STEVE COLE "MOONLIGHT"
The saxophonist is one of the most celebrated players in contemporary jazz, having sold hundreds of thousands of albums worldwide and scored four 1 R&R Smooth Jazz hits. He attended Northwestern University, where he explored modern classical music for the saxophone under the tutelage of internationally recognized educator Fred Hemke. While in undergraduate school, this gifted musician was a semi-finalist in the National Foundation for the Advancement in the Arts and one of three finalists in the Chicago Symphony Orchestra Concerto Competition and was awarded the privilege of performing Tableaux De Provence by Paule Maurice with the CSO and recording with the City of Prague Orchestra. Cole went on to earn his MBA which paved the way in his being appointed to Professor at the prestigious McNally Smith College of Music – a position which he maintains today.
The artist has five CDs in his catalog and has previously recorded for Atlantic, Warner Brothers and Narada Jazz. Recently Steve signed a multiple album deal with Mack Avenue/Artistry Music. The first project for the label entitled Moonlight is a collection of classic pop songs and standards set amidst an orchestral backdrop. The project includes such iconic songs as the Bacharach & David penned The Look of Love, folk songs Cry Me a River, Shenandoah, The Long and Winding Road (Beatles), Undun (Guess Who) and Close Your Eyes (James Taylor) to name a few. In addition to the strings, the arrangements include tastefully placed harp, woodwinds and tempered brass. The supporting rhythm section is comprised of Mike Logan (Will Downing) on keyboards, Russell Ferrante (Yellowjackets) piano and Steve Rodby (Pat Metheny Group) on bass. With a gorgeous classically-trained tone and an ear for lyrical melody, Cole most closely resembles a vocalist, emphasizing interpretive phrasing and direct emotion. For this new album Moonlight, Steve has found the perfect setting for this bel canto technique – a symphonic orchestra playing inspired arrangements by Michael Cunningham, making his splashy major-label debut as an orchestral arranger.
At the heart of this project is the title track, which appeared in the 1995 film Sabrina. “I saw the movie a few years ago and heard that song,” Cole says, “and it was just delightful – after all, it was written by John Williams” [the legendary film composer and arranger], and I thought, ‘This has all the elements I’m looking for. So I just sort of indexed it away, and when I started thinking about this project, I was searching for music that would communicate a big warm blanket – a record that would be enveloping and that’s when I remembered this song.” (Few others did: this is its debut cover recording.)
With Moonlight, Cole comes full circle back to his first success as a young musician – performing with strings and winds. His father, a professional saxophonist, had taught him the instrument, but Cole dropped out of the school band – “I didn’t really enjoy playing the notes on the page” – and lost interest in music entirely, before a high-school teacher introduced him to classical saxophone technique. “He had studied at the Bordeaux Conservatory in France, and he was a dedicated teacher, with this beautiful sound and concept. He got me seriously studying classical music for saxophone and orchestra: no jazz at all.”
Re-energized by his desire to recapture his roots, and impelled by the melody of “Moonlight,” Steve Cole has produced a record full of strong emotion and genuine craftsmanship. The interaction of his saxophone with the intimate arrangements has allowed him to create a modern collection of lovely cameos in the classical concerto tradition – while at the same time charting a new direction for the next stage of his career. “For me, it’s always a lot more fun when people get what you’re doing.” In a nutshell, that statement describes saxophonist Steve Cole’s approach to music: he has crafted his style with communication foremost among his objectives. Many of the greatest jazz musicians have sought the same goal; from Louis Armstrong to Count Basie to Stan Getz to Miles Davis. And while Cole would not compare himself to any of these giants, he has nonetheless absorbed the basic lesson of their music – reaching beyond his craft to communicate with his listeners.
“I am so anxious to have the opportunity to present this new project to audiences in live theater type settings where I will have the chance to connect with them in an emotional way, providing a memorable night of first class music for all to enjoy,” Steve expounds. “The legacy of popular music in an orchestral setting is timeless and I am quite fortunate to be able to present my artistry in this fashion.”
The orchestra fine tunes their instruments, the lights dim, Steve Cole walks onto the stage and within moments you find yourself immersed in a captivating sonic landscape. “To me, the new project is so refined yet seemingly completely accessible – leaving me slightly vulnerable in how I approach the melodies to these timeless classic songs.” he confesses. “At this point in my career it was important to document something that will be as relevant ten to twenty years from now as it is today – and it’s quite possible, we may have accomplished just that.”
