Songbook Steven Page and the Art of Time Ensemble February 6
Despite the freezing cold temperatures, music lovers of all ages are making the short trip from the parking lot into the warm and inviting Grunin Eye of the Arts theater in Toms River, NJ, this Friday, Feb ii, 2018 evening. Located on the campus of Bounding main County Higher, these music fans have all arrived tonight to experience a rare New Jersey concert appearance by musician Steven Page and the Art of Time Ensemble.
Steven Page is a founding fellow member and former pb singer of the iconic Canadian ring, Barenaked Ladies, a grouping with whom he toured the globe and sold millions of albums. Born in Ontario, Folio grew up in a family in which both his father and brother were drummers. As a child, Steven took piano lessons and sang in a youth choir. Along with a friend, Ed Robertson, Page started Barenaked Ladies — a group that went on to create hits including "Brian Wilson," "One Calendar week," and the theme song for the hit idiot box show,The Big Bang Theory.
While still a member of Barenaked Lades, Page began a collaboration with Toronto's Fine art of Time Ensemble, an audio-visual music group created in 1997 past pianist Andrew Burashko. Exploring the relationship between classical music and other genres including jazz, pop, electronica, stone, folk, gospel, and more, the group was conceived in an attempt to reveal the qualities that lie at the heart of all great music.
In 2010, later on leaving Barenaked Ladies, Page and the Fine art of Time Ensemble recorded an anthology together —A Singer Must Die —which included music from a live 2008Songbookconcert they had performed in Toronto. Whereas the term "Dandy American Songbook" is the name typically given to the pre-rock era compositions of songwriters such as George Gershwin, Cole Porter, and Irving Berlin, Page'sSongbook expanded the concept to focus on the songs of rock and post-stone writers in an endeavor to create a sort of "Great American Songbook Vol. 2." In this iteration of theSongbook concept, Folio and the Art of Time Ensemble covered compositions by the likes of Leonard Cohen, Rufus Wainwright, and Radiohead.
Page and the Art of Time musicians partnered however once again in 2011 for a concert of innovative arrangements of songs by Harry Nilsson, Randy Newman, Elvis Costello, and others in a continuation of theSongbookseries. Currently, the musicians are traveling around North America on the 2018 edition of their Steven PageSongbooktour where they recently made a stop in New Jersey at Toms River's Grunin Center of the Arts.
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Inside the beautiful Grunin Eye auditorium, the stage is ready with a grand pianoforte, an acoustic bass, a pair of saxophones, an acoustic guitar, and a microphone. As the audience anxiously awaits the inflow of Steven Page, the lights dim and the musicians of the Fine art of Time Ensemble brand their manner onto the stage. In addition to creative managing director Andrew Burashko on pianoforte, tonight'south line-upwardly of talented instrumentalists includes Peter Lutek on woodwinds, Joseph Phillips on acoustic bass, Rob Piltch on guitars, Rachel Pomedli on cello, and Stephen Sitarski on violin.
Steven Folio makes his entrance to avid applause. Then he and the musicians open up tonight's functioning with their rendition of "Panthera leo'south Teeth," a song by the American ring, The Mount Goats.
With the musicians playing an arrangement which features an ostinato — or repeated musical effigy — akin to the 1 heard in Ravel'sBolero, Page's dynamic tenor vocalisation fills the theater as he croons, "The rex of the jungle/Was asleep in his car/When your chances fall in your lap similar that/You gotta recognize them for what they really are."
As he sings, Folio'due south voice sounds full, articulate, resonant, and natural in this optimal audio-visual surround. As well, the Ensemble'southward instrumental accessory is presented in all of its natural audio-visual glory with a minimum of electronic miking.
Following hearty applause, Folio welcomes the crowd by announcing, "My name is Steven Page and this is the Fine art of Time Ensemble." Explaining, "I've been working with Art of Time onSongbookwhere our goal is to observe the boundaries of songs," Folio further adds, "Some songs you'll be familiar with and some yous'll want to know better."
Introducing the next two pieces, Folio acknowledges, "One of my heroes is Leonard Cohen. I hope you enjoy two sides of Leonard Cohen."
Launching into the first Cohen song, Steven and Art of Time perform "I'm Your Man," a composition which features an innovative Peter Lutek saxophone solo, a theatrical vocal performance by Folio, and crack instrumental playing from the string section which includes Rachel Pomedli on cello.
As the audience applauds, Page notices several audience members arriving late to the theater and jokes with them, "You lot missed the best ii songs of the night!"
