...The songs, the arrangements, the musicianship, the group dynamic, the singing is near perfection.
Following up on his critically acclaimed 2007 release "Shopping for Your Heart," vocalist Jeff Baker returns with his latest studio album which fuses the timeless jazz tradition not with standards, but with hymns, spirituals, and simple songs that reflect his faith and spiritual journey. As he states in his liner notes - "The idea for this recording was simple. I wanted to make a jazz record for Christians who didn't love jazz, and for jazz fans that maybe didn't love Christians." "Of Things Not Seen" delivers a new perspective not only to jazz, but also to the journey of faith.
1. JUST A CLOSER WALK (4:31)
2. PEOPLE GET READY (4:59)
3. I'LL FLY AWAY (7:32)
4. HIS EYE IS ON THE SPARROW (5:01)
5. BE THOU MY VISION (4:32)
6. COME THOU FOUNT (5:42)
7. HALLELUJAH ANYHOW (6:12)
8. PASS ME NOT (7:10)
9. PRAYER (4:58)
10. FULL OF GRACE (6:19)
11. O SWEET GAZE (8:11)
JEFF BAKER - vocals
BILL ANSCHELL - piano
JEFF JOHNSON - bass
JOHN BISHOP - drums
BRENT JENSEN - saxophone
DAVE PETERSON - guitar
Produced by Jeff Baker
Arrangements by Bill Anschell and Jeff Baker
Recorded and Mixed by Reed Ruddy, Studio X, Seattle, WA
October 2006 & April 2007
Mastered by Ross Nyberg
Strings conducted by David Sabee
Photography by Yury Zaporozhchenko, Milos Jokic, Joan Cant�
Cover design by John Bishop
All Music Guide (Adam Greenberg)
Crossing the borders between jazz and religious music, singer Jeff Baker took on a mission to make religious music in a jazz form, or to add some religion to otherwise staid jazz. The main change in the music is a heavy dose of high-end instrumental improvisation in the pieces that come from the religious repertoire. Songs from strong traditions ar ...
All About Jazz (C Michael Bailey)
How Jeff Baker avoided full coverage at All About Jazz is beyond me, but now is a fine time to write this wrong. In 2009, Baker took a professional and stylistic chance in producing a jazz treatment of songs from the American Christian Songbook, Of Things Not Seen. He had worked up to this bold statement with his preceding recordings: Baker Sings C ...