Since I receive occasional queries for examples of
my work in writing press biographies and liner
notes, here are a couple of examples of what I dok.
Sometimes bios and liner notes are briefer or
occasionally lengthier than these samples but at
least this can give you an idea.


ALAN BROADBENT BIO

Alan Broadbent has long been a major force
behind the scenes in jazz, whether it was
accompanying Irene Kral on some of the most
exquisite vocal albums ever recorded, contributing
arrangements to Natalie Cole or playing piano with
Charlie Haden’s Quartet West.  ‘Round Midnight, a
trio set with bassist Brian Bromberg and drummer
Joe LaBarbera, puts the focus on Broadbent’s skills
as a pianist and improviser, and the result is one of
his finest recordings to date.

“On my trio recordings,” says the pianist, “I meet up
with my musicians and basically ask them what they
would like to play.  For ‘Round Midnight, I wanted to
record a couple of my originals and there was a
short list of tunes that I was hoping to improvise on,
but that is always open to change.  We had a
completely improvised experience and I did not
have any preconceptions.  I don’t like overly
planned “big band trios,” preferring to concentrate
on interplay and listening to each other.  I’ve known
Joe LaBarbera since our Woody Herman days,
before he joined Bill Evans.  His impeccable taste,
ability to always swing and quick reactions are well
known.  Brian Bromberg I met on a Lee Ritenour
jazz date in the 1990s.  He’s a great virtuoso and
always a pleasure to play with.”

Although ‘Round Midnight is a very spontaneous
set, the playing is always quite coherent and logical
due to the big ears and quick reactions of the three
musicians.  The program begins with Dizzy Gillespie’
s “Groovin’ High,” “Serenata” and J.J. Johnson’s
“Lament.”  Broadbent’s personal chord voicings,
flawless octave playing and superior
accompaniment skills (heard behind Bromberg’s
occasional solos) are very much in evidence.  His
harmonically rich and lyrical original “Die
Vereinbarling” is dedicated to the music of Vienna
and has a wistful melody.  He also wrote “Journey
Home” about his early days playing in New Zealand.
Its relaxed theme is catchy and “Journey Home” has
a particularly attractive set of chord changes for the
musicians to play over.  “I’m Old Fashioned” is
given a particularly inventive interpretation while
always keeping the melody in mind.  Asked to pick
a personal favorite performance on the set,
Broadbent named “‘Round Midnight” (which builds
logically from the opening theme) although the
cooking version of “The Man I Love” that concludes
the set is also quite worthy.  “I have favorite
moments throughout the disc where there is a
phrase I particularly like.  Overall, this is a good
example of how we play together and is one of my
favorite personal recordings.”

Born in Aukland, New Zealand, Alan Broadbent
remembers two key moments in his early musical
development.  “When I was seven or eight, I looked
forward to Sunday morning when the program
Sparky and his Magic Piano was on.  The basic
story is that Sparky, who does not practice, had a
piano that came to life.  He goes on a concert tour
with his magic piano that plays whatever he wants.  
I remember hearing him perform Chopin’s ‘Etude #4
in C Sharp Minor,’ a very fast technical piece that is
compact and intense.  I felt the power of the music
and it led to me studying classical piano.  As a
teenager, I went through my Dad’s sheet music and
learned some popular songs.  I had an opportunity
to see the Dave Brubeck Quartet in New Zealand.  I’
ll always remember Paul Desmond with Brubeck
starting off the concert playing ‘Tangerine,’ a song
that I knew, at least the sheet music version.  The
way they played it was so powerful and so inventive
that it was another great moment for me and
helped lead to me playing jazz.”

While still living in New Zealand as a teenager,
Broadbent became a jazz musician although
sometimes learning the hard way.  “At the time it
was the tail-end of a strong jazz period in New
Zealand.  Mike Nock and his trio used to pummel
me into becoming a better jazz player.  My time was
a bit corny and they showed me more about
swinging, getting me to listen to Wynton Kelly
records.”  When he was 19 in 1966, Broadbent
took a 32-day voyage on a ship to the United
States so as to study at Berklee.  While attending
Berklee, he worked regularly in a local club in
Boston and took private lessons from Lennie
Tristano in New York.  “Lennie was a bit hesitant
with me at first, until he realized that I knew his
music and really wanted to work hard.  He had me
singing Lester Young solos for two years and
working on his exercises.  We became good friends
and I learned a lot about life from him.”