Moving on to the 2d Cohen piece — one of the highlights of this evening's concert — Page and the Ensemble peform "Famous Bluish Raincoat," a cute ballad which boasts a gorgeous organisation past Jonathan Goldsmith. The number too features a lush Pat Metheny-like guitar sound by Rob Piltch, terrific piano playing by Andrew Burashko, and some unique-sounding C clarinet playing by Lutek.
Introducing a composition by "one of Canada's greatest writers of songs — Gord Downie," Page and the group perform "Chancellor." Singing, "Seconds from pajamas I must/Get-go open all the doors and the windows/And invite the vampire in to be one of the states," Page's lyrics are accompanied by an instrumental arrangement which combines both classical and folk music. As he sings, Page's controlled voice rises above the instrumentalists who accompany him with varied dynamics.
Revealing that the adjacent song "is nigh a man's relationship with his cat," Page and the Fine art of Fourth dimension Ensemble perform The Weakerthan'southward "Virtute the Cat Explains her Deviation" by John Chiliad. Sampson. On this number, the natural sounds of the instruments dominate — including rhythmic chording on the grand pianoforte, slides and glissandos on the strings, and an extended instrumental coda. On this number, Page's voice sounds but dreamlike.
The audition hoots with delight and i member of the oversupply even shouts upward to Steven on the stage, "Thank you playing that — information technology's my favorite song!"
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Page expresses his appreciation and then introduces the next slice by stating, "I hope you enjoy this song by a group I've been following for a long time."
Here, he and the Fine art of Time musicians perform a artistic rendition of The Beatles' "Girl," which features an advanced orchestral accompaniment and some other Lutek sax solo.
The musicians follow up with "New Shore" — an original limerick by Page — which boasts a rhythmic accompaniment in the mode of a sea chantey. Using his falcetto voice, Page sings, "I settled hither on a new shore/My lips were blue and my legs were sore/And I forget if I was pushed or I jumped overboard/And afterwards all this time, what's the difference?/Land ho!" Accompanied by rock guitar and staccato strings, audience members tap their toes and nod their heads earlier responding with a hearty "Yay!" at the number'due south conclusion!
Revealing, "We'll do one more song before we go backstage and have some cubes of cheese," Page discloses, "Our adjacent composer is a band — so they can't be dead — merely they're dead to me." Here, the audience starts to laugh — plain thinking Page is referring to his former collegues in Barenaked Ladies — until he realizes his words and exclaims, "No! It'southward Radiohead!" before wryly adding, "but I could apply this introduction subsequently!"
Launching into yet another highlight performance of the evening, the group plays "Paranoid Android." Opening with a single repeated tone on the piano, Page uses his impressive vocalism to neat dynamic effect.
Singing, "What's that? What's that? When I am king you will exist first confronting the wall," Page is accompanied by orchestral string runs. What follows is a distorted "In A Gadda Da Vida"-like guitar effigy, a screaming sax solo, and a violin and cello duet from Stephen Sitarski and Rachel Pomedli which resembles a J.Due south. Bach passacaglia. As Folio sings with passion — his vocalisation sounding operatic in nature — he intones, "God loves his children," earlier the arrangement ultimately harkens back to the single pianoforte tones which shortly fade away themselves to pure silence.
The audience pauses — enabling the silence to allow the full consequence of the functioning to sink in — then bursts into applause, hoots, and hollers!
Following a short pause, Human activity 2 opens with Folio playing audio-visual guitar on Elvis Costello's "I Desire You." Starting as a country waltz, the arrangement before long shifts to rock. Page vocally gives it all he'southward got until the vocal builds in intensity to a soaring string section interlude a la The Beatles' "A Day in the Life," before transforming into a funeral dirge with its haunting melody.
Folio mouths the final words, "I want you" — producing absolutely no sound at all — expressing keen emotion in utter silence.
After addressing the crowd by inquiring, "How was your break? I looked out and saw many of you simply sitting here!" several in the audience beginning to giggle.
Announcing, "Here's another Leonard Cohen song — because I love Leonard Cohen," Page and the Ensemble perform the championship song from their recording,A Singer Must Die. In waltz time, Folio sings with irony near his and so-chosen vocal "crimes" crooning, "A singer must die for the lie in his voice…Your vision is right, my vision is incorrect /I'm sorry for smudging the air with my song."
