专辑简介

Bill McGee is an accomplished musician, recording artist and educator, having spent the last 29 years as a music teacher and school administrator, In 2014, Bill was invited to hear Ayinde Williams and his trio perform by, Ayinde’s father, a colleague. It was at that performance when the idea of the medley and tribute to Herbie Hancok came to be. Ayinde reminded Bill so much of a young Herbie Hancock, with his ability to play equally cool jazz and straight ahead jazz. Bill was so impressed with Ayinde’s talent that he offered to produce a CD for him. At the time Ayinde was in the 11th grade at Open High School in Richmond, Virginia, and his mother was determined to get him out of high school and in to college, preferably Berklee or The New England Conservatory. However, she agreed to let Ayinde play on a song that was being produced for Bill’s next CD. Therefore, Cantaloupe and Watermelon is his commercial recording debut.

This track is a rolling uptempo medley based on two of Herbie's best known compositions. Cantaloupe Island and Watermelon Man. Usually performed on trumpet, Bill smooths this track out by playing his dark and mellow four valve Flugelhorn. Ayinde is in perfect form and demonstrates his chops with the expertise of a young Herbie Hancock or Ramsey Lewis. Also joining in with some classic bop is renown sax man James Saxsmo Gates (804Jazz). Also on this track are music phenom's 16 year old Kofi Shepsu on Drums, and 17 year old Dexter Moses on Alto Sax. As of 2015, both are students at the Appomattox Regional Governor's School for the Arts in Petersburg, Virginia.