Giga Shane CD Release Party at Ortlieb's

Working with him on the CD and at Ortlieb's will be the exciting young jazz organist Lucas Brown and solid drummer, Wayne Smith replacing Byron Landham who is on the album. Brown and Landham both work Wednesday night gigs at Ortlieb's with powerhouse tenor saxophonist, Bootsie Barnes in addition to at various other gigs. Landham tours regularly with jazz organist Joey DeFrancesco. Both Shane and Brown graduated from Temple University in 2002.

Giga recounted some of his influences and background: "I would say that my main influences are Wes Montgomery, Grant Green and Joe Pass. While at Temple, I studied with Ed Flanagan, a great teacher and guitarist. I moved to to NYC two years ago to try to get involved in the scene there and have made some good connections there." He walked us through his CD prior to its release, covering both the numbers and his feelings about them: "1. Steamed Juicy Little Bun- (an original), a boogaloo I wrote with a playful feel. The name is a menu item I saw in a Chinese restaurant. 2. Diane-This is an old standard and the version that sticks with me and inspired me to do it was from a Sonny Stitt album. 3. Sticks and Stones-A really nice hard-bop original by my friend, Mike Cassidy, originally of San Diego and now living in NYC. 4. I Hadn't Anyone Till You-(Ray Noble) A Beautiful, underplayed ballad; a very short arrangement as the melody says it all. 5, Witchcraft-a standard tune, my arrangement, this is the up tempo outing for the album. Byron takes a great two chorus drum solo. My favorite version of this is by Bill Evans on Portrait in Jazz. 6. Cry-another original by me. It is an introspective, minor blues. 7. Back to the Tropics (I. Whipper) This is a tune I heard on a Charlie Rouse album and it really stuck with me. It is simple, but effective. On the Rouse album, they have a lot more people playing percussion, but Byron really takes up the space and does an incredible job."

Shane added that, "the liner notes are being written by Ed Flanagan and Peter Bernstein, the fantastic New York guitarist contributing an overview paragraph." The recording was done at Maja Studios in Philadelphia. He noted, "I chose to do the release at Ortliebs because it is still my favorite jazz club and always feels like home in terms of playing."

Ortlieb's Jazz Haus, 847 N. Third Street, 215.952.1035, 8:45 p.m.-1:30 a.m., Saturday, Giga Shane.