SPENCER BREWER
CINEMATIC
Spencer Brewer is not only a multi-million-selling composer, pianist and producer, but also a connoisseur of many of the greatest film scorers of all time. For his latest contemporary instrumental recording, Cinematic, Brewer has turned his talents to creating a collection of original material specifically meant to evoke visual imagery and also serve as his homage to movie music.
“I have been a fan of film music since I was a small boy,” explains Brewer, “and as a tribute to that often over-looked art-form, I decided to make an album filled with pieces I feel have the same ambience of classic movie and television scores.” In fact, some of the music has already been used in films and television. Brewer, who extensively collects recordings by his favorite film composers, has been most influenced by Bernard Hermann, John Barry and Ennio Morricone, but also has studied the works of Erich Korngold, Franz Waxman, Max Steiner, Alfred Newman, Thomas Newman, Miklos Rozsa, Esquivel, John Williams, Maurice Jarre, Howard Shore, Mark Isham and Danny Elfman.
Cinematic is a two-CD set featuring a cover painting by Salvador Dali. The first CD is subtitled “Black & White” and features Brewer playing solo piano on a dozen pieces with the addition of guitar and flute on the final tune. The second CD, subtitled “Technicolor,” contains compositions played by various artists led by Brewer on piano, synthesizers, Hammond B-3 and a pump organ built in 1888. “Technicolor” has ensemble arrangements of ten of the same tunes that appear on “Black & White” plus four different pieces. The musicians on Cinematic are top new age, classical and jazz players including acoustic guitar virtuoso Alex de Grassi, reedman Paul McCandless (Paul Winter, Oregon), flutist Matt Eakle (David Grisman, Suzanne Ciani), harmonica player Norton Buffalo (Steve Miller, Kenny Loggins), drummer Mark Walker (Oregon, Paquito D’Rivera), and bassists Steve Rodby (Pat Metheny, Chuck Mangione), Todd Phillips (David Grisman, Psychograss) and Cliff Hugo (Rick Braun, Richard Elliott), plus other percussion, wind and string players including the renowned Quartet San Francisco led by Jeremy Cohen.
The music on Cinematic ranges from new versions of a couple of Brewer’s most-beloved compositions (“Quintessence,” “Dreamgift”) to new material (“Into The Mirror,” “Satie’s Forgotten Dream,” “Say What!?”). Some of the music has already been used in the cinema: “Heartwood” was commissioned for the movie of the same name starring Jason Robards and Hillary Swank, and Brewer also wrote the title theme for Lee Mun Wah’s acclaimed documentary film on racism, “Last Chance for Eden.” “Trip to Glory” has been used in several Olympics’ broadcasts, became the Big Brothers-Big Sisters theme, was used as Hank Aaron’s theme song and helped sell Arby’s Roast Beef in television commercials. “Blueberry Street” has a Porgy & Bess-feel to it and displays Brewer’s early blues roots, while the rip-roaring “Lupin Swing” displays elements of vaudeville, Broadway and ragtime. “Caravanserai” would have worked in Valentino’s “The Sheik” or Sean Connery’s “The Wind and The Lion.” “Fellini’s Carousel” pays tribute to the Italian film master. “Walls That Move” was written in George Lucas’ Skywalker Sound huge soundstage where the walls actually are capable of moving. “Cinematic” is a soaring tour-de-force of classic film sounds creating several moods, building tension and then letting the listener down easy at the end as the lights come up and the credits roll.
“I first got into movie music when I was watching the classic monster films from the 1930s – “Frankenstein,” “The Hunchback of Notre Dame,” “The Mummy” – and then “Creature From the Black Lagoon” in the Fifties and “Jason and the Argonauts” in the early Sixties,” remembers Brewer. “The music was so powerful, it knocked me out. I realized how important music is to the mood, storyline and character development in films. So then I started paying attention to the film composers and found music they did in other genres.”
Spencer, who was born and raised in Dallas, Texas, began playing piano at age seven, and although he took lessons for several years, he learned the most from his grandmother, who taught him Southern blues and boogie-woogie. He played in rock’n’roll bands throughout high school and then moved to Austin for its thriving music scene. Brewer became the accompanist for modern dance troupes (Deborah Hay, Martha Graham, Daniel Llanes and Suzanne Grace), which “pushed my envelope as to the possibilities of spontaneous and interpretive music.” Brewer also wrote the music for “Once Upon A Time” and “Willowmancifoot the Dragon,” two musicals written in New York City. His first recording, Stellar Notion, was done in 1980 and was vocal music from those musicals.
After moving to Northern California at the beginning of the Eighties, Brewer began recording original instrumental music, became a leader in the forefront of the burgeoning new age music movement and sold more than a million albums under his own name. He also was involved in producing, arranging, engineering and contributing tunes to albums that sold an additional several million units. It began with his albums Where Angels Dance, Shadow Dancer, Emerald, Portraits (a Gold Album with sales over half a million), Dorian’s Legacy (Top 10 on Billboard’s New Age sales chart and #1 on the R&R’s NAC airplay chart with sales of more than a quarter-million), Piper’s Rhythm (#1 on both of those same charts), Romantic Interludes and a half-dozen more. He created the music for several dozen NorthSound concept albums in which he often went uncredited, but stretched beyond new age music by exploring pop, jazz, bluegrass, big band and world music. Spencer also recorded several projects with other musicians who shared credits on the album covers – one with Tingstad & Rumbel, another with electronic music pioneer Craig Anderton and a jazz CD with Paul McCandless.
Brewer opened his own studio, Laughing Coyote, near Ukiah, California, nestled in the redwoods, and from the mid-Nineties to the mid-00s, he spent most of his time recording many other artists (plus some time out recuperating from a head-on car collision). He produced, engineered or performed on recordings by artists such as Alex de Grassi, Holly Near, Gene Parsons, Darol Anger, Steve Erquiaga, Kostia, Joe Craven, Barbara Higbie, Michael Manring, Phil Aaberg, Fred Simon, Georgia Kelly, Kirtana and many others; and oversaw productions that featured acts from John Bucchino to the Duke Ellington Band.
Spencer also contributed music to the films “Home Alone 2,” “The Gifts of Grief” (starring Isabel Allende and Rev. Cecil Williams) and “Color of Fear” (another ground-breaking movie on racism from Lee Mun Wah). Brewer wrote the national theme songs for the YMCA and the Japanese Postal Service. His music has been used on more than 2,000 television shows all over the world including “Sex and the City,” “The Oprah Winfrey Show,” “L.A. Law,” “Sixty Minutes,” “Thirty Something” and broadcasts of the last five Olympics.
In addition to creating music, Brewer has run a record company owns a music store, rebuilds pianos, collects vintage microphones and gramophones, had his own radio show and produced hundreds of concerts in Mendocino County. He contributes to his community in many ways including helping found the Redwood Valley Outdoor Educational Facility for children and the Ukiah Educational Foundation which helps fund students and schools. He also has founded and created patents with the high-tech company HighWired Inc. which allows voicemail or email users to add music, sounds and visual content to their messages.
“Part of what makes movies magical and deeply moving is the music soundtrack married to the mood of what we are watching,” explains Brewer. “In our own lives, we generally pick music to listen to because of how we are feeling or want to feel that day. I hope the music on Cinematic can serve as a soundtrack for people’s lives.”
Many of Brewer’s recordings are available at his website (spencerbrewer.com). Cinematic also can be purchased online at Cdbaby.com and Amazon.com, as well as numerous digital download locations such as iTunes and Rhapsody. Check him out on YouTube as well.
Friday, October 10, 2008
AFTER A DOZEN CONTEMPORARY INSTRUMENTAL HIT ALBUMS OF HIS OWN PLUS PRODUCING A HUNDRED OTHERS, SPENCER BREWER IS BACK WITH A NEW ALBUM
SPENCER BREWER
CINEMATIC
Spencer Brewer is not only a multi-million-selling composer, pianist and producer, but also a connoisseur of many of the greatest film scorers of all time. For his latest contemporary instrumental recording, Cinematic, Brewer has turned his talents to creating a collection of original material specifically meant to evoke visual imagery and also serve as his homage to movie music.
“I have been a fan of film music since I was a small boy,” explains Brewer, “and as a tribute to that often over-looked art-form, I decided to make an album filled with pieces I feel have the same ambience of classic movie and television scores.” In fact, some of the music has already been used in films and television. Brewer, who extensively collects recordings by his favorite film composers, has been most influenced by Bernard Hermann, John Barry and Ennio Morricone, but also has studied the works of Erich Korngold, Franz Waxman, Max Steiner, Alfred Newman, Thomas Newman, Miklos Rozsa, Esquivel, John Williams, Maurice Jarre, Howard Shore, Mark Isham and Danny Elfman.
Cinematic is a two-CD set featuring a cover painting by Salvador Dali. The first CD is subtitled “Black & White” and features Brewer playing solo piano on a dozen pieces with the addition of guitar and flute on the final tune. The second CD, subtitled “Technicolor,” contains compositions played by various artists led by Brewer on piano, synthesizers, Hammond B-3 and a pump organ built in 1888. “Technicolor” has ensemble arrangements of ten of the same tunes that appear on “Black & White” plus four different pieces. The musicians on Cinematic are top new age, classical and jazz players including acoustic guitar virtuoso Alex de Grassi, reedman Paul McCandless (Paul Winter, Oregon), flutist Matt Eakle (David Grisman, Suzanne Ciani), harmonica player Norton Buffalo (Steve Miller, Kenny Loggins), drummer Mark Walker (Oregon, Paquito D’Rivera), and bassists Steve Rodby (Pat Metheny, Chuck Mangione), Todd Phillips (David Grisman, Psychograss) and Cliff Hugo (Rick Braun, Richard Elliott), plus other percussion, wind and string players including the renowned Quartet San Francisco led by Jeremy Cohen.
The music on Cinematic ranges from new versions of a couple of Brewer’s most-beloved compositions (“Quintessence,” “Dreamgift”) to new material (“Into The Mirror,” “Satie’s Forgotten Dream,” “Say What!?”). Some of the music has already been used in the cinema: “Heartwood” was commissioned for the movie of the same name starring Jason Robards and Hillary Swank, and Brewer also wrote the title theme for Lee Mun Wah’s acclaimed documentary film on racism, “Last Chance for Eden.” “Trip to Glory” has been used in several Olympics’ broadcasts, became the Big Brothers-Big Sisters theme, was used as Hank Aaron’s theme song and helped sell Arby’s Roast Beef in television commercials. “Blueberry Street” has a Porgy & Bess-feel to it and displays Brewer’s early blues roots, while the rip-roaring “Lupin Swing” displays elements of vaudeville, Broadway and ragtime. “Caravanserai” would have worked in Valentino’s “The Sheik” or Sean Connery’s “The Wind and The Lion.” “Fellini’s Carousel” pays tribute to the Italian film master. “Walls That Move” was written in George Lucas’ Skywalker Sound huge soundstage where the walls actually are capable of moving. “Cinematic” is a soaring tour-de-force of classic film sounds creating several moods, building tension and then letting the listener down easy at the end as the lights come up and the credits roll.
“I first got into movie music when I was watching the classic monster films from the 1930s – “Frankenstein,” “The Hunchback of Notre Dame,” “The Mummy” – and then “Creature From the Black Lagoon” in the Fifties and “Jason and the Argonauts” in the early Sixties,” remembers Brewer. “The music was so powerful, it knocked me out. I realized how important music is to the mood, storyline and character development in films. So then I started paying attention to the film composers and found music they did in other genres.”
Spencer, who was born and raised in Dallas, Texas, began playing piano at age seven, and although he took lessons for several years, he learned the most from his grandmother, who taught him Southern blues and boogie-woogie. He played in rock’n’roll bands throughout high school and then moved to Austin for its thriving music scene. Brewer became the accompanist for modern dance troupes (Deborah Hay, Martha Graham, Daniel Llanes and Suzanne Grace), which “pushed my envelope as to the possibilities of spontaneous and interpretive music.” Brewer also wrote the music for “Once Upon A Time” and “Willowmancifoot the Dragon,” two musicals written in New York City. His first recording, Stellar Notion, was done in 1980 and was vocal music from those musicals.
After moving to Northern California at the beginning of the Eighties, Brewer began recording original instrumental music, became a leader in the forefront of the burgeoning new age music movement and sold more than a million albums under his own name. He also was involved in producing, arranging, engineering and contributing tunes to albums that sold an additional several million units. It began with his albums Where Angels Dance, Shadow Dancer, Emerald, Portraits (a Gold Album with sales over half a million), Dorian’s Legacy (Top 10 on Billboard’s New Age sales chart and #1 on the R&R’s NAC airplay chart with sales of more than a quarter-million), Piper’s Rhythm (#1 on both of those same charts), Romantic Interludes and a half-dozen more. He created the music for several dozen NorthSound concept albums in which he often went uncredited, but stretched beyond new age music by exploring pop, jazz, bluegrass, big band and world music. Spencer also recorded several projects with other musicians who shared credits on the album covers – one with Tingstad & Rumbel, another with electronic music pioneer Craig Anderton and a jazz CD with Paul McCandless.
Brewer opened his own studio, Laughing Coyote, near Ukiah, California, nestled in the redwoods, and from the mid-Nineties to the mid-00s, he spent most of his time recording many other artists (plus some time out recuperating from a head-on car collision). He produced, engineered or performed on recordings by artists such as Alex de Grassi, Holly Near, Gene Parsons, Darol Anger, Steve Erquiaga, Kostia, Joe Craven, Barbara Higbie, Michael Manring, Phil Aaberg, Fred Simon, Georgia Kelly, Kirtana and many others; and oversaw productions that featured acts from John Bucchino to the Duke Ellington Band.
Spencer also contributed music to the films “Home Alone 2,” “The Gifts of Grief” (starring Isabel Allende and Rev. Cecil Williams) and “Color of Fear” (another ground-breaking movie on racism from Lee Mun Wah). Brewer wrote the national theme songs for the YMCA and the Japanese Postal Service. His music has been used on more than 2,000 television shows all over the world including “Sex and the City,” “The Oprah Winfrey Show,” “L.A. Law,” “Sixty Minutes,” “Thirty Something” and broadcasts of the last five Olympics.
In addition to creating music, Brewer has run a record company owns a music store, rebuilds pianos, collects vintage microphones and gramophones, had his own radio show and produced hundreds of concerts in Mendocino County. He contributes to his community in many ways including helping found the Redwood Valley Outdoor Educational Facility for children and the Ukiah Educational Foundation which helps fund students and schools. He also has founded and created patents with the high-tech company HighWired Inc. which allows voicemail or email users to add music, sounds and visual content to their messages.
“Part of what makes movies magical and deeply moving is the music soundtrack married to the mood of what we are watching,” explains Brewer. “In our own lives, we generally pick music to listen to because of how we are feeling or want to feel that day. I hope the music on Cinematic can serve as a soundtrack for people’s lives.”
Many of Brewer’s recordings are available at his website (spencerbrewer.com). Cinematic also can be purchased online at Cdbaby.com and Amazon.com, as well as numerous digital download locations such as iTunes and Rhapsody. Check him out on YouTube as well.
CINEMATIC
Spencer Brewer is not only a multi-million-selling composer, pianist and producer, but also a connoisseur of many of the greatest film scorers of all time. For his latest contemporary instrumental recording, Cinematic, Brewer has turned his talents to creating a collection of original material specifically meant to evoke visual imagery and also serve as his homage to movie music.
“I have been a fan of film music since I was a small boy,” explains Brewer, “and as a tribute to that often over-looked art-form, I decided to make an album filled with pieces I feel have the same ambience of classic movie and television scores.” In fact, some of the music has already been used in films and television. Brewer, who extensively collects recordings by his favorite film composers, has been most influenced by Bernard Hermann, John Barry and Ennio Morricone, but also has studied the works of Erich Korngold, Franz Waxman, Max Steiner, Alfred Newman, Thomas Newman, Miklos Rozsa, Esquivel, John Williams, Maurice Jarre, Howard Shore, Mark Isham and Danny Elfman.
Cinematic is a two-CD set featuring a cover painting by Salvador Dali. The first CD is subtitled “Black & White” and features Brewer playing solo piano on a dozen pieces with the addition of guitar and flute on the final tune. The second CD, subtitled “Technicolor,” contains compositions played by various artists led by Brewer on piano, synthesizers, Hammond B-3 and a pump organ built in 1888. “Technicolor” has ensemble arrangements of ten of the same tunes that appear on “Black & White” plus four different pieces. The musicians on Cinematic are top new age, classical and jazz players including acoustic guitar virtuoso Alex de Grassi, reedman Paul McCandless (Paul Winter, Oregon), flutist Matt Eakle (David Grisman, Suzanne Ciani), harmonica player Norton Buffalo (Steve Miller, Kenny Loggins), drummer Mark Walker (Oregon, Paquito D’Rivera), and bassists Steve Rodby (Pat Metheny, Chuck Mangione), Todd Phillips (David Grisman, Psychograss) and Cliff Hugo (Rick Braun, Richard Elliott), plus other percussion, wind and string players including the renowned Quartet San Francisco led by Jeremy Cohen.
