Singer, songwriter and author Storm Large first found notoriety as a finalist on the singing competition show Rock Star: Supernova. In the 10 years since her reality TV tenure, things have been non-stop for the Portland resident. Beyond touring with Pink Martini, Storm has become an in-demand vocalist with many of the world’s top orchestras, performing recent engagements with the New York Pops, Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, Houston Symphony, RTÉ Dublin, and the Toronto Symphony Orchestra. She has also released three full-length albums and a plethora of singles since appearing on CBS.
The theatrical world also embraced her, as she starred in Portland Center Stage’s production of Cabaret with Wade McCollum. Such led to a touring version of the show playing at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Adelaide Festival in Australia, and Joe’s Pub in New York. Around that same time, Storm’s 2012 memoir Crazy Enough — a Simon & Schuster release — was an Oprah’s Book of the Week and was awarded the 2013 Oregon Book Award for Creative Nonfiction. Thus, success in music, theater and literature.
In support of her Dec. 19 show at Feinstein’s/54 Below, Downtown had the opportunity to do some Q&A with Storm. Not only is Storm talented and driven, but she is also very personable. Her Manhattan show is set to include holiday favorites — including “2000 Miles,” “Hallelujah” and “Sock It To Me Santa” — and, as she hinted at, some special guests. Storm can be followed on Twitter via @StormOf69 and visited online at www.stormlarge.com.
A lot of people first learned about you from Rock Star: Supernova. The aftermath of that show was said to be a disaster as far as the supergroup went, but was it a pleasant experience for you?
Storm Large: It was an insane experience, but I learned a lot in those three months. I still have a few fans — here and there — from that show, but thankfully, the fever pitch of intense TV fame I had has passed. That is some scary energy, television fame.
Since a lot people discovered you from the CBS show, but you now do a lot of work in theater and with orchestras. How did you bridge the gap from rock to a more upscale world?
SL: I had been a rock/cabaret performer for 15 years before the show –hashtag: old — so the theater wasn’t much of a leap. Symphonies were a surprise turn because of the amount of music education I lack. I cannot read music, only have an anecdotal understanding of theory, would rather listen to The Clash than Cole Porter, etc. If I had to guess, it would be my experiences on club stages, telling stories and being a natural ham type of showman gave me the gall to step in front of my first orchestras. Then it took people smarter and more talented than I — Thomas Lauderdale, James Beaton, Leonard Slatkin, Steven Reineke, Michael Feinstein — telling me I was actually great in the genre, and need to keep exploring it.
Pink Martini is said to be one of the harder gigs for a vocalist, given all the genres and languages involved. What sort of audition or test was needed to get in with them?
SL: (laughs) Audition? Thomas MADE me do it! I told him at least 17 times, “NO, I can’t, too hard, China [Forbes] is brilliant, I can NOT do what she does,” and so on. However, China had injured her vocal cords, and the band was in a serious situation. I only did it, at first, because I love China and Thomas. I did it as a favor, thinking I would be a miserable failure, China would get better, come back and we just could chalk it up to a learning experience.
So I learned…crammed, actually…10 songs in five languages in four days, for my first ever concert with them. Four sold-out shows at The Kennedy Center. Never was I more terrified as a performer. I don’t remember much, but afterwards, Thomas asked me to be a lead vocalist, swapping tours with China.
You sing, you act, you write…How do you usually go about describing what you do for a living?
SL: I usually say, “I sing, and talk a lot of shit.”
What do you remember about the first show you ever performed in New York? Where was it?
SL: Limelight, 1989, sang “Happy Birthday” onstage to my friend Tommy — who was playing that night — and the place went nuts. Afterwards the owner nicknamed me “Janis” and I never paid a cover there again.
For your upcoming show at 54 Below, what should be expected? A mix of songs from your career?
SL: Yup, plus some new holiday favorites, and some snazzy guests if I can talk them into singing on their night off…
Do you have a favorite song to perform live?
SL: It changes all the time. Right now I’m loving a French song Sean Lennon wrote for the film, A Monster In Paris. The song is “La Seine.”
Beyond the show at 54 Below, what’s coming up for you in your career?
SL: Flights, snacks, naps, SING! Flights, snacks, naps, SING! I’m taking some time off next year to write and rest a bit, reset my creative head/heart. I’m due to write another book. I am also writing lyrics and some music for a musical about a storied brothel in Chicago at the turn of the 20th Century. True story about a gentlemen’s club run by women called, The Everleigh Club.
Is there a field you haven’t yet worked in but still hope to?
SL: Politics.
When not busy with your career, how do you like to spend your free time?
SL: Get some sleep, do some yoga, get laid…Not easy seeings as my only free time happens on airplanes.
