DESCRIPTION:
A great gift: Jazz tenor saxophonist Larry McKenna's new critically-acclaimed CD, "Larry McKenna From All Sides" - straight-ahead, swinging modern jazz at its best! Standards and Larry McKenna originals featuring his gorgeous tenor saxophone sound, beautiful balladry, and be-bop inspired improvisations - plus superb vocalist Joanna Pascale and 8 fantastic sidemen.

Available on CDBaby,com (http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/larrymckenna1), Amazon.com, iTunes and CD autographed on request available directly from Larry: email ljmckenna@comcast.net.

"Larry McKenna is simply one of the best musicians I know. His improvisations are astounding, melodic, intelligent and consistently surprising. His compositions are unique and masterful, and his arranging delivers precisely what the song requires." ~ Warren Vaché, Cornetist

"His playing is hauntingly beautiful and his mastery of the jazz idiom is peerless." ~ Victor L. Schermer, AllAboutJazz.com

One of the world's finest jazz saxophone players, Larry McKenna has just released his fourth CD as a leader, "Larry McKenna From All Sides."

Together with four standards, "Larry McKenna From All Sides" showcases eight original works arranged and performed by Larry with a band of premier East Coast jazz artists, including four new songs with lyrics by Melissa Gilstrap, interpreted by rising star vocalist Joanna Pascale.

"Every Larry McKenna solo on 'Larry McKenna From All Sides' is a gem. Hearing Larry McKenna improvise is like listening to a master storyteller - one with an immense vocabulary, impeccable timing and incomparable wit." ~ Gerald Veasley, Bassist

VOTED NUMBER ONE for four weeks! The McKenna/Gilstrap original bossa nova "One Falling Tree" as sung so expressively by Joanna Pascale was voted by listeners as their #1 favorite new jazz release for four weeks (9/30/13, 10/7/13, 10/14/13 and 10/28/13) in the weekly Jazz Hot 11 Countdown of WRTI 90.1 FM (broadcasting in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware). The song is now in its 14th straight week on the Countdown as of 12/17/2013.

DON'T MISS OUT ON THE PHYSICAL CD PACKAGE! The CD's beautiful packaging is reminiscent of the covers of classic jazz LPs. This classy 8-panel digipak features extensive liner notes by Larry, lyrics to the four new vocal tunes, and two original portraits of Larry drawn in live performance plus photographs of all personnel by artist/lyricist Melissa Gilstrap. In Larry's first-ever liner notes, he shares the excitement of his recent development as a vocal songwriter and engaging stories of his inspiration for the 8 originals on the CD, all with his trademark humor and modesty.

Personnel - "Both the horns and the rhythm section are virtuosos at the top of their game. " ~ Victor L. Schermer, AllAboutJazz.com

Larry McKenna -- tenor saxophone
Joanna Pascale -- vocals
George Rabbai -- trumpet & flugelhorn
Joe McDonough -- trombone
Tom Lawton -- piano
Joshua Richman -- piano
Kevin MacConnell -- bass
Lee Smith -- bass
Pete Smyser -- guitars
Dan Monaghan -- drums
Glenn Ferracone - engineer

Tracks (total time 75:41) - All arrangements by Larry McKenna:

1. Everything I've Got
(by Lorenz Hart & Richard Rodgers)
2. One Falling Tree
(by Larry McKenna & Melissa Gilstrap)
3. That Old Black Magic
(by Johnny Mercer & Harold Arlen)
4. The Close Things
(by Larry McKenna & Melissa Gilstrap)
5. September Song
(by Maxwell Anderson & Kurt Weill)
6. Friends For A While
(by Larry McKenna & Melissa Gilstrap)
7. Samba De Else
(by Larry McKenna)
8. Side Stepping
(by Larry McKenna)
9. I'll Never Be The Same
(by Gus Kahn, Matt Malneck & Frank Signorelli)
10. Action Blues
(by Larry McKenna & Melissa Gilstrap)
11. Christmas Is Being With You
(by Larry McKenna & Melissa Gilstrap)
12. You're It
(by Larry McKenna)

Produced by Larry McKenna and Melissa Gilstrap, "Larry McKenna From All Sides" is supported in part by a 2012 Subito Grant from the Philadelphia Chapter of the American Composers Forum.

"Someone once asked Stan Getz his idea of the ultimate tenor player. His reply was, someone with my technique, Zoots Sims's time and Al Cohn's ideas. Well, that player has finally been found. Just listen to Larry McKenna on this CD. Wow!!"
~ Marion Evans, two-time Grammy nominated arranger & arranger of five songs on Tony Bennett's platinum-selling, Grammy-winning 2011 album, "Duets II"