Jewels

Here are some words from the two artists on this recording:

"When my wife became pregnant with our first child, she asked me if I would record some trumpet music to play for the baby in the womb. The music would have to be delicate, sweet, soothing, and simple. It must be relaxing for the listener, be it Mother or Child, and timeless in style and interpretation. I called upon Randy Morris to play piano in his articulate, sensitive manner. Randy informed me that he had just become a grandfather and would be delighted to record some songs for HIS new grandson. And so the song selection began; some standards, some classics, a waltz, a lullaby, and some very personal compositions by close friends (previously unrecorded and unpublished). All in all, a collection of very special tunes for some very special people, recorded in an intimate setting; a grand piano and a solo horn. The Songs, the Instruments, the Listeners; all JEWELS."

- Charlie Bertini

"It is serendipitous when working on an enjoyable music project aligns with a happy event in one's personal life. Such is the case here, when the preparation of this album coincided with the arrival of my first grandchild, Samuel A. Morris. Charlie, his wife, Denise, my daughter, Dawn, and little Sam all contribute to the happiness and warmth found in this music."

- Randy Morris

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Out of Season

This recording was engineered and mixed like a fine soup recipe, using a combination of old-world and new-world ingredients. Much of the sound, including the overdubs, was captured using the famous Blumlein microphone technique, which results in a very natural, spacious sound. We also used some new-world spices to keep the intimacy, punch, clarity, and dynamics that make a great jazz recording come alive. The technology included some custom-built, one-of-a-kind A/D and D/A converters as well as 24-bit recording and analog mixing on the fabulous all-discrete API Legacy console, with unparalleled short-signal path and headroom.

The history of this recording traces its roots to what began for us as a musical "Christmas card" to friends and family that evolved into two best-selling Christmas albums through the foresight of Arbors Records CEO, Mat Domber. Those recordings are CHRISTMAS COOKIES and FRESH BATCH. (www.arborsjazz.com)

We were privileged to touch many people's lives in an intimate way through those recordings, including two longtime fans of Bill Allred's Classic Jazz Band and its lead trumpeter, Charlie Bertini. Those two friends wanted to hear Bertini, Morris and Gannett play something other than Christmas music; to hear them "Out of Season," so to speak. Happily for us, they were willing to help make that possible.

From both the technical and musical perspectives, you will hear the guys as never before, thanks to the remarkable ears and unflinching perfectionism of legendary recordist, Bob Katz. His acoustic rendering of the trio will delight even the most demanding audiophile, revealing a warmth and intimacy that allows the music full sway.

The trio showed up at the studio with mounds of music and instruments, with variety being the operative factor. From John Katalenic's classy arrangement of "Mood Indigo," to "Come Back To Sorrento" that fairly reeks of garlic, to, of all things, "Dudley Do-Right of The Mounties"... well, pigeon-holing is out the window on this album! But it's honest, and played by three friends who love the music and love to perform - especially for you folks who love to listen.

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Classic Performances

The AppleJazz Festival was an Upstate New York tradition that began in 1984 as a jam session, and continued for thirty years until 2014. The makeup of the band had varied somewhat from year to year, but top-quality artists and electrifying musical performances have been a hallmark of the festival from day one. We assembled only once a year and, without rehearsing, we put on a one-time show that is made up on the spot. This created a wonderful spontaneity and excitement that only a live, improv performance can deliver.

This double CD recording was made from a collection of multi-track digital tapes that were recorded at the 1997, 1998, and 1999 festivals—the three years that we put up a huge tent for the concerts. Beautifully recorded by Mike Konkol with lots of help from Josh Jaquin, this compilation of classic AppleJazz performances covers just about every style, arrangement, and artist that has graced our bandstand.

These two discs represent the best of the AppleJazz Band. On them, you will hear fabulous performers, heartfelt arrangements, enthusiastic audiences, a little rain and thunder, and the hard-driving rhythm of this one-of-a-kind ensemble. You'll hear swing, funk, sambas, ballads, rhythm and blues, and even some Motown and Beatles selections, all improvised on the spot.

You will hear a very rare performance by singers Ronnie Leigh and Joe Whiting, who share the stage on I Love Being Here With You and America the Beautiful. Listen to the breathtaking beauty of Marvin Stamm, John Allred, and Ronnie France on A Child is Born, while a steady rainstorm underscores their playing. On the day before Father's Day 1997, I paid tribute to all of the dads in the audience by playing The Wind Beneath my Wings. You could have heard a pin drop.

Keyboardists Tommy Rau and Jeff Phillips perform beautifully on their multiple instruments, accompanying soloists and filling the air with wonderful sounds including piano, Hammond organ, Fender Rhodes, and even strings. Jeff also performs a duet with Dave Hanlon on Secret Love, with Jeff playing bass pedals with his feet!

Ronnie Leigh will treat you to his musical magic with unique renditions of I Wish You Love, Stompin' at the Savoy, and Ain't Misbehavin'. Dave Feinstein's guitar will rock your socks off on Everyday I Have the Blues and Stormy Monday. Soulful saxman John Kane is featured on Caravan and Georgia on my Mind, with fine backup work by trombonist Dick Chave. In one of his annual solos, Dave Hanlon displays his unbelievable drumming technique on Peter Gunn.

