GREAT SCOTT P.R.roductions

24 August 2009 greatscottproductions@earthlink.net

Live at last: Les Sabler Live to be released September 1^st

The guitarist’s “Fragile” serviced to radio,

finishing next studio album

The tape was rolling one special spring night in 1995 when multidimensional guitarist Les Sabler led his six band members onto the Sarasota Opera House stage for a magical program comprised of contemporary jazz, rock fusion, adult pop, blues and Latin rhythms. The inspired performance will finally be made available September 1^st when Les Sabler Live is released by The Music Force Media Group. Sabler’s haunting instrumental rendition of Sting’s “Fragile” that was captured that evening was serviced to radio stations for airplay.

At the time of the concert, Sabler, a four-time Canadian Smooth Jazz Awards nominee, had just released his second album, Time For Love, and the show took place in his then adopted hometown of Sarasota, Florida. Sabler had conceived the idea of doing a special concert providing him the opportunity to reunite on stage with percussionist Iraj Lashkary (Ahmad Jamal) with whom he used to play in Miami. Other accomplished musicians who infused the evening with passion and spontaneity included drummer Kenny Crawley (Dickey Betts), bassist Ruben Drake, keyboardist Rob Satori, then 20-year-old pianist Clay Perry (Julio Iglesias), and saxophonist/flautist Steve Gould. While Sabler toyed with the idea of releasing the recording over the years, the tapes sat in a vault until Gould’s recent passing reignited the drive to share the performance with fans.

The disc opens with Sabler’s first-ever vocal recording, a faithful version of Chris Rea’s sophisticated cool “On The Beach.” Sabler often performs vocals in concert, but never on any of his four albums. One vocal number that he performed at the concert, his original song “Some Things,” was revamped in the studio with Sim Wilson, who attended the concert, recording new lead vocals. Studio finesse was also applied to “Fragile,” which was performed in concert as a vocal song. Sabler, who produced the live disc, removed the vocals in favor of nylon and 12-string guitars allowing his instruments to sing with eloquence and elegance.

"I am pleased to finally complete this project after putting it aside for many years. It is a great representation of what my group was doing at the time with a subtle blend of current sounds to balance it out,” said Sabler. “The band was exceptionally tight on this memorable night. We had fun improvising and stretching out on extended jams."

Presently Sabler is ensconced in the recording studio putting the finishing touches to his next album, which is due out by the end of this year or early next year. His most recent recording, the Brian Bromberg-produced Sweet Drive (2007), delivered a master’s class level of musicianship, performance and production featuring Jeff Lorber, Eric Marienthal, Ricky Peterson, Vinnie Colaiuta, Alex Acuna, Gary Meek and the Jerry Hey horn section. The album placed top 50 in the 2008 Smoothjazz.com yearend chart. Smooth jazz radio program Café Jazz named Sabler the #1 most played Canadian artist in 2007 while Sweet Drive was the #1 most played album by a Canadian artist, and “Club Street” was the #2 most played single by a Canadian artist. Additional information about Sabler is available at www.lessabler.com.

The songs contained on Les Sabler Live are:

“On The Beach”

“Neptune’s Waltz”

“The Big Push”

“Fragile”

“Some Things”

“Winter Fiesta”

“The Messiah Will Come Again”

“Skylight”

# # #

1 November 2007 email: greatscottproductions@earthlink.net

Guitarist Les Sabler scores a pair of

Canadian Smooth Jazz Awards nominations

Artist nominated for the new critically-acclaimed Sweet Drive album

Although it has only been just over a month since its release date, awards shows and critics are taking note of guitarist Les Sabler’s Sweet Drive album. The collection of contemporary jazz, R&B and adult pop, released by the The Music Force record label, is nominated for Album of the Year honors at the 2008 Canadian Smooth Jazz Awards. Sabler earned a second nomination as Guitarist of the Year. The Montreal, Quebec native will perform at the fourth annual awards show in March.

