The
funky, soulful, swinging singer, pianist, and composer CLIFF BEACH
sounds like he could be the love child of Ella Fitzgerald and
Stevie Wonder. A prolific recording artist, he is now
releasing his newest album, YOU SHOWED ME THE WAY, a
collection of jazz tunes that show the breadth of Beach’s imagination
and the many influences that have shaped his aesthetic.
A
native of Washington, D.C., Beach grew up in church. He says, “Nearly
all my relatives were ministers except for me and my mother. I
learned vocal harmony in church, singing in 6-part harmony acapella
groups and choirs. I also started studying piano when I was very
young, and I loved singing and playing for my family at home.” Beach
continued singing and playing piano throughout his school career and
eventually went to Berklee College of Music, where he studied voice
and graduated with a BM in Music Business/Management.
Beach
launched his professional career in 2003 when he moved to Los
Angeles. He started playing small gigs and as his popularity grew, he
eventually performed with a full 7-piece band with background
singers. He also knew how difficult it is to support his
recording projects as a musician, so he went to Pepperdine University
where he earned an MBA degree, specializing in marketing. He
chronicles how he is able to work full time while also pursuing his
recording projects in his book Side Hustle & Flow.
Beach
has released one album a year for the last 10 years. His 2013 debut
recording project, Who the Funk is Cliff Beach?, earned Beach
several L.A. Music Awards nominations, including Record of the Year,
Jazz Artist of the Year, and Urban Music Artist of the Year. Alpha
Magazine has said, “Cliff Beach is a one of a kind musician, with
powerful vocals and mean hands when playing the keyboard. The writing
skills he has developed are top notch. What makes him even more
unique is his soulful funky music style.”
He
has expanded his musical activities from albums to radio and tv,
licensing, publishing, and a record label. His popular podcast,
Deeper Grooves, was streamed on station 88.5fm. With his 3+ octave
range and unique blend of jazz, soul, traditional R&B, funk, and
neo-soul, his music has found a wide audience, including over
1,000,000 streams on Spotify. Beach has also won numerous awards,
including four Global Music Awards, two World songwriting awards, and
The John Lennon songwriting contest Grand Prize.
Beach’s
music reflects the many styles of music he has absorbed. He says, “It
doesn’t matter whether you play jazz, soul, gospel, country, or pop,
because all the different musical styles are really branches of the
same tree that has its roots deeply embedded in American soil. When
I’m composing or singing, I don’t think about a particular style, I
just think about what I’m trying say and try to make it different and
engaging.”
YOU
SHOWED ME THE WAY is Beach’s first foray into a full album of jazz
standards. Most of his earlier work featured his original music, but
for this album, he contributed just one original song. Instead, he
dedicated the album to Ella Fitzgerald and chose songs from her
songbook, with each song coming from a different period of her
career. He says about Ella, “I’ve been so inspired by her not only
because she was an amazing improviser, but she also delved into
different types of music later in her career. She did songs by the
Beatles, Ray Charles, Jobim, and others.”
This
is also the first album where he does not play piano, leaving the
keyboards for his principal arranger, MUNENORI “Moon” KISHI, a
young television and film composer originally from Japan. Beach
wanted musicians who can navigate easily between jazz, funk, and
gospel, and he depended on his old friend and musical cohort, EVAN
MACKEY, to be his music director and lead trombonist. Mackey
brought RUBÉN SALINAS (baritone sax), SAM WILLIAMS (tenor
sax), LUIS CÁRDENA-CASILLAS (trumpet), SATOSHI KIRISAWA (drums),
ANDY MORESI (guitar), LEAH CONCIALDI (baritone and alto
saxes), and JOE FERRUZZO (trumpet).
Beach’s
innovative approach to jazz standards is apparent right from the
opening number, “That Old Black Magic.” The arrangement is swinging
and funky, and Beach sings it with joyful brio. Beach also puts his
own eclectic spin on other swinging chestnuts like “Round Midnight,”
“Love You Madly,” “Alright, OK You Win,” “Honeysuckle Rose,” “How
High the Moon,” “I’m Beginning to See the Light,” “It’s Alright with
Me,” and “A-Tisket, A-Tasket.” His concepts never overwhelm songs
with his modern approach, even on the ballads, “How Long Has This
Been Going On,” “Spring Can Really Hang You Up the Most,” and “You
Showed Me the Way.” He closes the album with his original composition
“The Gift of the Blues,” a tune that sounds like it was written in an
earlier era.
Cliff
Beach has a commanding voice and sings with a great deal of heart.
Although the songs on YOU SHOWED ME THE WAY have been
performed countless times by artists over the years, Beach
convincingly adds his own very contemporary, appealing and unique
treatment to them that will surprise and delight aficionados of the
Ella Fitzgerald songbook.
# # #
YOU
SHOWED ME THE WAY will be released on March 15, 2024 and will be
available on all streaming platforms. Physical CDs will be available
at Cliffbeachmusic.bandcamp.com/album/you-showed-me-the-way.
Online:
Cliffbeachmusic.com
Facebook.com/cliffbeachmusic
@cliffbeachmusic
(IG/X)
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