Alex wrote and recorded this in 2018, his first album of his first compositions.
TRACK BY TRACK WITH ALEX
“This was actually the first composition I wrote, really just to try out the record function on the Korg Kronos keyboard. I play everything on the track apart from the drum loop. We just kept the loop because it sounded so good for the track. The song is kind of laid-back and groovy while still having a bit of quirky harmony and some nice breaks. If Chick Corea and Bob James had a baby, this is the kind of tune they might write. The title, of course, came about when my Dad asked, ‘What’s the title on this?’ I dread titles, so I flippantly said the first thing that came into my head. ‘anti-climax’. Of course, he wrote down ‘Auntie Climax’ and said, ‘She’s a very nice woman!’”
“Once again, I play everything on this one, and we kept the drum loop it was written over. This started as a kind of synthy Steely Dan groove, but my Dad loved the melody so much he put some lyrics to it. When I took over the vocals in my high-school band, Quartet 5, I did it reluctantly at first. But then I started to enjoy it. On stage I use the TCHelicon ‘PlayAcoustic’, a vocal harmony creator that is easy to use and quite effective. Child’s Play was actually the first time I had ever sung my own backing vocals!”
Featuring Nigel Hitchcock – Alto Saxophone, Ian Palmer – Drums, and Laurence Cottle – Bass. “The Sunprobe was a spaceship in the Thunderbirds TV series that went to the sun to collect energy (or something). The power of that rocket is expressed by Ian Palmer’s thrust, Laurence Cottle’s propulsion and Nigel Hitchcock’s overdrive. With these three dudes behind you, anything is possible!”
Featuring Martin Taylor – Guitar, Danny Gottlieb – Drums. “This tune was written as a kind homage to the 1940s ballad style. When we started working on it, and we had my kind of Blade Runner synths and Danny Gottlieb’s emotive drums on it, I felt it needed another element. My Dad asked the great Martin Taylor MBE to play and he gave it exactly the melodic voice it needed. When I hear him play solo guitar, it looks so impossible and sounds so good – I’m glad I’m a piano player!”
Featuring John Thirkell – Trumpet & Flugelhorn, Richard Niles (rhythm guitar),Chie Iamazumi – Japanese ramen eater “Ramen is not only one of my favorite meals, but it is also this song. John Thirkell played trumpets and flugelhorn and his solos are sensual and hip! “Com’on you Blues!” My Dad played some rhythm guitar on this, his ‘Alfred Hitchcock’ appearance on the record. Thanks also to Chie Iamazumi for lending her voice to this. We recorded her in my Aunt’s kitchen. We told her the song was called Ramen and asked her to say, ‘This ramen is delicious!’ in Japanese. Because I don’t speak Japanese, I hope that’s actually what she said. Otherwise, we could be in big trouble with Japanese radio!
Featuring Danny Gottlieb – Drums “Danny Gottlieb is such a versatile drummer and he certainly proves it here. Some people think he is only a floaty jazz guy but the truth is he can get funky when he wants to. And he obviously wanted to! The amazing guitar virtuoso Blake Aaron lives very close to us. My Dad sent him this tune and he just KILLED it with his monster sound and a solo that takes no prisoners!”
Featuring Ian Palmer – Drums “Back to Prog-Rocky Jazz here, playing around with time signatures, riffs, patterns and synth sounds. Ian Palmer’s playing on this is slam-dunk fabulous and it grooves to the very last drop! The middle solo section downshifts to a sort of spacy groove, still in 7/8 but I play around and inside-out of the time signature to keep it from being too rigid.”
Featuring Claire Martin – vocal, Danny Gottlieb – Drums “I wrote a nice little piece using the ‘one touch’ function on my keyboard where I could play a chord with one finger. I then developed that into a piano piece. My Dad then had an idea to take it into a kind of Weather Report, Black Market kind of direction. That groove was beautifully expressed by Danny Gottlieb. When we were in London, my Dad had lunch with the great jazz singer Claire Martin OBE. It must have been a good lunch because Claire offered to sing a song on the album! He wrote some lyrics on the tube on the way home and sent it to her. So happy she liked it and it’s a real honor to have her fabulous vocals on the track!”
“The drum loop was another keeper and I had some synthy fun and games over this big time ‘funky joint’. It has pretensions to be accepted as a smooth jazz radio track and I hope no one finds out that it isn’t! The title? I like peanut butter, and it’s nice to share stuff.” King Genesis (Alexander Niles) “My Dad came up with this title too. When I played it to him, he said, “It’s as if Genesis and King Crimson did a jazz album together!” It has a nice mix of prog-rock elements and lets me get my Synth Freak on! Drummer Ian Palmer gave it even more genre-cred because his Uncle is Carl Palmer from Emerson, Lake & Palmer. Ian grooved this one out of the park!”
“My Dad came up with this title too. When I played it to him, he said, “It’s as if Genesis and King Crimson did a jazz album together!” It has a nice mix of prog-rock elements and lets me get my Synth Freak on! Drummer Ian Palmer gave it even more genre-cred because his Uncle is Carl Palmer from Emerson, Lake & Palmer. Ian grooved this one out of the park!”
Featuring Nigel Hitchcock – Soprano Saxophone, Danny Gottlieb – Drums. “Sometimes, I don’t realize what my influences are. I played this for my Dad and he immediately said, “Oh, I see you’re throwing a little McCoy in there!” Well, McCoy Tyner is definitely on my list of “cats”, so why not? I don’t mind ‘borrowing’ from the greats, but I always try to look at it from a slightly different point of view. The main thing for me was that it was a nice melody and it has sections that make me play in different ways. Danny Gottlieb provided that floating groove that is perfect for this jazz waltz, and not too predictable. Having Nigel Hitchcock on soprano sax on this track was just better than chocolate ice cream – and I absolutely LOVE chocolate ice cream!”
All music ©2019 Niles Smiles Music (BMI)
Produced by Richard Niles
Arrangements by Alexander & Richard Niles. Alexander plays Steinway 9ft, Korg Kronos, Korg Trinity Pro, Yamaha Motif, Berhinger D, Recorded by Richard Niles at Nucool Studio (California), by Ronan Phelan at MasterChord Studio (London) at John Thirkell Studio (London), Laurence Cottle Studio (London), Ashley Slater Studio.
Mixed and Mastered by Nick Pugh at Session Corner (London)
Special thanks to Peter Connelly, Michele Catri at MasterChord Studio (London), Ash Kapriélov (Design)