Marcus Miller - A Night in Monte-Carlos featuring Marcus Miller, Roy
Hargrove, Raul Midón, and the L'Orchestre
Philharmonique De Monte-Carlo was a evening of surprises, musical
magic, jazz, blues, pop, rock, and more; as you know with Marcus Miller, there
is no status quo.
Marcus Miller - A Night in Monte-Carlo
Marcus Miller - A Night in Monte-Carlo: Blast!; So
What; State of Mind; I Loves You Porgy; Amandla; I'm Glad There Is You; O Mio
Babbino Caro / Mas Que Nada; Your Amazing Grace; Strange Fruit
Personnel: Marcus Miller: Bass Guitar, Bass Clarinet;
Roy Hargrove: Trumpet; Raul Midón: Vocals, Guitar; Alex Han: Alto Saxophone; DJ
Logic: Turntables; Federico Gonzalez Peña: Piano, Keyboards, Percussion; Poogie
Bell: Drums; Herbie Hancock: Piano (Strange Fruit); L'Orchestre Philharmonique
De Monte-Carlo
Marcus Miller - A Night in Monte-Carlo was produced
by Marcus Miller and
released on the Concord Music
Group label. Marcus, a two-time GRAMMY® winner, has produced nine
albums while participating on a Who's Who list of releases across genres from
rock, jazz, Rhythm & Blues, hip hop, blues, new wave, and smooth jazz for
than 40 years. Marcus was commissioned to perform a live concert in Monte-Carlo
in November 2009, and from this unforgettable evening came the release A Night in Monte-Carlo. Marcus, along
with his quartet, was accompanied by special guests Roy Hargrove on trumpet,
singer / songwriter / guitarist Raul Midón, and the L'Orchestre Philharmonique
De Monte-Carlo, all 50 strong.
The release opened with the track Blast!, a GRAMMY® -nominated instrumental song with Middle Eastern
overtones set against a progressive funk sound and coupled with the backing of
the L'Orchestre Philharmonique De Monte-Carlo, the tune jumped off the stage
and captured the audience's attention that this was a night to remember.
The release followed up with the track So What (Miles Davis - 1959) and Marcus changed the solo piano
introduction into a full orchestra that complements a sexy jazz beat with the
drums and bass guitar creating the bass line for Alex Han's tempting alto
saxophone, Federico Gonzalez Peña's mesmerizing piano work, and DJ Logic
scratching away on turntables.
The band and orchestra take a break as Raul Midón takes center
stage to play and sing the song
State of Mind that he recorded in 2005 on a
release of the same name. Simulating the drums through tapping on his guitar
and a trumpet with his lips, Raul is accompanied by Marcus on electric bass and
Federico Gonzalez Peña on udu (African percussion instrument). The orchestra
joins in on the classic track I Love You
Porgy from the Porgy & Bess Gershwin opera. Marcus love contrasts and
he creates one with the strings section with his musicianship on the fretless
bass.
The track Amandla,
which Marcus composed for the legendary Miles Davis, is placed in the hands and
lips of the trumpet maestro Roy Hargrove who reaches new heights with this
poignant song. I'm Glad There is You
has Roy trading
in the trumpet for the flugelhorn that complements the strings to create a
wistful sound.
The medley of O Mio
Babbino Caro / Mas Que Nada shows a warmer side to Marcus as he covers the
lyrical soprano voice of O Mio Babbino
Caro with his fretless bass and creates a mystical tone throughout the
Opera House. Marcus awakens the audience with the rollicking Brazilian classic Mas Que Nada and everyone joins in from Raul
playing voice trumpet to Roy's
trumpet.
The evening in Monte-Carlo closes with Marcus' arrangement
of Amazing Grace that he dubs Your Amazing Grace that features Marcus
on bass clarinet; an emotional sound that closes out a magnificent evening in
Monte-Carlo. The last track on the release, Strange
Fruit, was added after A Night In
Monte-Carlo was concluded; it is a reflective track on racial hatred that
was first performed by Billie Holiday in 1939, and through Marcus' bass
clarinet he captures the tears and pain.
A Night in
Monte-Carlo captures the many different faces of Marcus Miller, from his ability
to fluidly cross genres to his unique ability to arrange a classic into a new
format, and coupled with the backing of a full orchestra he was unstoppable.
Websites where you can procure Marcus Miller - A Night in
Monte-Carlo are Concord
Music Group, 7Digital,
Amazon,
iTunes,
CDON,
and CD Universe.
© January 2011. Luxury Experience. www.LuxuryExperience.com.
All rights reserved.
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