Music
The best kept secret in music
Press
A journey through life as portrayed by a series of jazz standards. It's not a new album concept, but it often works quite well. Here, Chicago-come-Vegas performer L.Zaide croons his way through ten of the greatest standards around. The group, as well as L.Zaide, is highly technically proficient nonetheless. Solely for the song selection the album is worth picking up, but the album stands out for having some of the nicer renditions of the pieces. - Adam Greenberg - All Music Guide (AMG)
L.Zaide's Planet Chill showcases the velvet-voiced singer, embracing, with reverence, ten American Songbook classics. L.Zaide's vocal delivery has been compared to trumpeter/vocalist Chet Baker's—a cool, smooth flow, a relaxed and effortless croon. The similarity is there, but he's much better technically, and a whole bunch deeper emotionally; also mix in some whispery Joao Gilberto gentleness. - Dan McClenaghan – All About Jazz
Taking in stride the task of insightful interpretation speaks volumes for an artist. One who looks outside the craft and into the soul of a piece is so rare an occurrence. In the debut release by Rebel Phi records of L. Zaide’s Planet Chill: Memoirs of a Jazz Band we become stimulated by something much deeper than the sound. It’s his mystical delivery of intense memoirs within the project that excite.
Included in this debut is an insightful vocalist who looks beyond the notes to sculpt the sound. More so, L.Zaide ventures out into concepts never before unearthed in these standards.
“April in Paris” flows nicely with the sense he is singing directly into your eyes telling of his passions of Paris. Easily described and an experiment in ocular expression set to music. This cut is a powerful example of his philosophical mentality when it comes to the performance of jazz.
On the other side we hear a different L.Zaide on “Caravan” as the arrangement may be complex with rhythms the vocalization is front and center. The arrangement can be best summed up as erratic splendor although at times raw, it has personality.
“Night & Day” is also a cut worth a few intense spins. As intense as his work and mindset may seem, the project is launching off with ease. L.Zaide makes the listener think and enjoy at the same time. Does the spin have meaning? Yes! However it says one thing more. Asking the listener to stay tuned for finer sounds to come from L.Zaide in the future.
- Karl Stober - eJazzNews
A fascinating take on older standard classics. Fans of these classics might enjoy the new approach. Sincerely performed. - Nicholas Sheffo - Fulvue Drive-In
L.Zaide’s intimate vocal interpretation of each song leads one to believe that he is expressing himself to you, and only you. - Editorial Review - Amazon.com
Discography
Planet Chill: Memoirs of a Jazz Band (2006)
Photos
Feeling a bit camera shy
Bio
L.Zaide was born and raised in Chicago, IL as a first generation American to working-class parents from the Philippines. Growing up an only child in some rougher parts of the city’s west side, as well as some of the less racially tolerant parts of the Chicago suburbs, he sought refuge in the power music, art and poetry. The combination of his family’s love for the classic big band crooners and Chicago’s rich tradition in jazz and blues only fueled L.Zaide’s quest for artistry. L.Zaide began playing piano at the age of five and added trumpet and voice lessons at the age of nine. After years of playing classical music on piano, voice and trumpet in concerts and recitals, he finally found his musical home when he decided to study jazz vocals under renowned vocal coach Paul Renard, who taught him breath control through the understanding of lyric. Another aspect of L.Zaide’s musical experiences and resume blossomed when he opened up a DJ business, and performed at various private parties, nightclubs and weddings. L.Zaide was known to experiment with the fusion of jazz and hip-hop, in addition to jazz and electronica.
Knowing that music alone was not going to make ends meet, L.Zaide decided to move to Las Vegas, NV to pursue a degree in Hotel & Entertainment Administration at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV), where he also pursued subjects in the university’s jazz studies program. During his time in Las Vegas he formed a jazz combo and began performing at various concert halls such as the Judy Bailey Theater, the Mirage Hotel/Casino, Ham Hall, Doc Rando Music Hall and the UNLV Jazz Festival. He also performed in various small venues such as cabarets and cafes where he honed his soft, cool and controlled approach to jazz vocals.
Well after graduating from UNLV and years of working in Las Vegas hotel/casinos, L.Zaide decided to move back to his hometown to help run the family business and to ultimately break into the larger, yet more competitive jazz scene in Chicago. Although the gigs appeased his hunger for the stage at night after his often-busy schedule during the day, L.Zaide felt that gigging alone did not satisfy his craving for artistry. There needed to be a bigger purpose and meaning to strive for besides merely singing on stage. L.Zaide yearned for a way to create an art form that expressed his experiences in life and his love of jazz to a much larger audience.
It was then that L.Zaide realized that he had to take it upon himself to round up his jazz band in Las Vegas, and to book studio time to record what would be his debut album Planet Chill: Memoirs of a Jazz Band, to be released on January 7, 2006, by his newly formed record label, Rebel Phi Records.
---About The Album---
The philosophical concept of the album Planet Chill: Memoirs of a Jazz Band is a compilation of ten memoir entries that represent ten of L.Zaide’s most profound, intense and personal experiences in love and life through the use of ten of the most popular jazz classics ever written. L.Zaide’s intimate vocal interpretation of each song leads one to believe that he is expressing himself to you, and only you, with a flavor reminiscent of Chet Baker. The musical concept of the album is that it’s a fantastic collection of great songs, blending the fiery-hot, swinging instrumentals of Las Vegas’ best jazz musicians; blended in with the cool, whispery and sexy sound of L.Zaide’s vocal performance to create an overall exciting, melodic and artistic jazz album.
The album begins with the classic song “Fly Me to the Moon,” a smooth bossa nova arrangement featuring solos by guitarist Richard Forrester and pianist Tony Branco. The overall performance of this song takes the listener back to the last time they were so in love that they felt as if they had wings. The second song features solos by bassist Geoff Neuman and guitarist Joe Lano in the classic hit, “I Only Have Eyes for You.” The song is introduced very intimately as if you were the only one that exists in L.Zaide’s eyes, but with a joyfully, swinging ending to celebrate love. The songs “I Fall In Love Too Easily,” “Blue & Sentimental” and “Blue Moon” all feature great solos by saxophonist Jon Geever, trumpet player Gil Kaupp and guitarist Joe Lano. Each of these three “memoir entries” represent the intensely lonely time in a man’s life when he yearns for the touch of a woman’s hand; the desire for a woman’s love; and how much it hurts when she’s gone.
With an Afro-Cuban rhythm, the hit classic “Night & Day” features a fiery solo from guitarist Joe Lano to help L.Zaide express the deep carnal desire for the woman he loves. True romance comes to life in the great bossa nova classic “Corcovado,” with melodic solos by pianist Tony Branco and guitarist Richard Forrester to bring to life the feeling of romance a man may have when walking the beaches of Rio de Janeiro with the woman he loves. Vernon Duke’s, “April In Paris” is interpreted
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