Jonathan Scales Fourchestra & Galen Kipar Project Perform at Isis Music Hall on Sat 3/15

Jonathan Scales Fourchestra & Galen Kipar Project
Isis Restaurant & Music Hall
Saturday, March 15, 2014
www.isisasheville.com

Isis Music Hall in Asheville is proud to host an evening with Jonathan Scales Fourchestra and Galen Kipar Project on Saturday, March 15th. Both bands have been busy writing new music for upcoming albums and are excited to present some of the tunes at the show. Scroll to the bottom of this for a couple of videos of Jonathan Scales Fourchestra and Galen Kipar Project Performing live.

Doors are at 5pm if you would like to sit down for dinner prior to the show. The show starts at 9pmas and general admission tickets are $10 in advance and $12 at the door. There will be some balcony seating available. Call 828-575-2737 for dinner reservations or with questions. Isis Music Hall is located at 743 Haywood Road Asheville, NC 28806.

Jonathan Scales Fourchestra. Photo by Mike Morel.

Jonathan Scales Fourchestra is heading into the studio in the middle-of-nowhere Virginia at Summit Sound to record the bands first TRIO record, no guests, not extra orchestration, just raw Jonathan Scales Fourchestra. This will be their most ambitious record for the band, inspired by Roy “Futureman” Wooten, the album will be their first real attempt to put together an “epic, long-form masterpiece.” The new release, Mixtape Symphony, is expected to drop in late spring through Ropeadope Records.

Jonathan Scales Fourchestra is an example of musical sincerity. Weaving together collective and individual influences without compromise, they are as much themselves as they are a unit—a crucial trait of landmark instrumental ensembles. Equally captivating is steel pannist and founder Jonathan Scales’ compositional skill as is his tasteful, avant-garde improvisational approach.

“Scales is to steel pans ….what Béla Fleck is to the banjo—an über innovator,” says Driftwood Magazine. Drummer and percussionist Phill Bronson drives the Fourchestra’s time-shifting, modern grooves with graceful polyrhythmic chops and the listening ability of a true master. (His talent has been praised by Victor Wooten, Oteil Burbridge, Ellie Mannette, and others.) Bassist Cody Wright rounds out the ensemble with a groundbreaking hybrid picking style stemming from his background as a highly practiced fusion guitarist. With gut-wrenching grooves and blistering, soulful melodic lines, Wright’s mix of flash and feel adds a unique depth to the Fourchestra.

Together, the group explodes onto stages with an indescribable sound that is as much felt as it is heard, and is said to have “a Thelonious Monk-like attitude with a Mozart creativity that works.” (Pan on the Net) The group’s self-titled debut collaborative album features unparalleled sonic density and envelope-pushing compositions. Guest collaborators include Grammy winning masters Victor Wooten and Howard Levy (Béla Fleck and the Flecktones) and is fully orchestrated with horns and strings.

For more about Jonathan Scales Fourchestra and tour dates, please visit www.jonscales.com.

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Galen Kipar Project. Photo by Folktography

Galen Kipar Project has been on the rise since 2006, and are currently recording their fifth album at Echo Mountain Studio in Asheville, NC and at the Jefferson Center with Summit Sound’s engineer in Roanoke, VA. They will be launching a kickstarter campaign soon to help fund getting the new music out to the world and expect to release the album by the end of the year.

Crafting a fusion of folk, classical, jazz, and blues, Galen Kipar Project has been hailed as “complex yet accessible” and “cohesive and poignant” with “experimental folk masterpieces.” Based in Asheville, GKP is Lyndsay Pruett (violin/ vocals), Jeremy Young (Drums), Ben Portwood (upright bass/ vocals), Galen Kipar (guitar/ harmonicas and vocals), Aaron Ballance (lap steel guitar/ dobro) and Jon Morrow (8 string Novak guitar/bass).

Galen Kipar Project has released four albums, the most recent being The Scenic Route in 2010. “The aptly titled effort is loaded with images of mountains, rivers, forests and streams, and backed by lush arrangements, fluid vocals and Appalachian instrumentation that bring to life what is essentially a musical portrait of Western North Carolina,” says the Mountain Xpress.

