Various Artists / A Song A Day

Looking back 1998 releases after more than two decades, I wonder if this album was deserved to be said as the best Various Artists project album of the year. The album was well produced by Jimmy Haslip (the original bassist of Yellow Jackets) and Vince Mendoza. I believe that this album was basically the USA re-release of the 1996 WDR Big Band Köln “Summer Olympics Atlanta 1996 - Flame” album (supposed to be released only in Europe then) with different track order and replacing a Vince Mendoza track by then Zebra Records artist Mark Portmann’s “The Last Song” taken from Portmann’s 1997 album “No Truer Words”. All the tracks were very much of high quality and basically not on the artist’s album, therefore this compilation CD was one of the must-have but easily missing to buy CDs. The featured songs are two Chaka Khan’s, two Brenda Russell’s. Gino Vannelli’s self-remake version of “Just a Motion Away” originally performed on his1984 album “Black Cars”, and Al Jarreau’s self-remake “Raging Waters” (the original version was the opening track of Jay Graydon producing 1984 album ‘High Crime” were really impressive.

Release: 29 September, 1998
Label: Zebra Records, USA (44008)

Tracks:
1. You and I Are One
2. We Will Meet Again
3. Time Piece
4. One Chance
5. Just a Motion Away
6. Mile High
7. Power
8. Flame
9. Glory
10. Raging Waters
11. We're in This Together
12. The Last Song

Producers: Jimmy Haslip, Vince Mendoza
Executive Producer:Ricky Schultz

Main Performers:
Track 1, 7: Chaka Khan
Track 2,8: Brenda Russell
Track 3: Vince Mendoza
Track 4, 11: Lori Perry
Track 5: Gino Vannelli
Track 6: Jean ‘Toots’ Thielemans & Yellowjackets
Track 9: Yellowjackets
Track 10: Al Jarreau
Track 12: Mark Portmann

- Musicians -
Guitar: Michael Landau, Paul Jackson Jr., Pat Thomi, Charles Johnson, John Defaria
Keyboards: Howard McCreary, Vince Mendoza, Frank Chastenier, C.J. Vanston, Russell Ferrante, Joe Vannelli, Mark Portmann
EVI and Synthesizer Programming: Judd Miller
Bass: Jimmy Haslip
Drums: J.R. Robinson, Willam Kennedy, Enzo Todesco
Percussion: Luis Conte, Jimmy Haslip
Sax: Heiner Wiberny, Bob Mintzer, Olivier Peters, Steve Groves
Trumpet: Andy Haderer
WDR BIG BAND:
First Alto Sax, Flute: Heiner Wiberny
Second Alto Sax, Flute: Harald Rosenstein
First Tenor Sax, Clarinet, Flute: Olivier Peters
Second Sax, Clarinet, Flute: Rolf Romer
Baritone Sax, Bass Clarinet, Flute: Jens Neufang
Lead Trumpet, Flugelhorn: Andy Haderer
Trumpet, Flugelhorn: John Marshall, Rick Kiefer, Thomas Vogel
Trombone: Dave Horler, Henning Berg, Brent Laukamp
Bass Trombone: Roy Deuvall
Hammond B-3 Organ: Frank Chastenier
Tuba: Hartmut Muller
French Horns: Andrew Joy, Joachim Polti, Egon Hellrung, Nozomu Segawa
Harmonica: Jean ‘Toots’ Thielemans
Background Vocals: Howard McCreary, Carmen Carter, Bunny Hull, Mindy Stein, Ross Vannelli

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