Billy Townes


(Pianist/Producer/Label Exec)

Approaching contemporary jazz with his own unique rhythmic and stylistic twists, Billy Townes always finds himself at the cutting edge. Drawing on a dynamic mix of traditional and modern influences, the El Paso based keyboardist/composer's six releases since 1988 earned him KXCR Program Director Bob "Doc" Burns' praise as "what music in the 90s is all about." Grooving straight on into millennium madness with a shimmering sense of energy and optimism, Townes' eclectic new recording Embrace brings his unforgettable sound into the next realm, once again focusing-as his 1996 album Nocturnal did-on the organic preciseness and warmth of his favorite instrument - the acoustic piano.

On Embrace, Townes works with the hometown folks he has long ensembled with, including bassist Jim Foster, drummer Demetrius Williams, trumpeter Marty Olivas, saxmen Hector Alvarez, Jimmy Olivas, Adrian Terrazas-Gonzalez, and trombonist Wes Wadley. Instrumental gunslingers Jay Azzolina (guitar) and Mike Sims (sax) are in from the East coast to help Townes tame his rhythmical playground. A colorful modern hip-hop cover of "Fly Me To the Moon" features a vocal duet by Tony Mac and Thomasina Jones - veterans from previous Townes releases.
The disc kicks off with the percussive cool of "Flying West" which perfectly blends jazz/funk sensibilities with a balmy tropical flavor, before easing into the lush ivory eloquence of the hypnotic, swaying title cut. Townes' conceived his modern arrangement of "Fly Me To the Moon" as a Sinatra tribute with a millennial twist, beginning with a NASA countdown sound clip, then jumping head on into a bouncing hip- hop shuffle groove. On the similarly urban feeling "Catwalk," Townes' textures a throbbing bassline with a playful piano melody, his own synth improvisations, horn section parts and a swirling Mike Sims sax solo. Again swinging from romantic to danceable, Townes moves from the dreamy, intimate melancholy of "Candlelight" (led with Martyís flugelhorn) to the bouncy brass-funk/tropical/retro soul of "Straight Up." Lisa Gardner's hypnotic flute tenderness joins Townes' piano for a magnificent duet on "River Song" before "Kaleidoscope" and "Bee Tea" (a jab at Townes' initials) close the set with different shades of funk- bubbling mid-tempo laid back ("Kaleidoscope") and aggressive and swinging ("Bee Tea").
Among the changes in Townes' busy life over the past few years has been the building of a home studio and purchasing a new Yamaha grand piano, both of which play prime roles in the creation of a project whose title reflects his lifelong affection for the ivories. "I've always pinpointed creating unique moods and atmospheres, and the embrace of the acoustic piano as my two greatest musical gifts," says Townes, who despite his many travels has become something of a musical icon in the Southwest. "On Embrace, I essentially keep the piano front and center, as a platform and springboard for my music. While I've been prone to some frenetic funk rhythms in the past, this time I wanted to have a whole ongoing rhythm from track to track, keeping medium tempos before a energetic finish. I also get back to some old school sonic ideas, doing less synthesizer melodies and using classic instruments like the Fender Rhodes.
"When I look back over my catalog, I see a lot of growth not only as a composer but also in my development as a pianist," he adds. "My career began with synthesized sounds, but over time, the piano became my voice. It only made sense to embrace it even further on the new album."
While Townes' career as a recording artist and live performer is flourishing, two new business endeavors ensure not only that his music will always be sonically perfect, but that its development and marketing are in his control. First is his involvement with Sonic Foundry, a software development company (specializing in digital music editing software) for whom Townes and MacMoney producer duo George Ware/Tony Mac do beta testing and sampling for Acid, an award-winning program to create music using sampled loops & sounds. Second is the founding-with partner Steve McKagan-of the indie label Shade Records. Embrace marks Townes' first original release on the label, after the 1998 greatest hits compilation, The Billy Townes Collection.
Much more than an artist vanity label, Shade Records is shaping up to be a promising indie label with three divisions-named by color--dedicated to three very different genres. Red is devoted to rock, and has released the debut from Seattle based Little King . Green features R&B/hip hop and is soon to release an album by vocalist Tony-Mac. And finally, Blue is dedicated to jazz.
