For those unaware, on April 26th, 2024, Dot Time Records released A Different Riff: Minnock Sings Shire, the fourth and final studio release from beloved vocalist and master song interpreter John Minnock.

Released posthumously following Minnock’s untimely passing in February, A Different Riff is the artist’s heartfelt tribute to the great composer David Shire.

On A Different Riff, Minnock delivers his final love letter to Shire’s work and reprises his extraordinary artistic partnership with soprano saxophonist Dave Liebman. Co-produced by Liebman and Shire, and featuring the former on soprano, A Different Riff finds the latter’s perennial works expertly reworked in a jazz setting by the vocalist with pianist Sean Mason, bassist Mark Lewandowski and drummer Pablo Eluchans.

1. What About Today? (5:48)
2. I Don’t Remember Christmas (3:29)
3. Autumn (3:52)
4. A Different Riff (2:34)
5. With You I’m Born Again (4:24)
6. Back On Base (4:10)
7. Only When I Laugh (5:16)
8. After All These Years (5:11)
9. Only Jazz (2:15)
10. Starting Here, Starting Now (4:25)
11. With You I’m Born Again (Bonus Instrumental)

The new recording opens on the haunting What About Today? and the stoically-sculpted I Don’t Remember Christmas, and then we get brought forth the ornate Autumn, the upbeat swinger A Different Riff, and the delicate With You I’m Born Again.

Along next is the upright bass-led Back On Base and the low slung beauty Only When I Laugh and then comes the vividly sweeping piano piece After All These Years, the album rounding out on the vibrant finger-snapper Only Jazz, closing on the pure gossamer of Starting Here, Starting Now and the bonus instrumental With You I’m Born Again.

Musicians:
John Minnock - Vocals
Deborah Lippmann - Vocals (Track 5)
Dave Liebman - Soprano Sax
Sean Mason - Piano
Mark Lewandowski - Bass
Pablo Eluchans - Drums
John Minnock - Producer
David Shire - Co-Producer
Dave Liebman - Co-Producer

www.johnminnock.com