Grace Kelly – Final Blog Post

This whole term I’ve introduced you to the music of Grace Kelly, Phil Woods, and their affiliated artists. Through my blog, we’ve learned about the origin of Grace Kelly’s music career, and I personally became acquainted with her music for the first time.

I’ve enjoyed many aspects of writing this blog, especially through learning of Grace Kelly’s connections and the interesting things that they’ve personally accomplished in their own careers. It was also fun digging through her portfolio and finding things that specifically interested me to write about. It was specifically fun to write the post about her Bill Withers cover, Ain’t No Sunshine When She’s Gone. It was great to see how versatile and well-rounded of a musician she was; transforming a classic blues song to fit her own set.

It was also great to learn about the separate members of the Grace Kelly Quintet. The research for my first post about Jason Palmer grabbed my attention when I found out that he was involved with an independent movie. Guy and Madeline on a Park Bench, in which Palmer stars, has gotten sparkling reviews from many critics. I still haven’t gotten to watch the film, but hopefully I’ll be able to someday soon.

It was also interesting to discover the web of connections that binds all the artists together. It’s not stated anywhere (except for my blog), but all 4 members of the Grace Kelly Quintet are connected to Berklee College of Music in some way, shape, or form. From what it looks like, they also were connected to Phil Woods first, and became connected to Grace Kelly through him.

As I’ve stated in my final presentation, Grace Kelly and her band will be performing in Cleveland, OH this summer if anyone reading my blog in the general area has gained interest in her music. The show is at Nighttown in Cleveland, OH on June 16th (time is still TBA).

If you would like any more information on Grace Kelly, Phil Woods, or the Grace Kelly Quintet, visit the links below:

Grace Kelly’s Website
Phil Woods’ Website

Jordan Perlson – Drummer

Jordan Perlson

Last, but certainly not least, is the final member of the Grace Kelly Quintet. Jordan Perlson has proven early in his career to be a very talented and versatile musician and composer.

Perlson grew up in Philadelphia, PA, where he began drumming at age 10 and was taught by numerous private music teachers. According to the bio on his website, he began to perfect his craft at about age 17 and develop his own sound, under the direction of famous drummer Joe Morello.

Just as the other three members of the Grace Kelly Quintet, Perlson shares a connection with Berklee College of Music.  He attended the school on a scholarship and graduated with a dual degree in Music Business and Performance. After college, he became a regular to the live New York City music scene, and has performed in numerous bands with many famous musicians. Some of these musicians include Kaki King, David Liebman, Gary Burton, Chris Potter, Hiromi, Greg Osby, Cuong Vu, and Bob Reynolds (who you can watch Perlson perform with live in the video below).

Jordan Perlson was also a part of the Blue Man Group of New York for two years, working as a drummer. If you’ve ever experienced this entertaining group, you know how much they rely on percussion. Perlson, being the experienced and gifted drummer that he is, was a perfect fit for the group. He still performs with them every now and then, in between the other performances in his rigorous schedule.

Blue Man Group

As I mentioned earlier, Jordan Perlson is not just a performer, he’s also a composer. He’s written and recorded music for television commercials promoting Netflix, Powerade, Nissan, and many other products. Perlson has a studio in his home where he tracks drums, built specifically for that purpose.

Currently, Perlson is working on a solo music project and writing an instructional book, as well as touring with the Grace Kelly Quintet and constantly playing gigs with other bands as well.

For more information on Jordan Perlson, check out his website.

Evan Gregor, Bassist

I’ve already introduced you to two of the members of the Grace Kelly Quintet, and this week we’ll take a look at one of the more overlooked and under-appreciated instruments in any jazz band. Evan Gregor is the skilled bassist of the Grace Kelly Quintet. Gregor’s talent extends beyond that of just any bassist. His performance lends a sturdy “base” to that of Grace Kelly’s improvisational saxophone, while also becoming a lead instrument and taking center stage at certain points in time.

Evan Gregor

Evan was born in 1983 and lived about 5 hours outside of Erie, in a town called Delaware Water Gap, PA. When he was 13, he started playing the electric bass and his eyes then opened up to the eclectic world of jazz music.

While there’s not much information online about why Evan began to pursue a career in music, we know that he received scholarships to attend Berklee College of Music. According to his biography on Grace Kelly’s website, he has been awarded many honors from the college in music performance and composition. He graduated from the school Summa Cum Laude in 2003, and in addition, earned his M.A. on the Acoustic Bass at William Paterson University.

