Artists

DAVE WRIGHT: 9 Dreams

Sharing the spotlight...five talented musicians play great jazz on guitarist and composer Dave Wright's latest release, 9 Dreams.

With a wonderful sense of ease, Dave Wright (guitar), Scott Bradley (organ), Bill Tiberio (sax), Matt Pivec (sax) and Jared Schonig (drums) play a beautiful jazz session, sharing the soundstage in a glorious mix of straight-ahead, Latin, R&B and funk-influenced jazz.

On 9 Dreams, Dave Wright joins with long-time friend, composer and organist, Scott Bradley, for their first collaboration since Wright's 1985 album Island Changes, also released on the HMC Jazz label.

This disc is a collection of original works by Dave and Scott, and inventive arrangements of tunes by Cole Porter, Thelonious Monk, Wayne Shorter and Stevie Wonder. The emphases are on strong writing and improvisation.

The album kicks off to Scott Bradley's up-tempo Latin tune 'A Second Chance', with its driving beat and melody, then moves into an emotional, R&B-influenced rendition of Cole Porter's 'Love For Sale'. Dave Wright's 'Treacy's Revenge' picks up with tasty double-stops on the guitar, and its intense solos and ending are offset by the next piece, a beautiful solo guitar setting of Thelonious Monk's 'Crepuscule With Nellie'.

The title track '9 Dreams' follows, opening with nicely phrased jazz guitar, and then unexpectedly changing time and tempo to begin the journey through nine dreamy grooves. Scott Bradley's infectious shuffle 'Peewee's Big Adventure', inspired by Scott's gigs with wild saxman Peewee Ellis, is followed by a unique arrangement of Stevie Wonder's 'Knocks Me Off My Feet', mixing soulful sax, rock guitar and reggae. Wayne Shorter's haunting 'Elegant People' is the eighth tune, and the CD closes with the Dave Wright's romantic ballad 'Timeless'.

The five musicians play with open ears: each musical statement opens new channels for exploration, each song presents new opportunities for melodic and harmonic development. This is an album which will reward multiple listening.

9 Dreams

1. A Second Chance (Bradley) 5:04
2. Love For Sale (Porter) 6:36
3. Treacy's Revenge (Wright) 5:55
4. Crepescule With Nellie (Monk) 3:14
5. 9 Dreams (Wright) 6:37
6. Peewee's Big Adventure (Bradley) 7:09
7. Knocks Me Off My Feet (Wonder) 6:04
8. Elegant People (Shorter) 6:03
9. Timeless (Wright) 6:08

Dave Wright - guitar
Scott Bradley - organ
Jared Schonig - drums
Matt Pivec - alto sax (tracks 1, 2 and 6), tenor sax (tracks 8 and 9)
Bill Tiberio - tenor sax (tracks 3, 6 and 7), alto sax (track 5)

I offer my sincere thanks to everyone involved in this recording, most especially to Scott Bradley for driving the early stages of the project, booking the studio and assembling such a great group of musicians. Thanks also to Manny Freshman for restoring my vintage Fender Jazzmaster to fine playing condition and profoundly affecting the sound of this album.

Recorded at East End Recording Studios, Rochester, NY, and Studio X, Pittsford, NY. Executive Producers: Dave Wright and Scott Bradley. Produced by Dave Wright for HMC Jazz, Fort Nurney, SD.

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Dave Wright

In the course of his career, guitarist and composer Dave Wright has played gigs at venues from the US West Coast to Western Europe. He has played many styles of music in many settings, from solo guitar to full orchestra. Some musical accomplishments include:

Over 300 shows at the Radio City Music Hall in New York City as guitarist with the Radio City Music Hall Orchestra, both in seasonal shows and with artists like Peter Allen and Raphael.

Over 40 shows with the Fifth Dimension, 16 shows with Jack Jones, 16 shows with the Smothers Brothers, as well as shows with stars including Diahann Carroll, Vic Damone, Rita Moreno, Charo, Frank Sinatra Jr, Debbie Reynolds, Shields & Yarnell, Petula Clark and many others, while staff guitarist on the largest cruise ship in the world.

Recording on Caedmon Records, performing on New York City industrial recording sessions for companies including Citibank and Chemical Bank, and public service recordings like 'Crack Attack'; performing with the Rochester Philharmonic Pops for artists including Patti Page.

Producing and recording a number of solo albums on the HMC Jazz label, including 'Gifts', 'Island Changes', 'All The Funny Things', 'Death On Ice', 'Breathe Easy', 'The Shadow', 'X-Centrix Live', 'Colorado River Toads', 'Io Rocks', 'Breaking Apart', 'Eyes Closed' and '9 Dreams'.

Writing, performing and recording many original compositions, as well as arranging and producing music for recording sessions and performers, in instrumentations ranging from small group to big band.

Dave Wright studied jazz guitar with Gene Bertoncini (Wayne Shorter, Hubert Laws, Clark Terry, Paul Desmond), Randall Dollohan (Jaco Pastorius, Stanley Turrentine, Edgar Winter, Steve Morse) and Tom Rizzo (Maynard Ferguson, Doc Severinsen), and attended the Studio Jazz Program at the University of Miami, Coral Gables. Taught adult students privately and through community music schools.

His father, Rayburn Wright, was an award-winning arranger and jazz educator (as head of the Jazz and Contemporary Media Department at Eastman School of Music) and while growing up Dave was exposed to many musicians his father worked with, such as African drummer Olatunji, Keith Jarrett, Toots Thielemans, Dave Brubeck and Joe Farrell.

Dave Wright currently performs and records in upstate New York with his own band, when not producing or accompanying other performers.

For further information contact 800-790-6021.

Track List:
1. A Second Chance (Bradley)
2. Love For Sale (Porter)
3. Treacy's Revenge (Wright)
4. Crepuscule With Nellie (Monk)
5. 9 Dreams (Wright)
6. Peewee's Big Adventure (Bradley)
7. Knocks Me Off My Feet (Wonder)
8. Elegant People (Shorter)
9. Timeless (Wright)

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