Acknowledgments Songs After Hours was recorded January 3 & 4, 2014 at Sear Sound, New York City, New York Recording Engineer: James Farber Assistant Engineer: Teddy Tuthill Mastering Engineer: Greg Caldi, Sterling Sound John Harbison Photos: Michelle Watt Songs After Hours Original works are published by Associated Music Publishers. Artistic Producers: Mary Mackenzie and John Chin Arrangements: John Chin WWW.ALBANYRECORDS.COM This recording is made possible by TROY1608 ALBANY RECORDS U.S. 915 BROADWAY, ALBANY, NY 12207 TEL: 518.436.8814 FAX: 518.436.0643 generous gifts from Kickstarter donors, ALBANY RECORDS U.K. BOX 137, KENDAL, CUMBRIA LA8 0XD and an anonymous benefactor. TEL: 01539 824008 © 2015 ALBANY RECORDS MADE IN THE USA DDD WARNING: COPYRIGHT SUBSISTS IN ALL RECORDINGS ISSUED UNDER THIS LABEL. Mary Mackenzie, vocals | John Chin, piano Joe Martin, bass | Dayna Stephens, saxophone | Dan Rieser, drums Songs After Hours The Composer Any songwriter, even one who writes mainly by moonlight, wants the songs to reappear as covers, (once Composer John Harbison’s history as a jazz player divides into two widely distant segments: the first, called follow-ups, revivals?). What Mary Mackenzie and John Chin (plus his splendid accomplices) have from 1952-1963, as founder-leader of Harbison’s Heptet and sideman in many other groups, the second made here so brilliantly is a song tapestry. Each placement, each segue fills a design. in the present century as founder-member of the Token Creek Jazz Ensemble and coach for VocalJazz MIT. The songs were never aimed at a specialized audience, I do enough of that, they had mainstream The apex of Harbison’s early career came in June 1954 when he was asked to be a last-minute intentions, to catch ears and hearts, and occasionally to follow some restless habit of curiosity. weekend substitute for the ailing Billy Kyle in a group that included great Basie sidemen Buck Clayton, They are fully inhabited by the performers here in ways I scarcely imagined, which is as it Vic Dickenson, and Jo Jones. The valedictory performance in Harbison’s first jazz career took place in should be. Their collective effect surprises me, as it may surprise you, the listener. Are we hearing 1966 in a group that included both his high school pal Tom Artin, now of the Smithsonian Jazz jazz, or some strange prolongation of the American Songbook ideal, or perhaps even new song forms? Ensemble, and the legendary New Orleans clarinetist Edmond Hall (“Mozart? Don’t know the cat”). Dated, updated, or post-dated? After nearly four decades Harbison, who is currently Institute Professor at MIT, broke the silence I am getting in over my head. and began resuscitating his career as a jazz pianist by founding the Token Creek Jazz Ensemble (2003). —JOHN HARBISON The quartet and guests perform exclusively for the annual Token Creek Festival in Wisconsin. As a keyboard player Harbison explores affinities between jazz change playing and figured bass realization. In 2008, when John Harbison asked me to perform some “new songs” in Token Creek, Wisconsin, I was not The time-warp quality of his jazz style is perhaps explainable by the length of his playing hiatus. expecting to receive copies of hand written sheet music with a cover page listing “Pop Songs.” Flipping Most recently, Harbison has shifted from teaching composition and coaching concert music through the sheets, I discovered exquisite tunes that were not unlike the jazz standards I grew up listening in MIT’s Music and Theatre Arts Department to become player-coach-arranger for VocalJazz MIT. The to and performing (courtesy of grandparents who grew up and met playing in dance bands in the 40’s). group is steadily finding a valuable place among MIT’s dozen-plus vocal ensembles, and recently It was a privilege to perform these songs with John at the piano, and I felt compelled to continue appeared in the “50 Years of Jazz at MIT” celebration. The ensemble has explored songs, familiar and to perform them… and perhaps find some great jazz musicians in New York City to work with. unfamiliar by Gershwin, Kern, Warren, Berlin, Rodgers, Porter and some of Harbison’s own. I found a great collaborator in John Chin. John and I spent many hours studying and reacting Although Harbison’s history as a jazz performer delineates in two clear periods, his history as to the printed music, and playing around with color and interpretation to create what you are going to a composer of pop and jazz songs has been a lifelong habit that has persisted since his high school hear on this record. Joe Martin, Dayna Stephens, and Dan Rieser were ideal to fill out our little group. days. Now numbering in the hundreds, an album of 32 of these songs was published in 2008 as the They are all incredibly inventive, and the five of us have such unique artistic voices. I am so proud collection After Hours. He recently invited the members of Vocaljazz MIT to provide lyrics for ten of his of the music we made together. Our interpretations are our own, and the sound world for each song “rejects,” resulting in a new supply of waiting-to-be-discovered, hidden hits. expands upon what John Harbison wrote. Recording these songs has been a long-time dream of mine, and I am so pleased to finally share them with the world. I think you’ll end up loving them tonight. —MARY MACKENZIE The Performers Since his first piano lesson at age four, player, composer, and scholarJohn Chin has emerged and Described by the New York Times as “a soprano of extraordinary agility and concentration,” and developed as a true Renaissance artist. Part of the New York scene since 1998, he has played the Boston Globe as “sensational,” Mary Mackenzie has captured the attention of audiences Carnegie Hall, The Blue Note, and The Jazz Standard, and appears regularly at Smalls, Mezzrow, and throughout the United States. Smoke. Combined with his passion for live performance, Chin’s intrinsic understanding of music A passionate performer of contemporary vocal music, Ms. Mackenzie has collaborated with technology has led him to acquire a Brooklyn-based studio of his own, and produce an eclectic several leading composers, including Pierre Boulez, John Harbison, Richard Danielpour, and James discography that includes the 2015 releases of saxophone player Gregory Tardy, trumpet player Irvin Primosch; and works closely with young composers to develop and premiere new works for voice. Mayfield, and vocalist René Marie. As a chamber musician she has appeared with the American Contemporary Music Ensemble, the Chin’s talent and artistic curiosity earned him acceptance to California State University at Chameleon Arts Ensemble of Boston, Collage New Music, Ekmeles, the Da Capo Chamber Players, age 14, where he received a Bachelor of Music degree. He continued his scholarly pursuits at the Fulcrum Point New Music Project, Le Train Bleu, and the Talea Ensemble. University of North Texas before earning his artist diploma at The Julliard School, and a Master Notable solo appearances include Harbison’s Closer to My Own Life with the Albany of Music degree at Rutgers University, where he studied with NEA Jazz Master and musical icon, Symphony; Elliott Carter’s Warble for Lilac Time with the American Symphony Orchestra; Jean Kenny Barron. Barraqué’s Chant Aprés Chant with the Juilliard Percussion Ensemble; Boulez’s Improvisations A natural composer with an ear that challenges traditional concepts of genre, Chin continues sur Mallarmé Nos. 1 & 2 with the Talea Ensemble; Reinbert De Leeuw’s Im wunderschönen Monat to hone a body of work that includes original releases Blackout Conception (2008) and Undercover Mai at the Bravo Vail Festival; Héctor Parra’s Hypermusic: Ascension at the Guggenheim Museum; (2014), while nurturing a blossoming film scoring resume for such award winning features as Schoenberg’s String Quartet No. 2 with the Borromeo String Quartet; and Pierrot Lunaire at Town critically acclaimed documentary deepsouth. His musical versatility allows him to play alongside Hall Seattle and the Rockport Music Festival. legends and modern masters Ron Carter, Benny Golson, Mark Turner, Dayna Stephens, and John Ellis. Ms. Mackenzie can be heard singing John Harbison’s Closer to My Own Life with the Albany Symphony on their recent release for Albany Records. She is a featured singer on The Opera America Joe Martin is one of the most sought-after bassists on the current New York City jazz scene. He Songbook album, performing Richard Danielpour’s Homeward. Upcoming recordings for Albany currently performs regularly with the Mark Turner Quartet, guitarist Gilad Hekselman, clarinetist/ Records include James Primosch’s Sacred Songs and Meditations with the 21st Century Consort, saxophonist Anat Cohen, pianist Edward Simon, and saxophonist Chris Potter. His diverse performing and a recording of cycles by Dan Crozier, John Harbison, James Primosch, and Ned Rorem with credits range from jazz legends Andy Bey and Art Farmer, to pop legend Donald Fagen and Brazilian pianist Heidi Louise Williams. singer/songwriter Vinicius Cantuaria. Other performing credits include Joel Frahm, Larry Goldings, Fred Hersch, Brad Mehldau, The Mingus Big Band, Ben Monder, Jane Monheit, Kurt Rosenwinkel, Jerome Sabbagh, Jaleel Shaw, and many others. In addition to appearing on dozens of recordings as a sideman, he has released two critically acclaimed recordings as a leader, Not By Chance featuring Chris Potter, Brad Mehldau, and Marcus Gilmore (Anzic Records); and Passage featuring Mark Turner, Kevin Hays, and Jorge Rossy (FSNT Records). Dayna Stephens has emerged as one of his generation’s most distinguished modern jazz tenor The Texts Brazil (MEG HARBISON) saxophonists and composers. Stephens has collaborated with an impressive array of jazz musicians, Once I had a dream including pianists Brad Mehldau and Taylor Eigsti; drummers Brian Blade, Al Foster, and Idris In Over My Head (MEG HARBISON) that grew in my heart, Muhammad; trumpeters Roy Hargrove and Ambrose Akinmusire; bassists Larry Grenadier and Joe In over my head, the dream had a name, Brazil.