LOS ANGELES (Top40 Charts/ Resonance Records) - After releasing a string of potent CDs as a leader, a majority of which flew under the radar of most jazz critics, violinist Christian Howes is set to make a big splash with Heartfelt, his spectacular debut on Resonance Records. Rather than exhibiting the charming delicacy of a Stephane Grappelli or the jaunty Swing era bounce of a Joe Venuti, Howes is a wildly inventive post-bop burner with monstrous facility, a wide expressive range and a take-no-prisoners approach. On Heartfelt, he parlays his Herculean chops, blistering intensity and haunting romanticism into a winning combination that is eminently accessible without sacrificing his obvious skills.
One of the most original voices on the instrument today, violinist Howes had a promising career interrupted when he was convicted of selling LSD to an undercover cop back in 1992, shortly after he had turned 20. The experience of serving a four-year prison term in Ohio not only introduced him to gospel music but it also made him determined to have a career playing jazz. 'Prison forced me to grow up fast and assess some things; in a way, it also introduced me to black culture, black music', says Howes.
'Before that I had been pretty strictly into classical music, some rock bands, etc. but in prison I was playing in gospel church services with street musicians-these experiences exposed me to soul, swing, blues and the like. That music made such a deep impression on me I felt I needed to pursue it on the violin. That led me to study anybody who had anything to do with the blues or soul or these kinds of quintessential elements of jazz. I looked to piano players, horn players, vocalists and guitar players for my inspiration in jazz. And I tried for a long time to really pursue that thread of the blues and swing and stuff until within the last few years, I kind of freed myself from that restraint and got back into things that influenced me early on like classical music, rock music. It's starting to reflect more in some of my current musical explorations. But since my incarceration, I will always feel like a student who needs to continue studying the blues. It caused me to question personal and musical identity more deeply. Since music was so overtly tied to a social and cultural component in jail, this aspect of music also resonates deeply for me. A musician, for example, really has choices to make about drawing upon different cultural components to make up their sound, and it effects the language you speak musically, and who you reach."
Howes emerged from jail in 1996 with a new lease on life and a newfound commitment to the music. 'I made a commitment a long time ago, when I was 24, right after I was released into the free world, I promised myself that at least I'd make one record every year, and if nothing else it would be a way of getting better at making records, so I could be good at that and eventually show people what I could do.
Because I had a real strong desire to get out there and do it, and I believed that I had something to say. So I put one out just about every year for the past 11 years, whether it was on my own or in collaboration with a group.'
In recent years, Howe's career has taken a remarkable upturn. He has become an in-demand violinist on the New York scene, performing and recording with a bevy of jazz artists, including alto saxophonist Greg Osby, pianist D.D. Jackson, guitarists Les Paul and Joel Harrison, drummer Dafnis Prieto and vibraphonist Dave Samuels' Caribbean Jazz Project, crossover pioneers Spyro Gyra, and a 3-yr. chair in Bill Evans' Soulgrass.
On Heartfelt, the Ohio-born violinist collaborates with pianist-arranger Roger Kellaway, a legendary figure in his own right who recorded with jazz greats like Ben Webster, Oliver Nelson, Wes Montgomery, Sonny Rollins, Clark Terry, Kenny Burrell, Kai Winding, Stan Getz, Gerry Mulligan, Al Cohn and Zoot Sims before moving to Los Angeles in 1966 and becoming the musical director for Bobby Darin and working in the L.A. studio scene doing film scores and television work (his piano is heard playing the theme of TV's All in the Family). Kellaway has also worked with such pop stars as Joni Mitchell, Melanie, Maria Muldaur, Barbara Streisand, Liza Minelli and Natalie Cole.
With all the parties brought together by Resonance Records founder George Klabin, Heartfelt is a beautifully balanced cross-generational project blending the wisdom of venerable jazz men (Kellaway and his longtime colleague on bass, Bob Magnusson) with the abundant energy and ideas of promising new youngbloods (Howes and Kneebody drummer Nate Wood).
'Roger gave us a structure to work within, and I was given the invitation to make suggestions,' says Christian. 'He's a unique cat, very deep, and he was very open in the studio. I thought Nate was a good foil for Roger. Nate put him on his toes a little bit with the energy that he brought to the session. So with him and me, we kind of threw Roger for some loops with our stuff, which hopefully made it fun for him. And vice versa. Roger brought a certain confidence and energy and maturity to the session that really made me want to strive for something.'
They open with an orchestral version of Russ Freeman's dreamy 'The Wind,' brilliantly arranged by Kellaway, allowing Howes to showcase his unhurried, lyrical side. This is followed by an evocative movie theme, 'Cinema Paradiso,' by the great Italian soundtrack composer Ennio Morricone, rendered in a lush, orchestral setting. Next comes a burning up tempo swinging rendition of 'Alone Together,' which features some virtuosic playing from both Howes and Kellaway, along with the requisite exchange of hot eights with drummer Wood. Next is a tasty and gorgeous orchestral rendition of Eliane Elias's 'That's All It Was', followed by Kellaway's alluring 'Invasion of the Forest,' underscored by an infectious 'Poinciana' groove by Wood, with Christian indulging in some guitar-like pizzicato work. Then Howes gets playful on a sprightly, swinging rendition of Bill Evans' 'Walkin Up.'
Following is an intimate, moving orchestral arrangement of Jimmy Rowles's melancholy but beautiful composition, 'The Peacocks.' Kellaway and Howes combine for a rare piano-violin duet on Benny Goodman's 'Opus Half,' which has the pianist dipping into some spirited stride playing while Christian sails over the top. An interpretation of Ralph Burns's romantic ballad 'Early Autumn,' underscored by Wood's sensitive brushwork, has Howes overdubbing several violin and viola parts.
The set ends with everyone swinging like demons on 'Bernie's Tune,' which features Howes on the Octave Geige, a rare instrument with a range between viola and cello, as well as some flowing, Bensonesque guitar work by special guest Andreas Oberg.
'I think what George (Klabin) wanted to accomplish on this record was to put a world-class frame around my playing,' says Howes. 'His perception is that I've been doing it on my own for all these years and that he had the ability to help me rise above by surrounding my voice with a world class production, so that people could hear it in a context that makes sense to the mainstream jazz audience.' They succeed marvelously on Heartfelt.
Howes, who counts Stuff Smith, John Blake and Nashville-based Billy Contreras as his biggest violin influences, endorses Yamaha violins and D'Addario strings. He is also the founder of the Creative Strings Workshop in Columbus, Ohio.
