Sunday, December 16, 2012

Latest Majestic CD Notes

These are the entire liner notes written by Steve Habib for Marvin Bugalu Smith's CD MAJESTIC on CD Baby and itunes.

I have entered into the center of this music as I listened on my 66th birthday today Dec. 4th.2012
Search For The New Land starts out with both Rob and Chris blending and stroking the melody line so gently that the notes start penetrating and when Marvin and Lew lay down the groove

 it is almost orgasmic, Still, Joel is so gentle and colorful with his chords framing and Chris Pasin's beautiful trumpet solo, starts to inspire my inner most avenues, that now I am starting to go far away from all my troubles and I forget myself and all my daily problems, by the time Joel's guitar solo enters. Listen how carefully Marvin's drumming supports each player's ideas, Wow! the mix is so great, When Rob steps in and adds rainbows of colors on his soprano, I am now there, in the magical Majestic space that Marvin and the four others have taken me to and I am starting to tingle with joy, joy that can only be expressed by listening more and more to the entire CD. It is truly some of the greatest music that I have ever heard and should be considered for a Grammy. It has given me the ultimate joy and now I am enjoying the second song...
Little Devil also starts out with both Chris and Rob blending and massaging the melody line. The opening solo by Mr. Newton is classical and simply sparkling with air and stars of pure balance and togetherness. Joel has that special way of gently climbing into your heart and staying there as Marvin stimulates things then all of a sudden Rob takes over and places this musical vehicle into another gear. His clusters of chordal sounds and like he is an orchestra himself. I've noticed that Marvin brings out such individualism in each player and yet Master Marvin continues to motivate one soloist into another. Listen how Pasin takes over the conversation from Rob and does it so smoothly and without any hesitation. Notice how Lew Scott is always underneath every phrase that each player states and how "gloce-like" he works with Marvin placing those deep full bass tones under those wonderful drum tones that only Marvin can pull out of those cans of joy. Yeah, Marvin's sound is certainly one of the most unique of any drummer I've ever heard. He plays so lightly but yet he draws such amazing POWER out of that kit. Listen carefully to his solo on THE LITTLE DEVIL. Marvin has that unknown mysterious MAGICAL and MAJESTIC SOUND.
Blue Stride is one of my favorites as I simply love the way Rob comes right out and drives the entire song home right from the very start. Man, this is SWINGING TO THE MAX. Notice how every song is played to the max and that the music swings so hard. There's never any doubt that this could be one of the best CD's out there right now. I loved Lew Scott's bass solo on this BLUE STRIDE tune. The balance is always there and Marvin's trading is just like sitting on a SEE-SAW in the center with each side going up and down in perfect time.

You Don't Know What Love Is happens to be one of my all time favorites and by listening to it you might hear some very gentle,special notes that bring you back, maybe even to your childhood. Rob starts out delivering the melody so sweetly and with such professionalism that by the time Chris enters and confirms the melody the tune is on its way to a very high level and a level that few have achieved who have ever played this piece. There is such spirit here that I was almost in total tears listening to this especially while sitting in the hospital in Manhasset Long Island while my mother(87) a painter and artist, has been suffering. This music heals as I also sang this tune in my heart to her. These CATS have done it tune after tune and both Chris and Rob should be noticed carefully the way they spoke to each other here. Rob is KILLIN ME with all his rainbow clusters. Chris has such great command of the trumpet and delivers so easily, any thought that comes "IN THE MOMENT". I loved Rob's breathing on this tune, it had such passion. Lew Scott is always there with that deep velvet cornerstone of the groove and deep solo statements of pure love. The tune ends with such a great projection of gentle force.

Wurlitzer Waltz does it. Listen hard. Yeah, it spells SWING and there is no limit to where it will take you. This song bounces with joy all over the place and I'm lovin every second of the groove. This quintet of Marvin Bugalu Smith's is doin it all the way through and this final cut is actually only the start, the start of something big and powerful full of internal energy that I only felt while sitting listening to Coltrane,Jones, Tyner and Garrison ay The Half Note On Hudson Street in NYC.The very end of the song starting at 9:32 all the way to the very end you'll hear Marvin's absolutely MAJESTIC drum solo played right through the beautiful meldody depicting sll the solos taken by each player and his collection of all their statements played melodically through the drums and bringing you into a healing trance. Few drum solos that I've ever heard captures all the musical statements of the players' then translates them through the secret.mystical magic of the drums with the tonal quality and power of the wind,fire,earth and light that makes up the entire rainbow of MAJESTIC colors that I feel is classical and typical of this music genius that is called Dr. Marvin Bugalu Smith. Again, LOVE ALWAYS and ALWAYS LOVE.....HABIB I have attempted to use words that are in my heart throughout my listening and responding to this music. I know I was there, inside this music with each of these CATS because the Masterful recording and mixing was so great that I haven't heard this style of capturing music since I sat at VanGelder's in Englewoods Cliffs on route 9W when John,Elvin,McCoy and Jimmy were recording and Bob Thiel was producing. Marvin has done a great,special job producing,recording in his own studio and mixing so beautifully. I give congrats to Marvin,Andrew and each of the Master players on this CD.
LOVE ALWAYS and ALWAYS LOVE.... STEVE HABIB 12/04/12 my 66th Birthday. Enjoy as I have and listen to it many times and you'll hear new things always.
notes copyright 2012 Habib Music, Marbib Radio Television,BUMAR RECORDS

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