Songwriter and host of the Grateful Dead Hour, David Gans states about the album, “It’s like a collection of short stories, brilliantly constructed and with a unique and compelling literary voice. I keep coming back to each song, listening more deeply and being drawn more deeply in.” Gans says about Galen’s music, ” I was hooked right away… Strange, slightly other-worldly acoustic music sung in a sweet, slightly distracted voice. I think of it as a sort of American Primitive, with hits of Sandy Bull in the guitars, Brett Dennen in the voice, Donna the Buffalo in the rustic simplicity, and something altogether new in the wonderful orchestrations… In the words of Tina Fey, “When I hear the sounds of this nearby world, I want to go to there.'”

For more about Galen Kipar Project and upcoming shows, please visit www.galenkipar.com.

 

 

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New Music Video from Stephaniesid “Cinematic”

Official video for “Cinematic” from the 2011 Stephaniesid album entitled “Starfruit” which  releases on October 18th.

This video was shot in an undisclosed location in Asheville, NC by Paul Chelmis, Jesse Hamm, Lisa Jourdan, and Cody Wright. It was edited by Stephanie Morgan.

“Cinematic” Official Video (Stephaniesid) from Stephanie Morgan on Vimeo.

Asheville, NC band Stephaniesid return with their sparkling, new pop gem Starfruit, cementing their status as one of the region’s most ambitious, innovative, and influential bands.

In the downtime since their last record, lead singer Stephanie Morgan formed a local songwriter’s group to help spur her creativity.

She began recording the songs that emerged from these sessions, and posting them online for fans. This collection of singles formed the nucleus for Starfruit, and the rest of the band joined her over the course of many months to record more material in the home she shares with husband/co-bandleader Chuck Lichtenberg.

As a result, Starfruit has a much looser, more organic feel than the band’s first three full-lengths, while retaining the band’s penchant for intricate arrangements, unusual textures, and virtuosic playing. The sprawling 14-track effort touches on all of the band’s many influences, even including a faithful cover of Dream Academy’s hit “Life In A Northern Town,” and a cheeky reworking of the Laverne & Shirley theme song.

BACKGROUND:
Stephaniesid quickly became a local powerhouse with their debut Spiral In (2005). The band was signed by Nine Mile Records in 2007 and released Grus Americanus, a record that NPR’s Robin Hilton described as “A mesmerizing mix of songs that can be hushed and calm one moment, and then suddenly dark and explosive the next.” Grus also spawned singles which appeared on HBO’s “Nurse Jackie,” the award-winning short film “The Red Helmet,” and numerous compilations.

In 2008, the band performed at Bonnaroo, and was reviewed in The Bonnaroo Beacon: “…a rather transcendent set …the band was different, melodic, quirky, and just plain good…. A sleeper act which hit the mark with an almost Bjork-like panache.”

2009’s Warm People garnered more national attention for the band, with plays on NPR’s “World Cafe” (“Sharp writing!” exclaims David Dye), and glowing reviews in Blurt, Billboard, and Big Takeover. By 2010, Stephaniesid had been named “Best Rock Band” in Asheville in the (weekly paper) Mountain Xpress poll 4 years in a row.

Touring in support of “Starfruit” are Steph (vox, guitar, synth), Chuck (keyboards, vox), Maine-born Tim Haney (drums), and former NYC horn players Justin Ray and Jacob Rodriguez, with Matthew Richmond (vibraphone) and Jonathan Pearlman (guitar) also appearing on shows in the Southeast.

Find out more about the band at stephaniesid.com

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Jazz/ Rock Steel Pannist Jonathan Scales Fourchestra Tours DC and New York City 9/22- 9/25

“…rising star of the steel drums…” ~Traps Magazine

“The Real Deal [with] a Thelonius Monk-like attitude with a Mozart creativity that works.” ~ Pan on the Net
“At the end of the day, Scales is going to be a major play in rewriting the books on steelpan music outside of the box.” ~ When Steel Talks

Classically trained composer turned steel pan maestro and front man of the Fourchestra, Jonathan Scales is heavily influenced by the complexity of banjo virtuoso Bela Fleck to the hustle of Jay-Z. Gritty blues guitarist, Duane Simpson, and fusion-chops bassist, Cody Wright, provide the harmonic support for Scales’ sound, while jazz/hip-hop drummer, Phill Bronson, drives the time-shifting, modern grooves. Based in Asheville, NC, the cast of Characters holds this mind-bending concoction together with jazz edge and classical sensibility as they tour around a new album, Character Farm & Other Short Stories.