Originally from Cincinnati, Steven Reineke is not only an in-demand conductor, composer and arranger, but also the Music Director of The New York Pops. Steven joined The New York Pops as Music Director during the 2009-2010 season, conducting the Pops’ annual concert series at Carnegie Hall in addition to Pops tours, recordings and television appearances. Those responsibilities would be enough for most artists, yet Steven also makes time to serve as the Principal Pops Conductor of the National Symphony Orchestra, the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, and the Houston Symphony; he also frequently guest conducts with the Philadelphia Orchestra and the Boston Pops.
On Dec. 16 and 17, Steven will be leading the Pops for the holiday-themed Make The Season Bright. The Carnegie Hall’s event will feature four guest artists, sisters Liz Callaway and Ann Hampton Callaway and brothers Anthony and Will Nunziata. Judith Clurman’s Essential Voices USA will also be on-stage at the Stern Auditorium for Make The Season Bright. The Pops’ 34th season continues on Mar. 10 with another Carnegie Hall event, Life Is A Cabaret: The Songs Of Kander And Ebb, which coincides with John Kander’s 90th birthday.
Downtown spoke with Steven about his work with the Pops and what life is like as a conductor. The New York Pops can be visited online at www.newyorkpops.org and followed on Twitter via @NewYorkPops.
What led to you becoming a conductor instead of a musician? I understand you had also majored in trumpet performance in college.
Steven Reineke: Conductors are musicians, too! My fondest childhood memories are ones that involve making music. Whether it was playing my trumpet, playing the piano, or acting in plays and musicals, I knew from an early age that music would become my livelihood somehow. I loved playing in bands and orchestras through high school and college, but I really found my passion in conducting. There’s something magical about standing in front of an orchestra and shaping the sound of a group of musicians.
SR: Conductors have a lot of say in how a piece of music is performed. Conductors make decisions about the tempo of the music, how loud or soft particular players should be, and which portions of the orchestra should be highlighted at any given moment. It’s very much the same as a director being presented with a Shakespeare play. You could see two completely different productions of Romeo and Juliet — the words and story are the same, but the performances are completely different. In music, it’s about how interpret the score.
Do you hang out with other conductors?
SR: I have a lot of good friends who are in the music business; many are conductors, but most are singers and instrumentalists. It’s a soloistic field, so we almost never get to work together with other conductors!
Do you ever play music for fun?
SR: Absolutely. I’ve been known to tickle the ivories at parties around town!
Steven Reineke / Photo: Richard Termine
Outside of the classical realm, who are some of the artists and musicians that you regularly listen to?
SR: I’m a huge fan of Ella Fitzgerald but I also love listening to other great singers of that era, including Billie Holiday and Frank Sinatra to name a few. People that know me understand my huge love of Dolly Parton as well. I’m also blown away by recent solo albums by my friends Megan Hilty and Carrie Manolakos.
When it comes to the New York Pops, do you have any responsibilities beyond your work as a conductor? Do you help book any of the talent?
SR: A lot of my work at The New York Pops is behind the scenes! I work with our office staff to set the direction for the orchestra, which includes planning concerts and building programs as well as booking talent. I feel lucky to be the Music Director and Conductor at The New York Pops because that comes with the perk of seeing my vision for the organization come to life. It’s been amazing to watch programs I dreamed up become reality at Carnegie Hall!
Tell me more about the upcoming 2016-2017 season. What are some of the highlights?
SR: To be honest, I’m really excited about the whole season. We’ve had two fantastic concerts already, and the rest of the season is going to be incredible. December is always a lot of fun — we do three shows at Carnegie Hall. On Friday and Saturday, Dec. 16 and 17, we will do a concert called Make The Season Bright. I’m particularly excited to invite my friends Ann Hampton Callaway, Liz Callaway, and Anthony and Will Nunziata to sing some really fantastic holiday quartets with the orchestra. Then we’ll do our annual Family Concert, this year: Twas The Night Before Christmas. In April we’ll celebrate Kander and Ebb, another legendary composer and lyricist team. Finally, in April, we’ll explore singer/songwriters throughout history. It’s going to be an awesome season.
Steven Reineke / Photo: Richard Termine
Are there any special events coming up that are off-site or in a unique venue?
SR: Our summer series is already in the works — we are the resident orchestra at Forest Hills Stadium in Queens. The venue is absolutely legendary. It seats 13,000 fans, and bands like The Beatles and The Who have played there. Barbra Streisand did a huge solo show there in the 60s. 2017 will be our third summer out there, and it’s really going to be spectacular.
What was the first big event you ever conducted for the New York Pops?
SR: Oh wow. It was a big one. My first concert with The New York Pops was like a conductor audition, without them even telling me that’s what it was. It was our 25th Birthday Gala in 2008, and it was my Carnegie Hall debut. Talk about a lot riding on the show! I guess it went pretty well, since they hired me that summer, and I became the second Music Director of The New York Pops in 2008!
