New Elvis Costello & The Roots Album Features
Orchestra Arranged and Conducted by Brent Fischer
Brent Fischer conducts the orchestra for Costello Roots at Conway Studio C
photo: Francisco Rodriguez
The Roots 16th album and first collaboration with Elvis Costello, 'Wise Up Ghost', began on NBC's "Late Night With Jimmy Fallon," where the hip-hop group is the house band. The highly anticipated new album from Elvis Costello & The Roots features The Brent Fischer Orchestra and is slated for a September 17 release from Blue Note Records.
The Roots' Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson calls 'Wise Up Ghost' "a passion project." His orchestral arranger, Brent Fischer, could not agree more.
"I knew things would flow well when I got a beautiful note from Ahmir with his wish list," says Brent Fischer, whose credits include: Usher, Al Jarreau, Eric Benet, Toni Braxton and Michael Jackson, to name a few.
The sessions, with a 20-piece orchestra arranged and conducted by Brent Fischer, were in full swing at Conway studio C, in Hollywood, CA with Rafa Sardina (Placido Domingo, Lady Gaga, Shakira) engineering in June. "Costello's vocals are incredible and the musicianship of the band is top notch. They are some of the most innovative people on the scene today" says Fischer. |
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ATC Speakers: Studio to Concert Hall
To say it was an ambitious project is an understatement. Veteran recording engineer/producer Ryan Ulyate, who has worked closely with legendary rocker Tom Petty (on road till July) and guitarist Mike Campbell since 2005, was charged with the task of compiling and organizing the individual songs from over 250 Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers concerts from their over thirty years together. After selecting only the "A+" material with Petty and Campbell, he then mixed five CDs-worth of material sequenced without regard to chronology. The challenge, apart from the sheer volume of the task, was to obtain a consistent sound from recordings spread across three decades made by different engineers using vastly different technologies. Ulyate relied on his ATC SCM 50 ASL three-way active monitors to reveal the truth in every mix, and the consistency he was able to achieve effectively makes The Live Anthology a time machine that zips backward and forward across the years to build five perfect Tom Petty and the Heartbreaks concerts.
"...When we had 169 takes of 'American Girl,' we felt pretty comfortable skipping over the blemished ones." Rather than limit their picks to a predetermined number, Petty preferred to select all of the truly "A+" material and release it. Out of 5,200 takes of an extremely talented band, there turned out to be quite a few ideal ones!
With the selections made, Ulyate secreted away in "Ryan's Place," his personal L.A. studio overlooking scenic Topanga Canyon. His Pro Tools system is a nearly perfect copy of Petty's rig, which allows the two to go back and forth without a hiccup. He mixes in the box and monitors on the ATC SCM 50 ASLs together with a Bag End Infrasub-18 subwoofer. Auratones provide a small speaker reference.
"A lot of the time I was effectively fighting with engineers or the live situations they were faced with. For example, several of the recordings were obviously heavy on the mid-range. Compared to a flat recording, they sounded honky, with small, ugly guitars. So I had to do a lot of sculpting in the mid-range." He continued, "That's where the ATC monitors were especially helpful. They have the best mid-range of any loudspeaker I've ever heard. A lot of speakers seem to have big black holes in the mid-range, where it's impossible to tell exactly what I'm doing. With the SCM 50s, I can hear the difference between a 1 dB boost at 1.1 kHz and one at 1.2 kHz!" In keeping with the live feel of the album, Ulyate mixed at approximately 93 dB, an approach that would have been difficult without the non-fatiguing performance of his ATCs. To be sure of the consistency from track to track, he imported each finished mix into subsequent sessions so that he could A/B conveniently.
"No one knew the sequence of the songs while I was mixing them," Ulyate explained. "When I finished, Tom took them and played with sequencing for a few weeks. Because they were so consistent, he was free to arrange them any way he pleased, and in the end that's exactly what he did. Each disc is like an ideal performance, with song sequence forming the sort of emotional arc that takes you some place. While in reality the songs may be zipping from the late 1970s to the 2000s and back again, the tone between them makes those chronological transitions transparent."
