John Klemmer

John Klemmer (born July 3, 1946) is an American saxophonist, composer, song writer and arranger.^[1]

He was born in Chicago, Illinois, and began playing guitar at the age of 5 and alto saxophone at the age of 11. His other early interests included graphics and visual art, writing, dance, puppetry, painting, sculpting and poetry. He studied at schools that include The Art Institute of Chicago and began touring with various local midwest "ghost big bands" (Les Elgart, Woody Herman) as well as playing with small local jazz and rock groups. After switching to tenor saxophone in high school, Klemmer participated actively in the local Chicago jazz scene, playing with commercial small groups and big bands while leading his own groups in the Chicago area and touring.

Biography

Klemmer had extensive studies in music, taking private lessons as a youth and in college in piano, conducting, harmony, theory, composition, arranging, clarinet, flute and classical and jazz saxophone. He studied saxophone and jazz improvisation with noted Chicago saxophonist and teacher Joe Daley. He attended the prestigious Interlochen's National Music Camp. The year he graduated from high school, Klemmer was signed by producer Esmond Edwards at Cadet/Chess Records, eventually recording five albums with Cadet/Chess, including his innovative hit album, Blowin Gold (co-produced by ex-Rolling Stones producer Marshall Chess). This album was considered by many as the first of the jazz/rock fusion genre; follow-up albums introduced innovative rock rhythms, sounds and production techniques and debuted electronic effects with the saxophone that became his now trademark delay sound.

Klemmer led his own groups touring the U.S. using the cream of the Chicago sideman such as Jodie Christian, Wilbur Campbell and Cleveland Eaton, while occasionally performing in tandem with good friends such as jazz artist Eddie Harris and Oscar Brashear, arranger Les Hooper and rock artists such as James William Guercio (later to produce Blood, Sweat & Tears and Chicago) and various rock artists such as guitarist Harvey Mandel. Klemmer did his first PBS special for WTTW TV Chicago. He was also a busy sideman, exploring every genre of music. He then moved to Los Angeles the following year and for a very brief time was a key soloist & arranger with The Don Ellis's innovative big band touring Europe and toured Africa with Oliver Nelson for the State Department while also working with such diverse artists of a variety of musical genres such as Tim Buckley and others. He studied film scoring with Albert Harris and vocal lessons with Seth Riggs. Continuing always through the events described, Klemmer continuously lead his own small groups touring across the U.S. further developing his unique sound, style and concepts. He primarily focused on his jazz rock fusion styles returning briefly to more traditional jazz and then switching to a more "intense" so-called "coltraneish" approach upon leaving Chess Records and signing with and recording five albums with Impulse! Records.

He performed at Newport and Monterey Jazz Festivals, Antibes Jazz Festival, Carnegie Hall, Tanglewood, and Montreux Jazz Festival plus TV shows Midnight Special and Rock Concert. Klemmer has composed all songs for his many albums, amassing a large and valuable publishing catalog, but he has also collaborated and co-written musically and as lyricist with many pop songwriters, such as David Batteau, with the UK hit "Walk in Love", recorded by The Manhattan Transfer, and Danny O'Keefe, Clint Holmes, Pamela Oland and many others. After another of his many controversial sabbaticals, he again changed musical direction by then moving to ABC/MCA Records briefly returning to his early R&B & pop roots. Klemmer then went on to earn massive crossover appeal with his now landmark series of the classic "Touch" recordings. Klemmer and the "Touch" Series of recordings are regarded by many as paving the way and being "the founder" of the current "Smooth Jazz" genre some anointing him "The Ambassador of Cool". His continuous fast changing of musical directions throughout his career created some controversy, confusion and false speculative motivational assumptions and judgements from his primarily earlier jazz purist audience, primarily, with the now historic "Touch" series of recordings. His managerial associations with noted former Doors manager, Bill Siddons and with Faith Hill, Keith Urban and James Taylor manager, Gary Borman, helped Klemmer exposed his music to a growing number of pop, rock, R&B and adult contemporary audiences. He toured extensively as headliner and with "package tours" with George Benson and Herbie Hancock plus numerous TV appearances arranged by the William Morris Agency. He expanded his musical palette to include, kalimba, flutes, keyboards, percussion and solo vocal.