Evan has performed with many notable artists, some of which include Gary Burton, Dave Liebman, Christian Scott, and a wide variety of others. He has been hired by many of these musicians as a sideman to back them up in their live performances. Gregor recently started working with Grace Kelly through his performance in saxophonist Phil Woods’ big performance band. She picked him up as a bassist and now he frequently performs as one fourth of the Grace Kelly Quintet. He also appears with Kelly and Woods on the new album Man With The Hat. Evan Gregor is very versatile artist and can easily adapt to any sort of tempo that Grace Kelly throws at him. Smooth and soulful, fast and upbeat, he can play it all.

Check out the video below for a recent performance exclusively featuring Evan Gregor along with Grace Kelly. In the video, you can hear the chemistry between the musicians as the instruments play along with each other and improvise fun and somewhat bluesy-sounding notes.

Although he’s been busy working with other jazz performers professionally and resides in New York City, Gregor returns to his hometown of Delaware Water Gap, PA to teach and arrange ensembles for CampJazz. He’s also recently released a 3 hour audio interview with David Liebman entitled From Student to Jazz Artist where he discusses his development in learning while attending Berklee.

For more information on Evan Gregor, visit his website. To hear more of his music, visit his Myspace profile here.

Find Your Turf – Mercyhurst Commercial

This past week, our New Media class split up into groups to create separate videos promoting our school, Mercyhurst College. For my group’s video commercial, we first brainstormed for slogan ideas. Tim offered up the idea of having different people saying “This is my turf” around different parts of the campus. From there, we came up with the different locations we would go and headed out to film.

Mercyhurst College

We ended up exclusively using my Flip Mino HD camera, also using a professional tripod to ensure steady shots. I set up and directed the shots, most times also acting as the cameraman while I wasn’t on screen. I also appeared and acted in 5 different shots in the video.

After filming was finished, I imported the footage into Adobe Premiere Pro CS3, and edited the footage. Brady also offered feedback as we cut down the shots. We then decided on some royalty-free music (this could legally be shown as it is on local/national television) to use in the commercial.

It was a challenge to include all the shots that we did. I had to shave fractions of seconds off of clips, and even eliminate clips altogether. In the end, we managed to effectively fit 25 separate shots into only 30 seconds of airtime.

Basically, we designed this commercial with the student in mind as the audience. We decided to take a step down from painting Mercyhurst simply as an institution of prestige, and instead designed it in a way that would make ourselves as students (the consumers of education) want to attend the school. This includes showing many different aspects of the campus, from sports to academics; recreation to everyday life. Through “This is Our Turf” we displayed our ownership of the campus, and through “Find Your Turf,” we invite others to find their niche in one of the many areas that Mercyhurst College offers.

Doug Johnson: Versatile Pianist

Doug Johnson, pianist

Last week, I posted a blog about Grace Kelly’s trumpeter, Jason Palmer. In this week’s post, I’ll focus on her touring pianist: Doug Johnson.

Doug Johnson is quite versatile musically, and plays in a wide variety of different genres. According to Grace Kelly’s website, he has performed, in addition to jazz, selections from the “Great American Songbook,” Latin music, and classical music from Chopin, Schubert and Mozart. Johnson is a part of the Grace Kelly Quintet, and also has his own band: the Doug Johnson Trio. He’s recorded three albums thus far: Game Theory, March of Time, and Doug Johnson Trio.

In addition to being a live performer, Doug Johnson is an Associate Professor at Berklee College of Music in the piano department. He also teaches at Wellesley College, and from what I can tell, he very much enjoys being a part of the students’ education at both institutions. He shared his enthusiasm and offered up a bit of his common advice for students in a quote that’s posted on the Berkley website:

“It’s very rewarding when I can help students find their voice. This can require waiting to play what needs to be played, as opposed to playing what’s ‘correct.’ I use this analogy: If you tell a story with no pauses, there’s not going to be any drama or suspense. Pauses give people a chance to hear what was said and anticipate what comes next. Even when we know a story we still wonder if it might turn out differently just this once. With improvisation, the amazing thing is that the improviser is listening to the story as he/she is creating it—without knowing exactly what will happen next. So you need to give yourself a chance to hear what you just played and what your bandmates are playing and have an honest response—to take it in and anticipate what might come.”