While the album’s first single, “Club Street,” gains radio-play, reviewers are praising Sweet Drive. Jazz Review wrote, “Mega talented guitarist Les Sabler mixes sounds, tempos and emotions on his fourth album, Sweet Drive, using gentle acoustic and nylon-string guitar, as well as electric rock fusion. Keeping his original songs with the same edginess and funk as the cover songs keeps the listener glued to this electrifying album.…Powerful songs, master talents and great interplay make this album a ‘must have.’” The Smooth Jazz Now reviewer stated, “With 13 tracks to cruise through I found myself hooked on the selection of tunes, stellar production and the mesmerizing guitar work from Les Sabler. Produced by Brian Bromberg and surrounded by some of the formats best musicians including Alex Acuna, Brian Bromberg, Vinnie Colaiuta, Jeff Lorber, Eric Marienthal and Gary Meek, the drive is indeed sweet and infectious.” Jazz Lynx echoed the sentiments by noting that the artist “devoted great time & energy to the critical process of song selection and by enlisting the aid of ace-bassist & producer Brian Bromberg, plus many of his favorite A-players for the project, Sabler delivers a veritable diamond of an album. Quite simply there is something on the project for everyone…” Smooth Jazz Vibes summed it up best when writing, “If there is a magic formula for making top notch smooth jazz then guitarist Les Sabler has surely found it. His brand new CD release Sweet Drive not only features his own picture perfect playing, but also includes some of the best contemporary jazz talent around. Rather than marveling at just how Sabler has managed to assemble so many great performers in the same place at the same time, it’s more than enough to simply delight in the artistry on show...Sweet Drive is an album that just can’t fail.”

Sabler has a string of November concert dates in Clearwater, Sarasota, and Tampa, Florida, near where he now calls home. He’s also got a return engagement to perform the National Anthem with Marshall Gillon at the Tampa Bay Lightning’s National Hockey League game against the New York Rangers on November 21^st. Additional information is available at www.lessabler.com.

# # #

25 September 2007 email: greatscottproductions@earthlink.net

Sabler pilots a diverse and soulful Sweet Drive

The guitarist’s fourth album release supported by local performances

Guitarist Les Sabler elevates his art to the next level on the Brian Bromberg-produced Sweet Drive, a collection of contemporary jazz, R&B and adult pop released today by The Music Force record label. The album possesses the pivotal ingredients to lead Sabler to the forefront of the genre: masterful performances by Sabler and a stellar supporting cast that includes some of the finest musicians in contemporary jazz, well-crafted songs that were thoughtfully selected, and skillful production that favors a live sound dusted with just the right amount of sheen.

Sabler is focused, committed and highly motivated to take his music to the masses. To support the album release, the Montreal, Quebec native will play concerts in his adopted hometown of Tampa, Florida and nearby Longboat Key on October 11^th and 13^th respectively. He’s also scheduled to perform the National Anthem at the Tampa Bay Lightning’s opening night NHL hockey game October 4^th.

Sweet Drive is diverse and soulful. It has an air of familiarity commingled with a freshness that invigorates. Sabler derived inspiration from vintage contemporary jazz records from the 1970’s that initially inspired him to become a musician. He sagely selected Bromberg to produce and tapped accomplished musicians Jeff Lorber, Eric Marienthal, Ricky Peterson, Vinnie Colaiuta, Alex Acuna, Gary Meek and a few gifted R&B vocalists including Rahsaan Patterson to help bring his vision to fruition. Jerry Hey orchestrated the horn section that added warmth, fullness and explosive energy to the tracks.

Eight original compositions and four covers comprise Sweet Drive, which opens with Sabler playing electric guitar while accompanied by a feisty flute on “You’ve Got It Bad Girl.” The title cut is a buoyant pop escapade on which Marienthal’s sax shares the wheel with Sabler’s guitar. “Daydreaming” receives a classy duet rendering led by a pair of soulful voices. The first radio single now garnering airplay is “Club Street,” a driving, dual-speed electric guitar and sax trek with gentle verses that simmer before accelerating to spirited, pedal-to-the-metal choruses. Sabler’s nylon-string guitar delivers an impassioned plea on “Can You Stop The Rain.” A cool-toned guitar shares the spotlight on the ballad “I’m Not The Same” with a sax and an angelic vocal chorus. With Lorber aboard and Hey’s acrobatic horn section getting their groove on, “Struttin’” borders on fusion. Sabler’s nylon guitar takes on lyrical qualities on the gorgeous “Who Am I?,” a dreamy track graced by celestial vocals. “Twenty-Two” is an aggressive fusion jam featuring Sabler equitably trading in-your-face solos with the other musicians. Ambrosia’s pop hit never sounded as soulful as when Sabler & Company tackle “Biggest Part Of Me.” Sabler wrote “Food Chain,” a fun, rousing contemporary jazz throwback powered by the high-octane horn section. Bringing the album to a close, Sabler wields an acoustic guitar on “Could You Be,” an otherworldly song that casts an air of mystery.

