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 GERALD
VEASLEY MAKES HIS MOVE ON NEW HEADS UP CD
Your Move set for worldwide release on March
11, 2008
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Contemporary jazz bassist Gerald
Veasley makes no claim to be a master chess player, but there
are certain unmistakable parallels between his line of work and
the small-scale war game that has challenged great minds for centuries.
Like chess, Veasley sees music as a pursuit that involves a combination
of strategy, quick thinking and even a bit of blind faith.
“There’s a multiplicity of decision making in the
game of chess, and there are consequences to every action,”
says Veasley. “In a lot of ways, making music is like that
too. There are so many choices, especially in jazz, where the
situation is never the same twice. That’s always exciting
to me. You’re creating new scenarios at every turn –
every time you step in front of an audience, or every time you
step into the studio. That’s what drew me to this kind of
music in the first place – the idea that it was always fresh,
there was always an opportunity and a new challenge. Unlike chess,
though, winning in jazz doesn’t mean someone else has to
lose.”
That same combination of challenges, opportunities and win-win
is at the heart of Your Move (HUCD 3130), Veasley’s
new Heads Up International CD set for worldwide release on March
11, 2008. The album is the latest – and perhaps most innovative
and audacious – maneuver in the game that Veasley has been
playing since his early days as an up-and-coming musician in his
native Philadelphia.
“After all those years, after all the records I’ve
made, I’m really mindful of the fact that not just music
but life in general is a lot like that too,” says Veasley.
“There are so many decisions that you have to make. You
get the best information you can, and then you take the next step.
Sometimes you have to be willing to make a leap and take a chance.
There are always situations where you have to be flexible and
adjust, and you have to adjust quickly.”
Any good game involves more than one player, and Veasley has
a couple collaborators on hand that make Your Move an intriguing
gambit. Guitarist Chuck Loeb steps in as a formidable session
player/producer and author or co-author of several tracks. Saxophonist
and longtime Veasley band member Chris Farr also shares a few
song credits.
The album opens with the infectious riff of “Hear Now!”
a high-energy tune written and arranged by Loeb that serves as
a somewhat rare showcase for Veasley’s technical chops.
“When I’m the writer or the arranger, I usually think
about more than just the bass,” says Veasley. “I tend
to think about what’s best for the song in general, and
what all the instruments will sound like together. But Chuck wanted
me to have the chance to do one of those bass-in-your-face songs.
This was my opportunity to show off a little bit.”
The easygoing “Slip ‘n’ Slide” includes
some playful interplay between Veasley and Loeb, with a rock solid
backbeat crafted by drummer Josh Dion.
“So Close to the Sun” showcases guest trumpeter John
Swana and includes atmospheric layers from organist Peter Kuzma
and vocalist Mikki Kornegay. “This song has a range of emotions,”
says Veasley. “It’s actually a little bit melancholy
in the beginning, but it has a very buoyant, triumphant flavor
toward the end.”
The title track appears midway through the set, and the ease
with which it came together in the studio is evident in the final
playback. “’Your Move’ is one of those songs
that, from the instant it starts, puts you in that frame of mind
to just settle into your chair and enjoy the groove,” says
Veasley. “It just feels right and sounds right. It was easy
to work through when we were recording it. When a song comes together
that effortlessly, you almost second-guess yourself. You find
yourself asking, ‘Wow, could it really be that easy?’
The truth is, there’s a complexity to it, but it comes together
so easily because of Chuck’s skills as a producer.”
“Three Tears” is a tribute to Veasley’s longtime
friend Kip Boyer, who passed away earlier this year. Though understated
and respectful, the track maintains an optimistic and even whimsical
edge. “When I started writing it and recording it, I thought
it would be this sort of sad-sounding song,” says Veasley.
“I had intended to create this kind of solemn tribute, and
it ended up being very hopeful. It had a beauty I didn’t
expect. But then I realized, that was Kip. That was the essence
of him.” “Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)”
is a unique take on the Sly & The Family Stone classic from
1970. “Being a lover of soul music and growing up in that
era, I just see Sly Stone as the quintessential master of funk.
I welcome any opportunity to tip my hat to him, and I think I’ve
managed to capture some of the lighthearted spirit of the original
tune.” The set ends on a romantic note, with “Roxanne’s
Dance,” Veasley’s musical tribute to his wife –
the life partner with whom he makes every move. “My quest
with this record was to tap into an emotional core,” he
says. “I’m trying to make music about those aspects
of life that are common to all of us. There’s a certain
rhythm to life, regardless of what you do for a living. There
are experiences you have every day – certain moves that
you make – with your spouse, your kids, your colleagues,
whomever. A lot of those experiences are universal, and I’m
trying to bring some of them to light.”
The pieces are all in place on Gerald Veasley’s newest
CD. Listen to Your Move and follow his next step
in the game.
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