Veteran
keyboardist and composer Dan Siegel brings together a killer rhythm
section and a roster of top guitarists for his 23rd album, Unity, out
August 9, featuring bassist David "DJ" Ginyard and drummer Oscar Seaton,
along with a cast of six-string greats. Over the course of his four-and-a-half-decade career, Dan has covered a wide range of jazz music, from straight-ahead swing to contemporary jazz. While that’s a testament to his versatile talent and restless curiosity, it’s also a result of the diverse group of collaborators who have accompanied him along the way.
That’s a staggering list that includes Bela Fleck, Steve Gadd, Larry Carlton, Ernie Watts, Ottmar Liebert, Lee Ritenour, Brian Bromberg, Eric Marienthal, Bob Sheppard, Boney James, Alex Acuña and more.
“Recording is like magic sometimes,” Dan has said. “The music appears from nothing, which can be really gratifying. The best guarantee you can have is to hire good people. When I got together with Oscar and DJ, the feel and the overall direction changed pretty drastically from how I envisioned it.” Add to that a team of guitarists such as Rob Bacon (Raphael Saadiq, Amp Fiddler), Allen Hinds (Roberta Flack, Natalie Cole), Michael Miller (Boz Scaggs, Chick Corea), Dean Parks (Steely Dan, Michael Jackson), and Michael Thompson (Babyface, Whitney Houston). Not to forget percussion great Lenny Castro and saxophonist Tom Scott.
Dan composed all the songs himself. The opener ‘Best Foot Forward’ immediately brings to mind the work of The Crusaders, after which ‘Defining Moment’ provides a quiet smooth jazz moment. The ballad ‘Line of Sight’ is the next track, with a brass arrangement à la Gil Evans. Then it’s time for the somewhat funky ‘Streetwise’, while ‘Free Spirit’ floats on a light shuffle. And ‘Before I Go’ sounds soft. ‘Roadside Attraction’ on the other hand is livelier, followed by ‘Simple Things’. The title track closes.
A beautiful palette, that shows Dan’s talent. For lovers of contemporary jazz
Tracks:
Best Foot Forward
Defining Moment
Line of Sight
Streetwise
Free Spirit
Before I Go
Roadside Attraction
Simple Things
Unity