In 2012, I arranged music for an original musical theater piece written by Henry Holtzman.
14 traditional songs and 1 original composition make up the material, which was scored for piano, drums, bass and clarinet.
UArts Big Band record is "delightful" →
All About Jazz recently reviewed a pair of releases from The University of the Arts, including records from both the Transfusion ensemble and the "Z" Big Band. I was a member of the latter, and was honored to be a part of this recording session. Our set featured a solid set of tunes from Count Basie, Quincy Jones, and many others.
"This truly large group (five trumpets and five trombones!) maintains the characteristic excitement of Basie's music but also brings to it a modern, Gerald Wilson-like sensibility..."
Read on for more, or take a listen to the record here!
Kickstarter success for William Gruff!
We've set up a Kickstarter campaign to get our debut record in your hands, and on the road! Check out the video, and consider helping us make more great music.
UPDATE: We've done it! Thanks to your generous donations, we've exceeded our goal of raising $5,000. You people are beautiful!
Alex Radus - Leopard-Skin Pillbox Hat
I played on Alex Radus's contribution to this great compilation. 13 Philadelphia bands take on a Bob Dylan tune in tribute to his septuagenarianism. Take it from Lance Davis, the producer that put this project together:
2011 was a special year for songwriting legend Bob Dylan. It not only marked the year of his 70th birthday but it was also the 50 year anniversary of his first recording. Being a huge fan of his work, and a singer/songwriter myself, I was really inspired to put together and produce a tribute compilation featuring Philadelphia Artists. In 2009 I met a group of engineers from Racetrack Studios out of Gettysburg PA that had just opened a new facility in the old Indre studio space in South Philadelphia, and in 2010 I decided to partner up with them and record it there.
We tracked a great trio version of Dylan's classic "Leopard-Skin Pillbox Hat" from Blonde on Blonde. Featuring Alex Radus on guitars and vocals, and Dan Manchester on bass.
Alex Radus - Hustle and a Bustle
The single release of an original holiday tune, featuring the Alex Radus Trio: Alex Radus - guitar and vocals; Dan Manchester - bass; Charlie Heim - drums. Written by Charles Ramsey and Basia Grocholski, Produced by Lance Davis.
Indie Music Reviewer says William Gruff is "astonishing"
The good folks at Indie Music Reviewer not only showered us with praise for our debut effort, they invited us to Atlanta to perform at their festival.
“William Gruff” is the title of a debut recording by an astonishing east coast band of the same name. Personally, I was slack jawed before the end of the first song as were a few friends who also had the pleasure of hearing it...
The album is stylistically dynamic with influences from jazz, rock, country, gypsy, Latin, and boogie blues. Each track is skillfully executed and delightfully catchy. This powerfully great record is sure to be a wild success."
The Mountain Man Known as William Gruff →
Darryl at what's protocol? attended our first show post-emergence from our studio cocoon.
The Bailey Hounds Ride White Swans like T.Rex →
Obviously, you dress up for Halloween. For most musicians, you play somewhere on Halloween. This year, I was not behind the kit for once, and got to get all 70s psyched-out on saxophone and congas backing The Bailey Hounds.
William Gruff - William Gruff
Click to listen to the full album online
The debut album from William Gruff. Featuring many songs previously heard from Philadelphia's Mountain Man, this sprawling album hits all the right spots.
Find The March Hare
People (sometimes Dressed as People) have taken some pretty cool pictures of some mysterious stickers around Philadelphia. I've been seeing more and more Tumblr users looking to Find The March Hare...
Jump with Jill - Goin' on a Journey: Songs for Every Body
Featuring some inventive bucket-drumming, this tune is part of the recent record Goin' on a Journey from Rockstar Nutritionist Jill Jayne. It was a great time making a racket, thanks in no small part to the percussion mastery of Spencer Inch.
From Jump with Jill's website: Goin on a Journey: Songs for Every Body was released in 2010 as the follow-up to Get Me Goin, this time for preschool-aged kids. It was considered for a 2012 Grammy nomination for Best Children's Album. The Journey travels to healthy choruses about fueling your choo choo train with healthy foods, giving new foods a second try, doing jumping jacks like Jill, dancing The Water Polka, wearing sunscreen when you're having fun in the sun, getting your bubbles on at bath time, brushing your teeth before bedtime, and dreaming about doing it all again tomorrow. The 15-track CD comes in a recycled digipak that includes the lyrics on a 10-panel fold out poster.
Megalodon - Summer Sessions
The water's safe...
An unreleased set of untreated studio cuts, replete with unfettered ferocity.
A prehistoric beast of a band, featuring Greg Johnson on saxophone and EWI, Scott Kruser on guitars, Erek Kapusta on keyboards, Mike Dougherty on bass, and myself hitting things.
