Larry Goldings - Better '2023

Tracks list

Tracklist:

1. Better (05:33)
2. Yeah Yeah Yeah (03:59)
3. Stockwell (04:51)
4. Mary Lou (04:56)
5. But Wait, There's Les (05:30)
6. Bob James (04:19)
7. Temple Bar (06:02)
8. Reprise (03:37)
9. I Want To Be Happy (03:53)

Personnel:

Larry Goldings: Piano, Organ, Clavinet, Arp 2600, Arp String Ensemble, Prophet,
Pocket Piano
Kaveh Rastegar: Fender Precision Bass, Fender Musicmaster Bass, Guitar on
“Temple Bar”
Abe Rounds: Drums, Percussion, Oberheim RD-8 and Vermona DM-1 Drum Machines,
Guitar on “Yeah Yeah Yeah” and “Les”, Arp 2600 on
“Mary Lou”

Additional Musician:
Bob Magnuson: Woodwinds on “Reprise” with parts arranged by John
Sneider



 moreAbe Rounds was Goldings’ choice to be the third of this new trio.
Rastegar first met Rounds through Meshell Ndegeocello, whom she had flown in
from Boston to record drums on her album “Comet Come to Me”
(Naïve 2014), and on which Rastegar had written a song,
“Conviction.” Goldings came to know Rounds more recently, noting he
seemed to be “showing up everywhere” in all walks of musical life.
“One of Abe’s rare gifts is simply feel,” explained Goldings.
“By bringing Abe into a session playing a tambourine, or some other single
percussion instrument, any band seems to be lifted up and made more funky, more
in the pocket, more joyous.” Goldings hired Rounds for the soundtrack to
the 2019 Netflix limited series, “Self Made: Inspired by the Life of Madam
C.J. Walker.” Of Rounds’ work on that project, Goldings could not
be more complimentary. “Abe’s contributions became crucial to the
musical fabric of the series and made me fully aware of his production talents
and overall musicianship,” he said, adding, “Abe is a quiet, and
humble person who’s many rare gifts seem to keep unfolding in front of
you.” Rounds had been a fan of Goldings long before they met, having
listened to him on records with a variety of musicians: James Taylor, Bill
Stewart, John Scofield to name a few. “I admire Larry’s ability to
mix with the highest echelon of jazz musicians without sacrificing his ability
to be a supportive sideman,” said Rounds. “His wealth of experience
and musicianship is contagious and creates a musical elevator to lift me and
others to their highest artistic selves.” Rastegar is similarly fond of
Rounds for those things, saying “Abe is so well rounded and fully formed
as a musician–He has such a maturity to his playing and such a sense of
who he is and what is right for whatever situation he’s playing
in.” The three of them had begun to trade text messages about getting
together to play, with no agenda beyond trying to make some music together, when
their plans, like so many other, were undone by Covid-19. It would be a full
year before Goldings, making the assessment that it was possible to meet and
play safely, reached out again to Rastegar and Rounds to follow through on their
intentions. “Perhaps without realizing it,” mused Goldings, “I
craved to be around some highly creative, positive people to offset the darkness
that of the pandemic.” They booked a good number of days in a studio in
the Northeast L.A. neighborhood of Eagle Rock, owned by engineer Pete Min.
“Pete Min was such a huge part of this project. His studio is the perfect
lab for a project like this,” said Rastegar, calling the gifted musician
and engineer the “4th member of this band.” Goldings and Rounds
concurred, with Goldings adding, “Pete’s studio is like a candy
shop for me, with pristine analog gear everywhere, and I loved the thought of
being in that environment with these great people.” It is not out of
bounds to confuse the words “musician” and “magician,”
for master musicians can indeed conjure something substantial out of thin air.
For these three, many of the songs they created started from simply jamming
together, falling into a chord progression that would become the bedrock for the
many layers of sound all three players would add in ensuing overdubs. And this
is where these pieces reveal their true brilliance, as super-funky vehicles for
incredibly well-crafted organizations of sonic delight, a delicious display of
infinite timbres and textures. Rastegar is teaching a clinic on how to play bass
lines in every conceivable popular music style, from soul to funk to reggae to
60’s jazz-pop, drawing on the wealth of experience he has amassed playing
with artists ranging from the progressive jazz group Kneebody and rock-immortal
Ringo Starr to pop-icons John Legend and Sia. Rounds goes above and beyond basic
beat-making to establish endless variations of groove, blending acoustic and
electronic sounds in a meticulous gumbo of rhythmic texture, in addition to
playing synths and guitar on a few tracks. But it is Goldings himself who puts
forth a gushing geyser-fount of ideas in every possible way, from the references
to what must be the entire world history of chordal harmony, to the multitude of
distinct sounds he is able to coax out of the Hammond B-3, to the impressive
(and somewhat surprising) array of electro-mechanical and analog synthesizer
elements woven into the sonic fabric. Goldings utilized the many instruments in
Min’s studio to the utmost. “The opportunity to really explore
within the environment of analog keyboards is rare for me, especially in the
context of a band,” he explained. “Playing synths and Rhodes, etc.
were a big part of my childhood musical explorations and this opportunity
brought me back to a very special place in my heart.” A special place that
is now fully revealed for all to experience and benefit from. Larry Goldings in
singular form is often more than enough, but to hear multiple versions of him
simultaneously on every track here is a reward so lavish none on earth deserve,
yet we greedily accept and devour.

