“The title of my new recording was purely inspired by the events of the past year and a half,” reflects acclaimed pianist, composer and producer Brian Simpson. “My family and loved ones became more important to me than ever. The pandemic brought all that matters into focus.”
On June 25, 2021, Shanachie Entertainment will release a milestone recording from Simpson, his tenth recording as a leader. Known for his ability to sculpt timeless love songs, soulful party anthems and breath-taking melodies, Simpson delivers all this and more on his new album All That Matters. From penning the #1 hit “The First Time” for R&B group Surface to touring with Janet Jackson, George Duke and Dave Koz, Simpson’s golden touch has long made him one of the go-to guys in the industry.
All That Matters is an amalgamation of influences that are close to Brain Simpson’s heart: Jazz, R&B, Funk and Soul. It’s a joyous celebration of life and a shining demonstration of Simpson’s ongoing quest for the ultimate sound. “I will forever be in search of the perfect song, with the perfect melody, perfectly performed,” confesses the pianist. The recording process for All That Matters was dramatically different for Simpson. The absence of touring during the pandemic afforded Simpson the opportunity to focus solely on recording. He eagerly jumped into the project and surrounded himself by friends to foster the compositional process; guitarist and labelmate Steve Oliver and keyboardists Nicholas Cole and Oliver Wendell. The musicians collaborated remotely at first, and were later able to join forces in person. As the album progressed Simpson also enlisted saxophonists Najee and Steve Alanis, trumpeter Ron King, drummers Michael White and Tony Moore, bassists Dwayne “Smitty” Smith and Roberto Vally, percussionist Brain Kilgore and guitarists Ray Fuller and Yarone Levy.
With the release of All That Matters, Brian Simpson concludes, “I have the greatest job in the world. I simply love the fact that there are people out there in the world getting good feelings from my music. I never take for granted how fortunate I am.”