August 2008 People have been asking me, “Where have you been for the last 3 months?” Well...I guess you can say that I’ve been deep undercover, working on the new album. What an exciting process! True, at times it can be difficult and frustrating but I believe that in the end there will be a special album waiting to be released!
As you may or may not know, this new album will not contain any “standards”. Most of the material is either written by/with me or for me. Other material may include a few less-known tracks; the world has so much amazing material out there that has never been heard! For example, when the decision was made to put "Two Shots" on my debut album, very few people knew that the song even existed, and yet it is one of the best songs I've ever heard. When I first listened to it I said to myself, "Really??? This song exists and no one has ever recorded it on an album???" I believe this new album will have some similar hidden gems.
The decision to record an all "original" album vs. a "standards" album has been difficult for some people to grasp. Someone said to me, "Isn't that a risk? People know you for singing the standards!" I, then, kindly remind people that my first album "Two Shots" only contained one "standard" and that was “Fly Me To The Moon.” I am a man of many talents and, in some parts of the world, am only known for balancing a boiled egg on my nose for 38 hours, on one leg, upside down...ok not really... but I can sing more than the standards. (Hehe)
I believe this album will have a familiar sound but with a completely unique and new flavor. Basically, it’ll be a sound similar to the songs “All About Me” and “Back In Town,” but we’ll be taking them one step further and creating an entire album around that sound. In order to make this dream a reality I have teamed up with two incredibly talented people: Ron Lopata from Toronto, Canada and Jukka Immonen from Helsinki, Finland.
In terms of song choice, once again, I have decided to go the "feels good" route. Things are going very well in my life and I want the album to reflect that. But don’t worry, there are a number of songs that will reflect my darker days...as I believe everything is about finding a balance.
So the big question is, "When will the album be released?" Right now I can only say it will be in 2009, most likely in March or April. Though this is later than I originally planned (November 2008), the extra time will be well worth the wait. I know it will be almost three years since my last album was released (“Back In Town” in 2006) but quality is the most important thing and must, therefore, always be put ahead of rushing through to get something done.
I plan to complete recording of the first half of the album by October, so expect to hear something new very very soon. Until then, have a wonderful and safe summer...or what's left of it... can you believe it’s August? ;)
「オリジナル」アルバムか「スタンダード」アルバムをレコーディングする決断は、ある人にとっては難しいものだった。「それって、リスク(危険)じゃない?だって、みんな君はスタンダードを歌うって思ってるよ。」って言う人もいた。その時、僕は、優しくね、僕のデヴューアルバムの「Two Shot」はたった1曲の「Fly me to the moon」しかスタンダードは含まれてないんだって、その人々に思い知らせたんだ。僕は、たくさんの才能がある男だ、そしてある特定の分野において、僕は38時間僕の鼻の上で、ゆで卵のバランスを取れるし、しかも片足で、逆立ちで、、、なんてね、僕は、スタンダード以上のものを歌えるんだ。へへへ
きっとこの新アルバムは、どこかで聞き覚えがある音があるだろう、でも、完全に独特で新しい風味だろう。基本的に「All About Me」や「Back in Town」に似た曲だろう、でも、一歩それらより離れ、創造的に取り入れてるんだ。この夢をかなえるために、僕は2人の信じられないほどの才能の持ち主:カナダのトロントからRon Lopat と フィンランドのヘルシンキから Jukka Immonen とチームを組んだんだ。
それで、いつこのアルバムがリリースされるの?ってことだけど、今僕が言えるのは、2009年のいつかってことかな、多分3、4月になるかな。元は、2008年の11月の予定をしていたんだけど、余分の時間を寝かせておくのがいい時期かな。そそ、最後のアルバムを出してほとんど3年近くになるね、2006年の「Back in Town」から。でも、クウォリティーが最重要だから、たから、常に何かをやり遂げるために急いで作るように前に置かれているべきなんだ。