Jump to content

Dennis Rea: Difference between revisions

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Browse history interactively
← Previous editNext edit →
Content deleted Content added
VisualWikitext
Qworty (talk | contribs)
13,129 edits
→‎1982 - 1989: Seattle and New York: personal websites and vanity-press books do not constitute WP:RS per WP:SPS
Qworty (talk | contribs)
13,129 edits
→‎Recent works: personal websites and vanity-press books do not constitute WP:RS, per [[WP:SPS}}
Line 280: Line 280:
| url = http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Content?oid=504079
| url = http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Content?oid=504079
| accessdate = 2008-02-15 }}</ref> A sample of the music can be found on [http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=243748503 Ffej's MySpace page].
| accessdate = 2008-02-15 }}</ref> A sample of the music can be found on [http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=243748503 Ffej's MySpace page].

During this period Rea also formed the band Jetlegrs with former Axototl bandmate Ryan Berg, drummer Olli Klomp, and [[violin]]ist Karl Scheer.<ref name="jetlegrs">{{cite web
| last = Rea
| first = Dennis
| authorlink = Dennis Rea
| title = Jetlegrs
| url =http://www.dennisrea.com/jetleggers.html
| accessdate = 2007-12-08 |archiveurl = http://web.archive.org/web/20070813184759/http://www.dennisrea.com/jetleggers.html <!-- Bot retrieved archive --> |archivedate = 2007-08-13}}</ref> In 2005 Rea organized a tour of Taiwan for the band together with [[Chekov (band)|Chekov]], a [[Munich]], Germany-based electronic jazz group put together by former Identity Crisis bassist Atze Ton.<ref name="Chekov-Taiwan">{{cite web
| last = Ton
| first = Atze
| title = Chekov - Taiwan tour 2005
| url =http://www.chekov-music.de/html/chekov_-_taiwan_tour_2005.html
| accessdate = 2007-12-06 }} {{Dead link|date=October 2010|bot=H3llBot}}</ref> The bands played in the cities of Tainan, [[Kaohsiung]], [[Anping]], and [[Taipei]] between April 21 and May 2, 2005.<ref name="Forbidden 192">{{cite book
| last = Rea
| first = Dennis
| authorlink = Dennis Rea
| title = Live at the Forbidden City
| publisher = iUniverse
| year = 2006
| location = New York
| pages = 192
| isbn = ISBN 0-595-39048-X}}</ref> During the tour Rea played guitar with both groups.<ref name="Chekov-Taiwan"/>
Rea is also a member of Iron Kim Style, which he describes as an "explosive improvisational jazz-rock quintet."<ref name="bio">{{cite web
| last =Rea
| first =Dennis
| authorlink =Dennis Rea
| title =News
| date =2008-01
| url =http://www.dennisrea.com/bio.html#news
| accessdate = 2008-02-20 |archiveurl = http://web.archive.org/web/20080607134554/http://www.dennisrea.com/bio.html#news <!-- Bot retrieved archive --> |archivedate = 2008-06-07}}</ref> ''Earshot Jazz'' described the music as "inspired by [[Olivier Messiaen]], electric-period Miles Davis, and [[North Korea]]n martial music."<ref name="Earshot">{{Cite news
| last = Monaghan
| first = Peter
| title = On Guitar, Dennis Rea
| newspaper = Earshot Jazz
| pages = 9–10
| year = 2007
| date = 06
| url =http://www.earshot.org/Publication/pub/07june.pdf
| postscript = <!--None-->}}</ref> In his blog trumpeter Bill Jones wrote that Iron Kim Style started out as an informal group of Seattle musicians who simply thought it "the idea of getting together would be a great way to spend a Saturday afternoon." In time the group began to meet regularly, play local shows, and gave a performance on [[KEXP]] radio. In 2007 Iron Kim Style went into the studio to begin work on a forthcoming CD which Rea describes as "progressing nicely" as of January, 2008.<ref name="blog">{{cite web
| last = Rea
| first = Dennis
| authorlink = Dennis Rea
| title = Dennis Rea MySpace Blog
| date = 2008-01-29
| url = http://us.collect.myspace.cn/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.ListAll&friendID=50738593
| accessdate = 2008-02-20}}</ref>


