptman Quintet, album as of yet still untitled.
Personell: Tenor/Soprano-Chris Bacas, Baritone-Tina Richerson, Vibes-Chris Dingman, Bass-Ratzo B. Harris, Drums-Tahoma Hauptman
Song: In Blue
I am in the surreal aftermath of my recording session, listening to the roughs over and over saying to my self something like ” I can’t believe I wrote that, or played it or that it’s real!?” I start to mix tomorrow with Michael Gittleman. I have set a loose deadline of two to three weeks to have the album mixed and mastered. Can’t wait to share this album, called, uhmm, iduknow maybe Tahoma Hauptman Quintet if I can’t think of anything better.
Over all this has been….. is an amazing experience but everything can’t be perfect, boo hoo. It would be to easy to to dwell in perceived negatives and loose the momentum of the moment, so I must push past such a possibility. To stay focused on the positive and use the inertia of this experience I have started writing again, and something altogether different to boot! Always more to do, more to learn.
I am filled with all kinds of feelings, not the least of which is amazement that I have come this far. Through intense self inflicted stress and doubt, countless rewrites and revisions, subbing out a chair with only two rehearsals left, continuing to work my day job and some of the hottest days of the year. This is all happening while house sitting in Queens which means running back and forth between Brooklyn and Queens trying not to forget anything important in either of the places I’m sleeping. Through all, time has done it’s thing again, tomorrow is the big day. Tomorrow we go to the studio and record the album. All I can do now is try to rest and try to clear my head.
Well shoot, this was my first rehearsal. Horns Tina and Chris Bacas, did a little horn get together last month, which is totally cool. Andrew, Dingman and myself had yet to play, and with the first real, or full rehearsal coming up, I was desperate to get a tittle catch up. Tonight was definitely eye opening as far as what we are capable, and what or how much has to happen. I am not despondent now, but maybe more nervous? Not just nervous, also excited!
