Upright Citizen

by Charles Fambrough

Overview

The heart of a jazz fan beats like Fambrough's bass, driving the lifeblood of warm sounds through the speakers and into the brain. Some bassists, in their own sessions, favor percussive and percolating arrangements that place the instrument in the role of soloist. Charles Fambrough actually seems to downplay the bass on Upright Citizen, ceding the spotlight to guests like Grover Washington, Jr. and Joe Ford. Fambrough's domain here is the rhythm section, adding programmed drums to his basslines in order to get the right foundation in place. As the captain of this ship, Fambrough ensures a smooth ride, absorbing the shock in Alex Bugnon's potentially bumpy "In Stride" and making sure a track like "D's Song" has the right amount of snap to it. Though Fambrough built his reputation largely on bop, Upright Citizen is more of a crossover album, lyrical and light on its feet. There are certainly stretches of substance, such as George Duke's piano solo on "It's Not Easy Havin' Fun," but even here the soprano sax washes away the intellectualism in a simple, cleansing motion. This session doesn't completely qualify as smooth jazz; there's more afoot than sweet sounds and mildly funky rhythms, yet even the most complex passages are never far removed from an ingratiating and warmly rendered melody. If you enjoy the sound of the soprano sax but find Kenny G a little light for your tastes, Upright Citizen might be right for you. The disc was reissued by Random Chance in 2002, with a different cover and slightly scrambled track order that essentially flip-flopped the opening and closing songs, among other things. The original 1997 Nu Groove recording is rich, vibrant, and clean, so you can't go wrong with either copy. ~ Dave Connolly

Product Details

Release Date:	11/19/2002
Label:	RANDOM CHANCE
UPC:	0806013000729

Tracks

1. Fun City
2. Bright Eyes
3. D's Song
4. It's Not Easy Having Fun
5. In Stride
6. Disguises
7. Dina
8. Down the Way
9. Main Street

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Charles Fambrough   Primary Artist,Keyboards,Drums,Bass
Jon Lucien   Guest Artist,Bass,Vocals
Alex Bugnon   Guest Artist,Piano,Keyboards
George Duke   Guest Artist,Piano,Keyboards
Gerald Albright   Guest Artist,Sax (Alto)
Grover Washington, Jr.   Guest Artist,Sax (Soprano)
John Swana   Trumpet,Trumpet (Muted)
Marlon Simon   Percussion
Poogie Bell   Drums,Trumpet
Leon "Ndugu" Chancler   Drums
Bruce Barth   Piano,Keyboards
Mulgrew Miller   Piano,Keyboards
Munyungo Jackson   Percussion
Joe Ford   Sax (Soprano)
Gerald Brown   Drums
Pete Vinson   Drums
Richard Budesa   Piano,Soloist
Bill O'Connell   Piano

Technical Credits

Charles Fambrough   Composer,Producer,Drum Programming,Percussion Programming
John Swana   Composer
Jeremy Smith   Engineer
Poogie Bell   Drum Programming,Percussion Programming
Alec Head   Engineer
Alex Bugnon   Composer
Glenn Barratt   Mixing,Engineer
Dave Kowalski   Engineer
Jason Rau   Mastering
Stacey Klevens   Design,Artwork,Layout Design
David Chackler   Executive Producer
Stuart Alan Love   Producer
Paul Venaas   Design,Artwork,Layout Design
Victor Bailey   Paintings,Artwork
Bill O'Connell   Composer