Individually, they are three titans of contemporary music: Rick Braun, the gifted trumpeter/flugelhornist with the golden voice; GRAMMY(r) Award-winning tenor saxophonist Kirk Whalum, the Memphis-born wunderkind who mixes Beale Street, gospel, the blues and bop; and Norman Brown, the GRAMMY(r)-winning guitarist who brings a Louisiana lilt to his Wes Montgomery/George Benson influenced six-string soulful strut. Their supergroup, BWB, was formed eleven years ago. Their historic album Groovin’ made them one the most desired groups of all time. The June 18th, 2013 release of Human Nature on Heads Up International (a division of Concord Music Group) brings this amazing trio back together. The long-awaited sequel of their debut album features BWB’s stunning reimagining of 11 songs made famous by Michael Jackson. Braun says, “We made our first BWB recording in 2002 when we all were on Warner Bros. Jazz.” We did a worldwide tour with the record. Then we all went off to do our own things – this reunion is truly special. We are incredibly respectful of each other. We even phrase together. Musically, we complete each other’s sentences. We are just a group of musicians and we are grateful for the opportunity to do that.” Brown said. “First, we love each other. For the longest time, we have been close friends. Rick is a serious trumpet player, and Kirk is the same. Then we get to know each other better and make stuff come alive that way. It was Rick’s idea, to create these songs, to do Michael Jackson songbooks. We just began to pick our favorites. It was difficult to narrow it down. But we finally narrowed it to 11 tunes and we hope that he was proud.” BWB’s musicians include John Stoddart, Braylon Lacey as bassist, Khari Parker as drummer, Lenny Castro as percussionist, Ralph Lofton as organist, and Ralph Lofton, keyboard player. Although Braun, Whalum, and Brown are often referred to as “smooth jazz”, the selections on this album prove that they were not restricted by the category. It’s a validation. It’s not a new approach by musicians to Michael’s music. It’s an honor for us, because the music conveys such a beautiful feeling. “That’s what music is supposed be about.” The 11 tracks on Human Nature are a fascinating collection of Michael Jackson’s art, from his time with The Jackson Five through his iconic albums as a solo artist (Thriller, Off The Wall, and Bad). BWB does a brilliant job of recasting Jackson’s songs in innovative and creative ways. The title track of the CD, Jackson’s most haunting and original song, was given a sparse arrangement. It has a slower tempo, but retains the Quiet Storm, Debussyian melody. Shelea sings an angelic, airy vocal. “We broke it up. Brown says that we kept it at a quiet tone. Brown says that the melody speaks for itself with Shelea singing that lovely melody. That was the basis of our playing. I used a lot arpeggiated chords. It was a beautiful piece.” BWB’s jazz extension of Jackson’s music is also evident in their energetic and evocative rendition of “Billie Jean”, a megahit. The band played a familiar riff to post-bop fans. Braun says that Michael had an ear for harmony and a jazz sensibility. Let’s look at ‘Billie Jean.” Braun says that you can actually play Miles Davis’ ‘Milestones’ on the chord comping pattern and bassline. Stevie Wonder wrote the song ‘I Can’t Help It’. The harmonies are so intricate that it was difficult for us to play solos. It’s no accident that Michael Jackson is the king of pop. It’s surprising how complex he structured melodies. It’s lyrical but interesting and a lot more than one would expect from a Pop artist.” Another Jackson song, “Who’s Lovin’ You,” is given a Juke Joint makeover by Whalum’s down-to-earth arrangement. Whalum said that it was a perfect example of Michael’s music and its profoundness. Blues are the best way to express what is inside your soul. Michael sang the song at the age of eleven. He sang it in the classical blues form. It’s harmonically a blues song,” Brown said. “Because Kirk’s arrangement was a Memphis Blues.” Albert and B.B. King. King. Braun’s reggae-ska rendition of Beat It rocks with pop-Caribbean cadences that one would expect to hear from Sting or the Police. Whalum, Stoddart and Stevie Wonder’s “I Can’t Help It”, are reworked by Whalum and Stoddart with some clever aural alchemy. Whalum says, “We started off by taking the song from even meter signature and then we put it into 3/4 -6/8.” That changed the song’s mood immediately. We had to change the melody. It was very sexy,” said Rick Braun, a graduate of the Eastman School of Music. This provocative project features three talented musicians from different backgrounds. Rick Braun is a native of Allentown, PA. He was a graduate of Eastman School of Music and wrote “Here With Me” for a fusion band, Auracle. He also released more than fifteen recordings as a leader including Intimate Secrets and Body.