"I've always believed that music is music, different only due to certain shades, and the plan is to have all three colors mixed together and thriving both independently and together," says Townes. "We're hoping to discover, encourage and market developing artists to a worldwide audience, focusing always on quality music and allowing those we sign autonomy with their creativity."
Trying to define the style of Billy Townes, KRUX's Andrew Werling once said it all: "phenomenal musical landscapes of intense vivid images that sweep the listener into another world." Born in New York City, Townes' early experience with the piano came from his music teacher mother when he was still a toddler in Okinawa, Japan, where his father was stationed in the army. The family settled in El Paso in 1971, and soon after that, Townes began formal classical training on his primary instrument while also learning drums and, later, marching in his high school band.
Townes' initial exposure to jazz as a teenager transformed his life instantly, as "the improvisational aspect of the music made me gravitate towards it, as opposed to straight R&B or rock," he says. "It challenged me, and listening to Miles, Dizzy and Art Blakey fascinated me. That's why, even though my sets now lean towards contemporary jazz, every now and then, I'll throw in a standard." Other influences that played a part in his development include Joe Sample, Bob James, Chick Corea and Oscar Peterson.
Townes attended Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Arizona, where he took both business and piloting courses. Aside from playing throughout Arizona with such jazz notables as former Brubeck bassist Dick Brandt and drummer Mel Zelnick of Benny Goodman's Orchestra, Townes also formed his own band, Modern Session, with bassist Jim Foster. They played summers in El Paso, and upon graduation, turned the group into a full time endeavor, performing at numerous clubs and in concerts and festivals throughout the Southwest. They played the Texas Jazz Festival, the El Paso Street Festival, opened for Ray Charles and toured with Narada recording artist Spencer Brewer and harpist Carlos Guedes. Moreover, to this day Townes and Foster still enjoy teaching and flying various aircraft when time permits!
While building his reputation as a live performer, Townes also set his course as a recording artist. His first independently released record was Stratosphere, which became an airplay staple at KXCR, as did his two subsequent discs, Modern Sessions (featuring a full band and lavish production) and 1993's Sun City at Night, on Voyager Records, which earned Jazziz magazine's praise as "inventive" and "stunning". Sun City at Night received the most airplay and even hit the jazz radio charts in Europe.
Foreshadowing his involvement with Sonic Foundry and the opening of his own commercial studio, Townes early on applied his talents to numerous outside projects. Aside from his ongoing work writing TV jingles, he recently wrote an orchestral score for the PBS docudrama special "Held in Trust," which was featured as part of the network's Black History Month and was televised nationally. Townes also coordinated and directed a symphony orchestra for the MTV award-nominated Boyz II Men video "Water Runs Dry," which was shot in White Sands, New Mexico. In the live performance realm, in the last few years Townes opened for the Neville Bros., the Pointer Sisters, All-4-One, Nelson Rangel, Everette Harp, the Rippingtons, and Brandon Fields at various venues throughout the Southwest while performing at New Yorkís famed Blue Note club and twice with famed grammy nominated jazz keyboardist Rob Mullins. "One of the most enjoyable aspects to making my own records is deciding what sounds will work most effectively in capturing the emotion of the song," Townes says. "I'm just as comfortable producing as I am writing and playing. It's simply a lot of fun making music happen. The most rewarding thing is when people come up to me and tell me they love what I do, how my music touches them and puts them in a better place. Playing live especially allows me to embrace people's emotions and help them better understand what I am trying to create."
Whether he is embracing his beloved ivories or the fans that have long found his music irresistible, Billy Townes remains committed to challenging us with new shades, grooves, and musical directions. As we continue to embrace him with his new recording, we can't help but share his optimism for the future of contemporary jazz in the new millenium.
- Jonathan Widran Jazziz Magazine

Published with permission of Shadow Records

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