Sherwood Ball

ALBUM REVIEWS

"Thanks and all the best - the Music has a beautiful groove." 
~ Chick Corea

Chick Corea, a DownBeat Hall of Famer and NEA Jazz Master, 22 time Grammy award winner, 63 nominations and keyboard virtuoso. Chick earned 3 Latin Grammy Awards, the most of any artist in the Best Instrumental Album category. 
Photo credit: Lynne Goldsmith

"This album came about after many years of promises Sherwood and I made to someday do an album together. We had great music chemistry and put together this very eclectic series of songs that cover many genres. It was a labor of love for the both of us and the mutual respect made the process all the more thrilling. After Sherwood’s passing in late 2015 Vicki and I transformed this CD into a tribute to one of the great talents of our industry. It’s very bittersweet mixing these tunes in the studio with Andy Waterman, all time favorite sonic wizards! This album has R&B, Funk, Jazz, big band, sultry, haunting, originals and standards from all corners of the music business. My hat goes off to Sherwood’s widow, Vicki Norton who has kept this project alive. Sit back and enjoy the man of many talents as well as of the best friend anyone could have…  generous, kind, funny and musical."

~ Les Hooper – Composer and Arranger, Winner of an Emmy and Clio, 7 Grammy Nominations.

"I was totally knocked out just after I started to listen to the album!
I do believe that Sherwood Ball was one of the most versatile singer songwriters. From Melodic cutting edge rock to Big Band Jazz. He had remarkable performances over the decades. Personally I like his blue-eyed soul type works, one of which you can feel it by listening to his self-cover version of “Show Me The Magic” (originally appeared on the album entitled “Airplay For The Planet” by Jay Graydon. I was lucky enough to see his live performance with Jay Graydon (All Stars) of this soulful masterpiece mid 90’s here in Japan. “Dance the Night Away”, the opener of the album, is another proof of his musical sophistication. I was totally knocked out just after I started to listen to the album. “Legacy” is one of the must-have albums for true music lovers."

~ Takeshi Ito - Adult Contemporary Music in Japan

Vicki Norton did a fantastic job by keeping Sherwood Ball's legacy alive with this one of a kind CD featuring the best musicians of the genre. What a thrill to hear once more Sherwood's incredible vocals. It touches the heart and the soul. The CD booklet is beautiful with many cool pics, and any serious collector must really consider having this fabulous album in his collection. A masterpiece !

~ Frédéric Slama (AOR)

Musical, lyrical and vocal Artist, Sherwood Ball's new and well-received "Legacy" album opens up with the riveting, deep-pocket & infectiously delicious drum groove of "Dance the Night Away, " a song deserving of continuous air-play on every radio station in this genre of music.  It's all about "letting go and having fun" as Sherwood Ball's exceptional vocals coax everyone out onto the dance floor on this well-produced R & B dance track supported and enhanced magnificently by the extraordinary orchestrations of Les Hooper and his superb band of musicians. Sherwood and his wife, Vicki Norton, got together and penned the lively lyrics for this dance tune practically on the spot once the instrumental track was played. Sherwood's other music co-writer, Jon Gilutin, is also known for having co-written the hit song by Patti La Belle called, " New Attitude. " 

Then, Sherwood slips easily into the Classic Jazz idiom with the sexy and sultry composition entitled "I Want A Little Girl."  Sherwood immediately owns & delivers every note on this song in the same way Ray Charles did in his original version. But Sherwood makes it his own and does it in his own way with style, his full heart's intention and absolute impeccable class with each and every phrase he sings perfectly into this slowly swinging groove and brilliant harmonic structure that Les Hooper continues to provide supportively throughout this lovely and endearing track. Sherwood Ball is not just a singer....he quickly displays that he is a "singer's singer" known & respected highly by his peers in the music business as being one of the all time best at the art & craft of singing. 

If "I Want A Little Girl" was not enough to show what Sherwood Ball can do with a Classic Jazz  ballad, he takes it several steps further on Les Hooper's film composition, " C'est La Vie Mon Ami. "  Immediately, the level of intimacy is increased and you feel like you are sharing the same tender experience with him as he renders his listeners delightfully helpless with no escape from the feelings of rapture within which he so easily has the ability to embrace & capture us all. The lyrics to this song were co-written by Sherwood and his lovely and creatively talented wife, Vicki Norton, taking the song to even greater emotional depths & heights with additional lyrical and vocal expressions. Words cannot completely express how well Sherwood can conjure up his emotions to convey the messages in a song. He is, was and will always be a blessing to the listener's ears.

