Die Kompositionen eines David Foster elektrisieren Freunde guter Popmusik seit den 70er Jahren. Er begann als Musiker, Produzent und Arrangeur u.a. von John Lennon und Boz Scaggs. In den 70ern/80ern schrieb er den Grammy Hit "After the love has gone" für Earth, Wind and Fire und "Hard to say I'm sorry" für Chicago. Ob vom Soundtrack für St. Elmo's Fire über Michael Jackson bis Toni Braxton's "Un-Break my heart" in 2000, der Output des Musikgenies ist kaum auflistbar. Bis zu den heutigen Produktionen von Josh Groban, The Corrs, Michael Bublè, dem Grammy Soundtracks von Dreamgirls, säumt eine nicht enden wollende Liste an Kompositionen, Produktionen und Arrangements das Lebenswerk von David Foster.

Für das Album "Fly away" pickte sich Produzent und Arrangeur Toni Malm 14 feine Songs aus dem immensen Katalog Fosters heraus. Er engagierte eine Liste herausragender Sänger, von Bill Champlin (Chicago), Jeff Pescetto (Kenny Loggins, Britney Spears, Mick Jagger) über Arnold McCuller (James Taylor, Phil Collins), bis zum unvergessenen Warren Wiebe, die nicht nur das überragende Niveau der Originale halten, sondern auch das Können haben den Songs neue Impulse zu verleihen. Dazu engagierte er eine Band gespickt mit "A-Class-musikern", Gitarristen von Jay Graydon über Michael Landau bis Paul Jackson jr, Drummer John Robinson, Bassisten wie Nathan East, Abe Laboriel, Neil Stubenhaus, Saxophonist Brandon Fields und vielen anderen. Sogar David Foster himself ließ es sich nicht nehmen an den Aufnahmesessions mit zu wirken.
Fly Away / The Songs of David Foster - das könnte schon im Februar der "Pick of the year 2009" sein. In jedem Fall ist es eine "once-in-a-lifetime" CD, angefangen von den Songs über die Sänger und Musiker bis zur Produktion - ein Juwel für Liebhaber anspruchsvoller Popmusik.

Das kleine aber feine Madrider Plattenlabel Contante & Sonante präsentiert eine "limited edition 3-song EP" als Appetizer mit den Songs "In The Stone" und "No Explanation", plus einem Bonus Song "After All" gesungen von Leslie Smith. Ende Februar, Anfang März folgt "Fly away" im Direktvertrieb oder über CD Baby. Zinkmusik aus Schweden wird den europäischen Vertrieb ab 01. April übernehmen.

Funk infiziert beginnt "Fly away" mit einer Komposition für "Earth, Wind and Fire". Der legendäre Bill Champlin ist der ideale Sänger für die groovende und pulsierende Nummer. JR Robinson am Schlagzeug, Nathan East am Bass und Paul Jackson jr. an der Gitarre, schon der erste Song knabbert an der 100% Marke.

