Blue in Green

The inspiration for Blue In Green is The Jazz Poems of Grace Schulman (MEII Enterprises 2017). Poet Schulman is the 2016 Robert Frost awardee from the Poetry Society of America. Numerous jazz musicians are referenced in Schulman’s poems: Art Tatum, John Coltrane, Miles Davis, Billy Holliday, Bill Evans, and Thelonious Monk, as well as classical violinist Itzhak Perlman and Danish author Chris Albertson. The challenge was to find compositions that reflected the content and tone of each of Schulman’s 10 jazz poems.

The 10 compositions chosen for this album were created 60 years apart. For example, Nightcap (Track 2)—the first jazz composition I ever wrote (in 1958)—has never been performed or recorded. Jazz virtuoso pianist ArcoIris Sandoval does it justice. On the other hand, Street Drummer (Track 10) is an improvised drum solo by multi-Grammy-nominee Bobby Sanabria recorded in one take on October 28, 2018.

Ballad For My Sweetness (Track 6)—featuring a glorious solo by saxophonist Michael Hashim—was also recorded in one take, a fitting complement to the “one take” phrase in Grace Schulman’s accompanying “Blue In Green” poem.

I originally composed and recorded Free At Last (Track 14) for solo piano in 1978. For this album the piece was re-orchestrated for flugelhorn, electric bass, snare drum with brushes, and accordion to give the track a “Paris” context to fit Schulman’s poem “Shadow.”

The Romance Is Gone (Track 8) is a composition for solo piano that appears on my first classical release Les Sentiments D’Amour, an album of 20-character pieces for solo piano recorded by Pianist Nada (MEII Enterprises 2006). For this CD I orchestrated it for piano, bass, and electric violin (“The Broken String”). Violinist Ben Sutin improvises on top of the original chords.

Inside Blues (Track 4) originally appeared on Changes (MEII Enterprises 2015). While Schulman’s poem mentions Coltrane’s soprano saxophone, on this track Michael Hashim plays an alto. Where Are You Now (Track 16) and Send My Regrets (Track 18) appears on my inaugural album A Summer Afternoon With You (MEII Enterprises, 2005). Both fit Schulman’s accompanying poems.

Oh, Yeah?! (Track 12) was recorded by the Harold Danko Quartet in the mid-1980s, but never released. It has been edited to accommodate the overdubbed muted trumpet solo by Rachel Therrien. It is about Miles.

Enjoy.
Eugene Marlow 2018

Title: Blue In Green
Catalog #: W-3-2018

Release date: 2005
UPC: 783707170503
©2005 MEII Enterprises/BMI