Do you have a “bucket list” when it comes to pieces or performers that you’d like to conduct?
Do you presently have any orchestrations or compositions in the works?
SR: Nothing on my plate at this exact moment, since I’m gearing up to do all of my holiday concerts around the country. December is my busiest month of the year. I’ll be doing Christmas concerts with all four of my orchestras — The New York Pops, National Symphony, Toronto Symphony and Houston Symphony.
When not busy with music, how do you like to spend your free time?
SR: My husband and I love to travel. A lot of times that will be getting away to a sunny beach for a few days of R&R. Other than that, we like to cook and spend time with friends.
What is your favorite restaurant in New York?
SR: Oh, that’s so hard to say because there are so many! I typically don’t need super fancy places. For barbecue, we love Blue Smoke, great Italian at Cafe Fiorello, Mexican at Rosa Mexicano, or Asian at Tao.
Finally, Steven, any last words for the kids?
SR: The single most important thing that made my dreams become a reality were the incredible teachers that nurtured and influenced me along the way, the ones that saw a special spark inside of me and fanned that flame with their knowledge and inspiration. Whether one chooses to make a career out of the arts, or simply spend a lifetime enjoying them, an early cultural education is an invaluable part of childhood development. I want every young person to have that opportunity. Don’t give up!
Accomplished in multiple musical fields, Rob Mathes is a noted singer, songwriter, arranger, music director and producer. As an arranger, he has worked with Bruce Springsteen, Tony Bennett, Elton John, Bono, and Panic! At The Disco, to name a few artists. As a producer, he has worked with Sting, Rod Stewart, Carly Simon, and Beth Hart. As a music director — or “MD” — he has overseen high-profile performances at the Kennedy Center, Carnegie Hall, Madison Square Garden and the Super Bowl. Rob has also released several solo albums, which has led to him having two television specials on PBS. In turn, it is not particularly surprising that he is an Emmy winner and the recipient of Grammy, Tony and Drama Desk Award nominations.
On Dec. 18, Rob Mathes brings his annual holiday concert — 23 years and concert — to the Schimmel Center. Rob’s shows are known to feature world-class musicians, as including musicians from Saturday Night Live, The Late Show With David Letterman, and Paul Simon’s band. Rob spoke to Downtown about this year’s event, what else he has coming up for him, and plenty more. More info on all things Rob can be found at www.robmathes.com.
Where did the idea for the first Rob Mathes Holiday Concert come from?
Rob Mathes: My parents raised me as a Christmas kid. Once Santa came into view, I went into a kind of heat every year almost as if I was on a new anti-depressant. I loved the cold, the dark and the lights — everything — and I always saw the Christian part of the Holiday as this story about humility and grace entering the world right when it wanted a warrior. So from my teens I wrote Christmas songs. I admit a few were cheesy early on, but many came from the better tradition of Christmas music — i.e. the Bruce Cockburn record, the Ray Charles records. I grew up as a Pete Townshend and Beatles fanatic but who also listened to Stevie Wonder, Motown and Duke Ellington’s Nutcracker Suite. It was schizophrenic but wondrous.
Eventually I started to accrue real credits and started working with great musicians in studios thanks to the legendary producer Phil Ramone, who hired me regularly as an arranger, guitarist and piano player. I decided to collect the best of this music, released a few independent CD’s, put some of these musicians together and started giving this concert. Eventually an amazing Rabbi from Stamford, Rabbi Mark Golub — who hosts a talk show on Shalom TV — started coming to the concert regularly and I promised him some music. It became a true holiday concert, the Menorah, the Manger, the sleigh and reindeer.
Did you know that it was going to become an annual tradition?
RM: I had no idea. People loved the first concert and grew attached to a few of the songs that became our “hits” so to speak, the song “William The Angel” — which I eventually ended up singing with The Boston Symphony at Symphony Hall years after the Holiday event became a perennial — and the blues-oriented “When The Baby Grew Up.”
For someone who hasn’t attended before, what should be expected? Are there particular things that happen every year?
RM: It is an odd one, Darren. The original songs fall firmly into the singer/songwriter tradition. I grew up on Dylan, The Band and Stevie, so I write an equal amount of music around both the piano and guitar and it is the kind of singer/songwriter stuff that you might hear on WFUV. On the other hand, I grew up being raised equally by my mom and aunt, identical twin sisters both of whom were classical musicians who married men they met at Yale Music School, my uncle who played with big bands and was a composer/arranger and my dad, who was a classical clarinetist but who secretly was a folk music fanatic.