The music on Cinematic ranges from new versions of a couple of Brewer’s most-beloved compositions (“Quintessence,” “Dreamgift”) to new material (“Into The Mirror,” “Satie’s Forgotten Dream,” “Say What!?”). Some of the music has already been used in the cinema: “Heartwood” was commissioned for the movie of the same name starring Jason Robards and Hillary Swank, and Brewer also wrote the title theme for Lee Mun Wah’s acclaimed documentary film on racism, “Last Chance for Eden.” “Trip to Glory” has been used in several Olympics’ broadcasts, became the Big Brothers-Big Sisters theme, was used as Hank Aaron’s theme song and helped sell Arby’s Roast Beef in television commercials. “Blueberry Street” has a Porgy & Bess-feel to it and displays Brewer’s early blues roots, while the rip-roaring “Lupin Swing” displays elements of vaudeville, Broadway and ragtime. “Caravanserai” would have worked in Valentino’s “The Sheik” or Sean Connery’s “The Wind and The Lion.” “Fellini’s Carousel” pays tribute to the Italian film master. “Walls That Move” was written in George Lucas’ Skywalker Sound huge soundstage where the walls actually are capable of moving. “Cinematic” is a soaring tour-de-force of classic film sounds creating several moods, building tension and then letting the listener down easy at the end as the lights come up and the credits roll.
“I first got into movie music when I was watching the classic monster films from the 1930s – “Frankenstein,” “The Hunchback of Notre Dame,” “The Mummy” – and then “Creature From the Black Lagoon” in the Fifties and “Jason and the Argonauts” in the early Sixties,” remembers Brewer. “The music was so powerful, it knocked me out. I realized how important music is to the mood, storyline and character development in films. So then I started paying attention to the film composers and found music they did in other genres.”
Spencer, who was born and raised in Dallas, Texas, began playing piano at age seven, and although he took lessons for several years, he learned the most from his grandmother, who taught him Southern blues and boogie-woogie. He played in rock’n’roll bands throughout high school and then moved to Austin for its thriving music scene. Brewer became the accompanist for modern dance troupes (Deborah Hay, Martha Graham, Daniel Llanes and Suzanne Grace), which “pushed my envelope as to the possibilities of spontaneous and interpretive music.” Brewer also wrote the music for “Once Upon A Time” and “Willowmancifoot the Dragon,” two musicals written in New York City. His first recording, Stellar Notion, was done in 1980 and was vocal music from those musicals.
After moving to Northern California at the beginning of the Eighties, Brewer began recording original instrumental music, became a leader in the forefront of the burgeoning new age music movement and sold more than a million albums under his own name. He also was involved in producing, arranging, engineering and contributing tunes to albums that sold an additional several million units. It began with his albums Where Angels Dance, Shadow Dancer, Emerald, Portraits (a Gold Album with sales over half a million), Dorian’s Legacy (Top 10 on Billboard’s New Age sales chart and #1 on the R&R’s NAC airplay chart with sales of more than a quarter-million), Piper’s Rhythm (#1 on both of those same charts), Romantic Interludes and a half-dozen more. He created the music for several dozen NorthSound concept albums in which he often went uncredited, but stretched beyond new age music by exploring pop, jazz, bluegrass, big band and world music. Spencer also recorded several projects with other musicians who shared credits on the album covers – one with Tingstad & Rumbel, another with electronic music pioneer Craig Anderton and a jazz CD with Paul McCandless.
Brewer opened his own studio, Laughing Coyote, near Ukiah, California, nestled in the redwoods, and from the mid-Nineties to the mid-00s, he spent most of his time recording many other artists (plus some time out recuperating from a head-on car collision). He produced, engineered or performed on recordings by artists such as Alex de Grassi, Holly Near, Gene Parsons, Darol Anger, Steve Erquiaga, Kostia, Joe Craven, Barbara Higbie, Michael Manring, Phil Aaberg, Fred Simon, Georgia Kelly, Kirtana and many others; and oversaw productions that featured acts from John Bucchino to the Duke Ellington Band.
Spencer also contributed music to the films “Home Alone 2,” “The Gifts of Grief” (starring Isabel Allende and Rev. Cecil Williams) and “Color of Fear” (another ground-breaking movie on racism from Lee Mun Wah). Brewer wrote the national theme songs for the YMCA and the Japanese Postal Service. His music has been used on more than 2,000 television shows all over the world including “Sex and the City,” “The Oprah Winfrey Show,” “L.A. Law,” “Sixty Minutes,” “Thirty Something” and broadcasts of the last five Olympics.
In addition to creating music, Brewer has run a record company owns a music store, rebuilds pianos, collects vintage microphones and gramophones, had his own radio show and produced hundreds of concerts in Mendocino County. He contributes to his community in many ways including helping found the Redwood Valley Outdoor Educational Facility for children and the Ukiah Educational Foundation which helps fund students and schools. He also has founded and created patents with the high-tech company HighWired Inc. which allows voicemail or email users to add music, sounds and visual content to their messages.
“Part of what makes movies magical and deeply moving is the music soundtrack married to the mood of what we are watching,” explains Brewer. “In our own lives, we generally pick music to listen to because of how we are feeling or want to feel that day. I hope the music on Cinematic can serve as a soundtrack for people’s lives.”
Many of Brewer’s recordings are available at his website (spencerbrewer.com). Cinematic also can be purchased online at Cdbaby.com and Amazon.com, as well as numerous digital download locations such as iTunes and Rhapsody. Check him out on YouTube as well.
AFTER A DOZEN CONTEMPORARY INSTRUMENTAL HIT ALBUMS OF HIS OWN PLUS PRODUCING A HUNDRED OTHERS, SPENCER BREWER IS BACK WITH A NEW ALBUM
SPENCER BREWER
CINEMATIC
Spencer Brewer is not only a multi-million-selling composer, pianist and producer, but also a connoisseur of many of the greatest film scorers of all time. For his latest contemporary instrumental recording, Cinematic, Brewer has turned his talents to creating a collection of original material specifically meant to evoke visual imagery and also serve as his homage to movie music.
“I have been a fan of film music since I was a small boy,” explains Brewer, “and as a tribute to that often over-looked art-form, I decided to make an album filled with pieces I feel have the same ambience of classic movie and television scores.” In fact, some of the music has already been used in films and television. Brewer, who extensively collects recordings by his favorite film composers, has been most influenced by Bernard Hermann, John Barry and Ennio Morricone, but also has studied the works of Erich Korngold, Franz Waxman, Max Steiner, Alfred Newman, Thomas Newman, Miklos Rozsa, Esquivel, John Williams, Maurice Jarre, Howard Shore, Mark Isham and Danny Elfman.
Cinematic is a two-CD set featuring a cover painting by Salvador Dali. The first CD is subtitled “Black & White” and features Brewer playing solo piano on a dozen pieces with the addition of guitar and flute on the final tune. The second CD, subtitled “Technicolor,” contains compositions played by various artists led by Brewer on piano, synthesizers, Hammond B-3 and a pump organ built in 1888. “Technicolor” has ensemble arrangements of ten of the same tunes that appear on “Black & White” plus four different pieces. The musicians on Cinematic are top new age, classical and jazz players including acoustic guitar virtuoso Alex de Grassi, reedman Paul McCandless (Paul Winter, Oregon), flutist Matt Eakle (David Grisman, Suzanne Ciani), harmonica player Norton Buffalo (Steve Miller, Kenny Loggins), drummer Mark Walker (Oregon, Paquito D’Rivera), and bassists Steve Rodby (Pat Metheny, Chuck Mangione), Todd Phillips (David Grisman, Psychograss) and Cliff Hugo (Rick Braun, Richard Elliott), plus other percussion, wind and string players including the renowned Quartet San Francisco led by Jeremy Cohen.
The music on Cinematic ranges from new versions of a couple of Brewer’s most-beloved compositions (“Quintessence,” “Dreamgift”) to new material (“Into The Mirror,” “Satie’s Forgotten Dream,” “Say What!?”). Some of the music has already been used in the cinema: “Heartwood” was commissioned for the movie of the same name starring Jason Robards and Hillary Swank, and Brewer also wrote the title theme for Lee Mun Wah’s acclaimed documentary film on racism, “Last Chance for Eden.” “Trip to Glory” has been used in several Olympics’ broadcasts, became the Big Brothers-Big Sisters theme, was used as Hank Aaron’s theme song and helped sell Arby’s Roast Beef in television commercials. “Blueberry Street” has a Porgy & Bess-feel to it and displays Brewer’s early blues roots, while the rip-roaring “Lupin Swing” displays elements of vaudeville, Broadway and ragtime. “Caravanserai” would have worked in Valentino’s “The Sheik” or Sean Connery’s “The Wind and The Lion.” “Fellini’s Carousel” pays tribute to the Italian film master. “Walls That Move” was written in George Lucas’ Skywalker Sound huge soundstage where the walls actually are capable of moving. “Cinematic” is a soaring tour-de-force of classic film sounds creating several moods, building tension and then letting the listener down easy at the end as the lights come up and the credits roll.
“I first got into movie music when I was watching the classic monster films from the 1930s – “Frankenstein,” “The Hunchback of Notre Dame,” “The Mummy” – and then “Creature From the Black Lagoon” in the Fifties and “Jason and the Argonauts” in the early Sixties,” remembers Brewer. “The music was so powerful, it knocked me out. I realized how important music is to the mood, storyline and character development in films. So then I started paying attention to the film composers and found music they did in other genres.”
Spencer, who was born and raised in Dallas, Texas, began playing piano at age seven, and although he took lessons for several years, he learned the most from his grandmother, who taught him Southern blues and boogie-woogie. He played in rock’n’roll bands throughout high school and then moved to Austin for its thriving music scene. Brewer became the accompanist for modern dance troupes (Deborah Hay, Martha Graham, Daniel Llanes and Suzanne Grace), which “pushed my envelope as to the possibilities of spontaneous and interpretive music.” Brewer also wrote the music for “Once Upon A Time” and “Willowmancifoot the Dragon,” two musicals written in New York City. His first recording, Stellar Notion, was done in 1980 and was vocal music from those musicals.
After moving to Northern California at the beginning of the Eighties, Brewer began recording original instrumental music, became a leader in the forefront of the burgeoning new age music movement and sold more than a million albums under his own name. He also was involved in producing, arranging, engineering and contributing tunes to albums that sold an additional several million units. It began with his albums Where Angels Dance, Shadow Dancer, Emerald, Portraits (a Gold Album with sales over half a million), Dorian’s Legacy (Top 10 on Billboard’s New Age sales chart and #1 on the R&R’s NAC airplay chart with sales of more than a quarter-million), Piper’s Rhythm (#1 on both of those same charts), Romantic Interludes and a half-dozen more. He created the music for several dozen NorthSound concept albums in which he often went uncredited, but stretched beyond new age music by exploring pop, jazz, bluegrass, big band and world music. Spencer also recorded several projects with other musicians who shared credits on the album covers – one with Tingstad & Rumbel, another with electronic music pioneer Craig Anderton and a jazz CD with Paul McCandless.
Brewer opened his own studio, Laughing Coyote, near Ukiah, California, nestled in the redwoods, and from the mid-Nineties to the mid-00s, he spent most of his time recording many other artists (plus some time out recuperating from a head-on car collision). He produced, engineered or performed on recordings by artists such as Alex de Grassi, Holly Near, Gene Parsons, Darol Anger, Steve Erquiaga, Kostia, Joe Craven, Barbara Higbie, Michael Manring, Phil Aaberg, Fred Simon, Georgia Kelly, Kirtana and many others; and oversaw productions that featured acts from John Bucchino to the Duke Ellington Band.
Spencer also contributed music to the films “Home Alone 2,” “The Gifts of Grief” (starring Isabel Allende and Rev. Cecil Williams) and “Color of Fear” (another ground-breaking movie on racism from Lee Mun Wah). Brewer wrote the national theme songs for the YMCA and the Japanese Postal Service. His music has been used on more than 2,000 television shows all over the world including “Sex and the City,” “The Oprah Winfrey Show,” “L.A. Law,” “Sixty Minutes,” “Thirty Something” and broadcasts of the last five Olympics.
In addition to creating music, Brewer has run a record company owns a music store, rebuilds pianos, collects vintage microphones and gramophones, had his own radio show and produced hundreds of concerts in Mendocino County. He contributes to his community in many ways including helping found the Redwood Valley Outdoor Educational Facility for children and the Ukiah Educational Foundation which helps fund students and schools. He also has founded and created patents with the high-tech company HighWired Inc. which allows voicemail or email users to add music, sounds and visual content to their messages.
“Part of what makes movies magical and deeply moving is the music soundtrack married to the mood of what we are watching,” explains Brewer. “In our own lives, we generally pick music to listen to because of how we are feeling or want to feel that day. I hope the music on Cinematic can serve as a soundtrack for people’s lives.”
Many of Brewer’s recordings are available at his website (spencerbrewer.com). Cinematic also can be purchased online at Cdbaby.com and Amazon.com, as well as numerous digital download locations such as iTunes and Rhapsody. Check him out on YouTube as well.
CINEMATIC
Spencer Brewer is not only a multi-million-selling composer, pianist and producer, but also a connoisseur of many of the greatest film scorers of all time. For his latest contemporary instrumental recording, Cinematic, Brewer has turned his talents to creating a collection of original material specifically meant to evoke visual imagery and also serve as his homage to movie music.
“I have been a fan of film music since I was a small boy,” explains Brewer, “and as a tribute to that often over-looked art-form, I decided to make an album filled with pieces I feel have the same ambience of classic movie and television scores.” In fact, some of the music has already been used in films and television. Brewer, who extensively collects recordings by his favorite film composers, has been most influenced by Bernard Hermann, John Barry and Ennio Morricone, but also has studied the works of Erich Korngold, Franz Waxman, Max Steiner, Alfred Newman, Thomas Newman, Miklos Rozsa, Esquivel, John Williams, Maurice Jarre, Howard Shore, Mark Isham and Danny Elfman.
Cinematic is a two-CD set featuring a cover painting by Salvador Dali. The first CD is subtitled “Black & White” and features Brewer playing solo piano on a dozen pieces with the addition of guitar and flute on the final tune. The second CD, subtitled “Technicolor,” contains compositions played by various artists led by Brewer on piano, synthesizers, Hammond B-3 and a pump organ built in 1888. “Technicolor” has ensemble arrangements of ten of the same tunes that appear on “Black & White” plus four different pieces. The musicians on Cinematic are top new age, classical and jazz players including acoustic guitar virtuoso Alex de Grassi, reedman Paul McCandless (Paul Winter, Oregon), flutist Matt Eakle (David Grisman, Suzanne Ciani), harmonica player Norton Buffalo (Steve Miller, Kenny Loggins), drummer Mark Walker (Oregon, Paquito D’Rivera), and bassists Steve Rodby (Pat Metheny, Chuck Mangione), Todd Phillips (David Grisman, Psychograss) and Cliff Hugo (Rick Braun, Richard Elliott), plus other percussion, wind and string players including the renowned Quartet San Francisco led by Jeremy Cohen.
The music on Cinematic ranges from new versions of a couple of Brewer’s most-beloved compositions (“Quintessence,” “Dreamgift”) to new material (“Into The Mirror,” “Satie’s Forgotten Dream,” “Say What!?”). Some of the music has already been used in the cinema: “Heartwood” was commissioned for the movie of the same name starring Jason Robards and Hillary Swank, and Brewer also wrote the title theme for Lee Mun Wah’s acclaimed documentary film on racism, “Last Chance for Eden.” “Trip to Glory” has been used in several Olympics’ broadcasts, became the Big Brothers-Big Sisters theme, was used as Hank Aaron’s theme song and helped sell Arby’s Roast Beef in television commercials. “Blueberry Street” has a Porgy & Bess-feel to it and displays Brewer’s early blues roots, while the rip-roaring “Lupin Swing” displays elements of vaudeville, Broadway and ragtime. “Caravanserai” would have worked in Valentino’s “The Sheik” or Sean Connery’s “The Wind and The Lion.” “Fellini’s Carousel” pays tribute to the Italian film master. “Walls That Move” was written in George Lucas’ Skywalker Sound huge soundstage where the walls actually are capable of moving. “Cinematic” is a soaring tour-de-force of classic film sounds creating several moods, building tension and then letting the listener down easy at the end as the lights come up and the credits roll.
“I first got into movie music when I was watching the classic monster films from the 1930s – “Frankenstein,” “The Hunchback of Notre Dame,” “The Mummy” – and then “Creature From the Black Lagoon” in the Fifties and “Jason and the Argonauts” in the early Sixties,” remembers Brewer. “The music was so powerful, it knocked me out. I realized how important music is to the mood, storyline and character development in films. So then I started paying attention to the film composers and found music they did in other genres.”
