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| HOMEWARD - GLENN HIGGINS |
| This hot-off-the-press CD has already garnered high praise from Brantford's The Expositor and a subsequent recording and distribution deal is in the works. Flamboyant saxman (and former paramedic) Glenn Higgins, a longtime sideman who has spiced up numerous performances and recordings throughout Canada, the U.S. and San Juan, has now stepped up to the lead microphone, and deservedly so. After sharing the stage with as many as 10 players at a time, his own music now has a chance to breathe (in both a literal and figurative sense). This widely diverse array of musical styles encompasses his love for not just r & b, soul and blues, but jazz numbers as well. Higgins shares composing credits on 6 of the 11 original tracks. Slotted in between these are tasteful covers of "Accentuate the Positive" (a Johnny Mercer collaboration popularized by the "Divine Miss M"), "You Make Me Feel So Young" (recorded by Frank Sinatra) and "Soulful Strut" (nodding to Grover Washington, Jr.'s 1996 recording). Anyone who has witnessed Glenn's dead-on Joe Cocker impersonation might be surprised by the Latino-jazz rendition of "Unchain My Heart", but it's actually a very sophisticated arrangement, thanks to Frank DiFelice (a musical accomplice of Higgins from way back) and Tim Johns, who plays electric guitar on the opening and closing tracks, along with John Marmora on organ. The dazzling arrangements on synthesizer, keyboards and strings were created and performed by Geoff Quinn (of the Lovett-Quinn music project). In addition to Frank DiFelice on drums, Dave Field on bass and Richard Whitehouse on piano, Andy Gravitis is featured on trumpet on the opening skiffle rhythm of "Taste of Heaven" (a collaborative effort from Glenn Higgins/Doug Bowman and Bob Johnston, of Race Records). Byng Bell, who has also recorded with Hamilton's Jack Pedler, performs on electric and classical guitar. While there is the unavoidable allusion to an exaggerated vocal similarity to Joe Cocker, Louis Armstrong or Dr. John (a.k.a. Mac Rebennack), Glenn professes no deliberate attempt at emulation, insisting that his style comes naturally to him and is not contrived at all. While his sax work with former bands may have seemed limited to a full-throttle technique, he proves on Homeward that he is more than capable of showing some genuine dynamics in his playing, whether it's on baritone, alto, tenor or soprano sax, especially on his instrumental compositions with Geoff Quinn ("Jessica" and "Delta's Passion") and the splendid instrumental title track, co-written with John Ranger. Homeward was produced and recorded by Georgie Fab (Sonny Del-Rio) at "A Cellar Full of Noise" in Hamilton and is dedicated to Glenn's deceased mother. Now, that's a man who gives credit where it's due! |
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