Steve Cole has five CDs in his catalogue and has previously recorded for Atlantic, Warner Brothers and Narada Jazz. He recently signed a multiple-album deal with Mack Avenue/Artistry Music. The first project for the label entitled ‘Moonlight‘ is a collection of classic pop songs and standards set amidst an orchestral backdrop. The project includes such iconic songs as the Bacharach and David penned ‘The Look of Love’, ‘Cry Me a River’, ‘Shenandoah’, ‘The Long and Winding Road’ (Beatles) and ‘Close Your Eyes’ (James Taylor) to name a few. In addition to the strings, the arrangements include tastefully placed harp, woodwinds and tempered brass.
The supporting rhythm section is comprised of Mike Logan (Will Downing) on keyboards, Russell Ferrante (Yellowjackets) on piano and Steve Rodby (Pat Metheny Group) on bass. With a gorgeous classically-trained tone and an ear for lyrical melody, Steve most closely resembles a vocalist, emphasizing interpretive phrasing and direct emotion.
For this new album, Steve has found the perfect setting for this bel canto technique – a symphonic orchestra playing inspired arrangements by Michael Cunningham, making his major-label debut as an orchestral arranger. At the heart of this project is the title track, which appeared in the 1995 film ‘Sabrina’. ‘I saw the movie a few years ago and heard that song,’ Steve says, ‘and it was just delightful – after all, it was written by John Williams. So I just sort of indexed it away, and when I started thinking about this project, I was searching for music that would communicate a big warm blanket – a record that would be enveloping and that’s when I remembered this song.’
With ‘Moonlight’, Steve comes full circle back to his first success as a young musician – performing with strings and winds. His father, a professional saxophonist, had taught him the instrument, but Steve dropped out of the school band – ‘I didn’t really enjoy playing the notes on the page’ – and lost interest in music entirely, before a high-school teacher introduced him to classical saxophone technique. ‘He had studied at the Bordeaux Conservatory in France, and he was a dedicated teacher, with this beautiful sound and concept. He got me seriously studying classical music for saxophone and orchestra: no jazz at all.’
Re-energized by his desire to recapture his roots, and impelled by the melody of ‘Moonlight’, Steve Cole has produced a record full of strong emotion and genuine craftsmanship. The interaction of his saxophone with the intimate arrangements has allowed him to create a modern collection of lovely cameos in the classical concerto tradition – while at the same time charting a new direction for the next stage of his career.
‘For me, it’s always a lot more fun when people get what you’re doing.’ In a nutshell, that statement describes saxophonist Steve Cole’s approach to music: he has crafted his style with communication foremost among his objectives. Many of the greatest jazz musicians have sought the same goal; from Louis Armstrong to Count Basie to Stan Getz to Miles Davis. And while Steve would not compare himself to any of these giants, he has nonetheless absorbed the basic lesson of their music – reaching beyond his craft to communicate with his listeners. ‘I am so anxious to have the opportunity to present this new project to audiences in live theater type settings where I will have the chance to connect with them in an emotional way, providing a memorable night of first class music for all to enjoy,’ Steve expounds. ‘The legacy of popular music in an orchestral setting is timeless and I am quite fortunate to be able to present my artistry in this fashion.’
The orchestra fine tunes their instruments, the lights dim, Steve Cole walks onto the stage and within moments you find yourself immersed in a captivating sonic landscape.
‘To me, the new project is so refined yet seemingly completely accessible – leaving me slightly vulnerable in how I approach the melodies to these timeless classic songs,’ he confesses. ‘At this point in my career it was important to document something that will be as relevant ten to twenty years from now as it is today – and it’s quite possible, we may have accomplished just that.’