Oração para Amanhã (Prayer for Tomorrow)

The album is the first by Davidson’s new trio, with stellar Brazilian musicians based in New York. The first-call rhythm section of Eduardo Belo (bass) and Adriano Santos (drums) is joined by another mainstay of the New York Brazilian jazz community of artists, harmonica and vibraphone extraordinaire Hendrik Meurkens, as featured soloist.

These recordings came about after the trio played several engagements in and around New York City. Recorded over several nights at NYCs famed Zinc Bar, a haven for Brazilian jazz, the musicians rejoice in each of Roger’s original compositions.

All compositions by Roger Davidson (Musica Universalis Publishing – BMI)

Roger Davidson, piano

Eduardo Belo, bass

Adriano Santos, drums

With Hendrik Meurkens, vibraphone and harmonica

Recorded live at Zinc Bar, New York City, May and October 2016

Executive Producer: Roger Davidson

Artistic Producers: Roger Davidson, Pablo Aslan

Associate Producer: Alexandra Aron

Recorded by Luis Bacque

In 2012, we started a regular Wednesday night performance series at the venerable Caffe Vivaldi in New York City’s Greenwich Village. This intimate venue was a place where our recording artists could present new material, revisit old material and interact with each other in different musical combinations. The timeless cafe has now become our informal home and what has transpired has been extraordinary. In 2013 we started to record these performances. Here are Soundbrush Records’ artists, anchored by pianist, composer, and Soundbrush founder Roger Davidson, captured in the immediacy of live music making.

THE ROGER DAVIDSON TRIO

Roger Davidson, piano
David Finck, bass (except tracks 10, 11,12)
Pablo Aslan, bass (tracks 10,11,12)
Adriano Santos, drums

Produced by Alexandra Aron
Recorded, Mixed and Mastered by Luis Bacque
Photography by Nan Melville
Graphic Design by Marie Coons

Recorded live at Caffe Vivaldi, NYC 2013-2014

In 2012, we started a regular Wednesday night performance series at the venerable Caffe Vivaldi in New York City’s Greenwich Village. This intimate venue was a place where our recording artists could present new material, revisit old material and interact with each other in different musical combinations. The timeless cafe has now become our informal home and what has transpired has been extraordinary. In 2013 we started to record these performances. Here are Soundbrush Records’ artists, anchored by pianist, composer, and Soundbrush founder Roger Davidson, captured in the immediacy of live music making.

CREDITS:

Piano, Roger Davidson

Bass, Pablo Aslan

Produced by Alexandra Aron

Recorded, Mixed and Mastered by Luis Bacque

Roger Davidson, Piano
David Finck, Bass
Lewis Nash, Drums

In 2011, Davidson went into the studio to record his newest jazz CD. We Remember Helen is a salute to the legendary producer and manager Helen Keane, whose encouragement helped give Davidson the confidence to pursue jazz. In 1991, Keane — best known for her 17-year association with the great Bill Evans — produced Roger’s first jazz album, Ten to Twelve. On We Remember Helen, Davidson is joined by two A-list jazzmen: bassist David Finck (who played on Ten to Twelve) and drummer Lewis Nash. They perform several exquisitely chosen jazz standards that Keane loved (including “Yesterdays,” “Whisper Not,” “How Deep Is the Ocean,” and “What’s New?”), along with originals that Davidson wrote with her in mind.

We Remember Helen is a testament to his fresh, lyrical touch and abundant heart; it’s also a remembrance of a producer who changed the course of jazz, and of Davidson’s career.

Classically-based but passionately devoted to popular music from all over the world, composer-pianist Roger Davidson has recorded prolifically, embracing tango, bossa nova, samba, sacred choral music, klezmer, and jazz. On All Music Guide, Michael G. Nastos called him “an extraordinary player” dedicated to “reaching for the inner soul.”

Executive Producer: Roger Davidson

Produced by Pablo Aslan

Recorded and mixed July 2011 at Avatar Studios, New York City
Roy Hendrickson, engineer
Tim Marchiafava, assistant engineer

Mastered December 2011 at MasterDisk, New York City
Scott Hull, engineer

CD Design: Mariano Gil
Photography: Roger Davidson, Fran Kaufman

French composer Michel Legrand has written some of the most memorable romantic music on film. Many of his songs have long since become jazz and pop standards. In Umbrellas and Sunshine, pianist and composer Roger Davidson and bassist David Finck offer a deeply original, intimate take of Legrand’s music – stories of love found and lost, elegantly whispered, swinging, among friends.

Since starting his career in the ‘70s, French-American pianist and composer Roger Davidson has been as voracious in his musical curiosity as Michel Legrand — and just as fearless in his reach. Davidson’s writing include symphonies and choral music, small-group jazz, Klezmer, tango and a bounty of Brazilian-flavored songs. In all his work, as in Legrand’s, melody reigns. It was bassist David Finck, who suggested to Davidson exploring an album’s-worth of Legrand’s songs. The pianist was all for it.
“I feel a tremendous kinship with Michel Legrand,” says Davidson. “Legrand is French, and so am I. He is a very romantic composer; he writes music with feeling. We both love to write melodies. Like everyone else, I heard his tunes played over and over by many wonderful musicians, and I started playing them myself.” The result is Umbrellas and Sunshine, a celebration of Michel Legrand, romance, and swing.

Recorded in 1991 under the auspices of the legendary jazz producer, Helen Keane, these sessions are finally released to wide critical acclaim.  Jazz Times raves,  “His composer’s mind creates highly original interpretations of jazz standards and he writes some credible jazz statements himself.”
Combining standards and a few originals, Roger Davidson’s classic piano, bass, drum trio is a sublime recording.

“Few pianists from the classical field have been brave enough to venture into the freewheeling world of jazz; fewer still have shown any sign of the rhythmic spontaneity and flights of imagination that jazz piano requires.  But Helen Keane, the legendary jazz record producer who managed Bill Evans for decades before she died in 1996, heard in Roger Davidson a musician with that flexibility.” James Gavin.

Musicians:  Roger Davidson, piano
David Finck, bass
Dave Ratajczak, drums
And featuring * Charles Descarfino, percussion