Album Notes

So, for those of you who are familiar with the term “outside jazz or free jazz” you will love the selections from this CD. Bay area poet, N-Side pays tribute to a San Francisco bay area legend, who has played with Billie Holiday, Lester Young, Dinah Washington, John Coltrane, Ray Drummond, Sonny Simmons and another bay area great, pianist Edwin “Big Ed” Kelly. William Richard “Smiley” Winters has played with some of the biggest name in jazz, a list that is just too long to mention here. On this CD, there are small excerpts of invaluable commentary by Mr. Winters, from a never released interview, provided by jazz producer and friend, James Bronson, Jr. of Touche Records. The intimate comments from this rare interview are, in my view, the genuine, professional and educational experience of a truly committed jazz artist, whose time came too soon. This CD will help you know him and hopefully remember him. The comments are then followed by the tracks, which feature the amazing and unique drum style of “Smiley” followed N-Side’s reflective and thought provoking poetry. The CD “Jazz Opera” is N-Side’s way showing his appreciation and support of the quote “art unified in motion, creates magic!” the Shalamar Records creed. Join me in the love of jazz, with N-Side, as he poetically pays tribute to one of the great San Francisco Bay area legends