Next, the Les Hooper composition called, "Chinatown Blues" opens with a slow Asian sounding Pentatonic scale sounding like a Japanese Koto instrument in the key of D minor reminiscent of a song from the soundtrack of the classic Peter Sellers movie called "The Pink Panther." Then, it takes no time and kicks into an uptempo & syncopated, Quarter-note triplet 12/8 Jazz groove upon which Sherwood deftly phrases rapid-fire lyrics linking & locking every single word into the track like the pro that he is. It's short ands sweet with the emphasis on sweet.....very sweet, indeed. On " Legacy," Sherwood never ceases to please his listening audience with a wide variety of musically strong songs and a unique and undeniably seasoned voice that delivers & injects emotions & personality into a song like no other.

For those of us who grew up in the 50's and 60's, Nat King Cole was known as one of the greatest singer's of that era and,....to this day, he is still revered as the best. His hit song, " Nature Boy," was a brilliantly composed, produced and performed song then but this time, Sherwood Ball has taken it a step further with his ever-so-capable and sublimely tasteful partner in musical crime, Les Hooper. Together, they have created a delightfully different and equally moving version of the song and they have breathed new life into one of the greatest evergreens and  standards in the music business. Just sit back and let Sherwood's vocal performance take you where it will as he navigates Les Hooper'smasterful arrangement and orchestrations. Every measure of "Nature Boy" definitely measures up and succeeds to the highest level that this brilliant and passionate singer, Sherwood Ball, intended it to go.

The classic song, "Summertime" starts off musically fused with the easily identifiable & rhythmically phrased chords similar to the famous Miles Davis tune, "So What," incorporating and featuring both muted and open trumpet solos in this unique & fully swinging arrangement.Sherwood's vocals reach new heights as he playfully shapes & blends each word being sung into Les Hooper's divinely orchestrated harmonies. Sherwood  hits and sings every intricate musical interval perfectly while inventing notes that most singers cannot comprehend finding let alone singing them as well as this artist can do.  By this time, in this already powerfully conceived, arranged and performed  "Legacy" CD, you can't help wondering what could they possibly do to keep the quality of songs and production rising to further heights. 

Then, just when we thought it couldn't get any better, we get another butt-kicking & non-stop-funky R&B tune penned by Sherwood and co-writer Garrett Adkins called "Stranger In My House."  Les Hooper adds the appropriate & dynamic horn arrangements to this blues-rocker which never lets up and certainly never lets you down with it's constant, driving groove. Sherwood spent a good part of his musical life devoted to & singing the Blues. Thus, a huge part of who he was comes from his indelibly strong and deep Blues roots which are heard here on, not only this song, but also on every song on Legacy. It oozes of the Blues.

Continuing in that Jazz-Blues idiom, the song , "Lookin' Back," is immediately reminiscent of an up tempo version of the Billie Holliday/Blood Sweat & Tears song, "God Bless the Child " sharing similar chords yet, with a different arrangement crafted beautifully by Les Hooper  and a sizzling guitar solo by Allen Hinds that delights the listener's ears and reminds us of the great Larry Carlton's sound and feel on guitar.  Once again, Sherwood takes us all on a delightful vocal journey in this song, " Lookin' Back,"  telling it like it is with every word and delivering the lyrics with acute articulation and artfully punctuated definition which was his notable & impeccable skill with the words and the phrasing of them.

Instantly, "My Foolish Heart" sets a new mood slowing down the pace and gently coaxing us into the serenity of a welcome melody as sung honestly & tenderly by Mr Ball.  Sherwood's commitment to the art of making a song come alive with his evolved musical prowess is nothing short of brilliant as witnessed by his treatment & total emotional giving of every soulful word sung on this tune as well as on every song on this more than worthy and stellar " Legacy" CD.

"Show Me the Magic"  is a fine song written by a team of extraordinary songwriters who collectively represent a musical and creative force to be reckoned with. Sherwood handles the lead vocals with his usual expertise and unique ability to express every word with the strength with which they deserve to be sung. Guitar session great, Jay Graydon, from the hit songwriting team of Foster & Graydon, offers up a colorful solo to enhance "Show Me the Magic" adding more substance to this diverse collection of well performed and well chosen songs and further rounding out the CD,  "Legacy." 