"No Explanation", wurde im Orignal vom ehemaligen Chicagosänger Peter Cetera gesungen und für den Soundtrack von "Pretty woman" zusammen mit dem Sänger und Songwriter Bill LaBounty geschrieben. Es ist eine Freude LaBounty zuzuhören, wie er die Leadvocals seines eigenen Songs übernimmt. Das akustische Setting passt perfekt und Tollak Olestad versüßt den Song mit seinen Mundharmonikalicks.
Sänger Arnold McCuller, allen Fans von Phil Collins und James Taylors Liveband wohl bekannt, übernimmt den Boz Scaggs/David Foster Song. "Jojo". Mitte der 70er engagierte Scaggs einige junge und hungrige Musiker als seine Studio- und Tourband, die wenige später als "Toto" für Furore im Musikbiz sorgen würden. McCullers sahniger Tenor, eine perfekt geölte Rhythmustruppe und das Flügelhorn Solo von Jan Glaesel, der Komposition merkt man das Alter von 30 Jahren nicht an.
Als eine seiner besten Songs bezeichnete Foster "Look what you've done to me" den er zusammen mit Boz Scaggs schrieb. Der Ballade wurde ein jazziges Kleid verpasst in der Cecily Gardner den Vokalpart übernimmt. David Foster wurde von "Contante & Sonante" respektvoll ans Klavier "gebeten" und Brandon Fields sorgt für wohlige Saxophontupfer.
Es folgt Kenny Loggins "Heart to heart" geschrieben von David Foster, Michael McDonald und Kenny Loggins, hier gesungen von Jeff Pescetto mit einem Saxsolo von Brandon Fields. Die Leadvocals werden im Jazzig/Popigen Titeltrack "Fly away" von Robbie Dupree übernommen.
"Through the fire" dem Klassiker von Chaka Khan wurde ein modernes Arrangement verpasst. Unglaublich, aber Ole Boruds Stimme ist auf Augenhöhe mit dem Original.
Auf Contante & Sonantes Wunschliste an "Special guests" war auch Gitarrist Jay Graydon, der mit Foster ein weites Stück gemeinsamen Weges ging. Auf "Nothing you can do about it", das er im Original für die Westcoast Blaupause "Airplay" schrieb und sang übernimmt er im unnachahmlichen "Graydon-Tone" das Gitarrensolo. Die weiteren Musiker sind:
Frank Adahl - Lead Vocals
Tomi Malm - Piano, Rhodes and Keyboards
Lenni-Kalle Taipale - Piano and Rhodes
Aidan Zammit - Additional Synthesizers
John Robinson - Drums
Neil Stubenhaus - Bass
Soren Reiff - Electric Guitar
Jay Graydon - Guitar Solo
Frank Adahl - Background Vocals
Horns arranged by Jan Glaesel and performed by the Danish All Star Horns

Für mich ist "Whatever we imagine" noch immer eine der besten Foster Kompositionen. Der Song wurde 1983 auf James Ingrams Album "This is the night" veröffentlicht. Bill Cantos Stimme erfüllt mühelos die hoch gesteckten Erwartungen.

Das Album schließt mit dem bisher unveröffentlichten "Live each day", gesungen vom unvergessenen Warren Wiebe. "Contante & Sonante" hat sich schon immer um das musikalische Erbe des 1998 verstorbenen Sängers gekümmert und mit der Ballade einen weiteren Diamanten zu Tage gefördert. Zum Originalband mit der Stimme Warren Wiebe's übernimmt Produzent und Arrangeur Toni Malm die Piano, Keyboard und Bassparts, Dan Warner die Mandoline und akustischen Gitarren. Kaum verklingt der letzte Ton, kaum verglimmt ein letztes Funkeln finde ich meinen Zeigefinger schon wieder auf dem Play Button. Musik kann süchtig machen!