I very much agree with his approach to music, as a musician myself and also as a video editor. The anticipation is always what provides the biggest payoff in the resolution. It’s always good to build up the audience’s suspense, and then relieve them by resolving the chord progression, plot line, etc. Time is important, and the audience’s attention is delicate. Doug Johnson, being a performer of the high caliber that he is, understands this importance, and it’s great that he’s fostering the understanding in his students.

Doug Johnson’s versatility certainly shows when you watch his various performances. While it seems that his solo music is often times softer and the tempo is slower, he can easily switch gears when need be. With Grace Kelly, he’s often tossed into some very upbeat tunes, and you can tell that he doesn’t mind the change, but that he actually enjoys it.

For more information on Doug Johnson, visit his bio on the Berklee website; click the link here. Watch the video below to see him in a spotlight performance, and click here for a performance off of his latest record March of Time.

Jason Palmer – Jazz Trumpeter Extraordinaire

Jason Palmer, trumpeter

A couple of weeks ago I introduced you to Grace Kelly’s touring quintet, of which Jason Palmer plays a large role. In her band, he does what he does best: plays trumpet! But he does not limit himself only to touring with and supporting Grace Kelly. He is beginning to rise up as one of the most in-demand trumpeters in all of jazz.

According to Grace Kelly’s website, even early in his career, Jason has already shared the stage with numerous jazz legends such as Roy Haynes, Herbie Hancock, Jimmy Smith, Wynton Marsalis, Greg Osby (quintet member 2004-2006), Kurt Rosenwinkel (he was the first trumpeter to ever be hired by this highly acclaimed guitarist), and many other highly recognized names in jazz. Downbeat Magazine cited Jason in 2007 as one of the “Top 25 trumpeters of the Future”.

Jason Palmer released an album of his own in 2009 titled Songbook, which features nine of Palmer’s own original compositions. He also has a band of his own, named The Public Option. Due to his current rigorous touring schedule with the Grace Kelly Quintet, The Public Option only plays shows every now and then. Their next show is tentatively scheduled for June 30th in Roslindale, MA.

Guy and Madeline on a Park Bench (2010)

Despite his growing repertoire as a skillful jazz trumpeter, Palmer does not corner himself into only giving live performance. In fact, he doesn’t even corner himself into only being a musician. In addition to touring, he teaches trumpet at numerous schools in Boston and New York City, including JazzBoston, the New School of Jazz and Contemporary Music, New England Conservatory of Music, Mission Hill School, and he’s also a faculty member at Aquinas College Jazz Camp in Grand Rapids, MI.

One thing that especially surprised me about Jason Palmer during my research was that he’s not only musically inclined; he’s also broken into acting as well. Opening in theaters just this past November of 2010, he starred as the main character in a movie titled Guy and Madeline on a Park Bench. This is an independent film written and directed by Hollywood newcomer Damien Chazelle. It premiered at the 2009 Tribeca Film Festival and has since opened to wide release and other film festivals across the country, as well as in Greece and Bratislava.

The movie is an all-out musical, filmed in grainy black and white 16mm film that gives it an old-time feel, providing fitting visuals for it’s jazzy vaudeville-esque tunes. According to Fandango’s synopsis of the film, it “tells the story of two separated lovers, a young jazz trumpeter (Palmer) and an introverted woman (Garcia), who slowly wind their way back into each other’s lives through a series of romances and near-romances punctuated by song.” To read the rest of the synopsis, click here.

Even more surprising than its choice of a lead actor, the movie has received sparkling reviews from dozens of critics. It currently sits at a very impressive 89% fresh rating at rottentomatoes.com. I personally plan on tracking down a copy of this movie to watch and review for you guys.

Check out the trailer for the movie below, and stay tuned to my blog for new exciting information from Jason Palmer and the other members of the Grace Kelly Quintet.

Ain’t No Sunshine – Cover Song

As I was perusing through Grace Kelly’s Myspace profile, I stumbled upon this gem of a song in her music player:

Bill Withers, 1971

The song Ain’t No Sunshine When She’s Gone was originally written and performed by Bill Withers in 1971, and has been covered by numerous artists of all musical genres. The song has been covered by many musical greats such as Michael Jackson, The Temptations, Paul McCartney, Michael Bolton, and Buddy Guy.

