Tim Ries: Stones Sax Man Grooves With Global Jazz Projects

It’s one of those super cool stories that will always be known as the career pinnacle for jazz saxophonist Tim Ries – no matter how awesome it got after that.

On the same night he was to play for a president, he learned that he was hired to play with rock royalty. And if that double dose of coolness wasn’t amazing enough, eight years later all of their worlds would collide at a special concert that was filmed for a rockumentary by an Academy Award-winning director.

It’s definitely the stuff urban legends are made of, but for a boy from the MotorCity, it was a virtual dream come true after a lifetime of musical preparation and dues-paying as a solo artist, session musician, arranger and composer.

The evening of kismet was in November 1998 when Tim was at the White House to perform for President Clinton with a quartet of Broadway singers for a concert that PBS would later air. He was literally about to step on stage when his cell phone, which he forgot to put on silence, rang in his pocket.

He took the call that would change his life forever as it arrived at one of the most exciting moments of his life. Tim was confirmed to join the Rolling Stones in January for the No Security Tour that would kick off in Oakland, California.

You’d never know it when you see him on the video, since Tim was so very composed during the performance – yet inside he was over the moon about the Stones news and pumped about the prez and other distinguished guests. He was supposed to keep the new Stones gig a secret, but after the show, Tim confided the news to the sax-player president; they had bonded earlier discussing saxophones, reeds and mouthpieces.

And there was a birthday party to bring it all together: in honor of Bill Clinton’s 60^th in 2006, the Rolling Stones played two concerts at the Beacon Theatre in New York City. The shows were filmed by Martin Scorsese (Oct. 29, Nov. 1) for an IMAX documentary, “Shine A Light.” Tim’s tenure with the Stones had gone beyond 200 shows by then, and the film is a sweet reminder of when, where and with whom it all began.

Before his debut performance in ‘99, Tim knew that prep time was paramount and he would have to hit the ground rolling with the Stones. He had to be prepared to play much of their catalogue of some 350 tunes. Tim didn’t audition for the sax spot, instead his reputation, videos and CDs sealed the deal.

He was a well-known and successful session musician and worked with horn players Mike Davis and Kent Smith, who had toured with the Stones from 1994 through 2007. They recommended him for the gig when Andy Snitzer left to play for Paul Simon and, in fact, it was Mike who gave Tim the news during the monumental cell phone call.

Tim spent six weeks with his ears wrapped in headphones listening intently to the Stones greatest hits albums. He logged countless hours transcribing the saxophone parts (alto, soprano, tenor), as well as the piano, keyboards and organ parts, which Tim also plays on several songs in concert.

“It was a different level of listening,” Tim said about the intense learning curve he had while sequestered at home. “I was learning chords and bridges and writing charts for all of their songs for four different instruments. I wanted to be completely prepared for any song that they called for in rehearsals.”

On the first day of rehearsals with the Rolling Stones, Tim was introduced to Keith, Mick, Charlie and Ronnie, and then he went to his spot on the horn line up standing next to the great Bobby Keys, and wailed away with the band on his maiden voyage.

“I’m going back and forth, between playing in the horn section and playing keyboards next to Chuck Leavell, going through songs multiple times. And no one is saying anything to me, and I’m wondering how I’m doing? Am I okay?’” But then Tim figured that since he was a well-prepped side musician and must be doing fine, or else he’d have heard otherwise.

On the second night in the hotel, the jazzman heard music coming from Keith’s room and the next day Tim told Keith, “the music you’re playing is cool.” Keith told him: “Man, if you hear music, c’mon in. The cage is open.”  So by his fourth day on his new job, Tim was hanging with the cool cat.

“Here I am playing in one of the most influential bands in the history of music, and I didn’t want to be imposing – I’m the new guy. But now I was invited to Keith’s room where I listen to music with one of the greatest songwriters that’s ever lived!” he remembered with satisfaction. “If it wasn’t for Keith’s influence I would never have listened to so many different kinds of music, like rare and unusual recordings from his archives of the great blues artists, reggae, country and rock. I loved it!”

Tim said he also loved Charlie’s background as a jazz drummer, fan and historian and enjoyed their discussions about the jazz greats and their influential recordings.

“Charlie knows every recording, every musician. You can tell by his playing that he’s a jazz head – he doesn’t beat the drums, the touch he has with the drums is a very specific technique that jazz drummers have using their wrists. It’s all in the way the drum responds to his touch. You get a better, fuller and truer sound that way. That’s the core sound of the Rolling Stones – Charlie’s drumming along with Keith’s guitar,” he said.