Sabler’s last album, the 2003 debut for The Music Force/Sin-Drome, Bridge The Gap, spawned a #1 hit in Canada along with significant radio spins in the U.S. Soft-spoken and chill, Sabler is a completely different person whenever he has a guitar in his hands. He truly animates when on stage performing. Sabler has headlined and opened concerts for artists such as Lorber, Spyro Gyra, Richard Elliot, Michael Lington, Diane Schurr and Fattburger. Additional information is available at www.lessabler.com.

20 August 2007 email: greatscottproductions@earthlink.net

Take a Sweet Drive to “Club Street” with guitarist Les Sabler September 25^th

Diverse collection of soulful contemporary jazz sparkles

with sterling production and stellar performances

For his fourth album, guitarist Les Sabler shifts into high gear on Sweet Drive, a scenic and expansive contemporary jazz, R&B and adult pop excursion scheduled for national release September 25^th from The Music Force record label. Riding shot gun is bassist Brian Bromberg, who produced the disc. The album’s first radio sojourn will be “Club Street,” a kinetic electric guitar and sax thrill ride that alters its pace between mellow straightaways and careening downhills that goes for playlist adds September 10^th.

Sabler is serious and passionately committed to taking his music career to the next level. As an independent label artist, he’s fully invested in himself. To realize his vision for Sweet Drive, he astutely surrounded himself with some of the best musicians in contemporary jazz, including Bromberg, Jeff Lorber, Eric Marienthal, Ricky Peterson, Vinnie Colaiuta, Alex Acuna, and Gary Meek. Adding vibrant brass were Jerry Hey and the Seawind Horns. Rahsaan Patterson, Toni Scruggs and Richard Jackson season the tracks with soulful vocals. The dozen songs consist of four covers and eight originals, including Sabler’s “Food Chain.” From cut to cut, Sabler mixes tempos, sounds and styles, which are underscored by an array of guitar “voices” that range from cool-toned jazz and edgy electric rock fusion to gentle acoustic and vulnerable nylon-string guitar. His ambitious goal was to challenge himself to elevate his artform while striving to emulate the lofty standards established in the vintage contemporary jazz records from the 1970’s that sparked his interest in becoming a musician. Listeners are treated to an interesting, varied and cohesive body of music that achieves the artist’s agenda adeptly.

“This is an important record for me and I put everything into it. There were no compromises,” said Sabler. “I put a lot of thought into the song selection and trusted Brian (Bromberg) to guide my performances. With the gifted players he assembled, it inspired me to bring my ‘A’ game. The records and the artists that influenced me most were the ones from the mid-70s like early George Benson, Larry Carlton, and Lee Ritenour, who blended a variety of styles while balancing their (musical) chops with commercial accessibility. That’s what I set out to accomplish on Sweet Drive.”

Put a guitar into the hands of the mellow, soft-spoken Montreal, Quebec native and he comes alive. To Sabler, making records is the necessary path one must tread in order to reach his true destination: playing guitar on center stage. He already has a couple of local gigs lined up in October in his adopted hometown of Tampa, Florida to support the album release and he’s looking forward to adding more dates.

After graduating as a jazz major from Concordia University, Sabler did his graduate studies at the prestigious University of Miami jazz department. In 1989, he scored and produced an original soundtrack for the Canadian Television Network’s documentary, Lost Treasures of the Titanic. Sabler’s recording career began the following year with the release of Hidden Treasures, which received attention from contemporary jazz and smooth jazz radio. He released Time For Love in 1995, which also garnered radio play. His 2003 debut for The Music Force/Sin-Drome, Bridge The Gap, spawned a #1 hit in Canada along with significant radio spins in the U.S. Over the years, Sabler headlined and opened concerts for such notables as Lorber, Spyro Gyra, Richard Elliot, Michael Lington, Diane Schurr and Fattburger. Additional information is available at www.lessabler.com.

Sabler’s Sweet Drive contains the following songs:

“You’ve Got It Bad Girl” “Struttin’”

“Sweet Drive” “Who Am I?”

“Daydreaming” “Twenty-two”

“Club Street” “Biggest Part Of Me”

“Can You Stop The Rain” “Food Chain”

“I’m Not The Same” “Could You Be”

“Daydreaming” (instrumental)

# # #