Knocks Me Off My Feet

Stevie Wonder is one of my favorite musical influences. The original recording on “Songs of the Key of Life” don’t have any horns – what a travesty! I worked with Allison to move this to a comfortable key for female vocalists, and the arrangement just seemed to write itself.  

All the Love

All the Love is a true collaboration between arranger and songwriter. My wife, Allison McKenzie, developed the melody and lyrics in our second year of marriage. I chipped in with harmonies and arrangements. The intro is meant to feel like two people falling in love with all of the swelling, beautiful feelings that come with that. The song is a vocal feature, and the band is mostly in the background until the 7/4 groove at the end.  

You’ll Never Walk Alone

Working with Allison has led to a lot of different arrangements and recordings. This is a special one, for our brother-in-law Aaron who sadly passed away due to complications of lupus at age 27. This was one of his favorite songs because of it’s association with the Liverpool football team. I drew heavily from James Williams’ ICU recording for this arrangement. This recording is a live recording by Diane Moser’s Composers Big Band. Please see my blog post with more details about this arrangement.