Search - John Klemmer :: Finesse/Magnificent Madness

Classic Klemmer!!!

tws | Michigan | 08/25/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Thumbs up Wounded Bird for releasing these classics. I could never find Finesse on cd until now this label continues to amaze me with all the titles they are putting out that are either oop or never available on the cd format. I would grab this up before it does go OOP!!! Highly Recommend!!!"

"Passion is my madness..."

D. M. Press | 01/04/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Magnificent Madness has been a favorite smooth jazz (emphasis on the jazz) favorite of mine since I first heard it and purchased it in 1980. It has a double bonus of being a wonderful album of jazz sax instrumentals (no denying that Klemmer is outstanding) plus it also has three fantastic vocal pieces - The opening/title track, sung with true depth, passion and feeling that fits the music perfectly, by Bili Thedford, and what are for me the two shining stars of Magnificent Madness; two songs sung by singer / song writer Danny O'Keefe ("Goodtime Charlie's Got The Blues"), "We Couldn't Start Over" and "Lifesong" with the former being my favorite. O'Keefe co-wrote these songs with Klemmer and they are real stand-outs, especially in Danny's repertoire. These two guys should have collaborated for an entire album. Really great stuff.



I became a huge fan of Danny O'Keefe's after hearing him on this album and having heard the album Magnificent Madness a hundred times or more, I stupidly never bought another John Klemmer album. Finesse (1981), is a wonderful surprise. It goes so well with Magnificent Madness that I now always put my player on shuffle and it's like listening to an extended version of Madness.



The sound quality of this double release is magnificent (excuse the pun). Wounded Bird did a near perfect job mastering a CD that sounds nearly direct-to-disc. I could not be happier with this purchase (even though I admit to paying less than the $19.95 retail price). My experience with Wounded Bird is very good to great CD mastering with next to no liner notes. Although I love liner notes, I'd prefer this combination to an inverted alternative. There are virtually no notes for Magnificent Madness and limited notes for Finesse so I have enclosed the following:



MAGNIFICENT MADNESS



Produced by Stephan Goldman and John Klemmer for John Klemmer Productions

Recorded by Rick Ruggeri and Bill Taylor / Remixed by Rick Ruggeri

Additional Recording: Cheech D'Amico

Recorded and mixed at Mama Jo's, North Hollywood, California

Additional recording at Producers Workshop and Cherokee Studios, Hollywood, California

Production Coordination: Dan Barrett and Noel Newbolt and Motion Productions

Direction: Gary Brown Management

Art Direction: Ron Coro / Photos: Norman Seeff / Design: Tommy Steele



tenor saxophone : John Klemmer

guitars : John Tropea, Dean Parks, Chris Pinnick

piano : Don Grusin, Victor Feldman

synthesizer : Ronnie Foster

electric bass : Abraham Laboriel, Dennis Belfield

drums : Harvey Mason, John Guerin

percussion : Lenny Castro

lead vocals : Bili Thedford, Danny O'Keefe

background vocals : Phyllis St.James, Stephanie Spruill, Alphanette Silas

horns : Larry Williams, Jerry Hey, Kim Hutchcroft,

Bill Reichenbach, Larry Hall



1. Magnificent Madness (7:27) [John Klemmer, David Batteau]

2. Heart (Summer Song) (3:20) [John Klemmer]

3. Don't Take Your Love Away (6:21) [Isaac Hayes, Lee Wesley Jodes]

4. I Can't Help It (3:19) [Stevie Wonder, Susaye Greene Brown]

5. We Couldn't Start Over (4:03) [John Klemmer, Danny O'Keefe]

6. Deja Vu (4:27) [Isaac Hayes, Adrienne Anderson]

7. Lifesong (4:02) [John Klemmer, Danny O'Keefe]

8. Adventures In Paradise (7:05) [Minnie Riperton, Joe Sample, Richard Rudolph]





FINESSE



All compositions written by John Klemmer, except

"Beloved" by John Klemmer and David Bateau

Produced by John Klemmer for John Klemmer Productions/Age of the Artist Series

Executive Producers: Gary Borman and Jerry Luby

Engineer: Warren Dewey

Recorded at Capitol Studios, Los Angeles, California

a Mixed by Bernie Kirsch at Mad Hatter Studios, Los Angeles, California

Mastered by Bernie Grundman



Art Direction: Norm Ung / Design: Kristen Kasell Nikosey

Front Cover Photography: Carol Vilz / Back Cover Photography: Jim Shea



John Klemmer : tenor saxophone, echoplex, analog,

phaser, vocalise

Roy McCurdy : drums

Bob Magnusson : bass

Russell Ferrante : keyboards

Steve Forman : percussion



1. Fínesse (3:58)

2. Man & Woman (4:33)

3. Sometimes (5:28)

4. The Greatest Love Of All (2:59)

5. Heart (4:19)

6. The Sun, The Moon and The Stars (3:48)

7. Beloved (6:12)

8. But Are You Beautiful Inside? (3:34)



"

Great cd to chill out to

The OUTLAW | Cincinnati | 10/04/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I bought "Finesse" at a used record store over 20 years and it is still my favorite album by John Klemmer. Absolutely wonderful when you are in a mellow mood. It took years before I ran across this on CD but it was well worth the wait."