New album from Joe Davidian's The Lost Melody

 

The band members are JOE DAVIDIAN on piano, JAMIE OUSLEY on bass, and AUSTIN McMAHON on drums. Each is an accomplished bandleader and sideman in his own right, with a long list of performing and recording credits. The trio performed for many years as the Joe Davidian Trio and has recorded three albums, Silent Fire (2008), Live at the Jazz Cave, Volume 1 (2013), and Live at the Jazz Cave, Volume 2 (2017) under Joe's name. They also put out one album with Ousley as leader, titled A Sea of Voices (2012).

 

Their first trio album, Silent Fire, featured an arrangement of "Somewhere Over the Rainbow," which laid the groundwork for their "melody first" approach, and was so well received that they were invited to perform at the Ballydehob International Jazz Festival in Ireland.

 

As the band evolved over the years, so did the focus of their music. Rather than Davidian leading the group, the trio evolved into a true collective. "One of the best things about working with Jamie and Austin is how much we're in sync," says Davidian. "We all contribute equally to the music, so it made sense to change the name of the band to reflect that."

 

The trio has toured internationally, presenting concerts and giving masterclasses on improvisation and ensemble playing in places such as Germany, Italy, and Ireland. Back home, they have performed at numerous jazz festivals, universities, and top New York City jazz clubs, including Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola, Mezzrow, and Kitano. The trio has also had an ongoing annual residency at the Nashville Jazz Workshop.

 

As a trio, they have always enjoyed playing the beautiful and accessible melodies of jazz standards, with each member supporting and emphasizing the melody within that framework. For this recording though, they set out to compose their own songs influenced by the great melodic craftsmen of 20th century. In describing this concept, the trio speaks as one: "Some contemporary jazz groups focus on complex harmonies or intricate rhythms," says Ousley. "But we wanted to get back to the idea of melody as the centerpiece of a song," adds McMahon. And Davidian recalls, "we challenged each other to write new songs in the style of the old standards, with the melody being at the forefront. And, because our music harkens back to an earlier era, we came up with the title New Songs For Old Souls for this album."

 

 

Davidian wrote "Leaving Montserrat," "Ready or Not," "When First We Met," "Before I Forget," "If I Didn't Need You," and "Sometime, Somehow." Davidian says, "I wrote these songs with the trio in mind. When the three of us play together, we really transform the music as we pass ideas back and forth."

 

The newly re-named The Lost Melody are known for their creative, interactive, and engaging performances. On NEW SONGS FOR OLD SOULS, they reach back to the past to create new sounds for the present.

Joe Davidian is the recent winner of the prestigious 2019 Jacksonville Jazz Piano Competition. He lives in New York City where he has performed with many of the greatest names in jazz, such as Chester Thompson (Weather Report, Frank Zappa), Duffy Jackson (Count Basie) and Kevin Mahogany.

 

Jamie Ousley is one of the most in-demand bassists in south Florida and has performed with many top jazz artists including Benny Golson, George Shearing, James Moody, Arturo Sandoval, Dave Liebman, Maria Schneider, among others. He is also Associate Professor & Coordinator of Jazz Studies at Florida International University.

 

Austin McMahon is the winner of the 9th annual Independent Music Awards in the Jazz Song Category and Nominee for Best Jazz Album in the 11th annual IMA's. Besides his work with The Lost Melody, he performs regularly with Jerry Bergonzi's Quartet and has recently performed and/or recorded with Sean Jones, George Garzone, Kate McGarry, Noah Preminger, Jason Palmer and Grace Kelly.

 

 

NEW SONGS FOR OLD SOULS is set for release on May 1, 2020 and will be available everywhere online.

 

 

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