Jake Langley Doug's Garage (Radioland)

Doug's Garage

Jake Langley, guitar; Doug Riley, organ; John Fraboni, drums.

Jake Langley

THE END OF A LOVE AFFAIR: I bought my first Wes Montgomery record when I was 16. It was Guitar On The Go with Melvin Rhine on organ. Hearing that incredible group sparked my dream to record an album in the same format. Our rendition of "The End Of A Love Affair" was inspired by Wes Montgomery's band. Originally a ballad, we double-timed the rhythm while keeping the melody at a slower pace. I tried to capture some of the melancholic emotion of the lyric in my interpretation of the melody and solo. The rhythm section is light and relaxed and John takes some tasteful drum breaks.

ADAM'S APPLE: This is a Wayne Shorter classic from the 1960s Blue Note era. It is one of those tunes that has everything in it--a singable melody, rich, textured harmonies, a butt movin' groove and a cool arrangement. We didn't have to do much to have fun on this one, especially with John's dancy boogaloo beat. I guess he must have learned something down in the Bayou!

BLUE BASH: "Blue Bash" is the title track of the famous Jimmy Smith / Kenny Burrell record which was really the inspiration for this entire album. Like all of their recordings, Blue Bash was loose and funky. We wanted to capture the same vibe, so I chose this tune as a tribute to them. It's a straight-ahead blues that gave us an opportunity to have some fun and to stretch out. There is nothing special about this tune except for the playing. You can hear John yell at the beginning of the organ solo in appreciation of Doug's incredible playing.

SAVE YOUR LOVE FOR ME: Nancy Wilson's incredible vocal rendition of "Save Your Love For Me" with Cannonball Adderley has rung in my ears since I first discovered this recording in uncle's collection. I keep her phrasing in mind whenever I play a ballad. I think it's important to have a specific emotion behind everything I play, and the beautiful lyric of this song served as my inspiration. Doug's masterful accompaniment on this track made my job effortless. This performance is dedicated to my beautiful wife, Naomi.

INVITATION: "Invitation" is one of those standards that has been played so many times but, for me, it never grows old. I think it is the haunting melody. The long form enables one to really build and develop a solo compositionally, and the Afro-Cuban groove that we play adds an interesting twist to it. I love Latin music and I wanted to bring some of that influence to this recording.

IGNANT OIL: Written by Dizzy Gillespie, "Ignant Oil" is a little-known composition with a really great blusey melody. I first heard alto saxophonist Huey O'Conner play this tune with guitarist Roddy Ellias when I was growing up in Ottawa. It reminds me of one of those shuffles that Gene Ammons and Jack McDuff might have played. Doug's mastery on the B3 is evident on this track. He builds his solo perfectly and the rhythm section (John, and Doug's feet) creates a light bouncing swing. John lays down solid time throughout--always interesting and never too busy.

THE JODY GRIND: [mp3] The groove on "The Jody Grind" is as nasty as the character that this song portrays. Horace Silver is a master blues composer and this composition is a case in point. John plays a "beach" groove that brings the tide in while Doug pulls out all the 'stops.' Listening to his feet pumping and hopping on those pedals should keep everyone's toes tapping for a long time.

--JAKE LANGLEY, from the liner notes.

Music		Home		Musicians