Rob Ames

TUNE DESCRIPTION

Soprano sax specialist Rob Ames's debut album took nearly 40 years to complete, from the original conception of the songs, to their notation, recording, and production. A native of Weirs Beach, New Hampshire, the songs were inspired by many playing sessions on the Weirs Beach Boardwalk.

"And Then I Cried" is hard bop, alternating from a straight-ahead "A" section to a fast, double-time bridge. 

"Thinking of George" has a rock feel throughout, and like the above song, alternates from a slow "A" section to a fast , double-time bridge. Inspired by teacher George Russell, inventor of the Lydian Chromatic concept, the soloist plays upper structure chords over the fundamental chord changes of the song. 

"The Syzygy" is a ballad, written in 1981, when there was a rare, nearly perfect five-planet Syzygy of Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn. The Voyager planetary missions were launched in 1977 to take advantage, as a similar Syzygy would not occur again until 2160! 

"The Boardwalk Shuffle" is a bluesy jazz song with a shuffle beat, with a repeating pop-like "hook" at the end of every chorus, a hook that repeats and fades out at the end. 

"Flamenco Blue" is modal jazz, with a repeating bass theme that morphs into an odd-time middle section, before returning to the modal feel. 

"Complacency" starts out with an odd-time intro, before changing to Hard-Bop, then March, then Swing, and back to Hard-Bop. The idea is to keep the listener guessing. Just as the listener gets comfortable, or "Complacent" with one musical style, the tune changes style. After a solo section alternating between Hard-Bop and March, the tune reprises its themes and ends dramatically. 

"Sympathy" is a song with a rock feel and four distinct parts, hence the name, akin to a Symphony. The song starts with a varying bass pattern heard throughout the first section, switches to a sweeter variation for the second section, moves to an odd-time third section, and then switches back to a regular rock feel for the fourth section, which features tricky, quick-moving major chords.

The seven songs were composed over an eight-year period beginning in 1977 and ending in 1985. This period coincided with studies at the New England Conservatory's Third Stream department (1977-1978), the U.C. Berkeley Jazz Ensembles (1978-1980), the Berklee College of Music (1981-1983), and then again at NEC (1983-1984). Major revisions occurred in 2001, when the handwritten compositions were converted to engraving quality, using the Finale music printing software program. The notated compositions were copyrighted in 2002. Final minor revisions occurred prior to the recording date.

PERSONNEL

Rob Ames is a regular performer at the Winnipesaukee Marketplace of Weirs Beach,  New Hampshire. He can be  heard performing outdoors with his band, the Boardwalk Jazz Quartet, on Sunday nights in July and August.

Pianist, bassist, composer and educator John Funkhouser has shared the stage with Joe Lovano, Steve Gadd, Charles Neville, Bobby Watson, Esperanza Spalding, Luciana Souza, Tierney Sutton, Geri Allen, Francisco Mela, Rudresh Mahanthappa, and Matt Savage. He has played on over 80 CD and video recordings, including five CDs and two video projects as leader. Funkhouser has performed at clubs and festivals all over the world, including the Blue Note, Birdland, and Dizzy’s in New York City, as well as the New Orleans Jazz Festival, Washington D.C.’s Kennedy Center, the Toulon Jazz Festival, and the Berklee Beantown Jazz Festival. He has toured extensively in North and Central America, as well as Europe, Southeast Asia, and South Africa. He has appeared on ABC’s “20/20,” NBC’s “Today Show,” and National Public Radio. He taught piano, bass, ear training and ensembles at Berklee College of Music in Boston from 2001-2021. He currently resides in Albuquerque, NM, where he keeps a busy schedule of performing and teaching.

Mike Connors studied drumming at Berklee College of Music in Boston with jazz greats Joe Hunt and Alan Dawson, and studied privately with Joe Hunt and Bob Goulotti. He performs not only on drums and percussion, but also on vibraphone. As a freelance musician, Mike is one of the most sought after drummers for jazz, rock, folk, and world ensembles. He performs locally and throughout New England with many groups, including the Sonic Explorers and Industrious Noise. He has also toured nationally with several Broadway shows including “Bye Bye Birdie” and “Anything Goes” (the Lincoln Center version). His international touring includes performances with the avant-garde pop group Combustible Edison, the 1999 Lilith Fair and Lisa Loeb as well as a Caribbean tour with trumpeter Andre Rice and his Sextet. Mike has also played on numerous television and movie soundtracks, including “Inspector Gadget”, “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas”, “Gas Food Lodging” and “Four Rooms.” Mike teaches drums, percussion, and mallets at the Joy of Music Program in Worcester, MA as well as the Rivers School Conservatory in Weston.

Jesse Williams has played 10,000 gigs worldwide, from CBGB to Montreal, backing up Al Kooper (Hendrix, Stones, The Who, Ray Charles, Skynyrd,) and Duke Robillard for five years. Williams has
backed up Maria Muldaur, Johnnie Johnson, Ruth Brown, Jay McShann, Jimmy McGriff, John Hammond, Bucky Pizarelli, Percy Sledge, Jay Geils, Susan Tedeschi, Charles Neville, Jimmy Vivino, John Sebastian, Henry Butler and many others. He has recorded on two Grammy Nominated Albums and nine W.C. Handy/Blues Music Award-nominated albums. He has appeared on PBS, Sesame St., AMC, National Film Archives, as well as multiple commercial spots.