The Clare Fischer Voices - ...And Sometimes Instruments (2011)

This is my 50th recording as a solo artist. When I reflect back on all the music in my life, I can’t help but think about the pieces I wrote that have yet to be released. There is much material and several years ago I asked my son Brent to see that it all gets done. He has worked tirelessly and, having absorbed my style over the decades, is uniquely qualified to direct these recordings, in some cases finishing works for me so, at my age, I can just listen and enjoy. Below are his recollections about making this CD. This CD is but one fine example of all the music to come. ~ Clare Fischer

Greetings Clare Fischer connoisseurs! I want to personally thank you for the enthusiasm that has kept this group going for more than 30 years now. From the beginning, when the group was called Clare Fischer and Salsa Picante present 2+2, to later years when it was changed to Clare Fischer and Friends, and now as The Clare Fischer Voices and Latin Jazz Group, this timeless music has remained on the cutting edge of creativity.

One of the most compelling reasons for the release of this CD was that much of the written music was composed/arranged for no other reason than the sheer joy of doing so. After charts were finished over the years, they were put away and more pressing matters dealt with. It was only through organizing the music library to be archived that I “discovered” them.

Besides the unparalleled style of writing, melding both jazz and symphonic influences, an important concept that distinguishes this group is Clare Fischer’s idea that the choir, when not singing acapella, functions as an integral part of the ensemble, much as the clarinets do in The Clare Fischer Clarinet Choir, as opposed to the singer/back-up band concept. In this way, each song presents a different orchestrational coloring. I hope you will enjoy the variety encompassed by the following:

Tom Cat – A Clare Fischer original - lyrics and music - inspired by one of his pets, 2 arrangements exist; one with vocals and one without. Each has its own crafty features so I have blended them into this singular version. Notice how my father’s clever programmatic treatment of his lyric is creatively superb while gently poking fun at the mediocrity of typical programmatic music at the same time!

Mood Indigo – Clare Fischer has arranged many versions of this classic because he loves it so much. Besides one for big band, he also wrote one for full orchestra to accompany a solo voice. After that was released, he liked the orchestration so much that he wrote a corresponding 6 part vocal score but never recorded it. Upon seeing both scores and realizing that we didn’t have the budget for such a huge undertaking, I decided to arrange an orchestral reduction for jazz quintet. The 5 and 6 note chords in the vibraphone part are done using a 6 mallet grip (3 in each hand) I designed in order to play Fischer harmonies. The part that sounds like a nylon string guitar is actually my 6 string bass cleverly engineered.

America the Beautiful – It’s a wonder that, out of all the numerous arrangements of this grand song, none utilize that most noble and befitting setting: true six part harmony. Until now, that is! I can’t think of a finer way to present such an enduring melody, especially with the interplay between choir and piano, played to perfection by our good friend Bryan Pezzone, that my dad devised.

Una Mañana (Morning in Spanish) – For years Clare Fischer has enjoyed his classic tune Morning being a Latin standard in many countries and covered numerous times, both vocally and instrumentally, by other great artists. He has also been frustrated, however, by some who unilaterally wrote their own lyrics for the song and recorded without permission. Being fluent in Spanish, he feels strongly that these unauthorized versions infringe on his intellectual property rights and demean the original concept behind the lyrics. I decided to put the record straight by writing a new vocal arrangement appropriate for the thoughtful content of the Spanish lyrics, written by Barbara Ransom, while keeping the original Latin groove we have played with the band now for more than 3 decades. The keyboard solo is a great example of what the other band members and I have enjoyed listening to my father play on hundreds of live performances.

Dr. Clare Fischer - all keyboards (except where noted), narration (#10), vocals (#15)
Brent Fischer - all electric basses, vibraphone, marimba, shakers, rainstick, additional keyboards
Cor Bakker - keyboards (#7)
Bryan Pezzone - piano (#3)
Don Shelton - all woodwinds (except where noted), baritone vocal (#12,17), vocal solo (#9)
Mary Hylan - soprano vocal
Angie Jaree - alto vocal
Gary Jones, David Joyce - tenor vocal
Ian Freebairn-Smith (#2,3,5,8,10,11), John Laird (#19) - baritone vocal
Bob Joyce - baritone vocal (#1,4,6,7,9,13,14,18), bass vocal (#2,3,5,8,10-12,17,20)
Darlene Koldenhoven - soprano vocal (#19)
Melissa Mackay - alto vocal (#12,17)
Michael Redman - tenor vocal (#19)
Gary Foster - clarinet (#15)
Alex Budman - soprano saxophone (#11)
Enzo Todesco (except #15), Kendall Kay (#15) - drums
Kevin Ricard - percussion

Track List:
01. Tom Cat (Fischer) - 3:51
02. Mood Indigo (Ellington-Bigard) - 4:19
03. America the Beautiful (Ward-Bates) - 2:58
04. Una Manana (Fischer) - 3:11
05. I Should Care (Stordahl-Weston-Cahn) - 1:58
06. Chopin Etude Op.10, No.6 (Chopin) - 3:38
07. Bachi (Fischer) - 6:10
08. If (Gates) - 4:16
09. You're My Thrill (Gorney-Clare) - 3:30
10. Last Night When We Were Young (Arlen-Harburg) - 4:32
11. Waiting for Jack's Plane (Fischer) - 4:00
12. The Boy Next Door (Blaine-Martin) - 2:44
13. Happy Time (Fischer) - 4:25
14. When Your Lover Has Gone (Swan) - 2:41
15. I'm Fine (Brent Fischer-Clare Fischer) - 2:21
16. So What Do I Care? (Roussin-Fischer) - 2:31
17. Memories of Gold (Fischer) - 2:27
18. Manha (Fischer) - 2:51
19. Love at Home (McNaughton) - 5:05
20. Pan Pipe Dance (Fischer) - 4:13



All thanks go to the fiks22

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