Because of this, I also adore Ellington and Gil Evans, Vaughan Williams and Mahler and have written hundreds of arrangements for various horn sections and string sections. So we do straight up swing versions of some carols and even a couple of Instrumentals for my six-piece horn section — full of brilliant virtuosos — that groove like music by The Meters and The JB’s. It is quite eclectic.
Who is in your backing band this year?
RM: It is the same group that has played with me for 20 years. Will Lee, the legendary bass player and studio session star from New York City, who played on the David Letterman show since the very, very beginning, is playing bass. We have two drummers, the great Shawn Pelton from Saturday Night Live on drums and Joe Bonadio, who is also an astonishing percussionist. Billy Masters, who played with Suzanne Vega and Dar Williams for years and who was often a part of my Kennedy Center Honors band, is my guitarist. Ricky Knutsen, a composer and keyboardist from Brooklyn, has played every single show since 1993. The six Horn players are Jeff Kievit and Don Harris on trumpet, Aaron Heick and Andy Snitzer on saxes, Mike Davis and Jeff Nelson on bones. Between the six of them the credits are insane. From Sinatra to Aretha Franklin to Springsteen to Paul Simon to Nile Rodgers to The Rolling Stones, these are six of New York’s finest.
Vaneese Thomas and James “D-Train” Williams are also unsung heroes of the vocal scene in New York. D-Train had big hits in the 80s but, along with Vaneese, became one of the first calls for any background vocal session had on major records over the last 20 years. Between them they have sung with Billy Joel, Stevie Wonder, Natalie Cole, Luther Vandross, Alicia Keys, Sting, Michael Jackson, Eric Clapton, etc. It is a great band and, while the show can be said to be about music that people the age of 35 to 60 will relate to, it is not staid and tired. This is a muscular evening musically, emotionally resonant and alternately funky, warm, resonant and meditative. To say it is appropriate for all ages is both true and somewhat self-serving. That said, it is an evening/afternoon I am very proud of and a focal point in my year.
Aside from the Holiday Concert, what is coming up for you?
RM: I have been doing a lot of work with the David Lynch Foundation, having produced the Music Of David Lynch record, recorded at the ACE Theatre in L.A. last year. There will be a big David Lynch event at the Kennedy Center in the new year and I think I will MD that event. I am hoping to do some more arrangements for both Twenty One Pilots and Panic! At The Disco who I have worked closely with for years and produced one of their records. I will musically direct a tribute to Jimmy Webb at Carnegie Hall next spring. When Sting finishes touring the new record with his long-time band late next year, there are plans for a London production of his musical The Last Ship, which I orchestrated and musically directed. Other things are floating.
You are a singer, songwriter, arranger, music director and producer. Do you identify with any of those categories more than others?
RM: I always wanted to be a singer/songwriter 24 hours a day, but I was so obsessed with music and it was coming at me from all sides at home. My uncle playing Sinatra and Ellington, my dad playing Dylan and Pete Seeger, my mom and Aunt playing Gospel music and Beethoven. I wanted to understand Mahler’s 9th, Sinatra’s In The Wee Small Hours, Stevie’s Songs In The Key Of Life — my favorite record ever made — Duke Ellington’s Blues In Orbit, and Radiohead’s In Rainbows. Therefore all four of the monikers above stand and I can’t pick. Schizophrenic indeed.
You have been honored with Emmy, Grammy, Tony and Drama Desk Award honors. Which was your first nomination of note?
RM: The country artist Kathy Mattea won a Grammy for her Christmas record, the title track of which was my song “Good News.” That was not a personal Grammy nomination like my production of Bettye Lavette’s Interpretations, but it was the beginning and meant a lot. I won my Emmy Award for musically directing and arranging the Kennedy Center Honors show. That year I had done a massive multi-genre arrangement of “Here Comes The Sun” for Chris Thile, Edgar Meyer, The Silk Road Ensemble, Emanuel Ax and Jamie Laredo and James Taylor, all conducted by John Williams. That was easily one of the most astonishing moments of my life. The point was to illustrate Yo Yo Ma’s musical playground and how he crosses borders. He was one of the honorees that year. Wow!
Awards aside, is there an accomplishment that you are most proud of?
RM: There have been moments that transformed me: Accompanying Al Green on piano when he sang “Amazing Grace” at the 9/11/02 Concert For America I musically directed for NBC. Writing and conducting a full orchestral version of “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking” for an African Choir, Orchestra of St. Luke’s, Bono and The Edge at Carnegie for Bono’s Red Charity last year. The first studio session writing string charts for Bruce Springsteen. He came up to me in the middle of the session at the old MSR Studios on 48th Street and told me “you’re my guy from now on.” Huge!
