Jazz Time Machine » Classical

Michael Perlowin Presents Unique-sounding Classical Music Inspired by Spain

Jazz Time Machine — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 11:12:01 +0000

Michael Perlowin breaks new ground with innovative and enjoyable music performed primarily and surprisingly on the pedal steel guitar.As with his forays into the world of Debussy, Stravinsky and Broadway with his Firebird Suite and West Side Story albums, Michael Perlowin is again shattering the stereotype of the pedal steel guitar as a country-and-western-only instrument. In his new album, Spanish Steel, he presents 20 tracks from or about Spain, featuring works by Manuel de Falla, Isaac Albéniz, Joaquín Rodrigo, Julio Martinez Oyanguren, and Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov.This new album sees Perlowin continuing to alternate between the use of the pedal steel as both a featured and ensemble instrument. However, this CD features Perlowin’s guitar work more than his previous outings, as the guitar is such an integral part of Spanish music. It is fair to say that this is not so much a “pedal steel guitar album” as it is an album of music in which the steel is predominantly featured for its unique expressive sound.Perlowin, a veteran guitarist of the folk and rock music scene around L.A., became enamored of the pedal steel guitar after unexpectedly finding himself working on a country and western band during the mid-70s. His infatuation blossomed into an all-consuming love affair, an intensely passionate obsession that continues to this day. Perlowin jokingly calls himself a “steel-aholic,” and adds that the intricacies and mysteries of the instrument cause most other players to feel the same way.As a working guitarist, Perlowin had played just about every type of popular music, from standards, to folk, rock, country, blues, reggae and even disco. Playing pedal steel guitar, however, Perlowin found he was unhappy when confined to country and western music. He began playing the steel with musicians from various genres, including an all instrumental experimental music band, and a blues rock band ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WkSnoeTWR4I ).Eventually, it was the world of classical music that attracted Perlowin’s interest. A recording of Debussy’s “The Maid With the Flaxen Hair” by jazz guitarist Johnny Smith introduced him to the world of literate music. Perlowin explains, “As soon as I heard this piece, I realized that this was what I wanted to play.” Perlowin’s own recording of the piece, which clearly shows Smith’s influence, can be heard on his first classical pedal steel album Firebird Suite.”Everyone who plays classical music should be required to listen to this recording,” said Mark Laycock, Music Director, Orchestra London, The Princeton Chamber Symphony and Guest Conductor of The Philadelphia Orchestra, Philharmonia Orchestra and Indianapolis Symphony. “Mike Perlowin is a musical genius who I am proud to know and learn from, and honored to have for a friend. I love this instrument, and this music and the beauty of these sounds delights my soul.”Perlowin had been marginally exposed to classical music when he was young, and has no formal musical or production training. Perlowin’s second album, West Side Story, shows his growth not as a player, since he had already mastered the instrument, but as a producer, arranger, and recording engineer.However, it is with this third album that his mastery of the recording studio blossomed to match his talents as a virtuoso musician. On Spanish Steel, Dave Beyer played drums and percussion, while Bill Watkins contributed timpani samples to complement Perlowin on pedal and lap steel guitars, electric and acoustic guitars, fretted and fretless basses, sitar, mandolin, mandocello, 5-string banjo, autoharp and additional percussion.Spanish Steel is a totally unique and original album fulfilling Perlowin’s goal of showing the beauty and expressiveness of the pedal steel guitar. Replete with fascinating liner notes, it is the best example to date of the depths of Perlowin’s enormous talent. Find it along with his other albums at CDBaby.com, SteelGuitarMusic.com, Amazon.com; for reviews and images visit his artist website at http://www.mikeperlowin.comTRACK LIST:Michael Perlowin, SPANISH STEEL: Music from Spain by Manuel de Falla, Joaquín Rodrigo, Isaac Albéniz and others.El Amour Brujo (Manuel de Falla)1. Introduccion Y Escena (0:30)2. En La Cueva (1:46)3. Cancion Del Amor Dolido (1:25)4. Danze Del Terror (2:03)5. El Circulo Magico (2:45)6. Danza Ritual Del Fuego (3:52)7. Escena (1:00)8. Cancion Del Fuego Fatuo (1:21)9. Pantmima (4:14)10. Danza Del Juego De Amor (2:23)11. Las Campanas Del Amanecer (1:18)Asturias (Isaak Albéniz)12. Asturias (Leyenda) (5:43)Conceirto Andeluz for 4 guitars (Joaquín Rodrigo).13. Conceirto Andeluz for 4 guitars- Third Movement ( 7:05)Fantasia Inca (Julio Martinez Oyanguren)14. Fantasia Inca (3:12)Capriccio Espagnol (Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov)15. Alborada (1:15)16. Variazioni (4:20)17. Alborada (1:17)18. Scena (2:16)19. Canto Gatano (2:22)20. Fandango Asturiano (3:38)