Spencer, who was born and raised in Dallas, Texas, began playing piano at age seven, and although he took lessons for several years, he learned the most from his grandmother, who taught him Southern blues and boogie-woogie. He played in rock’n’roll bands throughout high school and then moved to Austin for its thriving music scene. Brewer became the accompanist for modern dance troupes (Deborah Hay, Martha Graham, Daniel Llanes and Suzanne Grace), which “pushed my envelope as to the possibilities of spontaneous and interpretive music.” Brewer also wrote the music for “Once Upon A Time” and “Willowmancifoot the Dragon,” two musicals written in New York City. His first recording, Stellar Notion, was done in 1980 and was vocal music from those musicals.
After moving to Northern California at the beginning of the Eighties, Brewer began recording original instrumental music, became a leader in the forefront of the burgeoning new age music movement and sold more than a million albums under his own name. He also was involved in producing, arranging, engineering and contributing tunes to albums that sold an additional several million units. It began with his albums Where Angels Dance, Shadow Dancer, Emerald, Portraits (a Gold Album with sales over half a million), Dorian’s Legacy (Top 10 on Billboard’s New Age sales chart and #1 on the R&R’s NAC airplay chart with sales of more than a quarter-million), Piper’s Rhythm (#1 on both of those same charts), Romantic Interludes and a half-dozen more. He created the music for several dozen NorthSound concept albums in which he often went uncredited, but stretched beyond new age music by exploring pop, jazz, bluegrass, big band and world music. Spencer also recorded several projects with other musicians who shared credits on the album covers – one with Tingstad & Rumbel, another with electronic music pioneer Craig Anderton and a jazz CD with Paul McCandless.
Brewer opened his own studio, Laughing Coyote, near Ukiah, California, nestled in the redwoods, and from the mid-Nineties to the mid-00s, he spent most of his time recording many other artists (plus some time out recuperating from a head-on car collision). He produced, engineered or performed on recordings by artists such as Alex de Grassi, Holly Near, Gene Parsons, Darol Anger, Steve Erquiaga, Kostia, Joe Craven, Barbara Higbie, Michael Manring, Phil Aaberg, Fred Simon, Georgia Kelly, Kirtana and many others; and oversaw productions that featured acts from John Bucchino to the Duke Ellington Band.
Spencer also contributed music to the films “Home Alone 2,” “The Gifts of Grief” (starring Isabel Allende and Rev. Cecil Williams) and “Color of Fear” (another ground-breaking movie on racism from Lee Mun Wah). Brewer wrote the national theme songs for the YMCA and the Japanese Postal Service. His music has been used on more than 2,000 television shows all over the world including “Sex and the City,” “The Oprah Winfrey Show,” “L.A. Law,” “Sixty Minutes,” “Thirty Something” and broadcasts of the last five Olympics.
In addition to creating music, Brewer has run a record company owns a music store, rebuilds pianos, collects vintage microphones and gramophones, had his own radio show and produced hundreds of concerts in Mendocino County. He contributes to his community in many ways including helping found the Redwood Valley Outdoor Educational Facility for children and the Ukiah Educational Foundation which helps fund students and schools. He also has founded and created patents with the high-tech company HighWired Inc. which allows voicemail or email users to add music, sounds and visual content to their messages.
“Part of what makes movies magical and deeply moving is the music soundtrack married to the mood of what we are watching,” explains Brewer. “In our own lives, we generally pick music to listen to because of how we are feeling or want to feel that day. I hope the music on Cinematic can serve as a soundtrack for people’s lives.”
Many of Brewer’s recordings are available at his website (spencerbrewer.com). Cinematic also can be purchased online at Cdbaby.com and Amazon.com, as well as numerous digital download locations such as iTunes and Rhapsody. Check him out on YouTube as well.
AFTER A DOZEN CONTEMPORARY INSTRUMENTAL HIT ALBUMS OF HIS OWN PLUS PRODUCING A HUNDRED OTHERS, SPENCER BREWER IS BACK WITH A NEW ALBUM
SPENCER BREWER
CINEMATIC
Spencer Brewer is not only a multi-million-selling composer, pianist and producer, but also a connoisseur of many of the greatest film scorers of all time. For his latest contemporary instrumental recording, Cinematic, Brewer has turned his talents to creating a collection of original material specifically meant to evoke visual imagery and also serve as his homage to movie music.
“I have been a fan of film music since I was a small boy,” explains Brewer, “and as a tribute to that often over-looked art-form, I decided to make an album filled with pieces I feel have the same ambience of classic movie and television scores.” In fact, some of the music has already been used in films and television. Brewer, who extensively collects recordings by his favorite film composers, has been most influenced by Bernard Hermann, John Barry and Ennio Morricone, but also has studied the works of Erich Korngold, Franz Waxman, Max Steiner, Alfred Newman, Thomas Newman, Miklos Rozsa, Esquivel, John Williams, Maurice Jarre, Howard Shore, Mark Isham and Danny Elfman.
Cinematic is a two-CD set featuring a cover painting by Salvador Dali. The first CD is subtitled “Black & White” and features Brewer playing solo piano on a dozen pieces with the addition of guitar and flute on the final tune. The second CD, subtitled “Technicolor,” contains compositions played by various artists led by Brewer on piano, synthesizers, Hammond B-3 and a pump organ built in 1888. “Technicolor” has ensemble arrangements of ten of the same tunes that appear on “Black & White” plus four different pieces. The musicians on Cinematic are top new age, classical and jazz players including acoustic guitar virtuoso Alex de Grassi, reedman Paul McCandless (Paul Winter, Oregon), flutist Matt Eakle (David Grisman, Suzanne Ciani), harmonica player Norton Buffalo (Steve Miller, Kenny Loggins), drummer Mark Walker (Oregon, Paquito D’Rivera), and bassists Steve Rodby (Pat Metheny, Chuck Mangione), Todd Phillips (David Grisman, Psychograss) and Cliff Hugo (Rick Braun, Richard Elliott), plus other percussion, wind and string players including the renowned Quartet San Francisco led by Jeremy Cohen.
The music on Cinematic ranges from new versions of a couple of Brewer’s most-beloved compositions (“Quintessence,” “Dreamgift”) to new material (“Into The Mirror,” “Satie’s Forgotten Dream,” “Say What!?”). Some of the music has already been used in the cinema: “Heartwood” was commissioned for the movie of the same name starring Jason Robards and Hillary Swank, and Brewer also wrote the title theme for Lee Mun Wah’s acclaimed documentary film on racism, “Last Chance for Eden.” “Trip to Glory” has been used in several Olympics’ broadcasts, became the Big Brothers-Big Sisters theme, was used as Hank Aaron’s theme song and helped sell Arby’s Roast Beef in television commercials. “Blueberry Street” has a Porgy & Bess-feel to it and displays Brewer’s early blues roots, while the rip-roaring “Lupin Swing” displays elements of vaudeville, Broadway and ragtime. “Caravanserai” would have worked in Valentino’s “The Sheik” or Sean Connery’s “The Wind and The Lion.” “Fellini’s Carousel” pays tribute to the Italian film master. “Walls That Move” was written in George Lucas’ Skywalker Sound huge soundstage where the walls actually are capable of moving. “Cinematic” is a soaring tour-de-force of classic film sounds creating several moods, building tension and then letting the listener down easy at the end as the lights come up and the credits roll.
“I first got into movie music when I was watching the classic monster films from the 1930s – “Frankenstein,” “The Hunchback of Notre Dame,” “The Mummy” – and then “Creature From the Black Lagoon” in the Fifties and “Jason and the Argonauts” in the early Sixties,” remembers Brewer. “The music was so powerful, it knocked me out. I realized how important music is to the mood, storyline and character development in films. So then I started paying attention to the film composers and found music they did in other genres.”
Spencer, who was born and raised in Dallas, Texas, began playing piano at age seven, and although he took lessons for several years, he learned the most from his grandmother, who taught him Southern blues and boogie-woogie. He played in rock’n’roll bands throughout high school and then moved to Austin for its thriving music scene. Brewer became the accompanist for modern dance troupes (Deborah Hay, Martha Graham, Daniel Llanes and Suzanne Grace), which “pushed my envelope as to the possibilities of spontaneous and interpretive music.” Brewer also wrote the music for “Once Upon A Time” and “Willowmancifoot the Dragon,” two musicals written in New York City. His first recording, Stellar Notion, was done in 1980 and was vocal music from those musicals.
After moving to Northern California at the beginning of the Eighties, Brewer began recording original instrumental music, became a leader in the forefront of the burgeoning new age music movement and sold more than a million albums under his own name. He also was involved in producing, arranging, engineering and contributing tunes to albums that sold an additional several million units. It began with his albums Where Angels Dance, Shadow Dancer, Emerald, Portraits (a Gold Album with sales over half a million), Dorian’s Legacy (Top 10 on Billboard’s New Age sales chart and #1 on the R&R’s NAC airplay chart with sales of more than a quarter-million), Piper’s Rhythm (#1 on both of those same charts), Romantic Interludes and a half-dozen more. He created the music for several dozen NorthSound concept albums in which he often went uncredited, but stretched beyond new age music by exploring pop, jazz, bluegrass, big band and world music. Spencer also recorded several projects with other musicians who shared credits on the album covers – one with Tingstad & Rumbel, another with electronic music pioneer Craig Anderton and a jazz CD with Paul McCandless.
Brewer opened his own studio, Laughing Coyote, near Ukiah, California, nestled in the redwoods, and from the mid-Nineties to the mid-00s, he spent most of his time recording many other artists (plus some time out recuperating from a head-on car collision). He produced, engineered or performed on recordings by artists such as Alex de Grassi, Holly Near, Gene Parsons, Darol Anger, Steve Erquiaga, Kostia, Joe Craven, Barbara Higbie, Michael Manring, Phil Aaberg, Fred Simon, Georgia Kelly, Kirtana and many others; and oversaw productions that featured acts from John Bucchino to the Duke Ellington Band.
Spencer also contributed music to the films “Home Alone 2,” “The Gifts of Grief” (starring Isabel Allende and Rev. Cecil Williams) and “Color of Fear” (another ground-breaking movie on racism from Lee Mun Wah). Brewer wrote the national theme songs for the YMCA and the Japanese Postal Service. His music has been used on more than 2,000 television shows all over the world including “Sex and the City,” “The Oprah Winfrey Show,” “L.A. Law,” “Sixty Minutes,” “Thirty Something” and broadcasts of the last five Olympics.
In addition to creating music, Brewer has run a record company owns a music store, rebuilds pianos, collects vintage microphones and gramophones, had his own radio show and produced hundreds of concerts in Mendocino County. He contributes to his community in many ways including helping found the Redwood Valley Outdoor Educational Facility for children and the Ukiah Educational Foundation which helps fund students and schools. He also has founded and created patents with the high-tech company HighWired Inc. which allows voicemail or email users to add music, sounds and visual content to their messages.
“Part of what makes movies magical and deeply moving is the music soundtrack married to the mood of what we are watching,” explains Brewer. “In our own lives, we generally pick music to listen to because of how we are feeling or want to feel that day. I hope the music on Cinematic can serve as a soundtrack for people’s lives.”
Many of Brewer’s recordings are available at his website (spencerbrewer.com). Cinematic also can be purchased online at Cdbaby.com and Amazon.com, as well as numerous digital download locations such as iTunes and Rhapsody. Check him out on YouTube as well.
CINEMATIC
Spencer Brewer is not only a multi-million-selling composer, pianist and producer, but also a connoisseur of many of the greatest film scorers of all time. For his latest contemporary instrumental recording, Cinematic, Brewer has turned his talents to creating a collection of original material specifically meant to evoke visual imagery and also serve as his homage to movie music.
“I have been a fan of film music since I was a small boy,” explains Brewer, “and as a tribute to that often over-looked art-form, I decided to make an album filled with pieces I feel have the same ambience of classic movie and television scores.” In fact, some of the music has already been used in films and television. Brewer, who extensively collects recordings by his favorite film composers, has been most influenced by Bernard Hermann, John Barry and Ennio Morricone, but also has studied the works of Erich Korngold, Franz Waxman, Max Steiner, Alfred Newman, Thomas Newman, Miklos Rozsa, Esquivel, John Williams, Maurice Jarre, Howard Shore, Mark Isham and Danny Elfman.
Cinematic is a two-CD set featuring a cover painting by Salvador Dali. The first CD is subtitled “Black & White” and features Brewer playing solo piano on a dozen pieces with the addition of guitar and flute on the final tune. The second CD, subtitled “Technicolor,” contains compositions played by various artists led by Brewer on piano, synthesizers, Hammond B-3 and a pump organ built in 1888. “Technicolor” has ensemble arrangements of ten of the same tunes that appear on “Black & White” plus four different pieces. The musicians on Cinematic are top new age, classical and jazz players including acoustic guitar virtuoso Alex de Grassi, reedman Paul McCandless (Paul Winter, Oregon), flutist Matt Eakle (David Grisman, Suzanne Ciani), harmonica player Norton Buffalo (Steve Miller, Kenny Loggins), drummer Mark Walker (Oregon, Paquito D’Rivera), and bassists Steve Rodby (Pat Metheny, Chuck Mangione), Todd Phillips (David Grisman, Psychograss) and Cliff Hugo (Rick Braun, Richard Elliott), plus other percussion, wind and string players including the renowned Quartet San Francisco led by Jeremy Cohen.
The music on Cinematic ranges from new versions of a couple of Brewer’s most-beloved compositions (“Quintessence,” “Dreamgift”) to new material (“Into The Mirror,” “Satie’s Forgotten Dream,” “Say What!?”). Some of the music has already been used in the cinema: “Heartwood” was commissioned for the movie of the same name starring Jason Robards and Hillary Swank, and Brewer also wrote the title theme for Lee Mun Wah’s acclaimed documentary film on racism, “Last Chance for Eden.” “Trip to Glory” has been used in several Olympics’ broadcasts, became the Big Brothers-Big Sisters theme, was used as Hank Aaron’s theme song and helped sell Arby’s Roast Beef in television commercials. “Blueberry Street” has a Porgy & Bess-feel to it and displays Brewer’s early blues roots, while the rip-roaring “Lupin Swing” displays elements of vaudeville, Broadway and ragtime. “Caravanserai” would have worked in Valentino’s “The Sheik” or Sean Connery’s “The Wind and The Lion.” “Fellini’s Carousel” pays tribute to the Italian film master. “Walls That Move” was written in George Lucas’ Skywalker Sound huge soundstage where the walls actually are capable of moving. “Cinematic” is a soaring tour-de-force of classic film sounds creating several moods, building tension and then letting the listener down easy at the end as the lights come up and the credits roll.
“I first got into movie music when I was watching the classic monster films from the 1930s – “Frankenstein,” “The Hunchback of Notre Dame,” “The Mummy” – and then “Creature From the Black Lagoon” in the Fifties and “Jason and the Argonauts” in the early Sixties,” remembers Brewer. “The music was so powerful, it knocked me out. I realized how important music is to the mood, storyline and character development in films. So then I started paying attention to the film composers and found music they did in other genres.”
Spencer, who was born and raised in Dallas, Texas, began playing piano at age seven, and although he took lessons for several years, he learned the most from his grandmother, who taught him Southern blues and boogie-woogie. He played in rock’n’roll bands throughout high school and then moved to Austin for its thriving music scene. Brewer became the accompanist for modern dance troupes (Deborah Hay, Martha Graham, Daniel Llanes and Suzanne Grace), which “pushed my envelope as to the possibilities of spontaneous and interpretive music.” Brewer also wrote the music for “Once Upon A Time” and “Willowmancifoot the Dragon,” two musicals written in New York City. His first recording, Stellar Notion, was done in 1980 and was vocal music from those musicals.
After moving to Northern California at the beginning of the Eighties, Brewer began recording original instrumental music, became a leader in the forefront of the burgeoning new age music movement and sold more than a million albums under his own name. He also was involved in producing, arranging, engineering and contributing tunes to albums that sold an additional several million units. It began with his albums Where Angels Dance, Shadow Dancer, Emerald, Portraits (a Gold Album with sales over half a million), Dorian’s Legacy (Top 10 on Billboard’s New Age sales chart and #1 on the R&R’s NAC airplay chart with sales of more than a quarter-million), Piper’s Rhythm (#1 on both of those same charts), Romantic Interludes and a half-dozen more. He created the music for several dozen NorthSound concept albums in which he often went uncredited, but stretched beyond new age music by exploring pop, jazz, bluegrass, big band and world music. Spencer also recorded several projects with other musicians who shared credits on the album covers – one with Tingstad & Rumbel, another with electronic music pioneer Craig Anderton and a jazz CD with Paul McCandless.
Brewer opened his own studio, Laughing Coyote, near Ukiah, California, nestled in the redwoods, and from the mid-Nineties to the mid-00s, he spent most of his time recording many other artists (plus some time out recuperating from a head-on car collision). He produced, engineered or performed on recordings by artists such as Alex de Grassi, Holly Near, Gene Parsons, Darol Anger, Steve Erquiaga, Kostia, Joe Craven, Barbara Higbie, Michael Manring, Phil Aaberg, Fred Simon, Georgia Kelly, Kirtana and many others; and oversaw productions that featured acts from John Bucchino to the Duke Ellington Band.
