Jazz Pianist, Composer and Educator - Lori Mechem - News

It's the Award Year!!!

Tue, 18 Oct 2011 00:00:00 -0700

I won several awards this year!! Check it out!!

www.jjajazzawards.org/p/jazz-heroes.html

Roger and I want to be super heros with capes!!!

and....................

http://www.nashvillemusicpros.com/page/best-of-nmp

Open Your Heart

Sun, 28 Feb 2010 00:00:00 -0800

Open Your Heart was a tune that i wrote over 15 years ago with a couple of friends Tabitha Fair and Jet Penix. I happened to be listened to the old demo while i was laying on the table at the accupuncturist. The timing was right because of the recent Haiti earthquake. I took this as a sign to get moving on re-demoing it and getting it out asap.

So we started with the rhythm section (Roger Spencer, Marcus Finnie and me) and lead vocal, which was my friend J'nae Fincannon. We went to Alliant Studios and got a very good starting point. Jet was producing the whole way. J'nae totally killed it!! Than on February 13th, we got together again and put the 10 piece choir on. We had some wonderful people volunteer to come sing, Crystal Miller, J'nae Fincannon, Teree McCormick, Christina Watson, Maureen Murphy, Wayne Dowell, Sean Horenstein, Roger Taylor, Lindet Peoples and William Kenan II. We stacked the vocals 4 times so it sounded like a 40 voice choir. Everyone was so incredible. THAN.... came another fun part...gospel organist Ralph Loften came in and totally kicked butt! He was so great and added exactly what the song needed. After that... i went back and re-recorded the piano with the Steinway. It sounded so much better.

Jet and I mixed and finished the tune on February 26.

The great news is that my friend Monica Ramey will be using "Open Your Heart"as the theme song for Man and Woman of the Year campaign for the Leukemia Lymphoma Society. This is a great honor and we donate 50% of sales from itunes, amazon.com and cdbaby to this organization. Thank you Monica for making a dream come true.

Also... i would like to think Jeff Hall for the amazing vocal arrangement and Heather Brand for the beautiful photography.

Lori Mechem and Ritmos Picantes CD Release

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0700

2009 has really been a very busy year so far. I started in January with a CD release of my 2nd Count Basie tribute "April in Paris" and now we are getting ready for another release of yet another great Ritmos Picantes CD!!
This was recorded for Green Hills Records and is a tribute to Antonio Carlos Jobim. Beautiful tunes and incredible arrangements by Jeff Steinberg. How can you go wrong!! Very proud of this one and can't wait to share it on August 23rd at our CD release party. I just couldn't of done without the incredible talent of my friends Denis Solee, Roger Spencer, Pete Hutlinger, Dann Sherrill and Chris Brown. No matter how much time has passed, we always gel and make great music together. Thanks Guys!!

April in Paris at #19 on Jazz Charts

Fri, 03 Apr 2009 00:00:00 -0700

After 5 1/2 weeks.... we have rose to 19 on the Jazz Charts. We are also in the top 40 of Bob Parlocha's list. This is very good. Have a few more weeks left so i feel good that it will rise a little more. Stay tuned

All Star Rally to support WMOT, Jazz 89

Mon, 02 Feb 2009 00:00:00 -0800

Friends,

Please read and lend your support in any way that you can. We truly need your help!

LOCAL JAZZ GROUPS RALLY TO SUPPORT JAZZ RADIO STATION

A coalition of nonprofit jazz organizations in Middle Tennessee is mounting a campaign to save public radio station WMOT, 89.5 FM. The station is on the list of programs that may be eliminated by Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) as part of state budget cuts.

In April, 2009 WMOT Jazz89 will celebrate its 40th year in operation. It is the only station in Middle Tennessee with a 24/7 mainstream jazz format, and one of the few left in the USA. It offers jazz related programming that includes shows hosted by professional staff and student DJs, top syndicated shows from NPR and other sources, and many CDs by Nashville jazz artists. As a major outlet in this area for what has long been called “America’s only original art form,” the disappearance of WMOT would be a terrible loss to the cultural life of Middle Tennessee.

In addition to the benefits WMOT provides to the community, the station is a major source of education and broadcast training of MTSU students. Attached is a partial listing of some of WMOT's "alumni" who have gone on to play important broadcast and media roles at the local, state, and national levels.

