Multi-instrumentalist and exceptional Jazz musician, Brian Ligon, breaks down the creative process of his chart-topping album Nowhere But Here II. The composer reveals how he came together with talented professionals such as Jim “Pinky” Beeman, Trevor Fletcher, Stephen Gibb, Carlos Alvarez, and Doug Emery to produce a record that reached the number one spot on iTunes. The 13-track LP includes “Bad,” “Select,” “Fly Away,” “Carnival,” “Funk,” “Run It,” “Lady,” “2040,” and others.
The follow-up to Nowhere But Here is a fusion of various styles that range from Contemporary and Experimental to Funk and Cool Jazz. Brian Ligon reveals: “I began composing the music for Nowhere But Here II in my home studio. When I contacted Trevor [Fletcher, President of Criteria Recording Studios] to book time for Nowhere But Here II at Criteria, I needed an engineer and a versatile guitarist for the project. I initially was seeking Barry Gibb and Slash for some other records. It was then that Trevor recommended Barry Gibb’s son Stephen Gibb for guitar, and connected me with Carlos Alvarez to engineer Nowhere But Here II.”
Ligon admits: “Stephen was awesome to collaborate with, his guitar talent, skills, and versatility blew my mind during our sessions at Criteria. I consulted with Carlos before our sessions to discuss what I wanted to accomplish and the sonic profile of the album. It was great working with Carlos, he definitely recorded the sound I was striving for with this album. We recorded Stephen’s guitars over a few weekend sessions, during a session break I was introduced to Doug Emery, a very talented pianist, he was working at the studio with another artist at the time.” Doug showcased his beautiful piano skills on the title track “Nowhere But Here II” and “All I Need.”
After completing the sessions with Stephen, Ligon got back in the studio for some final touches. Trevor introduced him with Javier Valverde, who engineered the project with the renowned Jim “Pinky” Beeman. “It was great working with Javier for this album also. I’m more than appreciative for being able to work with everybody who contributed to this album, engineers, assistants, musicians, and industry professionals. I think we made something special with this one,” explains Ligon.
Brian Ligon didn’t accomplish everything overnight. The success of Nowhere But Here II is the result of days and months of hard work and dedication. The talented musician believes that for music to resonate with others, one must first fall in love with their own work. He tries to “create the music he enjoys that’s also enjoyed by others.”
Listen to Nowhere But Here II here: