Chords for Bob James - "Jazz Hands" - Q&A (Out September 15th 2023)

_ _ _ _ Well, this new album [Ab] came from a whole bunch of different places.
And one of the things that took it so long to come out, because I like to keep coming
out with albums as many as I can.
I love doing it.
I love the process.
But along came the pandemic.
And suddenly many things came to a halt.
I was able to still do a lot of creative work in my home studio, and I prepared a lot of music.
But collaborating with some of my favorite musicians became difficult.
And this [A]
long [G]-range collaboration by a computer and by long distance was one of the features
that turned out, I think, to be good news [Gb] with an album that I think is eclectic in
a very good way.
A lot of different approaches.
You will hear the influence of hip-hop.
[Eb] You'll hear some of my favorite young musicians.
[A] And [B] overall, probably my best.
But [N] you'll be the judge of that.
_ That's always so hard.
So many people ask me that.
And it's kind of like having babies in your family.
You can't say, well, who's your favorite child?
Because you love them all.
And I kind of feel that way.
There's a very special track that was chosen to be the first single.
It's a song called The Secret Drawer.
And many things I like about it.
I like the mystery of it.
I like the fact that I featured this Ukrainian saxophone player, Andrei Shmut, who has become
a really good friend.
And I've been a haven for him during this terrible war that has been going on with Russia.
And I am a firm believer in the independence and the democracy of the people of the Ukraine.
So I loved featuring Andrei and supporting his music.
He's a super talent.
And he has featured prominently on this track, Secret Drawer, which was co-composed by my
current creative consultant, Rachel Quagg.
She's acted as a kind of coach for me.
She tells me [G] to emphasize the good [D] things in my playing, but she also points out where
I might be able to do it just a little bit better.
So I love that kind of encouragement and collaboration.
This song that we did together is actually our second composing collaboration.
We did one on an album I did recently with Till Brunner called On Vacation, and that
song was Elysium.
So this one, The Secret Drawer, you can figure out what that title means.
[Db] Everybody has a mysterious place that they don't want anybody else to know about.
[B] So you can create your own story with this song, Secret Drawer.
[Db] _ _ [B] _ Got to give full credit to my collaborator, CeeLo Green.
This album has become kind of one of a lot of collaborations.
And I have been an admirer of CeeLo Green's for quite a long time.
Super talent [Bb] and so soulful.
And he actually [N] adapted one of my most recognizable signature theme songs from the TV series Taxi,
the song Angela.
He took it and [B] made it into a completely different kind of song, Sign of the Times.
And when I heard what he [N] did with it, I got very, very intrigued.
So we found ourselves in the studio doing some experimental work.
We didn't really know how it was going to come out.
And I started improvising a little riff on the piano.
And his producer, Cory Moe, and I messed around with it and got a groove going.
And I saw CeeLo sitting over the corner.
He wasn't really doing anything at that time.
And it was my first time being in the studio with him.
So I had no idea [B] what he was going to come up with.
The next morning, before I even got there, he had gotten to the studio earlier, laid down vocal tracks,
given this song a new title, Jazz Hands, with a very specific kind of lyric that relates to the history of jazz.
And I was so inspired and happy to see how he jumped in there,
because my [Ab] hands and the touch on the piano keyboard represent my life.
So he put it into a song title.
Very grateful.
Thank you, CeeLo.
And I think it sends a message out about this album in a really good way. _
It [Bm] was awesome.
And it was only that one time.
I hope there are many more.
We had two or three other things that we came up with during that session.
And I'm hoping that either they might show up on one of CeeLo's albums.
I'll [Gb] definitely be interested in making the most out of it.
And [Ab] if Jazz Hands has some success, like I think it will,
then who knows what could come from the follow-up.
Yes, [G] working with CeeLo Green.
[Db] Super great and really fun.
[B] _ _
New and fresh.
And [Ab] I [Db] hope_
I'm always trying to get better and better and better.
So I hope it's better.
[Bb] I hope it fits in.
And that way, [B] I don't want to go backwards.
But I know my listeners [N] have their own feeling.
They have sentiment.
And I'm just as happy if somebody comes up to me
and says that their favorite album is something that I did 30 years ago.
That's nice, too.
It takes on a life of its own.
I like to live in the present [Ab] and I like to dream about the future.
And right now, the present is Jazz Hands.
I think all the tunes have kind of special meaning for me
and fits in perfectly with the rest of my catalog.
[Eb] _ _ Nerd.
Buy it.
Buy the vinyl and buy the CD because both things [G] sound different.
And if you are a fan of streaming and if you want to join one of those services,
or if you're already a member of Spotify or Apple Music or one of those,
sure, check it out.
And I think you'll still be inspired to want to have the original version for your collection.
And when I come [Db] into your town, I'll put an [D] autograph on it for you.
So, yes, check it out.
My music [G] is different from others.
[D] And I want you to try to figure out what that is and let me know what you think.
_ [C] _ [D] _ Thank you, Jazz fans from [E] all over the world.
Use your hands to applaud if I see you in person in one of my concerts.
[Gbm] I like that.
I'll be using my hands at the piano. _ _ _ _
_ [Ab] _ _ _ _ _ _ _