Golden Smooth Jazz Oldies

Golden Smooth Jazz Oldies is the new project by Fab Merrett e Al Warren, two talented professionals who love playing music in the smooth jazz style. Fab (aka Fabio Mereghetti, piano), who with his band Cherry Pickers records and plays live around Europe, is actually a creative director, while Al (a.k.a. Alberto Guariglia, guitar), is a studio artist for several bands and is a doctor in life.

They have known each other since they were very young and their passion for music has always united them. Although they had often played live together, they had never recorded any studio material. The lockdown was an opportunity to recover and consolidate some ideas and arrangements from past years, create new ones and realise GOLDEN SMOOTH JAZZ OLDIES - Sixties Hits Turned into Smooth Jazz Hits.

The album brings together internationally famous hits from the 1960s, but also perhaps somewhat forgotten hits from the same period that today's audiences can rediscover in these versions by Fab Merrett & Al Warren.

The novelty of GOLDEN SMOOTH JAZZ OLDIES is that most of the songs have never been revisited by artists of the smooth jazz genreThis is precisely why some of the tracks on the album, which have always been considered only pop hitscould now be considered as new jazz standards.

In addition, recognising the original songs in this new guise is not always straightforwardand the listener is often pleasantly surprised.

The arrangements of the tracks on the album are very creative, distinctive and sometimes unexpected. Efficiently orchestrated, with sumptuous strings, sax, trumpet, guitars, keyboards, and reharmonised in a smooth jazz style, the tracks are mainly instrumental and see Fab Merrett and Al Warren alternating in theme melodies and solo parts.

The instrumental pieces are flanked by some sung tracksfeaturing the singer/songwriter Dagmar Segbers with his charming voice in Venus, Say one night at dinner e Stayby the British duo Dukes of Burlington - behind whom the rappers are hiding Tyson & Emery - in Flashand the Italian a cappella group the ALTI & BASSI at The Lion Sleeps Tonight.

The album tracks were recorded remotely during the pandemic, with the musicians in their respective studios in Italy and abroad. Achieving the desired end result was a challenge, brilliantly overcome thanks to the skilful mixing of the sound engineer Pippo Muciaccia which created a compact and captivating sound, emphasising the excellent interplay between the musicians, who shared the same feeling and taste.

All arrangements and production are by Fab Merrett e Al Warren.

The musicians on the album are Sergio Quintero Garcia to the bass, Fabio Good on drums/percussion, Stefano De Palma on sax and Carlo Fontana to the trumpet.

The album, on the Preludio label, is available on all digital platforms and on a limited edition CD on preludiomusic.com.

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