The Music in My Head

The Music in My Head is a smooth jazz album released by Michael Franks in 2018.[1] It’s his eighteenth studio album, and the second with the independent Shanachie Records.[2]

The Music in My Head
Studio album by Michael Franks
Released	June 8, 2018
Genre	Jazz vocal jazz smooth jazz
Length	50:11
Label	Shanachie
Producer	Gil Goldstein Chuck Loeb Scott Petito Charles Blenzig Jimmy Haslip
Michael Franks chronology
The Dream 1973-2011 (2012) The Music in My Head (2018)

Background

The Music in My Head is Franks’ first album after a seven-year hiatus.[2] Franks explained to Parade magazine the album was "written about my own personal spiritual journey" and "[it's] about love, our connection to nature, and the beauty and mystery of it all.”[3]

The album features one of the last recorded guitar solos by Chuck Loeb[4][5] before his death.[6]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Michael Franks.

No.	Title	Length
1.	"As Long As We're Both Together"	6:04
2.	"Suddenly Sci-Fi"	4:35
3.	"The Idea of a Tree"	5:05
4.	"Bluebird Blue"	4:23
5.	"To Spend the Day With You"	6:13
6.	"Bebop Headshop"	4:21
7.	"Where You Hid the Truth"	5:52
8.	"The Music In My Head"	4:57
9.	"Candleglow"	5:43
10.	"Waterfall"	5:28

Reception

Writing for Smooth-Jazz.de, Hans-Bernd Hülsmann praised the album for "offer[ing] great musical and literary preciousness with charm and elegance. The album contains a marked variety of audible values that demand attention and time from the listener to experience and enjoy all facets."[7]

Justin Kantor highly recommended the album for SoulTracks, saying the album "displays as aptly as ever his ability to convey a breadth of topics in a seamless manner that feels like a choice road trip set to the most mellow—yet colorful—of soundscapes."[8]

On the song "Waterfall", Laura B. Whitmore wrote for Parade that "[it's] a whispery tale of the journey from raindrop to waterfall. With a lilting rhythm, clever lyrics and some melodic guitar and vibes, “Waterfall” is like a sonic sigh of satisfaction."[3]

Personnel

• Michael Franks – vocals
• Eric Marienthal – saxophone
• Gary Meek – saxophone
• Bob Mintzer – saxophone
• Karel Ruzicka – saxophone
• Charles Blenzig – piano
• Gil Goldstein – piano
• Otmaro Ruíz – electric piano (Fender Rhodes), organ (Wurlitzer), synthesizer
• Rachel Z – piano, keyboards
• Larry Koonse – guitar
• David Spinozza – guitar
• Chuck Loeb – guitar, keyboards
• Romero Lubambo – rhythm guitar
• Jay Anderson – double bass
• Sean Conly – double bass
• Jimmy Haslip – bass, synthesizer
• Scott Petito – bass
• Billy Kilson – drums
• Jimmy Branley – drums, percussion
• Rogerio Boccato – percussion
• Manuel Quintana – percussion
• Veronica Nunn – backing vocals
• Leslie Ritter – backing vocals

References

1. "Discography in Order of Release". MichaelFranks.com. Retrieved 2018-08-05.
2. "Michael Franks - The Music In My Head". Shanachie Entertainment. Retrieved 2018-08-05.
3. Whitmore, Laura. "Exclusive Premiere: Michael Franks Shares 'Waterfall'". Parade. United States. Retrieved 2018-08-05.
4. "Michael Franks – The Music In My Head". Discogs. Retrieved 2018-08-05.
5. "Review – Michael Franks "The Music In My Head"". TheJazzWorld. 2017-06-03. Retrieved 2018-08-05.
6. Mergner, Lee (2017-08-01). "Chuck Loeb, Guitarist and Composer, Dies at 61". JazzTimes. Retrieved 2018-08-05.
7. Hülsmann, Hans-Bernd. "Starportrait: Michael Franks, The Music in My Head". Smooth-Jazz.de. Retrieved 2018-08-05.
8. Kantor, Justin. "Michael Franks - The Music In My Head (2018)". SoulTracks. Retrieved 2018-08-05.

Bibliography

• The Music in My Head (CD cover). Michael Franks. United States: Shanachie Records. 2018. SHANCD 5459.CS1 maint: others (link)