WINNER! The 2005 ZMR Album of the Year!

Quotes About “Released”

A NOTE FROM WILL ACKERMAN (JUNE, 2005)

There are a number of things I admire about Jeff Oster.

Jeffʼs forty-eight years old. He could be a guy who, after a few drinks at the country club, starts talking about how close he came to living his dream of making music.

Jeff didnʼt let go of that dream. Jeff chose to make his first record at forty-eight with a commitment and focus that would be a credit to anyone of any age.
I admire that about him.

Jeffʼs musicianship is steeped in jazz. He cares about chops and knows what good playing is and
strives successfully to be that kind of a player.
I admire that about him.

I admire the fact that he leaves work, comes home to his wonderful family, puts them to bed and starts mining the Internet for sampled drum sounds, guitar sounds; anything that he can put together to create a bed for his music.

Iʼm amazed that a guy his age is so aware and so adept at borrowing the tools of todayʼs very young musicians to create a hybrid of jazz and contemporary sounds that results in something
unique.

I love it that he canʼt let go of the acoustic world; that he can use sampled drums, but wants to play
his horn unaffected into a Neumann mic; that he also needs the sounds of acoustic guitar, piano, the human voice and a warm bass to create the dream he hears. A true synthesis.

I have a long history of involvement in instrumental music. I produced George Winston and Michael Hedges among a long list of very well known players.

There are a million players in Electronica. There are a million Michael Hedges clones and two million George Winston clones.

Jeff is the first player to bring horns into this realm of contemporary instrumental music. You could point to Mark Isham and Chris Botti (both musicians we were involved with at Windham Hill) as comparisons, but Jeff really has his own niche that heʼs carved out of a brilliant synthesis of influences and sounds.
This guy is the real deal.

Iʼve seen careers take off and recognize when music creates a buzz almost without effort and thatʼs what happens when people hear Jeff Osterʼs music.

Will Ackerman
Windham County, Vermont

Credits:
released 31 July 2005

Jeff Oster – Trumpet, Flugelhorn, Vocals, Synthesizer,Loop Programming, Percussion

Philip Aaberg – Piano, Synthesizer

T. Bone Wolk – Bass, Acoustic and Electric Guitar

Will Ackerman – Parlor and Acoustic Guitar

Happy Rhodes – Vocals

Gregory Douglass – Synthesizer

Taylor Barefoot – Electric Guitar

Bryan Carrigan – Drum Programming, Sound Design, Percussion

Charlie Bisharat – Violin

Jeff Pearce – Chapman Stick

Lindsay, Caroline and Lauren Doyle – Themselves

Jeremy Mendicino – Electric Guitar

Engineered by Bryan Carrigan

Additional Engineering by Taylor Barefoot

Mixed and Edited by Bryan Carrigan, Will Ackerman and Jeff Oster

Additional mixing by Corin Nelsen

Recorded @ Imaginary Road Studios
Windham County, Vermont

Additional mixing and editing @ Hyperion Sound – Glendale, CA and @ Spark Studios, Emeryville, CA

Mastered by Gene Grimaldi @ Oasis Mastering –
Studio City, CA

Art Direction and Design – Matt Sens and Rocky Laber
Photography – Craig Merrill – Alameda, CA

Produced by Will Ackerman
www.williamackerman.com