The music and lyrics of jazz musician and pianist Bill Cantos has been recorded by artists spanning the worlds of pop, jazz, theater, and gospel. Recently, Cantos returned to the Evergreen Stage in Burbank to record a jazzy version of the classic 1975 song, “How Long” with the help of Boyd Matson who documented the project.
With decades of combined experience, the session featured Bill Cantos on lyrics and piano, Hadly Hockensmith on guitar, Abraham Labroiel on bass and Bill Maxwell on the drums. Frequent guests of the Evergreen Stage, Maxwell’s Allstars include some of the best studio and stage band musicians to ever create music.
Matson posted a sneak peek of the session which showcased a sample of the song and featured singers Lisa Stone, TaTa Vega and Michiko Hill on background vocals.
In a social media post, Matson said: “I've been posting about filming a music project in L.A. and although it will be a while before the videos are ready to share I thought I'd release a little sneak preview,” he said. “This is some footage from Bill Cantos rehearsing Drown In My Own Tears so the band could get an idea of how he wanted to do it.”
As an acclaimed musician, Bill Cantos has recorded six solo CDs; the most recent is LOVE WINS: NEW STANDARDS FOR THE NEW MILLENNIUM, a collection of original songs written in the style of classic jazz standards. Cantos grew up in San Diego and attended the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston where he received a Masters in Jazz Studies.
He has collaborated with a number of notable musicians including: Phil Collins, Bob Dylan, Herb Alpert, Kirk Whalum, Brian Bromberg, Barry Manilow, Clint Black, Jay Graydon, David Foster, Johnny Mandel, Deniece Williams, Freddie Hubbard, Alan Bergman, Diane Schuur, Vikki Carr, Rita Coolidge, Leon Russell and Elton John. He also performs regularly with Burt Bacharach as keyboardist and featured vocalist.
Fans of Bill Cantos may recognize his voice on the soundtracks of over 60 films including Sing, Star Wars: Rogue One, Wall-E and Rio, to name a few.
Designed to accommodate recording artists, the Evergreen Stage has been serving the music industry for decades and is the perfect space for groups like Cantos and Maxwell’s Allstars. First opened in 1940 as a movie theatre, the Evergreen Stage was later converted to a recording studio. The studio continues to welcome new musicians through its doors daily.