Spencer also contributed music to the films “Home Alone 2,” “The Gifts of Grief” (starring Isabel Allende and Rev. Cecil Williams) and “Color of Fear” (another ground-breaking movie on racism from Lee Mun Wah). Brewer wrote the national theme songs for the YMCA and the Japanese Postal Service. His music has been used on more than 2,000 television shows all over the world including “Sex and the City,” “The Oprah Winfrey Show,” “L.A. Law,” “Sixty Minutes,” “Thirty Something” and broadcasts of the last five Olympics.
In addition to creating music, Brewer has run a record company owns a music store, rebuilds pianos, collects vintage microphones and gramophones, had his own radio show and produced hundreds of concerts in Mendocino County. He contributes to his community in many ways including helping found the Redwood Valley Outdoor Educational Facility for children and the Ukiah Educational Foundation which helps fund students and schools. He also has founded and created patents with the high-tech company HighWired Inc. which allows voicemail or email users to add music, sounds and visual content to their messages.
“Part of what makes movies magical and deeply moving is the music soundtrack married to the mood of what we are watching,” explains Brewer. “In our own lives, we generally pick music to listen to because of how we are feeling or want to feel that day. I hope the music on Cinematic can serve as a soundtrack for people’s lives.”
Many of Brewer’s recordings are available at his website (spencerbrewer.com). Cinematic also can be purchased online at Cdbaby.com and Amazon.com, as well as numerous digital download locations such as iTunes and Rhapsody. Check him out on YouTube as well.
IAN TESCEE CAPTURES EXCITEMENT OF SPACE TRAVEL ON HIS NEW CD
IAN TESCEE CAPTURES EXCITEMENT OF SPACE TRAVEL ON HIS NEW CD
A Traveler’s Guide to MARS
Humans have been dreaming about going to Mars since the first telescopes were invented four centuries ago, and now that we have spaceships landing on the planet regularly and rovers motoring around, taking photos and digging in the soil, the dream of earthlings visiting the red planet is more real than ever. Space music maestro Ian Tescee, who has been dazzling electronic music aficionados for the past 22 years, has now created A Traveler’s Guide to MARS, the soundtrack for humankind’s pending journey to our closest neighboring planet (sometimes only 40 million miles away).
Inspired by the book of the same name penned by distinguished space scientist William K. Hartmann, this music by Ian Tescee has been used since the fall of 2007 in the major planetarium production about Mars at the Carnegie Science Center’s Buhl Digital Dome in Pittsburgh.
A Traveler’s Guide to MARS is the fourth album by Ian Tescee (pronounced like t-c), who first made waves in the space music field in 1984 with the ground-breaking recording Io (pronounced ee’-oh), named after Jupiter’s moon, the most volcanically active world in the solar system. Tescee, who traditionally takes several years between albums, expanded his space music repertoire into deeper space on his second album, Continua, with compositions such as “The Big Bang” and “The Cosmic Dream.” Ian first got to know W.K. Hartmann in the Eighties because the scientist also is a renowned illustrator of space scenes and allowed the use of one of his paintings on the back of Io, another on the cover of Continua and one inside A Traveler’s Guide to MARS. “My third CD, Breathwork, expanded my electronic experimentation and explored innerspace rather than outerspace,” explains Tescee. “It was all about how rapid, deep breathing can facilitate an altered state without the use of drugs, something that could become important during extended space travel.”
All four of Tescee’s CDs can be purchased from his record company at musicphrenia.com or iantescee.com, as well as at major on-line retailers such as cdbaby.com or amazon.com, and numerous digital download locations including itunes.com and rhapsody.com.
Tescee has garnered a cult following of enthusiastic space music fans because of his mesmerizing sound which features strong melodies, catchy rhythm patterns, complex arrangements and a dazzling final-mix that allows each sound to cleanly emerge. He finds himself on the other end of the spectrum from space musicians who feature ambient sounds or lengthy aimlessly-floating pieces. Tescee’s melodic sensibilities derive from his pop-rock background, his rhythmic sense from many years as a rock’n’roll drummer, and his mixing abilities from two decades of managing a recording studio where he engineered and produced countless records in many genres (from guitar virtuoso Phil Keaggy’s Acoustic Sketches CD to the heavy-metal cult-classic Ample Destruction by Jag Panzer).
Tescee’s music was meant to be carefully listened to, which makes it appeal to many in the prog-rock community. But the space themes and captivating instrumental passages also lend themselves to enjoyment by fans of new age music. While A Traveler’s Guide to MARS serves as the score to a current major planetarium show, Ian’s previous recordings have proved favorites for producers of various space-themed multimedia – the backdrop for the website ThisDayInSpace.com, in-house visual productions at Jet Propulsion Laboratory (where the Voyager and Viking space missions were controlled), and Andrew Rennie’s Spaceshow Documentaries in Australia.
Ian Tescee was initially inspired to begin recording space music after seeing Carl Sagan’s 13-hour PBS-TV mini-series “Cosmos” in 1980. “I actually tuned in because I heard some of the theme music by Vangelis and I later tracked down the album, Heaven and Hell, that it originally came from.” The ideas explained in “Cosmos” coupled with that Vangelis music not only influenced Tescee’s “Io Theme” on his first album, but also “Billions and Billions of Stars” on the new album.
Ian says he has always been more inspired by particular albums rather than an artist’s entire recorded output, and he specifically mentions The Moody Blues’ In Search of the Lost Chord with its prominent use of mellotron, Pink Floyd’s Ummagumma with its extended live versions of the space-tracks “Astronomy Domine” and “Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun,” Jethro Tull’s Stand Up, Genesis’ The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway, Mike Oldfield’s Ommadawn, Chris Spheeris’ Pathways to Surrender, Enya’s Watermark and Enigma’s MCMXC A.D. Less influential, but with sounds worth studying were King Crimson’s The Court of the Crimson King (also featuring mellotron), Yes’ Fragile, and Jean-Michel Jarre’s Oxygene. Tescee additionally has been inspired by philosophy, science and sci-fi literature written by Carl Sagan, W.K. Hartmann, Ray Bradbury, Robert Heinlein, Alan Watts, Carlos Castaneda and C.S. Lewis.
Born in Indiana and raised in Colorado, Tescee has early musical memories (his dad’s jazz albums and his mother singing showtunes). Soon Ian was listening to rock’n’roll, playing drums, and creating his own light shows. As he entered his teens, he started recording songs and learning to play guitar and keyboards. During high school he played tympani in the concert band (even today he uses the sound of those orchestral drums on all his recordings), played in rock bands (Perihelon was named after the astronomical term for the point in a planet’s orbit that is closest to the sun), and listened to music ranging from classical (Jean Sibelius’ Finlandia and the soundtrack to the film “2001: A Space Odyssey”) to classic rock (The Doors, Iron Butterfly and Focus). After graduation he toured the Midwest for a year in the band Autumn before moving east to attend Cornell University where he took courses on computer programming, classical music appreciation and physics (Carl Sagan was a guest lecturer). Ian’s roommate was majoring in astronomy, which intrigued Tescee, but he spent most of his time in his room recording music.
Soon Tescee was also recording other musicians, and he wrote and published a book, The Musician’s Guide to Recording (used as a college text for several years). He received an honorable mention from the American Song Festival competition and played folk music in coffee houses in New York State. He returned to Colorado where he joined the top regional bluegrass-country-rock band Radford & Lewis (Tescee sometimes took center-stage to sing lead vocals as his rock’n’roll alter-ego, Brian Tuemer). Tescee opened the studio Startsong Recording, Inc. and worked with Firefall, The Auto-No (whose CD won Colorado awards), Zen Radio (another top Colorado alternative-rock band) and Randy Zambola (a national award-winning dulcimer player). Tescee has written and recorded original music in many genres, often with lyrics, but has only released his space music on CD.
Ian recorded the bulk of A Traveler’s Guide to MARS using synthesizers (keyboards and electronic drums), but as with all of his recordings, he plays analog guitars throughout and sings on one track. Also thrown into the mix are a half-dozen authentic NASA commands and a countdown, a cello solo by symphony-player Nancy Snustad, and the faint quoting of a line from Ray Bradbury’s short story “The Lost City of Mars.” Most of the music was composed by Tescee, but “Beneath The Ice” includes music written by electronic musician Russell Storey, and “The Wooden Prince” is based on the theme by Béla Bartók.
“Even though I am awed by the current exploration of Mars and the discoveries there,” says Tescee, “Carl Sagan taught us that the more you know about the universe, the more you realize how much more there is to know. Space music means something to me on a gut, feeling level, not an intellectual one. For me it’s about creating a separate, fantasmagoric reality that can be shared with others. A human has not yet traveled to Mars, but we can certainly imagine what it would be like, and I hope my music on this album can serve as a soundtrack for that imaginative experience.”
And, yes, the tire-tracks on Mars shown on the back cover are real (that’s a NASA photo of a rover trail, the first tracks made on another planet by a human-created vehicle).
A Traveler’s Guide to MARS
Humans have been dreaming about going to Mars since the first telescopes were invented four centuries ago, and now that we have spaceships landing on the planet regularly and rovers motoring around, taking photos and digging in the soil, the dream of earthlings visiting the red planet is more real than ever. Space music maestro Ian Tescee, who has been dazzling electronic music aficionados for the past 22 years, has now created A Traveler’s Guide to MARS, the soundtrack for humankind’s pending journey to our closest neighboring planet (sometimes only 40 million miles away).
Inspired by the book of the same name penned by distinguished space scientist William K. Hartmann, this music by Ian Tescee has been used since the fall of 2007 in the major planetarium production about Mars at the Carnegie Science Center’s Buhl Digital Dome in Pittsburgh.
A Traveler’s Guide to MARS is the fourth album by Ian Tescee (pronounced like t-c), who first made waves in the space music field in 1984 with the ground-breaking recording Io (pronounced ee’-oh), named after Jupiter’s moon, the most volcanically active world in the solar system. Tescee, who traditionally takes several years between albums, expanded his space music repertoire into deeper space on his second album, Continua, with compositions such as “The Big Bang” and “The Cosmic Dream.” Ian first got to know W.K. Hartmann in the Eighties because the scientist also is a renowned illustrator of space scenes and allowed the use of one of his paintings on the back of Io, another on the cover of Continua and one inside A Traveler’s Guide to MARS. “My third CD, Breathwork, expanded my electronic experimentation and explored innerspace rather than outerspace,” explains Tescee. “It was all about how rapid, deep breathing can facilitate an altered state without the use of drugs, something that could become important during extended space travel.”
All four of Tescee’s CDs can be purchased from his record company at musicphrenia.com or iantescee.com, as well as at major on-line retailers such as cdbaby.com or amazon.com, and numerous digital download locations including itunes.com and rhapsody.com.
Tescee has garnered a cult following of enthusiastic space music fans because of his mesmerizing sound which features strong melodies, catchy rhythm patterns, complex arrangements and a dazzling final-mix that allows each sound to cleanly emerge. He finds himself on the other end of the spectrum from space musicians who feature ambient sounds or lengthy aimlessly-floating pieces. Tescee’s melodic sensibilities derive from his pop-rock background, his rhythmic sense from many years as a rock’n’roll drummer, and his mixing abilities from two decades of managing a recording studio where he engineered and produced countless records in many genres (from guitar virtuoso Phil Keaggy’s Acoustic Sketches CD to the heavy-metal cult-classic Ample Destruction by Jag Panzer).
Tescee’s music was meant to be carefully listened to, which makes it appeal to many in the prog-rock community. But the space themes and captivating instrumental passages also lend themselves to enjoyment by fans of new age music. While A Traveler’s Guide to MARS serves as the score to a current major planetarium show, Ian’s previous recordings have proved favorites for producers of various space-themed multimedia – the backdrop for the website ThisDayInSpace.com, in-house visual productions at Jet Propulsion Laboratory (where the Voyager and Viking space missions were controlled), and Andrew Rennie’s Spaceshow Documentaries in Australia.
Ian Tescee was initially inspired to begin recording space music after seeing Carl Sagan’s 13-hour PBS-TV mini-series “Cosmos” in 1980. “I actually tuned in because I heard some of the theme music by Vangelis and I later tracked down the album, Heaven and Hell, that it originally came from.” The ideas explained in “Cosmos” coupled with that Vangelis music not only influenced Tescee’s “Io Theme” on his first album, but also “Billions and Billions of Stars” on the new album.
Ian says he has always been more inspired by particular albums rather than an artist’s entire recorded output, and he specifically mentions The Moody Blues’ In Search of the Lost Chord with its prominent use of mellotron, Pink Floyd’s Ummagumma with its extended live versions of the space-tracks “Astronomy Domine” and “Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun,” Jethro Tull’s Stand Up, Genesis’ The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway, Mike Oldfield’s Ommadawn, Chris Spheeris’ Pathways to Surrender, Enya’s Watermark and Enigma’s MCMXC A.D. Less influential, but with sounds worth studying were King Crimson’s The Court of the Crimson King (also featuring mellotron), Yes’ Fragile, and Jean-Michel Jarre’s Oxygene. Tescee additionally has been inspired by philosophy, science and sci-fi literature written by Carl Sagan, W.K. Hartmann, Ray Bradbury, Robert Heinlein, Alan Watts, Carlos Castaneda and C.S. Lewis.
Born in Indiana and raised in Colorado, Tescee has early musical memories (his dad’s jazz albums and his mother singing showtunes). Soon Ian was listening to rock’n’roll, playing drums, and creating his own light shows. As he entered his teens, he started recording songs and learning to play guitar and keyboards. During high school he played tympani in the concert band (even today he uses the sound of those orchestral drums on all his recordings), played in rock bands (Perihelon was named after the astronomical term for the point in a planet’s orbit that is closest to the sun), and listened to music ranging from classical (Jean Sibelius’ Finlandia and the soundtrack to the film “2001: A Space Odyssey”) to classic rock (The Doors, Iron Butterfly and Focus). After graduation he toured the Midwest for a year in the band Autumn before moving east to attend Cornell University where he took courses on computer programming, classical music appreciation and physics (Carl Sagan was a guest lecturer). Ian’s roommate was majoring in astronomy, which intrigued Tescee, but he spent most of his time in his room recording music.
Soon Tescee was also recording other musicians, and he wrote and published a book, The Musician’s Guide to Recording (used as a college text for several years). He received an honorable mention from the American Song Festival competition and played folk music in coffee houses in New York State. He returned to Colorado where he joined the top regional bluegrass-country-rock band Radford & Lewis (Tescee sometimes took center-stage to sing lead vocals as his rock’n’roll alter-ego, Brian Tuemer). Tescee opened the studio Startsong Recording, Inc. and worked with Firefall, The Auto-No (whose CD won Colorado awards), Zen Radio (another top Colorado alternative-rock band) and Randy Zambola (a national award-winning dulcimer player). Tescee has written and recorded original music in many genres, often with lyrics, but has only released his space music on CD.
Ian recorded the bulk of A Traveler’s Guide to MARS using synthesizers (keyboards and electronic drums), but as with all of his recordings, he plays analog guitars throughout and sings on one track. Also thrown into the mix are a half-dozen authentic NASA commands and a countdown, a cello solo by symphony-player Nancy Snustad, and the faint quoting of a line from Ray Bradbury’s short story “The Lost City of Mars.” Most of the music was composed by Tescee, but “Beneath The Ice” includes music written by electronic musician Russell Storey, and “The Wooden Prince” is based on the theme by Béla Bartók.
“Even though I am awed by the current exploration of Mars and the discoveries there,” says Tescee, “Carl Sagan taught us that the more you know about the universe, the more you realize how much more there is to know. Space music means something to me on a gut, feeling level, not an intellectual one. For me it’s about creating a separate, fantasmagoric reality that can be shared with others. A human has not yet traveled to Mars, but we can certainly imagine what it would be like, and I hope my music on this album can serve as a soundtrack for that imaginative experience.”
And, yes, the tire-tracks on Mars shown on the back cover are real (that’s a NASA photo of a rover trail, the first tracks made on another planet by a human-created vehicle).
Friday, July 25, 2008
LIGHT ON THE WATER BY TIMOTHY COOPER
TIMOTHY COOPER – ALREADY KNOWN AS A NOVELIST, PHOTOGRAPHER, FILM-MAKER & ACTIVIST – RELEASES FIRST MUSICAL RECORDING
TIMOTHY COOPER
Timothy Cooper strives to bring enlightenment to the world through his art as well as his job as Executive Director of Worldrights, the human rights advocacy organization. His goal of calling attention to today's problems, and offering solace and solutions, is evident in his latest artistic endeavor, the new age solo piano recording Light on the Water.
