Alan Broadbent is considered one of the best pianists, composers, arrangers and conductors in the world. "The gossamer orchestrations by two heavyweights - Johnny Mandel and Alan Broadbent - float like milkweed behind Mr. McCartney's voice." -Review for Sir Paul McCartney's CD -Kisses on the Bottom (Stephen Holden, The New York Times, February 6, 2012).
Alan has received 8 Grammy Award nominations and won
2 Grammy Awards for “Best Orchestral Arrangement Accompanying a Vocal",
one for Natalie Cole and one for Shirley Horn and nominated in the same
category for Kristin Chenoweth last year (2016). Recently, he was nominated for
"Best Improvised Jazz Solo" alongside Keith Jarrett, Herbie Hancock
and Wayne Shorter.
Alan has also arranged and conducted for Sir Paul
McCartney, Diana Krall, Pat Metheny, Linda Ronstadt and Michael Bublé.
This time Alan was able to write his own story by
recording his original compositions for jazz piano trio and symphony orchestra,
and jazz standards like John Coltrane’s “Naima“ and “Milestones“ by Miles Davis
in a symphonic orchestra setting.
Peter Erskine and Harvie S made sure that there was
enough room for Alan’s rhapsodic style of piano playing as the LA Times has
called Alan “…one of the greatest living jazz pianists.”
Alan, in his liner notes:
“Sometime in the late 70s the initial idea for
“Developing Story” came to me in a complete phrase for woodwind soli,
counterpoint and all. My problem was not quite knowing what to do with it. It
wrote itself in response to a moment I’d had with the music of Mahler, but to
imitate such a master would be the height of hubris (and impossible, anyway).
Things slowly took shape when I realized that rather than getting an orchestra
to play with jazz feeling (it’ll never happen, I’m afraid), I could present it
with a jazz trio version of the idea and perhaps the orchestra could help me out
with some nice chords. Then at some point the orchestra would seem to say,
“Yes, we get it. Now let us show you how we might express our thoughts on the
matter;” opposite sides of the same music, developing together, creating the
story.“
The London Metropolitan Orchestra is one of the best
symphonic orchestras in London and is regularly booked by major Hollywood
studios and record companies, including live performances with artists such as
Paul McCartney, U2, Eric Clapton, Annie Lennox, Sting, Bryan Adams, Quincy
Jones, Pink Floyd, Jon Bon Jovi, Vangelis, Simply Red, Pet Shop Boys etc.
The recording engineer for the production was
Jonathan Allen. In 2013 Jonathan won the BAFTA Sound Award for the recording
and mixing of the movie "Les Misérables". Further movie projects of
his are e.g. Return of the Jedi - Special Edition and Michael Jackson’s “This
is It”. He recently also recorded for Gregory Porter and Eliane Elias.
The producer, Ralf Kemper, is himself a Grammy Prize
winner in 2010 for Best Instrumental Record and Best Producer Of The Year at
the Latin Grammys for Arturo Sandoval’s “A Time For Love". His film “Jimmy
Scott: I Go Back Home“ was premiered at the prestigious SXSW festival, was
introduced by Quincy Jones at the 50th Montreux Jazz Festival and has won
several awards at international film festivals.
EPK Video short version: https://vimeo.com/198092811
EPK Video extended version:
https://vimeo.com/198072130
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