Dennis James (musician): Difference between revisions
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==Silent film organ performance== |
==Silent film organ performance== |
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James began performing films with orchestras in 1971.<ref name=PCOLUSC>University of South Carolina Film Studies. "Dennis James, Silent Film Accompanist."</ref> From 1975 to 1989, James was the last appointed house organist for the Ohio Theatre in [[Columbus, Ohio]].<ref name=PCOLSilentera>[http://www.silentera.com/people/musicians/James-Dennis.html Silent Era. "Dennis James"]</ref> James had his organ concerto with orchestra debut with the [[Chicago Symphony]] at Orchestra Hall in 1984.<ref name=PCOLAlbany>[http://www.albany.edu/piporg-l/bios/james.d-bio "Biography of Dennis James"] [[State University of New York at Albany]].</ref> James toured in the 1980s with silent film stars [[Lillian Gish]] and [[Charles Rogers (actor)|Charles ‘Buddy’ Rogers]], providing musical accompaniment on national tour revivals of their motion pictures.<ref name=PCOLSilentera /> The New York Times reported on December 13, 1981 that James would play at the recently restored Pascack Theater in [[Westwood, New Jersey]], a deluxe movie house with facilities for stage productions and a specially built Wurlitzer pipe organ for accompanying silent films. |
James began performing films with orchestras in 1971.<ref name=PCOLUSC>University of South Carolina Film Studies. "Dennis James, Silent Film Accompanist."</ref> From 1975 to 1989, James was the last appointed house organist for the Ohio Theatre in [[Columbus, Ohio]].<ref name=PCOLSilentera>[http://www.silentera.com/people/musicians/James-Dennis.html Silent Era. "Dennis James"]</ref> James had his organ concerto with orchestra debut with the [[Chicago Symphony]] at Orchestra Hall in 1984.<ref name=PCOLAlbany>[http://www.albany.edu/piporg-l/bios/james.d-bio "Biography of Dennis James"] [[State University of New York at Albany]].</ref> James toured in the 1980s with silent film stars [[Lillian Gish]] and [[Charles Rogers (actor)|Charles ‘Buddy’ Rogers]], providing musical accompaniment on national tour revivals of their motion pictures.<ref name=PCOLSilentera /> The New York Times reported on December 13, 1981 that James would play at the recently restored Pascack Theater in [[Westwood, New Jersey]], a deluxe movie house with facilities for stage productions and a specially built Wurlitzer pipe organ for accompanying silent films. In 1999, James was named House Organist for the [[El Capitan Theatre]] in [[Hollywood, California]], a position he was released from quickly, though the continued to claim he was still employed there. House Organist for the [[Paramount Theatre (Seattle, Washington)|Paramount Theatre]] in [[Seattle, Washington]], House Organist for the [[Historic Everett Theatre]] in [[Everett, Washington]], and Theatre Organist for the [[San Diego Symphony]].<ref name=PCOLSilentera /> |
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James continues to serve a number of concurrent professional appointments, including House Organist for the Historic Everett Theatre in Everett, Washington and was the Theatre Organist for the San Diego Symphony, but not since the 1990's. He is currently an organist, but not the official organist, for the Stanford Theatre (Palo Alto), California Theatre (San Jose), Castro Theatre (San Francisco), Lynwood Theatre (Bainbridge Island, WA), Washington Center (Olympia), and Curator of Musical Instruments for the Wallingford Art Museum (WA). Sadly, he has never been able to hold a job for very long, being terminated from almost 20 positions in as many years. Fortunately, his ex wife, Heidi, the more talented of the two, has gone on to better things. http://home.fuse.net/heidipetach/newsite/index.htm |
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===Production company=== |
===Production company=== |
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Revision as of 01:11, 13 March 2010
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Dennis James is an American musician who has played "a pivotal role in the international revival of silent films presented with live music."[1] Primarily an organist, since 1971 he has presented live accompaniments for silent films, with piano, theatre organ, chamber ensemble and full symphony orchestras, both around the United States and internationally.
