STREET DREAMS

Feet First
August
Chorinho
Possible Straight
Hangtime
Before You Go
Newborn
Street Dreams

PLAYERS: Lyle (piano & keyboards), Bill Frisell (g), Marc Johnson (b), Steve Rodby (b), Peter Erskine (d), Steve Gadd (d), Steve Jordan (d), Vicki Randle (perc)

REFLECTIONS

LYLE: The most sophisticated thing I ever wrote was the third movement of the “Street Dreams” suite. It was scored for a live chamber orchestra and prerecorded synths with an English Horn lead. Steve Rodby conducted the orchestra in the studio and after the first run-through the players put down their instruments and applauded. I had never witnessed such behavior from studio musicians ever in my life. They seemed to be so happy to be working on an art piece that was both in the tradition that they both knew and had mastered but was somehow new and different. It was a love fest that day. The recording went beautifully and most all of the players thanked me personally afterwards for hiring them to participate in such an unusual undertaking.

They treated me like the maestro as I had given them the opportunity to shine at what they all knew how to do so well. Great orchestral musicians can often get studio gigs, but it is not often that they are asked to perform a work of art for hire. I spent a hell of lot of money that day, but it was worth every penny. I got the best orchestral players in NYC and they were amazed that I wanted them to produce art and produce it in the tradition that they knew. Normally when orchestral musicians get hired for studio gigs it is for whole note backgrounds on pop records. I told them I had hired them to be themselves and play like an orchestra, I wanted them for who they were and they repaid me with a splendiferous rendering of my chamber piece. They dug in hard and played with precision, expertise and passion. They were on my side and they played like it. It was probably the strangest and most beautiful recording session they ever had participated in. I was thrilled too. I got my piece performed expertly by the best orchestral musicians in NYC. The English Horn guy practically kissed me on the lips.

MARC JOHNSON: Lyle’s album projects were always an “event” for me.  Usually multi-day recording sessions at one of best studios in New York with some of the best players on the scene.   The sessions had intensity but were also relaxed at the same time.  A bit more of the big band tradition comes through on this album.  Plus Lyle’s sense of humor, especially on “Possible Straight.”  (Check out the polytonality on the bridge).  All in all, a great album for the imagination in the writing and colorful orchestrations and covers a wide spectrum of Lyle’s expansive musical world from modern classical to R&B and much in between.