30 October
2007
email: greatscottproductions@earthlink.net
Audio Caviar’s Transoceanic sails into record
stores
Diverse CD from prodigious
collective is an elegant sonic delicacy
For the first time in the
United
States, the complete 17-track debut
album, Transoceanic, from the accomplished
collective Audio Caviar was released
last week (October 23) by Well-Oiled
Records, a division of entertainment conglomerate The Machine Productions. Group members Ralph Johnson and Morris Pleasure teamed with Marcel East (Fourplay, David Benoit, Bob James) to produce the sonic
passport to an audacious audio adventure through an expansive array of soulful
R&B, sophisticated contemporary and traditional jazz, and multicultural
World Music. Prefacing the album
release, “Dominique,” featuring an exquisite piano melody embedded in a
mid-tempo R&B groove and a dreamy chorus crooned by Earth, Wind & Fire’s Philip Bailey,
was serviced to radio where it is currently being added to playlists.
Having proudly played a role in
creating an enduring legacy as an original member of EWF, drummer-vocalist
Johnson was hungry to forge a separate identity for his musical wanderlust. Joined by former EWF musical director,
keyboardist-bassist-flugelhorn player Pleasure and Danish guitarist Steen Kyed, Johnson envisioned
recording an album as a traditional jazz trio. But once inside the nurturing environs
of recording studios in Copenhagen and
Los
Angeles, the compositions and recordings
experienced a metamorphosis, blossoming into elaborate and substantive endeavors
that brazenly push the boundaries.
Audio Caviar members had a hand in penning a dozen songs for Transoceanic, which was completed by
songs written by Miles Davis (“All
Blues”), Ivan Lins (“The Island”),
Jonathan Butler (“Jodie”) and a trio
of Danish songwriters (“Hookline”).
Lending their talents to the opus were George Duke, Howard Hewett, Dori Caymmi, Paulinho De Costa, EWF’s Verdine White, Al McKay (original EWF guitarist) and
the EWF horn section.
Setting the stage with an
inspirational interlude (“Transoceanic Prayer”), “Hookline” is an urban-jazz
original anchored by Pleasure’s piano and embellished by a vocal chorus. Kyed steps to the fore on “Now That I’ve
Found You” and “Jodie” with heartfelt acoustic guitar leads. The slamming “5th House” is a
Latin fiesta along a shuffling, Cha-Cha rhythm. After a couple interludes – the soothing
trumpet-led “Serengeti Sunset” and the kinetic drum-work on “Eventually Live” –
things get bluesy and jazzy on “All Blues.” “Tel Aviv” is a challenging, erudite
composition on which eclectic World Music stylings engage a prominent rhythm
section comprised of a funky acoustic bass and a staccato drumbeat. Butler’s African chanting makes
“Legends Of Ratava” an interesting meditation. Kyed’s gorgeous guitar interlude
(“Sofie’s Theme”) leads right into “The Island,” a classy samba number
spotlighting Caymmi’s haunting vocals and Duke’s intricate piano
renderings. The uplifting “Welcome”
is a sparsely produced, sunny jaunt.
R&B vocalist Hewett pours his heart into song on “Love Comes In
Time,” a timeless romantic ballad with a cinematic chorus. Pleasure revisits the entire album on a
solo piano sojourn called “Closing Prayer” that ties the collection together in
a perfect bow. A vocal version of
“Hookline,” boasting Danish singer Daniel’s caramel growl serves as a
bonus cut.
For Johnson, Audio Caviar is no
whimsical side project. Although he
is still highly active with EWF, with whom he was inducted into the Rock and
Roll Hall of Fame, he is fully committed to piloting Audio Caviar to
success. Johnson, along with
Pleasure, a classically trained pianist who has toured and/or recorded with Janet Jackson, Ray Charles, Natalie Cole, Roberta Flack, and Rachelle Ferrell, and Kyed, who is a
member of the Danish band TAO, have
begun writing material for the second Audio Caviar CD. Additional information is available at
www.themachineproductions.com.
