Back in California by Jason Keiser Spacegrass Sextet Live M4a Digital Download
This digital download features a special live M4a recording of the piece "Back in California" composed and arranged by Jason Keiser for Spacegrass Sextet.
The first rendition of this piece was composed by Jason for his mentor, and professional Bluegrass guitarist Wyatt Rice. The piece began as a guitar duo conversation between Rice and Jason, then between him and his bluegrass colleagues at ETSU. After some time, he brought the piece to classical double bassist Rodrigo Ruiz and they performed a new rendition fusing classical and flamenco elements as a double bass & guitar duet.
It has evolved into a spacegrass, jazz-fused, flamenco, and latin jazz orchestral~esq. sextet piece!
Recorded live from Jason Keiser's Masters Jazz Guitar Recital on Sunday February 9th, 2020, it features the superb artistry of David Boyden (Fiddle), Nathaniel Grohmann (Cello), Rodrigo Ruiz (Arco Double Bass), Alonso Sanchez (Pizzicato Double Bass) & Daniel Williams (Drums).
Program Notes from Jason Keiser in his Masters Recital states:
"Last but definitely not least is my bluegrass-jazz-flamenco-latin jazz/salsa infused piece “Back in California”.
I composed this tune almost 2 years ago, while on winter break between semesters at East Tennessee State University. I knew I was going to be going into Rice Recording Studios with Wyatt Rice, and wanted to bring a spacegrass kind of tune into the studio with a fresh new approach to bluegrass-jazz fusion music.
At the time, the vamp you hear at the beginning basically was the whole tune. The melody has always been very chop heavy, with 16th notes present throughout and a tagged lick at the end of the tune to bring the musician back to the top of the form.
In this new version, listen for the different sections, ranging from bluegrass, to flamenco, jazz, and latin jazz/salsa. All these musical idioms and genres are highly influential in my playing as a musician and the goal with this new arrangement was to bring each genre and style to bear as much as musically possible.
I have been highly influenced by the great mandolinist David Grisman and his own “dawg music” as well as the spacegrass canon of Tony & Wyatt Rice. Without them, the musical ideas present, and this composition would have never occurred. I am forever in awe of their music, compositions, tone, technique, and it is largely what I strive to sound and play like."
We hope you enjoy this special work and please purchase your copy for $1.99 today!