Noel Elmowy
At the age of seven began classical pianp studies for 10 years then
turned to contemporary jazz fusion and has playing on the Sydney scene
since 1974. Performed and workrd in London from 1980 - 1982 with
musicians Dave Bitelli (Elton John, David Bowie & Joe Jackson),
Martin Ditchum (Sade), Gordon Hunte (Sade), Ray Carless (Elvin Jones)
and Chris Scott-Francis (London Jazz Composers Orchestra).
Trained in classical piano for 10 years then turned to
Contemporary jazz fusion and has been playing on the Sydney scene
since 1982.
Performed and worked in London from 1980- 1982. On return, formed
“Espirito” (Latin Jazz) in 1982, an innovative first in the Sydney
Jazz scene.
Highlights include longstanding residency at Sydney’s “The
Basement” and support for Dizzy Gillespie’s Australian Tour.
Tours include: throughout Australia- Al Jarreau support, Japan &
Fiji- Andrew Oh Band, Thailand International Jazz Festival- Musical
Director Andrew Oh Band.
Debut Album “Feelin’ Good” released August 2000
Soul / Jazz /Funk Instrumental for the “adult contemporary”
market
Recorded in Sydney Australia and Los Angeles Ca. with special guest saxophonist
Gerald Albright and featuring vocalist Doug Williams.
8 instrumental tracks & 5 vocal tracks featuring Doug Williams ,Erana
Clarke and Keren Minshull
Album Musician Credits
Vocals - Doug Williams, Keren Minshull, Erana Clarke,Jerry Malla,
Danny D’ Costa
Saxophone - Gerald Albright, Andrew Oh, Jason Morphett,Tim Oram
Drums - Chad Wackerman, Land Richards,Greg Sheehan, Mitch Farmer, Dave
Plenty, Steve Gadd (courtesy Q-Up Arts),Neil Conte
Bass Guitar - Gerald Albright, Christopher Soulos, Leon Gaer,
Victor Rounds ,Jacky Orszaczky
Guitar - Art Phillips, Michael O’Neill, Phil Stone, Carl
Dewhurst, Albert Calvo, Gordon Hunte, Peter Northcote, Steve
Edmonds,Dave Longo, Dave Colton, Anders Karlen
Trumpet - Vladimir Khusid
Percussion - Tony Azzorpardi, Walter Figueroa ,Jose Marquez ,Tony
Malouf
Projects to date include:
*Theme for “Good Morning Australia”
* Produced& Co-wrote Andrew Oh CD “Silk’ (Devine Records)
*Co-wrote three tracks USA released 2nd Andrew Oh CD “Andrew Oh”
(Honest Entertainment / Telos Publishers) charting on Gavin Smooth
Jazz NAC Chart USA @ # 32
*Produced & Arranged “Pass It On” for contemporary guitarist
Albert Calvo featuring George Golla & Steve Gadd.
Live Performance Credits
Tommy Emmanuel, Rick Price, Mark Williams, Doug Williams, Ricky May,
Danny La Rue, Keren Minshull, Rory O’Donoghue,Danielle Gaha, Andrew Oh
Legal Representation: Mathew Alderson@ Grey & Perkins,Australia
(612)-92902999
Management : Mills Mnangement email-millsmgt@ozemail.com.au
Noel Elmowy - Feelin' Good
Smooth Jazz is a genre, which has it's
native place in USA, especially in California. I don't mean that someone
invent the genre. Instrumental Pop music  with
an jazzy impact is played and listened everywhere in the world. But in
California some radio manager had the idea to call this kind of music
"Smooth Jazz" and gave the child a home. Since this time this
tender plant developed and bloomed all over USA and the world. Australia
was a terra incognito for Smooth Jazz over several years. But inspired
by the American artists is the Smooth Jazz community now growing
even in down under.
No music genre can exist without
radiostations spreading the music and aquiring new friends for this
genre. In Sydney Smooth Saturday brings out the best
in Rhythm and Jazz on 2NSB-FM.
From 10 am to 6 pm the music is smooth and the presenters just keep it
coming. Another station is 2RES
. Radio Eastern Sydney is the community broadcaster for the Eastern
Sydney region. 2CCR-FM
is a community radio station operated by Cumberland Media Association
Inc. They broadcast from Baulkham Hills, a suburb of Western Sydney. All
these stations are playing Smooth Jazz. More will come soon.
But the most import part of music are
the musicians themselves. Noel Elmowy, one of these
Australian Smooth Jazz artists, has been constantly involved in the
arranging & production of artists compositions since the early 80's.
Australia is a small market for instumental smooth funky Jazz. So he and
his fellow musicians tended to search and be inspired by US musicians.
For him Herbie Hancock or George Duke were
the inspiration for truly playing in a freer format than popular time
constrained Pop tunes.
He was always either been a band leader or integral member in the groups
in Sydney, however his stint in London (80-82) truly made him aware that
this love of alternative Jazz/Latin Jazz/Smooth Jazz was greater in
Europe and the average listener more aware & appreciative of
musicians having a go!!
So when he came back to Sydney , Noel formed a large Latin
Jazz/Salsa/Brazilian big band. His solo album has taken 4 years
from conception to final CD realisation.
