Stephens met Mehldau at a performance in New York’s Smalls Jazz Club, where Mehldau remarked on how much he enjoyed Stephens’s baritone playing. It felt right asking Mehldau to be a part of this project, as his ballad playing is especially remarkable. The idea to create a recording highlighting Stephens’s ballad and baritone sax playing had been formed quite a while ago, by Stephens and producer Matt Pierson. Together Stephens and Pierson selected tunes and personnel, recorded in The Clubhouse recording studio in Rhinebeck, New York. The musicians selected to fill out the ensemble: guitarist Julian Lage, bassist Larry Grenadier and drummer Eric Harland, performing with Mehldau for his first time. The recording begins with “Peace,” a straightforward composition with attractive harmonic movement that highlights the ensemble’s immediate chemistry. "I Left My Heart in San Francisco" has deep sentimental meanings for the Bay area bred Stephens. "Zingaro" is nuanced and effective, especially in the blend between guitar and piano. “The Good Life," which is stripped down to a moving trio with Lage and Grenadier. “The Duke” feels leisurely, the dynamic interplay between the ensemble members keeps a spark in this longtime favorite. Two Ennio Morricone compositions follow: "Brothers", lovingly played on soprano, followed by an atmospheric "Deborah's Theme" on tenor. "Oblivion” is a loose take on the tango with a special solo turn from the highly gifted Lage and Stephens on soprano. “Body And Soul" is adapted to baritone, deepened only by Grenadier's deft bass playing in duo. “Two for the Road," is a true serenade on tenor and includes some intriguing musical choices from all. "Moonglow" closes the program in a dancing duet between the low voices of baritone and bass. Dayna Stephens's Peace is a recording that has just the right balance of talent, taste and patience. The compositions are perfectly suited for the musicians to really get to the heart of their meanings. The musicians are evocative and daring, yet bring an enormous amount of restraint to their playing, showing maturity that only decades of serious ballad play can garner. ~ Extract from daynastephens.bandcamp.com.
Sunnyside Communications Inc.,
SSC 1399, 2014
Recorded at The Clubhouse,
Rhinebeck, New York
Additional Recording at
Strange Weather, Brooklyn, New York
Musicians:
Dayna Stephens - Tenor,
Soprano & Baritone Saxophones
Brad Mehldau - Piano
Julian Lage - Guitar
Larry Grenadier - Bass
Eric Harland - Drums
Tracks:
01. Peace {Horace Silver}
(6:34)
02. I Left My Heart In San
Francisco {George Cory, Douglas Cross} (4:59)
03. Zingaro {Antônio Carlos
Jobim} (7:48)
04. The Good Life {Sacha
Distel, Jack Reardon} (6:31)
05. The Duke {Dave Brubeck}
(3:58)
06. Brothers {Ennio
Morricone} (1:43)
07. Deborah's Theme {Ennio
Morricone} (4:00)
08. Oblivion {Astor
Piazzolla} (4:59)
09. Body And Soul {Johnny
Green, Edward Heyman, Robert Sour, Frank Eyton} (6:32)
10. Two For The Road {Henry
Mancini} (6:09)
11. Moonglow {Will Hudson,
Irving Mills, Eddie DeLange} (3:38)
Total Length: 56:57
Credits:
Producer - Matt Pierson
Executive Producer - Randi
Norman
Recording & Mixing
Engineer - Chris Allen
Engineer [Assistant] - Mike
Dwyer
Additional Recording Engineer
- Daniel Schlett
Mastering Engineer - Mark
Wilder
Photography & Graphic
Design - Christopher Drukker
Peace