“unique compositions which not only display the amiably quirky wit and charm of the likes of Theolonius Monk and Horace Silver, but also a level of complexity behind an entirely approachable manner…Scales’ steel drum propels the compositions forward through harmony more so than rhythm and that frees Bronson to attack his drum kit with unusual syncopation that manages to show elements of cocky, hip hop swagger and cool, bop jazz.” – William Helms – The Joy of Violent Movement

Show Details at a Glance:
Jonathan Scales Fourchestra

Thursday, September 22nd
Red Door
Free admission ($5-10 suggested donation), all ages, 8pm
443 i St. NW
Washington, DC
www.reddoorloft.tumblr.com

Friday, Sept 23rd
Rockwood Music Hall, Stage 1
1am, Free, 21+
196 Allen Street
NY, NY, 10002
212-477-4155
www.rockwoodmusichall.com

Saturday, Sept 24th
The Shrine
8:00 PM, Free, All Ages
2271 Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Blvd.
New York, NY 10030
(212) 690-7807
www.shrinenyc.com

Sunday, Sept 25th
Pantonic Steel Orchestra’s Panyard
Free, All Ages
2514 Albemarle Road (between Veronica Place & Lott Street)
New York, NY (Brooklyn)
www.pantonic.com

www.JonScales.com

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Dreamspider Interviews with Jonathan Scales Fourchestra on Lingua Musica

New Lingua Musica Episode: Erin Scholze from Dreamspider Publicity talks with Jonathan Scales Fourchestra at The Musicians Workshop on Merrimon Ave. in Asheville, NC in July 2011. Daniel Judson filmed and edited this video which is copyright Luminescence LLC 2011 and may be used as long as proper credit is given.

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Jonathan Scales has been called a “…rising star of the steel drums…” by Traps Magazine and “The Real Deal” by Pan on the Net and as having “A Thelonius Monk-like attitude with a Mozart creativity that works.” Premier Steel Pan magazine, When Steel Talks states , “At the end of the day, Scales is going to be a major play in rewriting the books on steelpan music outside of the box.”

In this episode of Lingua Musica, Jonathan Scales discusses how he came about his style of Steel Pan. Also hear more about his new album, Character Farm & Other Short Stories, which is a 45-minute dive deeper into the compositionally-twisted work. There are nine original instrumental “stories” on the album which transport listeners from the primal Jam We Did to the lush Hallucinations of the Dream Chasers. The title track Character Farm brings the audience into a chilled, ‘worldly’ ride after the frantically emotional The Longest December. Guest appearance on the record include Jeff Coffin (of Dave Matthews Band / Bela Fleck & the Flecktones), Yonrico Scott and Kofi Burbridge (of Derek Trucks Band fame) and the dazzling work of fiddle virtuoso Casey Driessen.  Also, you will meet the cast of Characters that make up the Fourchestra: classically trained composer turned steel pan maestro and front man of the Fourchestra, Jonathan Scales, is heavily influenced by the complexity of banjo virtuoso Bela Fleck to the hustle of Jay-Z. Gritty blues guitarist, Duane Simpson, and fusion-chops bassist, Cody Wright, provide the harmonic support for Scales’ sound; while jazz/hip-hop drummer, Phill Bronson, drives the time-shifting, modern grooves. 

Scales, along with fimmaker Daniel Judson, produced an insightful Music Video for the song Muddy Vishnu; snippets of the music video are shown in the interview. Watching Muddy Vishnu is “almost like a Being John Malkovich set inside Scales’ own world of found rhythms, visions, colors, friends, inspirations and rare silence,” writes Asheville’s Mountain Xpress.

In this episode of Lingua Musica, Scales’s also talks about the album’s comic book-inspired images, designed by Gregory Keyzer, that tie together the musical fusion of his Fourchestra. “There’s a different illustration for every song,” Scales says in an interview with Robin Tolleson in Bold Life. “It’s cool because you can kind of put a visual image with each piece. The album is packaged like a book of short stories, but there’s an overlying theme. The sonic tapestry, mixed with the congruent artwork, really ties the whole thing together. The pictures help people make their judgments about what it’s about and how they feel about it. It’s not complete long form, but it’s closer.”

