Corbett Wall
Corbett's Sax Age Party
Album tracks:
» Okinawa
» Chaplin
» My friend
» Party together
» Fun ride
» Before the rain
» In your dreams
» Mine tonight
» Zephyr
» Anata ni
» Space toro
» Peace
I took a whole new direction with this album. At the time I was doing a lot of funky live stuff with a rhythm section, regenerated trip hop loops, a couple of turn tables, and a rack of gear. It was very Knitting Factory meets Ken Ishii cool shit, which would never get out of the clubs and onto a CD. I had also just released a kind of a kid's book called "Junior and His Magic Saxophone" which was printed in Chinese and English, and was doing pretty well. So I took the main themes of the book, which were very personal, as songwriting material, the DJ techno sound aspect of the euro-club stuff I was doing, and went for a total J-pop Globe sounding sax album. The tour was awesome. I think a lot of people were a little taken back by seeing a transsexual black DJ with a hot Chinese operatic singer, and me with a neon sax in a white space suit. We could've gone real edgy with it, but we kept it sweet, pop, and fun to listen to, which is the best formula for selling records in Asia. I wrote most of the material, and this album comes off as pretty conceptually whole. I really like it.
Here's some liner notes about the songs:
Okinawa
Leaving was very hard. I was only six, but I still remember the sunshine, the blue skies, the endless beaches. It was a happy time. Full of wonder and amazement. Even though my Japanese childhood is gone, the memory still remains vivid in my heart. Okinawa! Okinawa! I will always love you...
Chaplin
He was given to me by Chance. Arrived just like that in a little green basket, all bandaged up. So tiny and helpless. So I cared for him. I fed him, I taught him, and I played silly games with him. I was daddy cat, and he was my little baby. This naughty, cute, tricky, adorable little Chaplin taught me what it meant to really feel needed. To feel like a father.
My friend
Even though we live in different worlds and don't see each other very often, I know my friend is just a call away. From crazy times as a kid to the reality of adult life, my friend and I have shared more than just good times. We have been through it all, and have stuck together. We know each other's thoughts. My friend will always be there.
Party together
Music is about togetherness. It's about being with the people you like, and having a good time. Sometimes people take things so seriously. Hey, relax, take a deep breath, and let's party together!
Fun ride
School was four blocks away. A long way to tote a saxophone case. So I invented to saxo-o-wagon. Just a matter of strapping on a skateboard, and the boring walk to school became a bumpy roller coaster fun ride. You know, you can find a way to have fun in almost any situation.
Before the rain
Typhoon Herb arrived on a soft breeze, bringing a few drops of rain, and a sky mixed with colors. I sat and watched the empty streets, drinking tea, and wrote this song. Before the rain everything was so tranquil. Afterwards, a disaster. It's so strange that something so beautiful can be so devastating.
In your dreams
Even though my mother and I never had a chance to have a real mother/son relationship. The feeling remains the same. She is so far away, but next to me all the time. I feel so proud to be able to write a piece of music for her to understand my feelings. I know she will hear this song in her dreams.
Mine tonight
Sometime it only takes a flash of the eyes. A subtle turn of the head, a quick blush. Then you know you are sharing the same feeling. You're so beautiful. Please, smile one more time. Say you'll be mine tonight.
Zephyr
I believe every person has an angel to protect them. Zephyr is the name of mine. She lives in the western breeze. She sat with me on my first trip across the ocean. She's shared sunrises with me at 30,000 feet. She's as delicate as a feather, but as powerful as a storm. She encourages me to keep going, keep taking chances.
Anata ni
When the Japanese say "you," for some reason it sounds so delicate and personal. I prefer it that way. Sometimes the world seems so cold and uncaring. I see it everyday. No one seems to care a damn about the other. It shouldn't be like that. Remember, that other is you.
Space toro
I've always wanted to be an astronaut. Zoom up into space in a rocket and fire laser guns at aliens. I've also always wanted to be a matador. One on one with a bull in an arena filled with thousands of spectators. It's funny, as a musician I can be both, and without being gored in the belly, or sucked into a black hole.
Peace (A prayer)
When I have a quiet moment all by myself, I stop and think about all the incredible things that have happened to me. All the places I have seen, the things I have learned, and the people I have shared my life with. I start to understand that our life is the most beautiful and enriching experience in the world. With this humble prayer, I thank God for giving me so much.
Credits:
Vocals - Ambrosia Lang
Cat Sound - Chapin
All instruments - Tan Keng Joo (1, 4, 6, 7, 11, 12), Kineki Yoshinori (2, 3, 5, 8, 9,10)
Recorded and mixed by - Wei Chen at Take One / K. Yoshinori and David Yang at K House Studio, Taipei
Mastered by - Keiko Ueda at Tokyufun Studios, Tokyo
Producer - Corbett Wall
Coordinator/Planner - Sun Shih Jan / Hsiang Lin
Promotion - Hsiang Lin
Direct Coordinator - Chiu Yueh
Hair Stylist - Wu Shih Wei / Lee Chung Yen
Wardrobe - Hsiang Lin / Chou Shih Chieh / Lee Sung Ju
Graphic Art Designer - Wang Sung
Make Up Artist - Hsiao Hsiang
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