Vocalist Peter Dean brings a whole new sound to the stage with his funky version of Mustang Sally, complete with Jim Reagan's baritone sax and loose backup vocals by some partying females from our audience. Peter finishes the set with his elegant interpretation of the Beatles' Let it Be, and no AppleJazz CD would be complete without a tuba solo from our favorite low brass monster, Dave Gannett.

Whether you are driving in your car, relaxing on the sofa, or partying with friends, you will feel as though you are right in the middle of the concert, engulfed in all of its energy, urgency, excitement, and fabulous musicianship. In the words of Joe Whiting, "It's like skydiving without a parachute."

Enjoy the ride.
Charlie Bertini

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Triology

We started this trio for two reasons: to have some fun with a small, compact group, and to keep costs economical. Jeff, Eddie and I have worked together in many musical groups; Jeff's unusual talent for playing bass pedals gave us a rare opportunity to book the trio in small venues and jazz clubs and keep the group affordable for our audiences.

A trio might seem limited in its musical scope, but the opposite is true. We can play almost any style of music, and improvise on a song without having to communicate with a large ensemble of players. The result is spontaneity and freedom to "go anywhere" musically. And again, Jeff's talent means that the keyboard player and bass player always agree on the changes!

Keyboardists that accompany themselves with bass lines are not new. Jimmy Smith, Shirley Scott, Groove Holmes, Dr. Lonnie Smith, and Joey DeFrancesco have all dazzled fans with swinging bass lines since the 1960's.

Having this variety in repertoire made it difficult to name this album, as we didn't want to classify the music into a specific category. It is a study in styles ranging from Swing to Pop to Broadway to Latin to New Orleans Parade music. Thanks goes to our brilliant recording engineer, Veit Renn, who appropriately named the project TRIOLOGY. Trios certainly aren't unique, but this one is. We hope you will enjoy this music again and again.

- Charlie Bertini

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Live & Unplugged!

The Center for the Arts of Homer in Homer, New York, was originally the First Baptist Church of Homer. Built in 1893 from locally made bricks, the building exemplifies the Richardson Romanesque style that was popular in that era.

After more than a century of serving parishioners in this tiny town nestled in the rolling hills of Central New York, the church was purchased in 2001 by a small group of caring local individuals who dedicated themselves to a dual mission of enhancing opportunities for appreciation of the arts and preserving this historic Homer landmark.

Since its official opening in 2005, the center has proven to be a remarkable concert venue. With no amplification or reinforcement of any kind, the near-perfect acoustics of the former church sanctuary provide a memorable listening experience that is sonorous yet warm and delicate at the same time.

This unique setting was a perfect place for trombonist John Allred and trumpeter Charlie Bertini to shine. Although these two accomplished artists had previously played together countless times in different ensembles over a period of many years, this performance marked the first time the two of them had paired for a full-length concert together.

Backed by a stellar rhythm section of piano, guitar and acoustic bass, John and Charlie clearly enjoyed the communication and spontaneity of performing live that evening. Fortunately, the fleeting, magical moments they shared were captured by recording engineer Ray Ackerman and can now be enjoyed by all. This performance is truly pure and organic jazz at its finest.

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Christmas Cookies

This unique recording features Charlie Bertini's sparkling trumpet and silky flugelhorn, Randy Morris' amazing piano artistry, and Dave Gannett's legendary tuba playing on some refreshing arrangements of holiday classics. Joined by Renee Dover on violin and Eddie Metz on drums, these Christmas treats will never sound sweeter. Rapidly becoming a classic recording for the Arbors Records label, this will be an album that never leaves your playlist at Christmastime. Also check out the sequel, FRESH BATCH.

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Fresh Batch

When Mat Domber asked us to record a sequel to CHRISTMAS COOKIES, Randy Morris, Dave Gannett and I began compiling a list of songs we'd like to play. Thinking "There can't be that many tunes left" (we recorded 20 on Volume One), we came up with 26 more titles! Narrowing our selections down to 17, we began working on how we would arrange and present this Fresh Batch. Each of us took on a group of songs, keeping in mind that we wanted to retain our original sound and style. Dave and Reneé took most of the vernacular titles, Randy took the whimsical and the commercial songs, and I got to stylize the remaining cuts. Randy and I even wrote an original tune for this album, Santa's Little Girl. We called upon John Katalenic for two arrangements; Toyland, and Sweet Little Jesus Boy, and his charts are among some of the most unique and beautiful Christmas arrangements I have ever heard. Toyland starts with the verse, which is not commonly heard. John's stark and intimate arrangement of Sweet Little Jesus Boy was inspired by notes he found in the original sheet music regarding the "Singing of Negro Songs", stating that "Spirituals should be unaccompanied, solo-voiced songs, sung to oneself, holding personal communion with God. Instrumental accompaniments should always be unobstructive, resulting in a simple, sincere, and intimate expression of feeling".

Other arranging credits go to Dave Gannett for his Spanish version of What Child Is This, titled Que Es Este Niño? and his transcriptions of two songs; Lo How A Rose Ere Blooming, arranged by Spevacek, and The Lord's Prayer, arranged by Derek Johnson.

As with any recording session involving this crew, we had a lot of fun. At the completion of our take on "Two Front Teeth", Randy blasted into a nit-wit version of a Vaudeville chaser, not knowing that the tape was still rolling! When we heard the playback, we laughed so hard we decided to keep it. All the guys gathered around the vintage RCA ribbon mic, and we played the whistles and hoots in classic "radio broadcast" style to give Randy's chaser the finishing

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