Blue in Green Remix

The inspiration for Blue In Green is The Jazz Poems of Grace Schulman (MEII Enterprises 2017). Poet Grace 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 Poems & Compositions

1. The up-tempo Nightcap accompanies the poem "Art Tatum At The Gee-Haw Stable." The melodic line of “Nightcap” requires an improvisation approaching that of Art Tatum. Jazz virtuoso pianist ArcoIris Sandoval does it justice.

2. Inside Blues is paired with Schulman’s “A Love Supreme.” While her poem mentions Coltrane’s soprano saxophone, on this track Michael Hashim's improvisation on alto is reminiscent of Coltrane’s style.

3. Ballad For My Sweetness” a love song—featuring a glorious solo by saxophonist Michael Hashim—was recorded in one take, a fitting complement to the “one take” theme in Grace Schulman’s accompanying “Blue In Green” love poem.

4. The poem “The Broken String” is followed by The Romance Is Gone. Originally a composition for solo classical piano, for this album Marlow orchestrated it for piano, acoustic bass, and electric violin. Jazz violinist Ben Sutin improvises on top of the original composition’s chords, a reference in Schulman’s poem when violinist Itzhak Perlman had to improvise the completion of a concerto on three strings (instead of four) when one broke in concert.

5. Street Drummer an improvised drum solo by multi-Grammy nominee Bobby Sanabria, accompanies Schulman’s poem “Street Music Astor Place.” Sanabria’s solo was recorded in one take. The result is structured and highly musical, reflecting Schulman’s description of street drummers in “Street Music Astor Place.”

6. Oh, Yeah?! features a muted trumpet solo by Rachel Therrien. It is about Miles. It echoes Schulman’s poem “Cool Jazz.”

7. Marlow composed Free At Last for flugelhorn, electric bass, snare drum with brushes, and specifically accordion to give the track a “Paris” context to fit Schulman’s poem “Shadow.”

8. & 9. Where Are You Now? (Track 8) and Send My Regrets (Track 9) originally appear on Marlow’s inaugural album “A Summer Afternoon With You” (MEII Enterprises, 2005). Both fit Schulman’s accompanying poems “God Bless the Child” and “Thelonius Himself,” respectively. Where Are You Now? is composed in a gospel tone. Mike Abene’s improvisation on Send My Regrets is in the style of Thelonius Monk.

10. Blues for Chris Albertson follows Schulman’s “Yellow,” a poem about the Danish author and jazz producer. Her poem describes the many “blues” in his life. The composition is an up-tempo “blues” celebration of his life.

Title: Blue In Green Remix

Catalog #: W-4-2023

Release date: 2023
UPC: 0682131867044
©2023 MEII Enterprises/BMI