Calamari – Looking Up
When two old friends (they’ve been playing music together for over 60 years!) join forces with two younger jazz performers, the results are amazing!
Emil and Joe have been making music together for 60 years. They grew up together back on the East Coast but migrated to Los Angeles to make it in the music industry…and each has succeeded beyond their wildest dreams. Joined by David Garfield and Michael Valerio, this jazz quartet works through original tunes that feature odd meters and smooth grooves as well as up tempo show pieces. The melodic focus is on the custom-made Yamaha vibraphone that Emil plays but there’s plenty of time for solos all the way around.
Have you ever wondered who played the bells on Scarborough Fair? Or the snaps on the Addams Family TV show, the bongos on the original Mission Impossible TV show, or the xylophone on the Simpsons theme song? Well, Emil Richards, who has close to 2000 films and TV shows to his credit.
His credits span from Frank Sinatra, Joni Mitchell, Frank Zappa, The Beach Boys, Ella Fitzgerald, Bing Crosby, Marvin Gaye, George Harrison to over 750 more. He has played on Movie Scores written by Alfred Newman, Bernard Hermann, John Williams, Jerry Goldsmith, Elmer Bernstein, Bill Conti, and Quincy Jones, Danny Elfman and 100’s more.
Joe Porcaro is originally from Hartford, Connecticut, and now resides in Los Angeles where he is one of the most recorded percussionist/drummers on the music scene. His musical spectrum ranges from Jazz and Rock to Opera and Symphonic.
Joe has recorded with Stan Getz, Gerry Mulligan, Freddie Hubbard, and Don Ellis. He has also made albums with Frank Sinatra, Sarah Vaughn, Natalie Cole, TOTO, and Madonna.
David Garfield’s mission statement is “I make music.” And “make music” he does, as a world-renowned keyboard artist, producer, and composer. Be it jazz, rock, funk, or world beat – he is the creative force behind the production of many internationally acclaimed recordings.
A veteran of the LA session scene and transplant from the Midwest, Mike Valerio is frequent contributor to movie and television scores in the LA studio scene.
AIX Records’ premium DVD-Audio/Video have two sides. The first side in an interactive DVD-Video disc and the other side is a DVD-Audio disc [which requires a DVD-Audio capable machine to play it back].
The sound of this recording brings these incredible instrumentalists into your listening space. The HD-Audio surround mixes immerse you in the musical interplay with full range frequency response and dynamics. Check out how great big band jazz can sound!
Audio Samples
- Ciao Bella –
- Calamari Blues –
- Yo Go Jo Po –
- Sheep Lie –
- Betune –
- Horace –
- Celesta #4 –
- Jeff’s Strut –
- Sew Buttons On Your Old Man’s Pants –
- Turn Up The Audio For Claudio –