The album, influenced by the tragic terrorist acts of 9/11 and the subsequent healing process that the American public went through, is available for purchase at the record company website (http://www.new-piano-age.com/), online retailers such as http://www.cdbaby.com/ and http://www.amazon.com/, and various digital download locations including iTunes.
Cooper, who lives in Washington, DC, creates thought-provoking art in several fields. In addition to being a pianist and composer, he is a novelist, photographer and film-maker. His first novel, World One, was about "nuclear war with a happy ending when the entire planet finally learns to live together in peace." His second novel, 2008, deals with Jesus Christ returning to earth and running for President. "This time around instead of being a religious leader he becomes a politician. It's a comedy."
With his visual art, Cooper has created his Worldlights collection (www.world-lights.com), photographs taken all over the world showing the globalization of culture and the exultation of commercialism. The photos are placed in large-format lightbox triptychs that emphasize light and shadow "to symbolize the dramatic tension between consumerism and humanism, and the diminishing of individualism." Cooper also has long been involved with film-making and his most recent projects are three documentaries on human rights ("China Rising" will debut in the autumn of 200 from his company Freedom's Gate Films.
Beyond shining a spotlight on world problems through the use of art, Cooper also heads Worldrights (http://www.world-rights.org/), whose mission is "to promote and protect human rights under principles of international law, recognizing that a violation of human rights anywhere is a violation of human rights everywhere." The organization makes appearances on behalf of political and religious prisoners, disenfranchised populations and victims of racial discrimination. Worldrights utilizes diplomacy and legal petitions, lobbies governing bodies, and uses speeches, lectures and publicity to disseminate information and build awareness. Cooper has spoken before numerous international human rights organizations including various United Nations' committees.
"I want to help our global society any way I can to make it more peaceful and harmonious," explains Cooper, "and another way to do that is to release positive and peaceful music into the world." The Light on the Water CD "represents two essential ingredients of life - light and water; and more philosophically it stands for my deep hope that out of the darkness can come light, out of tragedy can come renewal and rebirth. I began recording these pieces during the week following 9/11 when there was a lot of pain and tension in the air, and I could hear jet-fighter planes screaming over Washington, DC, even in the middle of the night. But after contemplating the depressing aspects of those terrorist acts, I also understood there was a positive side to the events as people bonded together with a sense of patriotism and brotherhood, spirituality increased, and society began rebuilding in many ways. I continued recording new music for the CD for several years."
Light on the Water contains 19 instrumental tunes recorded as solo piano improvisational pieces without overdubs. "Some of the tracks begin with progressions or melodic motifs that I had played around with lightly on previous occasions, but had never fully explored. Other pieces were simply a sudden musical expression being entirely created at the very instant of recording it. But all of the material is improvisational from the standpoint that it was not worked out in advance or written down. I never knew where the music was going, but let it reflect the emotions I was feeling in that moment."
The CD begins with "Worldscapes" which is "a hopeful clarion call for global unity." "Why" asks "why the destruction, the catastrophic deaths, and the lack of resolution of the conflict that caused it?" "Rising" is "deeply optimistic that despite wars and attacks, we will overcome and make a better tomorrow." The piece "Soundings" represents "sounding out how we are going to move forward as individuals and as a people to deal with tragedy." "Curve of Madness" expresses "the sheer terror and confusion we felt about the events, but also the wonder at why some people on this planet would want to do what they did to others. But the next tune makes the statement that simple gestures of love, goodwill and kindness are needed, and maybe peace begins with 'One Smile'."
The tune "Open Soul" characterizes "the need to listen to other people and to try to understand them." "Autumn Tears" turns to "the on-going mourning and grieving" the terrorist acts brought. In the aftermath, everyone faced "The Struggles," "how do we cope with this and what is my duty to my country and to the world?" "Glad Sorrows" sums up "the conflicting emotions we felt for the sacrifice and heroism of the firefighters and rescue workers as well as the citizens on the plane who fought back." With "Ribbons of Starlight," "I was thinking about the light shining on our planet from throughout the universe and that we must never forget that what we do here on Earth matters." "Solstice" expresses "the need to get back on the trail of a united human destiny." The recording ends with "Advent," "a call for shaping a better future."
Cooper began his musical career at age seven singing in the choir at the Cathedral of St. Peter and St. Paul in Washington, DC. At the Washington National Cathedral, one of the largest sanctuaries in the country, he spent two years as a chorister in the junior choir and then moved up to the Cathedral Choir of Men and Boys while also attending and singing at the St. Albans School for Boys. "I received a very deep exposure to choral and sacred music, and I got to sing many of the best compositions by the top composers from the 16th Century through the modern era. It was very, very rigorous training because we rehearsed five days a week, sang programs four times during the week, and then performed at two services on Sunday. We also toured the United States and United Kingdom, and recorded several albums."
When he was 17 and 18, Cooper traveled extensively and began taking photographs, primarily of people, in Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, England and Ireland. "I was beginning to understand humanity and the human condition. It gave me a sense of the global community." During his high school years Timothy also learned to play guitar, but after hearing Ravi Shankar on sitar, Cooper began playing that instrument for several years. Cooper also had a passion for film-making. One of his short student films was about the Spanish Inquisition ("man's inhumanity to man"), and it won numerous national and international film awards. This led to Timothy being the youngest student (at age 1 ever accepted at that time to the American Film Institute's Center for Advanced Film Studies in Los Angeles, which primarily offered a two-year upper-graduate program. There Cooper studied classic films, wrote scripts and shot videos for critiquing, and attended lectures by Steven Spielberg, David Lean and Martin Scorsese. After graduation, Cooper produced a feature film, "The Big Deal," about the end of the Sixties.
At age 19, while at the American Film Institute, Cooper began learning to play the piano, and from then on he has regularly practiced his improvisational creativity. "I love the piano's ability to create oceanic sound, that floating feeling, countless waves tossed across endless seas." Over the years Cooper has been inspired by acoustic-oriented artists such as Keith Jarrett, Liz Story, Will Ackerman, Philip Aaberg and Suzanne Ciani.
"Even though the events of 9/11 are reflected in Light on the Water, the music is really my plea for peace and understanding in the world among all people."
TIMOTHY COOPER
Timothy Cooper strives to bring enlightenment to the world through his art as well as his job as Executive Director of Worldrights, the human rights advocacy organization. His goal of calling attention to today's problems, and offering solace and solutions, is evident in his latest artistic endeavor, the new age solo piano recording Light on the Water.
The album, influenced by the tragic terrorist acts of 9/11 and the subsequent healing process that the American public went through, is available for purchase at the record company website (http://www.new-piano-age.com/), online retailers such as http://www.cdbaby.com/ and http://www.amazon.com/, and various digital download locations including iTunes.
Cooper, who lives in Washington, DC, creates thought-provoking art in several fields. In addition to being a pianist and composer, he is a novelist, photographer and film-maker. His first novel, World One, was about "nuclear war with a happy ending when the entire planet finally learns to live together in peace." His second novel, 2008, deals with Jesus Christ returning to earth and running for President. "This time around instead of being a religious leader he becomes a politician. It's a comedy."
With his visual art, Cooper has created his Worldlights collection (www.world-lights.com), photographs taken all over the world showing the globalization of culture and the exultation of commercialism. The photos are placed in large-format lightbox triptychs that emphasize light and shadow "to symbolize the dramatic tension between consumerism and humanism, and the diminishing of individualism." Cooper also has long been involved with film-making and his most recent projects are three documentaries on human rights ("China Rising" will debut in the autumn of 200 from his company Freedom's Gate Films.
Beyond shining a spotlight on world problems through the use of art, Cooper also heads Worldrights (http://www.world-rights.org/), whose mission is "to promote and protect human rights under principles of international law, recognizing that a violation of human rights anywhere is a violation of human rights everywhere." The organization makes appearances on behalf of political and religious prisoners, disenfranchised populations and victims of racial discrimination. Worldrights utilizes diplomacy and legal petitions, lobbies governing bodies, and uses speeches, lectures and publicity to disseminate information and build awareness. Cooper has spoken before numerous international human rights organizations including various United Nations' committees.
"I want to help our global society any way I can to make it more peaceful and harmonious," explains Cooper, "and another way to do that is to release positive and peaceful music into the world." The Light on the Water CD "represents two essential ingredients of life - light and water; and more philosophically it stands for my deep hope that out of the darkness can come light, out of tragedy can come renewal and rebirth. I began recording these pieces during the week following 9/11 when there was a lot of pain and tension in the air, and I could hear jet-fighter planes screaming over Washington, DC, even in the middle of the night. But after contemplating the depressing aspects of those terrorist acts, I also understood there was a positive side to the events as people bonded together with a sense of patriotism and brotherhood, spirituality increased, and society began rebuilding in many ways. I continued recording new music for the CD for several years."
Light on the Water contains 19 instrumental tunes recorded as solo piano improvisational pieces without overdubs. "Some of the tracks begin with progressions or melodic motifs that I had played around with lightly on previous occasions, but had never fully explored. Other pieces were simply a sudden musical expression being entirely created at the very instant of recording it. But all of the material is improvisational from the standpoint that it was not worked out in advance or written down. I never knew where the music was going, but let it reflect the emotions I was feeling in that moment."
The CD begins with "Worldscapes" which is "a hopeful clarion call for global unity." "Why" asks "why the destruction, the catastrophic deaths, and the lack of resolution of the conflict that caused it?" "Rising" is "deeply optimistic that despite wars and attacks, we will overcome and make a better tomorrow." The piece "Soundings" represents "sounding out how we are going to move forward as individuals and as a people to deal with tragedy." "Curve of Madness" expresses "the sheer terror and confusion we felt about the events, but also the wonder at why some people on this planet would want to do what they did to others. But the next tune makes the statement that simple gestures of love, goodwill and kindness are needed, and maybe peace begins with 'One Smile'."
The tune "Open Soul" characterizes "the need to listen to other people and to try to understand them." "Autumn Tears" turns to "the on-going mourning and grieving" the terrorist acts brought. In the aftermath, everyone faced "The Struggles," "how do we cope with this and what is my duty to my country and to the world?" "Glad Sorrows" sums up "the conflicting emotions we felt for the sacrifice and heroism of the firefighters and rescue workers as well as the citizens on the plane who fought back." With "Ribbons of Starlight," "I was thinking about the light shining on our planet from throughout the universe and that we must never forget that what we do here on Earth matters." "Solstice" expresses "the need to get back on the trail of a united human destiny." The recording ends with "Advent," "a call for shaping a better future."
Cooper began his musical career at age seven singing in the choir at the Cathedral of St. Peter and St. Paul in Washington, DC. At the Washington National Cathedral, one of the largest sanctuaries in the country, he spent two years as a chorister in the junior choir and then moved up to the Cathedral Choir of Men and Boys while also attending and singing at the St. Albans School for Boys. "I received a very deep exposure to choral and sacred music, and I got to sing many of the best compositions by the top composers from the 16th Century through the modern era. It was very, very rigorous training because we rehearsed five days a week, sang programs four times during the week, and then performed at two services on Sunday. We also toured the United States and United Kingdom, and recorded several albums."
When he was 17 and 18, Cooper traveled extensively and began taking photographs, primarily of people, in Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, England and Ireland. "I was beginning to understand humanity and the human condition. It gave me a sense of the global community." During his high school years Timothy also learned to play guitar, but after hearing Ravi Shankar on sitar, Cooper began playing that instrument for several years. Cooper also had a passion for film-making. One of his short student films was about the Spanish Inquisition ("man's inhumanity to man"), and it won numerous national and international film awards. This led to Timothy being the youngest student (at age 1 ever accepted at that time to the American Film Institute's Center for Advanced Film Studies in Los Angeles, which primarily offered a two-year upper-graduate program. There Cooper studied classic films, wrote scripts and shot videos for critiquing, and attended lectures by Steven Spielberg, David Lean and Martin Scorsese. After graduation, Cooper produced a feature film, "The Big Deal," about the end of the Sixties.
At age 19, while at the American Film Institute, Cooper began learning to play the piano, and from then on he has regularly practiced his improvisational creativity. "I love the piano's ability to create oceanic sound, that floating feeling, countless waves tossed across endless seas." Over the years Cooper has been inspired by acoustic-oriented artists such as Keith Jarrett, Liz Story, Will Ackerman, Philip Aaberg and Suzanne Ciani.
"Even though the events of 9/11 are reflected in Light on the Water, the music is really my plea for peace and understanding in the world among all people."
Friday, July 11, 2008
INCREDIBLE CONCERT -- FEATURING DAVID ARKENSTONE, NICHOLAS GUNN, LOREN GOLD & JOHANNES LINSTEAD – SOLD AS A COMBINED PACKAGE INCLUDING A CD AND DVD
GEMINI SUN RECORDS PRESENTS
THE AUDIO & VISUAL CONCERT EXTRAVAGANZA
Live!
Starring DAVID ARKENSTONE,
LOREN GOLD, NICHOLAS GUNN
and JOHANNES LINSTEAD
Gemini Sun Records, one of the top new age music labels, has released their first concert recording, appropriately-titled Live! and featuring four of the company’s best-selling musicians – David Arkenstone, Loren Gold, Nicholas Gunn and Johannes Linstead. In addition, the package comes with both an audio CD as well as a DVD containing a full-length film of the show.
This is Gemini Sun’s fifth CD/DVD package in their “Audio Visual Connect Series.” Distributed by Ryco/WMG, this two-disc set (and the entire Gemini Sun catalog) can be purchased at many record retail stores throughout the United States, and is available internationally at online outlets such as amazon.com and cdbaby.com. The audio portion can be purchased at numerous digital download locations including iTunes. For more information on this package, the artists and the label, go to GeminiSunRecords.com.
The 74-minute concert, taped at an intimate Southern California theater in front of an enthusiastic audience of fans, features the four “Gemini Sun All-Stars” playing separately and together with dynamic backing from an eight-piece band of top pop, new age and world music musicians specially-selected for this show. While the four featured performers sometimes play a variety of instruments when they record in the studio, on-stage for this event they are spotlighted on their main instruments – Arkenstone on electric guitar, Gold on acoustic grand piano, Gunn on flutes and Linstead on nylon-string acoustic guitar. The backing band adds violin, accordion, bass, drums and a wide variety of percussion.
The resulting sound combines the best elements of both energetic new age and world music for a unique global fusion sound. Even though the 15 instrumental tunes presented here can be found on other albums in their original studio versions, this collection contains unique and special arrangements of the material that comes across with an energy and excitement that can only derive from a live concert.
One of the show’s highlights is when Arkenstone, Gold, Gunn and Linstead all appear on-stage together with the full backing band for the concert climax – the seven-and-a-half-minute world-beat jam on Linstead’s “Djunga.” The recording kicks off with Arkenstone’s eight-minute Mid-East-flavored “Desert Crossing” with Gunn sitting in on congas. In addition, Arkenstone performs a Latin-inspired tune (“Gypsy Camp”). Other world music influences are evident throughout. Johannes Linstead is known for his Latin-style acoustic-guitar playing, but he also exhibits his versatility by showcasing Greek influences on “Ambrosia” and Caribbean stylings on “Streets of Old San Juan” and “Spanish Town.”
Except for the finale, each featured artist gets his own segment in the spotlight. Nicholas Gunn begins with a short bamboo-flute piece “Earth Bones” followed by the Grand Canyon-inspired “Elves’ Chasm.” “Apasionado Uno” features passionate percussion (even Gunn lays down his flute long enough to join in on congas), and the tempo cranks up another notch on the fast-paced “Breathe.” Pianist Loren Gold starts softly with “Falling” (a piano-flute duet with Gunn), but cranks up the energy on “For My Baby” where he shows his pop sensibilities, and the jazzy “Sunnyside” with backing by the band as well as Gunn on flute. “On the studio version,” explains Gunn, “there was a piano and saxophone interplay, but for this concert we changed the sax to flute which gives you an idea of how different some of these tunes sound in this live setting versus the original recordings.” Arkenstone’s portion of the show includes what he describes as the “happy and carefree” tune “New Day” and the complex, vibrant, rocking “Dance in the Desert” (he says it is “born out of my love of swash-buckler adventure movies”).
In addition to the spectacular musical performances, the CD and DVD both include brief interview interludes that give insights into each artist’s personality and music. Nicholas Gunn produced the music on Live! and Girshon Rutstein directed the film (they co-produced the visuals). Gunn also is the founder and CEO of Gemini Sun Records which during the past decade has become one of the leading new age music companies.
According to Gunn, “Fans of our music are constantly asking us about performing concerts. By offering this Live! album as both an audio and visual package, we feel it gives those fans a very good indication of the experience of attending one of our shows. By offering the concert on CD and DVD, it makes it easy to enjoy the music anywhere, anytime.”
The first two decades of David Arkenstone’s career includes garnering three Grammy nominations and millions of fans. His music is a modern orchestral amalgam of electronic technology and warm, earthy, acoustic instruments that create progressive sonic textures behind mesmerizing melodies. This multi-instrumentalist and masterful arranger debuted with Valley in the Clouds and over the course of 16 more solo recordings he has explored both the known universe as well as places from his imagination on a stellar series of albums including In the Wake of the Wind, Quest of the Dream Warrior, The Celtic Book of Days, Caravan of Light, Atlantis: A Symphonic Journey and his new Echoes of Light and Shadow.