Broadbent gained his initial recognition in the jazz
world for his piano playing and arrangements
during a three-year period with the Woody Herman
Orchestra (1969-72).  “I loved being a part of his
band although everything I learned at Berklee went
down the drain because it didn’t work with Woody’s
band!  At the time Blood, Sweat and Tears was a
huge hit, playing jazz movements inside a rock and
roll framework and it seemed like it would be very
adaptable to Woody’s band.  We were playing
country clubs and Army bases and the book was
not that good so Tony Platka, Bill Stapleton and I
decided that, since there was a prom coming up,
we should do some of these more modern songs
for Woody.  We wrote all of these new
arrangements and the kids loved it because they
knew the tunes, so Woody started having me write
for him, suggesting that I write “Blues In The Night.”  
During his Herman years, Broadbent was
nominated for Grammy Awards for his work on
Children of Lima and Aja.

By 1972 Broadbent had tired of living on the band
bus, so he gave his notice and moved to Los
Angeles.  After a period of struggle, he hadt a
major break.  “One afternoon in 1974 I got a call to
come down to the Beverly Hilton that night for a big
band dance gig.  When I went down to the hotel,
out walked Nelson Riddle and I realized I was with
his band from the Frank Sinatra days!  It included
Shorty Sherock, Harry Klee, Wilbur Schwartz and
Milt Bernhart, all those great guys.  Nelson liked my
playing and said that if I could read that well, I
should be doing some of his television work. That
was my entrance into the studio scene.”  He worked
as Riddle’s pianist for ten years and was on many
sessions headed by David Rose, Johnny Mandel
and Henry Mancini.

Since that time, Alan Broadbent has performed and
recorded in a countless number of settings.  In
addition to his studio work, he is prized by vocalists
for his skills as an accompanist, working with,
among others, Sheila Jordan, Sue Raney,
Rosemary Clooney, Mel Torme, Karrin Allyson,
Mary Stallings, Judy Niemack and Carol Sloane.  
However he is most famous for recording three
timeless ballad albums with Irene Kral: Where Is
Love, Kral Space and Gentle Rain.  “I’m not aware
of lyrics when I’m playing, I never have been.  
Instead, I’m listening to how the singer phrases, like
I would a horn player.  I look back on those albums
with Irene, which is very sensitive music, as some of
my most valuable work.  If nothing else, those
records are something I can leave behind.  It shows
that in the best music it’s not about what you play
or sing, but what you have to say and feel that is
most important.”

Through the years, Alan Broadbent has performed
with the who’s who of West Coast jazz including
Chet Baker, Warne Marsh, Scott Hamilton, Bud
Shank, Shelly Manne, Bill Berry, Bill Perkins, Gary
Foster, Bob Brookmeyer, Jack Sheldon, Don Menza
and Pete Christlieb.  He has been a member of
Charlie Haden’s Quartet West since the mid-
1980s.  “My first trio album which was made in New
Zealand, had been played on the radio in L.A. and
Charlie heard it while he was driving.  He went
home, called the station and found out it was me.  
He was looking to have a group of local players
who he could take on the road.  It’s always such a
fun group.  Ernie Watts played soprano in my
saxophone quartet for my recital at Berklee so he
was an old friend, while Charlie had known Larance
Marable since he was 15.  I visited Europe for the
first time with Quartet West and I consider Charlie
Haden to be the finest bassist I’ve ever played
with.  Recently I have been playing with Charlie’s
Liberation Music Orchestra, another fun
experience.”

As a leader of trios, Broadbent led dates in the past
for such labels as Revelation, Discovery, Trend
and Concord, including Better Days, Pacific
Standard Time and Personal Standards.  He also
recorded a solo piano CD for Concord (Live at
Maybeck Hall, Vol.14) as well as a duo CD with
saxophonist Gary Foster, Live At Maybeck.