Character Farm, along with a glossy 19 x 13 poster depicting the custom designed comic book graphics illustrating each song are available at www.jonscales.com.

This video was brought to you by Lingua Musica: Where Music is the Universal Language…

www.jonscales.com

www.linguamusicalive.com

www.danieljudson.com

www.dreamspider.net

www.musiciansworkshop.com

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Unconventional Jazz-Fusion Steel-Pan Virtuoso, Jon Scales, releases new album feat. Jeff Coffin, Kofi Burbridge & others!

Compositionally-twisted work of steel pannist Jonathan Scales “Character Farm & Other Short Stories” includes nine original instrumental “stories” and features guests Jeff Coffin, Kofi Burbridge, Yonrico Scott, and Casey Driessen. The cast of Characters hold this mind-bending concoction together with jazz edge and classical sensibility along with custom designed comic book graphics illustrating each song for the album artwork…

Asheville, NC- March 31, 2011–  The steel pan, an amazing musical discovery born in the Caribbean nation of Trinidad & Tobago, is often times associated with sandy beaches, tropical climates, and cruise ships: that’s not exactly what you get at a show by the jazz-fusion quartet, Jonathan Scales Fourchestra. Modern Drummer Magazine recognizes, “… Jonathan Scales makes the pans fit in unconventional musical spaces…” and Jazz Times goes on to state that Scales’ brings forth a “new vitality to the traditional Caribbean instrument… picking up where Othello Molineaux left off 20 years ago with Jaco Pastorius.”

Here you have a classically trained composer turned steel pan maestro and front man of the Fourchestra, Jonathan Scales, heavily influenced by the complexity of banjo virtuoso Bela Fleck to the hustle of Jay-Z. Gritty blues guitarist, Duane Simpson, and fusion-chops bassist, Cody Wright, provide the harmonic support for Scales’ sound, while jazz/hip-hop drummer, Phill Bronson, drives the time-shifting, modern grooves. The cast of Characters hold this mind-bending concoction together with jazz edge and classical sensibility.

As an immediate release by Le’Rue Records, the 3rd installment in the Jonathan Scales’ musical saga, Character Farm & Other Short Stories, is a 45-minute dive deeper into the compositionally-twisted work of steel pannist Jonathan Scales.  The nine original instrumental “stories” on the album take listeners from the primal Jam We Did to the lush Hallucinations of the Dream Chasers. The title track Character Farm takes the audience into a chilled, ‘worldly’ ride after the frantically emotional The Longest December. Guest appearance on the record include Jeff Coffin (of Dave Matthews Band / Bela Fleck & the Flecktones), Yonrico Scott and Kofi Burbridge (of Derek Trucks Band fame) and the dazzling work of fiddle virtuoso Casey Driessen.

Jonathan Scales has also been busy creating a NEW Music Video for the song Muddy Vishnu from the album which is available to watch on www.jonscales.com. Scales’ has a unique approach to his album artwork with custom designed comic book graphics illustrating each song with artwork by Gregory Keyzer. He’s also made available a glossy 19 x 13 poster with the comic graphic images.

Steel pannist and virtuoso composer, Jonathan Scales, formed his ‘Fourchestra’ in 2007 as a means to deliver his musically complex, yet accessible ideas to anyone willing to listen. Since then, Scales has released two well received, full-length works, 2007’s One-Track Mind and 2008’s Plot/Scheme which features the likes of Jeff Coffin, Joseph Wooten (of Steve Miller Band), and Jeff Sipe (of Aquarium Rescue Unit). 2011 will usher in Character Farm & Other Short Stories.  Scales’ versatility and innovative nature have allowed him to play along with with acts like The Wooten Brothers Band, Larry Keel & Natural Bridge, The Duhks, Everyone Orchestra, Toubab Krewe, Ben Sollee, Casey Dreissen, and Futureman.

