Aus fünf seiner Schallplatten wählte der erfolgreiche Jazzmusiker 16 Tracks für die erste digitale Veröffentlichung aus. Musik zum Tanzen, Schmusen und Entspannen.

the project

The Best of Alphonse Mouzon showcases sixteen tracks selected from six mainstream jazz and adult contemporary albums recorded since 1981 by Alphonse Mouzon, including three tracks from his most recent hit, Early Spring. Personally selected, sequenced, and digitally remastered by the artist, the compilation features two Early Spring solo piano performances by Mouzon, as well as tracks spotlighting dozens of musicians, including saxophonists Ernie Watts, Michael Brecker, Ronnie Laws, Brandon Fields, and Gary Meeker; pianists Herbie Hancock and Jeff Daniel; and guitarists Lee Ritenour, Paul Jackson Jr., and Torsten de Winkel.

Mouzon developed his present blend of mainstream jazz, romantic ballads, and bright, uptempo compositions discreetly colored by unconventional rhythms and semi-spacious atmospherics into the ingredients that turned Early Spring, Back to Jazz, Love Fantasy, Morning Sun, Distant Love, and The Sky is the Limit into contemporary jazz hits. Regarding his recent work, Mouzon told writer Peter Schwartz, "I am now making music from my heart, not just with my mind—music with more substance and melody. I am no longer just a drummer. I am also a composer, producer, arranger, and pianist...What I am playing now is how I feel. These are personal statements that come directly from my experience."

the artist

A renaissance man, drummer, pianist, composer, and arranger Alphonse Mouzon welcomed this opportunity, in the wake of unauthorized CDs pirated from analog recordings, to create a true digital retrospective of his work. Musical integrity is tantamount to Mouzon. Early in his career, Mouzon earned the respect of critics, musicians, and jazz fans alike, playing with Weather Report, McCoy Tyner, and Larry Coryell during the 70s. He shifted to speedy, funk-based fusion music during the mid 70s. The 80s signaled a crucial point of focus for Mouzon, who turned more attention to playing, composing, and arranging on piano, bringing him critical and popular acclaim for the recordings which are the basis of this compilation. Mouzon lives in Los Angeles and has begun making music with sons Jean-Pierre and Alphonse Jr.

tracklist