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Friends, Old & New

Greg Chako

Label: Mint 400 Records & Raining Music
Released: 2022
Views: 684

Tracks

Organomics; Spring Rain; Bent Metal - Tribute to a Green Trucker; Walk With Me; The Whole Truth; Samba Summer (vocal); Wayne’s Waltz; Giles Smiles; Groove Time; Samba Summer (instrumental).

Personnel

Album Description

“Recalls those exciting hard blowing sessions of the 1960’s which featured Hank Mobley, Donald Byrd, and Jackie McLean . . . with an effective mix of hard bop and Latin rhythms guaranteed to keep listener attention” David Nathan, AllMusicGuide “Transcends geographic boundaries and cultures and communicates the happiness and friendship that all music should provide.” Professor Vince Lewis for Just Jazz Guitar “A jazz mosaic painted with the very best of culture, ethnic, and musical sensibilities. That striking combination provides a sumptuousness and extensiveness that is rarely found in any genre.” Keith “MuzikMan” Hannaleck of Jazz Reviews Greg Chako suffered through an unfortunate recording hiatus of over 8 years, caused by a combination of personal circumstances and the outset of COVID in 2020, only to rise up in 2022 like a ‘phoenix from the ashes’ to record his 11th album as a leader titled, Friends, Old & New. Chako signed to Mint 400 Records and Raining Music in 2022, and they are reissuing some of his older catalogue with new packaging, and spearheading his brand new recordings beginning with this one, the first of 3 due to be released by next summer (2023). Therefore, Friends, Old & New promises to mark an impressive relaunch, if not an actual surpassing, of the prolific recording career that produced 9 albums in just a little over 10 years when Chako lived in the Far East. It features an all-original set of 10 songs, ranging in style from a bluesy and traditional Guitar/Organ/Drums Trio, to a Brazilian-Flavored Sextet featuring percussion and both a male and female vocalist. Chako penned all the lyrics too, which are as supremely lyrical as his guitar playing. There are 9 players present on the record, but the format alternates with trio, quartet, quintet, and sextet. Saxman Brooks Giles doubles on Tenor and Soprano; Vocal songs are interspersed with the instrumentals (in the style of Cannonball Adderley presents Nancy Wilson); Organ & Bass share roles throughout, except on the tour-de-force final track, Samba Summer, on which they both play.