Musically directing and arranging the Obama Inaugural at the Lincoln Memorial. Co-producing a few records with Sting, who was a huge influence on me when I was young. Writing the National Anthem arrangement for Renée Fleming for the 2014 Super Bowl. Having Lou Reed personally thank me on his album The Raven for a simple string arrangement I did — a first. There are many more but these stand out.
Your list of credits is essentially a who’s who, between Beyonce, Bono, Elton John, Sting, Panic! At The Disco, Twenty One Pilots, Tony Bennett, Yo-Yo Ma…All sorts of genres, to say the least. How does work usually come to you? Do you have a manager or agent pitching you? Is it more word of mouth?
RM: My manager is Jonathan Daniel at Crush Management. He manages Sia, Lorde, and Fall Out Boy, among others. He has saved me in that most people like myself get called for “Adult Contemporary Music.” He has hooked me up with Butch Walker and Panic! At The Disco and Fall Out Boy and many others. He has single-handedly kept me young — to a certain extent (laughs). He is smart and unpretentious. Super-important. But a LOT of my work comes from word of mouth.
Is there anyone you haven’t yet worked with but still hope to?
RM: I would love to work as an arranger with some younger hip-hop artists, because whenever I have written string or horn charts on those records, most of which were produced by my friend Just Blaze, he TURNED THAT SHIT UP! There is a spirit in that community and that music which just will not be denied. It is the center of popular music and has been for a while. So much of it is so vital, passionate and intense that when you bring in ideas coming from an arranger’s head, they get channeled in a way very unlike just a sweet string arrangement on a pop or rock ballad you can hear in the background.
I would love to produce a record of spirituals for Mavis Staples with a big gospel choir, orchestra and rhythm section. Mavis was great to me through the years when she came to sing some of my arrangements at the Kennedy Center. We performed a concert together in Connecticut. I think it is a long shot but I would love it.
When not busy with work, how do you like to spend your free time?
RM: With my three daughters and wife — Emma, Sarah, Lily and Tammy…Studying music, I want to look at every note in Elgar’s Violin Concerto and Stravinsky’s Le Sacre VERY closely. Reading the late and long Charles Dickens novels and re-reading The Brothers Karamazov. Writing my OWN music, one of the reasons the Holiday concert is such a joy).
RM: I am completely floored by the new Bon Iver record. I don’t listen to Beyonce’s Lemonade all the time but recognize both its power and its brilliance. Solange’s new A Seat At The Table record is beautiful and vibey and my daughter and I have listened to that a lot. I just discovered the band Fink from England and love the Jules Buckley arranged record they did with the Concertgebouw Orchestra from Amsterdam. Maybe my favorite though is A Moon Shaped Pool by Radiohead. The new Lisa Batiashvili — brilliant violinist — recording of the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto conducted by Daniel Barenboim is ridiculously great.
Finally, Rob, any last words for the kids?
RM: By kids you must mean young people. I say “get busy.” You are a better generation than we were, more talented, quicker and with more passion than I can even remember…I can’t wait to hear your music. Come to my holiday concert. You may dig it and, if you don’t, tell me what sucked and I will LISTEN. I am NOT one of the old, cranky musicians who says, “It ain’t Aretha. It ain’t the Beatles!” The talent out there is ferocious right now. I am blown away and, don’t forget, by the time Bob Dylan was 25, he had written “Hard Rain’s Gonna Fall,” “The Times They Are A-Changin’,” “Chimes Of Freedom”, and “Blowin’ In The Wind,” not to mention the albums Highway 61 Revisited, Bringing It All Back Home and Blonde On Blonde. A word for the kids? “GO!”
Internationally-renowned for a sound that is somewhere in between folk and electronica, Beth Orton first made waves in the United States with 1996’s Trailer Park album, which was nominated for BRIT Award and Mercury Prize honors. Beth’s follow-up release, 1999’s Central Reservation won her a BRIT Award — beyond earning another Mercury Prize nomination — and was featured in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die. Beth’s streak of excellence continued with 2002’s Daybreaker, which led to a Best Album nomination at the Q Awards and a Best British Female Singer nod from the BRIT Awards. Critical acclaim also followed for 2006’s Comfort Of Strangers and 2012’s Sugaring Season.
2016 has brought the sixth studio album by Beth Orton, Kidsticks, as released by Epitaph Records sister label ANTI-. The Guardian has referred to the full-length as “a real reinvention: not so much a return to her electronic roots as a bold exploration of fresh territory.” In support of Kidsticks, Beth returns to New York for a Dec. 3 performance at Carnegie Hall’s Zankel Hall. Beth spoke to Downtown about what to expect from the Zankel Hall gig and how she really feels about being called a “folktronica” artist.
What do you remember about the first gig you ever played in New York City?
