| Dearly Beloved - Dewey Erney | |||||||||||||||
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1995 | CD | RESURGENT MUSIC
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| LISTEN TO MP3 SAMPLES | PURCHASE CD | READ LINER NOTES | QUOTES/REVIEWS |
| CD TRACK LISTING & MP3 SAMPLES | LENGTH | |||
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1. | Dearly Beloved (Kern/Mercer) | 3:39 | ||||
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2. | The More I See You || You Go To My Head (Warren/Gordon || Coots/Gillespie) | 6:54 | ||||
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3. | Honeysuckle Rose [Scrapple From The Apple] (Waller/Razaf/Parker) | 5:04 | ||||
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4. | Invitation (Kaper/Webster) | 6:47 | ||||
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5. | Hello Young Lovers (Rodgers/Hammerstein II) | 5:40 | ||||
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6. | Little Girl Blue (Rodgers/Hart) | 3:47 | ||||
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7. | Jordu [ Where Did You Go? ] (Jordan/Mapo) | 6:02 | ||||
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8. | I Remember You (Schertzinger/Mercer) | 4:20 | ||||
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9. | I'm Getting Sentimental Over You (Washington/Bassman) | 4:34 | ||||
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10. |
It Never Entered My Mind || I Get Along Without You Very Well
(Rodgers/Hart || Carmichael) |
4:41 | ||||
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11. | I'll Remember April || Just Friends (Ray/Depaul/Johnson || Lewis/Kleiner) | 4:33 | ||||
| SALES OPTIONS | |||||
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OTHER OPTIONS: CDs may be purchased from Dewey at his gigs. | ||||
| LINER NOTES | ||||
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Dewey's First Album Singer Dewey Erney was born in Latrobe, PA (the home of Arnold Palmer and Rolling Rock Beer"-Dewey). Dewey's earliest memories revolve around music. His older sister was a singer, his brother played tuba and sang, his dad played violin, and his mother was a pianist. In fact, his mom told him he was singing FrÈre Jacque at age two, perfectly in tune! While still a teen, Dewey discovered two of his earliest influences, Nat Cole and Frank Sinatra. Dewey spent hours absorbing every nuance of his idols' music. Money earned at a record store job went right back into records and, in fact, he usually owed a couple of bucks every payday! After attending College at Indiana State University in Indiana, PA, Dewey signed on for a three-year stint in the Navy where he was stationed in the small town of Orange, Texas. Shortly thereafter, he had his first chance to perform on a regular basis: "I met a wonderful jazz pianist named Jesse Tyler [who later became his father-in-law]. He had me singing in clubs on the weekends. It was a wonderful relationship and extremely important to me, both personally and professionally. I got my first experience singing more than just one or two songs at a time." On those free-wheeling club gigs, Dewey's performance skills and individual style developed rapidly. During his second year, the Navy sent Dewey to Washington, D.C. In off-hours, he joined players from various service bands working in the thriving Washington club scene. Composer/pianist/singer Matt Dennis heard Dewey in Washington and was impressed enough to write him an introduction to Steve Allen. Armed with Dennis' note, Dewey arrived in Los Angeles in 1963. Unfortunately, within a week of his arrival, Allen's show ended. Dewey settled in Long Beach, about 30 miles south of L.A., where he still resides. During that time, he had a chance meeting with Dick Powell, a talented and busy pianist from Orange County. "Dick worked in some classy supper clubs in the Newport Beach area and we became close friends. Singing with Dick was quite an education and a thrill for me because of his high degree of musicality. He made me aware of the chord substitutions being played under the melody plus a free-floating conception of time and meter. I'm sure he wasn't aware he was doing this for me (and neither was I at the time), but in retrospection, I realize that this happened." Although Dewey has made several recordings, only two have been issued; A Beautiful Friendship, a duo with peerless guitarist Ron EschetÈ and The Second Set with EschetÈ, bassist Luther Hughes, and drummer John Perett. Both LPs are out of print. (A third project, a set of Johnny Mercer songs with Tom Ranier, Ron EschetÈ, Luther Hughes, and John Perett, was recorded nearly 10 years ago. It is a masterpiece, however, it has never been released. A devout family man, Dewey made the decision not to subject his family to the unpredictable and peripatetic life of a full-time musician, choosing instead to hold a day job, take the local club or festival date, and hone his craft. All the work over the years has brought Dewey's artistry to a very high state indeed. "Dewey's pitch, time, and phrasing are exquisite," says pianist Tom Ranier. "He sings with a conviction that I think is all too rare these days." Ranier dubbed him "The Versemeister" because of Dewey's penchant for including the obscure, almost-forgotten verse. A wonderful example of this can be found on Hello Young Lovers, Little Girl Blue, The More I See You, and I Remember You. Vocalist Stephanie Haynes, who co-leads The Great American Music Company along with Dewey and singer/bassist/composer Jack Prather, also speaks of him with great affection. "Dewey and I have worked together a lot over the last 15 years," Stephanie told me, "and I have first-hand knowledge of his sincerity, understanding of and commitment to the music we both love. "Listen