Sam Fazio - Let's Go (2020)

We believe an artist's vision is unique and precious. It reveals itself through the voice of intuition, quietly whispering to the heart in a world so noisy that it is not always easy to hear. We promptly fell in love with Sam and his music the night we met, then, when he asked us to help him realize his vision for Let's Go, to be a truly personal statement, revealing his heart and his stylistic range, we felt honored and excited to take on this role.

After musical brainstorming sessions via Skype with Sam and his core collaborators, Chris White and Tim Fitzgerald, the three of them came from Chicago and set up shop in our home and studio near San Francisco. It reminded us of the old days when rock bands lived and played together: Nonstop music, the leisure to explore, jam, rehearse and refine rather than just record competent performances as fast and professionally as possible.

This set the scene for everybody, not just Sam, to dig in, musically and emotionally. There were discussions along the way about what music at its best can do for the human heart, and how to achieve that. On some songs it flowed immediately; on others we all went back to the drawing board, multiple times if needed, until each song had the magic we sought. In the process each musician ventured well outside his comfort zone.

Tim, who literally wrote the book on Wes Montgomery, limited himself only to the simplest dyads, triads and open chords on "Downtown Train," an exercise in stark minimalism from a maximalist player, creating the perfect mood. They all recorded their original "Let's Go" at a much faster tempo than they had rehearsed. On "Pure Imagination" we asked Chris to reharmonize and Sam to modify the melody, departing from their usual, straighter version. On "Superstar" we further challenged them to totally deconstruct the song, abandoning rhythm, harmony and even melody in search of pure emotion and on-the-edge, joint improvisation, with absolutely haunting results. In turn Sam challenged me to record a vocal/bass duo on "Eleanor Rigby," with the only problem being that I am not a bass player!

Sam, at Patti's request, also sat at our kitchen table and wrote "Share My Life," the sweet, unabashed love song that closes the album. Patti was honored when Sam asked if he and Chris could record her original song, "Reverie." She guided them through the process of finding themselves in the song and making it their own. Sam soared through soul-revealing performances on these ballads. Chris said with wonder after the "Reverie" session, "It was a joy to have the unpressured time and creative license to listen and explore these songs."

Fear not, though; there is also a healthy dose of Sam's signature style, swinging effortlessly through such classics as "S'Wonderful," "Teach Me Tonight" and "My Baby Just Cares for Me," with Patti's retro, background choruses.

By the time they left we had eight collaborations with Sam and Chris and/or Tim plus two with me. Later we added drums, percussion, bass and harmonica on only a few songs, including full band on a grooving version of "Do You Want To Dance," courtesy of some top San Francisco musicians. Still, the core of the album remains the original duo conversations.

Patti and I then mixed, being careful to avoid the common mistake (we believe) of spending too much time recording and mixing everything but the lead vocal, then too little on that most important ingredient. When we took it to Bernie Grundman to master, he found nothing to change, his highest endorsement.

How did we all do on manifesting the dream? You'll have to judge. Patti and I have surely listened more times, in more detail, than anyone else ever will, including Sam. Yet it continues to be one of our favorite albums to put on, delightful, beautiful and deeply moving. We hope you'll love it as much as we do.