Some very special artists joined me from Cape Cod's robust jazz scene for this project. I call them The Cape Jazz Crew. It’s an apt description for the fabulous bandmates who collaborated with me to realize the vision for this CD: freshly arranged American Song Book and jazz standards featuring trumpet/flugelhorn, backed by an awesome piano trio, and special guitar and flute guests on two tracks. While the tunes are familiar, my goal was to make them uniquely our own with the arrangements, featured spots for each of the players, and all the while maintaining a sense of a live gig.
At it’s best, jazz improvisation is a group meditation - the nanosecond-by-nanosecond creation of a shared dream connecting the musicians, the music and the listeners in a way that approaches a spiritual experience. I hope you find moments on this CD where The Crew and I have approached that lofty goal. - Joe Mongelli
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