The Fantasy Vocal Sessions, Vol. 1

The Fantasy Vocal Sessions, Vol. 1

Available on CD/Digitally

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The regal presence of Etta James looms large over this unusual and invaluable project, which showcases an array of stellar but too little-known vocalists (with a rock star thrown in for good measure). A stylistically eclectic, self- taught pianist and muscular organist, David K. Mathews had been touring and recording with the R&B legend for nearly two decades in 2007 when he came up with the idea of getting James into the studio with a stripped-down rhythm section. After so much time on the road, “we were family,” he recalls. “Suddenly I had this realization that I had been playing with one of the greatest singers of all time, and why didn’t I get her to sing a couple of songs for my own album project?” 

“After all of those years I was so used to being around her that I’d kind of taken for granted the incredible place that she occupied in the world of American Music. I was getting ready to book a session, but then Etta’s health re- ally started to decline, the economy crashed, I lost my savings and suddenly I could barely pay my bills. For Etta it became a struggle just to make her gigs, and she finally had to stop performing in spring of 2009. We were never able to make that session happen, and after 20 years I was out of a gig.” 

Mathews’ hard times came to an end in 2010 when he took over the Santana keyboard chair (once again following in the footsteps of Chester Thompson, whom he’d replaced in Tower of Power three decades earlier). He’s been on the road with the iconic guitarist ever since, and when Fantasy Studios director Jeffrey Wood offered Mathews
a rate he couldn’t refuse, the pianist jumped at the opportunity to record with a far-flung collection of vocalists, using three different top-shelf rhythm sections. 

This project reflects Mathews’ eclectic musical tastes and some of his myriad professional experiences, from blues and R&B to soul, funk, Afro-Cuban and Brazilian Music and straight-ahead jazz. Born in Berkeley and raised in Walnut Creek, Mathews left home at 17 and started supporting himself playing in R&B and Top 40 bands around the East Bay. He soaked up blues at Larry Blake’s on Telegraph with Tim Kaihatsu and built his Latin music chops with Ray Obiedo and Pete and Sheila Escovedo. He earned his funk stripes with Tower of Power and delved into Crescent City grooves with Maria Muldaur. 
Though he came to straight-ahead jazz relatively late, Mathews has been an avid student of jazz piano since his late 20s. For several years he was a mainstay at the lamented North Beach nightspot Jazz at Pearl’s, regularly backing touring horn players and vocalist/proprietress Kim Nalley. Being an accompanist didn’t come naturally, “but after 20 years with Etta, I developed a love of working with good singers,” Mathews says. “Playing with Kim Nalley for five years made me appreciate where singers can take you. Maria Muldaur also taught me a lot. She’s a very good jazz singer with a fantastic set of ears.” 
   
Whether well known or not, the singers that Mathews recruited for these pieces put a personal stamp on every
tune. Soloing on only half the tracks, he keeps the spotlight squarely on his guests, serving the singers and the
songs with swinging taste and economy. While this first album’s focus is on standards played by an acoustic jazz
piano trio plus guitar and tenor saxophone, he’s already recorded enough material for two more volumes, including
a plugged-in project focusing on R&B, soul and pop and a blues album (with a planned fourth release exploring 2 his love of Afro-Cuban and Brazilian music). “What all of the singers and players on this project have in common is that they've all been part of my musical life and growth," he says. "It's a legacy thing."

Track List

  1. I Want to Talk About You feat. Nicolas Bearde [05:15]
  2. Alfie feat. Amikaeyla [05:33]
  3. Blue Skies feat. Steve Miller [05:23]
  4. Oh Papa feat. Maria Muldaur [05:39]
  5. Ruby feat. Glenn Walters [06:20]
  6. Smile feat. Nicolas Bearde [04:30]
  7. When Sunny Gets Blue feat. Tony Lindsay [08:08]
  8. Lover Man feat. Maria Muldaur [07:46]
  9. Lush Life feat. Kenny Washington [05:29]
  10. The More I See You feat. Frank Jackson [03:38]
  11. We’ll Be Together Again feat. Reni Simon [06:59]
  12. Skylark feat. Glenn Walters [05:57]
  13. In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning feat. John Laslo [03:41]

Credits

Vocalists: Tony Lindsay, Kenny Washington, Frank Jackson, John Laslo, Renata “Reni” Simon, Nicolas Bearde, Amikaeyla Gaston, Steve Miller, Maria Muldaur, & Glenn Walters

(P) 2018 David K. Mathews
(C) 2018 David K. Mathews