Beth Orton: I remember it as being one of the most exciting experiences of my life, Arlene’s Grocery. I was treated with such affection and I couldn’t believe people were into the music. It was the best most fun. I was with Girlie Action [Media] and Dedicated [Records] and it was a ball.
BO: I am playing with a band. Songs from the new record, Kidsticks, and songs for previous records. I’m very much enjoying how the new songs work with the older songs and bring new found light to each. There’s something very satisfying about playing entirely acoustic in one song to completely plugged in and/or electronic. I’ve never played so loud and quiet before and it’s freeing. I have an amazing guitarist playing with me called Grey McMurry who is actually from New York and he has the most incredible voice, too. It’s pretty euphoric to sing and play with him. I’m playing keys and guitar. There’s drums, too, and everyone doubles up on bass. There’s a great breadth of sound.
How would you describe your latest album Kidsticks to someone who hasn’t yet heard the first two singles?
BO: It’s the most experimental record I’ve made. It’s a soulful record, the songs have depth, but they have more of a soul sensibility to them than anything I’ve done before. It’s emotional and honest as that’s what I suppose I do. I enjoyed not writing to guitar and the effect that had on my writing. I think it allowed a different kind of freedom melodically. The record is more electronic than anything I’ve made and been involved with under my own name. It’s got a lot going on and can be quite bombastic in some ways but subtle in others. I’m fond of it in all sorts of ways.
Your latest album has appearances by Grizzly Bear, Twin Shadow and Winged Victory members. Had you sought out collaborations before starting to record?
BO: I had no plans when I went in to make the record. I started from the beats that were created between me and Andy Hung from Fuckbuttons. I was excited to write to these loops and sounds. I was living in L.A. and met Chris from Grizzly Bear whilst living out there. He was an incredibly important part of the records more “Fleetwood Mac” elements. He helped with additional production and brilliant bass and keyboard parts. Also killer harmonies. I met Dustin from Winged Victory through a friend who works with him. I was in London and saw them play and asked if he’d like to do some arrangements. I flew to Berlin 24 hours later and we spent a couple of days with him blowing my mind with beautiful arrangements and piano parts…
A number of your albums are “carbon neutral” in terms of their manufacturing. What first inspired you to become environmentally-minded?
BO: I don’t know that there’s anyone who can’t afford to be environmentally-minded. It was a no brainer when I found out that this was possible. That for every record sold a tree could be planted seemed to go towards lessoning the carbon footprint of touring. Touring seems like a traveling pollutant and this was a way of directly helping and balancing out the damage.
When someone refers to you as a “folktronica” artist, is that something that you enjoy?
BO: When someone names what you do and you feel cornered by it, it’s never a comfortable feeling. I don’t find it offensive but I do sometimes find it funny. There’s something silly about it. If it irritates me at all, it’s because it’s a way of describing what a woman does to make certain sounds — not sure I’ve heard a bloke be described as making folktronica. I’m probably wrong about that.
About 15 years ago, you acted in the movie Southlander. Is acting something you ever see yourself doing in the future?
BO: I did a film a year or so ago. It was an interesting experience.
A few years before Southlander, Ben Weber danced in one of your music videos. Any chance of that ever happening again?
BO: I will always be open to Ben Weber dancing in one of my videos
In all of your travels, have you ever encountered Randy Orton? Or “Cowboy” Bob Orton?
BO: Randy and I go way back.
After this tour wraps, what is coming up for you?
BO: I’m writing…
When you’re not busy with being Beth Orton, the recording artist that tours, how do you like to spend your free time?
BO: I like being with my family and making music.
If given a few hours of free time while tour in New York, how would you ideally spend those hours?
BO: I love walking. I walk the streets and the park and I breathe it all in. I love New York and it never loses its sparkle however many times I go there to visit.
David Hayes is a skilled, versatile and prolific conductor. He is the Music Director of both the New York Choral Society and the Mannes Orchestra. He has also served on the conducting staff of The Philadelphia Orchestra and the New York Philharmonic. David has also overseen concerts for the European Center for Opera and Vocal Art, the Los Angeles Master Chorale, the Washington Chorus, and the Louisiana Philharmonic.
On Nov. 18, David will be conducting the Mannes Orchestra as they perform works by Bolcom, Ginastera and Harris. He caught up for some Q&A with Downtown earlier in the month to talk about his upcoming events and what actually got him to where he is today as an in-demand conductor. More info on David and other upcoming concerts can be found on The New School’s website.
What can you tell me about the upcoming event series for the Mannes School Of Music? Any particular events you are most excited about?
