In the Key of the Universe

In the Key of the Universe
The name of the artist and album written in the center of the frame in front of a nebulous cloud colored yellow at the middle with a star shining through, then dark blue around the outside, with Earth visible at the bottom of the frame.
Studio album by
Joey DeFrancesco
ReleasedMarch 1, 2019
StudioTempest Recording, Tempe, AZ[1]
GenreJazz[2]
Length58:27
LabelMack Avenue[1]
ProducerJoey DeFrancesco, Gloria DeFrancesco
Joey DeFrancesco chronology
You're Driving Me Crazy
(with Van Morrison)
(2018) 		In the Key of the Universe
(2019) 		More Music
(2021)

In the Key of the Universe is a studio album by Joey DeFrancesco, released March 1, 2019.[2] The album received a Grammy Award nomination for Best Jazz Instrumental Album.[3]

Reception

In the Key of the Universe ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
All About Jazz[1]
AllMusic[2]
DownBeat[4]

All About Jazz's Chris Mosey called In the Key of the Universe "an important, even historic album" for featuring Pharoah Sanders' "return from oblivion", and that without Sanders, "the album would be just one more round of Hammond organ tunes that adhere to DeFrancesco's dictum 'I just like to swing.'"[1] AllMusic's Matt Collar said that "While DeFrancesco has always played with an earthy soulfulness, on In the Key of the Universe he elevates that soulfulness to a divine musical plane."[2] DownBeat's Jim Macnie says "there's an exquisite flow to the entire program."[4]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Joey DeFrancesco, except for track 6 which was written by Pharoah Sanders and Leon Thomas. All tracks are produced by Joey and Gloria DeFrancesco

In the Key of the Universe track listing
No.TitleLength
1."Inner Being"5:18
2."Vibrations in Blue"6:42
3."Awake and Blissed"3:01
4."It Swung Wide Open"3:54
5."In the Key of the Universe"5:05
6."The Creator Has a Master Plan"11:00
7."And So It Is"7:52
8."Soul Perspective"5:30
9."A Path Through the Noise"4:47
10."Easier to Be"5:14
Total length:58:27

Personnel

Musicians

  • Joey DeFrancesco – organ, keyboards (1–3, 5–8, 10), trumpet (7, 10), arrangement (6)
  • Billy Hart – drums
  • Troy Roberts – tenor saxophone (3–5, 8–10), soprano saxophone (1, 8), alto saxophone (2), acoustic bass (6, 7)
  • Sammy Figueroa – percussion (1, 2, 5–7, 9, 10)
  • Pharoah Sanders – tenor saxophone (5–7), vocal (6)

Technical

  • Clarke Rigsby – recording engineer, mixing engineer
  • Nathan James – mastering engineer
  • Chris Muth – vinyl mastering
  • Gloria DeFrancesco – production manager
  • Shannon Moore – product manager
  • Raj Naik – design
  • Daniel B. Holeman – cover
  • Michael Woodall – photography
  • Maria Ehrenreich – creative director
  • Gretchen Valade – executive producer
  • Will Wakefield – A&R

References

  1. ^ a b c d Mosey, Chris (February 10, 2019). "Joey DeFrancesco: In the Key of the Universe album review". All About Jazz. Archived from the original on September 12, 2021. Retrieved September 11, 2021.
  2. ^ a b c d Collar, Matt. "In the Key of the Universe – Joey DeFrancesco". AllMusic. Archived from the original on November 29, 2021. Retrieved September 11, 2021.
  3. ^ "Joey DeFrancesco | Artist". Grammy Awards. Archived from the original on September 12, 2021. Retrieved September 11, 2021.
  4. ^ a b Macnie, Jim. "Joey DeFrancesco In the Key of the Universe". DownBeat. Archived from the original on September 12, 2021. Retrieved September 11, 2021.