Echoes of an Era ft. Lisa Fischer, Javon Jackson, and Lenny White
“Echoes of An Era” is a musical project that celebrates the arc and legacy of the art form known as Jazz. The repertoire will be a mixture of timeless jazz selections coupled with original compositions. The ensemble will include Lisa Fischer, Lenny White, Javon Jackson, Patrice Rushen and Nicholas Payton. This “Echoes of An Era” project revisits and pays loving tribute to the initial “Echoes of An Era” recording project that included Chaka Khan, Lenny White, Chick Corea, Freddie Hubbard, Joe Henderson and Stanley Clarke.
“Echoes Of An Era, a selection of well-chosen standards done the old-fashioned way with mics on everybody, no more than two takes of anything, no overdubs—but departing from the norm by featuring the vocals of R&B siren Chaka Khan. Khan skillfully runs through the paces on a series of Corea’s athletically demanding arrangements.
First, the Pinkard/Tracy/Tauber standard “Them There Eyes,” then the Ella Fitzgeraldesque swoop-and-scat “All Of Me,” followed by a galloping romp through Thelonious Monk’s “I Mean You” that is full of unison jumps and masterful comping and soloing from Corea, as he does some of the best interpreting of Monk since Monk. The titles are all familiar—George Gershwin’s “I Loves You Porgy,” Billy Strayhorn’s “Take The ‘A’ Train,” Frank Loesser’s “I Hear Music”—but Khan’s fresh approach is anything but familiar.” – Taken from AllAboutJazz