David Hayes: The entire year is a celebration of Mannes’ Centennial, so the events that are coming up not only celebrate Mannes’ history but also its present and future. We are focusing on composers, alumni and faculty — like our recent Alice Tully Hall Orchestra concert which was led by JoAnn Falletta (an alum) with music by Bohuslav Martinu (faculty in the 1950’s), as well as a cello concerto by composer Paul Moravec and played by Jeffrey Zeigler (both current faculty). We have exciting projects coming up with composer Kaija Saariaho (Composer-in-Residence this Fall) more music on the next Mannes orchestra by a former faculty member (Roy Harris’s 3rd Symphony) Mozart’s Cosí fan tutti, staged by our fabulous opera department, and then two exciting “movie” projects: “(Un) Silent Night featuring a live score played to Harold Lloyd’s Safety Last, and Howard Blake’s score to the beloved film The Snowman at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. And that’s just the Fall semester!
Where was the first Mannes-related event you ever worked on?
DH: I think the first Mannes Orchestra Concert I ever conducted was at Symphony Space, 96th & Broadway. Rhat was when the school was at its previous home on West 85th Street.
You are a Music Director for several organizations beyond Mannes. What else do you have coming up?
DH: I’m leading performances with the New York Choral Society at St. Patrick’s Cathedral on Nov. 9, the U.S. Premiere of a concert Mass by Maltese composer Joseph Vella, and then a Christmas Concert at Alice Tully Hall on Dec. 21st. We return to Carnegie Hall in February for music of Duruflé and Haydn and then give the New York City premiere of James MacMillan’s St. Luke Passion in April.
Was it always the plan for you to be a conductor? Were you ever focused on being a full-time instrumentalist?
DH: I always had it in the back of my mind that I wanted to conduct. So while I studied violin and viola and was playing a lot — tons of “gigging around” — my professional conducting life started taking off quickly after my graduation from the Curtis Institute of Music and I simply didn’t have to time to play anymore. So I never did work exclusively as a full-time instrumentalist.
Outside of the classical and orchestral realm, have you attended any concerts recently?
DH: Actually, no! My schedule is so jam-packed that I can barely keep up with my own rehearsals and performances. It’s really hard to find time to hear other concerts — much as I’d like to!
Do you have a favorite album of 2016?
DH: Hmm, nothing specific that was released just this year. But I recently downloaded some performances of pianist William Kapell — seriously good playing!
David Hayes conducting
When not busy with music, how do you like to spend your free time?
DH: I adored the Beacon restaurant on 55th near 6th Avenue, but it closed. My current favorite is Vic’s on Great Jones Street — wonderful food!
Finally, David, any last words for the kids?
DH: My simplest advice is “truly love what you do.” This is a very hard life, with lots of sacrifices. The only way it makes sense is if you love it so much that you can’t imagine ever doing anything else. If you have that fire inside, you at least have the possibility of success!
The Los Angeles Guitar Quartet is a Grammy-winning ensemble that formed in 1980. Its current lineup of John Dearman, William Kanengiser, Scott Tennant and Matthew Greif — Matthew replaced original member Andrew York in 2006 — has toured around the world, playing everything from bluegrass to Bach. The ensemble’s worldwide acclaim has led to notable composers writing music for the LAGQ to perform, one recent example of such being by guitar hero Dweezil Zappa.
On Nov. 5, the Los Angeles Guitar Quartet makes a return to 92Y, a venue the group has a long-standing history with. This evening will feature a performance of the Pat Metheny composition Road To The Sun, which 92Y co-commissioned. Mr. Metheny will be in attendance for the event, which opens 92Y’s Art Of The Guitar series.
Downtown caught up with John Dearman, William Kanengiser and Scott Tennant for some Q&A about their Nov. 5 show, their personal histories with our city, and what else is coming up for the LAGQ. More info can be found at www.lagq.com.
What do you remember about the first time you ever performed live in New York? Where was it?
Scott Tennant: I don’t know if it was our first New York City performance or not, but I strongly recall our Merkin Hall debut. I remember walking up to the hall excited, not nervous at all. Couldn’t help but be energized by the New York musical vibe!
William Kannengiser: My New York City performance was at my Senior Recital upon graduating from the Mannes Conservatory Preparatory School in May 1977. I was a high school senior living in New Jersey, and I studied guitar, Music Theory and Ear Training at Mannes for three years, making the trek into the big city every Saturday. It was my first complete solo recital, and right in the middle of it a huge storm hit, replete with lightning and huge claps of thunder. Somehow I maintained my composure and got through it.
John Dearman: I think the first time we played in New York City was for the Concert Artists Guild competition held annually at Carnegie Hall. I remember that we stayed in a hotel across the street from Carnegie and someone told me that Van Cliburn lived in that hotel — not, like, stayed there when in town, but LIVED there! That impressed me, that a classical musician was living like a rock star.
