On the making of the album To Eden
This project began in 2019 on the day that Bassist/Composer/Producer Rob Glick was introduced to Vibraphonist extraordinaire Bill Ware by Bill’s wife and manager Dana. They hit it off right away, and Rob played Bill some of his musical sketches. Bill offered to collaborate, so Rob immediately reached out to his longtime rhythm section partner, drummer Jim Toscano, and former bandmate, saxophonist Russ Paladino.
Ironically, although Rob had played with both Jim and Russ in separate projects in the past, the three had never played together. Rob knew instinctively that Russ could be the perfect melodic “voice” over the a burning rhythm section that would consist of Rob, Jim and Bill.
Recording began slowly but after the world shut down in 2020 Rob and Russ made the best of a bad situation, and embraced the time to focus on the project. They began working in the studio every day, with Bill and Jim adding their contributions as things progressed. The music was now quickly coming together in a way that exceeded their expectations. As the songs were nearing completion they realized that a guitar as an additional solo voice and rhythmic element could elevate the music even more. Rob contacted longtime friend and guitarist, Eric Capers, who he believed could have the right taste and temperament for this genre blending music. Eric soon began contributing guitar tracks and it was instantly apparent that he was the missing link!
Some finishing touches and magic were added with the contributions of some very special guest players: Classical Guitarist, Zach Glick (Rob’s son), along with world renowned cellist Dave Eggar (Coldplay, Evanessence and countless others) on the title track, To Eden. Tom Hammer added Organ, and Peter Tufel wrote and performed the introduction for the tune titled Cosmopolis.
With the tracking completed, Rob and Russ concentrated on getting the mix just right. Their vision was to seamlessly combine the sounds of the genres that are part of the DNA of the songs on this album, which include fusion, funk, jazz, rock, world and classical. The final polish was provided by acclaimed mastering engineer Gene Paul, son of the legendary Les Paul. We hope that listeners will experience the same pleasure and excitement that we did when creating our labor of love, To Eden!
Meet The Band
Rob Glick
Bass Guitar / Composer / Arranger / Producer / Engineer
Rob is a New York native and has performed in the New York City area for nearly forty years as a bass player. He is also a published songwriter with song credits which include legendary songwriters Clyde Otis and Lou Stallman. Over the years he has performed with various acts and has shared the stage with and recorded with artists The Cavers, Bob Duncan, Steve Keene with notable players such as Omar Hakim, Haracio “El Negro” Hernandez, Shawn Pelton, Joey Molland, Vernon Reid, John Putnam, Brent Mason, John Jackson, to name a few. He is also an accomplished audio engineer and was part of the core crew that constructed the successful recording studio for Reggie Lucas and has worked in recording studios in Nashville.
Bill Ware
Bill is an accomplished, vibraphonist, composer, bassist and producer. His genre-bending career, well into its fourth decade could read as a biography a mile long. A founding member of the Jazz Passengers and Groove Collective, he’s also collaborated and toured as a member of Steely Dan from 1993-95 (and appears on the “Live in America” album). He has worked with John Zorn, JD Parran, Marc Ribot, Bobby Sanabria, Deborah Harry, the BBC Concert Orchestra, Chico Mendoza, Bobby Previte, Joe Henderson, Jerome Harris, the Buffalo Philharmonic, the Minnesota Symphony, Elvis Costello, Arturo O’Farrill, Andy Summers, Marshall Crenshaw, Pink Floyd’s David Gilmore and many many more.
Originally from Orange, New Jersey he has performed internationally just about everywhere imaginable including the original Knitting Factory, “The Conan O’Brien Show”, “Late Night with David Letterman”, Newport Jazz Festival, Club Bird in Yokohama, Japan to name just a few.
Bill has made important inroads as a composer in both contemporary classical music and film scoring. His orchestral adventures began with a request for orchestrations of the Deborah Harry – Jazz Passengers songbook for performances with the Buffalo Philharmonic, which were also later performed by the BBC Concert Orchestra and the Northern Sinfonia Chamber Orchestra. To date, he’s composed three symphonies, multiple concerti, numerous soundtracks and other works.
Bill Ware endorses Malletech Instruments and Zoom electronic effects
Russ Paladino
Russ grew up in Oceanside, Long Island in a musical household. His father played saxophone, and his brother the drums. His Dad exposed him to a variety of great music ranging from Jazz, Rock-n-Roll, RnB, Latin, Blues and Opera. In a house filled with instruments, he gravitated to the saxophone, but also learned to play flute, drums, piano and guitar. Russ has been a player on the New York scene since the early 80’s and has recorded and/or performed with artists such as Ronnie Spector, Brian Setzer, Paul Schaffer, Joan Osborne, Andrew Dice Clay, Debbie Gibson, Jelly Bean Benitez, The Drifters, The Coasters, Felix Cavalieri of the Rascals and countless others. His sax sounds can be heard on commercials for companies and products as diverse as Sheraton Hotels, Oreo Cookies, and Pfizer Inc., and he has composed and recorded music for Johnson and Johnson Inc, Telluride Film Festival, NY Mets, Media Right Productions and Bob Giraldi Productions. He and Rob Glick first met three decades ago and have performed countless gigs together in the New York tri-state area and have remained musical brothers ever since.
Jim Toscano
Jim is a NYC freelance drummer, educator, and clinician. He is the author of Filling In The Grooves: The Ultimate Guide To Drum Fills on Hudson Music. Jim’s playing and passion for teaching arrived at a young age. He has built a successful private teaching and technology coaching practice with more than 200 students worldwide, and maintains a busy online presence, live streaming, workshops, masterclasses and his weekly Hand Technique Workshop. Jim is a frequent contributor to the Sabian Education Network. Jim has performed on countless stages in the New York area and around the country and is an in demand session player. He is currently working with several NY area artists , including Giant Flying Turtles, Roger Street Friedman Band, in addition to One Block East. Jim and Rob have performed together as a bass/drum rhythm section for countless projects that span the last thirty five years.
Jim Toscano uses Sabian cymbals, Prologix Percussion, Vater Drumsticks and Offset Pedals.
Eric Capers
Eric is a veteran player from the Trenton NJ area and in the past thirty years has performed in funk bands such as Whogasta and the Eastside Vibe among others. He is a very versatile player on many string instruments including mandolin and banjo and can be seen playing every instrument in his ensemble known as The Eric’s on his popular Youtube channel. Rob and Eric originally met through their passion for cycling and when the One Block East project began they quickly realized they were kindred spirits in their passion for bands such as Steely Dan where diverse styles are integrated crossing various genres with the emphasis always being on playing for the overall focus on the song.