 TransAudio Group, founded by industry veteran Brad Lunde, has quickly become the premier US importer/distributor and/or US sales and marketing representative for high-end audio. contact Brad Lunde or Phone (702) 307-2700 or visit www.transaudiogroup.com |
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Mo' Meta Blues
The World According to Questlove
"I'm an official NYT's Bestseller," tweets
Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson. He is many things: virtuoso drummer, producer, arranger, Late Night with Jimmy Fallon bandleader, DJ, composer, and tireless Tweeter. He is one of our most ubiquitous cultural tastemakers,
and in this, his first book, he reveals his own formative experiences--from growing up in 1970s West Philly as the son of a 1950s
doo-wop singer, to finding his own way through the music world and ultimately co-founding and rising up with the Roots, a.k.a.,the last hip hop band on Earth.
Mo' Meta Blues also has some (many) random (or not) musings about the state of hip hop, the state of music criticism, the state of statements, as well as a plethora of run-ins with celebrities, and fellow artists: Prince, Stevie Wonder, KISS, D'Angelo & Jay-Z, to name few.
 photo: Francisco Rodriguez
Above: Producer, Steven Mandel attending the LA Costello Roots session with Sardina
via Skype! |
11-time Grammy-winner Rafa Sardina (Placido Domingo, Lady Gaga, Rodrigo y Gabiela) engineered the orchestra sessions in Los Angeles at Conway studio C and at After Hours Studio with arranger/MD, Brent Fischer
Producer Marvin Etzioni and Reverand Tall Tree aka Chris Pierce (above) have been spotted in select venues in Los Angeles doing live gigs (Sassafras Saloon and No Vacancy in Hollywood) and working together in the studio on new material. What are the fans getting besides sweet salvation? A whole lot of stomping, shouting, moaning, shuffling and hollering, we're told. Rev TT & The Blackstrap Brothers can shake it up! Want to hear concise notes coming out of a harmonica? Try diping it in a certain type of whiskey, says the rev! Watch it here
Al-Saadi's Dream Team  "Nothin' scares these Guys! Still smiling after my all day, live-two-track (!!!)" says producer, Jeff Weber of Blues singer/ guitarist Laith Al-Saadi session at Sunset Gower/Ocean Way studio B Weber calls it "a true dream team of musicians, singers, engineers and production crew" including Jim Keltner (Drums), Lee Sklar (Bass), Larry Goldings (Organ), Jimmy Vivino (Guitars, Background Vocals), Tom Scott (Sax), Lee Thornburg (Trumpet), Nick Lane (Trombone), Brandon Fields (Baritone Sax), Will Wheaton (Background Vocals), Billy Valentine (Background Vocals), Lamont Van Hook (Background Vocals), Jason Morales (Background Vocals), Clark Germain (Engineer), Michael Clark (Score Supervisor, Assoc. Prod.), Wesley Seidman (Asst. Engineer), Ryan Reault (Asst. Engineer), and George Jones (Executive Producer).
Ocean Way Recording was recently sold to the holding company that owns the Sunset Gower and Sunset Bronson Studios, large independent film studios located next door to the famed studio. Hudson Pacific Properties (the new owners), has 12 sound stages on the Sunset Gower lot and another 11 on Sunset Bronson, along with production companies for ABC, NBC, HBO, Showtime and even the local KTLA station.
Live Stream From Studio City Sound Weezer, Kelly Clarkson, Rod Stewart, No Doubt are some of the artists who have recorded at Studio City Sound. Tonight you can reserve your spot at UStream TV and hear Salvador Santana with Dymond Harding in session at 8pm Sweet Deals & Service From Trans Audio Group The Daking Mic Pre 500.
Now on sale for a very limited time at $585  
 
l-r: Richard, Todd, Janis and Brad at Trans Audio Group Sales related questions- pricing, availability and dealer locations please contact: Richard: sales@transaudiogroup.com For the latest info on Product Development
Brad: president@transaudiogroup.com TransAudio Group, founded by industry veteran Brad Lunde, has quickly become the premier US importer/distributor and/or US sales and marketing representative for high-end audio. Success hinges on TransAudio providing dealers and end users with a higher standard of product expertise and support far beyond the norm. TAG product line includes A-Designs (USA), ATC Loudspeakers (UK), Bock Audio (USA), Chameleon Labs , Crane Song, Daking Audio (USA) Dave Hill, Drawmer, Pete's Place Audio, Tube-Techand Sonodyne Nearfield Monitors |
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Line Up Your Music Team
Like a rough diamond, a good performance or song often transcends a
so-so demo. You can hear the artist potential and maturity. what's next?
