The Long Night Out Story

My name is Brian Culbertson and I am a contemporary jazz multi-instrumentalist with 13 award-winning albums released over the last 20 years. I’ve been touring non-stop while continually writing and producing new music and am currently in the studio re-recording my very first album, Long Night Out, with many of the musicians that inspired me back in the day! The new version (which will be released on the 20th anniversary of the original in February of 2014) will aptly be named, Another Long Night Out.

I’ve had the idea to re-record this album for many years now and have been waiting for just the right time. Since I recorded the original while attending DePaul University in my college apartment (above a Costume Shop) with 3 roommates on a busy street in Chicago with very little money, I was extremely limited to say the least. Therefore, I had to make do with my resources at hand which meant programming most of the instruments to sound real using drum machines, synth bass and most dreadedly, sampled/synth piano. Since those days, I’ve been able to meet and work with many of the top names in the music industry so I thought coming up on the 20th anniversary of the original release would be the perfect time to re-record all of those songs with the artists and musicians that have been so influential to me since the beginning.

This record is a true passion for instrumental contemporary jazz and a real full circle for me as a recording artist...and YOU can help make it happen!

To record this album ‘the way I always wanted to make it’ is going to be a huge undertaking both financially and logistically. For starters, every song will feature a host of the biggest names in jazz, many with legendary status. I also have to hire recording and mix engineers, a few outside studios (other than my own), a mastering engineer and studio time there, plus I have an idea to use a real orchestra on four of the songs (this is not cheap).  Here is a list of musicians currently confirmed to play on Another Long Night Out:

• Russ Freeman (Rippingtons) - guitar

• Eric Marienthal (Chick Corea Elektric Band, solo and others) - sax

• Chuck Loeb (Fourplay and solo) - guitar

• Candy Dulfer (solo & Prince) - alto sax

• Steve Lukather (Toto) - guitar

• Paul Jackson, Jr. (Tonight Show with Jay Leno and countless records) - guitar

• Will Kennedy (Yellowjackets) - drums

• Jimmy Haslip (Yellowjackets, Bruce Hornsby and others) - bass

• Nathan East (Fourplay, Toto, Eric Clapton and others) - bass

• Ricky Lawson (Michael Jackson, Phil Collins, Yellowjackets and others) - drums

• Michael Thompson (David Foster, Celine Dion and others) - guitar

• Lenny Castro (percussionist for everyone) - percussion

• Michael Bland (Prince and the New Power Generation) - drums

• "Patches" Stewart (Al Jarreau, Marcus Miller and others) - trumpet

• Ricky Peterson (David Sanborn) - Hammond B3 organ

• Rick Braun (solo artist) - flugelhorn

• Ray Parker Jr. (solo artist) - guitar

• 33-piece orchestra

Plus a lot more legends not yet on the list that are in the works!!

Why did I decide to do an Indiegogo campaign? I honestly believe in this new world of ‘fan funded’ artistic projects and there are two major reasons why...

Number one, I as an artist do not have to be beholden to any record company anymore, meaning that I can make this album with no other creative input and can also do what I want with the final product or with songs before they are officially released (meaning, you get songs way before the release). This is the most creative way to be and one that I’m really excited about. Number two, because YOU (the fans) are directly impacting the making of this album, you get a much closer view and a far better experience during the making of and after it’s release. The walls are really knocked down in this scenario as opposed to the old way of just being able to buy it when it comes out. Now, with many of the pledge options, you can download demo mixes and versions of the songs while they are being made in almost real time as if you were in the studio with us! Add that to the many other really cool experiences that we’re offering including limited edition vinyl, personalized videos, concert experiences, video blog shout outs and much more, this is truly an amazing opportunity for both me as an artist in order to connect better with the fans and for YOU since you’ll get way more access than ever before. 

I also humbly ask you to help spread the word as this campaign will be a true triumph for contemporary jazz. You can tell your friends and family by sending out an email link, tweet or facebook about it...or just spread it by word of mouth at the water cooler. Whatever you can do, I sincerely appreciate.

Thanks so much for your support and I look forward to delivering a record that I’ve always wanted to make!! This is the future and I couldn’t be more excited and inspired.

Cheers my friends!

Brian