Simpler Times is an album by Sophisticated Lady Jazz Quartet, released in 2021.
Kudos to Sophisticated Lady for some of the most intelligent and soulful playing I??ve heard in a long while. Mr. Wicks is clearly the Stephane Grappelli of the bass.
Mr. Boyle??s atomic clock accuracy was outshone only by his remarkable sensitivity and nuanced ??drumist? vocabulary. Mr. Kirkpatrick??s winsome lines... took us
beyond the trumpet and through the gamut of melodyinstrument domains. And Mr. Bigos?? hands fell lacelike over his ivories with the finesse... of traditional
Portuguese tatting amid a rainbow of colored threads. ??Peter Rutenberg Sophisticated Lady Jazz Quartet rehearsed and performed some of these tunes before our concert and recording but many are the first time through; the quartet discussed the tunes and who would take what solo in which order but without rehearsal. I wanted the intensity of raw improvisation.
The jazz album is available in the following configurations:
- LP, High Quality
- CD - 180GR.
45rpm 180g Vinyl LP!Mastered by Steve Hoffman & Bob Attiyeh!Lacquers Cut by Bernie Grundman!Executive producer: Lucile GriederSophisticated Lady Jazz Quartet rehearsed and performed some of these tunes before our concert and recording but many are the first time through; the quartet discussed the tunes and who would take what solo in which order but without rehearsal. I wanted the intensity of raw improvisation. This is possible when superb musicians tackle new material together, listening carefully to each other and playing as a single organism. Right before we recorded For Sebastian, for example, I played the opening of Variation 25 from Bach's Goldberg Variations on the piano. Misha led the quartet's improvisation from there. Music cannot get fresher than this.- Bob Attiyeh, producer