If Sherwood's intention was to reach, match or surpass the classic vocal stylings, phrasing & feel of Frank Sinatra or Tony Bennett, he succeeded on such a song as intimate as "Willow Weep For Me." Complimented by Les Hooper's musically sensitive, hip and well-arranged orchestrations, Sherwood fills the track with his own unique & emotionally-backed brand of vocal skills & accurate phrasing. Sherwood clearly understands how to marry the words of a song to the music.....something that the greatest masters and stylists of songs like Frank and Tony could do so well.

"Up From the Skies" brings additional new joy & life to this already diverse and lovable collection of songs. Sherwood and Les Hooper collaborate on the arrangement of this Jimi Hendrix classic and do not fail to please the sophisticated listening ears on all levels. Early in the song, the brushwork played by Les's son, Dave Hooper, on the drums is outstanding as Sherwood's voice and cool blues/jazz phrasing approach blends in beautifully with the musical track along with Les's superb musical handy work and crafting of the orchestra. When the song kicks up into another level dynamically as the drummer switches to his sticks, the brilliant sounding horns blend in making the overall performance from the entire orchestra an outstanding musical experience. Sherwood comes back in vocally and the music transitions to a double time up tempo celebration of groove in a Jazz/Blues idiom. This is icing on a cake that is already, so far, extremely dee-licious.

To top it off, we are blessed with one of the most beautifully conceived and performed versions ever of the well known classic song called "Irish Eyes," a song written by Sherwood's Grandfather, Ernest Ball. Starting with an intriguing and infectious African-styled 6/8 syncopated rhythm, we are immediately transported culturally to another foreign land which soon morphs into clearly an altogether different place than we initially thought we were in. Welcome to Ireland....complete with Irish sounding melodies played on flutes and a musical arrangement where you can almost see and smell the 4 leaf clovers. Sherwood Ball gives us, perhaps, one of the most passionate and powerful vocal performances of his life and it's as if we are witnessing the grande finale song of a hit Broadway play. Well, I give this musical effort a standing ovation, indeed, as it is worthy of repeated listenings and several encore performances. 

This Sherwood Ball Legacy musical project was designed to delight you in so many ways and never fails to deliver the goods with each and every song produced & performed. The entire project glows with the brilliance provided by all of the extraordinary musicians. Special thanks to the relentless efforts and personal skills of Vicki Norton and Les Hooper for bringing this musical project to the world. 

Some personal words from this reviewer:

Sherwood Ball was that rare singer and human being who comes along once in a lifetime who could do it all and sing anything and everything extremely well. During his entire rich and fulfilling lifetime, he was totally dedicated to the art and craft of singing as all of the great singers in this world have been. He was a total Pro in every way possible. He added his own incredible style, his richly seasoned personality, his enormous depth of vocal range, his rich knowledge of vocal tones & his "other-worldly" vocal strengths in a truly skillful manner making the act of singing appear to be done so easily and effectively...which are the signs and qualities of a true vocal master, artist & professional.

His amazing vocal skills & "chops" were second to none as was his personally heart-felt joy & willingness to participate in the performance and creativity of music from, not only his own creative songwriting, but also from the great song catalogues of the greatest songwriters that he loved and respected so much and from which he drew his inspiration to perform and create. Sherwood lived inside of the music.

To all, Sherwood's talents were a blessing, not only to himself and to those who knew & loved him so well, but also to all who have come to hear and love the gift of his voice and the compassionate spirit that drove him to produce the volumes of quality songs & music that he did in his lifetime. He was respected and loved by an elite & evolved music community in Los Angeles and was highly regarded as a master of his craft.....a truly dedicated professional to all. 

This brilliantly conceived  "Legacy" dream project had been recorded & nearly completed before his passing. Then, with great love and devotion, his widow, Vicki Norton continued to persevere at succeeding toward the total completion of the full production, as well as the mixing of the music and the beautiful packaging of the Sherwood Ball "Legacy" CD and dream project.

Please listen to his deeply committed musical heart and sincerely purposeful offering of unique songs from this passionate artist and allow yourselves to experience the joy that has always been the intention of his talented, loving & kindred soul..... and whom we have all come to know & love as Sherwood Ball,... Here it is for all of you to share in this...his "LEGACY."