And on the evening of our performance in the competition, just beforehand, I decided to stop in at the Russian Team Room, right next door to the entrance to Carnegie. And who did I see? Woody Allen himself — who famously was a regular there — with Mia Farrow. So, even being from L.A., I was pretty starstruck on my first visit to the Big Apple.
What’s to be expected from your upcoming show at 92Y?
WK: This would be the “troisiéme”, or third performance of Pat Metheny’s amazing Road To The Sun. Having gone through the first-performance jitters at the world premiere in Denver two weeks before, and with a ton of tweaks suggested by Pat and another performance under our belt in Santa Barbara, I’m looking forward to us just sitting back and enjoying the ride. It’s also going to be fantastic to work with Pat again on little details and having him in the house to inspire us.
JD: Well, it will of course be very special because of the Metheny performance with Pat in attendance. So we’re pretty psyched about playing there as it’s really one of our “home” concerts where we have a very loyal following. I think this will be something like our seventh or eighth appearance at 92Y.
Any restaurants or attractions in New York you’re hoping to check out while in town?
ST: My absolute favorite place is gone. You’ll think I’m crazy, with all the foodie shrines in Manhattan. But I always went to Big Nick’s on Broadway and West 77th! The flight from L.A. would always land at JFK [Airport] in the evening, and my routine was to check into my hotel across the street and immediately head to Big Nick’s for a huge Greek salad and a burger — usually around 11:00 PM or midnight. No matter what the weather was I would sit out in front under the seemingly-eternal scaffolding and eat while watching people walk by.
WK: My wife is celebrating a big birthday today, and in honor of her I’m planning on having a nice spinach and goat cheese omelet at the lovely Sarabeth’s Kitchen on Madison and 92nd. I’ve had many memorable breakfasts there with my wife and daughter when we’ve come to New York City to play.
JD: Eating and museums are always top priority for me when I visit. I always pay a visit to MoMA and then try to fit in something extra like the Frick or some galleries. Haven’t done my research on restaurants yet but one thing I’ve always loved about New York City is the abundance of great old-style Italian, so-called red-sauce joints, so I’ll try to hit one of those. Also have never been to Peter Luger’s, so I may head out to Brooklyn…
What is coming up for you after the show at 92Y? Other projects?
WK: We’re planning on a recording project featuring Road To The Sun as the centerpiece, as well as a piece recently written for us by Dweezil Zappa. In April we’ll be premiering a piece for LAGQ and guitar orchestra by former LAGQ member and acclaimed composer Andy York. We’re going to do a three-concert tour in Arizona with a 40-member orchestra of talented student guitarists from all over the state. It will be partly based on traditional Havasupai chants.
When not busy with work, how do you like to spend your free time?
ST: I will have a little dog soon and that will take over my free time. But otherwise I like collecting and riding odd recumbent trikes. I also like lifting weights. It focuses me and calms me down like nothing else can.
WK: I love to cook. I just made my wife some cast-iron seared sushi-grade ahi with a sesame, chia and nigella seed crust, topped with a soy, miso and olallieberry reduction, along with grilled Japanese eggplant and roasted Yukon gold potatoes with chives and crème fraîche. Cooking for others is a creative, relaxing and rewarding respite for me.
JD: I’ve got a serious motorcycle habit: three bikes including a restored 1973 Norton 850 Commando. Also, spending too much spare time — and money — on golf these days! Played in Ireland last summer when we were on tour there. Why do otherwise sane people play golf in the wind and the rain?
Los Angeles Guitar Quartet with Pat Metheny
What is your favorite album of 2016?
WK: I have two, but they actually share the same title. Sephardic Journey by Apollo’s Fire has some incredibly evocative early music from the Jewish diaspora, reminiscent of the work of Jordi Savall that inspired me so much in adapting our Don Quixote project. Sephardic Journey by the flute/guitar husband-and-wife team Cavatina Duo features world premiere recordings of new chamber works commissioned especially for this heartfelt CD. All the works are inspired by Hebraic themes, including wonderful pieces by my friends Clarice Assad and Carlos Rafael Rivera.
JD: Not sure about a favorite album…I’m on Spotify most of the time now. Listened to a lot of Bowie after his passing, in catch-up mode; I missed out on a lot of great moments from the past when I was obsessing about becoming a classical musician. One of my favorite new discoveries was Rene Jacobs, conductor/early-music specialists. I watched all the YouTube videos of a guy who has a channel called 80-20 drummer where he does lessons in how to play like Jack DeJohnette, or Mark Guiliana, Stewart Copeland, gospel licks, rap drummers — I’m kind of all over the place in my tastes.
Finally, any last words for the kids?
WK: It going to be quite a night for us, helping to realize Pat Metheny’s creative vision, with him sitting right there in the hall. It’s thrilling, inspiring, humbling and terrifying all at the same time!
