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Charley Langer : Never The Same
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Intelligent smooth jazz. Think "Phil Woods meets Boney James". Charley's new solo CD, Never the Same, features some world-class jazz musicians, such as Alphonso Johnson (Weather Report), Wally Minko (Jean Luc Ponty), and Michito Sanchez (Joe Sample).
Genre: Jazz: Smooth Jazz
Release Date: 2009
Never The Same Record Label: Udoi Records
  • Buy CD - $14.99
  • Download Album (MP3) - $9.99
SPECIAL: 10% discount if you buy more than one copy of it today!
Preview Song Name Time Format Price Select
Never The Same 4:25 $0.99
Epifania 4:27 $0.99
Outside In 4:49 $0.99
Refuge 4:47 $0.99
Remember When 6:07 $0.99
City Lights 3:58 $0.99
Gray Skies 6:05 $0.99
Upside Down 4:03 $0.99
Once In A Lifetime 4:06 $0.99
Espressivo 6:21 $0.99
preview all songs

Album Notes

Produced by Ron Wikso
Additional production by Charley Langer and Mark Morris
Executive producer: Charley Langer

Mixed by Ron Wikso at 2 Guyz & A Fader Studios, Dripping Springs, Texas
Mastered by Jerry Tubb at Terra Nova Digital Audio, Inc., Austin, Texas
Photography by Rick Anderson, Anderson Images, Roseville, California

Never the Same - 4:25
(C. Langer) Udoi Music Publishing, BMI
Charley Langer – alto saxophone, wind synthesizer
Wally Minko – keyboards
Ron Wikso – drums, percussion
Matt Bissonette – bass
Kurt Griffey – guitar

Epifania - 4:28
(C. Langer) Udoi Music Publishing, BMI
Charley Langer – soprano and alto saxophones, wind synthesizer
Wally Minko –acoustic piano, keyboards
Ron Wikso – drums
Matt Bissonette – bass
Michito Sanchez – percussion
Kurt Griffey – guitar
Tom Marino – trumpet, trombone
Tom Evans – tenor saxophone

Outside In - 4:50
(C. Langer, M. Morris) Udoi Music Publishing, BMI; M. Morris Music, ASCAP
Charley Langer – alto saxophone, wind synthesizer
Wally Minko – Fender Rhodes piano, synthesizer solo
Mark Morris – clavinet
Ron Wikso – drums
Matt Bissonette – bass
Michito Sanchez – percussion
Kurt Griffey – guitar

Refuge - 4:48
(C. Langer) Udoi Music Publishing, BMI
Charley Langer – alto saxophone, wind synthesizer
Wally Minko – Fender Rhodes piano, keyboards
Ron Wikso – drums
Alphonso Johnson – bass
Michito Sanchez – percussion
Kurt Griffey – guitar

Remember When - 6:07
(C. Langer, M. Morris) Udoi Music Publishing, BMI; M. Morris Music, ASCAP
Charley Langer – alto saxophone, wind synthesizer
Wally Minko –Hammond B3 organ, keyboards
Ron Wikso – drums
Matt Bissonette – bass
Michito Sanchez – percussion
Kurt Griffey – guitar

City Lights - 3:58
(C. Langer, M. Morris) Udoi Music Publishing, BMI; M. Morris Music, ASCAP
Charley Langer – alto saxophone, wind synthesizer, keyboards
Wally Minko –Hammond B3 organ, keyboards
Ron Wikso – drums
Matt Bissonette – bass
Michito Sanchez – percussion
Kurt Griffey – guitar

Gray Skies - 6:05
(C. Langer) Udoi Music Publishing, BMI
Charley Langer – alto saxophone, wind synthesizer, keyboards
Wally Minko – Fender Rhodes piano, keyboards
Ron Wikso – drums
Alphonso Johnson – bass
Michito Sanchez – percussion
Kurt Griffey – guitar

Upside Down - 4:03
(C. Langer, M. Morris) Udoi Music Publishing, BMI; M. Morris Music, ASCAP
Charley Langer – alto saxophone, wind synthesizer
Wally Minko – Fender Rhodes piano, keyboards
Ron Wikso – drums
Matt Bissonette – bass
Michito Sanchez – percussion
Mark Morris – guitar

Once In A Lifetime - 4:07
(C. Langer) Udoi Music Publishing, BMI
Charley Langer – alto saxophone, wind synthesizer, keyboards
Wally Minko – keyboards
Ron Wikso – drums
Alphonso Johnson – bass
Michito Sanchez – percussion
Kurt Griffey – guitar

Espressivo - 6:23
(M. Morris) M. Morris Music, ASCAP
Charley Langer – soprano saxophone
Wally Minko – acoustic piano
Ron Wikso – drums
Ed McGlaughlin – bass
Mark Morris – guitar

Total Time: 49:14


Thanks to:
The incredible backing musicians on this recording for their inspirational playing and teamwork. Special thanks to my new friend, Ron Wikso, and my writing partner, Mark Morris. It has been such a pleasure!
My musical mentors, especially Vincent Gnojek and Douglas Masek.
My friends—musicians and otherwise—whose inspiration and encouragement over the years have contributed greatly to this album.
My family, and especially: my parents for their love and sacrifice; Jeremy, Jessica, and Olivia for their incredible patience toward an imperfect human being; and Fran and Dick for continually cheering me on.
Extra special thanks to my wife, Vicky, to whom this album is lovingly dedicated. Thank you so much for your constant love and support. I love you!
The Rock of Roseville family. Special thanks to pastors Francis and Suzie Anfuso for modeling practical Christianity, Ben and Havilah Cunnington for their selfless love and service, and Jess Anaya for his support and friendship.
Finally...I thank the God who rescued me from myself and who makes all things possible.