to Dewey sing these great songs and have your heart warmed", adds Jack, "Those of us who keep company with great American music have been aware of Dewey's talents for many years. To these well-worn ears he possesses a romantic purity only equaled by Dick Haynes at the top of his ballad form." Brian O'Rourke is a gifted young pianist who joined Gerald Wilson's Orchestra in I990. "He reads well, he comes to play, and he has a real sense of responsibility and loyalty for the people he works with," said Gerald. On Standards, O'Rourke's playing is consistency surprising, exuberant, and swinging. Behind Dewey, he is subtle, sensitive and his solos are often dazzling and Oscar-ish. Dewey is also impressed with his playing and his "team-player" attitude, "Brian has such facility on the instrument but has the musical taste to provide what is necessary for the other group members to "shine" when it's their time in the spotlight." Bassist Benjamin May has been active in Southern California for several years after arriving from South Dakota. He recently sat in with the band of saxophonist (and Resurgent Music producer) Dan St. Marseille, and according to Dan, "there was an instant chemistry. Ben's melodic sense and harmonic intuition come through in his writing as well as his playing." (Listen to Ben's lovely tune Summer Solace on St. Marseille's latest disc Retrospection, Resurgent Music RM 104). It was Dewey's idea to use the concept of the Miles Davis composition Milestones for the introduction to Dearly Beloved. The duo plays the theme under Dewey as he starts. The More 1 See You/You Go to My Head is the first of three lovely medleys. Dewey has combined selections that are similar in concept and fit together lyrically, as well. Honeysuckle Rose opens with Charlie Parker's Scrapple from the Apple, and the duo weaves it around and under Dewey all the way. Invitation is a particular favorite of Dew's and he captures all of its sensuous, ethereal beauty. Ben's soulful arco bass solo, with its unworldly feeling, is one of the album's highlights. The bass plays the original written introduction to the seldom heard verse on Hello Young Lovers. The verse is taken in 4/4 and then the familiar melody becomes a jazz waltz. The trio extends the end of the phrases by two measures, heightening the tension of the waltz. Little Girl Blue is a duet by Dewey and Brian. I didn't know there were lyrics to Duke Jordan's piece, Jordu. Dewey said he first heard them on an old Ann Richards album. He gives I Remember You a simple, heartfelt reading without over-emoting. Nothing here, or anywhere else on the disc, is over stated. With Dewey, the song is the star. Brian and Ben conceived the bass introduction to Gettin' Sentimental Dewey wanted one song that would feature his voice with the bass. He also likes to have a second chorus to do what he calls "melodic improvisation" as opposed to scatting. More like a horn chorus, it's a chance to stretch out a little, mess around with the time, and play with the inflections of some words. I love the little quote Brian throws in of Jumpin' with Symphony Sid. The medley of It Never Entered My Mind/I Get Along Without You Very Well is another duet with Brian. Once again, the two songs are beautifully intertwined, simple, heartfelt, and reflective. This is the essence of Dewey's approach, never straying far from the composer's conception and bringing out every ounce of beauty in a song. I'll Remember April/Just Friends starts slow and wistful and then, in the tradition of all the great jazz groups, the trio cooks until the close. Soon, the feeling of the song returns to the despair depicted in the lyrics and dissolves into the haunting last note. I found out about Dewey from Luther Hughes, who brought him to KLON back in the mid '80s. Since then, I've seen Dew in many settings, from small-club duos with musicians such as Ron EschetÈ, Doug MacDonald, Dick Shreve and Joe Massimino, to outdoor park appearances with the Long Beach Municipal Band. It would be fitting to close with quotes from two of the musicians Dewey respects most, Luther Hughes and Ron EschetÈ. "Dewey has the gift, very rare today, of telling the story," said Luther. "He sings a song you've heard a million times before, but for the first time you hear the story, you get the message." Ron sums it up nicely, "If you love melody, if you love the lyric, you'll love Dewey Erney."
Ken Borgers A Personal Note From Dewey: I'd like to express my deepest gratitude to Martha Piety, Bob and Jean Brotherton, Dick and Laurie Berkemeier, Robert E. Cendejas, Esq. and Howard Cohen, who have all been so supportive. To my family, Dad and Mom, for the innate gift of musical tastes. Brother Bob, who started my love for the great songs which are now the standards I love so much. Thanks for all the Stan Kenton Glenn Miller, Harry James, etc. 78's you had and played for me. Sister Lucetta Prestia, she of the absolutely gorgeous voice and talent. Still one of the greatest sounds I've ever heard. Thanks, sis! Brother Jon, we were so close, l've always considered you my best friend. So many hours talking about music and listening to records. Thanks also to my new friend, terrific musician and the boss of Resurgent Music, Dan St. Marseille, for making me a member of his recording family. To Brian and Ben, my partners in crime, thanks for your dedication to the music and contributions on this album. Finally, I'd like to express my love, in print, for my family; To my sons Kevin and Kyle, daughter Kiersten and my beautiful wife Sandra who's been everything to me for the past 33 years. How could I have gotten so lucky? Dewey Erney - 10/95 |
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| QUOTES / REVIEWS | ||||
| Nothing posted at this time | ||||