Loren Gold began playing Beatles songs on the piano at age five and soon after started his classical training. But the classical world could not contain his exuberance and experimentation as he went on to play Mozart piano sonatas a la Fats Domino followed by jazz improvisation in the style of Keith Jarrett. Gold has composed pieces for films on HBO, Showtime and Cinemax. In the music industry he is known as a consummate professional backing pianist (and often concert music director as well) for singers such as Hilary Duff, Mandy Moore, Taylor Hicks, Tiffany, Jeff Trachta and McKenzie BC. Gold has two contemporary instrumental solo albums, All Around Me and the smooth jazz Keys.
One of the world’s best-selling flutists (more than two-million albums sold), Nicholas Gunn was born in England and classically-trained at Great Britain’s prestigious Royal School of Music. After moving to the United States, Gunn embarked on his solo career with albums such as The Sacred Fire, Crossroads, The Great Southwest and Breathe. His awareness and appreciation of the importance of nature inspired him to create a series of beloved recordings based on the beauty of America’s National Parks (with a portion of the proceeds donated to help preserving these landmarks) – The Music of the Grand Canyon, Beyond Grand Canyon, Through the Great Smoky Mountains, Journey to Yellowstone, and others.
Johannes Linstead has quickly become one of the most popular and best-selling acoustic guitarists in the nouveau flamenco genre. He was immediately acclaimed with the release of his first CD, Sol Luna Tierra. His Guitarra del Fuego was named “Best Contemporary World Album” by New Age Voice magazine and his Mediterranea CD won the New Age Reporter Lifestyle Music Award for “Best World Album.” Other CDs include Kiss The Earth, Zabuca and Café Tropical. Much of his inspiration has come from extensive traveling in Latin and South America, the Caribbean, Europe and the Mediterranean region. He performs regularly throughout the United States.
“It’s interesting that all four of us started our careers playing in pop and rock bands, and we are all experienced live performers,” explains Gunn. “By putting all of us into one concert situation, it really keeps the action moving. From artist to artist and style to style, there is lot of powerful music being presented in this Live! recording.”
THE AUDIO & VISUAL CONCERT EXTRAVAGANZA
Live!
Starring DAVID ARKENSTONE,
LOREN GOLD, NICHOLAS GUNN
and JOHANNES LINSTEAD
Gemini Sun Records, one of the top new age music labels, has released their first concert recording, appropriately-titled Live! and featuring four of the company’s best-selling musicians – David Arkenstone, Loren Gold, Nicholas Gunn and Johannes Linstead. In addition, the package comes with both an audio CD as well as a DVD containing a full-length film of the show.
This is Gemini Sun’s fifth CD/DVD package in their “Audio Visual Connect Series.” Distributed by Ryco/WMG, this two-disc set (and the entire Gemini Sun catalog) can be purchased at many record retail stores throughout the United States, and is available internationally at online outlets such as amazon.com and cdbaby.com. The audio portion can be purchased at numerous digital download locations including iTunes. For more information on this package, the artists and the label, go to GeminiSunRecords.com.
The 74-minute concert, taped at an intimate Southern California theater in front of an enthusiastic audience of fans, features the four “Gemini Sun All-Stars” playing separately and together with dynamic backing from an eight-piece band of top pop, new age and world music musicians specially-selected for this show. While the four featured performers sometimes play a variety of instruments when they record in the studio, on-stage for this event they are spotlighted on their main instruments – Arkenstone on electric guitar, Gold on acoustic grand piano, Gunn on flutes and Linstead on nylon-string acoustic guitar. The backing band adds violin, accordion, bass, drums and a wide variety of percussion.
The resulting sound combines the best elements of both energetic new age and world music for a unique global fusion sound. Even though the 15 instrumental tunes presented here can be found on other albums in their original studio versions, this collection contains unique and special arrangements of the material that comes across with an energy and excitement that can only derive from a live concert.
One of the show’s highlights is when Arkenstone, Gold, Gunn and Linstead all appear on-stage together with the full backing band for the concert climax – the seven-and-a-half-minute world-beat jam on Linstead’s “Djunga.” The recording kicks off with Arkenstone’s eight-minute Mid-East-flavored “Desert Crossing” with Gunn sitting in on congas. In addition, Arkenstone performs a Latin-inspired tune (“Gypsy Camp”). Other world music influences are evident throughout. Johannes Linstead is known for his Latin-style acoustic-guitar playing, but he also exhibits his versatility by showcasing Greek influences on “Ambrosia” and Caribbean stylings on “Streets of Old San Juan” and “Spanish Town.”
Except for the finale, each featured artist gets his own segment in the spotlight. Nicholas Gunn begins with a short bamboo-flute piece “Earth Bones” followed by the Grand Canyon-inspired “Elves’ Chasm.” “Apasionado Uno” features passionate percussion (even Gunn lays down his flute long enough to join in on congas), and the tempo cranks up another notch on the fast-paced “Breathe.” Pianist Loren Gold starts softly with “Falling” (a piano-flute duet with Gunn), but cranks up the energy on “For My Baby” where he shows his pop sensibilities, and the jazzy “Sunnyside” with backing by the band as well as Gunn on flute. “On the studio version,” explains Gunn, “there was a piano and saxophone interplay, but for this concert we changed the sax to flute which gives you an idea of how different some of these tunes sound in this live setting versus the original recordings.” Arkenstone’s portion of the show includes what he describes as the “happy and carefree” tune “New Day” and the complex, vibrant, rocking “Dance in the Desert” (he says it is “born out of my love of swash-buckler adventure movies”).
In addition to the spectacular musical performances, the CD and DVD both include brief interview interludes that give insights into each artist’s personality and music. Nicholas Gunn produced the music on Live! and Girshon Rutstein directed the film (they co-produced the visuals). Gunn also is the founder and CEO of Gemini Sun Records which during the past decade has become one of the leading new age music companies.
According to Gunn, “Fans of our music are constantly asking us about performing concerts. By offering this Live! album as both an audio and visual package, we feel it gives those fans a very good indication of the experience of attending one of our shows. By offering the concert on CD and DVD, it makes it easy to enjoy the music anywhere, anytime.”
The first two decades of David Arkenstone’s career includes garnering three Grammy nominations and millions of fans. His music is a modern orchestral amalgam of electronic technology and warm, earthy, acoustic instruments that create progressive sonic textures behind mesmerizing melodies. This multi-instrumentalist and masterful arranger debuted with Valley in the Clouds and over the course of 16 more solo recordings he has explored both the known universe as well as places from his imagination on a stellar series of albums including In the Wake of the Wind, Quest of the Dream Warrior, The Celtic Book of Days, Caravan of Light, Atlantis: A Symphonic Journey and his new Echoes of Light and Shadow.
Loren Gold began playing Beatles songs on the piano at age five and soon after started his classical training. But the classical world could not contain his exuberance and experimentation as he went on to play Mozart piano sonatas a la Fats Domino followed by jazz improvisation in the style of Keith Jarrett. Gold has composed pieces for films on HBO, Showtime and Cinemax. In the music industry he is known as a consummate professional backing pianist (and often concert music director as well) for singers such as Hilary Duff, Mandy Moore, Taylor Hicks, Tiffany, Jeff Trachta and McKenzie BC. Gold has two contemporary instrumental solo albums, All Around Me and the smooth jazz Keys.
One of the world’s best-selling flutists (more than two-million albums sold), Nicholas Gunn was born in England and classically-trained at Great Britain’s prestigious Royal School of Music. After moving to the United States, Gunn embarked on his solo career with albums such as The Sacred Fire, Crossroads, The Great Southwest and Breathe. His awareness and appreciation of the importance of nature inspired him to create a series of beloved recordings based on the beauty of America’s National Parks (with a portion of the proceeds donated to help preserving these landmarks) – The Music of the Grand Canyon, Beyond Grand Canyon, Through the Great Smoky Mountains, Journey to Yellowstone, and others.
Johannes Linstead has quickly become one of the most popular and best-selling acoustic guitarists in the nouveau flamenco genre. He was immediately acclaimed with the release of his first CD, Sol Luna Tierra. His Guitarra del Fuego was named “Best Contemporary World Album” by New Age Voice magazine and his Mediterranea CD won the New Age Reporter Lifestyle Music Award for “Best World Album.” Other CDs include Kiss The Earth, Zabuca and Café Tropical. Much of his inspiration has come from extensive traveling in Latin and South America, the Caribbean, Europe and the Mediterranean region. He performs regularly throughout the United States.
“It’s interesting that all four of us started our careers playing in pop and rock bands, and we are all experienced live performers,” explains Gunn. “By putting all of us into one concert situation, it really keeps the action moving. From artist to artist and style to style, there is lot of powerful music being presented in this Live! recording.”
Friday, May 23, 2008
HEAR ACOUSTIC GUITAR LIKE YOU HAVE NEVER HEARD IT BEFORE ON NEW LAWRENCE BLATT ALBUM
LAWRENCE BLATT
Lawrence Blatt is quickly moving into the upper echelon of finger-picking acoustic guitarists, but with a background that includes a degree in microbiology, he also has deep insights into science and mathematics. On his second instrumental recording, Fibonacci’s Dream, Blatt combines his passions for music and math into a tribute to one of history’s most important mathematicians. This is album that will appeal to fans of jazz, folk, new age and acoustic guitar mastery.
Leonardo Fibonacci, a 13th Century Italian, published a pivotal book, “Liber Abaci” (Book of Calculation) when he was 32. He introduced Europeans to the use of Arabic numerals (the system we use today) and discovered the “Golden Ratio” that appears frequently in nature (petals on a sunflower, seeds in a pinecone, a nautilus shell or the cochlea in human ears).
Much musical theory follows Fibonacci mathematics, so Blatt decided to take it a step further on his recording and consciously apply math structures and sequences to his compositions by utilizing numerical ratios in his chord patterns, repeated phrases and tonal intervals. All music is naturally built on a mathematical foundation, so Blatt’s tunes do not sound academic or sterile, but rather melodic, colorful, accessible and exhilarating. While the song structures may have a mathematical consistency, Blatt points out that the emotions within each composition are inspired by people, places and life experiences.
“One thing I learned from my biology studies is the axiom that simple rules lead to complex behaviors,” explains Blatt. “So by integrating some of Fibonacci’s math into my music, I started with fairly simple structural rules. However, the result was music that became not only more complex, but more intrinsically-beautiful in its cohesiveness.”
Blatt’s fluid acoustic sound – sometimes created purely on a single guitar and other times featuring several layered and entwining instruments – can feature subtle counter-melodies, rhythmic interplays or even multiple parts played simultaneously on one guitar (lead, rhythm and bass at the same time, for example). Blatt’s exceptional technique mixes delicate nuances one moment with passionate fire the next. On the album, Blatt played all of the instruments -- both steel-string and nylon-string acoustic guitars, acoustic bass, an Hawaiian 8-string ukulele, a 128-year-old bowl-back mandolin, two small South American 10-string guitars (a charango and a ronroco), piano (on one tune) and ethnic percussion. He also composed, arranged and produced all the music. Blatt’s style bridges many genres including new age, neo-classical, folk and world music with subtle, hinted-at elements including Latin, Mid-Eastern, jazz, bluegrass, Hawaiian and pop-rock.
A rising star in the world of instrumental music and acoustic guitar finger-picking, Lawrence Blatt won an international radio LifeStyle Music Award and was named last year’s “Best New Artist” by New Age Reporter for his debut CD, the Top 10 airplay Out of the Woodwork. In addition, the album was selected as a finalist for the 2007 Independent Music Awards’ Best New Age Album. Meanwhile, Fibonacci’s Dream is already #2 on the international NAR chart. Both CDs can be purchased online at his own website (lawrenceblatt.com), CDbaby.com, Amazon.com, Tradebit.com, Musicishere.com, and digital download locations such as iTunes and Napster.
Blatt has studied under guitar players and recording artists such as Laurence Juber, Pierre Bensusan and Brian Gore. Following the technique used by those teachers, Blatt picks the strings using his fingertips rather than utilizing real or fake fingernails. Blatt uses both standard and open tunings on his guitars. Blatt also believes in “complete takes” when recording (rather than seeking perfection with patched-together solos), and does only minimal studio manipulation of the sound after it leaves his instrument.
Lawrence grew up initially in the Los Angeles-area (Van Nuys) through grade school, and then moved to Carmel, Indiana, where he attended junior and senior high school. He began classical violin studies at age eight (immersed in Mozart, Bach, Mendelssohn and Bernard Heiden) which continued through his senior year (although Lawrence also played classical bass for two years and learned basic piano skills). While still in junior high, he became the youngest member of the Indianapolis Youth Symphony (conducted by Jackson Wiley). In addition, when Blatt was twelve, he began learning guitar, and over the next decade became a part of the Indiana folk scene as a singer-songwriter-guitarist while continuing to study classical music.
In high school, Blatt was influenced by singer-songwriters such as Neil Young, James Taylor, Cat Stevens, Carole King, Jesse Colin Young, Van Morrison, Dan Fogelberg, America and Boz Scaggs. Blatt went on to graduate from Indiana University where he studied both microbiology and music (Leonard Bernstein was on the adjunct faculty giving lectures and concerts). Lawrence’s musical interest expanded to include artists such as John Lee Hooker, Al Jarreau, Joe Jackson and Chicago. Blatt moved to Los Angeles and earned his MBA and PhD degrees in science (“it was something I enjoyed and had an aptitude for”), and listened to a lot of folk (Steve Earle, Steve Goodman, John Prine, Lyle Lovett) and jazz (Larry Carlton, Brandon Fields). Blatt went to Boulder, Colorado, for five years, began his “serious music career,” and delved deeply into finger-style playing. In addition to studying with Juber at this time, Blatt was influenced by other finger-pickers including Dave Wilcox, Leo Kottke, Michael Hedges, Ottmar Liebert and The Netherlands’ Harry Sacksioni. In 2001 Blatt moved to San Francisco (where he now lives) and started performing regularly, recording and studying intensely with Brian Gore.
Shortly after Blatt released his first CD, Out of the Woodwork, several tunes received airplay on John Rothman’s current-affairs nationally-syndicated radio program, and listener response and sales were immediate. The album went on to be one of the most-played albums in its genre on radio stations around the world for several months. The title tune was chosen to appear on the compilation CDs Care Packages (distributed to American troops in Iraq) and GOA Chill Zone. “Here We Go” was licensed to appear in a Tom Green film (“Shred II”); “Under the Sun” appeared on the CD No Cover’s Best New Bands; “Z Squared” was included on the Java for Javelins compilation; and “Keiki Lullaby” will be used on the PBS/Showtime-TV magazine show “This American Life.”
On Fibonacci’s Dream, Blatt’s ability to perform multiple parts on a guitar without overdubs is showcased on the tunes “I’m Leaving Now” (influenced by Lindsay Buckingham), “Bern ‘The Bear’,” “Just Before Dawn,” and two that include a little percussion added -- “Five Nights” and “La Selva (The Rainforest)” (featuring the tiny South American ronroco). But in addition to these single-guitar spotlights, Blatt also creates wondrous multiple-guitar arrangements on the Latin-influenced “Una Vida (One Life)” with its 35-second solo charango coda, “Catalina,” “Fibonacci’s Dream” and “Song For Chava” (an homage to Blatt’s Eastern European heritage).
Several of the pieces develop interplay between the guitar and bass, such as “In A Heartbeat” and “A Little More Sunshine.” “‘In A Heartbeat’ is example of two guitars talking to one another,” Blatt explains, “like a first and second violin in an orchestra, where the melody only emerges when the two are playing together.” “I Remember When,” written in Hawaii using a “taro-patch tuning,” incorporates an eight-string ukulele. The album ends with a tune dedicated to “the senselessness of war.” “Move Um Out” moves from delicate harmonics to a marching pace and, following several brief lulls, into frenetic strumming and percussion.
“I didn’t set out to make an album of any particular genre. My music includes simple tunes, ones that are harmonically and rhythmically complex, some with a modern-sounding edge, and others with a mysterious quality and feeling that could have been written in the 18th century. As a solo instrumentalist, my guitar is my voice, and I have a lot I want to say.”
Lawrence Blatt is quickly moving into the upper echelon of finger-picking acoustic guitarists, but with a background that includes a degree in microbiology, he also has deep insights into science and mathematics. On his second instrumental recording, Fibonacci’s Dream, Blatt combines his passions for music and math into a tribute to one of history’s most important mathematicians. This is album that will appeal to fans of jazz, folk, new age and acoustic guitar mastery.
Leonardo Fibonacci, a 13th Century Italian, published a pivotal book, “Liber Abaci” (Book of Calculation) when he was 32. He introduced Europeans to the use of Arabic numerals (the system we use today) and discovered the “Golden Ratio” that appears frequently in nature (petals on a sunflower, seeds in a pinecone, a nautilus shell or the cochlea in human ears).