The songs themselves are also an object lesson in variety and diversity.
“Better,” the title track, is a funky, feel-good proclamation of
what these gentlemen experienced as they played again for the first time.
“Yeah Yeah Yeah” is a reggae-type vamp named after an utterance by
composer Abe Rounds, which found its way into the arrangement.
“Stockwell” is a kind of western tango, something that made Rastegar
think of Dean Stockwell’s character in the David Lynch film “Blue
Velvet.” 84 beats per minute is the tempo and the original working title
for “Mary Lou,” an homage to the gymnast who won the gold medal in
1984. It’s a soul-inspired throwback that features some outstanding synth
work by Goldings. “But Wait, There’s Les” is a funky boogaloo
that reminded Rastegar of a Les McCann song. “Bob James” is a mellow
soft-rock tribute to the legendary fusion keyboardist, but Goldings’
piano work on the track could have just as easily been dedicated to his one-time
mentor, Keith Jarrett. “Temple Bar” features a couple of bassline
grooves that originated from Rastegar’s early days in Los Angeles, when
he said he played at that erstwhile club “at least four nights out of the
week for at least four years.” “Reprise,” a reprise of the
first track, “Better,” was ironically the Very first thing the trio
did when they first got together to play, setting the tone for the entire
session. The final track, “I Want to be Happy,” is the only
non-original tune, the standard given a tongue-in-cheek 60s-era treatment, as if
performed on an old consumer-model Lowery Organ, complete with auto-drums (but
that’s certainly no amateur musician on the piano!).

The experience of making this music carries quite a bit of meaning for these
three musicians. “We quickly realized how much BETTER this experience made
us all feel, amidst the uncertainty and darkness of Covid,” said Goldings,
“and Abe, Kaveh and Pete were my musical, creative and psychological
salvation during the early days. I’m really indebted to them.”
“This record was special,” said Rounds, “because it was my
first in-person human musical interaction for at least a year.” Rastegar
added, “Again, not to be too dramatic, but getting together with Larry and
Abe and playing music reminded me that I could still play the bass–music
was still a thing I could do.” These sentiments mirrored those that were
near-universal among all musicians, many of whom have professed to feeling
profound relief and joy at the resumption of a social artistic life.

What we all realized was getting together to make music made us feel...well,
better.

-Gary Fukushima 



Larry Goldings - Better.rar - 247.9 MB

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