Michael O'Neill and Kenny Washington

• published: 11 Oct 2014
• views: 29

“All The Things You Are”, a great tune from New Beginnings, jazz saxophonist Michael O’Neill’s latest album just released and already getting rave reviews. This is a burning session of jazz standards like nothing else, with inventive arrangements and impeccable vocals by Kenny Washington. It'll move you. Performing together for years, Michael O’Neill and Kenny Washington are great friends as well as creative comrades. A prolific composer and arranger with a reputation for bringing out the best in jazz singers, O’Neill featured Washington on his first album, 2004’s The Long and The Short Of It where he introduced Washington’s soul-drenched voice as part of sextet horn arrangements. This original sound came to full fruition on the duo’s critically acclaimed 2007 album, Still Dancin’. Here on New Beginnings, O’Neill’s super working band features Berkeley-raised trumpeter Erik Jekabson, veteran drummer Alan Hall, versatile bassist Dan Feiszli, who also co-produced and served as recording and mixing engineer and Christian Pepin doing a great job on congas. Accompanist John R. Burr contributes beautiful piano work on three of the albums 11 tracks (including his gorgeous reharmonization of “Surrey With the Fringe On Top”), while piano star Geoffrey Keezer displays a deep rapport with Washington on seven other tracks. Keezer became a devoted Washington supporter after playing with him in Joe Locke’s band at Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola. To learn more, hear more or to buy the CD, go to www.mosax.com Photography for this video provided by Tom Tracy (opening shots of Michael & Kenny), Peter Buranzon (Kenny red shots), James Knox (Kenny and Geoffrey Keezer), Jamil Blackwell (band at Yoshi's) and Scott Charnis (Erik Jekabson).