Tim’s own jazz background began as a child in Detroit, Michigan, with his father, Jack, “a factory guy who played a great trumpet”. He took his son to jazz clubs, where Tim also began performing at age 10 with his father’s band. Tim had a great deal of exposure to a variety of musical styles, instruments and musicians.

When he was in his early teens, Tim was asked to sit in with the great Detroit and Toledo, Ohio, jazz and Motown musicians. This exposure brought great diversity to Tim’s musical and social awareness.  It complemented Tim and his family’s respect for all races and creeds, which would reflect later in his music.

With his late mother Edith’s blessing, “every weekend since I was six there would be a jam in our house,” which entertained him and his three older sisters, who were also talented singers and pianists like their mom (his brother died in childhood before Tim was born.) When the musicians played all night, they stayed for breakfast the next morning.

Tim said he knew instinctively early on that “music is a universal language that creates a powerful vibration.”  And by jamming with other musicians at a young age, he learned a musical life lesson that would serve him well throughout his career: “when you play a note with someone you connect to the soul of that person.”

His family encouraged him to be classically trained and Tim earned a Bachelor of Music in Jazz Studies from the University of North Texas and a Masters of Music from the University of Michigan, where he also took lessons when he was young. Tim made his recording debut straight from college in 1983 on Maynard Ferguson’s “Live from San Francisco”, touring with the jazz great for a year and a half.

In 1986 he was approached by a record exec who wanted Tim to create a jazz “product,” a concept album, but he didn’t like the way the music was going to be commercially portrayed as “smooth jazz.”

“For me music should not be a ‘product’. But I knew jazz could be accessible and arranged in such a way that would not dumb it down, or strip it of its true essence. I wanted to bring a large audience to jazz, but most importantly, my compositions and arrangements have to be true to myself.”  And this truism was realized years later with Tim’s creation of the Rolling Stones project.

His maxim helped him become very successful – he literally hasn’t stopped recording or performing since high school. Tim is recognized as an extraordinary jazz musician who has released six critically celebrated jazz records as a leader; he’s earned a reputation for his versatility with many musical roles. The New York Times called Tim a “player’s player” and noted that among jazz musicians, “Tim Ries is known as a singular talent.”

Tim has collaborated with many renowned jazz artists, including: Phil Woods, Badal Roy, Tom Harrell, Maria Schneider, Al Foster, John Patitucci, Danilo Perez, Dave Liebman, Donald Byrd, Jack DeJohnette, and Chico Hamilton. He also contributed to The Joe Henderson Big Band’s Grammy-winning 1996 album. He has worked with varied talents like Stevie Wonder, Paul Simon, Lyle Lovett, Donald Fagen, Sheryl Crow, David Lee Roth, Steely Dan, Incognito, Blood Sweat & Tears and Bob Belden. Tim’s Curriculum Vitae is extensive and includes an impressive discography of recordings, teaching positions and music-related non-profit work for children.

Of course what stands out notably on his stellar C.V. is his gig playing with the greatest band in rock ‘n roll history, which he says he never loses his excitement for. When Tim is on his horn riser, stage left, he has a bird’s eye view of “Stones magic” – the way the band plays, and reacts, with each and every fan.

“I love watching the audience and their level of joy when the Stones are playing,” Tim said. “They are engaged in so many ways.”

He is always amazed at every show how “Mick sings better than ever and dances like a teenager,” Tim said. “He energizes everyone in the entire venue and they all feel like part of the equation. And I love being part of it as it’s happening.”

“I’m so thankful to be a side musician for this gifted band, where it’s important to be part of the group, part of the ensemble, and where I’m always learning and growing.” He notes that he’s been writing more, and differently, as a result.

The Stones’ impact on his solo career is well-reflected in his two critically acclaimed jazz CDs, The Rolling Stones Project and Stones World, The Rolling Stones Project II. He was the arranger and producer for both releases, which present a selection of jazz arrangements of Mick and Keith’s compositions.

Tim had the challenge of taking rock music, with tunes lasting three to four minutes, and interpreting it into another genre where a song can last 20 minutes. So prep time was crucial once again.

To prepare the jazz renderings for both The Rolling Stones Project and Stones World CDs, Tim said he “played all the melodies on sax after I listened to, and studied, the way Mick phrased his singing. And then I began to alter the harmonies and the rhythmic ideas.” Once the arrangements were completed, Tim said, it was a great vehicle for all of the guest artists to improvise on those incredible Stones classics.

