Dirk K - When Sunny Gets Blue
Dirk
K, a guitarist from Germany, started his career in L.A., where he
moved to in 1987. He played with Randy Brecker, Toots Thielemans,
Nippy Noya, Wolfgang Engstfeld, Dave Weckl, Joe McBride, Ulrich Lask,
Kenny Blake, Peter Erskine, Alan Pasqua, Marc Johnson, Paulinho Da
Costa, Thomas
McMorran (Tom Scott band), Rique Pantoja, Gary Meek (Al Jarreau band),
Brandon Fields, Mitch Forman, Gary Novak, Bernie Dresel, Terri Lyne
Carrington, Tal Bergman, Otmaro Ruiz, Bart Samolis, Michito Sanchez,
Hans Zermuehlen, Dave Carpenter, Larry Cohn, Mark Converse, Will
Kennedy (Yellowjackets), Russ Miller (Gloria Estefan) Leon Bisquera
(Randy Crawford). Rick Craig, and more and more.
Dirk is very
productive. He has already released two albums in 2003: Dirk
K - My Favorite and Dirk
K - when sunny gets blue. On the newest one he is playing his
Vazquez Rubio Flamenco guitar over Smooth Jazz and Latin grooves. The
players on this album are:
Dirk K (flamenco guitar), Todd Hunter (keys), Cassio Duarte
(percussion), J.K (bass on 1, 11), Carlitos del Puerto (bass on
3,4,7,10), C.C. Thomas (bass on 2,5,8), C.C. Thomas and Michael
Sechrest (drum programming on 2,5,8), Peter Erskine (drums on 7) and
Dick Weller (drums on 10).
The flamenco
guitar is a very attractive instrument to express a special feeling
and the smooth jazz genre is the best place for it. Here one finds
artists like Peter White, Marc Antoine, Chieli Minucci, Artie Traum,
Ottmar Liebert, Oscar Lopez, Strunz and Farah, Jesse
Cook, Antonio Restucci, José Luis
Encinas and more. Dirk K deserves a place among these heroes of music.
When Sunny
Gets Blue is a jazz classic, already played by Larry Carlton,
Donald Byrd, Brandon Fields, Pete Petersen, Chet Baker, Nat King Cole,
Will and hundreds more. Dirk's up tempo version has so many
ornaments, that one is wondering how he finds the time to play so many
notes in such a short time. He combines mastership and character.
For All We
Know has also its history. This ballade was already interpreted
by such famous singers like Shirley Bassey, Joan Baez, The Andrew
Sisters, Ray Charles and jazz players like Dave Brubeck, Chet Backer,
Monty Alexander. The romantic power is concentrated in Dirk's
instrument.
Une Maison A
Limbourg was written by Dirk himself. A Bossa styled tune with
a happy upright mood. It could be the sound trailer of a holiday
movie.
The Way You
Look Tonight a jazz classic by Jerome Kern (music) and Dorothy
Fields (words) was composed in 1936 for the movie "Swing
Time". Fred Astaire sung this title. This popular song was
re-discovered by Dirk with a fresh approach.
Hoagy
Carmichael was the award-winning composer/songwriter responsible for
many well-known jazz tunes. The music is as always not strictly
jazz but Skylark
was one of his bigger hits mainly due to Glenn Miller's recording in
1942. Dirk 's rhythm emphatically interpretation convinces.
József Kosma's
jazz essential Autumn
Leaves has a
timeless attraction. He and Jacques Prévert
(words) composed 1947 this perennial song which was adapted in
English by Johnny Mercer. Dirk performs the ballade in his own
inimitable way.
The composer Jimmy van Heusen and the lyricist
Johnny Burke composed Here's That Rainy Day for
the musical movie "Carnival In Flanders" (1953). Singer was
Frank Sinatra who chose this ballade for his album "No One
Cares" (1959). A further joker for Dirk's guitar.
Soul Eyes
was composed by the jazz pianist Mal Waldron. The original clocks more
than 17 minutes and was released on John Coltrane's album "Interplay
for 2 Trumpets and 2 Tenors" in 1957. Originally a Hard Bop piece
Dirk has changed the character of the tune to a smooth jazz ballade.
A Night In Brazil is
Dirk 's Latin sight. A fiery Samba piece.
Aturo Toscanini
was one of the greatest conductors and opera and symphony directors.
He became famous for his orchestration of Verdi and Beethoven works. Toscanini
is an homage to this great musician with a classical attitude.
As last song
Dirk presents a rap-version of When Sunny
Gets Blue featuring Heather Marie Wright.
Personally not my favorite.
Friends of
acoustic guitar music will like this album. It's an album for the
romantic hours of life.
