Album Notes

PLAYERS Bill MacKay, guitar & songs Bud Melvin, banjo (track 1) Charles Rumback, drums Greg Ward, alto saxophone Kyle Hernandez, bass (tracks 1,2,3,6) Todd Hill, bass (tracks 1,4,5,6) RECORDINGS Released Feb.2005. All songs published by Son of Fire Recordings, ASCAP. Some of the Radio Play Received: WNUR 83.9 FM (Chicago-Evanston, IL) KSFR 90.7 FM (Santa Fe, NM) WPVM 103.5 FM (Ashville, NC) REVIEWS: Illinois Entertainer / Sept. 2005 Issue / by Mike O'Cull "...experimental guitarist Bill MacKay and his band Sounds Of Now treat us to six original compositions on their self-titled CD performed in quartet, quintet, and sextet formats. MacKay and co. make cool, vibe-filled music with a classic sensibility and will hopefully connect with a wider, jazz-friendly audience. Lounge/free/instro fans, this one is for you." Bill MacKay & Sounds of Now By Mark F. Turner Sept. 2005 www.allaboutjazz.com "Jazz has always been a reflection of diversity and culture. It has grown to embrace the roots of ethnic music originating from global sources. Just as it has flourished in America, its branches have extended to encompass many other musical styles. Some of that can be heard on Sounds of Now, by Chicago guitarist Bill MacKay, who loosely defines the music as "broken" or "garage" jazz (relating the idea of a broken bottle into which various musical elements have seeped). MacKay, a versatile guitarist, can play in modes ranging from mainstream to modern, as recently heard on violinist SavoirFaire's Running Out of Time. Now performing his own music, the sounds are more melodic, complex, and insightful. Like broken glass, the music glimmers, with its various shards illuminating influences like rock, blues, and folk music. This becomes apparent on "Soul in Violet" as the quartet opens with a picturesque melody colored by the rustic presence of a banjo. Giving way to a western rural motif, "Illumination" is also marked by soulful playing and nice soloing by MacKay and saxophonist Greg Ward, with slight touches of free jazz and good interaction. MacKay's playing is skillful as he fills the spaces with intricate chords, thoughtful notes, and a pleasing tone on the gentle "Sleepwalking." Overall the music is balanced by equal amounts of harmony and exploration, and everyone gets time to express themselves. The "garage" presence comes into play on the closing "Serpentine," whose mellow rawness is filled with various textures, phrasings, and layered solos. If this seems a little hard to describe, that's because it is. Like a sponge, modern jazz soaks up a variety of sounds, and interesting and unique recordings like this one occasionally seep out." Comments by Ben Breitinger "It reminds me of Paul Klee's work. Especially his painting "Sinbad the Sailor". If I had to describe the album right now, I'd say it's a rockudrama starring Popeye on guitar, Cannonball Adderly on sax, A. Serpent on bass, and Max Roach on drums." QUOTE FROM BILL: It was written that poet Arthur Rimbaud was 'a savage in a mystic state'. This appealed to me & his poetry hit my young mind in a heavy way. I also wanted to create something that radiant and clear. At 15 I read Kerouac and Thomas Wolfe and wrote songs by the bridges & rivers of my hometown. With a map-book as guide, I would plan imaginary future trips across South America and other lands that intrigued me. Images from those days still show up in & inspire songs. The topography of Pittsburgh, its industrial yet green wilderness, also had a large effect on me. It encapsulated many polarities of life in a poetic, filmic reality. Our early impressions & preoccupations being inescapable, I have instead headed toward them, aiming for the heart of their enigma. After all, we are our art form. BAND BIOGRAPHIES BILL MACKAY Bill MacKay spent his early days writing songs and poetry in Pittsburgh, his spiritual hometown. He studied with guitaris