LINER NOTES THANKS This album is dedicated to my beautiful & devoted bride of 21 years, Teresa Sanger. Your love, radiance, respect & bravery make the world so much brighter & inspires us all. Thanks for being my girl. You are a walking miracle! To my extraordinary family: Teresa, Phil, Nicole, Sarah and Savannah. You are the air that I breathe & my most treasured trophies. Because of you, I am blessed beyond recognition. To my parents: Renee & Frank Sanger. I am a product of your love, intellect & compassion. Thanks for “picking me,” modeling integrity & teaching me what it means to be a gentleman. It’s a great day to be alive! To my mother-in-law, Joan Otteson, we miss you each & everyday. To the Brothers Sanger: Kurt, Keith & Kris and their wonderful families. Being one of the four K’s has always been a privilege. To my best friend, confidant & brother Dr. Keith Sanger: Thanks for helping to steer this ship called life, stimulating conversations, your wisdom, sage advice & for always being there. You are my hero. To Emmanuel Church, the church with a healing heart. You are the compass & GPS of my soul. So grateful for the incredible musical talent of Sam Morrison, Bart Robley, Tony Guerrero, Michael Saxon, Blake Aaron, & Dave Flietstra. To Daniel Epp: The architect, production guru & creative genius behind the music of Absolute Positivity. Your attention to detail & golden ear is only exceeded by the compassion of your heart. Bravo Maestro! To Anthony Anderson, Jason Moss, and Stuart Brantley for the technical expertise you provided. To God from whom all blessings flow, the only true source & stream of Absolute Positivity! CREDITS Produced by Daniel Epp at Epically Epic Studios Image of Karl Sanger used with the permission of Cyndi Ehlers Morrison Graphic design by: Stacey Stanley, The Notepad, Altadena, CA EDITOR NOTES 1. Joe's Place Joe's Place is an homage to the legendary jazz pianist/keyboardist and co-founder of The Crusaders, Joe Sample as his music deeply influenced the nucleus of the KSP. Sanger's funky tenor saxophone coupled with Epps's skillful unison piano lines create a new instrument they like to call "the pian-ophone". Highlighed by masterful solos from both, the retro mood is groovey baby. 2. Suenos Espanoles Suenos Espanoles or Spanish Dreams is a latin jazz musical journey from a cool morning on a sandy beach to the sizzling embrace of lovers dancing salsa from dusk to dawn. Sanger's distinct tenor sax, south of the border inspired piano from Epp, brilliant trumpet, sexy latin percussion including the guest congas from drummer / author, Bart Robley (Sam Morrison Band, Gretch endorsed, ) and a full horn section buoyed by guest L.A. trombonist and educator, Dave Flietstra. 3. Afterglow A haunting melodic romantic groove tune that is hipper than hip . . . . . . like finding the cool side of a pillow. The vibe is that of an old school jazz cat feel a la jazz legends Stan Getz or Grover Washington Jr. Sanger's sultry breathy tenor saxophone and Epp's swanky lounge piano beckons the listener sip a dirty martini, don a robe and slippers, and light up a fat cuban cigar. Diggin' you Daddyo! 4. Absolute Positivity The title track is a smooth jazz tune reminiscent of a warm summer day. With an upbeat, happy and energetic melody supported by killer grooves, Absolute Positivity features Karl Sanger's silky tenor saxophone with crisp and tasteful piano work from Daniel Epp. Simply stated, if this song doesn't make you smile uncontrollably, feel good, and tap your toes, you better check your breathing. 5. Jazzmopolitan Knights Who are the Jazzmopolitan Knights you may ask? Why none other than the musical defenders of the jazz genre in this arena / recording special guest, Tony Guerrero, the acclaimed jazz trumpeter, bearing a loaded mute and his compatriot, Karl Sanger, armed and dangerous with a deadly flute. This song is a gem of sophistocated urban fusion addding "the big city at night vibe". Each knight is featured throughout, vamps are traded and in the end the warriors meet in unison victorious. 