The Fantasy Band

Sometimes the most inspiring musical fantasies draw from moments of pure serendipity. A late summer cancellation aboard the New York Seaport Line Music Boat in 1988 may have briefly panicked concert producer Rich Engel, but it gave birth to an impromptu all-star affair which evolved into one of contemporary jazz's most popular ensembles, The Fantasy Band. The group's first two studio recordings, The Fantasy Band (1993) and Sweet Dreams (1994), were soulful, groove-intensive gems which realized the promise of the initial live set.

Since the band's inception, the original core ensemble of guitarist Chuck Loeb, vibist Dave Samuels, soprano saxman Marion Meadows and bassist John Lee has been complemented by other performers like Special EFX members George Jinda (percussion) and Mark Johnson (sax), saxman David Mann and drummer Lionel Cordew. On The Kiss, The Fantasy Band's third project and first for Shanachie Records, the key members are joined by longtime Loeb collaborator Nelson Rangell (alto sax), Andy Snitzer (tenor) and keyboardist Greg Radford.

"Each album is an evolution to a certain extent, because each of us has grown individually over time," says Loeb. "While still working within the same comfortable, urban flavored pocket, (executive producer) Danny Weiss and Shanachie have given us more freedom in the recording process. The whole concept of the band is to allow each member to express something new and fresh and to give ourselves a chance to approach the music from a variety of individual perspectives.

"The diversity of the members is a definite plus," he adds. "Switching off between sax voices allows for unique personal statements to be made on different tracks. Nelson adds a high level of emotion, while Andy brings a sense of subtlety to his cut. He plays sax as a producer would play it, with an eye towards capturing an overall vibe. Having the writer of each tune produce and arrange his own cuts ensures that there is always a lot of individuality within the overall flow."

John Lee's romantic sensibilities color his production palette on the first four tunes, which were co-written with Radford. Meadows and Loeb combine to carry the breezy melodies of the tender "The Kiss" and the laid back silk of "The Last Laugh," which feature playful vibe solos by Samuels. The smooth hip-hop seduction of "Body Language" gives Meadows and Samuels a chance to stretch out, while Loeb's sharp electric lines join them to capture the lighthearted 70's soul essence of the Spinners' "Could It Be I'm Falling In Love."

The four Loeb productions feature the guitarist doubling on keyboards and drum programming. The moody and mysterious "Over and Over" showcases the adventurous rapport between Loeb and Samuels, while Snitzer's jazzy sax cool adds an elegant texture to the late-night slow-dance "All In All." Rangell's melodic and percussive alto punch shifts the streetwise shuffle "Double Talk" into high gear before exploding into full-fledged jamming on a funky and bluesy arrangement of "Lean On Me."

Samuels wrote, produced and takes the melodic lead voice on the final two tracks, adding a tropical flair to both "Glass Tower" and the easygoing funk rhythms of "Hip Movement," which also feature Loeb's snappy electric guitar soloing.

The individual members of The Fantasy Band are all very familiar names to even the most casual fans of contemporary jazz, each with years of popular and critically acclaimed albums to their credit as either solo artists or as members of other ensembles. Loeb has been one of the genre's most renowned mainstays, with a total of six albums, including his recent Shanachie debut The Music Inside, which held the #1 album position at NAC radio for six weeks last year. Loeb has also written and co-produced instrumental hits for numerous artists including Rangell and Donald Harrison.

Dave Samuels is a founding member of Spyro Gyra, one of instrumental music's truly legendary bands since the mid-seventies, and has released several solo albums on GRP, including his latest Del Sol. Though he recently left the band formally, he is still a featured guest on Spyro Gyra's most recent release, Heart of the Night. Marion Meadows has released five successful projects of RCA/Novus, including his latest, 1995's Body Rhythm. John Lee spent seven years touring and recording with the legendary Dizzy Gillespie after recording projects of his own and with Gerry Brown. Greg Radford has been a longtime collaborator of Lee's.

Nelson Rangell is one of the genre's most dynamic young reed players, equally proficient on all three saxes as well as flute. Since signing with GRP in 1989, he has released seven solo albums, the most recent of which is 1995's Destiny. Andy Snitzer is another of contemporary jazz's hot young sax lions; his second Warner Bros. album, In The Eyes of the Storm, was one of 1996's best selling contemporary releases. "Being part of the group, we share the creative load equally," Loeb says. "Each member feels free to do what they want, to expand from the usual constraints of their solo albums, without any pressure from their own record companies or fans who might have certain expectations. We are all good friends, and that looseness and spontaneity in our rapport comes across as well on record as it does live. A Fantasy Band project takes a lot of coordination because of our individual schedules, but once we're together, it's like one long, very exciting jam session with unlimited possibilities."

Many of the best of those possibilities are explored and realized on the collective grooves of The Kiss, certain to be one of 1997's key smooth jazz releases as well as a promising hint of the many musical fantasies the band has in store for the future.

More info:

http://www.shanachie.com/artists/FantasyBand/FantasyBand.htm