In addition to all of that work, Alan Broadbent has
been active as an arranger and a conductor.  “I got
a call one day to go to a studio and there was Ray
Brown and Jeff Hamilton.  They wanted me to play
‘Straighten Up And Fly Right,’ so we did a take.  To
my surprise, out came Natalie Cole and, before I
knew it, I was out on the road as part of her
Unforgettable tour.  I had an opportunity to write for
her, we did three albums together (Take A Look,
Holly and Ivy and Stardust), and since then I’ve
been writing for orchestras, most recently for a
Steve Tyrell Sinatra project.  I also worked on a jazz
album with Linda Ronstadt and ended up
conducting her concerts that used Nelson Riddle
orchestrations which are supremely beautiful.”  
Broadbent has also been involved in some of Diana
Krall’s music, working as her musical director.  “I
have known her since she was 19.  She studied a
little with me and I pulled out my Tristano stuff for
her, having her sing Lester Young solos!  I will be
conducting Elvis Costello’s ballet in Australia.”  
Along the way he also arranged and conducted Mel
Torme’s Tribute to Bing Crosby(which gained a
Grammy nomination for best arrangement
accompanying a vocal, Scott Hamilton’s With
Strings and Marian McPartland’s Silent Pool.

With all of that activity, a trio showcase such as
‘Round Midnight was long overdue, to remind
listeners of Broadbent’s talents as an improvising
jazz pianist.  “I love the way that Joe and Brian play
for me.  It is an afternoon of my feelings, a
snapshot of our meeting together.”

For the future, Alan Broadbent says, “I practice
every day.  As Lennie told me, I can’t go too far
from the piano.  My goal is always to move people.  
As long as I concentrate on what moves me, then I
have a chance to affect people who feel deeply
about this music.”

LINER NOTES FOR

THE BRIAN SWARTZ TRIO

In 1979, trumpeter Chet Baker recorded four albums for
the Steeplechase label (The Touch Of Your Lips,
Daybreak, This Is Always and Someday My Prince Will
Come) in a memorable pianoless drumless trio with
guitarist Doug Raney and bassist Niels Pedersen.  There
were also a few later sessions with guitarist Philippe
Catherine and bassist Jean-Louis Rassinfosse (including
the Criss Cross label’s Chet’s Choice) and overall these
sets contained some of Baker’s finest playing.

It is a setting well worth reviving.  “Carlos Miralles, who is
one of the representatives of my horn company, is a big
Chet Baker fan,” says Brian Swartz.  “A few years ago he
played me one of Chet’s Steeplechase trio sets and urged
me to make a record like that.  I actually had led a trumpet-
guitar-bass trio earlier on.  It was always a challenge to
play in that context because each musician is so
exposed.  I liked the idea of understating everything and
having simplicity.  Without a drummer, there is one less
person influencing where the group is going when we are
improvising and a lot more space.”

Although there are places during these performances
where one is reminded a bit of Chet Baker, Swartz did not
consciously try to copy Chet.  “This is really an homage
rather a tribute.  I performed four of my originals and I don’
t sing, so there are some distinct differences in the project
along with similarities.  It has more to do with my
expression of the context rather than trying to copy him.”
When one puts together an intimate trio of this sort, each
musician has to not only be a master but have perfect
time and listen closely to each other.  Brian Swartz was
very fortunate to have guitarist Larry Koonse and bassist
Darek Oles, who not only made up for the absence of
piano and drums but give one the impression that the
addition of any other instruments would have been a
frivolity.  “Trust in the context of a small jazz group is so
important; trusting that the musicians will be there every
time.  Larry and Darek are both so solid timewise and
rhythmically.  It is just like heaven to play with them.  
Darek I met through pianist Jane Getz around 1994.  
Larry I have known for five or six years and we hadn’t
worked together that often before the recording.  But I
loved the way that he comps, so perfectly in time, so I
knew that he was perfect for this project.”

There is a great deal of variety in the spontaneous music,
particularly when one considers that only three musicians
are involved, with different players leading in different
sections.  The program begins with the first of the
originals, “Samba De Outono.”  “Outono” is Portuguese
for autumn.  Inspired by trumpeter Tom Harrell, Brian
says, “I enjoy hearing the flugelhorn playing fast over a
samba rhythm.  When I organized Tom’s big band a few
years ago, I really loved the feel of his original samba.  
‘Samba De Outono’ opens with unusual sounds with me
playing through half valves, Darek slapping the back of
his bass and Larry throwing in a few odd rhythmic ideas
before the song kicks in and we’re off.”  “Mi Sonita” was
written by Brian for his wife while “Father To Many” is a
double dedication to his wife’s late father and Brian’s own
father.  Both are very emotional statements that show off
the trumpeter’s lyricism and tenderness.  Brian’s other
song, “Out Of View,” is inspired by saxophonist Phil Vieux,
who lived in Los Angeles until the late 1990s.  “It is a
lament about him having moved away and not playing that
often anymore.”