Scales has been called a “…rising star of the steel drums…” by Traps Magazine, while Pan on the Net refers to him as “the Real Deal” and having “A Thelonius Monk-like attitude with a Mozart creativity that works.”  When Steel Talks sums it up with, “At the end of the day, Scales is going to be a major play in rewriting the books on steelpan music outside of the box.” With Character Farm, Scales has pushed the limits of conventional steel-pan yet again.

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Jonathan Scales Fourchestra releases NEW Album “Character Farm & Other Short Stories” Celebrate at the Emerald Lounge April 1st with Casey Driessen opening the show!

Jonathan Scales Fourchestra
Casey Driessen opens the show!
Friday, April 1st, 2011
Emerald Lounge

9pm, 21+
$7 cover / $15 gets you a copy of the new album AND ticket
828.232.4372
112 N. Lexington Ave.
Asheville, NC
www.emeraldlounge.com

The steel pan, an amazing musical discovery born in the Caribbean nation of Trinidad & Tobago, is often times associated with sandy beaches, tropical climates, and cruise ships: that’s not exactly what you get at a show by the jazz-fusion quartet, Jonathan Scales Fourchestra. Modern Drummer Magazine recognizes, “… Jonathan Scales makes the pans fit in unconventional musical spaces…” and Jazz Times goes on to state that Scales’ brings forth a “new vitality to the traditional Caribbean instrument… picking up where Othello Molineaux left off 20 years ago with Jaco Pastorius.”

Here you have a classically trained composer turned steel pan maestro and front man of the Fourchestra, Jonathan Scales, heavily influenced by the complexity of banjo virtuoso Bela Fleck to the hustle of Jay-Z. Gritty blues guitarist, Duane Simpson, and fusion-chops bassist, Cody Wright, provide the harmonic support for Scales’ sound, while jazz/hip-hop drummer, Phill Bronson, drives the time-shifting, modern grooves. The cast of Characters hold this mind-bending concoction together with jazz edge and classical sensibility.

The 3rd installment in the Jonathan Scales’ musical saga, Character Farm & Other Short Stories, is a 45-minute dive deeper into the compositionally-twisted work of steel pannist Jonathan Scales.  The nine original instrumental “stories” on the album take listeners from the primal Jam We Did to the lush Hallucinations of the Dream Chasers. The title track Character Farm takes the audience into a chilled, ‘worldly’ ride after the frantically emotional The Longest December.   Guest appearance on the record include Jeff Coffin (of Dave Matthews Band / Bela Fleck & the Flecktones), Yonrico Scott and Kofi Burbridge (of Derek Trucks Band fame) and the dazzling work of fiddle virtuoso Casey Driessen.

Jonathan Scales has also been busy creating a NEW Music Video for the song Muddy Vishnu from the album shown above. The album is available for pre-sale through the brand new website www.jonscales.com in a variety of options through April 1st. Scales’ also got a lot of fun new merch including a glossy 19 x 13 poster depicting the custom designed comic book graphics illustrating each song with artwork by Gregory Keyzer.

19x13 poster. Full artwork for "Character Farm & Other Short Stories". Illustrations by Gregory Keyzer.

Steel pannist and virtuoso composer, Jonathan Scales, formed his ‘Fourchestra’ in 2007 as a means to deliver his musically complex, but somehow accessible ideas to anyone willing to listen. Since then, Scales has released two well received, full-length works, 2007’s One-Track Mind and 2008’s Plot/Scheme which features the likes of Jeff Coffin (of Dave Matthews Band), Joseph Wooten (of Steve Miller Band), and Jeff Sipe (of Aquarium Rescue Unit). 2011 will usher in Character Farm & Other Short Stories.  Scales’ versatility and innovative nature have allowed him to share the stage with acts like The Wooten Brothers Band, Larry Keel & Natural Bridge, The Duhks, Everyone Orchestra, Toubab Krewe, Ben Sollee, Casey Dreissen, and Futureman.

Scales has been called a “…rising star of the steel drums…” by Traps Magazine, while Pan on the Net refers to him as “the Real Deal” and having “A Thelonius Monk-like attitude with a Mozart creativity that works.”  When Steel Talks sums it up with, “At the end of the day, Scales is going to be a major play in rewriting the books on steelpan music outside of the box.”

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