Nook
9th Annual Eclectic Album Nominee
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Genre: Eclectic
HOMEBASE/COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: Brooklyn, New York, USA
ARTISTS ON THIS ALBUM: James Windsor-Wells, Jeff Ratner, JP Schlegelmilch, Kenny Warren, Patrick Breiner
WHERE WAS THE ALBUM RECORDED? In a basement in Brooklyn, NY.
WHERE IS YOUR MUSIC AVAILABLE? CD Baby. www.cdbaby.com/cd/nook
DOES ECLECTIC DESCRIBE THE BAND OR JUST THIS ALBUM? The band is eclectic. We’re all from different parts of the country, and come from diverse musical backgrounds. We met in New York City through our mutual involvement in the Jazz and improvised music scenes. Members of NOOK can also be found playing balkan brass band music, Folk, Rock, free improvisation, Jazz, and new music.
WHAT MAKES THIS ALBUM ECLECTIC? The wide-ranging playing experience and musical interests of the band. One goal with the material on the album was to combine tightly structured composition with improvisation in a seamless way. There is also the mix of acoustic and electric instruments. The horns sometimes have the natural warmth of a human voice, and are sometimes processed to blend into the barrage of electronic sound from the rest of the band.
WHAT UNITES THE SONGS ON THIS ALBUM? The unique chemistry of the band. Also, everyone in the band helps to shape the arrangements of the songs.
WHAT UNUSUAL INSTRUMENTS OR TECHNIQUES DID YOU USE ON THIS ALBUM? People often ask “Who’s playing guitar on the album?” The walls of distortion were actually created by layering many tracks of Fender Rhodes electric piano played through guitar effects. A lot of the song structures evolved gradually from playing the songs live many times.
DID FANS HELP FUND THIS PROJECT? Yes! By coming to our shows, and purchasing the CD at concerts and online.
DESCRIBE YOUR AUDIENCE: People with ears open enough to enjoy diverse styles of music, and who like hearing them put through a blender and served fresh. People who crave the energy of Rock music and the spontaneity of improvisation in one convenient package.
WHERE CAN MUSIC FANS DISCOVER ECLECTIC ARTISTS? Record stores such as Downtown Music Gallery, Other Music, Academy Records. Record labels such as Skirl Records, Pi, Winter and Winter. Publications such as Signal to Noise and All About Jazz. Blogs such as Brooklyn Vegan, Do The Math (The Bad Plus), Darcy James Argue’s Secret Society and Dark Forces Swing Blind Punches (Hank Shteamer). Venues in New York City such as Barbes, Le Poisson Rouge and The Stone.
WHAT ARE YOUR FAVORITE PLACES TO PLAY? Brooklyn venues like The Tea Lounge, Barbes, Spike Hill.
WHAT HAS BEEN THE BAND’S MOST EXCITING MOMENT TO DATE? The process of recording the album. Everyone in the band contributed something unique to the music in the studio, including our wonderful producer, Will Farr. It truly ended up being something greater than the sum of its parts. And then getting the CD’s and being knocked out by how cool Connie Wang’s artwork looked!
WHAT’S IN THE WORKS FOR 2010? More live shows in New York, some regional touring and a second album.
FINISH THIS SENTENCE: THE MUSIC INDUSTRY IS…..What you make of it. Musicians can no longer sit back and expect industry types to take them and their music to the next level. It is up to the artists to promote themselves and creatively shape their own careers.
WHAT IS YOUR DEFINITION OF SUCCESS? To make music we love to play and find people who will love to listen to it and to be able to do this for a living someday.
WHAT’S ON YOUR IPOD THAT WOULD SURPRISE YOUR FANS? Justin Timberlake, Chopin, Ornette Coleman, Smokey Robinson, Ali Fark Toure, Stravinsky.
NAME SOME ARTISTS YOU ARE CHAMPIONING: Vartan Mamigonian, Hans Blix, Slavic Soul Party, Abby Payne, Salo, Langhorne Slim, Becca Stevens and Old Time Musketry.