“MERCY OF THE GROOVE” TO BE RELEASED IN FEBRUARY 2012
LOS ANGELES – jazz recording artist, Scott Detweiler, has released his latest CD, “Mercy of the Groove”. It is the 5th (fifth) in his series of live CDs released since 2009. It was recorded with a single microphone in July 2011 at world-famous Los Angeles area jazz club, Jax Bar & Grill, where Detweiler and his quintet have performed for years. There are no overdubs or retakes in the recording.
The stellar lineup includes longtime sidemen, Ed Cogan on piano/organ, Dale Jennings on bass, Bill Johnston on saxophones and Paul Van De Riet on drums. Cletus Jones, the engineer who mastered the project, said, “Other than bringing up the overall volume, rounding out the overall sound and slightly fading into and out of each track, there was very little that I could do in the mastering lab. But there was very little to be done. Scott did an incredible job of placing the microphone in just the right spot on stage where it could pick everything without being distorted. All of the instruments can be heard, along with his directions to the musicians and the sounds from the audience. By today’s standards, the sound is raw, but th essence of the caliber of the performance is undeniable. There is a special magic about this live show that could never be captured in a recording studio”. Cletus went on to say, “At first, when I heard the master, I did not think he was serious about releasing it. Be he was. Most artists are worried about every sound on a CD being perfect. But Not Scott. I had never come across an artist who is as uninhibited as Scott Detweiler when it comes to taking chances and pushing into new musical directions. He is notorious for presenting charts of fresh compositions to his band members, right on the bandstand, in front of the audience, and then counting off a tempo and delving into the material for the first time. He constantly challenges himself and his band by playing familiar material in unfamiliar ways by spontaneously changing rhythms, keys and even lyrics during live performances. What you hear on ‘Mercy of the Groove’ is real. It is fresh. It is a testimony to the artistry of Mr. Detweiler and is a true chronicle of live music in our time”.
Though the total running time of Mercy of the Groove” is almost 50 (fifty) minutes, there are only 5 (five) tracks on the entire CD: 2 (two) spontaneous medleys (one is over 12 minutes long and the other is over 20 minutes long), a new song called, “Jesus Went Down To New Orleans” (about unscrupulous undocumented labor practices in post-Hurricane Katrina New Orleans), a rich quintet version of the Detweiler-penned, guitar-burning instrumental, “Fleur De Lis”, and a killer rendition of the Dave Brubeck classic, “Take 5”.
Detweiler has long been recognized as a mesmerizing rhythm player, but his last few releases have revealed lead worked of a higher and higher caliber, and the culmination of which can be heard on “Mercy of the Groove”. Cogan and Johnston deliver stunningly noteworthy solo work and tastefully executed comping, as well, over the smoking, relentless rhythm maintained by Jennings and Van De Riet.
“Mercy of the Groove” is, by far, Scott Detweiler’s most daring and most relevant release to date.
DETWEILER TO PERFORM AS GUEST SOLOIST WITH CHAMBER PLAYERS LOS ANGELES ON FEBRUARY 17, 2012
"Fireside at the Miles", Initimate Soundings: Music of early 20th Century France. Miles Playhouse, 1130 Lincoln Blvd, Santa Monica, CA 90403. Chamber Players of Los Angeles will perform works by Satie, Poulenc, Ibert and Roussel. Detweiler will guest perform pieces by Django Rhinehardt with the ensemble. $10 admission, $5 for students and seniors. www.chamberplayerslosangeles.com.
“BIG SCOTT” IS NOW AVAILABLE
The cd features both new material and staples from the Detweiler repertoire. It is his 14th release and is his fourth in the continuing series of Detweiler’s live, unedited and unrehearsed releases of performances intended to document live early 21st century music. It was recorded at the legendary Jax Bar & Grill, in Glendale, California (in the Greater Los Angeles area), in the fall of 2010 with a single microphone. It features Dale Jennings on bass and Paul Van De Riet on drums. As a self-discipline, Detweiler makes it a point to perform with a trio at least once per year. “It is good for my playing because I have to cover a lot more ground than I do with my larger ensembles”, says Detweiler. “Even if you have heard the same material played with my quintet”, he explains, “you will notice a variation of the texture of the music when the pieces are executed by a trio”. “Big Scott” is released in limited quantities. It will not be immediately available in the digital format. It is only available at a Detweiler live show or by writing to scottdetweiler@hotmail.com.
