Album Notes

This has been project I've been working on for about four years. Since I've been on tour so much over the years, it was very difficult to just get this project finished. Thanks to modern technology,we are able to turn our hotel rooms into studios that sound like you are in the multi million dollar studios that cost at least $100 hr to use. I've had the priviledge and honor to tour with great artist since the early 90's. Les Mc Cann,Roy Hargrove,Kirk Franklin,Roots(salute to the saxophone),Cris Farlow,and currently with Marcus Miller. Needless to say,I called in alot of favors on this project. The opening track is featuring Marcus Miller,which we recorded in his hotel on a off day in Tokyo during the 2005 Tokyo Jazz Festival. I told you,TECHNOLOGY.......... This was very fun to record. I asked Marcus would he play on this song like a year previously. Of course this would be easier said than done with our hectic tour schedule. But it finally,it happened, and he killed it. So when I got back home, I started adding all of the other instruments,and this is the final product. I also called on a few of my favorite fellow saxophonist to join me on this CD. I asked Kirk Whalum would he bless the track Funk Storm with his presence, and he ripped it like I knew he would. And once again, Technology prevails, I went to his hotel while he was playng in Ft Worth Texas, and recorded this incredible solo. This track also features my lifetime friend Roy Hargrove. Once again, this solo was recorded in a hotel room in Paris while we were on Tour In 2003 with the R H Factor. I had the privelige of hanging out with David Sanborn at the Montreaux Jazz Festival 2005. David is an amazing person. HE came to our show,and stayed for the entire set. For those of you that dont know, It rarley ever happens that artist will stay for anyone's entire set. We got together and talked after the show,and the last thing he said was let me know if I can help you with anything. Needles to say, I wrote a song that I could feature David and my self. I recorded the track and sent it to him, he played it like i knew he would ,and sent it back. and now we have Niagra falls. The track Tempermental was somthing that I really wanted Herbie to play on. HE agreed to do the track, but the timing was a issue. I was really trying to get this finished to release in the summer of 06'. So I called on the only other person that I knew that could pull this off. Bernard Wright........ I was blown away, he has to be the most talented musician I know. I was in La on Dec 31 0f 2005 playing with Les Mc Cann . We had a great set at this cool resturant called Typhoon ,which is located at Santa Monica Airport. After the show, I gave Les a ride back home and made sure he kool getting into the house. We went into his place, and I said," Les, I got somthing I need you to record for me". He was like sure, lets do it. So I went back to my hotel,and created a track on my computer. I went back to his house the next morning, I let him hear it once, and we did the track in two takes. This song was a tribute to Fela Kuti, its really a free form after the mealody, and I knew Les would give me that very tight voiced chordal structure with alot of as I would say, Les McCann alterations. I also wanted to try somthing a little different with the Title track"Lets Roll". This track is in remeberence of the brave souls of flight 93 on 9/11. This track simply says Lets DO This. In there case, It was there last chance to try and save themselves, and they did exactly what they felt was right. Im my case, Im saying Ive been at this along time, and Im not going to do what the powers that be say i have to do pretaing to this CD. Im going to do it they way I want to. So I mixed a little hiphop,jazz,funk.free jazz,rock,soul,and blues all into one. I gave my guys a small road map,"a two minute clip i recorded on my computer". Before I go on, I must let you guys know I have the greatest band on Earth. Bobby Sparks,Jason Thomas, and Todd Parsnow. These guys are absolutly amazing . So back to Let's Roll, I called on my little brother Terrance to bring the hiphop element to the song. I asked him write somthing meaningfull and that was in good taste. I was like please don't talk about bitches,hoes,cars, shooting police,none of that negitive stuff we hear so much in alot of hiphop. Dont get me wrong, alot of the hiphop artist that saying these things are truly expressing experiences and what they really feel, but thats just not where I was trying to go. I explained to the band that this is going to be 1 take no matter what happens. I told them this your chance to say what you always wanted to say. It was simply amazing. I again called on Bernard Wright to join us on this, but I had him play Mini Moog bass. We set everything up at Bobby's Studio I ran in the control room and pressed record and ran back, and this track came to life. There was one small section that I was hearing a different sound, so asked Karl Denson so play a short solo for me. He killed it ofcourse. The song just built and built and built. 12 minutes later we have Lets Roll. I also had another very long song that I couldn't break up. Collard Greens...... Its the funkiest thing on the record. This song is a true representation of what my band really does. I decribe it as Funk,Jazz,Soul,Blues all in one. I really put alot of time and money and sweat into completing this CD. All the songs have a special place in my heart. I hope you will enjoy