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Roger Chong
ROGER CHONG SEND A LITTLE LOVE
Music fans can now love the work of Roger Chong one more time. Inspired by the very positive response to his first jazz CD, Love Me One More Time, the Toronto-based guitarist and composer has quickly delivered an even more impressive sophomore effort, Send A Little Love (out on May 8, 2012).
To record Send A Little Love, Roger followed the process that worked so well on Love Me One More Time. He reunited his fine band of Toronto players, (pianist Denis Kugappi, bassist Ken McDonald, and drummer Steve Farrugia) and introduced them to his new batch of tunes. "I forced myself to sit down and write all the songs over the Christmas period, so they are all very fresh," explains Roger. The group then again set up shop at the fittingly-named Studio Magic in Pickering, recording everything in two Sunday sessions this past February with engineer Cory Noziglia.
Roger's approach is not to rehearse the band in advance, but rather to preserve the spontaneity of skilled musicians discovering, enjoying, and adding to the material in quick fashion. "Most of these songs were recorded in just two or three takes," he says. "If you do a whole bunch of takes and overdubs, that is not a real reflection of the musicianship within the group, is it? If you're in a position to hear some great musicians, why not take advantage of that? I just gave the guys lead sheets with melody and chords, and they came up with their own great lines."
The musical empathy of the players is audibly apparent on the vibrant-sounding album, with the band embellishing and accompanying Roger with a smooth grace. It is Chong's bright and sunny yet always fluently understated guitar playing that is at the core of the disc, and the mellow and melodic sound is a gentle treat for the ears. This is a style that comes naturally, Roger explains. "I guess it reflects my personality. A lot of people say I'm calm and laidback all the time." Acknowledged influences on his guitar style include George Benson, Norman Brown, and Kenny Burrell.
There's a nice diversity to the material on Send A Little Love. The dreamy mood of "Memories Of Venice" will easily conjure visions of a summer gondola ride on the canal, while the jaunty "Mr. Upright" naturally includes a tuneful bass solo. The upbeat "Tin Tin II" can be considered a sequel to "Tin Tin," one of the most-requested songs on the first album, and this one is equally infectious.
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Take Five With Roger Chong
by Roger Chong
Meet Roger Chong: Classic jazz guitar-playing with a youthful edge--that;s what jazz guitarist Roger Chong does. A graduate of music from York University in Toronto, Canada, Roger has a solid musical know-how courtesy of his mentors--jazz musicians and educators Roy Patterson, Matt Brubeck, Casey Soko, and Mike Cado. While there, he honed his guitar skills as part of the university jazz orchestra led by its founder, renowned jazz bassist Al Henderson of Time Warp.With Roger;s debut ...
read moreRoger Chong’s Love Affair With Jazz - Toronto Guitarist/Composer Releases Fine New CD
Source:
Dr. Jazz Operations
ROGER CHONG: SEND A LITTLE LOVE Music fans can now love the work of Roger Chong one more time. Inspired by the very positive response to his first jazz CD, Love Me One More Time, the Toronto-based guitarist and composer has quickly delivered an even more impressive sophomore effort, Send A Little Love (out on May 8, 2012). To record Send A Little Love, Roger followed the process that worked so well on Love Me One More Time. He reunited ...
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Jazz Guitarist Roger Chong Releases Latest Album
Source:
Michael Ricci
Classic jazz guitar-playing with a youthful edgethat's what jazz guitarist Roger Chong does. A graduate of music from York University in Toronto, Canada, Roger has a solid musical know-how courtesy of his mentorsjazz musicians and educators Roy Patterson, Matt Brubeck, Casey Soko, and Mike Cado. While there, he honed his guitar skills as part of the university jazz orchestra led by its founder, renowned jazz bassist Al Henderson of Time Wrap. With Roger's debut album In the Beginning, he puts ...
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- Thomas R. Erdmann (JazzReview.com)
“There is a delicate control and nuance in Chong's playing that makes it more like singing. He articulates when he plays as well as any guitarist out there right now doing this style of jazz.”
- Donny Harvey (MuzikReviews.com)
“It was a pleasure listening to the variety of moods Roger and his group created in his CD “Love Me One More Time”. Roger has found something that seems to be missing in the recording industry these days, that is sensitivity. As a guitarist he has captured the moods of one of our most romantic instruments.”
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Mr. Upright
From: Send a Little LoveBy Roger Chong
5th Avenue
From: Love Me One More TimeBy Roger Chong