At this time he further developed his innovative Solo Sax Concept resulting in the now landmark and classic recording of Cry ushering in, thought by many, the "New Age Music Spiritual" genre, with some now calling him the "Sax God". He briefly returned to his earlier jazz roots recording the "straight ahead jazz" 2 CD offering, Nexus for Duo & Trio, now considered by many a classic, at personal request of Clive Davis for former Arista/Bluebird/RCA Records, followed by occasional special recording projects such as duo recordings with Joe Sample and Oscar Castro-Neves. Following another of his sabbaticals he then, upon personal urging of legendary pop and rock music mogul Joe Smith, moved to Elektra Records, recording five albums. After another brief sabbatical he then returned to GRP and Verve for Universal Records where his primary vast catalog of recordings reside. Klemmer then took his longest and most controversial sabbatical, causing a number of numerous false rumors of personal and health problems as he continued writing, recording and working with the massive new digital technologies plus returning to vocal studies with noted Macy Gray and Brandi vocal teacher, Roger Burnley. He then returned recording as guest soloist with such New Age artists as 3rd Force, David Arkenstone, and Craig Chaquico while returning to his performing, touring and recording.

Klemmer founded his own record label, Touch Records, for "special projects & releases only" with the CD and digital releases of Making Love, Vol. 1 and Rio Vol. 1 & 2 as an adjunct to his major label releases such as the Universal/Verve/GRP Records release of The Very Best of John Klemmer including newly recorded bonus tracks from his next new releases. Klemmer's music has been sampled by a large number of hip-hop, rap and DJ artists primarily focused on his early Chess record recordings.

Discography

As leader

• 1967: Involvement - The John Klemmer Quartets (Cadet/Chess)
• 1968: And We Were Lovers (Cadet/Chess)
• 1969: Blowin' Gold (Cadet Concept/Chess)
• 1969: All The Children Cried (Cadet Concept/Chess)
• 1970: Eruptions (Cadet Concept/Chess)
• 1971: Constant Throb (Impulse!/ABC)
• 1972: Waterfalls (Impulse!/ABC)
• 1973: Intensity (Impulse!/ABC)
• 1974: Magic and Movement (Impulse!/ABC)
• 1974: Fresh Feathers (ABC/MCA/GRP/Verve/UMe)
• 1975: Touch (ABC/MCA/GRP/Verve/UMe)
• 1976: Barefoot Ballet (ABC/MCA/GRP/Verve/UMe)
• 1976: Magic Moments (Chess #2ACMJ-401) 2LP compilation of the three Cadet Concept albums.
• 1977: Lifestyle (Living & Loving) (ABC/MCA/GRP/Verve/UMe)
• 1977: Arabesque (ABC/MCA/GRP/Verve/UMe)
• 1978: Solo Saxophone - Cry (ABC/MCA/GRP/Verve/UMe)
• 1978: Simpatico [John Klemmer & Oscar Castro-Neves Duo] (JVC/Samson)
• 1979: Brazilia (ABC/MCA/GRP/Verve/UMe)
• 1979: Straight From The Heart (MCA-Nautilus #NR-4)
• 1979: Nexus - For Duo And Trio [John Klemmer/Bob Magnusson/Carl Burnett] (Arista-Novus/RCA Bluebird/BMG) 2LP
• 1979: Mosaic - The Best Of John Klemmer, Volume One (MCA #2-8014/MCA #2-6007) 2LP compilation
• 1980: Magnificent Madness (Elektra)
• 1981: Hush (Elektra)
• 1981: Solo Saxophone II - Life (Elektra)
• 1981: Finesse (Elektra-Nautilus #NR-22/Elektra Musician #E1-60197)
• 1982: Two Tone [John Klemmer/Eddie Harris/Joe Sample/Phil Upchurch] (Crusaders ##CRP-16015)
• 1982: The Saxophone Player - The Best Of John Klemmer, Volume II (The Impulse Years) (MCA #2-6017) 2LP compilation
• 1982: Blowin' Gold (Chess #CH2-8300/Chess #CH2-92501) reissue of 'Magic Moments'
• 1989: Music (MCA/GRP/Verve/UMe)
• 1998: Making Love, Vol. 1 (Touch #TRCD-1001)
• 1999: John Klemmer - Priceless Jazz Collection #38 (MCA/GRP/Verve/UMe) CD compilation