Much musical theory follows Fibonacci mathematics, so Blatt decided to take it a step further on his recording and consciously apply math structures and sequences to his compositions by utilizing numerical ratios in his chord patterns, repeated phrases and tonal intervals. All music is naturally built on a mathematical foundation, so Blatt’s tunes do not sound academic or sterile, but rather melodic, colorful, accessible and exhilarating. While the song structures may have a mathematical consistency, Blatt points out that the emotions within each composition are inspired by people, places and life experiences.
“One thing I learned from my biology studies is the axiom that simple rules lead to complex behaviors,” explains Blatt. “So by integrating some of Fibonacci’s math into my music, I started with fairly simple structural rules. However, the result was music that became not only more complex, but more intrinsically-beautiful in its cohesiveness.”
Blatt’s fluid acoustic sound – sometimes created purely on a single guitar and other times featuring several layered and entwining instruments – can feature subtle counter-melodies, rhythmic interplays or even multiple parts played simultaneously on one guitar (lead, rhythm and bass at the same time, for example). Blatt’s exceptional technique mixes delicate nuances one moment with passionate fire the next. On the album, Blatt played all of the instruments -- both steel-string and nylon-string acoustic guitars, acoustic bass, an Hawaiian 8-string ukulele, a 128-year-old bowl-back mandolin, two small South American 10-string guitars (a charango and a ronroco), piano (on one tune) and ethnic percussion. He also composed, arranged and produced all the music. Blatt’s style bridges many genres including new age, neo-classical, folk and world music with subtle, hinted-at elements including Latin, Mid-Eastern, jazz, bluegrass, Hawaiian and pop-rock.
A rising star in the world of instrumental music and acoustic guitar finger-picking, Lawrence Blatt won an international radio LifeStyle Music Award and was named last year’s “Best New Artist” by New Age Reporter for his debut CD, the Top 10 airplay Out of the Woodwork. In addition, the album was selected as a finalist for the 2007 Independent Music Awards’ Best New Age Album. Meanwhile, Fibonacci’s Dream is already #2 on the international NAR chart. Both CDs can be purchased online at his own website (lawrenceblatt.com), CDbaby.com, Amazon.com, Tradebit.com, Musicishere.com, and digital download locations such as iTunes and Napster.
Blatt has studied under guitar players and recording artists such as Laurence Juber, Pierre Bensusan and Brian Gore. Following the technique used by those teachers, Blatt picks the strings using his fingertips rather than utilizing real or fake fingernails. Blatt uses both standard and open tunings on his guitars. Blatt also believes in “complete takes” when recording (rather than seeking perfection with patched-together solos), and does only minimal studio manipulation of the sound after it leaves his instrument.
Lawrence grew up initially in the Los Angeles-area (Van Nuys) through grade school, and then moved to Carmel, Indiana, where he attended junior and senior high school. He began classical violin studies at age eight (immersed in Mozart, Bach, Mendelssohn and Bernard Heiden) which continued through his senior year (although Lawrence also played classical bass for two years and learned basic piano skills). While still in junior high, he became the youngest member of the Indianapolis Youth Symphony (conducted by Jackson Wiley). In addition, when Blatt was twelve, he began learning guitar, and over the next decade became a part of the Indiana folk scene as a singer-songwriter-guitarist while continuing to study classical music.
In high school, Blatt was influenced by singer-songwriters such as Neil Young, James Taylor, Cat Stevens, Carole King, Jesse Colin Young, Van Morrison, Dan Fogelberg, America and Boz Scaggs. Blatt went on to graduate from Indiana University where he studied both microbiology and music (Leonard Bernstein was on the adjunct faculty giving lectures and concerts). Lawrence’s musical interest expanded to include artists such as John Lee Hooker, Al Jarreau, Joe Jackson and Chicago. Blatt moved to Los Angeles and earned his MBA and PhD degrees in science (“it was something I enjoyed and had an aptitude for”), and listened to a lot of folk (Steve Earle, Steve Goodman, John Prine, Lyle Lovett) and jazz (Larry Carlton, Brandon Fields). Blatt went to Boulder, Colorado, for five years, began his “serious music career,” and delved deeply into finger-style playing. In addition to studying with Juber at this time, Blatt was influenced by other finger-pickers including Dave Wilcox, Leo Kottke, Michael Hedges, Ottmar Liebert and The Netherlands’ Harry Sacksioni. In 2001 Blatt moved to San Francisco (where he now lives) and started performing regularly, recording and studying intensely with Brian Gore.
Shortly after Blatt released his first CD, Out of the Woodwork, several tunes received airplay on John Rothman’s current-affairs nationally-syndicated radio program, and listener response and sales were immediate. The album went on to be one of the most-played albums in its genre on radio stations around the world for several months. The title tune was chosen to appear on the compilation CDs Care Packages (distributed to American troops in Iraq) and GOA Chill Zone. “Here We Go” was licensed to appear in a Tom Green film (“Shred II”); “Under the Sun” appeared on the CD No Cover’s Best New Bands; “Z Squared” was included on the Java for Javelins compilation; and “Keiki Lullaby” will be used on the PBS/Showtime-TV magazine show “This American Life.”
On Fibonacci’s Dream, Blatt’s ability to perform multiple parts on a guitar without overdubs is showcased on the tunes “I’m Leaving Now” (influenced by Lindsay Buckingham), “Bern ‘The Bear’,” “Just Before Dawn,” and two that include a little percussion added -- “Five Nights” and “La Selva (The Rainforest)” (featuring the tiny South American ronroco). But in addition to these single-guitar spotlights, Blatt also creates wondrous multiple-guitar arrangements on the Latin-influenced “Una Vida (One Life)” with its 35-second solo charango coda, “Catalina,” “Fibonacci’s Dream” and “Song For Chava” (an homage to Blatt’s Eastern European heritage).
Several of the pieces develop interplay between the guitar and bass, such as “In A Heartbeat” and “A Little More Sunshine.” “‘In A Heartbeat’ is example of two guitars talking to one another,” Blatt explains, “like a first and second violin in an orchestra, where the melody only emerges when the two are playing together.” “I Remember When,” written in Hawaii using a “taro-patch tuning,” incorporates an eight-string ukulele. The album ends with a tune dedicated to “the senselessness of war.” “Move Um Out” moves from delicate harmonics to a marching pace and, following several brief lulls, into frenetic strumming and percussion.
“I didn’t set out to make an album of any particular genre. My music includes simple tunes, ones that are harmonically and rhythmically complex, some with a modern-sounding edge, and others with a mysterious quality and feeling that could have been written in the 18th century. As a solo instrumentalist, my guitar is my voice, and I have a lot I want to say.”
Thursday, May 15, 2008
AHN TRIO SHOWCASE MODERN-CLASSICAL, NEW AGE, FOLK & HIP-HOP ON FIRST SONY-BMG RECORDING
AHN TRIO
From the moment the Ahn Trio stepped onto the international music scene stage, they have defied categorization, broken musical barriers and revolutionized perceptions of classical music. They have become leaders in diversifying classical music in the 21st Century. Their trendsetting legacy continues with their fifth recording, Lullaby for my Favorite Insomniac, their debut CD on SONY BMG Masterworks (RCA Red Seal).Korean-born and Juilliard-trained, the Ahns are sisters – violinist Angella, pianist Lucia and cellist Maria. The trio builds bridges between diverse musical genres and transcends any preconceptions that exist in the classical music scene by embracing 21st century classical music as well as utilizing elements of new age, jazz, pop, folk, minimalism, avant-garde, chill, lounge and hip-hop. The trio works with composers who have many diverse influences, and the Ahns also continue to collaborate with many different types of artists."Every century has its own distinctive style of classical music," states Angella, "and our album reflects classical music in the 21st Century which, of course, is influenced by all different types of music in this modern era. We live in New York City and can't help but be inspired by all the exciting new music and art around us. Incorporating these elements feels like an entirely organic progression to us. We don't purposely set out to be rebellious."These musical sisters thrive on dissolving the barriers between art forms. They have fused their music with that of modern dancers (such as the David Parsons Dance Company), pop singers, club DJs, performance artists, photographers, lighting designers, installation artists, ecologists and even kite makers. Ahn Trio tours regularly and has sold out concert venues, from packed clubs to prestigious concert halls, all over the world.
Possessing an enviable combination of talent, style and beauty, the Ahn sisters have long been favorite subjects for the international press. The group initially made a big splash when they were featured early on in Time magazine (the cover heralded "Asian-American Whiz Kids"). They have gone on to be frequently featured on fashion pages in magazines such as Vogue, GQ, Harpers Bazaar, W, Marie Claire and Town & Country. Angella, Lucia and Maria also were named three of People magazine's "50 Most Beautiful People" in 2003, not just for their beauty but also for their outstanding musical accomplishments.Their first album of trio compositions by Ravel and Villa-Lobos won rave reviews ("This is one of Ravel's best, and never better played" - Audion Magazine). Their second recording won an ECHO Award (Germany's Grammy equivalent) and featured interpretations of pieces by Dvorak and Shostakovich. The trio then recorded two albums that introduced works that were written especially for them and which highlighted living composers. For their new CD on SONY BMG Masterworks, the Ahns planned an album they had been dreaming of doing for several years: their modern classical take on what they call “lullabies fit for 21st Century insomniacs.”
"Lullabies are traditionally very simple and beautiful melodies that are small yet powerful in their emotional content. In every culture they are the same. We started by choosing lullaby-worthy material and then did 'modern classical' treatments of them which for us meant creating something edgy but at the same time minimalistic since lullabies should always be simple," explains Maria Ahn. "Primarily our ingredients were our acoustic instruments with some very, very subtle electronica elements and a few non-classical singers."In addition to the title track by Kenji Bunch, they chose his "Dies Irie" and "Magic Hour" (the latter the fifth movement of his "Swing Shift" suite), and also had him arrange the classic Rodgers & Hart standard "My Funny Valentine." "We met Mary Rodgers, Richard Rodgers' daughter, while at Juilliard so we chose this tune as a tribute to her."
Also on the CD are two compositions by acclaimed-film-composer Michael Nyman – "Big My Secret" and the famous theme from the score for the film “The Piano” ("The Heart Asks Pleasure First") – with special transcriptions created by Nyman for the Ahn Trio. According to Lucia, “Nyman is one of our absolute favorite composers of our time. He is truly the innovator of a brand new approach to the modern soundscape.” Nyman, equally enthusiastic about working with the Ahns, calls them "my all-time favorite piano trio with a rare passion for new music.”On the new recording, the Ahn Trio also perform "Song On The Land" by piano prodigy and composer Ronn Yedidia (another who attended Juilliard), whom they enlisted to transcribe two other tracks – an instrumental version of the Korean pop hit "Dream" by JY Park (considered to be the Korean "P. Diddy") and the classic folk song "Solitary Singer" (written by folk icon and Disney film composer Terry Gilkyson for his 1948 Armed Forces radio show). "We fell in love with Laurie Lewis' version, so we used her arrangement as our starting point," Angella explains.The album contains eight pieces new to the group's recorded repertoire including Susie Suh's "All I Want," arranged by the Ahn Trio with Susie singing. The CD also includes newly-recorded versions of four compositions that appeared on previous CDs: "Magic Hour" by Kenji Bunch, "The Heart Asks Pleasure First" by Michael Nyman, Astor Piazzolla's "Oblivion" and their instrumental transcription of the David Bowie-Pat Metheny hit "This is Not America." Club-mix versions of four tunes are included as bonus tracks. "The remixes were pure fun," states Lucia. "We wanted international sound designers to take our music and make something completely new out of it."Lullaby for my Favorite Insomniac was recorded in Prague in the Czech Republic. The trio had recently traveled there to perform at the Czech Angel Awards (that country’s Grammys) with one of the country's top rock bands, the Tata Bojs, and two of the best Czech music producers – Dusan Neuwerth (also a member of Tata Bojs) and Jan P. Muchow (who plays in the experimental rock duo The Ecstasy of Saint Theresa). The Ahn sisters then asked Neuwerth and Muchow to co-produce the album with the trio.The Ahns feel that Lullaby for my Favorite Insomniac is “a reflective yet impulsive album” acknowledging who they are at this moment in time. "It's a concept we wanted to explore at this time in our career, and it is very personal because it is the first album that we were involved in the production," Maria explains.The Ahn Trio is already looking ahead to the future. Their next album will consist of all original works written especially for the trio. They are waiting with great anticipation a new Triple Concerto being written for them by Mark O'Conner. Upcoming plans include a recording collaboration with the Tata Bojs; performances in New York City, Mexico and Chicago, a new recording of their Christmas EP, and a tour in China and Korea that will include the premiere of Kenji Bunch's Hardware Triple Concerto in China.
Lullaby for my Favorite Insomniac can be purchased in stores nationwide as well as at online sales outlets including the Sony-BMG Music Entertainment Store (shop.myplay.com) and Amazon.com, or digital download locations such as iTunes. For more information on the Ahn Trio, visit sonybmgmasterworks.com, ahntrio.com or myspace.com/ahntrio.
From the moment the Ahn Trio stepped onto the international music scene stage, they have defied categorization, broken musical barriers and revolutionized perceptions of classical music. They have become leaders in diversifying classical music in the 21st Century. Their trendsetting legacy continues with their fifth recording, Lullaby for my Favorite Insomniac, their debut CD on SONY BMG Masterworks (RCA Red Seal).Korean-born and Juilliard-trained, the Ahns are sisters – violinist Angella, pianist Lucia and cellist Maria. The trio builds bridges between diverse musical genres and transcends any preconceptions that exist in the classical music scene by embracing 21st century classical music as well as utilizing elements of new age, jazz, pop, folk, minimalism, avant-garde, chill, lounge and hip-hop. The trio works with composers who have many diverse influences, and the Ahns also continue to collaborate with many different types of artists."Every century has its own distinctive style of classical music," states Angella, "and our album reflects classical music in the 21st Century which, of course, is influenced by all different types of music in this modern era. We live in New York City and can't help but be inspired by all the exciting new music and art around us. Incorporating these elements feels like an entirely organic progression to us. We don't purposely set out to be rebellious."These musical sisters thrive on dissolving the barriers between art forms. They have fused their music with that of modern dancers (such as the David Parsons Dance Company), pop singers, club DJs, performance artists, photographers, lighting designers, installation artists, ecologists and even kite makers. Ahn Trio tours regularly and has sold out concert venues, from packed clubs to prestigious concert halls, all over the world.
Possessing an enviable combination of talent, style and beauty, the Ahn sisters have long been favorite subjects for the international press. The group initially made a big splash when they were featured early on in Time magazine (the cover heralded "Asian-American Whiz Kids"). They have gone on to be frequently featured on fashion pages in magazines such as Vogue, GQ, Harpers Bazaar, W, Marie Claire and Town & Country. Angella, Lucia and Maria also were named three of People magazine's "50 Most Beautiful People" in 2003, not just for their beauty but also for their outstanding musical accomplishments.Their first album of trio compositions by Ravel and Villa-Lobos won rave reviews ("This is one of Ravel's best, and never better played" - Audion Magazine). Their second recording won an ECHO Award (Germany's Grammy equivalent) and featured interpretations of pieces by Dvorak and Shostakovich. The trio then recorded two albums that introduced works that were written especially for them and which highlighted living composers. For their new CD on SONY BMG Masterworks, the Ahns planned an album they had been dreaming of doing for several years: their modern classical take on what they call “lullabies fit for 21st Century insomniacs.”
"Lullabies are traditionally very simple and beautiful melodies that are small yet powerful in their emotional content. In every culture they are the same. We started by choosing lullaby-worthy material and then did 'modern classical' treatments of them which for us meant creating something edgy but at the same time minimalistic since lullabies should always be simple," explains Maria Ahn. "Primarily our ingredients were our acoustic instruments with some very, very subtle electronica elements and a few non-classical singers."In addition to the title track by Kenji Bunch, they chose his "Dies Irie" and "Magic Hour" (the latter the fifth movement of his "Swing Shift" suite), and also had him arrange the classic Rodgers & Hart standard "My Funny Valentine." "We met Mary Rodgers, Richard Rodgers' daughter, while at Juilliard so we chose this tune as a tribute to her."