Rea also went into the studio in 2007 to begin recording his second solo album. The forthcoming CD is a mixture of adapted traditional Asian music and Rea's own compositions and improvisations of Asian-inspired music. Guest musicians participating in the project include [[Stuart Dempster]] ([[trombone]]), Jim DeJoie ([[bass flute]], [[bass clarinet]]), Greg Campbell ([[percussion]]), [[Elizabeth Falconer]] ([[koto (musical instrument)|koto]]), John Falconer ([[shakahuchi]]), and Paul Kikuchi (percussion). In January, 2008 Rea was awarded a residency at Jack Straw Productions which has allowed him to make rapid progress on the project. He will unveil new pieces at a composer spotlight at Jack Straw Productions on March 12, 2008. Rea expects to complete the recording by spring 2008.<ref name="news">{{cite web
Rea also went into the studio in 2007 to begin recording his second solo album. The forthcoming CD is a mixture of adapted traditional Asian music and Rea's own compositions and improvisations of Asian-inspired music. Guest musicians participating in the project include [[Stuart Dempster]] ([[trombone]]), Jim DeJoie ([[bass flute]], [[bass clarinet]]), Greg Campbell ([[percussion]]), [[Elizabeth Falconer]] ([[koto (musical instrument)|koto]]), John Falconer ([[shakahuchi]]), and Paul Kikuchi (percussion). In January, 2008 Rea was awarded a residency at Jack Straw Productions which has allowed him to make rapid progress on the project. He will unveil new pieces at a composer spotlight at Jack Straw Productions on March 12, 2008. Rea expects to complete the recording by spring 2008.<ref name="news">{{cite web

Revision as of 03:19, 27 January 2011

Dennis Rea

Dennis Rea (born 7 July 1957) is an American guitarist, writer, and music event organizer currently living in Seattle. Rea first came to prominence as a member of the electronic music group Earthstar in the late 1970s and early 1980s. He is probably best known in the West as a musician for his work with Jeff Greinke in Land. Rea's first solo album, Shadow In Dreams (1990), is notable as one of the first releases in mainland China by a western musician on the state record label. He currently leads the quintet Moraine and is working on his second solo release.

Rea has collaborated with Hector Zazou, Trey Gunn (formerly of King Crimson), and current REM and former Ministry drummer Bill Rieflin.[1][2] Rea's music ranges from jazz to adventurous rock to world music to electronic music. He has performed on three continents at events including the WOMAD Festival, Beijing International Jazz Festival, Bumbershoot Arts Festival, and the Earshot Jazz Festival.[3] He also served as the co-director of the annual Seattle Improvised Music Festival for over a decade.

Early years

Born in Chicago, Illinois, Rea grew up in Utica, New York. He first took up the guitar at the age of nine, inspired by Mike Nesmith of The Monkees, not realizing that the band did not even play their own instruments at the time.[4] Two of Rea's most important influences were the György Ligeti compositions on the 2001: A Space Odyssey soundtrack and the King Crimson album In the Court of the Crimson King. In a 2001 interview in Exposé magazine Rea comments on the impact on his music: "The former opened my ears to expanded conceptions of form and tonality and to the world of 'extended' instrumental technique, and Ligeti remains my favorite composer to this day. The latter showed me that rock music could be so much more than the usual foursquare pounding with juvenile lyrics."[5]

Other music which influenced Rea's development included progressive rock and jazz bands Gentle Giant, Matching Mole, Van der Graaf Generator, Henry Cow, and Centipede. He credits King Crimson and Soft Machine with his abiding interest in modern jazz and credits his brother with introducing him to the music of Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Eric Dolphy, Albert Ayler,[5] and Ornette Coleman. Rea also cites experimental classical composers Krzysztof Penderecki, Karlheinz Stockhausen, and John Cage as lasting influences. Guitarists who influenced Rea's playing style include John Abercrombie, Terje Rypdal, John McLaughlin, and Ralph Towner[4]

In the early 1970s Rea formed what he describes as an "eccentric progressive rock band", Zuir,[5] with bassist Norm Peach and drummer Daniel Zongrone. The three young musicians decided to skip college to pursue their musical careers. In 1975 the trio moved to Seattle but found no more interest in their music than they had found in upstate New York, returning to Utica the following year.[4] Rea recalls that Zuir was "perhaps the first out-of-state rock band to seek its fortune in Seattle - only 20 years too early."[5]