Fly Away is a labor of love that celebrates the art of one of the most talented musicians ever to appear on the pop scene -- David Foster. Tomi Malm is the arranger and producer extraordinaire who reinvented a number of classics from Foster’s amazing songbook. Malm’s inventive and original takes are brought to life by a cast of superior musicians and singers.
The album kicks off with an intense orchestral intro written by Malm that segues into “In The Stone”. This powerful cover of the Earth, Wind & Fire classic is respectful to the
original yet presents new, exciting elements. The legendary Bill Champlin’s unmistakable voice adds some soul to this funky jam while being supported by the smoking Danish All Star Horns and a rhythm section including John “JR” Robinson on drums, Nathan East on bass and Paul Jackson Jr. on guitar. “JR”, the man behind countless Foster and Quincy Jones productions, is the rhythmic force behind several tracks on the album, joined by some of the best bass players in the biz including East, Abe Laboriel and Neil Stubenhaus. Next, Malm slows down the atmosphere with “No Explanation”. Originally performed by Peter Cetera for the Pretty Woman soundtrack, Foster co-wrote this ballad with singer/songwriter Bill LaBounty. What a treat to listen to LaBounty’s take on his own song. The acoustic setting is perfect for LaBounty’s evocative singing, supported by the wonderful harmonica of Tollak Ollestad. The result is pure bliss.
Boz Scaggs and Foster co-wrote some of the best pop music of the last 30 years. Two great examples are the pop/soul ditty “Jojo” and the sweet ballad “Look What You’ve Done To Me”. Here, “Jojo” is performed by the great Arnold McCuller of James Taylor fame. This track oozes class from beginning to end with soulful vocals, a pulsing rhythm section and refined horns. The icing on this smooth cake is the elegant flugelhorn solo by Jan Glaesel.
In the past, David Foster has said “Look What You’ve Done To Me” is one of his best songs ever. For this reason, when Contante & Sonante respectfully approached him to play on this record he was asked to add his magic to this particular song. Cecily Gardner’s voice caresses the listener on this jazzy take with support from Foster’s acoustic piano. Ramon Stagnaro’s guitar and Brandon Fields' warm saxophone are fantastic additions to another winner on this album.
Foster has often been called the “King of Ballads” and “The Colour Of My Love” helped define that distinction. Malm’s brilliant arrangement reinvented the song which is
performed by the amazing Frank Adahl. The Swedish virtuoso infuses strength and soul into the song and truly brings it one step higher. There are echoes of EW&F in this
rendition while the delicate piano intro was borrowed from another classic, “On Christmas Morning”, co-written by Foster with Kenny Loggins.
“Heart To Heart” is an evergreen written by Foster along with Loggins and Michael McDonald. This quality pop gem has been faithfully covered with singer/songwriter Jeff
Pescetto on lead vocals. It’s an intricate chart with a beautiful melody that flows wonderfully with some great guitars courtesy of Paul Jackson Jr. and Dan Warner. Adding
to the mix is an amazing saxophone solo from Brandon Fields.
The title track, “Fly Away”, is one of Foster’s lesser known masterpieces. Originally on Peter Allen’s masterpiece album Bi-Coastal, it is here given a jazzy/pop treatment, with some interesting time changes. Veteran singer/songwriter Robbie Dupree adds his own stamp to the song, giving the listener sweet echoes of the West Coast pop scene of the late seventies. The final result is embellished with wonderful horns and a great sax solo courtesy of Italian jazzman Fabrizio Mandolini. Let’s not overlook the great work on percussion here and on other tracks by session great Michito Sanchez.
One of the highlights of this tribute is Ole Borud’s amazing take on the Chaka Khan classic “Through The Fire.” Even Foster was impressed when he first listened to this version.Again, the new arrangement brings the famous song into another dimension. Borud’s vocals are amazing and the setting is modern and could easily become a radio hit. Michael Landau's and Dan Warner’s various guitars add even more fire to the tune.
When Contante & Sonante was making a wish list of possible special guests, two names immediately came up -- Jay Graydon and Jeremy Lubbock. Both performers are noted for their immense talent and special contributions to Foster’s career. Luckily, both agreed to appear on the album. Lubbock masterfully produced and arranged a haunting cover of “The Best Of Me”, a song he co-wrote with Foster and Richard Marx. Lisa Lovbrand, a very talented Swedish up-and-coming singer/actress, beautifully performed the song with Lubbock backing her up on the acoustic piano.
Graydon can be heard playing his trademark guitar on the Airplay classic “Nothing You Can Do About It”. This song is another showcase for Frank Adahl’s voice as well as The Danish All Star Horns. Adahl’s pyrotechnic singing puts his signature on the song, which is also enriched by refined piano and rhodes playing.
“Whatever We Imagine” was co-written by Jeremy Lubbock and Foster. Originally sung by James Ingram, this time around it is in the hands of world class singer Bill Cantos. Cantos’ voice caresses the tune to enhance its positive lyrics and meaning creating another acoustic pop masterpiece.
The collaboration between Chicago and David Foster was fundamental to both careers. Instead of selecting one hit from their successful albums produced by Foster, Contante & Sonante picked an unreleased track from Chicago 18, “When Will The World Be Like Lovers”. Here, Malm paints the rock side of Foster’s work. A carpet of terrific guitars played by Michael Landau and Porty backs up an all-star performance by many of the singers appearing on Fly Away. The powerful groove on this song is courtesy of the rhythm machine of John “JR” Robinson and Abe Laboriel.
Another extraordinary contribution from David Foster was the unreleased song “Live Each Day” that closes the album. This song has special meaning because it presents a
never-heard-before vocal performance by the late Warren Wiebe. Contante & Sonante is in a way the home of Warren Wiebe’s memory, and “Live Each Day” really brings things full circle. This breathtaking ballad comes directly from Foster’s vaults and was recorded at Chartmaker in the nineties. Malm added a stripped-down arrangement with just a piano and some guitars to put the spotlight on Wiebe’s timeless singing. It’s the best way to end a magnificent tribute to an outstanding musician and human being, David Foster.