The other eight selections are all standards given fresh
renditions both by the instrumentation and the creativity of
the musicians.  “I love singer Gretchen Parlato’s version
of ‘I’ve Never Been In Love Before.’  She’s a big Chet fan
and gives this innocent song such a sweetness.”  As does
the trio, which performs the tune with infectious joy.  “My
Shining Hour” is taken fast, showing Swartz’s ease at
rapid tempos and the light but hard-swinging styles of
Koonse and Oles.  “I Thought About You” is at a more
relaxed pace, with thoughtful solos all around.

Johnny Mandel’s “Emily” starts out very tenderly.  ”Bob
Florence made me aware of the beauty of this song.  It is
his wife’s favorite tune, which was a very good reason to
include it on the CD.  It’s a beautiful song in 3/4 time that I
have alternate between two keys, like Bill Evans would
have done.”  The 1930s ballad “Ghost Of A Chance” is
turned into a bossa nova with Darak beautifully stating the
melody.

Inspired by Tony Bennett’s version on his album For The
Ladies and also Sarah Vaughan’s recording, Brian Swartz
creates a heart-wrenching statement on “Poor Butterfly,”
taking the verse unaccompanied and interpreting the
vintage song with the trio at a very slow tempo which
makes this rendition quite haunting.  The trumpeter
remembered playing “The Best Thing For You Is Me,” a
lesser-known standard with a quirky and mysterious chord
progression, while a member of the retro swing band, Red
and the Red Hots.  Finally there is Irving Berlin’s “How
Deep Is The Ocean.”  “I love Chet’s version of this song
and the way he would sing it, so I vocalized it through my
horn.”

For Brian Swartz, playing trumpet was part of his family’s
heritage since his father played trumpet in the Air Force.  
Born in Wichita Falls, Texas, Brian spent his childhood
wherever his father was stationed before his family settled
in the San Francisco Bay area.  He began playing trumpet
when he was ten and knew early on that he was going to
try to be a professional musician.  After performing locally,
he moved to Los Angeles in 1989 to attend the
prestigious music program at Cal State University at
Northridge.  He studied privately with Bobby Shew and
has worked in many different settings ever since.

In addition to contracting the personnel of the Tom Harrell
Big Band and playing for dancers with Red and the Red
Hots, Swartz’s more important musical associations as a
sideman include the Jack Sheldon Orchestra, Diane
Schuur, Michael Buble, The Jazz On The Latin Side All-
Stars, Ernie Andrews, Buddy Montgomery, Francisco
Aguabella and Carmen Lundy.  However he is becoming
increasingly well-known as a leader, heading everything
from a swinging acoustic jazz quintet to a free
improvisation group called the No-Net Quartet and an
electric project that features him on the EVI.

Brian Swartz’s previous recordings, in addition to a variety
as a sideman, include two as a leader: There’s Only Me
and Live At The Jazz Bakery.  The latter features Swartz
with pianist Bob Florence in a boppish quartet.  “I’ve been
getting some nice attention for Live At The Jazz Bakery.  
In recent times I have been working a lot in the studios
and, believe it or not, arranging and writing in pop
contexts while still playing jazz as often as I can.  I also run
a local jam session which has been well attended.  There
is so much great young talent and I do my best to provide
them with a space where they have the opportunity to
learn and grow.”

Young players are well advised to check out the melodic
invention, interplay and subtlety of the Brian Swartz Trio.  
“I’m considering doing more recordings with this trio
because I enjoy the group so much, possibly a Wayne
Shorter album or a set of Thelonious Monk songs.  I’m
really pleased with how this project came out.  Rather
than filling up more space and being as hot as possible, I
wanted to take a step back, simplify things and make
every note count.  It came out to be a very personal
statement.”

The Brian Swartz Trio is classic chamber jazz, an
accessible yet consistently creative set of brilliant and
memorable performances.  It is also timeless music and
belongs in every jazz collection.

Scott Yanow, author of nine jazz books including Jazz On
Film, Swing, Bebop, Trumpet Kings and Jazz On Record
1917-76





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