Zero to 60 is Jae Sinnett’s 14th album as a leader. It marks his return to straight up jazz featured in the classic jazz quartet setting…tenor saxophone, acoustic piano, acoustic bass, and drums. It also showcases the growth of the composer with nine original compositions by Jae and one classic standard, Never Let Me Go. The musicians joining Jae for this session are saxophonist Ralph Bowen, bassist Terry Burrell and pianist Allen Farnham. All are tremendously respected by their contemporaries. They are the perfect complement to Jae’s swinging, musically soulful, rhythmically hip-shifting drumming.
The music on Zero to 60 presents each musician with unique harmonic, melodic and rhythmic challenges. What makes this music stand out though is that within this complexity, you can walk away remembering what you’ve heard. Melodies you can hum and remember. Then there is the swing beat. Wow! Zero to 60 swings as hard as any swinging jazz you’ve heard for more than 30 years! There is incredible passion in this music and it’s balanced with beautiful melodic continuity over advanced layers of harmonic and rhythmic textures. The music invites you in to join it – like a warm friend you enjoy spending time and getting to know.
“Being the jazz host and producer for 28 years of Sinnett in Session on NPR affiliate WHRV FM, I certainly hear my share of the music. One thing I miss much in the music is memorable melodic structures. I say this with a bit of weak humor….Perhaps Sherlock could crack the case of the mysterious missing hummable melody. My musical intentions were to write compositions that tell meaningful stories…stories that move forward with strong melodies and thought-provoking harmonic movement and rhythmic sophistication. These songs swing hard and are laced with a deep level of passion, soul and high-level musical virtuosity. It’s spiritual really. Ralph’s huge tone and impeccable intonation guide the melodic themes magnificently. Terry’s swing beat and superb time locked in perfectly with me. He’s the dream bass player for a drummer and for any music. Allen’s incredibly deep piano comping is in a league of its own. Wow! His harmonic knowledge is vast and adds the perfect accomplishment in addition to smartly contrasted soloing. These guys are the perfect match for this music.” – Jae Sinnett
Every song on Zero to 60 stands out. Not a weak link in the bunch. Each has its own compositional uniqueness. Something for every mood. Then there is the sonic quality of the recording. Masterfully engineered by Bob Dawson and mixed by the great Rob Ulsh. They’re two of the best in the business.
“These guys make me really appreciate digital recording. Personally I’m an analog guy but Bob and Rob bring it for real. It’s a pleasure working with them.” – Jae Sinnett
We invite you to sit back, kick off the shoes and enjoy a wonderfully produced musical journey. The music in its maturity celebrates Jae’s 60th birthday and his life’s musical experiences……hence the title. We sincerely hope you enjoy listening to this new CD as much as the musicians enjoyed making it. Thank you!!!