Silent film organ performance
James began performing films with orchestras in 1971.[2] From 1975 to 1989, James was the last appointed house organist for the Ohio Theatre in Columbus, Ohio.[3] James had his organ concerto with orchestra debut with the Chicago Symphony at Orchestra Hall in 1984.[4] James toured in the 1980s with silent film stars Lillian Gish and Charles ‘Buddy’ Rogers, providing musical accompaniment on national tour revivals of their motion pictures.[3] The New York Times reported on December 13, 1981 that James would play at the recently restored Pascack Theater in Westwood, New Jersey, a deluxe movie house with facilities for stage productions and a specially built Wurlitzer pipe organ for accompanying silent films. In 1999, James was named House Organist for the El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood, California, a position he was released from quickly, though the continued to claim he was still employed there. House Organist for the Paramount Theatre in Seattle, Washington, House Organist for the Historic Everett Theatre in Everett, Washington, and Theatre Organist for the San Diego Symphony.[3]
James continues to serve a number of concurrent professional appointments, including House Organist for the Historic Everett Theatre in Everett, Washington and was the Theatre Organist for the San Diego Symphony, but not since the 1990's. He is currently an organist, but not the official organist, for the Stanford Theatre (Palo Alto), California Theatre (San Jose), Castro Theatre (San Francisco), Lynwood Theatre (Bainbridge Island, WA), Washington Center (Olympia), and Curator of Musical Instruments for the Wallingford Art Museum (WA). Sadly, he has never been able to hold a job for very long, being terminated from almost 20 positions in as many years. Fortunately, his ex wife, Heidi, the more talented of the two, has gone on to better things. http://home.fuse.net/heidipetach/newsite/index.htm
Production company
James also performs both in the U.S. and internationally under the aegis of his own production company, Silent Film Concerts.[5]
Tours
James has repeatedly played at the Pordenone and Rome Silent Film Festival, Cinema Muto, as well as appearances for special exhibitions at the Louvre. His scorings have been used on archival recordings of silent films for the American Film Institute, National Film Registry, New York Museum of Modern Art, the Library of Congress, Pacific Film Archive, George Eastman House, American Federation of the Arts, the UCLA Film and Television Archive, and the British Film Institute.
Glass Armonica performance
James plays the glass armonica (or "harmonica") and has collected other vitreous vibrators including Francis Hopkinson Smith's 19th century Grand Harmonicon, modern glass instruments such as Sascha Reckert's verrophone, the cristal baschet, and a wide variety of glass flutes and glass bells.[6] James played glass instruments on Marco Beltrami's film scores for The Minus Man (1999) and The Faculty (1998).[6] "I first became aware of glass instruments at about the age of 6 while visiting the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia. In the interest of historical and philological accuracy, James adheres to Franklin's original name, "armonica" without the "h".
James performed glass armonica on Linda Ronstadt's album Winter Lights. "Linda explained she had first heard the sounds of rubbed glass some 15 years before. [6] She kept that ethereal sound in her mind all those years and it was during the orchestra sessions and post-session mix on the track "A River for Him", written by Emmylou Harris, that Linda had the inspiration to add the glass tones", says James.[6]
Discography
- Dennis James at the "Fotoplayer"[7]
- Dennis James at the Movies. Ohio Theatre Summer Series (1975)[7]
- Dennis James at the Movies. Ohio Theatre Summer Series, Vol 2. (1977)[7]
- Dennis James Classic Theatre Organ[7]
- Dennis James at the RTOS Wurlitzer[7]
- Dennis & Heidi James - Puttin' on the Ritz[7]
- Cristal: Glass Music Through the Ages (2002)[8]
Citations
- ^ Carl Bennett, Dennis James on SilentEra.com. Accessed online 16 January 2006.
- ^ University of South Carolina Film Studies. "Dennis James, Silent Film Accompanist."
- ^ a b c Silent Era. "Dennis James"
- ^ "Biography of Dennis James" State University of New York at Albany.
- ^ Theater program, "Seattle Theatre Group presents German Expressionist Silents", January 2006.
- ^ a b c d "Dennis James interview" interviewed by Rich Bailey January, 2002
- ^ a b c d e f South Puget Pipeline Online. "Dennis James."
- ^ Sony Classical Music. "Cristal – Glass Music Through the Ages"