Notes
Liner Notes from Swingin' With Legends: From the first time I heard Angela sing, one of my dreams was to produce her in this exact setting. What a thrill it has been for me to have my arrangements, along with Frank Foster's and Dennis Wilson's, performed on such a high level with such great talent. I think you, the listener, will feel the love and sincerity in this music. These notes were written with the hope that they will give the listener some insight into the making of Swingin' With Legends. Ron Aprea Lionel Hampton celebrated his 90th birthday in April of 1998. On this album, Angela DeNiro had the pleasure of recording with Hamp on his classic composition, Midnight Sun. In the fifty year history of this jazz classic, Angela is the only singer to record this song with Lionel Hampton Angela and the musicians were inspired by Hamp's presence, and Hamp seemed to enjoy being there as much as we enjoyed having him. Listen to Angela's interview with Hamp on track 15. This memorable conversation was recorded at Avatar Studio in NYC following the session. The alto solo starting at the bridge is mine. Angela has known Frank Foster since 1982, but my friendship with Frank started back in the early 60 when he was still with the Basie Band. He has had a strong influence on both my writing and playing, and his contributions to this project are monumental. Frank has not only written five classic arrangements for this recording but he actually took the time on two occasions to rehearse the band, and he really cranked it up at the session. The two songs that I had the pleasure of arranging for Frank and Angela were Naima and Avalon. Naima, a Coltrane composition, was a perfect choice because of Frank's similarity to Trane's style. You can almost feel Trane's presence. Angela's simplistic approach to this classic song is haunting, and the interaction between she and Frank on the "tag" is a thing of beauty. Avalon is a sort of throwback to the Jumpin' at the Woodside days with the Basie band. This is Frank's meat. Frank played four choruses, and we got the feeling he had forty more. This cut gives me the same thrill that I used to feel when I was a kid sitting in front of the Basie band at Birdland, listening to Frank (also a kid) build chorus after chorus on Woodside. That ripping sax solo really got Foss off to a flying start. After the session, Angela told me that she was so excited listening to Frank play that she almost forgot to come back in. Check out her comments at the end of Avalon, and listen to the band yelling and applauding. We left that on the tape, so that the listeners could get some idea of the excitement and love that was ever so present on that special day. Lew Tabackin and I have been friends since 1972, when we did a tour with Les Elgart's band. After playing alongside Lew for a few weeks, it was no surprise to me that he went on to become a major force on the jazz scene. You'll hear Lew playing on The Song Is You. This is a difficult arrangement that features Angela scatting with the brass section (no saxes or rhythm), and she and the band really nailed it. That tenor solo is vintage Lew Tabackin...one of the bright spots on this album. Ill Wind, written in 1934 by Ted Koehler and Harold Arlen, starts with Derrick Gardner (trumpet) and Steve Greenfield (alto) playing some bluesy four-bar phrases, before Angela steps in and kills you with phrasing that I haven't heard since Sarah. How Insensitive, written in 1946 by Antonio Carlos Jobim, with English lyrics by Norman Gimbel, is a Frank Foster arrangement. The woodwinds work beautifully with the flugel horns, and create a soft pad which complements Angela's breathy interpretation of this classic. The tenor solo is by Frank Foster. A Ballad for Matthew was written by me in 1994. This song was originally an instrumental recorded as a baritone solo, and was part of Angela's first album, Just For the Fun Of It. Angela has always loved this song, and decided that
Tracks
1.1 Midnight Sun - Angela Deniro, Hampton, Lionel 1.2 Ill Wind - Angela Deniro, Arlen, Harold 1.3 Avalon - Angela Deniro, Jolson, Al 1.4 Trav'lin' Light - Angela Deniro, Mercer, Johnny 1.5 The Song Is You - Angela Deniro, Kern, Jerome 1.6 Naima - Angela Deniro, Coltrane, John 1.7 How Insensitive - Angela Deniro, Jobim, Antonio Carl 1.8 Will You Still Be Mine? - Angela Deniro, Dennis, Matt 1.9 Young and Foolish - Angela Deniro, Hague, Albert 1.10 Lover, Come Back to Me - Angela Deniro, Hammerstein, Oscar 1.11 A Ballad for Matthew - Angela Deniro, Aprea, Ron 1.12 Don't Talk About Love - Angela Deniro, Calabrese, John Mau 1.13 I'll Close My Eyes - Angela Deniro, Reid, Billy 1.14 Bring on the Raindrops - Angela Deniro, Foster, Frank 1.15 Conversation with Lionel Hampton - Angela Deniro