# #
#
13 September
2007
email: greatscottproductions@earthlink.net
Embark upon an expansive Transoceanic voyage with Audio Caviar
Debut CD from the accomplished
trio & star-studded cast will be released October 23rd,
“Dominique” featuring Philip
Bailey is the first track serviced to radio
Three shades of jazz, soulful
R&B grooves, Latin and African rhythms, and diverse World Music
instrumentation and vocalization unite to form an audacious, captivating and
lavish musical tapestry without borders on the debut album from the accomplished
trio known as Audio Caviar. For the first time in the
United
States, their complete sumptuous
17-track Transoceanic collection will be
released October 23rd on Well-Oiled Records, a division of
entertainment conglomerate The Machine
Productions. Group members Ralph Johnson and Morris Pleasure produced the disc with
Marcel East (Fourplay, David Benoit, Bob James). Serving as a preamble to the album
release, “Dominique,” featuring a sensitive piano melody caressed by a mid-tempo
R&B groove and a celestial hook sung by Philip Bailey, was just serviced to
smooth jazz radio.
Drummer-vocalist Johnson, an
original member of Earth, Wind &
Fire, and keyboardist-bassist-flugelhorn player Pleasure comprise Audio
Caviar along with Danish guitarist Steen
Kyed. Initially conceived as a
traditional jazz trio in a Copenhagen,
Denmark recording studio, the project
changed focus, expanded and added dimensions that resulted in an intrepid,
inspired and comprehensive body of music that challenges, soothes, dances, and
swoons. The level of musicianship
on display is at the master’s level.
Johnson’s astute rhythms perfectly accentuate Pleasure’s
multi-instrumental melodies and Kyed’s nimble acoustic and electric guitar
riffs. Impressive is how they
seamlessly fuse traditional jazz, contemporary jazz and jazz fusion with an
urban undercurrent and deftly deploy World Music nuances that add richness,
color and depth to the intricately crafted tracks. Amongst the luminous contributors that
joined Audio Caviar in recording studios in Denmark and Los Angeles, California
were musicians and vocalists from all over the world including George Duke, Jonathan Butler, Howard Hewett, Dori Caymmi, Paulinho De Costa, EWF’s Verdine White, Al McKay (original EWF guitarist) and
the EWF horn section. Band members
had a hand in penning twelve of the album’s compositions. Completing the disc are Miles Davis and Ivan Lins covers (“All Blues” and “The
Island” respectively), the gorgeous “Jodie” that was written by
Butler, and a fresh-sounding soul-jazz
jam (“Hookline”) from a trio of Danish songwriters.
While Johnson is certainly kept
busy with Earth, Wind & Fire duties, he’s equally committed to Audio
Caviar. “Obviously I’m proud of the
legacy I’ve been a part of creating, but for me, Audio Caviar is about
establishing a musical identity outside of ‘The Fire,’” he explained. “We wanted to make a very diverse record
that has something for everybody, but on a World Music level to reach the
masses. We’re excited that for the
first time here at home, the full album as we envisioned it will be
released. This is just the
beginning. We’ve already
begun writing (songs for) the second album.”
Los
Angeles native Johnson has been with EWF
for over 35 years and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with the
legendary funk-pop band. A
classically trained pianist who returns home to Connecticut annually to perform
with the New Haven orchestra, Pleasure is a former EWF musical director who has
toured with Janet Jackson, Ray Charles, Natalie Cole, Roberta Flack, and Rachelle Ferrell amongst others. Kyed is an expressive player who is a
member of the Danish band TAO.
Additional information is available at www.myspace.com/audiocaviar and www.themachineproductions.com.
Audio Caviar’s Transoceanic contains the following
songs:
“Transoceanic
Prayer”
“Hookline”
“Now That I’ve Found
You”
“Jodie”
“5th
House”
“Serengeti Sunset”
(Interlude)
“Eventually
Live”
“All Blues”
“Tel Aviv”
“Legends of Ratava” (featuring
Jonathan Butler)
“Sophie’s Theme”
(Interlude)
“The Island” (featuring George
Duke)
“Welcome”
“Dominique” (featuring Philip
Bailey)
“Love Comes in Time” (featuring
Howard Hewett)
“Closing
Prayer”
“Hookline” (vocal version)
# #
#
