Brandon Walker - Hollywood Jazz Collective (2019)

The digital re-release of the debut solo album by saxophonist Brandon Walker, featuring all original straight-ahead and innovative jazz compositions inspired by the Hollywood creative scene. In the late 1990s, Brandon Walker spent a prolific period composing original jazz tunes and performing with many local Hollywood Jazz musicians, known as the Hollywood Jazz Collective. Brandon could see the Hollywood sign from his Beachwood Canyon apartment, and this was great inspiration for the writing of this album.

The eclectic influences of straight-ahead jazz, hard-bop, blues and latin-jazz from the likes of John Coltrane, Miles Davis, Dextor Gordon, Stanley Turrentine, Lester Young, Coleman Hawkins, Sonny Rollins, Horace Silver, Charles Mingus and Poncho Sanchez are found on this collective.

The album was originally released in 2000 on Brandon's own V7 Records. Unfortunately, due to Brandon's abrupt move to Toronto, Ontario in 2000, the album did not receive the attention it deserved. It did, however, receive airplay on Jazz FM 91.1 in Toronto and other markets. It is being re-released in 2019 to commemorate the time-honored sound and songs that helped launch Brandon as a jazz saxophonist and composer.

Musicians:
Tenor & Soprano Saxophones: Brandon Walker
Vibraphone: Eldad Tarmu
Trumpet: Clay Jenkins (The Tease)
Trumpet: Mike Bolger (B's Peas, Autumn Becomes You, Yikes Sykes)
Trombone: Ira Nepus (B's Peas)
Organ: Mike Bolger (The Brando Walk)
Piano: Cengiz Yaltkaya
Acoustic Bass: Larry Muradian
Drums & Percussion: Steve Sykes

1. The Tease – This track features Clay Jenkins (Eastman School of Music) on trumpet and Eldad Tarmu on vibraphone, along with other brief solos setting up the tone of the album. The change of 4/4 swing of the 'B' section creates an exciting contrast to the 3/4 time 'A' sections.

2. B's Peas – The song and style was inspired greatly by Horace Silver's Song for My Father. Ira Nepus (Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra) contributes here with a fiery trombone solo, and Steve Sykes provides the lively percussion that gives this track its zest. The piano dissonant break by Cengiz Yaltkaya on the melody out brings memories to the band of the inside joke about Brandon's not-so-favorite vegetable.

3. One for Elisabeth – A perennial favorite dedicated to Brandon's young niece, Raleigh Elisabeth. The ballad inspires you to sit back, close your eyes, and enjoy the beauty of life. Brandon later wrote lyrics to this song and renamed it “My Song to You” (featured as the title track on Brandon's 2015 album, a collaboration with Ian MacGillivray and George Grosman). The song has also been arranged for big band and performed many times by the Jazz Connection Big Band in Ontario, Canada.

4. The Hollywood Jazz Collective – This tune encapsulates the signature sound of the Hollywood Jazz Collective and is its namesake. A blues tune with a quirky turnaround, the piano and vibraphone intro chords were designed as an offbeat illusion.

5. The Mocha – The HJC signature tune… an animated, uptempo bop number with bluesy inflections and breaks! An inspiration from gigs at Lulu's Beehive in Studio City, where many mochas were consumed.

6. The Brando Walk – A snazzy tribute to the Hollywood lounge scene, this number is driven by its hypnotic bass line, cool organ comps, a boss vibraphone solo, and bold saxophone licks throughout.

7. Autumn Becomes You – This straight-ahead crowd-pleaser presents the traditional tenor and trumpet jazz quintet sound and form. The title was aptly named by an audience member at an early performance.

8. Twelve Tone Love – Brandon features the soprano sax on this pensive and melodic ballad highlighting all 12 chromatic musical tones in the opening line. Written as a personal challenge to produce something musical presenting the 12 tones, the result that transpired was something beautiful.

9. Yikes Sykes (drum solo intro)

10. Yikes Sykes – Brandon wrote this to showcase the wizardry of drummer Steve Sykes, spotlighting his creativity in this wild composition. You'll hear great energy on this performance as it became a band favorite.

11. Lure – An inspiring night at the movies at Grauman's Chinese Theatre impelled Brandon to noodle on some minor chords with major 7ths. It resulted in something exotic and mystical that you could hear in Disney's The Jungle Book. Soprano saxophone and vibes are featured.

Tracklist:

01. The Tease
02. B's Peas
03. One for Elisabeth
04. The Hollywood Jazz Collective
05. The Mocha
06. The Brando Walk
07. Autumn Becomes You
08. Twelve Tone Love
09. Yikes Sykes (Drum Solo Intro)
10. Yikes Sykes
11. Lure