Formed in 2007, played some shows around Pennsylvania.
Released debut album, Edible , in 2009.
Went back into the studio in 2011, and tracked some new material. They're unfinished tracks - this is the band raw and unaffected. Featuring compositions from Greg Johnson, Scott Kruser, and Erek Kapusta.
Recorded with Dave Villani
Marigold Opera - Marigold Opera [EP]
Click to listen to the full EP online
A unique chamber group based in NYC.
This is a recording that I engineered, mixed and mastered in half a dozen rooms in Philadelphia and New York. Featuring original compositions by Matt Schlatter and Nathan Cooke.
Released in 2011, this recording features an NYC ensemble that combines the instrumentation of an eclectic classical-styled chamber group with the voice of a singer/songwriter.
Composed and Arranged by Matt Schlatter and Nathan Cooke
Engineered, Produced by Charlie Heim
Logo by Victoria Neiman
Nathan Cooke - vibes, Charlie Heim - drums, Matt Schlatter - voice and piano, Chris Loxley - cello, Mike Cemprola - reeds, Kiersten Cunningham - violin, and Bonnie Shappell - horn.
Charles Ramsey - Cashing in on Christmastime
The New Dimension - Cool Jazz: Music from Penn State
As part of an exhibit at the Palmer Museum of Art entitled "New York Cool", Penn State University broadcast this special from the Museum's lobby. Featuring classic standards and original compositions, The New Dimension performs a set inspired by the visual and performing art from this formative era of creativity.
Sure Happy It's Tuesday by Dan Yoder
Minor Swing by Django Reinhardt
Somewhere by Leonard Bernstein arr. Brubeck
Solstice by Steven Hopkins
Petite Fleur by Sidney Bechet
Strollin' by Horace Silver
Missing Tooth by Dan Yoder
There Is No Greater Love by Isham Jones
“Jazz combo featured on WPSU’s “Music from Penn State”
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. (February 12, 2009) — Tune into WPSU-TV on Thursday for the start of another acclaimed season of “Music from Penn State.” The program features a variety of musical styles and “Dan Yoder and the New Dimension” kicks things off with an evening of “cool jazz” on Penn State Public Television. “Music from Penn State” airs at 9 p.m. Thursday and repeats at 7 p.m. Sunday on WPSU-TV.
The jazz combo is made up of Penn State faculty and graduate students, including Dan Yoder, director of Jazz Studies, on saxophone; Mac Himes on guitar; Adam Kurland at piano; Ron Lange on bass; and Charlie Heim on drums.
The “Music from Penn State” series, now entering its third season, showcases the musical talent of Penn State’s School of Music.”
The Case of the Rock 'n' Roll Dog
The first in a series of children's books from author Martha Freeman, I contributed two original scores to this 2011 publication. Both songs: "Rock 'n' Roll Dog" and "Read a Book" were printed with the book, published by Holiday House...
Megalodon - Edible
The debut album from a Jazz/Fusion/Funk/Classical beast of a band.
Megalodon has been in gestation for years now, mostly through various groups I've been in with my good pal Greg Johnson. In the summer of 2009, the five members first convened: Greg Johnson, Saxophone; Scott Kruser, Guitar; Erek Kapusta, Keyboards; Michael Dougherty, Bass; Yours Truly, Drums. Armed with some fresh charts by Greg and Scott, we played our first show EVER at the Central PA Festival of the Arts in State College - on a sunny Friday afternoon at the Festival Shell. We performed around SC a few more times in the ensuing days, and then went our separate ways for a full year.
Our devotion to the prehistoric beast pulled us back together in the summer of 2010, but this time with an agenda: record an album, and get this thing going. In June, we did just that - spent a week rehearsing our faces off, and two days with Dave Villani in Altoona recording. The result is Edible, a record of epic proportions that we're quite proud of. We released it in October of 2010, and are currently hocking it at all of the finest retailers:
Big Band: The University of the Arts
A swingin' studio recording from the 2008 University of the Arts Big Band, featuring the music of Count Basie.
Deathsquad 5000
I recently revisited a really cool project I worked on a few months ago.
I had the pleasure of recording/mixing an EP for the State College based jazz/funk/face-rocking band Deathsquad 5000 in my basement, using the ol' laptop+some pretty microphones. There's some really cool stuff on this record, and the guys laid down some serious tracks (usually in just a few takes). Kudos to the guys in the band:
Mac Himes - Guitar
Erek Kapusta - Piano
Ben Stanley - Bass
Adam Wlotowsky - Drums
Required Reading: Ted Reed's Syncopation
Syncopation lays out basic patterns for snare and bass drum, and *progressively* introduces complexity and coordination challenges. Its utility lies in Reed's presentation of these rhythms: in a succinct and useful way, and covers nearly every rhythmic permutation you could want to play.