As sideman

With Don Ellis

• Autumn (Columbia, 1968)
• Don Ellis at Fillmore (Columbia, 1970) 2LP

With others...

• Dave Remington's Big Band - Chicago Shouts! (Universal Records #76835, 1968)
• Oliver Nelson - Soulful Brass #2 (Flying Dutchman/RCA, 1969)
• Oliver Nelson - Black, Brown and Beautiful (Flying Dutchman/RCA, 1970)
• John Lee Hooker - Born In Mississippi/Raised Up In Tennessee (ABC/MCA, 1973)
• Ray Manzarek - The Whole Thing Started With Rock & Roll and Now It's Out Of Control (Mercury, 1974)
• Steely Dan - Royal Scam (ABC/MCA, 1976)
• Tom Snow - Tom Snow (Capitol, 1976)
• Gloria Lynne - I Don't Know How To Love Him (ABC/MCA, 1976)
• Cathy Mitchell Lord - C.M. Lord (Capitol, 1976)
• Roy Haynes - Thank You, Thank You (Galaxy/Fantasy, 1977)
• Tom Scott, John Klemmer, Gato Barbieri - Foundation: The Dedication Series, Vol. XIV (Impulse!/ABC, 1978)
• Lauren Wood - Lauren Wood (Warner Bros., 1979)
• Nancy Wilson - Love, Life & Harmony (Capitol, 1979)
• Osamu - Masterless Samurai (Alfa, 1980) Japanese import
• Dan Siegel - Nite Ride (Inner City, 1980)
• Various Artists - 5 Birds and A Monk (Galaxy/Fantasy, 1981)
• Various Artists - Ballads By Four (Galaxy/Fantasy, 1981)
• David Arkenstone - Return Of The Guardians (Narada/EMI, 1996)
• Craig Chaquico - Once In A Blue Universe (Higher Octave/EMI, 1997)
• DJ KRUSH - Code 4051 (Red Ink/Sony, 2001)

As composer

• "Excursion #2" - Don Ellis - Don Ellis at Fillmore (Columbia, 1970)
• "The Old Man's Tear" - Don Ellis - Don Ellis at Fillmore (Columbia, 1970)
• "The Beauty of Her Soul" - Bobby Bryant - Swahili Strut (Cadet/Chess, 1972)
• "Lost In Love" - Freda Payne - Out of Payne Comes Pleasure (MCA, 1975)
• "Lost In Love" - Freda Payne - Lost In Love (MCA, 2000)
• "Walk In Love" - Acker Bilk - Love Songs (EMI, 1973)
• "Walk In Love" - The Manhattan Transfer - Pastiche (Atlantic, 1978)
• "Walk In Love" - The Manhattan Transfer - Live (Atlantic, 1983)
• "Walk In Love" - David Batteau - Happy In Hollywood (A&M, 1978)
• "Walk In Love" - Norrie Paramor & Orchestra - By Request (BBC, 1978)
• "Walk In Love" - Rachel Alejandro - Rachel Alejandro (Warner, 2002) Philippines import
• "Glass Dolphins" - Ken Navarro - Love Coloured Soul (Positive, 2007)

References

External links

• John Klemmer official website