George Heid III - Intentions (2025)

Intentions is a journey through the deep love and unbreakable bond I shared with my dad. It reflects the paths we traveled together — his intentions in shaping my life, my intentions in caring for him in his declining years, and the lasting legacy he leaves behind.

This project is rich with personal meaning, infused not only with music but also with my father's voice.
Many audio samples throughout the album come from tapes and recordings he made throughout my life - drawn from voicemails, videotapes, and even a 1998 Manchester Craftsmen's Guild interview with Dwayne Dolphin. Some of these samples are obvious, while others are purposefully subtle - Easter eggs for those who listen closely. This album is filled with treasures from the Heid archives, preserving his presence, and making him an active part of this work.

The word intentions holds many meanings, each offering a profound connection to the heart of this project. My father's intentions were clear from the start: to raise me as a musician and composer and to give me the tools to create and express myself. He was the cornerstone of my musical foundation, shaping not just my skills but also my understanding of music's deeper purpose. He believed in me completely, planting seeds of passion that continue to grow.

In my father's later years, as his health declined, my focus shifted to caring for him with the same love and devotion he had always shown me. Those years taught me a hard but valuable truth: even the purest intentions don't always lead to the outcomes we wish for.

Heid Studios was his dream, a place where his intentions extended far beyond our family, inspiring creativity in others. That dream was itself a continuation of a legacy passed down from his father, George H. Heid, who founded the first recording studio in Pittsburgh - a studio that captured the brilliance of Pittsburgh jazz legends like Billy Strayhorn and Erroll Garner. This album's cover artwork, by Michael Crampton, depicts the house and recording studio my father and I built together over the course of my entire lifetime - our home and creative sanctuary, immortalized as part of this musical journey.

This album is my way of speaking to my dad again.
It's a tribute to his bravery, his sacrifices, and the bond we shared as kindred spirits — two lives deeply intertwined through love and music. Intentions is the story of our journey together, the foundation of his legacy, and the future that lives on in me.

Not a day passes that I don't think of my dad, my heart heavy with both love and loss. He often reflected on memories with his own father and their great relationship, wistfully asking, "Were they only dreams?" — a question that now echoes in my own memories of him. When I was a child, whenever we were apart, he would soothe me with the comforting words, "See you in dreamland."

Thank you, Dad, for your wisdom, your unwavering belief in me, your endless love, and the countless memories and adventures we shared together. Until we meet again - see you in dreamland.--- George Heid III

Jamey Haddad (percussion), Steve Shehan (djembe, talking drums), Arsen Petrosyan (duduk), Vladimir Papikyan (santur), Astghik Snetsunts (qanun), Victor Provost (steel pan), Joe “Sonny” Barbato (accordion, nylon string guitar), Eunice Joy Albesa-Heid (prayer), Benny Benack III (vocals, trumpet), Mar Vilaseca (vocals), Lou Stellute (tenor saxophone), JD Chaisson (flugelhorn and cornet), Scott Boni (alto saxophone), Jeff Bush (trombone), Antonio Croes (piano), Daniel May (piano, conducting), Chantal Joseph (vocals), Grace Elliott (vocals), Bill Heid (piano), George Heid Sr. (piano and voice samples), Eric Susoeff (nylon string guitar), Paul Thompson (acoustic, fretless, electric bass), Dwayne Dolphin (electric bass), Tony DePaolis (acoustic bass), Anita Levels (vocals), Matt Mason (vocals), Zuli Mason (vocals), Lucas Ashby (percussion), Cecilia Caughman (cello), Kaylyn Shearer (oboe), Stephen Weiss (viola and violin), and me — George Heid III (percussion, drums, celeste, clavinet, Cristal Baschet, piano, Rhodes, Wurlitzer, synthesizers, field recordings, compositions)