Zink Music is proud to present an exclusive collaboration with the label Contante & Sonante for the new exciting release “Fly Away - the Songs of David Foster”, the release is set for April 1, 2009.

Zink Music is proud to present an exclusive collaboration with the label Contante & Sonante for the new exciting release “Fly Away - the Songs of David Foster”, the release is set for April 1, 2009.

Pre-orders accepted now, more info, store and high-quality full length samples of Frank Ådahl singing “Nothing You Can Do About It” and Bill Champlin doing “In the Stone” at [www.zinkmusic.com]

1. Prelude
(Tomi Malm)
David Foster – Piano
Tomi Malm – Keyboards
Ramon Stagnaro – Nylon Guitar
Brandon Fields – Sax
Strings conducted by Dan Bornemark and performed by the Värmland Opera Sinfonietta
String Arrangement by Tomi Malm

2. In The Stone
(David Foster, Maurice White and Allee Willis)
Bill Champlin – Lead Vocals
Tomi Malm – Piano, Rhodes and Keyboards
Lenni-Kalle Taipale – Rhodes
John Robinson – Drums
Nathan East – Bass
Paul Jackson Jr – Electric Guitar
Janne Lehikoinen – Electric Guitar
Peter Friestedt – Electric Guitar
Michito Sanchez – Percussion
Frank Adahl, Bill Champlin, Lisa Lavie, Tomi Malm, Gabriel Raya, Rafa Hernandez and Eli
Hernandez – Background Vocals
Horns arranged by Jan Glaesel and performed by the Danish All Star Horns

3. No Explanation
(David Foster, Linda Thompson, Bill LaBounty and Beckie Foster)
Bill LaBounty – Lead Vocals
Tomi Malm – Piano and Keyboards
Rick Chudacoff – Bass
Dan Warner – Nylon, Acoustic and Electric Guitars
Tollak Ollestad – Harmonica
Michito Sanchez – Percussion
Tomi Malm – Background Vocals

4. Jojo *
(David Foster, David Lasley and Boz Scaggs)
Arnold McCuller – Lead Vocals
Tomi Malm – Piano and Keyboards
Aidan Zammit – Rhodes
John Robinson – Drums
Neil Stubenhaus – Bass
Paul Jackson Jr – Electric Guitar
Jan Glaesel – Flugelhorn Solo
Arnold McCuller, Bill Cantos and Joaquin Gonzalez – Background Vocals
Horns arranged by Jan Glaesel and performed by the Danish All Star Horns

5. The Colour Of My Love
(David Foster and Arthur Janov)
Frank Adahl – Lead Vocals
Tomi Malm – Piano and Keyboards
Jarmo Valmari – Drums
Alberto Hernandez – Bass
Porty – Electric Guitar
Dan Warner – Electric Guitar
Frank Adahl – Background Vocals

