new album for 2012

Each of the twelve tracks on Tony Faehse’s fifth all original album has its own mood. Four songs (swing, soul, samba and romantic) feature session singer Sarah Liversidge whose pure tone and emotional sensitivity was heard on Faehse’s previous album “If you’re a cat”. Once again the main voice of the eight instrumentals is Tony’s classical guitar, although on the opening track “Makes Me Try” his cool/funk/electric guitar gets a rare outing. Layered electric, acoustic and slide guitars, piano, organ and synth are enhanced by virtuosic performances from Tony’s excellent session regulars;

Sarah Liversidge     (superbly sensitive singing.. “Fancy That”, “Ocean”, “Samba Way”, Silver Lining” plus a layered chorus on “Makes Me Try”)

Jen Anderson          (violins.. string sections and solo)

George Butrumlis    (accordion.. melodies, colours and solos)

Adam Simmons (layered saxes and woodwinds, solo clarinet plus shakuhachi)

Steve Hadley (electric & double bass)  & Dave Folley (drums)

Strong melodies intricately arranged… from cool funk Makes Me Try to sensitive soul The Seven Steps, from flamenco and reggae inspired rhythms Out Of The Rough, poignant Reflections On Your Eyes to bosa-nova Samba Way, and from the French swing inspired title song Fancy That to the sonic journeys of Bitter Sweet & The Surface Glittered… whimsical yet passionate, multi textured, culturally diverse, lyrically uplifting and aurally stimulating.

..twelve new compositions including five songs featuring four fabulous guest singers and Tony’s usual selection of master Melbourne musicians, the remaining instrumental.

Opening with Miyazaki Day sung superbly by Sara Liversidge, a nostalgic bitter sweet childhood reminiscence to an acoustic bossa-beat, with typically tasteful accordion from George Butrumlis.

Time, also with echoes from the past, features a dance drum beat behind minor chords, with a somber piano melody, developing into understated solos from George’s accordion and Diana Clark’s vocalise.

Little Creatures, has the only Tony Faehse lead vocal, taking its time and edged with bush sounds, this almost tone poem looks to nature to cast its spell.

Baby, with a typical Tony Faehse classical guitar voice, also features superb performances from Jen Anderson on violin, George’s accordion and Sara’s sweet singing of the refrain.

Samba by the Sea looks to the old samba schools for inspiration, with Diana Clark’s usual expert brazilian vocal interpretation.

Streets of Paris with its relentless beat and building accordion riffs capturing another side of the city-of-light leads into Clouds, with Joe Camlleri’s spell-bindingly powerful vocal. This eco-anthem with its classic rock instrumentation and Faehse’s slide electric guitar takes the album to a dramatic high, while the following instrumental Sea Daze breaks the tension with its soft groove and classic guitar voice, glittering hammond from Steve Hesketh and mesmerizing horns.

A different vocal sound features in the Morricone like Spheres, that of talented soprano Tanya Bail, while Faraway Tree, perhaps the most gentle instrumental track, once again looks to childhood and make believe.

Shadows gives Faehse’s flamenco influences expression, with the dark cello of Mei Lai Swan and a tour-de-force of stunning vocal soloing from Diana Clark.. stereo spanish guitars over the forceful rhythm section of Tony Floyd and Steve Hadley, with Bruce Haymes supplying funky keyboards.

A smorgasbord of sambas, soul-grooves, flamenco rhythms and eclectic euro pastiche which still remains true to its Australian heart.

“…truly magnificent. Faehse’s exquisite musicianship allows him to conjure up various images while exploring a wide range of influences he first began to absorb as a thirteen-year-old when his mum took him to a Segovia concert. Faehse’s mother was the inspiration for the album’s opening piece, ‘Shorebreak’, a solo classical guitar performance reprised on the last track…”  Billy Pinnell, Sounds Magazine 2001

Tony Faehse’s first solo album began life as a recording project with compadre and fellow band member from Jo Jo Zep & the Falcons Jeff Burstin. The pair had been performing at the Ian Potter Centre as an instumental duo whose repertoire included Faehse originals. This gave Tony the opportunity to go on and make a whole album of  his own original material, with no other agenda than to explore varied musical directions and attempt to create something that sounded beautiful.

To do this he enlisted the talents of Jeff and other musician friends, players who were to set the talent trend for his subsequent releases, Jen Anderson (violin) and Bruce Haymes (keyboards) appearing frequently. Vicka & Linda Bull make a cameo with a sung chorus on the title track Learn to Fly, and Linda adds vocal colour to Forever Samba.

But mostly this first album is instrumental, setting the pattern with the Classical (nylon string) guitar as Tony’s main “voice”, and a diverse range of musical styles examined.. Latin (Havana Nirvana, Forever Samba) gospel (Gospel Truth) flamenco (Isabella, Pasha) and celtic (Shorebreak) influences interpreted with a indie/soul/jazz/reggae groove.

This first album, a promise of things to come, opens and closes with Shorebreak, firstly as solo guitar, secondly in a band setting.  To quote Tony’s album notes;

“When I was a little boy, my mother would walk with me along the beach on perfect summer mornings. Sometimes it would be very calm, with just a delicate shorebreak wave crisply rippling, as sharp a sound as bubbles bursting in the open air. On the edge of land and life she opened my eyes to beauty.”