Highest Wish

by Bill Ortiz

Overview

Laying the groundwork powerfully for jazz fusion circa the 2010s, the longtime Santana trumpeter's Highest Wish for his second full-length solo set was to create a socially conscious hybrid of jazz, pop, classic R&B, and deep hip-hop textures -- topped with topical and relevant social commentary passionately expressed by MCs like Casual, "The Grouch," Zumbi (of Zion I), and K-Maxx. The fact that Ortiz engages in such hypnotic, poetic optimism as "I Still Believe" (trading off trumpet and spoken passages by Zumbi spiced with a Martin Luther King, Jr. reading by Linda Tillery) shouldn't surprise those who know his pre-Santana hip-hop/R&B resume. He played trumpet with Souls of Mischief and has recorded with everyone from Tony! Toni! Tone! to En Vogue, Sheila E., TLC, and others. Beyond the social commentary and slick, seductive grooves, the production is loaded with dreamy retro elements that subtly connect past social turmoil and hopes with the present day. The brief opening track "Ha-Ya (Means Life)" sets a hopeful tone with Ortiz's wailing trumpet echoing a female chorus -- all underscored by Mike Aaburg's Wurlitzer piano and organ. Zumbi leads the charge toward the "Highest Wish" of love over war, dueting sweetly with Ortiz's muted trumpet over Mike Clark's Fender Rhodes harmony. That one has a Santana-like guitar line showing up here and there. Another way Ortiz bridges past and present is by doing a booming cover of Gil Scott-Heron and Brian Jackson's 1973 call to arms "Winter in America," whose video was featured on mainstream hip-hop websites. The main vocal is taken by Santana vocalist Tony Lindsey, while "The Grouch"'s rap is punctuated by the cry of "No jobs, no justice, no peace." These tracks scratch the surface on a truly groundbreaking set that blends timelessness with up-to-the-minute relevancy. ~ Jonathan Widran

Product Details

Release Date:	09/04/2012
Label:	Idc / Left Angle Records / Synergy Distribution
UPC:	0848928006755

Tracks

1. Ha-Ya (Means Life)
2. We Are What We Are
3. Highest Wish [Phoenix Black Remix]
4. Since You've Been Gone
5. Winter in America
6. In Every Breath [Left Coast Remix]
7. I Still Believe [Phoenix Black Remix]
8. Word Play [Red Velvet Remix]
9. Do Your Thing
10. Ease My Mind [Mental Remix]
11. Highest Wish [Kush Remix]
12. Don't Make Me Wait
13. Full Circle [Andy Vargas Remix]

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Bill Ortiz   Primary Artist,Organ,Trumpet,Arp 2600,Sampling,Flugelhorn,Arp Pro Soloist,Synthesizer Bass,Synthesizer Pads
Mike Aaburg   Clavinet,Wurlitzer,Organ
Nicholas Hasty   Beat Box
John "Jubu" Smith   Guitar
K-Maxx   Guitar,Vocals,Soloist,Keyboards,Featured Artist,Synthesizer Bass,Rap,Piano
Omega Rae   Vocals
Lloyd Richmond   Bass,Piano,Strings,Sampling,Drum Loop,Vibraphone,Harpsichord,Synthesizer,Synthesizer Bass
Anna Karney   Guitar
Phoenix Black   Drums,Sampling,Keyboards
David Kirk Matthews   Piano,Soloist,Fender Rhodes
DJ Sol Rising   Scratching,Turntables,Featured Artist
Femi Andredes   Vocals
Jesus Diaz   Bongos,Congas
Ken Byars   Vocals,Featured Artist
Lance Striplin   Bass
Luqman Frank   Vocals,Featured Artist
Andy Vargas   Sampling,Synthesizer Bass
The Grouch   Rap,Featured Artist
Cait La Dee   Vocals,Featured Artist
Victor Little   Bass
Casual   Rap,Featured Artist
Charles Thomas   Bass (Acoustic)
Church Boy   Vocals
Karl Perazzo   Congas,Percussion
Raul Rekow   Congas
Ray Obiedo   Guitar
Linda Tillery   Vocals,Spoken Word,Featured Artist
Tony Lindsay   Vocals,Featured Artist
Charles Spikes   Guitar
Chester Thompson   Organ
Zumbi   Rap,Featured Artist
Matt Clark   Fender Rhodes

Technical Credits

Mimi Machado-Luces   Promoter
Rodney Alijandro   Engineer
K-Maxx   Engineer,Producer,Drum Programming
S. GAINES   Composer
Corey Scoffern   Composer
Jessica Weber   Promoter
Michael Brandvold   Design,Web Design
Lloyd Richmond   Composer,Engineer,Producer,Remixing,Drum Programming,Synthesizer Programming
Steve Heithecker   Mixing,Producer
Steffen Franz   Promoter,Project Manager
Nicole Balin   Publicity
Phoenix Black   Engineer,Producer,Remixing,Drum Programming
Myron Ruffin   Promoter
Ari Berger   Photography
Britt Gerhard   Design,Artwork
Jerome Forney   Marketing
Ken Byars   Composer
Andy Vargas   Engineer,Producer,Drum Programming
Bill Ortiz   Mixing,Effects,Composer,Engineer,Producer,Drum Programming,Synthesizer Programming
Kenyon Hopkins   Composer
Isaac Hayes   Composer
Twinkie Clark   Composer
Moussa Diallo   Composer
Gil Scott-Heron   Composer
Patrice Rushen   Composer
Jonathan Owens   Composer
Ken Lee   Mastering