Abandoned Garden

Performer: Michael Franks
Artist: Carla Bley; Michael Brecker; Randy Brecker; Eliane Elias; Art Farmer; Joshua Redman; David Sanborn; Bob James
Engineer: Matthew "Boomer" LaMonica; Tom Mark
Distributor: WEA (Distributor)

Notes: Personnel: Michael Franks (vocals); Chuck Loeb (guitar); John Leventhal (acoustic & electric guitars); Diane Barere, Fred Slotkin, Mark Shuman (cello); Bob Mintzer (C flute, alto flute); Lawrence Feldman (alto flute); Keith O'Quinn (trombone); Russell Ferrante, Gil Goldstein (piano); Marc Johnson (bass); Peter Erskine, Lewis Nash (drums); Don Alias, Bashiri Johnson, Manolo Badrena (percussion); Carla Bley, Michael Brecker, Randy Brecker, Eliane Elias, Art Farmer, Bob James, Jeff Mironov, Brian Mitchell, Joshua Redman, David Sanborn, Andy Snitzer. Producers: Matt Pierson, Russell Ferrante, Jimmy Haslip, Matt Pierson, Gil Goldstein. Personnel: Michael Franks (vocals, guitar, banjo); Brian Mitchell (vocals); Jeff Mironov (guitar, acoustic guitar); Chuck Loeb (guitar); John Leventhal (electric guitar); Diane Barere, Mark Orrin Shuman, Frederick Slotkin (cello); Bob Mintzer (flute, alto flute); Lawrence Feldman (alto flute); Manolo Badrena (woodwinds, percussion); Joshua Redman (soprano saxophone); David Sanborn, Andy Snitzer (alto saxophone); Michael Brecker (tenor saxophone); Randy Brecker (flugelhorn); Keith O'Quinn (trombone); Eliane Elias, Russell Ferrante, Gil Goldstein, Bob James, Carla Bley (piano); Peter Erskine (drums, percussion); Chris Parker , Lewis Nash (drums); Don Alias, Bashiri Johnson (percussion). Audio Mixer: James Farber. Recording information: Bearsville Studios; Clinton; Make Believe Ballroom; Power Station; Sound on Sound. Photographers: Ken Schles; Fredrick Nilsen. Unknown Contributor Roles: Chuck Loeb; David Sanborn; Eliane Elias; Jeff Mironov; Joshua Redman; Manolo Badrena; Michael Brecker; Andy Snitzer; Art Farmer; Bob James; Brian Mitchell; Carla Bley. Arrangers: Jimmy Haslip; Michael Colina; Russell Ferrante. Michael Franks dedicated this album to the memory of Antonio Carlos Jobim, but it's neither Franks' best effort nor particularly evocative of the great Brazilian composer. There is not an especially strong Brazilian influence on the disc, despite the presence of Eliane Elias. In fact, there's a host of heavy hitters on board, including the Yellowjackets, Peter Erskine, Carla Bley, Steve Swallow, Art Farmer, Marc Johnson, Bob Mintzer, Michael Brecker, and many, many others. But while the revolving door of stars has served Franks well on other recordings, here they don't seem to add up to much. ~ Ross Boissoneau

Down Beat (3/96, p.48) - 3 Stars - Good - "...ABANDONED GARDEN is a genuine keeper, a guilty pleasure. Somehow Franks, a song stylist more than a jazz vocalist, once again gets his way, singing his indelible melodies that before you know it are under your skin, into your veins and etched into your soul..."

Michael Franks's distinctive, smooth croon and breezy songwriting style combines old-school Cole Porter wit with the jazz fusion and light-bossa nova sound emblematic of the 1970s and '80s. In addition to being a consistently popular recording artist since his debut album was released in '73, Franks has written songs for artists such as the Manhattan Transfer. His laid-back style also lends itself well to film soundtracks, to which he has contributed richly.

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