Late 2013 Tom Hansen released the album Standing Tall featuring the Grammy nominated composer and music director Larry Williams. At the liner notes of the album Tom Hansen is telling: In 1989 I met Laila Therese Johansen for the first time. She was 13 years old and started in the 7th class at the Revetal Secondary School.
[spoiler]I was her teacher in music and she had a very special and beautiful voice. Because of her I started composing music. 15 years old she was asking to sing at the opening show of Norway Cup in Oslo. We were also in Stockholm where she sang at TV 4 introducing a competition as winner of Talent 90 in her local area. “Stay With Me” and “Time To Say Goodbye” were the two songs from those shows. They were recorded by Halstein Larsen. Listen to the Graydon-guitars I asked Halstein to put on “Time To Say Goodbye” ! Some years earlier i meet one of my other producers – multimusician Niles Mathisen. With great help from Nils & Halstein we recorded my first CD in 1992. Aqua-Lene, Line Knudsen, Bjørnar Mikkelsen and Svein Finstad also appeared on that CD and the three last ones also appeared on other CD projects. And Espen Hauge has always been there with his bass. In 1999 I was introduced to Astrid Tveitan and together we wrote “Enter 2000?. Line, Svein and Astrid had the vocals and we made a great music video at Slottsfjellet with 50 pupils from youth schools in the area around Tønsberg. The last years I have met two new producers; Kenneth Eriksen and Pål Johnsen. And two new pianist – Magne Arnesen and Oliver Tangen who have arranged some songs. The two last years we have sent songs to the Norwegian Song Contest – “I Feel So Alive” with new vocalists Hugo Lande and Trine Charlotte Askjemn and “Vis Á Vis” with Hugo and Vibecke Wallin. I have always liked American soun music and fusion and my favorite artists are Al Jarreau, Whitney Houston, Earth Wind & Fire, David Foster, George Benson & Shakatak. After I was introduced to Victor Brooks from LA, we recorded at tribute song to Shakatak called “Brazilian Nights”. I got an email from Bill Sharpe where he told me that it was a very nice song. Victor and I wrote “Special Friend” together and this is one of my best songs. As a local DJ I always played a Whitney Houston son as the last one before closing time. When she died my brother Bjørn and I wrote a tribute song to her called “Standing Tall” performed by Trine Charlotte Askjem. The new drummer on that song is Anders Viken. I have always had a dream: that one of my favorite musicians could play on one of my songs. First time I listened to Larry Williams he was playing moog solo on “Spain” with Al Jarreau. So I contacted him on Facebook ! “Send me the song”, he said – and he liked it ! Thanks, Larry ![/spoiler]
Members: Larry Williams / Victor Brooks / Trine Charlotte Askjem / Charlotte Gabrielle Auen / Hugo Lande / Vibecke Wallin / Svein Finstad / Astrid Tveitan / Line Knudsen / Halstein Larsen / Magne Arnesen / Pål Johnsen / Kenneth Eriksen / Laila Therese Johansen