JON GLAZER
Just about the time one is ready to give up on “today’s music” because it seems to be little more than badly rhyming words about drugs, sex and race, a light appears on the horizon. And it’s from a native Tulsan.
Tulsa musician Jon Glazer will celebrate the official release of his premiere CD, “Divine Rebellion,” Aug. 14 with a free evening performance of selections from it at the Van Trease Performing Arts Center Studio Theatre on the Tulsa Community College Southeast campus.
The 7 p.m. party and live concert is open to the public and will feature the recording’s original studio musicians from Tulsa: guitarist Pat Savage, Ron Morgan on bass and Jason Gilardi on drums. Contributing on background vocals are Rusti Love, Jim Sweney, Chris Campbell and Kim Hauser Mitchell.
“Divine Rebellion is a collection of 14 songs with 12 of them being original compositions,” Glazer says. “The original songs all have to do with very positive themes, lyrically speaking. One of my main motivations in this was because I believe there is a lot of negative-oriented music out there and I thought if I could somehow affect some sort of change that I had to do it [the CD].”
The two songs that are not originals are the Beatles song, “I’ll Get You,” (which was the flip side of “She Loves You”) and a Hebrew prayer.
“I’ve always said if I was ever going to record a ‘cover’ song, I would want it to be very different from how it was originally done. I created this arrangement some time ago and thought it was worthy of being included. I doubt most people will recognize it as the original because it is so different.”
The Hebrew song is taken from Deuteronomy and is one that should be familiar to both Christians and Jewish people. The traditional melody has been sung for “thousands of years” Glazer says. On the CD it is sung in Hebrew (the words are translated on the CD cover), with a new, ethereal arrangement.
What makes this selection on the “Divine Rebellion” CD so unique is it begins with a recording of Glazer singing the prayer as a 13-year-old at his Bar Mitzvah.
“On the CD I was able to accompany my 13-year-old voice with piano recorded this year and then metamorphose into me singing it as an adult.”
Glazer says another big motivation for the CD is he believes melody has become a disappearing art form.
“The CD is full of strong melodies with positive and thoughtful lyrics.”
The song, “Why is Henry Here?” is one of Glazer’s (and this writer’s) favorites. Heavily orchestrated, it is reminiscent of late Beatles rock.
“The song has always been close to my heart and is a true story. When we recorded it the song actually came out just as I had heard it in my head. That doesn’t always happen.”
The title song, “Divine Rebellion” is raucous.
“Everybody has a God given right to be happy and live life to its fullest,” Glazer says. “My feelings on this come out strongly in this recording.”
He says the classically romantic, “Tonight,” was a surprise.
“I woke up and wrote it literally a couple of weeks before the first CD recording session. It’s very personal but something people seem to be touched by. It has already gained quite a following as I’ve played it around town.”
Another surprise on the CD is the song, “Taking Care of the World.”
“I wrote this one in January and while I thought it was good at the time, after I recorded it it became one of my favorites and I’m proud of the sound of it.”
A full listing of song titles, some lyrics and several samplings from the CD can be found at www.jonglazermusic.com.
Glazer has been a musician since childhood and began playing the piano by ear at the age of six.
“I would hear a song on the television or on a record and then go play it,” he says.
In bands from the age of 11, Glazer was a rocker until he was recruited to play in the Edison High School Jazz Band where he grew to love jazz.
Glazer attended the University of North Texas, renowned for their jazz program and then worked in nightclubs in Dallas and Los Angeles, where he did some recording with Rick Springfield. He then landed an audition with The Judds for their Farewell Tour in 1991. Glazer got the job and did one tour with The Judds and later three of Wynonna Judd’s subsequent tours. As a composer, keyboardist and singer, he has also performed with Bette Midler, Carl Perkins and Paul Shaffer’s CBS Orchestra. His voice and music has been heard on jingles for Chili’s Restaurants, Sea World and Southwestern Bell.
His last stop before returning to Tulsa several years ago was Denver, Colo., where he was a pioneer in the now-popular dueling piano sing-along concept.
But Tulsa, family and friends kept calling and he came home to record his CD.
In the three years since he has returned to Tulsa, Glazer has been seen in a number of venues and accompanied numerous talented local musicians including the late Debbie Campbell, Rusti Love, and Rebecca Ungerman and can be currently found at the Cherokee Casino C-Note Lounge, with Jim Sweney and Chris Campbell at The Consortium and The Chalkboard and Lanna Thai with Cindy Cain. (Show times can be found at www.jonglazermusic.com.)
“I knew that with the type of musicians and close friends here in Tulsa I would be able to record something like ‘Divine Rebellion’.”
The CD was recorded at Valcour Sound in Broken Arrow, owned by Hank Charles who co-produced the CD with Glazer, served as the engineer and played the guitar and percussion on several cuts. Terry Ranson, a native Tulsan now living in Dallas, designed the CD cover.
The CD is recorded on Glazer’s label, mBARK!, named for his toy poodle, Micky (as in Mick Jagger, of course). Micky was also the inspiration for a song on the album, “All the Time.”
Divine Rebellion will be on sale after the Aug. 14 CD Release Party and Concert at cdbaby.com and locally at Borders Books & Music, Barnes & Noble, RYE, Blue Moon Discs and Steve’s Sundry and Books.