6. Heart To Heart
(David Foster, Kenny Loggins and Michael McDonald)
Jeff Pescetto – Lead Vocals
Tomi Malm – Piano, Electric Piano and Keyboards
John Robinson – Drums
Nathan East – Bass
Paul Jackson Jr – Electric Guitar
Dan Warner – Acoustic and Electric Guitars
Brandon Fields – Sax
Michito Sanchez – Percussion
Jeff Pescetto, Bjarne Langhoff and Eli Hernandez – Background Vocals

7. Fly Away
(David Foster, Carole Bayer Sager and Peter Allen)
Robbie Dupree – Lead Vocals
Tomi Malm – Piano, Keyboards and Bass
John Robinson – Drums
Jarmo Valmari – Brushes
Dan Warner – Electric Guitar
Juan Carlos Jimenez – Electric Guitar
Fabrizio Mandolini – Sax
Michito Sanchez – Percussion
Bjarne Langhoff and Aidan Zammit – Background Vocals
Horns arranged by Tomi Malm and Jan Glaesel, and performed by the Danish All Star Horns

8. Look What You've Done To Me
(David Foster and Boz Scaggs)
Cecily Gardner – Lead Vocals
David Foster – Piano
Tomi Malm – Keyboards and Bass
Jarmo Valmari – Drums
Ramon Stagnaro – Nylon Guitar
Brandon Fields – Sax
Strings conducted by Dan Bornemark and performed by the Värmland Opera Sinfonietta
String arrangement by Tomi Malm

9. Through The Fire *
(David Foster,Tom Keane and Cynthia Weil)
Ole Borud – Lead Vocals
Tomi Malm – Piano, Keyboards and Bass
John Robinson – Drums
Michael Landau – Electric Guitar
Dan Warner – Electric and Acoustic Guitars
Joe Pizzulo and Bjarne Langhoff – Background Vocals

10. The Best Of Me
(David Foster, Jeremy Lubbock and Richard Marx)
Lisa Lovbrand – Lead Vocals
Jeremy Lubbock – Piano and Keyboards
String arrangement by Jeremy Lubbock

11. Nothin' You Can Do About It
(David Foster, Jay Graydon and Steve Kipner)
Frank Adahl – Lead Vocals
Tomi Malm – Piano, Rhodes and Keyboards
Lenni-Kalle Taipale – Piano and Rhodes
Aidan Zammit – Additional Synthesizers
John Robinson – Drums
Neil Stubenhaus – Bass
Soren Reiff – Electric Guitar
Jay Graydon – Guitar Solo
Frank Adahl – Background Vocals
Horns arranged by Jan Glaesel and performed by the Danish All Star Horns

12. Whatever We Imagine *
(David Foster, Jeremy Lubbock and Paul Gordon)
Bill Cantos – Lead Vocals
Tomi Malm – Piano, Keyboards and Bass
John Robinson – Drums
Dan Warner – Acoustic and Electric Guitars
Bill Cantos and Bjarne Langhoff – Background Vocals
Contante & Sonante • Apdo. 10326 • Madrid 28080 • contanteysonante.com

13. When Will The World Be Like Lovers
(David Foster, Tom Keane and Robert Lamm)
Jeff Pescetto, Robbie Dupree, Frank Adahl, Bill Cantos, Arnold McCuller and Joe Pizzulo – Lead Vocals
Tomi Malm – Keyboards and Guitars
John Robinson – Drums
Abraham Laboriel – Bass
Michael Landau – Electric Guitar
Porty – Electric Guitar and Solo
Jyrki Manninen – Electric Guitar
Jaakko Pesola – Electric Guitar
Frank Adahl – Background Vocals

14. Live Each Day
(David Foster and Linda Thompson)
Warren Wiebe – Lead Vocals
Tomi Malm – Piano, Keyboards and Bass
Dan Warner – Mandolin, Acoustic and Acoustic Guitars

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Arnold McCuller @ youtube (Arnold @ 3:16 min) + Shooting Star