Also on the CD are two compositions by acclaimed-film-composer Michael Nyman – "Big My Secret" and the famous theme from the score for the film “The Piano” ("The Heart Asks Pleasure First") – with special transcriptions created by Nyman for the Ahn Trio. According to Lucia, “Nyman is one of our absolute favorite composers of our time. He is truly the innovator of a brand new approach to the modern soundscape.” Nyman, equally enthusiastic about working with the Ahns, calls them "my all-time favorite piano trio with a rare passion for new music.”On the new recording, the Ahn Trio also perform "Song On The Land" by piano prodigy and composer Ronn Yedidia (another who attended Juilliard), whom they enlisted to transcribe two other tracks – an instrumental version of the Korean pop hit "Dream" by JY Park (considered to be the Korean "P. Diddy") and the classic folk song "Solitary Singer" (written by folk icon and Disney film composer Terry Gilkyson for his 1948 Armed Forces radio show). "We fell in love with Laurie Lewis' version, so we used her arrangement as our starting point," Angella explains.The album contains eight pieces new to the group's recorded repertoire including Susie Suh's "All I Want," arranged by the Ahn Trio with Susie singing. The CD also includes newly-recorded versions of four compositions that appeared on previous CDs: "Magic Hour" by Kenji Bunch, "The Heart Asks Pleasure First" by Michael Nyman, Astor Piazzolla's "Oblivion" and their instrumental transcription of the David Bowie-Pat Metheny hit "This is Not America." Club-mix versions of four tunes are included as bonus tracks. "The remixes were pure fun," states Lucia. "We wanted international sound designers to take our music and make something completely new out of it."Lullaby for my Favorite Insomniac was recorded in Prague in the Czech Republic. The trio had recently traveled there to perform at the Czech Angel Awards (that country’s Grammys) with one of the country's top rock bands, the Tata Bojs, and two of the best Czech music producers – Dusan Neuwerth (also a member of Tata Bojs) and Jan P. Muchow (who plays in the experimental rock duo The Ecstasy of Saint Theresa). The Ahn sisters then asked Neuwerth and Muchow to co-produce the album with the trio.The Ahns feel that Lullaby for my Favorite Insomniac is “a reflective yet impulsive album” acknowledging who they are at this moment in time. "It's a concept we wanted to explore at this time in our career, and it is very personal because it is the first album that we were involved in the production," Maria explains.The Ahn Trio is already looking ahead to the future. Their next album will consist of all original works written especially for the trio. They are waiting with great anticipation a new Triple Concerto being written for them by Mark O'Conner. Upcoming plans include a recording collaboration with the Tata Bojs; performances in New York City, Mexico and Chicago, a new recording of their Christmas EP, and a tour in China and Korea that will include the premiere of Kenji Bunch's Hardware Triple Concerto in China.
Lullaby for my Favorite Insomniac can be purchased in stores nationwide as well as at online sales outlets including the Sony-BMG Music Entertainment Store (shop.myplay.com) and Amazon.com, or digital download locations such as iTunes. For more information on the Ahn Trio, visit sonybmgmasterworks.com, ahntrio.com or myspace.com/ahntrio.
LONG WAY HOME BY DON IMMEL
DON IMMEL STARTS A REVOLUTION BY MAKING THE TROMBONE ONE OF TODAY’S MOST VERSATILE INSTRUMENTS
Don Immel is passionate about re-introducing the trombone into the music scene spotlight. With the release of his debut solo album, Long Way Home, he showcases his talents as a world-class trombonist and one of the few who can play equally well in the fields of jazz, classical, pop and chill.
“It has always bothered me that the trombone has fallen out of fashion as a melodic lead instrument during the past 40 years,” explains Immel (pronounced em-uhl). “I have found that listeners love the smooth, silky, sliding sound of the trombone, but they just don’t get exposed to it much anymore. Even though so few trombone-oriented recordings are made these days, I finally realized I shouldn’t let that stop me. If you have lemons, you make lemonade. If you play trombone, you should make a trombone album, which is why I gave a tongue-in-cheek title to one of my tunes, ‘Lemonade Alchemy’.”
The CD is loosely-categorized as smooth jazz, but contains elements of pop, traditional jazz, neo-classical, chill, new age and lounge music. The recording also shows Immel’s skills as a composer, producer and arranger. Long Way Home can be purchased online at CDbaby.com, amazon.com, digital download locations such as iTunes and Napster, and at his own website (donimmel.com).
Immel is one of the only trombone performers in the world who has served as the principal trombonist in major orchestras (the Honolulu Symphony Orchestra and the national Danish South Jutland Symphony Orchestra), performed onstage with top jazz acts (Chris Botti, Doc Severinson, Cyrus Chestnut, Jon Faddis, Billy Childs, Larry Coryell), backed renowned singers onstage (Renee Fleming, Elvis Costello, Bernadette Peters, Linda Ronstadt), and played on Hollywood film soundtracks (“Matrix 3: Revolutions,” “The Newton Boys,” “The Mothman Prophecies,” “Keeping The Faith” and “Crocodile Dundee in L.A.”).
But Don’s versatility doesn’t end there. He has led The Bryggeriet Chill Project (currently performing in Europe), his own jazz groups (The Don Immel Septet, Jazz Talk Octet), both a rock’n’roll horn band and a ska group, and small neo-classical ensembles (Quake, Lyric Brass Quintet, Hollywood Brass). Immel also has performed music for television (“Buffalo Soldiers,” “Rough Riders,” “Super Fire”), top video games (“Enter the Matrix,” “Total Annihilation”) and IMAX features (“Mission to Miur,” “Elephant Kingdom”).
However, Immel’s uniqueness as a musician primarily stems from his ability to bridge the considerable gap between the worlds of classical and jazz. A former university professor in charge of teaching classical trombone as well as jazz band and “The History of Jazz,” Immel says, “Classical music is very precise, almost completely written out, and only subject to slight variations of interpretation. Jazz is on the other end of the musical spectrum with tunes often loosely structured so that they can change with every performance; and in the case of the improvised sections, some of that music is actually being created right at that moment for the first and sometimes only time. There is strict knowledge and technical expertise required in the classical world while jazz is more about freedom, the interchange of ideas, pushing the envelope and interacting with the audience during concerts. With my music, I am attempting to incorporate the best of both fields, and mix in some ideas and sounds from a few other genres to spice things up even more.”
Long Way Home kicks off with the smooth jazz title tune and ends with “Last Dance” which moves into the modern classical realm with the trombone soloing over an unusual combination of cello, vibes and the South American bandoneon. In between those bookends there is even more variety such as two songs with guest vocalists – Jake Bergevin on “Fool’s Full Quiver” and Chandry Moore on “Whole Lotta” (a slow-and-sultry complete overhaul of the old Willie Dixon-Led Zeppelin classic). Immel’s gliding, sliding trombone is spotlighted on the soft-and-slow “Leaving Paradise” and “Still In Love.” There is funky band-interplay on “Lemonade Alchemy” and “See The Memo.” Avant-garde chill-out sounds are explored on “Dualife” and “Charm Offensive” (the chill music genre – also known as smooth electronica and soft techno -- originated in relaxation rooms just off dance floors and rave arenas).
For the recording, Immel brought together many of the best jazz musicians in the Seattle area including pianist Marc Seales (Larry Coryell, Bobby Hutcherson, Slide Hampton, Jackie McLean), drummer Gary Hobbs (Randy Brecker, Eddie Harris, Bud Shank, Glen Moore), bassist Dave Captein (Tom Grant, Rick Braun, Wynton Marsalis, Paul McCandless), guitarist Chris Spencer (Ernie Watts, Tom Scott, Mimi Fox), and percussionist and vibraphonist Ben Thomas (Jovino Santos Neto, Stephen Rush, Laura Caviani).
Don Immel has a musical bloodline. His grandfather Earl was a Professor of Music at Los Angeles Valley College; father Dean was a public school music director for 43 years; and uncle Jerrold composed music for film and television (the themes for “Dallas,” “Knots Landing” and “How the West Was Won”). Don was born in Simi Valley in Southern California, was raised in San Diego and went to high school in Auburn, Washington (a few miles south of Seattle). Don began studying classical piano from ages seven to eleven, but also started on trombone when he was nine. Early influences included classical (Richard Wagner’s “Ride of the Valkyries” and later Gustav Mahler), big band (Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Tommy Dorsey), jazz (Bill Watrous, J.J Johnson) and pop-rock (Chicago, Tower of Power, Blood Sweat & Tears, James Brown). Immel played in school bands and orchestras, and in college had his own rock’n’roll horn band (Otis Elevator and The Shafts).
Immel graduated from Central Washington University with two Bachelor of Music degrees (performance and music education), and taught music in public schools for two years while playing in a ska and reggae band (The Groove). He then attended Rice University in Texas where he earned his Master of Music degree in trombone performance and also performed regularly with the Houston Symphony Orchestra. He joined Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, Washington, as Director of Jazz Studies before moving to the University of Washington as Professor of Trombone. In addition, he played regularly with the Seattle Symphony, Seattle Opera, Seattle Pops Orchestra, Tacoma Pops, numerous chamber ensembles and the top traveling Broadway productions visiting the area. Immel’s growing love of jazz brought new influences such as John Coltrane, Miles Davis, Gil Evans, Cannonball Adderly, Chet Baker, Stan Getz, Stan Kenton, Freddie Hubbard and Michael Brecker. But Don also began listening to Air, Talvin Singh and Thievery Corporation.
Don moved to Hawaii to serve as the principal trombonist with the Honolulu Symphony Orchestra, and while there he also played with the Honolulu Pops and his own jazz group. Most recently he was hired as the solo and principal trombonist for the South Jutland Symphony Orchestra in Denmark where he currently lives. He teaches select students and clinics, performs in various chamber and brass ensembles, and tours Europe with his Bryggeriet Chill Project (“It’s the Danish word for brewery because we got our start playing at micro-breweries”). In recent years Immel also founded Quake -- an avant garde chamber group with woodwinds, strings, percussion and trombone – that mixes Schubert, John Cage and pop tunes with painters, dancers and storytellers for a multi-media presentation that has featured such guests as Walter Gray of the Kronos String Quartet.
“With my music I want to bring the warm, earthy sound of the trombone back to the attention of today’s audience,” explains Immel. “I also am excited about combining the technical aspects of classical music with the freedom of jazz along with the energy and excitement of contemporary pop forms. I don’t feel restricted by my instrument. I truly believe the sound of a trombone can fit into and enhance virtually any style of music. I hope to open people’s ears to the possibilities.”
Don Immel is passionate about re-introducing the trombone into the music scene spotlight. With the release of his debut solo album, Long Way Home, he showcases his talents as a world-class trombonist and one of the few who can play equally well in the fields of jazz, classical, pop and chill.
“It has always bothered me that the trombone has fallen out of fashion as a melodic lead instrument during the past 40 years,” explains Immel (pronounced em-uhl). “I have found that listeners love the smooth, silky, sliding sound of the trombone, but they just don’t get exposed to it much anymore. Even though so few trombone-oriented recordings are made these days, I finally realized I shouldn’t let that stop me. If you have lemons, you make lemonade. If you play trombone, you should make a trombone album, which is why I gave a tongue-in-cheek title to one of my tunes, ‘Lemonade Alchemy’.”
The CD is loosely-categorized as smooth jazz, but contains elements of pop, traditional jazz, neo-classical, chill, new age and lounge music. The recording also shows Immel’s skills as a composer, producer and arranger. Long Way Home can be purchased online at CDbaby.com, amazon.com, digital download locations such as iTunes and Napster, and at his own website (donimmel.com).
Immel is one of the only trombone performers in the world who has served as the principal trombonist in major orchestras (the Honolulu Symphony Orchestra and the national Danish South Jutland Symphony Orchestra), performed onstage with top jazz acts (Chris Botti, Doc Severinson, Cyrus Chestnut, Jon Faddis, Billy Childs, Larry Coryell), backed renowned singers onstage (Renee Fleming, Elvis Costello, Bernadette Peters, Linda Ronstadt), and played on Hollywood film soundtracks (“Matrix 3: Revolutions,” “The Newton Boys,” “The Mothman Prophecies,” “Keeping The Faith” and “Crocodile Dundee in L.A.”).
But Don’s versatility doesn’t end there. He has led The Bryggeriet Chill Project (currently performing in Europe), his own jazz groups (The Don Immel Septet, Jazz Talk Octet), both a rock’n’roll horn band and a ska group, and small neo-classical ensembles (Quake, Lyric Brass Quintet, Hollywood Brass). Immel also has performed music for television (“Buffalo Soldiers,” “Rough Riders,” “Super Fire”), top video games (“Enter the Matrix,” “Total Annihilation”) and IMAX features (“Mission to Miur,” “Elephant Kingdom”).
However, Immel’s uniqueness as a musician primarily stems from his ability to bridge the considerable gap between the worlds of classical and jazz. A former university professor in charge of teaching classical trombone as well as jazz band and “The History of Jazz,” Immel says, “Classical music is very precise, almost completely written out, and only subject to slight variations of interpretation. Jazz is on the other end of the musical spectrum with tunes often loosely structured so that they can change with every performance; and in the case of the improvised sections, some of that music is actually being created right at that moment for the first and sometimes only time. There is strict knowledge and technical expertise required in the classical world while jazz is more about freedom, the interchange of ideas, pushing the envelope and interacting with the audience during concerts. With my music, I am attempting to incorporate the best of both fields, and mix in some ideas and sounds from a few other genres to spice things up even more.”
Long Way Home kicks off with the smooth jazz title tune and ends with “Last Dance” which moves into the modern classical realm with the trombone soloing over an unusual combination of cello, vibes and the South American bandoneon. In between those bookends there is even more variety such as two songs with guest vocalists – Jake Bergevin on “Fool’s Full Quiver” and Chandry Moore on “Whole Lotta” (a slow-and-sultry complete overhaul of the old Willie Dixon-Led Zeppelin classic). Immel’s gliding, sliding trombone is spotlighted on the soft-and-slow “Leaving Paradise” and “Still In Love.” There is funky band-interplay on “Lemonade Alchemy” and “See The Memo.” Avant-garde chill-out sounds are explored on “Dualife” and “Charm Offensive” (the chill music genre – also known as smooth electronica and soft techno -- originated in relaxation rooms just off dance floors and rave arenas).
For the recording, Immel brought together many of the best jazz musicians in the Seattle area including pianist Marc Seales (Larry Coryell, Bobby Hutcherson, Slide Hampton, Jackie McLean), drummer Gary Hobbs (Randy Brecker, Eddie Harris, Bud Shank, Glen Moore), bassist Dave Captein (Tom Grant, Rick Braun, Wynton Marsalis, Paul McCandless), guitarist Chris Spencer (Ernie Watts, Tom Scott, Mimi Fox), and percussionist and vibraphonist Ben Thomas (Jovino Santos Neto, Stephen Rush, Laura Caviani).
Don Immel has a musical bloodline. His grandfather Earl was a Professor of Music at Los Angeles Valley College; father Dean was a public school music director for 43 years; and uncle Jerrold composed music for film and television (the themes for “Dallas,” “Knots Landing” and “How the West Was Won”). Don was born in Simi Valley in Southern California, was raised in San Diego and went to high school in Auburn, Washington (a few miles south of Seattle). Don began studying classical piano from ages seven to eleven, but also started on trombone when he was nine. Early influences included classical (Richard Wagner’s “Ride of the Valkyries” and later Gustav Mahler), big band (Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Tommy Dorsey), jazz (Bill Watrous, J.J Johnson) and pop-rock (Chicago, Tower of Power, Blood Sweat & Tears, James Brown). Immel played in school bands and orchestras, and in college had his own rock’n’roll horn band (Otis Elevator and The Shafts).
Immel graduated from Central Washington University with two Bachelor of Music degrees (performance and music education), and taught music in public schools for two years while playing in a ska and reggae band (The Groove). He then attended Rice University in Texas where he earned his Master of Music degree in trombone performance and also performed regularly with the Houston Symphony Orchestra. He joined Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, Washington, as Director of Jazz Studies before moving to the University of Washington as Professor of Trombone. In addition, he played regularly with the Seattle Symphony, Seattle Opera, Seattle Pops Orchestra, Tacoma Pops, numerous chamber ensembles and the top traveling Broadway productions visiting the area. Immel’s growing love of jazz brought new influences such as John Coltrane, Miles Davis, Gil Evans, Cannonball Adderly, Chet Baker, Stan Getz, Stan Kenton, Freddie Hubbard and Michael Brecker. But Don also began listening to Air, Talvin Singh and Thievery Corporation.
Don moved to Hawaii to serve as the principal trombonist with the Honolulu Symphony Orchestra, and while there he also played with the Honolulu Pops and his own jazz group. Most recently he was hired as the solo and principal trombonist for the South Jutland Symphony Orchestra in Denmark where he currently lives. He teaches select students and clinics, performs in various chamber and brass ensembles, and tours Europe with his Bryggeriet Chill Project (“It’s the Danish word for brewery because we got our start playing at micro-breweries”). In recent years Immel also founded Quake -- an avant garde chamber group with woodwinds, strings, percussion and trombone – that mixes Schubert, John Cage and pop tunes with painters, dancers and storytellers for a multi-media presentation that has featured such guests as Walter Gray of the Kronos String Quartet.
“With my music I want to bring the warm, earthy sound of the trombone back to the attention of today’s audience,” explains Immel. “I also am excited about combining the technical aspects of classical music with the freedom of jazz along with the energy and excitement of contemporary pop forms. I don’t feel restricted by my instrument. I truly believe the sound of a trombone can fit into and enhance virtually any style of music. I hope to open people’s ears to the possibilities.”
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)