Michael Perlowin Presents Unique-sounding Classical Music Inspired by Spain

Jazz Time Machine — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 09:12:37 +0000

Wynton Marsalis – Hindemith Trumpet Sonata

Jazz Time Machine — Sat, 24 Jul 2010 22:52:45 +0000

As controversial as he is popular, Wynton Learson Marsalis is one of the most prominent jazz musicians of the modern era and is also a well-known instrumentalist in classical music. Currently the Musical Director of Jazz at Lincoln Center Wynton Marsalis has received many awards for his musical proficiency. These awards run the gambit of Grammys to a controversial awarding of the Pulitzer Prize for Music for his three and half hour jazz oratorio CD box set Blood on the Fields, the first jazz album to win this award. Born in a musically oriented family in the New Orleans jazz scene at a young age Wynton was exposed to many legendary jazz musicians. Some of these musicians were Al Hirt, who gave Wynton his first trumpet when he was 6 years of age and Danny Barker, a legendary jazz banjoist who lead the Fairview Baptist Church band which Wynton was playing in when he was eight. Wynton was very active musically during high school and was a member in many New Orleans musical organizations such as the NO symphony brass quintet, the NO community concert band, NO youth orchestra, NO symphony and a popular local funk band called the Creators. In 1978 he had a two-year stay at the Juilliard School of Music before joining the Jazz Messengers to study under master drummer and bandleader, Art Blakey. Not long after that he toured with the Herbie Hancock quartet before forming his own band. After many concerts and workshops Wynton rekindled widespread interest in an art form that had …

Part 2: Chick Corea: Documentary of Legendary Jazz Great, Pianist and Composer, Chick Corea (pt. 2)

Jazz Time Machine — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 15:34:33 +0000

www.chickcorea.com Part 1: www.youtube.com Featuring Sting, Bobby McFerrin, Bela Fleck, Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Stanley Clarke, Gary Burton, Steve Gadd An NEA Jazz Master, 15-time Grammy winner, prolific composer and keyboard virtuoso, Chick Corea has attained living legend status for 4 decades of unparalleled creativity and artistic output. Innovator Since 1966, Corea has been at the forefront of jazz & fusion, w/ acoustic jazz bands, Return to Forever and the Elektric Band. Extensive discography boasts numerous essential albums, beginning with 1968s classic, Now He Sings, Now He Sobs. Recent Activity Corea has entered into a new era of creativity as evidenced by 2007s Grammy-winning The Enchantment (w/ Bela Fleck), 2008s The New Crystal Silence (w/ Gary Burton), 2009s Returns (documenting Return To Forevers 2008 reunion tour) and 2009s Grammy-winning Five Peace Band Live (w/ John McLaughlin, Christian McBride, Kenny Garrett & Vinnie Colaiuta).

Michael Perlowin Presents Unique-sounding Classical Music Inspired by Spain

Jazz Time Machine — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 20:44:25 +0000