Musical career

1977 - 1981: Earthstar

Earthstar was the brainchild of keyboardist/synthesist Craig Wuest. A native of Utica, New York, Wuest was heavily influenced by the German electronic music scene of the 1970s, including Klaus Schulze, Popol Vuh, Tangerine Dream, Kraftwerk, and Harmonia. Earthstar was born out of the partnership of Wuest and the members of Zuir, plus other Utica-area musicians. In 1977 Earthstar was signed by Nashville-based Moontower Records, who released the group's first album, Salterbarty Tales, the following year. Earthstar also began recording its second album, French Skyline, in 1978. Rea recalls concerts during the period when Earthstar was in Utica: "The group performed live only a handful of times, mostly at inappropriate venues like roadhouse bars and college beer halls, with predictable results."[5]

Craig Wuest was an admirer of electronic music pioneer Klaus Schulze, with whom he struck up a correspondence. Schulze encouraged Wuest and Earthstar to come to Germany. Wuest sold his grand piano, which had played a prominent part on Salterbarty Tales, to finance the move.[5] Rea and other Earthstar musicians joined Wuest in Germany to continue work on French Skyline. Rea describes his own decision to travel to Germany in his 2006 book Live At The Forbidden City:

"I was one of several old Utica mates invited to participate in the project. Since the prospect of making a record with international music luminaries was an offer I couldn't refuse, I dropped my plans to attend music school and instead spent half a year in the countryside near Hannover working on Earthstar sessions..."[4]

Earthstar was signed by Hamburg-based Sky Records, who released the group's next three albums beginning with French Skyline in 1979.[6][7] Earthstar is notable as the only American band who participated in Germany's Kosmische Musik/electronic music scene while still at its height.[5] The association with Klaus Schulze guaranteed Earthstar recognition and respectable record sales by German electronic music standards.

During parts of 1979 and 1980 Rea lived near the town of Celle. In addition to guitar he played chorded zither and piano during subsequent Earthstar sessions and composed pieces which appeared on the third album, Atomkraft? Nein, Danke! (1981), and on tracks for a fourth album, Sleeper, the Nightlifer, which was never released.[8] Rea left Earthstar after the Sleeper, the Nightlifer sessions and did not appear on the group's final album.

1982 - 1989: Seattle and New York

Rea returned to Seattle after the Earthstar sessions, where he met electronic composer Kerry Leimer, who had released a number of albums on the independent Palace of Lights record label.[9] In 1981 Leimer, looking to create experimental electronic music that was also danceable, had formed the group Savant.[4][10]

1993 - 2001: Seattle and LAND

In 1993 Jeff Greinke, an ambient musician and composer Rea first met in Seattle in the early 1980s, put together a new ensemble called Land. Greinke had previously been known for his textured compositions but with Land he wanted "to push this layering technique using a four piece band..."[11] Rea and trumpeter Lesli Dalaba were original members and were soon joined by drummer Ed Pias.[12] Rea remained with the group throughout its lifespan. He described Land's music as "an odd blend of jazz, rock, electronic, and world music."[13] in 1993 Rea also supported Greinke on sessions for his solo album Big Weather, released in 1994, adding guitar work to two tracks.[14] Land's eponymous debut album was recorded in 1994 and released by the Australian Extreme label in 1995.[11] All of Land's albums started out as live radio broadcasts with, according to Rea, "...very little re-recording or cosmetic surgery after the fact, so they are accurate representations of the band's live sound."[5]

A May, 1996 concert broadcast formed the basis for most of Land's second album, Archipelago.[15] Later that year Rea arranged for Land to tour China, performing in Beijing, Kunming, and Chengdu,[13] as well as Hong Kong and Macau, in November and December.[16] The tour included a performance at the Beijing International Jazz Festival.[17][18] Rea also performed with Land's Lesli Dalaba (trumpet), guzheng virtuoso Wang Yong, Austrian violinist Andreas Schreiber, Dutch drummer Han Bennink, and Claudio Puntin and Steffen Schorn on horns at Keep In Touch, reportedly China's first internet cafe.[13] The jam session produced a mixture of American style free jazz and European influenced improvisation blended at times with traditional Chinese music. The results were captured on the album Free Touching: Live in Beijing at Keep in Touch, which was released as a double CD in March, 2004.[19][20] February 1997 also saw the recording of "Deep", the final track for Archipelago,[15] with finishing touches completed in July.[12] The album was released later that year.[15] Rea also contributed guitar work to the track "Threads", which appeared on Greinke's 1998 album Swimming.[21]

