Into The Daybreak is Mike Freedman’s debut album as a jazz instrumentalist.
Inspired by 30 years of performing and writing in the Toronto music scene, as well as touring extensively in the US and Europe with other artists, Mike took to the studio to record some of his original songs and channel his creative energies.
The CD features 9 of Mike’s tunes which blend his love of many different styles of music, ranging from jazz, latin, to blues and ambient music. These 9 contrasting and colorful tunes glimmer with inspired performances and vibrancy. The thread that runs through these contrasting tunes is the strong melodic content. The tunes have a depth and feel that is both natural and familiar but also unique and memorable.
Using a traditional jazz quartet lineup of piano (Jeremy Ledbetter), drums (Max Senitt), bass (Kobi Hass) and Mike on guitar, Mike and his band recorded the bed tracks over two days, live off the floor at the world class Canterbury Studios in Toronto. By recording live off the floor, the band was able to keep the performances interactive and inspired. Additional instrumentation of Saxophone (Chris Gale), trumpet (Alexis Baros) and melodica (Jeremy Ledbetter) helped to add depth to the tunes and solos.
With the assistance of Jeremy Darby’s masterful mixing and recording capabilities, Mike was able to capture a clear yet natural snapshot of these inspired tunes, filled with memorable melodies, beautiful solos, and heartfelt playing. Into The Daybreak is a very listenable CD, with a radio friendly sound, stellar performances and a polished production. Mike manages to walk the balance between accessibility and originality with this gem of an album, which shines brightly into the year 2021