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The More You Know
Ron Paley composer, piano
Exuberant and exciting is the Big Round Records debut of big band pianist and composer Ron Paley. This is not “just another pops album.” Paley’s work is cool, clever, and ridiculously fun. Seven of the ten tracks on THE MORE YOU KNOW are completely composed, arranged, and performed by Ron Paley. “Theme” is energetic, exploring elements of upbeat jazz and classic boogie woogie. Fast-paced, too, is “U of M” where the artist/composer delves into the genres of gospel and rock as well—surprising the listener at the end with his impressive talent for percussing vocally. “A Beautiful Soul,” and “P&Q” are exquisite jazz ballads that are par with the perfection of those Weill, Porter, or Gershwin. This is demonstrated, too, in Paley’s Ballad Trilogy. “Listen to the Sound,” explores the rhythmic character inherent in Latin dance genres. The title track, “The More You Know,” is fresh and improvisatory. Paley’s mash-up arrangement of Dietz and Schwartz’s “Alone Together” an Orbison’s “Pretty Woman,” is the most experimental track on the album and demonstrates Paley’s gift for transforming the expected into something altogether new. Paley’s arrangement of Tchaikovsky’s “Waltz of the Flowers,” is a lounge treat, unlike any other interpretation of the favorited Nutcracker tune. Paley brings the same sort of originality to his fabulous arrangement of Chopin’s Prelude in C-Minor, which concludes this treasure of a recording.
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"Overall, this is really an excellent jazz piano album with plenty of fine new works to explore."
Track Listing & Credits
| # | Title | Composer | Performer | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Theme | Ron Paley | Ron Paley, piano | 4:24 |
| 02 | U of M | Ron Paley | Ron Paley, piano | 4:06 |
| 03 | A Beautiful Soul | Ron Paley | Ron Paley, piano | 2:40 |
| 04 | P and Q | Ron Paley | Ron Paley, piano | 3:43 |
| 05 | The Nutcracker, Op. 71, TH 14: Valse des fleurs | Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky | Ron Paley, piano | 7:11 |
| 06 | Listen to the Sound | Ron Paley | Ron Paley, piano | 4:59 |
| 07 | Alone Together / Pretty Woman | Howard Dietz, Arthur Schwartz, Roy Orbison | Ron Paley, piano | 7:18 |
| 08 | Ballad Trilogy | Ron Paley | Ron Paley, piano | 4:24 |
| 09 | The More You Know | Ron Paley | Ron Paley, piano | 7:02 |
| 10 | Prélude in C Minor, Op. 28 No. 20 | Frederic Chopin | Ron Paley, piano | 4:16 |
All tracks recorded August and September 2017 in Winnipeg, Manitoba Canada
Produced, Engineered Ron Paley
Scatting Ron Paley
Executive Producer Bob Lord
Executive A&R Sam Renshaw
A&R Chris Robinson
Audio Director Jeff LeRoy
Engineering Manager Lucas Paquette
Mastering Shaun Michaud
Design & Marketing Director Brett Picknell
Design Emily Roulo
Artist Information
Ron Paley
Pianist, electric bassist, composer, and arranger, Ron Paley has composed works for solo piano, big band, and symphony orchestra. He formed the Ron Paley Big Band in 1976 after playing electric bass with the big bands of Buddy Rich, and Woody Herman, with whom he recorded two album’s.
Notes
The More You Know
“The More You Know” grew out of the desire to compose, arrange, perform, and record original and non-original compositions of different genres in a variety of musical styles, including jazz, for solo piano.
Bring ‘Em Back!
I have been working on a big band musical for many years.
It’s called “Bring ‘Em Back!”. Several of the original songs on The More You Know are from “Bring ‘Em Back!”
The story revolves around three major ideas:
- It’s about time big bands came back
- The awareness of life
- Time travel
“Bring ‘Em Back!” It is the story of a big band leader’s dream to see the return of big bands. He meets an astrophysicist who has discovered the secret to time travel and takes a trip back to 1939 to experience the big band era. When he returns to the future he realizes his dream has come true. Big bands have come back playing a new kind of popular music – one which combines the big band sound with contemporary technologies, sounds, and rhythms.
During the big band era swing music was king. Big bands thrived, and jived, playing this spirited, dynamic form of pop music. The term “big band” was iconic. Although their mass popularity declined after the late 1940’s, big bands have endured, adding numerous other musical styles to their sonic palette, including, and especially, jazz – with its endless stylistic possibilities.
Although trumpets, trombones and saxophones are present in some of today’s pop music, big bands have yet to regain the popularity they once had. But they could.
You name it, big bands have played it.
What is needed is to rekindle and revitalize the general public’s excitement over big bands. A in my opinion, successful big band musical could aid in this goal.
I have worked with several librettists over the years but I am still looking for the “right” story to complete my musical.
It really is about time big bands came back. Let’s “Bring ‘Em Back!”.
— Ron Paley