Thank you.

With love,

~ F Scott Moyer

“I just spent a truly lovely morning listening to Sherwood Ball’s Legacy Album. Since the last cut is an exhilarating version of “When Irish Eyes Are Smiling” my first response is “‘Twas truly glorious!” The album is really a work of love and remembrance- it displays Sherwood’s wonderful talent in a myriad of styles and emotions—an eclectic compilation showcasing one of the finest sets of chops in the business. Each cut brings you new nuances- and further admiration. The fact that Sherwood was also a pretty magnificent being shines through note after note. I flat out loved it. And I also loved him...”

~ Jeff Pomerantz

“Sherwood invites us into his cultural soul, with an amazing cross pollination of his musical heritage. His sensitivity and certainty of who he is makes this a masterpiece. Sherwood is a powerfully gifted with extraordinary aesthetic command. His vocal texture soothes like the echo of immortality. 

~ Lj Jaxon

"Simply beautiful. This is one album I enjoy hearing over and over again. The music is very upbeat and I find myself feeling better after having listened to it. The arrangements of Les Hooper are absolutely first class and Sherwood is just fantastic! I love his phrasing and it is so easy to understand the words to each song, almost a lost art in my opinion. Dance the Night Away is an example of a very upbeat tune that makes you feeling better after you finish listening to it. I Want a Little Girl is so nice! I love the vocals and the arrangement has the big-band feel of yesteryear but with a modern soulful twist. My two favorites are the classic standards Nature Boy and Summertime. The intro to Nature Boy is so, so beautiful and the vocals stunning. I love the bass which punctuates the tune with the perfect notes in just the right places. I love the arrangement of the classic standard Summertime – the unison of the bass with Sherwood’s voice is sublime! This album is a true labor of love of beautiful music. It's a great legacy."   

~ Mike Stephenson. 

“Dance the night away is exactly what you want to do with this CD! The stunning vocals of the incomparable Sherwood Ball, eye-opening instrumentals, and diverse style of the music and lyrics are truly works of art. Bravo Les Hooper Band! Indeed, the love that went into the compilation of this legacy is impressive! Listen to it. Then listen to it again and again! This opus is without a doubt exceptional, and a treasure!”

~ Kathy Dixon

“I loved Sherwood’s voice in Hymn of Asia! It is one of my favorite CD’s ever! And this new CD “Legacy” is something I will treasure forever. SO soulful and beautiful. My daughter is already vying to steal it from me! Sherwood’s voice literally paints joy! I just wanted to say thank you!

~ Love, Kathy Chase

“My husband and I purchased this amazing CD about a week ago. We shut out the world, turned on the surround sound, and lost ourselves in the music from start to finish. What an amazing artist. We wish we had had the opportunity to meet the man personally, as we have read so many amazing things about him. His passion shows in every single song, we were so impressed. It only left us wanting more. We loved being able to read the album insert enclosed. And have since researched to learn as much as we could about the artist and his life. I am so thankful we purchased and had the opportunity of enjoying Sherwood’s music. We were most impressed with the lyrics written by Sherwood and his wife Vicki. Thank you to everyone who made it possible for us to hear and enjoy this wonderful music!”

~ Paul and Christine Brown

“Wonderful album by Sherwood Ball with the Les Hooper Band. A very diverse collage of songs. The selection showcases the vast span of his genres and his lifetime of talent. The passion echoes in each and every song that is rich with beautiful instrumental compositions . We enjoyed it thoroughly!”

~ Christine and Larry

"Beautiful music - what a great artist. As I listened I felt like I knew him. I could feel Sherwood's love for music & was carried to another place in time." 

~ Julie Lahm

Great album by Sherwood Ball with help of the Les Hooper band and his wife Vicki Norton. This album is showcased as a jazz type music, but it's got Sherwood's fingerprints all over it. Having known Sherwood and followed his music as a soloist and with his stint with Jay Graydon and the All-stars brings back bittersweet memories. His Soul, Kindness and always willing to help others reflects in his music on this album. The Harmonies and Lyrics are perfect and reflect Sherwood's style. I am honored to have known Sherwood in person and his graceful heart. Do yourself a favor. Get this album. You will not be disappointed.

~ Bob Michalson