In Downbeat Magazine, Keith was quoted as saying that he especially appreciated what Tim was doing with The Rolling Stones Project because he was taking (Stones music) to another level.

Tim was first inspired to write his own interpretation of the Glimmer Twins’ tunes during the Licks tour in 2002-03 where The Rolling Stones Project was conceived. The songs’ jazz versions were road-tested live on an American tour before being released in 2005 on the Concord Jazz label.

The arrangements Tim created are steeped in the jazz, blues, rock and Latin genres, and the CD is jam-packed with noteworthy guest artists that include: Keith Richards, Charlie Watts, Ronnie Wood, Sheryl Crow, Lisa Fischer, Bernard Fowler, Darryl Jones, Norah Jones, Bill Frisell, John Scofield, John Patitucci, Brian Blade, Ben Monder and many others.

The genesis of Stones World, The Rolling Stones Project II took place during the Stones A Bigger Bang tour in 2005-2007 and the two-disc, 13-track release was out on Sunnyside Records in 2008. This continuum of the first Project combined many cultures and crossed international borders with recordings in countries like Africa, Brazil, India, Japan, and Portugal. Every major religion, race, and ideology is embraced on these tracks and expressed via Stones melodies.

There were 79 special guests on the CD, including all four Rolling Stones with Mick on board, plus their support artists Lisa Fischer, Bernard Fowler and Chuck Leavell; as well as Milton Nascimento, Eddie Palmieri, Ana Moura, Jack DeJohnette and Bill Frisell.  Tim’s daughter Jasia (then only 12 years old) is on violin and vocals, as is rapper, Fe. Tim used the talents of many other jazz, rock and world music greats and local musicians, singers and dancers.  It’s an impressive undertaking with striking results.

Whenever his schedule permits during his down time, Tim performs The Rolling Stones Project; and when he is on tour with the Stones, Tim plays in select cities, where he can also be joined by any or all of the Stones backup artists, including bassist Darryl Jones, keyboardist Chuck Leavell, and vocalists Bernard Fowler, Lisa Fischer. In Toronto in May, they all recorded The Rolling Stones Project on a sound stage in front of an exclusive audience of 120 for an upcoming release on DVD.

Tim’s performance in London at the Lyric Theatre on Monday July 8^th, between the two Stones Hyde Park shows, had Charlie Watts as a surprise guest. He sat in on drums with The Rolling Stones Project for two songs.

After the Stones tour wound down and he decompressed at home for a while with his family (including twins Bella and Eliana, 10), Tim returned to his on-going pet project — to play and record with Roma musicians in Budapest.

The Roma are also known as “Gypsies,” and he plays with the “East Gipsi Band” six times a year since befriending the drummer, Elemer Balazs, in 1988. They will release an album on Tim’s label, Tames Records, in January.

Tim played four back-to-back shows with the Budapest-based band there in August and he will be playing more concerts in October(dates below.) He will bring the “East Gipsi Band” band on tour in North America 2014 after their CD release.

With their music, Tim wants to bring attention to, and subsequently help change, the ethnic persecutions and stereotypes that the Roma still endure.

The multi-tasking, multi-talented Tim Ries has achieved major – and exciting -career accomplishments, and with his usual smooth diligence he will certainly realize this transformational goal. And undoubtedly many more. How cool and awesome is that?

Update: The ever prolific Tim Ries will be performing with the Jack DeJohnette Quartette in China at the Shanghai festival Oct. 17, and in Boise, Idaho, Nov. 2 at the Egyptian Theatre with Bernard and Darryl. In November, he’ll be a guest lecturer at Sibelius Academy in Helsinki, Finland, where he’ll also play several concerts, and in December he’ll bring his “East Gipsi Band” to Morocco with special guest Spanish flamenco dancer Auxi Fernandez.

October dates for Tim Ries include:
Oct. 8, in Nagykanizsa Hungary with the great Hungarian pianist Kalman Olah; Oct. 9, MOM Kulturális Központ Budapest, presenting the new Balázs Elemér Group cd; Oct. 10, Budapest, Budapest Jazz Klub with Andrea Szulák Quintett; Oct. 11 in Budapest, Árnyas Restaurant; Balázs Elemér Trio; Oct. 12, Nagyvárad, Oradea Posticum Balázs with Tim Ries Quartett; Oct. 13, Tatabánya,Jászai Mari Theater Balázs with Tim Ries Quartett.
 

Featured photo: Richard Kerris