Known primarily as a blues drummer, Hale has worked with a number of well-known musicians and singers, including Joe Louis Walker, Maria Muldaur, Son Seals, Charlie Musselwhite, Angela Strehli, Ronnie Baker Brooks, Alvin “Youngblood" Hart, Kenny Wayne, Theo Peoples, and many others.
The CD includes Hale's original jazz compositions “Few and Far Between," “Active Ingredient" and “Red, White and Blue" plus his arrangements of tunes such as Wayne Shorter's “Footprints," and the standards “My One and Only Love," “Lullaby of Birdland," “It Could Happen To You," and “My Heart Belongs To Daddy."
In addition to the leader on drums, the cast of musicians on The Stan Hale Experience CD includes Carolyn Day (piano), Henry Taylor (guitar) and Jeff Anderson (bass, tenor sax), plus vocalists Erika Johnson and Ben Garrett and rapper Zaire Imani. As for the CD release party, Hale says he's still putting together the band, but has already secured the services of singer Ralph Butler to handle vocals.
Hale added that the CD also will be available for purchase at local retailers, such as Vintage Vinyl and Webster Records, soon after the release event.
(Full disclosure: Yr. humble editor has played a number of gigs with Stan Hale over the past couple of years, both as part of Hale's own group and backing up singers such as Uvee Hayes and Renee Smith.)
