New Album: February 21st, 2020: Paul Jones - Let's Get Tropical
“Dynamic Story-teller Paul Jones’”Let’s Get Tropical” draws the listener in with a lighthearted exterior while masterfully delivering the highest NY caliber musicianship and innovative compositions.”
For Immediate Release
NEW YORK CITY, N.Y. - Following in the footsteps of some of the most classic albums in jazz, NY-based tenor saxophonist Paul Jones has assembled a “dream-team” of his favorite musicians to bring to life this latest set of compositions. The new release features Paul Jones on saxophone, Phil Markowitz on piano, Linda Oh on bass, and Clarence Penn on drums. With no music in mind, and a record date on the books, the gregarious Jones set out to create the framework for what would become “Let’s Get Tropical” (OiM2013).
According to Jones: "Phil, Linda, and Clarence were easily working at the highest level I've experienced. But beyond their extreme skill and professionalism, I was inspired by the joy they brought to making music that day!"
The process for Let’s Get Tropical unfolded much like the sessions in the hey-day of jazz. Get the studio, book a great band, and then create and document that musical moment. Unlike 2017’s Clean where Jones sequestered himself at the Banff Creative Arts Center in Alberta, Canada to meticulously craft highly compositional pieces; the music here was born out of the inspiration of bringing together these great artists.
"Much of the music for this record, like my previous records is based on my personal experiences and creating music for the people I'll be recording with. I try to create ideas that let the players shine while taking listeners on a journey” Jones recalls.
Paul’s compositions on this album range from archival pieces to his personal algorithmic compositional process. The tunes MR 4 and MR 2 were inspired by the music of Maurice Ravel and is part of a future four-movement work he is putting together for jazz quartet. MR 4 draws from the final movement of Ravel’s String Quartet. MR 2, appearing later in the album, was inspired by the second movement of Ravel’s Gaspard de la nuit. One of the beautiful things about the versions of MR 2 on Let’s Get Tropical was that it was recorded in just one take. The piece embodies the convergence of jazz and classical music history with modern improvising masters. Mental Self Defensive Fitness directly draws from the political themes addressed in Public Enemy’s Fight The Power, Jones shedding light on the relevance of this message, still as relevant today as it was in 1989.
Let’s Get Tropical draws the listener in with a lighthearted exterior while masterfully delivering the highest NY caliber musicianship and innovative compositions. Let's Get Tropical brings levity, depth, and enjoyment to today's musical world. Sometimes it's ok to contemplate life's complexities, at the beach.
Let’s Get Tropical releases on Outside in Music on February 21, 2020.
About Paul Jones:
Saxophonist and composer Paul Jones is, at heart, a storyteller. Whether drawing inspiration from classic works of literature or the confessional rhymes of hip hop; the spontaneous inventions of his jazz forebears or the intricate architecture of contemporary classical music; or simply connecting with his own life experiences – Jones’ music invariably takes the listener on a compelling narrative journey.
It’s precisely those qualities that led DownBeat to call Jones “a composer who has brilliant things to say and a captivating way of saying them.” The magazine has awarded both of Jones’ albums four-star ratings, calling his latest, Clean (Outside in Music), “an inspired work of art with an organic flow that belies its heady origins.” That blend of challenging complexity and riveting accessibility is key to Jones’ music, which is guided by a favorite maxim of the iconic Charles Mingus: “Anyone can make the simple complicated. Creativity is making the complicated simple.”
Since arriving in New York City, Jones has become a key member of a cohort of young innovators on the modern jazz scene playing regularly at hotspots like the Bar Next Door and Cornelia Street Café. The loose coterie includes Matt Davis’ Aerial Photograph, Nicholas Biello’s Vagabond Soul with Clarence Penn, Leon Boykins and Jonathan Parker. He also regularly collaborates and has recorded with the Uptown Partydown, Brett Ferguson, Tory Hanna, The Jack Moves, Adam Lasher, and St. Lucia.
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