A new album to play at your weekend brunch
David K. Matthews has been performing since 1975. He plays the piano, electric piano, Hammond organ and the synthesizers. Matthews got his start at the age of 23 with the group Tower of Power and toured with them for two years.
Since 1990, he has been an organist/pianist with Grammy Award-winning artist and queen of Rhythm & Blues Etta James.
The Fantasy Vocal Sessions, Vol 1, is his seventh album. In this album, other players, as well as a singer, join David in every song. This album came out on Feb. 2, 2018, and is on Effendi Records.
From the opening piano chords, “I Want To Talk About You” is a very jazzy piece. When the vocals come in, with their smooth sound and style, they create the makings of a great jazz song. The horn solo in the middle of the song takes it to the next level.
“Alfie” does not have as big of a piano intro as the first song. The female vocalist mixed with the piano is a recipe for a great sound. The horn section in the middle of “Alfie” has a different tone than the first piece on the album. Like the piano, the horn is lighter so it mixes very well with the singer. The music, lyrics, and the performances all mesh to create a great song.
Most people might recognize the standard “Blue Skies.” The vocalist’s smooth tone and soothing low voice really work well with this song. The piano solo in the middle of the piece is well played, giving you a new way to listen to the song.
In “Oh Papa,” the unique quality and the tone of the singer’s voice blends well with the piano and enriches the piece.
The singer of “Ruby” is very well suited for the song. He seems to have a connection with the music, which gives the listener a convincing performance. The instrumental solos in this particular song move you to another musical plane.
This rendition of “Smile,” another standard that people might have heard, is a new take on a classic. The piano playing on this song is particularly exceptional. The section towards the end where the vocalist seems to have changed the lyrics to the original song makes this a great piece.
The male singer of “When Sunny Gets Blue” has a bluesy style that paints a perfect lyrical picture for the listener.
“Lover Man” presents the same singer that you heard singing “Oh Papa” earlier. Her voice adds something special to this jazzy song that is very rare to find. Just she and the piano carry the piece beautifully. The piano in this number is a huge sound and is showcased with a long solo, which is played well by the pianist.
“Lush Life” starts with a small piano chord and then the singer comes in. The range of the singer is exceptional and is a mix of high and low notes. The horn solo and throughout the song is beautiful.
“The More I See You” is one of the jazziest pieces on this album. Between the band sound and the singer, this is a great song for any lover of jazz music.
“We’ll Be Together Again” does not have a big instrumental intro; the singer starts the song. The horn solo is delightful, and this is one of the only songs on the album with a drum solo.
“Skylark” is also a jazzier number. From the opening chords with all of the instruments playing together, the mood is set. The singer only adds to this style with his big voice. This is a song that could stand as an instrumental, but suddenly the singer’s voice comes in and blends magically with the band.
“In The Wee Small Hours Of The Morning” starts with a very soft piano and then the singer joins with a nice voice that works well with the piece. The soft jazzy piano solo in this song really creates the smooth vibes.
I was really pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed The Fantasy Vocal Sessions, Vol. 1. As a fan of music that is not what most people like to listen to, I went in thinking that I would not like it all that much. I ended up loving most of the songs on this album, and even the ones that I didn't love as much I liked. I didn't find a bad song on this album, and this album exceeded my expectations.