BY REQUEST: The Best of Karrin Allyson
2. Moanin'
3. What's New?
4. O Pato
5. Sous Le Ciel De Paris
6. Life Is A Groove (Jordu)
7. Everything Must Change
8. A Felicidade (Happiness)
9. Sweet Home Cookin' Man
10. Nature Boy
11. And So It Goes
12. Cherokee
13. Next Time Around (Soultrane)
From the Liner Notes
"Best of" CDs often seem to be issued at the end of an artist';s life or career. Well, not so here! So far I have released 11 albums as a leader with Concord Jazz (not including this collection) - something to celebrate, and very unusual nowadays - such a long-standing and healthy relationship with a record label. Carl Jefferson signed me after hearing my first recording, "Know About You)" (which I self-produced with the help of my colleagues, family, and friends while living in Kansas City), and Concord and I have been making recordings together ever since.
Here's a quick story: Before that first CD was even pressed, I was pre-selling them from the bandstand at local gigs (my business plan?). A wonderful, enthusiastic woman attending one of the gigs ordered two. When they were pressed, I sent them to her; she said she wanted to try to get me airplay in San Francisco where she lived. I thought reat! then I forgot about it. She sent it to a popular DJ, Stan Dunn, at KJAZ in the Bay Area, who liked it, and played it a lot on his morning show.
Stan had a devoted listenership and when they started calling him, asking where they could find it, Stan gave the phone number of Soundtrek, the K.C. studio where we'd recorded the album. Soon the secretary there called me and said 'We've got a lot of people calling about the CD. Should I give them your number? I started doing transcontinental business on the phone. I also called Stan Dunn to thank him. It turned out Stan was also the West Coast radio promoter for Concord Records and he told me he'd like to play it for "the man" himself, Carl Jefferson, founder and president of Concord. I said great and forgot about it again. (Okay, not totally).
"Jeff" called me and we had a very funny conversation on the phone. He reminded me of some of my family members - rasty, up front, and funny, so I could really relate to him. Why don't we just get you out here to talk? he asked. I did go out to Concord, California, took my sweetie Bill (McGlaughlin) for the big negotiation, and we signed a three album contract at the time, with Jeff buying my first one from me and re-releasing it as a Concord Jazz album. That was a first for both of us. Jeff never bought anyone's album.
I feel so lucky to say that I am still dear friends with both of those lovely people now thank you to Susan Hogeland and Stan Dunn. And to the dear departed Carl Jefferson - we still miss him! We had some lovely times with Jeff and his wife Nancy.
So, a quick memory or two about these tunes we chose for this project - and before I go any further, I'd like to thank my producer Nick Phillips for all of his TLC in everything he does.
-- Karrin Allyson
LABEL: Concord Jazz
CJA-31459-02
Credits:
Compilation produced by Karrin Allyson and Nick Phillips
Mastered by Joe Tarantino (Joe Tarantino Mastering, Berkeley, CA)
Project assistance - Abbey Anna, Rikka Arnold, Chris Caswell, Chris Clough, Evelyn Haddad, Tim Langridge, Bill McGlaughlin, Anna M. Sala
Package design - Andrew Pham
Photography - Randee St. Nicholas
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