6. Our Father (The Lord's Prayer) Our Father aka The Lord's Prayer puts a unique and cool jazz spin on the classic worship song that is often referred worldwide as the most perfect prayer. Karl Sanger's rich alto saxophone sings out passionateley in praise only to energetically step up the pace with the driving rhyhm section into a "Yellowjacket-esque" fusion groove. This is not your father's Our Father but the offering richly delivers. 7. She's A Walking Miracle Inspired from the lips and servant heart of Pastor Harold Korver, She's A Walking Miracle is the embodiment of Teresa Sanger's inspiring story of Positivity, Prayer and People in lyric and song. The story/jazz ballad is richly sung by special guest vocalist, roots rocker and recording artist, the incomperable Sam Morrison (Sam Morrison Band, Turn The Page, Titan Tribute Media) with Karl Sanger's alto saxophone sprinkled throughout along with captivating guitar fills from L.A. virtuoso Blake Aaron as the icing on a very sweet and satisfying cake. As the Daniel Epp penned lyric so beautifully testifies, "She's A Walking Miracle and every single day, I get to be amazed in a whole different way. She's A Walking Miracle and when she didn't have a chance, We kept on believeing that someday soon, She was gonna dance." 8. Supercalifunkadocious A song title with 21 characters had better be A song title with 21 characters had better be special and this big band funk song does not disappoint. If you mixed Fatburger with The Brecker Brothers, Supercalifunkadocious would be their precocious love child. Sanger's funky tenor sax is joined by a smoking hot full horn section, an air-tight rhythm section and a sizzling arrangement. GROOVY BABY! 9. Loud and Proud Loud and Proud is a powerful modern jazz anthem featuring a gritty tenor saxophone performance from Karl Sanger, a soulful and riveting guest vocal performance from Michael Saxon (Glee, Saddleback Church), and an unforgettable lyric: "Starting here . . . Starting now . . . I'm gonna live my life loud and proud". In the vein of Bill Conti's Theme from Rocky, "Gonna Fly Now", Loud and Proud is a call to action and a rallying cry for the broken. It is for anyone who has felt the suffocation of guilt, shame, bondage, or a shattered self image, and being made whole, being healed, not being able to contain ourselves. Being proud of who we are becoming and proud of the family that adopted us. 10. Imagine When John Lennon recorded his ageless classic ballad, we wonder if he would have ever imagined it being interpreted and adapted for jazz audiences. Daniel Epp's mellow, cool, smooth groove and jazz arrangement is as easy to listen to as it was enjoyable for Sanger to weave the still familiar, powerful and charming melody into a unique and innovative adaptation from it's rock roots to the flowing river know as jazz. Along the way, the ears of the listener are refreshed with a plethora of sounds including sweet alto saxophone, tasteful keyboard and piano, walking stand-up bass and a dixieland land style clarinet outro to die for. The message and theme of Imagine is as relevant today as it was when first released in the 80's: Peace . . . Change . . . Unity. 11. Into The Deep Into the Deep represents the personal voyage of men & women into the unknown. Whether in physical reality or nestled in the recesses of our mind, mankind has continually sought to explore the exotic worlds around us from the top and bottom of the ocean to outer space to the highest mountain tops, we search out of curiosity, need, wonder or just for the thrill of it all. Into the Deep voyeuristically delves into the frontier via Sanger's smooth tenor saxophone. Along the way, Epp's keyboard and synthesizer provide the necessary transportation in grand style as the guitar serves as the trusted sidekick. 12. Beautiful Angel Beautiful Angel is dedicated to the brave victims and families of the Seal Beach salon mass shooting, taken from us too soon but never to beforgotten. This lovely jazz ballad features the sweet soprano saxophone of Karl Sanger with finely crafted keyboard contributions from Daniel Epp.