March 29, 2024

Add this Amazing Album to Your Music Collection!

As many of you know, I once studied to be a jazz musician. Although I came to grips with my profound lack of talent in my twenties, I am fortunate enough to have great friends who are among the world’s finest jazz musicians. Jazz remains one of the great joys of my life.

My friend Brian Lynch is not your average trumpet player. His trumpet playing facility and compositional skills are unrivaled. He is also curious, disciplined and a very find professor at the University of Miami. Brian has enjoyed long tenures in the bands of Art Blakey, Horace Silver, Phil Woods, Eddie Palmieri and countless other musical greats.

One of the most exciting experiences of my life was being in the recording studio (owned by Tony Bennett) while Brian rehearsed and recorded the groundbreaking CD, Simpático with 9-time Grammy Award winning Latin music giant, Eddie Palmieri, legendary jazz saxophonist Phil Woods and many of today’s finest jazz/latin jazz artists. Brian was gracious to give me an album credit for Videography, Web Photos and New Media Consultant. (you can see two of the videos I created in 2005 at the bottom of this post)

However, the greatest day of my life was when I put on my fancy clothes to attend the 2006 Grammy Awards where Brian won the Grammy Award for Best Latin Jazz Album of the Year and thanked me from the stage! I never screamed so hard or felt as much joy for another person than when I heard his name read as the winner. Seconds later Sylvia and I  were whisked away with the rest of Brian’s entourage to run the media gauntlet  before the televised Grammy spectacular and after-party. While waiting with Brian to do press interviews, we were positioned between Al Jarreau and Ruby Dee!

At the Grammys (real cameras were prohibited)

Brian initially released his self-produced and Internet-distributed recording via the pioneering Artistshare Web platform, where fans not only help finance the production, but participate in the creative process. The recording brings together musical elder statesmen, Eddie Palmieri and Phil Woods in a genre defying gumbo of jazz and latin rhythms. If you don’t know anything about music, Phil Woods improvised the iconic saxophone solo on Billy Joel’s Just the Way You Are, in one take. Brian, Eddie and Phil Woods were joined by the phenomenal Mexican American vocalist, Lila Downs, on two tracks and were supported by many of the best musicians of today.

The recording, engineering and mastering was done with great care and precision. This is a fantastic sounding album you will want to listen to for years to come and it is finally available for digital download in an extended version with extra tracks and PDF liner notes from Amazon.com, iTunes and Bandcamp.

Please check out this CD, you won’t regret it!

Buy the music via digital download!
The Brian Lynch/Eddie Palmieri Project Simpático
2006 Grammy© Award Winner, Best Latin Jazz Album
credits
COLLECTIVE PERSONNEL
Brian Lynch – trumpet
Eddie Palmieri – piano
Lila Downs – voice
Phil Woods – alto saxophone
Donald Harrison – alto saxophone
Yosvany Terry – alto saxophone
Gregory Tardy – tenor saxophone, clarinet
Conrad Herwig – trombone
Mario Rivera – baritone sax
Edsel Gomez – piano, organ
Boris Kozlov – acoustic bass
Ruben Rodriguez – baby bass
Luques Curtis – acoustic bass
Giovanni Hidalgo – congas
Pedro Martinez – congas, bongo, campaña, coro
Little Johnny Rivero – bongo, campaña
Dafnis Prieto – drums
Robby Ameen – drums
Marvin Diz – timbales
Pete Rodriguez – maracas, guiro
Adam Rogers – acoustic guitar
Joe Fielder – additional trombone

Musical direction and all arrangements by Brian Lynch

Recorded at Bennett Studios, Englewood, NJ on Nov. 23, 25, 26, Dec. 5, 2005
Engineer: David Darlington
Additional Recording at Bass Hit Studios, New York, NY
Mixed by David Darlington and Brian Lynch at Bass Hit Studios, New York, NY with assistance from Tom Dambly and Roger Townsend
Mastering: Tom Carr at The Annex, Menlo Park, CA
Produced by Brian Lynch
Production Assistance, Web Photos and Pro Tools: Tom Dambly
Principal Photography: Nick Ruechel
Videography, Web Photos and New Media Consultant: Gary Stager
Design: Christian Ericson

Executive Producer Participant: Roger Townsend
Gold Participants: Peter Straub, Jo Daley
Bronze Participants: Rafael Hernandez, Bryan Davis, Fred & Meg Lynch, Philip Tauber

Brian Lynch’s Horns: Yamaha 8310Z trumpet, Monette 993 trumpet (Que Sería La Vida, Tema Para Marissa)
Brian Lynch, Eddie Palmieri, and Phil Woods are Yamaha performing artists
Trumpet mouthpieces by Monette
Brian’s hats by Kelly Christy
Lila Downs courtesy of Narada Productions
Giovanni Hidalgo, Pedro Martinez, and Johnny Rivero are LP artists