Artist: Graham Dent

Date of Release: 01/02/2007

Catalogue no: JV005

Label: JazzVibes

Price: £10

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Track Listing

“Although I love the experience of playing jazz with other musicians, there is something special about creating music totally on one’s own. Personal Freeway, my first solo album, came about largely by accident.

During August 2006 I spent much time in my home studio recording some laid-back grooves which could act as the cushion for exploring increased freedom in my improvisation with less constraint from chord sequences. It also provided me with the opportunity to explore the influence of Indian, Latin and Spanish music, all of which I greatly respect.

So with the help of some 21st century computer technology the tracks named Kailash (the name of my Yoga teacher), Dominoes, Land of Nod and Sangria gradually emerged. These relatively long improvisations have the effect of pulling the listener into a kind of relaxed engagement. Most people say these tracks benefit from repeated listening.

Virtually all the sounds were played by me on either keyboard or guitar. The drums were a combination of looped samples, me playing an electronic drum kit, and drum sounds played in real time on my keyboard.

I extended the album further by including various other original compositions of a more conventional structure. Several of these have subsequently been arranged for the contemporary jazz quintet, Jucamaya, of which I am a member. The only non-original track is Ladies in Mercedes by Steve Swallow, which has a wonderful chord sequence that seems to cycle round endlessly and is a glorious vehicle for improvisation.”

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