Yes, this is NOT the album cover. 😄But it is an alternate cover that almost made the project coming out on 5/18/22. I'll let you see the cover when it releases. This album is titled, "READ ABOVE." Seriously, this is probably literally the last project I will do, at least as a solo artist. And it is not due to the same reasons I always retire. This is a composite of several very big factors, including time, resources, and accomplishments.
I thought I would complete my last project as its own venture, and while this is definitely its own animal as a record, it is the 4th and final part of "The People vs. J. Addae" album series. THE PEOPLE VS. J. ADDAE- NEW YORK TIMES. This one was a return home to New York, and I wanted to include everything I could in one project. I was originally taking a lazy approach to the record as far as I'm concerned now. I was going to do about 7 or 8 tracks, with some avante garde work and a couple of vamps and be done. It was more so piggy backing off of the third album in the series, "This Man is an Island." I was also in part, running out of ideas. Then I got a boost of help. Thanks, and shout out to Zach, my bassist, who came together on this one and offered some bass and flute work on the project. We both added some flute actually, and after it's released, I'll do a deeper dive into the creative process and themes behind each track.
The record has more ballads than I've ever put on a single record- 4. Also, it has more piano performances than ever - 3 of them. There is some scatting on here as well, which I don't do often. I opened up some new drum kits to expand the sound palette, and did more free drum loops, and full drum tracks, which was very difficult for me. There is one or 2 songs on here with Dave Brubeck-like, odd time signatures. I love doing those kind of tunes, and usually I did them more on some of my earler jazz records. Of the 3 Avante Garde pieces, 2 of them harken back to Standing Still Symphony X, and Native Son, and have a dark, powerful and compelling presence. I'm really proud of those pieces, because they are the hardest to make, but also the heart of this record. The last several albums of my career have been about showcasing the freedom and ultimate power of experimental music or the Avante Garde. I started with SSSX, and continued from there. This album wouldn't have happened without that drive, and you'll feel how the energy of those tracks takes the album back over when they play. It goes from the to easy-to-follow flow of more conventional tracks, to the fluctuating, yet methodical explosions that force you to give in. The album starts with the Western tune, and goes right into the first Avante Garde Piece. The second one follows right after, and the last one is after the mid-point. I was concerned about the continuity of the album, but in the end it reads like a soundtrack.
Towards the end of the project, I really thought it appropriate to include tracks that were dedicated to my parents and my siblings, since it is a homecoming album, and I haven't really done any tracks like that before. The album closes with those records. And I wanted to do a Western track, which has eluded me, and I open the album with this one, which I think you'll like a lot. The record is full of a huge amount of compositions and soundtrack-like motifs. I was surprised how many songs are memorable to the point of singing and humming them throughout the day. In fact, I think this album is more like that than any other that I've done, and that was very unexpected. What I didn't quite get nailed down, was a Full Fledged Flamenco song. Flamenco is such a hard musical form for me right now. I understand how to maneuver in the chords, but I just have such a hard time capturing the rhythm and feel. That was the one disappointment on this album. The song that was to be a Flamenco, ended up being a slow, dreamy waltz, that doubles as a ballad. It is somewhat the star tune of the record, and Zach helped big time with my arrangement.
What a shock it was to find that the album barely fits on a single disc. What was once going to be a borderline EP, is now a 70 minute album. I haven't done a physical release since "Laws Within" as it is a very expensive project. I like to have physical pieces of each of my records, but as of now there are 5 of my albums, including this one, that have no physical release. Releasing the album period is expensive. To physically press it is even more ridiculous. Perhaps if I get more royalty money, I will use it to press a Vinyl, which is what I did with "Love Fist." For that, I ask you please keep listening relentlessly to my collection on whatever platform you prefer.
This has been a very rewarding process, and some of you have watched from a distance, but never really got an understanding of what goes into it. Sometimes you see documentaries of Nas or DMX, and how they go through the study process to make their records. What musicians like myself go through is even crazier, because we are composers, arrangers, performers, writers, and master/mixers. We wear many hats, and compose on a more intricate level as well. I've done what musicians do, with the added fact that I'm an orator, and produce poems, spoken word, and rhyme. It is a wild ride.
When this is done, I will do a video walkthrough of the process. Hopefully, this project can get reviewed, but regardless, it has grown on me, and it will grow on you as well. Look out for it on 5/18/22.