DETWEILER CELEBRATES FIVE YEARS AS PEERLESS GUITARS ENDORSEE
Scott Detweiler will celebrate his 5th year as an endorsee for Peerless Guitars. He will return to perform and demonstrate the guitars at their booth in January at the annual convention of the National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) in Anaheim, California. "I am proud to continue to be affiliated with Peerless", says Detweiler, "because of their continued commitment to excellence". Peerless Guitars will celebrate their 40th year in the guitar making business in January 2011. In honor of the occasion they are issuing several limited edition 40th anniversary models.
DETWEILER ENDORSED BY OLYMPIA STRINGS
Olympia Strings has endorsed Scott Detweiler. Olympia, established in 1984, is one of the world’s leading manufacturer of guitar strings. The company also make strings for most other stringed instruments, as well as guitar plectrums (picks) and straps. Detweiler has worked very closely with Olympia as a product consultant. His feedback about how well product prototypes stood up to the punishing demands of his performance, rehearsal and recording schedules has been instrumental in the development and perfecting of their products. Beginning in January 2011, his image will be included in an international marketing campaign that will be presented to the music community in both in print and on the world wide web.
DETWEILER MUSIC RELEASES DETWEILER'S "BLUE ROASTED JAZZ ON DECEMBER 1, 2010
Detweiler Records announces the December 1, 2010 release of Scott Detweiler's latest cd, "Blue Roasted Jazz". It is the first direct-to-digital-only release to date by the prolific composer/guitarist/vocalist. It is also his third release in a running series of live recordings, following "Infusion Went Away" and "Renditionation Integration", both released in 2009. The recordings, intended to chronicle early 21st century music in Los Angeles, are raw, unedited, unrehearsed and recorded with a single microphone. Live sounds, such as Detweiler giving musical cues to his group during the performance, as well as sounds of the audience, are an integral part of the fabric of this endeavor. There are no out takes. In recent years, Detweiler has surrounded himself with some of the best musicians in Los Angeles. This recording, which includes Jeff Fish on drums, Matt McFadden on bass and Ed Cogan on piano, is no exception.
DETWEILER 2010 TOUR OF PERU AND ECUADOR
Scott Detweiler performed a series of concerts in Peru and Ecuador in the summer of 2010. It was his first visit to South America. His music was enthusiastically received. Talks are underway to return in summer 2011.
SCOTT DETWEILER FEATURED ON LAGENX.COM INTERNET RADIOSHOW
The Soundcheck segment of the Jason, Gina and Jeff Show on www.lagenx.com will present Scott Detweiler as their featured artist on Saturday, June 5, 2010 at 11:00am, PST. Detweiler's twenty-five year career will be discussed and music from forthcoming album, as well as selections from his vast catalog of music will be aired during the show.
TWO NEW CDS RELEASED IN 2009
2009 marks the release of two new Detweiler CDs, Renditionation Integration and Infusion Went Away.
Renditionation Integration is a collection of Detweiler-interpreted jazz and blues standards (both vocal and instrumental) from artists such as B.B. King, Miles Davis, Albert King and Dave Brubeck, and it marks Detweiler’s first release of standards. "In my live shows I like to perform my own versions of classics by Ray Charles, B.B. King, Miles Davis and Albert King. I've never recorded them in a studio. It seemed like a good idea to put several of them on a CD for release", says Detweiler. Infusion Went Away is a collection of all original material, also both vocal and instrumental (some of which is previously released) that features 5 (five) new compositions such as “Fleur De Lis”, “Jax On Brand” and “True To You”. Both self-produced CDs feature Detweiler as a solo performer, on guitar and vocals, and were recorded live at the Infusion Gallery during the Downtown Los Angeles Art walk. The absence of editing and overdubbing, along with the audible sound of the audience provides a real roots experience of Detweiler in a live gallery setting. Detweiler’s bold decision to simultaneously release the raw and gritty CDs on the heels of his highly polished and critically acclaimed 2008 VAVV Records studio album, “Made In New Orleans”, was frowned upon by many of his advisors. Detweiler and VAVV Records, who had no interest in the project, have since parted ways. Both Renditionation Integration and Infusion Went Away were recorded in August 2009 and released 30 (thirty) days later. “These recordings represent a fresh portrayal of where I am musically, here and now”, says Detweiler, “as well as chronicle early 21st century live music in Los Angeles”.
Live photo by Lunaset.
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