Greg Chambers

Back in 2007 I described ‘City Lights’ by sax-man Greg Chambers as an album different enough to get him noticed. It was a rarified blend of the classical with the contemporary and now he is back with another innovative (and this time self titled) offering. In fact Chambers is far from being your regulation smooth jazz musician. With a resume that includes a parallel project with his own jazz quartet and work with the Aspen Festival Orchestra he is well placed to push the musical envelope. Indeed, with six of his own compositions, plus covers of Richard Elliot’s ‘Sweet Dream’ and the Keane hit ‘Try Again’, this is exactly what he has done.

His sensitive handling of the stunningly beautiful ‘Try Again’ is really quite special while ‘Ocean View’ (which incidentally is the first single to be serviced to radio) makes an early nod to classical undertones before luxuriating in a rock steady beat that still affords Chambers adequate room to experiment. Elsewhere the paradox that is Greg Chambers is further compounded the compelling techno vibe of the feisty ‘Sapphire’ which sits in magical contrast to Elliot’s ‘Sweet Dream’ that Chambers uses to tenderly tug at the heartstrings.

‘Interlude’ builds a mellow yet totally absorbing bridge to ‘Street Noise’ which for a player who does not routinely do funk comes pretty close. However, in doing so, the tune never looses the essence what Chambers playing is really all about and, although ‘Here With You’ proves to be a mellifluous charmer, he closes out this fine collection with ‘Studio 8’ where a thumping bass line and engagingly quirky production will live long in the memory.

The final work on the program, a suite from Prokofiev's ballet "Romeo and Juliet," got stellar contributions from bassoonist Steven Dibner, clarinetist Joaquin Valdepeñas, saxophonist Gregory Chambers and hornists David Wakefield and John Zirbel. Conductor James DePreist brought tremendous verve to both of these works and got marvelous playing from the orchestra.

You have a wonderful sound and you definitely worked with a talented group of musicians on this record. It’s a terrific compilation of great songs. This cd is great to relax to, even in Atlanta traffic! The eleven song EP, City Lights, that you sent me was full of engaging melodies and wonderful instrumentation. There is a great blend of light, peaceful jazz that creates a wonderful listening experience for anyone. I really love your touching melodies and beautiful playing. These are definitely the type of songs that could generate a big stir on Jazz radio…

As a student of classical saxophone, a fan of Smooth Jazz and a "twenty-something" young adult, Greg Chambers has the ability to infuse his music with influences both new and old. The amalgamation of stimuli, ranging from Bach and Mozart to Dave Koz and Eric Marienthal, to Coldplay and Keane give Chambers an interesting perspective both as a songwriter and performer. On his debut recording, CITY LIGHTS, Chambers musically states that he is ready to take his place side by side with his mentors and influences…The album opens with the amiable "This Friday." Chambers' sax and the acoustic guitar of Hide Mercury play off each other delightfully. The title track is a multi-layered journey that winds up and down a diverse variety of sensory paths. "Promenade" is playful and witty, with a melody that will remain etched in your mind. While only his first outing as a recording artist, CITY LIGHTS holds the promise of a long musical career ahead for Greg Chambers.

Truth to tell Greg Chambers ‘doesn’t do funky’, he simply doesn’t need to. With ‘City Lights’ he has created an album that is so different it breaks new ground into a sub genre perhaps best summed up as ‘smooth classical jazz’. The opening track, ‘This Friday’, the first of ten original compositions, is a great example of the panache Chambers has for music that, in the main, is both melodic and tranquil. In similar vein are ‘Midnight Rendezvous’ and ‘I Burn for You’ while with ‘Chelsea’s Song’ he shifts emotions into something altogether more moody and atmospheric. The tune ripples with the classical vibe that Chambers calls his own and this special sound he seeks to produce also manifests itself in his selection of backing musicians. Isaac Melamed on cello is a case in point. This, the most melancholy of instruments, is rarely found in contemporary jazz yet here in Melamed’s skilled hands it takes the music to another dimension. His playing has a huge impact on the relatively up tempo title track and is a good illustration of how prepared Chambers often is to hand the spotlight to his fellow performers. Hide Mercury takes center stage for the albums raunchiest track, the full on ‘Full Throttle’. His electric guitar is evocative of Jeff Golub at his wildest yet, in complete contrast, Chambers turns to the classically pure vocals of Karen Vuong for ‘I’ve Let You Down’. Her haunting tones gel delightfully with Chambers stunning sax and another delicious, although this time instrumental, blend is created with ‘Promenade’. This Gaelic tinged mid tempo melody is blessed with more sensational cello from Isaac Melamed and excellent guitar from Hide Mercury. It’s one of the albums better tracks and equally good is ‘Coming Home’. Melamed and Mercury again make outstanding contributions and Chambers turns this luscious mid tempo tune into a real ensemble piece by the subtle addition of Elizabeth Morgan on keyboards. In fact the CD’s best track also features Morgan. Her playing on ‘In Springtime’ is nothing short of beauty personified. ‘City Lights’ by Greg Chambers is an album different enough to get him noticed. For more on Greg and for details on how to buy the CD go to www.gregchambersmusic.com