On This CD: I share with you some very beautiful, potent well-known melodies. Originally, there were thirty songs I wanted to record and was considering a double CD. But once the recording began, I was able to narrow down my list and select the right compliment of tunes for just one CD. Recording these tunes was a different kind of experience for me because I played all the parts – alto sax, tenor sax, piano, plus various synth sounds. It was the first time I played the alto and tenor together, playing off one another on the same track. With some tunes, I recorded the piano accompaniment first and then overdubbed my sax part(s) – melody and solo(s). With other tunes, I reversed the process. A few of these melodies I had never played before. This added elements of challenge, surprise and fun. Initially, what was coming through to me (inwardly), was: keep things simple and not over-prepare. Find the keys, tempos and some basic arrangement ideas for the tunes but stay “loose”. So a lot of what you hear, I improvised in the studio. Most of the selections I purposely chose to play slow because my intention for this music was to uplift and open hearts rather than be “flashy”. Although I improvise throughout the entire CD, I feel it’s not a typical jazz recording. There’s a freshness about it. This is because with certain melodies, such as Estrellita, I felt that playing jazz licks would take away from the essence of the tune or my rendition of it. Thus in trying to be true to the music, I had to find ”other” things to play that were more fitting. I received many joyful gifts from recording this music, which I’m very grateful for. I want to especially thank Collin Tilton for all his great work recording and mixing this CD. He helped make this project fun and kept things moving along. - Fred Fred's Bio: Fred Lipsius was the original saxophonist, arranger and conductor with Blood, Sweat & Tears from 1967 to 1971. He also doubled on keyboards. While with the band, he won nine Gold Records plus a Grammy Award for his arrangement of Spinning Wheel. Fred also arranged and co-arranged, respectively, the hit singles Hi-De-Ho and You’ve Made Me So Very Happy. He brought the “jazz” element to the band and the public in his sax and piano solos and his arrangements. In both the Downbeat and Playboy jazz polls he placed in the top ten of the alto sax category. Rock and Roll history books credit him as the first saxophonist to mix jazz and rock styles in his solos. Fred has composed, arranged and produced radio and TV commercials, including 2 CBS TV logos- themes introducing the season‘s upcoming shows. In the spring of 1982, he toured in Japan and Europe with Simon and Garfunkle and was a featured soloist. Fred has authored five books /CDs on jazz improvisation and jazz reading, published throughout the world. Other published works of his include small combo and big band jazz / fusion charts. He has performed with jazz greats Cannonball Adderley, Thelonious Monk, Zoot Sims, Eddie Gomez, Al Foster, George Mraz, Larry Willis, Randy Brecker, Rodney Jones and many others. Fred is currently an Associate Professor at Berklee College of Music in Boston, where he’s been teaching full-time since1984. He has played with many prominent Berklee faculty, such as Herb Pomeroy, Alan Dawson, Ray Santisi and Donald Brown. He has written music for and performed on over 30 CDs as both a leader and sideman. Born in the Bronx, New York City on November 19,1943, Fred began playing the clarinet at age 9, alto and tenor saxophones in Junior High School, and the piano at Music and Art High School in Manhattan. He continued his studies at Berklee School of Music (1961-62). After Berklee, he toured throughout the USA, Canada and Europe with impressionist/singer Billy Fellows. He also played alto and wrote big band dance arrangements in the Canadian-based Ron Metcalfe Orchestra. In New York City, Fred gigged around town, studied arranging with Larry Wilcox and others, and led his own rehearsal Big Band. After his four and a half years with BS&T, he played in big bands at the Copa Cabana and The Red Parrot (disco club), subbed in the hit Broadway show “Grease” and did jingles. In 1988 and 1989 he wrote a series of 11 articles on Creative Improvisation for the Saxophone Journal. In 1993, Fred wrote the horn charts and played in the horn section for popular Japanese singer, Masaki Ueda’s CD. In 1999, he wrote arrangements for and played sax and piano on drummer friend, Jack Scarangella’s CD, The Hero In Us All. Fred has also been a featured soloist on various CDs for guitarist Gerry Beaudoin and trumpeter Peter Welker. In the winters of 1993 and 1994, he joined forces with Al Kooper for weekend reunion gigs at the Bottom Line in New York City with former Blood, Sweat & Tears members plus other notable musicians. In 1998, Fred played solo sax as a special guest performer at the first EAT’M (Emerging Artists & Talent in Music) convention in Las Vegas. Over the years, he has led bands as well as played gigs around Boston with a number of jazz notables. Since 2004, he has given over sixty performances at nursing homes, mental hospitals and senior citizens homes around Boston, playing solo saxophone and piano and sharing stories with the residents. Fred’s most recent projects include his autobiography, original computer art and new music CDs.