Symphonic Project
It has been my lifelong dream to record with a full symphonic orchestra a program of arrangement expressly created for me. This dream has come true in 2020 when I met the fabulous arranger Duccio Bertini, a Tuscan musical whiz whose arranging and conducting has been praised to the stars by Jazz legend Benny Golson. We had just started working on this project with the amazing Orchestra of Tuscany ,when a global pandemic put everything oh hold. It is tricky enough to coordinate a full symphonic recording session in ‘normal’ times, but dealing with the ups and downs of a world in lockdown proved to be extra tricky! However, we didn’t loose heart and clung to the lyric that Billie Holiday famously sang ; “The difficult I’ll do right now, the impossible will take a little while”.
..And sure enough, here we are now, putting the finishing touches on my dream project : 14 tunes from Wayne Shorter compositions to Benny Golson never-sung-before originals, many of them with original lyrics by yours truly, plus a very special tribute to my long time friend and music collaborator, the Great Roy Hargrove. I am so inspired by the purity, the power and the sonic beauty of this Orchestra, and the result exceeded my best hopes and expectations. I can’t wait to share the music with you!! Keep in touch.