Violinist Duane Padilla releases debut solo album Sentimental Swing (Honolulu, HI) On June 1, 2011, Violinist Duane Padilla released his debut solo album entitled “Sentimental Swing." Inspired by the lyricism of Frank Sinatra and the eternally optimistic melodies of French jazz violinist Stephane Grappelli, the album presents a selection of romantically swinging jazz improvisations based on classics from The Great American Song Book.
Honolulu Symphony Violinist Duane Padilla stumbled into Honolulu's jazz scene very much by accident. “After Symphony rehearsal one evening, I decided to go to dinner & enjoy a musical set by Hawaii's then reigning jazz duo Azure McCall and Tennyson Stephens at Chai's Bistro." Recalls Duane, “I had just finished paying my bill when Azure, noticing that I was carrying an instrument, called out from the stage, 'You don't think you can leave without playing a song do you?' Unsure of how to respond, I took out my violin, even though I had never played a note of jazz in my life. After 3 tunes, I knew my musical life would never be the same." Since that fateful evening, Duane has been busy building his reputation as Hawaii's premiere jazz violinist. He is seen most often performing with the highly acclaimed gypsy swing band The Hot Club of Hulaville (HCOH), whose recent chart topping album “Django Would Go!" was the most frequently played album on jazz radio and streaming internet in the US in January 2011 and won the Hawaii Academy of Recording Arts prestigious Na Hoku Hano Hano Award for Jazz Album of the Year.
For his debut solo album Sentimental Swing, Duane presents a nostalgic tribute to the early days of jazz when vocalists like Ella Fitzgerald and Sarah Vaughn filled the radio airwaves with songs about love lost and love found. Joining him in the studio are Tennyson Stephens and veteran bassist Steve Jones. Hoping to recreate the intangible warmth found on the classic vinyl records, recording engineers utilized “Old School" recording techniques involving arranging players around a pair of vintage ribbon microphones at their recording session at Hawaii Public Radio. Conceived as a “celebration of ideas of the moment," planning for the album was simple. No rehearsals. No charts. No set lists. Simply meet at the recording studio. Turn on microphones. Call tunes to be played in a style somewhere between Stephane Grappelli and Frank Sinatra. Press record. Let the magic happen.
* According to Roots Music Report Jan 2010
Honolulu Symphony Violinist Duane Padilla stumbled into Honolulu's jazz scene very much by accident. “After Symphony rehearsal one evening, I decided to go to dinner & enjoy a musical set by Hawaii's then reigning jazz duo Azure McCall and Tennyson Stephens at Chai's Bistro." Recalls Duane, “I had just finished paying my bill when Azure, noticing that I was carrying an instrument, called out from the stage, 'You don't think you can leave without playing a song do you?' Unsure of how to respond, I took out my violin, even though I had never played a note of jazz in my life. After 3 tunes, I knew my musical life would never be the same." Since that fateful evening, Duane has been busy building his reputation as Hawaii's premiere jazz violinist. He is seen most often performing with the highly acclaimed gypsy swing band The Hot Club of Hulaville (HCOH), whose recent chart topping album “Django Would Go!" was the most frequently played album on jazz radio and streaming internet in the US in January 2011 and won the Hawaii Academy of Recording Arts prestigious Na Hoku Hano Hano Award for Jazz Album of the Year.
For his debut solo album Sentimental Swing, Duane presents a nostalgic tribute to the early days of jazz when vocalists like Ella Fitzgerald and Sarah Vaughn filled the radio airwaves with songs about love lost and love found. Joining him in the studio are Tennyson Stephens and veteran bassist Steve Jones. Hoping to recreate the intangible warmth found on the classic vinyl records, recording engineers utilized “Old School" recording techniques involving arranging players around a pair of vintage ribbon microphones at their recording session at Hawaii Public Radio. Conceived as a “celebration of ideas of the moment," planning for the album was simple. No rehearsals. No charts. No set lists. Simply meet at the recording studio. Turn on microphones. Call tunes to be played in a style somewhere between Stephane Grappelli and Frank Sinatra. Press record. Let the magic happen.
* According to Roots Music Report Jan 2010