Get expert input on where to improve and develop what will one day be your signature sound. Having the right team - producer, manager, publicist - helps build trusted advocates for your work. Like seeding a field, you attend to it regularly and watch it grow into a lush garden!
Since its inception in the Fall of 2010, Herff Jones have grown to embrace an honest and resilient approach toward their work. "Guided by music's extraordinary gift of affecting people otherwise alien, our sound incorporates diverse influences into the traditional rock band template," says a band spokesperson for the quintet from Mystic, CT. Here you can hear powerful vocal harmonies, rich lyricism over interwoven electric and acoustic guitar, all driven by a dynamic and expressive rhythm section. We're told their live performances encourage both frenzy and calm appreciation and feature visuals with liquid lights as well as video projection. An exciting, soulful manifestation of pop music? Listen and decide!
Herff Jones is currently seeking Management / Publicists
Ojai Music Festival Ends on A High Note
 Conductor Joshua Gersen (left) working out details with Organist Colin Fowler and Ojai Music Festival staff.
The 67th Ojai Music Festival (2013) includes two performances using organ. Elaine Martone who produces prestigeous concerts reached out to
Church Keyboard Center in Pasadena who provided the Rodgers Infinity organ for Lou Harrison Concerto for Organ and Percussion Orchestra.
Organist Colin Fowler also performed works by Charles Ives, Henry Cowell, Vincent Persichetti and William Bolcom at Libbey Bowl on June 9, 2013 in Ojai, California.
A Composer's Cave For Lou Harrison Joshua Tree, CA
Harrison House is the straw bale "composer's cave" that Lou Harrison completed in 2002 on the edge of Joshua Tree National Park. Of his chosen construction method Lou Harrison noted, "America grows enough straw in one year to satisfy all of its building needs." The design, inspired by the great Egyptian architect Hassan Fathy, is a unique structure featuring a vaulted hall that measures 36' X 12' with a sixteen foot ceiling-- proportions chosen by Harrison to create a superb and intimate sound environment for acoustic music. Harrison had one year to visit and enjoy his studio retreat where he worked on his final musical composition "Scenes from Nek Chand" for custom-made steel guitar.
This structure is a special integration of design, form, materials, light, acoustics and history. The experience of being inside has been likened to a chapel, mosque or temple.
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Someone said there's a poet in all of us. When we allow to feel,
self-expression presents itself...on clay, steel, paper, canvas, computer or a musical instrument! A message from the Divine or random acts of creativity?
Be grateful for the experience...it's the only thing that makes us truly human.
Until next month, Celebrate your and America's Independence!
Music Lives & Moves!
Claris Sayadian-Dodge, Founder I Editor studioexpresso
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courtesy of Record Production & Babblefish
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New Address
Roland l Rodgers I Hammond
keyboard Showroom
studioexpresso
2295 E Foothill Blvd Pasadena, CA 91107
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with SCM 300
The New World Symphony has gained an international reputation for the quality and style of its multifaceted performances. Under the artistic direction of Michael Tilson Thomas, the New World Symphony regularly performs to sold-out halls at the New World Center in Miami Beach and the Knight Concert Hall at the Carnival Center for the Performing Arts in Miami. The New World Symphony fellowship program consists of an in-depth course of performance and instructional activities designed to expand the musical and professional horizons of NWS Fellows. In the last 24 years, more than 850 musicians have participated in the fellowship program. To date, 90% of NWS alumni have embarked on careers in music, the large majority in full-time orchestra positions. The New World Symphony's 2013-2014 academic program season will begin in early September 2013 and extend until early May 2014. NWS is an accredited institutional member of the National Association of Schools of Music.
Boch Microphone
A Design Reddi
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Reveran Tall Tree
March
at Sassafras Saloon
New album with Marvin Etzioni in the works
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