Following enthusiastic applause, Page claps and physically footstep-dances the Latin rhythm which undergirds his original composition, "Entourage." Featuring a sultry Lutek saxophone solo, Page sways and emotes while he sings, "I want to live with you and your entourage."
The musicians follow upward with a number virtually which Page says, "This is a song from one of the greatest '80s albums — which sounded very '80s — Jane Siberry'southThe Speckless Sky." The vocal, "The Taxi Ride," opens with Rachel Pomedli's cello and Joseph Phillips' bass playing a drone-like introduction earlier Stephen Sitarski adds his violin and Page enters singing.
In the middle of the number, Page speaks the line, "I thought I heard someone screaming exterior. Information technology was just a omnibus." After which, the piece drifts off into a surreal classical/jazz soundscape before returning back to the original tune for a dramatic conclusion.
After introducing the members of the Fine art of Time Ensemble to the audition, Page attributes the next song to "a ring Barenaked Ladies opened for — The Skydiggers." Here, he and the musicians perform "Anything For You," a gentle and rhythmic rock number featuring distorted electric guitar accompaniment by Rob Piltch.
Following audience applause, Page thank you the crowd earlier telling them, "This adjacent song is past David Bowie. I bought the album it comes from — a Mexican cutout where all the words were in Spanish — on the same twenty-four hours I went to the movies to see DC Cabstarring Mr. T," going on to joke, "I pity the fool who doesn't enjoy this next song!"
Performing Bowie's "Ashes to Ashes," the musicians open up with a quirky staccato intro. Folio sings using his falsetto voice in a rubato way — creatively taking the tempo at his own pace. The ensemble strings re-enter with pops, slides, and crackles performed on their instruments along with woodwind growls emanating from the saxophone. The number concludes with Page as he sings and then ultimately whispers, "My mother said to go things done/You'd better not mess with Major Tom," to the audition's delight.
Announcing "This is our final vocal, which is from a band from Ireland called Divine Comedy." A lovely and hopeful composition entitled, "Tonight Nosotros Wing," the Art of Time Ensemble strings rhythmically play straight eighth notes as Page sings, "Tonight we fly/Over the houses/The streets and the copse/Over the dogs down beneath/They'll bark at our shadows/Every bit we bladder by on the breeze." Making the audience feel quite like they're taking a trip in a hot air balloon, the vocal builds to a satisfying determination, after which the audience responds with a rousing standing ovation!
Page and his colleagues get out the phase, but soon return, at which signal Folio says with a twinkle in his eye, "Our side by side vocal is by a ring — so they can't be dead — but they're dead to me!" The audience laughs as he and the Art of Fourth dimension Ensemble launch into a dynamic rendition of Barenaked Ladies' 1992 hitting "Brian Wilson."
The audience clearly enjoys every notation, afterwards which Page signals, "One more than?" to which the audience responds with continued cheers and applause.
Here, Steven and the group perform yet another highlight of the evening — a stunning rendition of The Beatles' "Oh, Darling" which includes an innovative musical arrangement featuring bluesy piano playing past Andrew Burashko, a melding of jazz and classical cord playing, wah-wah electric guitar, and a knock-your-socks-off pb vocal past Steven Folio.
Post-obit even more cheers and applause, as the audience members make their way out of the auditorium and out into the cold winter nighttime, they can't help just experience they've been a part of a very special musical event — a concert where they were not only throughly entertained, but one in which they also were exposed to existent civilisation.
It'southward not oftentimes that a listener can go the aforementioned feeling from a and so-called "pop" concert that he or she can go from attention a concert of orchestral music, an opera, or a fifty-fifty a swell visual art exhibit. Thank you to Steven Page and his talented cadre of musicians for making the leap to expand the "Great American Songbook" and create a new "volume" of standards so elequently presented tonight inSongbook: Steven Page and the Fine art of Fourth dimension EnsembleAlive! at the Grunin Heart.
To learn more than virtually Steven Page, please go to stevenpage.com. For farther information on the Art of Time Ensemble, delight click on artoftimeensemble.com. To find out about upcoming performances at the Grunin Center of the Arts — includingAn Intimate Evening with Rickie Lee Jones on Mar. 22, Tom Chapin and the Chapin Sisters on Apr. 21, and Peter, Paul and Mary'south Peter Yarrow on May. 11 — please go to grunincenter.org.
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Source: https://www.newjerseystage.com/articles/2018/02/14/songbook-steven-page-and-the-art-of-time-ensemble-live-at-the-grunin-center
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