By 1998 Land had gone through a number of personnel changes and had developed a much harder-edged sound.[5] Andrew Bartlett, writing in a 1999 article in Seattle Weekly, described the music at that time, in part: "LAND's sound is a swirl — a clicking, cascading, jolting mix of sonorities and styles." Rea is quoted in the article: "The current lineup is more of a 'rock' band than earlier editions, and is much more explosive and in-your-face. Our connection with ambient music is pretty tenuous at this point."[22] The final incarnation of the band, which recorded the album Road Movies between June, 1998 and February 1999, included Greinke, Rea, Dalaba, bassist Fred Chalenor, and drummer Bill Rieflin, who had previously worked with Rea in The Vagaries and on the Shredder Orpheus soundtrack. Road Movies was not released until 2001.[23] It was named one of the Top Ten releases of 2001 by Pulse! (Instrumental/Ambient) and the Seattle Weekly (Jazz).[24] Lesli Dalaba decided to leave Land later that year[5] and the remaining members agreed to part company amicably.[16]

Between 1998 and 2001 Rea was also the leader of the improvisational free jazz quartet Stackpole,[25] which won a Golden Ear award from Earshot Jazz magazine for Best Northwest Outside Jazz Group in 2000.[1] Stackpole released a self-titled album in 2001.[25] During this period Rea also appeared on albums by Rik Wright and the duo of Craig Flory and Doug Haire. He also contributed to two tracks on the Infrasound Collective' compilation album Owasso Night Atlas, released in 2000.[26]

Eric Apoe and They

In February, 1993 Rea joined The Furnace, the original band supporting veteran singer-songwriter Eric Apoe. The band gave its first performance on New Year's Eve that year.[27] Rea has appeared on all of Apoe's albums to date, beginning with Songs of Love and Doom, released in 1996. In the wake of some personnel changes the band was renamed Eric Apoe and They and has released three additional albums: Dream Asylum (2000), Radioation (2002), and Book of Puzzles (2005).[26] Apoe describes his music with They as "...a blend of American and European Roots music" with a "...combination of electric and acoustic instruments..." Rea has also performed in over 200 concerts given by Eric Apoe and They to date and remains a member of the band.[27]

Recent works

Since 2002 Rea has worked on multiple projects in parallel. In one of his most notable guest appearances to date he contributed guitar work to the song "In the Middle of the Night" on Hector Zazou's 2003 album Strong Currents.[26]

Rea's most unusual project is Tempered Steel, a trio with experimental musician Ffej and instrument builder Frank Junk playing amplified and processed thumb pianos, also known as kalimbas. Ffej bought one of Junk's thumb pianos in 1995. "When he learned that seasoned local guitarist Dennis Rea was planning on doing occasional processed thumb piano performances, the idea for forming this group was impossible to resist."[28] Since 2004 the group has given concerts in the Seattle area.[28] In 2007 Tempered Steel began studio recordings for a forthcoming CD. The Stranger describes their music: "Tempered Steel dubs out, distorts, and layers gentle tones into blipping polyrhythmic soundscapes."[29] A sample of the music can be found on Ffej's MySpace page.

Rea also went into the studio in 2007 to begin recording his second solo album. The forthcoming CD is a mixture of adapted traditional Asian music and Rea's own compositions and improvisations of Asian-inspired music. Guest musicians participating in the project include Stuart Dempster (trombone), Jim DeJoie (bass flute, bass clarinet), Greg Campbell (percussion), Elizabeth Falconer (koto), John Falconer (shakahuchi), and Paul Kikuchi (percussion). In January, 2008 Rea was awarded a residency at Jack Straw Productions which has allowed him to make rapid progress on the project. He will unveil new pieces at a composer spotlight at Jack Straw Productions on March 12, 2008. Rea expects to complete the recording by spring 2008.[30]

Currently Rea also performs regularly in the Pacific Northwest with his band Moraine, which he describes as "an electric string quartet plus drums."[31] An Earshot Jazz magazine profile describes Rea's compositions for Moraine, in part: "He has arranged for it a small number of choice Chinese tunes, old and recent, traditional and not, which become gorgeous jazz- and rock-inflected pieces in his and his colleagues’ hands. But the group covers a lot of terrain, drawing on 'fractured bebop,' as Rea puts it, as well as math-rock – cranked up, rhythmically complex rock..."[1] Moraine has also gone into the studio to work on a future release.