Charley Langer – www.charleylanger.com
Ron Wikso – www.ronwikso.com – endorses Sonor Drums, Zildjian Cymbals, Remo Drumheads, and Rimshot Drumsticks.
Wally Minko – www.wallyminko.com – plays Baldwin SD-10 Concert Grand Pianos.
Michito Sanchez – www.michito.com – appears courtesy of Westbound Records and plays Pearl Percussion, Remo heads, and Zildjian Cymbals and Sticks.
Kurt Griffey – www.kurtgriffey.com
Alphonso Johnson – www.embamba.com
Matt Bissonette – www.mattbissonette.com
Ed McGlaughlin – www.cirruspark.com
Mark Morris – www.noiseinthebasement.com

Charley Langer c/o
Udoi Records
7545 Sylvan Valley Way
Citrus Heights, CA 95610

(C) (P) 2009 Udoi Records. All rights reserved. Unauthorized duplication is a violation of applicable laws.

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REVIEWS

Love It
author: Kelly O’Neil
Saxophonist Charley Langer has assembled a fantastic group of accomplished musicians for his debut album Never the Same. This is not the typical jazz compilation of artists but rather an awesome blend of classic rock, peppered with jazz with a hint of classical. Langer himself has a Masters Degree in Saxophone Performance from the University of Southern California where he studied under classical saxophonist Douglas Masek. On the flip side, Langer currently is the arranger and wind section leader for Sacramento-based Steely Dan tribute band Steelin’ Dan. To help combine and perfect the best possible mixture of rock and jazz, drummer Ron Wikso, who has shared the stage with numerous rock legends, produced the album. In the title track Langer plays alto and exhibits a well-controlled medium-fast vibrato at the end of his phrases. His bright, polished sound soars nicely over the rhythm section and his solos are crisp and not too busy. Every note is well articulated and defined yet rounded off giving a sense of aural smoothness. Langer switches to soprano in “Epifania” and blends extremely well with the tenor saxophone and brass. This trio of wind instruments expertly plays every trill precisely as one. Unlike the thin tone of Kenny G, Langer embodies a fuller sound on the soprano. Additionally, he utilizes the full range of the instrument instead of simply sitting on the high notes. Switching back to alto for “Once in a Lifetime” Langer this time blends nicely with the keyboards who crescendo on long tones underneath the saxophone melody, then burst out with fun little fills at the end of phrases. Renowned salsa bandleader Michito Sanchez adds to the energy with his esteemed percussion skills. Another prominent musician on Never the Same is guitarist Kurt Griffey. Like Wikso, he boasts an impressive resume of rock gigs and adds a unique flavor to Langer’s songs that definitely make this jazz album stand out from the typical smooth Weather Channel tunes. “Remember When” opens with the electric guitar and like a flower unfurling its petals, the song slowly gains momentum before it reaches its stride where Griffey and Langer share a pleasant conversation. Griffey then expounds into a slightly overdriven solo that is dripping with sophisticated coolness. Like Langer, his tone is clear, expertly controlled and never obnoxious. In “City Lights” both musicians get a little more adventurous with their respective solos. Langer displays a formidable solo, wailing out the high notes underneath Wally Minko on the Hammond organ. Griffey’s solo is equally as awesome as he gets more tastefully raunchy than previously heard. True musicians of course have to be adept at different styles as is evident in the following track “Gray Skies.” This melancholy ballad displays soul-bearing musicianship, with Griffey’s playing this time oozing with sincerity as he solos with minimal effects. The only song on the album not penned by Langer is the closer “Espressivo.” Not to detract from anyone’s fine playing, but the blend does not seem to work as well in this tune. Minko this time is on the piano, where he opens the number with a full minute of quiet, incidental music before the rest of the band joins in. Langer is on soprano again, but it inadvertently tends to draw attention to itself, not due to Langer’s playing, but due to the overall mellow timbre of the rest of the musicians. Mark Morris on guitar plays relaxed arpeggiated solos under the piano and Ed McGlaughlin on bass gets to solo – which he does a fine job at - but the soprano saxophone flourishes simply seem out of place with the rest of the song. It is not until the coda that an aural blend finally seems to have been established with Langer playing dreamy repetitive long tones, but this mood is unfortunately interrupted by the noodling and trilling in the fade out. Overall though, Never the Same is an excellent album and a real treat for listeners who crave something new and exciting from the same old same old “smooth jazz” genre. Langer has made some excellent friends who will hopefully continue to collaborate and churn out more fabulous music. Reviewed by -Kelly O’Neil
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