Participating in the effort to save WMOT are the Nashville Jazz Orchestra, Nashville Jazz Workshop , and Tennessee Jazz & Blues Society. The group is sponsoring an All-Star Jazz Rally for WMOT. The event will take place Sunday, February 15, 3:00 pm at Limelight, 201 Woodland Street, Nashville, TN 37213.

The event will feature music by many of Nashville’s top jazz artists, who are donating their time and talent to this event. The lineup so far includes:
* The Nashville Jazz Orchestra, with Connye Florance, Annie Sellick, Matt Belsante, and special guests Felix Cavaliere (of Rascals fame) and Diane Marino
* Victor Wooten
* Rod McGaha
* The Pat Coil Sextet
* Christina Watson
* El Movimiento, with Rahsaan Barber, Edwin Santiago, & Giovanni Rodriguez

Admission for the event is $15, with all proceeds going to support WMOT. The event organizers note that the low admission charge is intended to encourage as many people as possible to come, including fans of all types of music and the arts. At the event there will be information about additional ways that supporters can help the radio station.

For further information, contact:
Jim Williamson, 889-6335
jwilliamson6335@comcast.net

Additional information is also available at:
www.nashvillejazz.org (Nashville Jazz Workshop)
www.jazzblues.org (Tennessee Jazz & Blues Society)

Lori Mechem Quartet Plays More Basie/ CD Release Party

Sat, 27 Dec 2008 00:00:00 -0800

We have in our hands our new "April In Paris" CD!!! This is another tribute to the music of Count Basie. There are so many great tunes that the Basie band recorded that i felt like we just weren't done!! Lots of Quincy Jones on this one!!! Our featured guest was saxophonist great, Pete Christlieb. WOW......I love him!!! He gave a wonderful new energy to this CD. Thanks PETE!!!
The CD release will be January 7th at 7pm at the Nashville Jazz Workshop. (www.nashvillejazz.org)
We will play a set and celebrate, so please come and hang with us!!
None of this would of happened without my favorite boys!!! Chris Brown, Roger Spencer and Andy Reiss... they are my rocks!!! Love them so much!! Thanks guys!

April in Paris ready to go!!

Sun, 09 Nov 2008 00:00:00 -0800

Just a brief note to let everyone know that our next Basie tribute, April in Paris is finished!!! Very excited about this one. Chris, Roger and Andy were absolutely brilliant on the cd with our special guest and friend Pete Christlieb. My favorite song we did with Pete was "From Russia with Love". Too cool of a tune.
His solo just knocked us all out! He also played on "Blue and Sentimental", "Vine Street Rumble" and "Jumpin' at the Woodside". Cd release party will be Wednesday, January 7th at 7pm at the Nashville Jazz Workshop.

Basie 2 underway

Thu, 03 Jul 2008 00:00:00 -0700

Just wanted to let everyone know that the Basie 2 cd is underway. We have 9 tunes already recorded and looking to finish rhythm tracks at the end of July. Than, in September Pete Christlieb will be visiting and guest on 5 of the tunes. Very excited about this!!! The title of the cd will be "April in Paril". Brian Parker will be doing the artwork again which will be fabulous. Once we get Pete on, we will mix and i will have this cd for a December/January release. Stay tuned.

New Basie Part 2 cd

Sat, 08 Mar 2008 00:00:00 -0800

So many of you have asked for me to do a 2nd Basie cd. The project is planned for April 14 and 15th 08. We will record probably half of the cd, mostly because it is physically so hard that I can't finish it in a few days.
I am really excited to play some of Basie's greatest hits and a few chestnuts too. This is the 2nd tribute cd i have done of Basie tunes.
Of course this will be with my quartet featuring Chris Brown, Andy Reiss, Roger Spencer and special guest Pete Christlieb. Looking forward to this project.
Hope you will too!!

The Dream of Life CD Release

Thu, 13 Dec 2007 00:00:00 -0800

Hi Everyone,
Just wanted to let you know that i am getting ready for another cd release of my solo piano meditation cd. This is something that has been in the works for a long time. The cd release is Sunday, January 6th at 4pm at the Nashville Jazz Workshop.
The cd is all originals, alot that i wrote many years ago and a few that is brand new.