Cost wise he has been fortunate to associate with wonderful musicians
who put their time & effort into his project some asking not to be
paid, however, this CD did require funds. Both gigs and his dentistry (Noel
is a dentist) helped with that.
Let's talk about the musicians, who
are playing on Noel's new album:
Land Richards (drummer)
and friend helped in some introductions especially when he took Noel
to a Gerald Albright /Will Downing session. They met while
Land played for Al Jarreau in Australia. He
met Wyn Morro of Avalondesign, a genius
electronics engineer in US who put him on to Con Psorakis
(Evia Systems) a real link in the studios in LA and from
there doors started to open. These guys are Australian also! So he came
in contact with Michael O'Neill, who is guitarist with George
Bensons touring group and a friend of Lands too. Another
artist appearing on Noel's album is Chad Wackermann
(Frank Zappa), who lives in Australia. Chris Soulos
& Noel have played together since the 70's. Basically
all these musicians he work with. Doug Williams & Erana
Mei Leef are Sydneys numero uno vocalists Keren Minshull(Euphoria)
& Noel had a band in the late 70s & again in the
late 80s. She has a hit on the dance clubs now.
The recording process involved the
gamut of Recording mediums be they Cubase VST24/Protools24/Hard
Disk/Analog Tape/ADAT/DA88 /DA78/HR/flying parts to & from US as
well as himself going to USA to complete parts of this project. At one
stage tracks #4,#5,#8,#12 were totally lost into hard drive heaven which
stunned & knocked Noel 's spirit for many weeks. He
comments his fate: "I 'm actually now so glad it happened
because the results were far superior to what may have been."
Noel Elmowy's Feelin' Good is a "full-sized"
album. One receives a cd with 74 (!) minutes of high quality music. The
music is throughout laidback and well-mooded.
Cinqueterre, the Italian
description for the fifth continent, is an uptempo tune dominated by Andrew
Oh's lead flute and Jason Morphett 's flute, who's
sax solo is fulminant. Noel brilliants in quick piano
runnings following the steps of George Duke.
Precious love is a slow
flowing tune with wonderful samples of Take 6 and the
beautiful vocal highlight Doug Williams well framed by the
backing vocals of Keren Minshull and Danny D'Costa.
A candlelight tune par execellence. Michael O'Neill on
guitar and Andrew Oh on sax, set further instrumental
gems.
On Weavin' you can
listen to the fine guitar licks of Art Phillips and Andrew
Oh on sax. Exotic rhythm assets are played in by Bashiri
Johnson (percussion loops), Land Richards (drums)
and Tony Azzopardi (percussion). People complaining about
the shortness of many Smooth Jazz tunes will register with contentment
tunes with length of 6 minutes and more.
El Bobo is a track Noel
became associated with in London and which became a signature tune for
him. It's a cover version of the great keyboardist Webster Lewis' from
the early eighties. The rhythm section on this recording of EL
Bobo was taken from a very basic recording demo Noel
produced for his band Espirito in the mid 80's for another
demo of one of his latin tunes on an old 8 track 1/2 inch Tascam 80-8.
Every tone counts, is the motto under which one can understand Noel's
perfect piano play.Vocalists on El Bobo are Keren
Minshull & Jerry Malla (not mentioned in the liner notes).
Only for you is the next gift welcomed by the Smooth Jazz
piano fan. Excellent solos by Gerald Albright on soprano
sax, Doug Williams soulful voice rounded up by sultry
backing vocals brighten the listeners mood.
Awake presents the
beautiful voice of Keren Minshull in a lovely company with
Andrew Oh on sax and naturally Noel on
piano. Noel plays like a nightingale. Keren
sings: "I can't get enough of you" and I can refer this
sentence to Noel's music.
Good news is a fresh
uptempo vocal tune with the honey mellow voice of Erana Mei Leef.
A fine tenor sax solo is presented by Tim Oram. Over all Noel's
excellent piano play.
Let it Fly is a funky
tune with a smooth piano overlay balanced with Gerald Albright
this time on tenor Sax.
Wahwah guitar and heavy drum loops
separate the following tune So-Sue-Me with breathtaking
uptempo solos of Vladimir Khusid's mute trumpet, Phil
Stone's distortion guitar and Marcus Miller's bass
samples. Noel demonstrates his skill in arrangement and
programming.
Flossy Aussie in a
petite-fleur-rhythm shows anew Vladimir Khusid as a master
of trumpet with a surprising development.
After some Smooth Jazz let's play some
Blues and Noel plays the Blues on Hammond B3 on Shuffle
The Deck. No one else than Steve Gadd plays the
drums. A well-respected drummer who has appeared in many types of
settings and with many great musicians like Bob James, Chick Corea,
Grover Washington Jr., David Sanborn and Al DiMeola.
Azrou is a tune more in
the timely radio-like way with heavy Hip Hop drum programming and some
sax accents, well-known by the actually radio-charts. But this tune has
it's own superior character by Noel's outstanding piano
play and Carl Dewhurst brilliant guitar play.
The funky tail-light is Come On
Over with slick keyboard play and many Wah-wah clavinet effects.
If you can spend some money for your
cd-collection, don't miss this album. And for all lovers of his music
further good news: Noel is already working on his next
album.
© HBH
|
