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Slow & Steady Records announces the re-release of Berkeley-based trombonist Danny Lubin-Laden's self-titled solo album. The album encapsulates the experiences from Lubin-Laden's eight years of living in Brooklyn, and captures the full range of his musical influences, from the United House of Prayer "shout bands" in Harlem, to tracks from the Smithsonian Anthology of American Folk music, to stories and lessons from his teacher, Art Baron, who played in Duke Ellington's Orchestra. "It's the first musical statement that brings together my many stylistic interests," says Lubin-Laden.
His first recording as a leader, Lubin-Laden assembled a cast of peers and collaborators from his time in New York, and recorded over several days at Knobworld, a studio in Los Angeles. On vocal tracks, Lubin-Laden worked closely with L.A.-based vocalist Ashley Nguyen and bassist-producer Garret Lang, both of whom perform throughout the album, along with guitarist Ari Chersky, pianist and organist Claude Rosen, drummer Adam Starkopf, and Danny on trombone.
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Track Listing & Notes
"Mama's Song," "Can See You See A Good Thing," and "Harold" feature the lush-voiced Ashley Nguyen on vocals. "I had a form and structure before we wrote the lyrics," says Lubin-Laden, who layered folk and gospel harmonies on trombone on all three songs. "It was easy working with Ashley, who adds a real dimensionality to the sound."
"To The Underdog 1 & 2" are written for four trombones, which Lubin-Laden initially premiered at his senior recital at the New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music. "Underdog opened up the possibility of writing for a 'trombone choir,'" notes Lubin-Laden. "In them, I tried to capture the pain experienced by the marginalized people with whom I rode the subway with, and encountered on the streets."
"Sunset and the Mockingbird" is a Tommy Flanagan composition that the Duke Ellington Orchestra performed, which was taught to Lubin-Laden by his teacher, Art Baron. "It's one of the most emotionally dense ballads I've ever heard," says Lubin-Laden. "I just tried to preserve its richness and beauty."
"Neruda" was inspired by a Chilean poet's melodic words. It has a "free" sense of time, which Lubin-Laden acknowledges influence from nights spent at the Village Vanguard listening to Paul Motion's bands.
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Danny Lubin-Laden is a trombonist and composer based in Berkeley, CA. A graduate of The New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music in NYC, Danny has spent time performing, composing and touring both nationally and internationally. More specifically, he's played in bands in Brooklyn and the Bay Area spanning genres from Ghanaian Highlife to rhythm and blues, New Orleans brass band and jazz. Danny currently performs with The Monophonics, the Electric Squeezebox Orchestra, a jazz big band featuring original compositions from Bay Area notables, and Brass Magic, an eight-piece brass ensemble featuring many of Danny's compositions. Danny is also a dedicated music educator with yearly teaching duties for both the Stanford Jazz Workshop and California Jazz Conservatory.
"...the ensemble's wonderful craftsmanship elevates simple designs into something much greater than the measure of its individual parts.There isn't a track on this album that isn't friendly and catchy.." - Dave Sumner (Bird is the Worm)
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