There are 68 officially recognized renditions of this song to date, however, Grace Kelly’s instrumental cover is not one of them. This could be simply due to the lack of vocals (the melodies being played by Kelly’s saxophone), but her version does not suffer from any lack of skill. Her interpretation of the song is quite soulful, to which effort her sax lends a lot. The original song is classified as blues, and as a jazz artist, Grace Kelly takes some liberties with the music and makes it her own.

Mainly, Grace Kelly takes some liberty in performance of the melodies in the song. Her sax performance improvises and wanders off into new innovative sub-melodies. In the first big buildup, the guitar also starts to improvise as the sax becomes consistently louder and more intense. We also begin to hear a keyboard in this buildup that seemed previously non-existent. All the instruments work together in the buildup to present anticipation for the return of the melody.

One thing that I enjoyed about her interpretation was that even though her genre is jazz, the bluesy guitar was never lost in the translation of style. It’s still used quite heavily in her version, and it adds a lot to her overall performance. Grace Kelly often backs off in the song to let the guitar take the forefront, and this shows that she respects the integrity of the music in the original. She understands what made the original such a good song, and she definitely shows it even while she creates a daring improvisation.

The soft drum kit in the background is smooth and provides a basis for the rhythm without distracting from the instruments in the foreground (primarily the guitar and the sax). In the same fashion, the bass holds back and provides a soft backing for Grace and her guitarist to take the lead.

Overall, I enjoyed finding this hidden treasure from Grace Kelly. To hear the original version by Bill Withers, watch the video below. For more information on other covers of Ain’t No Sunshine, visit the page on the Second Hand Songs website here.

“Man With The Hat” Intro Podcast

Here’s a quick overview of some of my favorite tracks off of the new album.
Take a listen, enjoy, let me know what you think!

Grace Kelly’s Touring “Quintet”

Grace Kelly may have recorded her new album with Phil Woods, but she tours with a completely separate supporting band call the Grace Kelly Quintet. This band is a collection of four musicians, each of whom specialize in a particular instrument.

Later in the term, I’ll post more info on each individual member of the band. For now, enjoy this video of them performing Grace Kelly’s song “Summertime” live in Saratoga.

It’s quite exciting to see how the band interacts live. Towards the middle, as well as at the end of the song, the improvisation gets quite intense between Grace Kelly and her trumpeter, Jason Palmer. The drums, played by Jordan Perlson also add a very crisp and exciting vibe to the song as it builds up in intensity.

Although the song is about 10 minutes long, the excitement stays intact as you hear the song move through different stages. As I stated earlier, although the song starts out mellow, the intensity slowly builds, and the length of the song allows it to progress into a steady upward climb until it reaches it’s peak towards the end.

I’m looking forward to seeing more from the quintet. I hope you enjoyed the video! Till next time, take care!

First Impressions: Man With The Hat

Upon first listen, Grace Kelly’s new album Man With The Hat, recorded with mentor and fellow saxophonist Phil Woods, is extremely entertaining and relaxing to the ears. I wasn’t sure at first what to expect, which upon reflection, is really the only way any person should feel when listening to a recording of Grace Kelly’s. She has a wide variety of musical style when it comes to the jazz genre, and every track on the album is unique in itself.

The first track (which is titled the same as the album) pulls you into the album with it’s energy, and despite it’s length of over 8 minutes, the music remains engaging throughout the whole song. The chemistry between the two saxophones in this track is quite evident, and it’s fun to hear how they improvise off of one another.

The album takes a different turn in the third track, “People Time,” which is where we first hear Kelly’s voice. When she starts singing, it comes as a surprise to the listener, who has been focusing on the saxophone up to this point, yet the surprise is an extremely pleasant one. Soft and smooth, her voice is quite relaxing. After this track, the absence of her voice in the others is somewhat bittersweet, though her skillful return to the sax nearly makes up for it.

When her voice reappears in “Gone,” the listener gets a very human performance, with deep, slightly melancholy lyrics that will connect with many people. This is one of my favorite tracks on the album, simply for the chorus. I’ll write more on this track in later posts.

Overall, my first impression of the album is quite a good one. Grace Kelly’s music takes some old styles of jazz and revamps them to please older listeners, as well as new, younger fans of contemporary jazz.