Discography

Notes

  1. ^ a b c Monaghan, Peter (06). "On Guitar, Dennis Rea" (PDF). Earshot Jazz. pp. 9–10. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= and |year= / |date= mismatch (help) Cite error: The named reference "Earshot" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  2. ^ Rea, Dennis. "Biography". Dennis Rea (website). Archived from the original on 2008-06-07. Retrieved 2008-02-20.
  3. ^ Apoe, Eric. "Eric Apoe & They". bio, Dennis Rea. Retrieved 2007-12-05.
  4. ^ a b c d e Rea, Dennis (2006). Live at the Forbidden City. New York: iUniverse. pp. 17–19. ISBN ISBN 0-595-39048-X. {{cite book}}: Check |isbn= value: invalid character (help) Cite error: The named reference "Forbidden 17" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Rea, Dennis (2001-12). "Exposé Magazine interview". Exposé Magazine. Retrieved 2007-10-24. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help) Cite error: The named reference "Expose" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  6. ^ "SKY". Thunder Collectors pages. 2006-02-20. Retrieved 2007-10-29.
  7. ^ "Sky Records". Discogs. Retrieved 2007-10-29.
  8. ^ Rea, Dennis. "Dennis Rea: Compositions". Archived from the original on 2007-10-08. Retrieved 2007-10-29.
  9. ^ "K. Leimer". Discogs. Retrieved 2007-10-29.
  10. ^ "Savant (2)". Discogs.
  11. ^ a b "LAND". LAND. Extreme. Retrieved 2007-11-15. Cite error: The named reference "Extreme" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  12. ^ a b Greinke, Jeff (1998-08-19). "Jeff Greinke, Places of Motility Interview". AmbiEntrance. Retrieved 2007-11-16.
  13. ^ a b c Rea, Dennis (2006). Live at the Forbidden City. iUniverse. pp. 179–191. ISBN ISBN 0-595-39048-X. {{cite book}}: Check |isbn= value: invalid character (help)
  14. ^ "Big Weather". The Edge. Retrieved 2007-11-15.
  15. ^ a b c "Archipelago". The Edge. Cite error: The named reference "Edge-Archipelago" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  16. ^ a b Rea, Dennis. "LAND". Retrieved 2007-10-24.
  17. ^ "Profile: Jeff Greinke". Star's End (radio program). Retrieved 2007-10-24.
  18. ^ Müller-Gödecke, Cornelie (1996-11-10). "Beijing Jazz Festival 1996". Retrieved 2007-10-24.
  19. ^ "Free Touching: Live In Beijing". Verge Music Distribution. Retrieved 2008-07-06.
  20. ^ "Noise Asia Records". Noise Asia Records. 2004. Retrieved 2008-07-06.
  21. ^ "Archipelago". The Edge. Retrieved 2007-11-15.
  22. ^ Bartlett, Andrew (1999-02-24). "Tones United". Seattle Weekly. Retrieved 2007-11-16.
  23. ^ "Road Movies". The Edge.
  24. ^ Rea, Dennis. "LAND CD Reviews". Retrieved 2007-11-29. [dead link]
  25. ^ a b Rea, Dennis. "Stackpole". Retrieved 2007-11-15.
  26. ^ a b c Cite error: The named reference discography was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  27. ^ a b Apoe, Eric. "Eric Apoe & They". Retrieved 2007-12-05.
  28. ^ a b "June, 2004 Calendar". The Tentacle. 2004-06. Retrieved 2008-02-15. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  29. ^ DeLaurenti, Christopher (2008-02-06). "The Score". The Stranger. Retrieved 2008-02-15.
  30. ^ Rea, Dennis (2008-01-29). "News". Archived from the original on 2008-06-07. Retrieved 2008-02-20.
  31. ^ Rea, Dennis. "MySpace: Moraine". Retrieved 2007-12-08.

References

  • Discogs: Dennis Rea. Retrieved July 6, 2008.
  • Rea, Dennis. Live At The Forbidden City (iUniverse, 2006) ISBN 0-595-39048-X, pp 18–19.
  • First World Music home page. Retrieved October 18, 2007.

Template:Persondata

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Dennis_Rea&oldid=410298008"