Captain Jarvis

I received my new copy of Captain Jarvis today... the record was not released on CD, Noel died in 1994 ya know... the only copy I had was my original vinyl disc from 1979. I used it to make an mp3 a couple of months ago, but there was still an annoying skip that's been there forever, that I wasn't able to get rid of, so I had a copy of the album digitally re-mastered by a professional service.

I've ripped it to mp3, and WOW, let me tell you... I think that is one nice sounding piece of music... in fact I am so pleased to hear it so well, I have featured it on my MySpace page so jump over there and have a listen if you have a chance. I'm definitely a proud papa of this piece.

In case you don't remember, I composed Captain Jarvis in the 1970s and it was picked up by a big time Motown producer named Paul Reiser, who thought it was the perfect concept for jazz great Noel Pointer's R&B Funk Fusion breakout album called Feel It.

I'm not crazy about the album cover, I guess he was trying to appeal to the urban R&B audience, whereas he had previously catered mainly to the New York creative jazz audience. Before going with Paul Reiser, he'd been produced by Dave Grusin (also one of my favorites!)

Playing on the song are the following:

Noel Pointer - 5-string electric violin, string arrangements and conducting
Will Lee - bass
Quentin Dennard - drums
Onaje Gumbs - fender rhodes
Hiram Bullock - guitar
Richard Tee - clavinet
Michael Boddicker - Moog, ARP 2600 synthesizers
Eddie Bongo Brown - percussion
Neil A. Clarke - percussion
Producer: Paul Reiser

I'm honored to have had my tune arranged, produced & recorded by the top cats in the business. Paul Reiser is a big name in Motown, having produced such greats as Diana Ross, Stevie Wonder, Ashford & Simpson... Will Lee is one of the top studio bass players in the business, currently the bass player on the David Letterman show, has been for many years...Quentin Dennard is a super funky Detroit drummer who's worked with Aretha... Neil A. Clarke worked with Phyllis Hyman and Harry Belafonte... Richard Tee was one of the original musicians on Saturday Night Live, worked with Paul Simon, Billy Joel... Hiram Bullock did David Sanborn's stuff... Onaje Gumbs toured with Kenny Burrell, Norman Connors and Woody Shaw... Eddie Bongo Brown played on Marvin Gaye's material... Michael Boddicker played synthesizer on Michael Jackson's albums Thriller, Bad and Dangerous... so dude I am definitely in good company !!!

musical bio

Hugh Jarvis Hitchcock studied electronic music composition at the Royal Conservatory of Music, Toronto, Ontario, Canada and then studied composition at the University of Michigan under George Balch Wilson and William Bolcom. He is a founding member of the Martian Entropy Band.

Hugh has worked with the following people of note:

Anita Baker (famed songstress)
Luis Resto (producer, Eminem)
Stephen Bray (writer, Madonna)
Belita Woods (vocalist, P-Funk, Brainstorm "Lovin' is Really My Game")
David Lee Chong (synthesizers/writer, P-Funk, "Atomic Dog")
Larry Fratangelo (percussionist, P-Funk "One Nation Under a Groove")
Lamont Johnson (bass/vocals, Brainstorm, "This Must Be Heaven")
Norma Jean Bell (saxophone, Frank Zappa, Santana, Mahavishnu)
Kashif (writer, producer "Love Come Down")
Carolyn Crawford (vocalist, Bohannon "Get on up 'n' Dance, Y'all")
Shaun Murphy (vocalist, Bob Seger Band, Eric Clapton)
Deon Estus (bassist, Brainstorm, Wham!)
Jeryl Bright (Brainstorm, Cameo)
Paul Reiser (Motown Producer, Diana Ross)
Eddie Kendricks (the Temptations)
L. J. Reynolds (the Dramatics)
Robyn Robins (pianist, Bob Seger Silver Bullet Band "Old Time Rock and Roll")
Alan Kendall (guitarist, the Bee Gees "Stayin' Alive")
Noel Pointer (Jazz violinist, "Captain Jarvis")
Marcus Belgrave (1st trumpet, Ray Charles)
Jesse Jones Jr. (international Jazz Artist, "Soul Serenade")
Ricky Rouse (guitar, Bohannon "Let's Start the Dance")
Roger Miller (founder, Mission of Burma, "Not a Photograph")
Randall Jacobs (guitar/writer, Was Not Was, "Walk the Dinosaur")
Bruce Nazarian (Automatix, TV producer)
Jerry Q. Jones (drums, P-Funk, 5 Special)
Angel Canales (cantante, "Bomba Carambomba")
Mike Hanopol (guitar, "Jeproks" the "father" of Pinoy Rock)
Roger Nichols (producer, Steely Dan)
Jim Gaines (producer, Tower of Power, Huey Lewis and the News)

Hugh sends a big "BuyaKasha" to all his great friends. "I hope you all stop by, listen to my jams and be my friends on My Space! 'n' remember, Quit Cryin' 'cause it Ain't Nothin' but a Groove, y'all!"