Album Notes

Offered here are two strong instrumental groove projects that stand alone well and are offered as such here on C.D. Baby. Together these C.D.'s compliment one another as a nice two hour set of music for anything from a formal event to a romantic evening for two or just casual listening. Both of these C.D.'s are being offered as a double package at a lesser price than you would pay to purchase each project separately( a "win win" situation)! You can sample each C.D.'s tracks by clicking onto the following links http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/michaelfair for "Love me like that" and http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/michaelfair2 for "How close are we?"
Michael Fair's partnership with the trumpet began early in his life. At the age of 12 he was given his first horn. It was no time at all until he began playing the songs that he heard his parents listening to by Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass. Michael's early performances included solo features in school bands and church services. He studied trumpet performance at Middle Tennessee State University and Graduated in 1979 with a Bachelors Of Music. Michael moved to Southern California in 1985 and actually didn't touch the trumpet or flugelhorn for two years while pursuing other interests. A move back to Nashville in 1987 seemed as natural as picking the horn back up and joining up with a new band, The Cliff Notes, at the time . Working with this group gave Michael exposure to the Nashville music community, opening up opportunities for both live and session work.
"It seemed to be an oddity to be a musician and to actually have grown up in Nashville. The first question anyone would ask me is where are you from. When I would tell them I was actually from here the response was always the same. No one who plays music is actually from here! As a result of that reaction, I've always felt as though that helped to make me somewhat unique."
- Michael Fair
Michael has been fortunate enough to share the stage on shows with such legends as Michael McDonald, Christopher Cross, Larry Carlton, Olivia Newton-John, Leon Russell, John Hyatt, Sam Moore, Carman, Claude McKnight, Amy Grant, and Jim Horn just to name a few.
Michael continued to develop his unique warm smooth flugelhorn sound throughout the next few years. Many of the musicians he has worked with over the years say that they can recognize Michael's sound anywhere. The combination of his sound and sensitive phrasing make him a natural to perform smooth jazz in a way that invites you to listen and be totally enveloped equally by the melody and the warm sound which one can experience in the new release by Michael and Brandon Barnes, "Love Me Like That".
Michael met Brandon Barnes in 1995 while Brandon was in Nashville working with Claude McKnight from Take 6. Brandon was a fan of the flugelhorn and loved Michael's sound when he heard him playing at a Nashville club. The two "hit it off" and talked about doing a smooth jazz horn project for years. Finally schedules lined up and in the summer of 2001 Michael and Brandon wrote and recorded the songs for Michael's debut album, "Love Me Like That".
" It was easy and natural to do these tunes with Brandon. We really like one another and respect each other's talents and as a result the songs seemed to just flow and write themselves. I feel very lucky to get to work with someone as accomplished and successful as Brandon. "
- Michael Fair
Brandon Barnes is a multi Grammy nominated writer. He has co-written some of Brian McKnight's biggest hits including The Way Love Goes, Goodbye My Love, One Last Cry, Never Felt This Way, Last Dance, 6 8 12, What's It Gonna Be, and Still just to name a few.
Multi-Grammy nominated writer/producer Brandon Barnes teams up with Nashville based smooth jazz trumpet/flugelhorn artist Michael Fair for their second offering " How Close Are We?". This eagerly anticipated collaboration arrives two years after this duos highly successful first release "Love Me Like That". " How Close Are We?", picks up where "Love Me Like That" left off, dishing up more fire and more groove while still offering a warm dose of Michael Fair's super-smooth flugelhorn on such tunes as "Midnight Groove" and the Brian McKnight/ Brandon Barnes/Melanie Barnes mega hit "One Last Cry".
Both Brandon and Michael's resumes read like a "Who's Who" in the music business. Brandon has written and produced with such artists as Brian McKnight, Helen Reddy, Claude McKnight of Take 6, Darius Rucker of Hootie and the Blowfish, Tyrese, Phillip Bailey, Brenda Russell, Robbie Nevil, Stephen Bishop, Siedah Garrett, BB Winans, Phil Collins and Boyz to Men, to name a few. In addition to Michael's accomplishments mentioned above, he has more
recently parlayed his flugelhorn talents into numerous artistic endeavors, most recently being featured as the solo horn in the Latin Jazz ballet "Arriving in Indigo City", a Carolina Ballet Theatre production written and arranged by Russ Corvey and choreographed by Herman Justo. As a tribute to Michael's flugelhorn playing the "How Close Are We?" cut "Brazilian Sunrise" was showcased as a ballet musical feature. He has also contributed to major motion picture soundtracks like "The Apostle".
"How Close Are We ?" has already received heavy radio rotation in Nashville. All songs were written and produced by Brandon and Michael with the exception of the aforementioned " One Last Cry" which was a huge hit for Brian McKnight on his debut album. There are high energy cuts such as the title cut" How Close Are We?", "New Shooz New Attitude" and "Running Scared". Those who enjoy slow tempo melodic ballads will find " A Fool Again" and
"Midnight Groove" appealing. Two vibrant Latin Jazz cuts
"Nylon Samba" and "Brazilian Sunrise" complete this cross-sectional mix of music. There is certainly something for music lovers of all tastes on "How Close Are We?".
As you can see, these two projects contain much variety yet still were created from the musical passion of Brandon and Michael and compliment one another beautifully as a nice two-set package.