keyboard magazine - october 2009

8/20/2019 Keyboard Magazine - October 2009

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38 MASTER CLASS: STRIDE

Stride piano isn’t for the faint of heart. But if you have the guts to give it a try, resident expert Scott Healy jumpstarts you here.

42 JAZZ

Picking up from last month, go deeper into the whole tone scale with the second part of Andy LaVerne’s exclusive lesson.

PLAY IT!

12 ARTISTS

THE HARD LESSONS

JOAKIM

DANIEL MINTSERIS JASON REBELLO

UNSIGNED ARTIST OF THE MONTH

ADVICE

CAREER COUNSELOR

SESSION SENSEI

COMMUNITY

CD REVIEWS

GO SEE

WEEKEND WARRIOR

OCTOBE R 2009

30

CONTENTS

KEYSPACE

FEATURES

22 BRUCE HORNSBY

From bluegrass to hip-hop, the Americana hero incorporates

a melting pot’s worth of influences — and reinventsthem in his unmistakable style. Learn the secrets behind his

stunning new album Levitate in our exclusive interview.

30 IMOGEN HEAP

The pop-rock ingénue returns with the keyboard-heavy

Ellipse — and some of the most creative sound design

this side of Hawaii.

36 REDONE

Learn what inspires the man behind Lady Gaga’s

ubiquitous pop hits.

51 0 . 2 0 0 9 K E Y B O A R D

22


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OCTOBE R 2009

44 DANCE MIX

CREATIVE VOCAL PROCESSING, PART 2

Learn Francis Preve’s “digital glossolalia” technique for turning existing vocal

tracks into otherworldly rhythmic hooks.

46 SOFT SYNTHS

MICHAEL JACKSON’S “BEAT IT” GONG

Don’t have a Synclavier lying around? Here’s how to get that tasty tone with

modern tools.

48 PRODUCTION

MANUAL DRUM REPLACEMENT IN PRO TOOLS AND LOGICDon’t want to use one of the drum replacement apps we round up on page

50? Here’s how to get the same results using old-school methodology.

DO IT!

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8 FROM THE

EDITOR

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20 NEW GEAR

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71 CLASSIFIED

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72 Erik Norlander’s sci-fi analog monster.

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60 APPLE LOGIC STUDIO

68 CASIO PRIVIA PX-330

CONTENTS

@keyboardmag.com

BRUCE HORNSBY

Executive Editor Stephen Fortner goes

backstage with the legend, rolls tape, and

talks pianos, synths, and hits.

KEYBOARD

WEBSITE REDESIGN!

After much work and research, keyboard

mag.com has been reborn with a smoother

interface, more video, and more than a few

cool surprises. Check it out!

REDONE

Keyboard ’s Robbie Gennet hangs with

super-producer RedOne. Go deep with the

dance-pop powerhouse in exclusive video

supplements to the story in this issue.

GARY GO

The British, keyboard-based songwriter’s

“Wonderful” grabbed coveted Single of

the Week status on iTunes, and his self-

titled U.S. debut album has been climbing

the charts. Check out the video perform-

ance at the Keyboard office, and learnabout Gary’s favorite iPhone music apps!

68

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MORE ON THE WEB

Cover photo by

Jimmy Ienner, Jr.

6 K E Y B O A R D 1 0 . 2 0 0 9


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10/76

Sometimes, the best way to expand our

horizons is to have our expectations

confounded.

Recently, I had the privilege of seeing

Bruce Hornsby play a solo show in a small,

intimate theater in California wine country. Not

even listening to Bruce’s entire catalog in the

weeks preceding — as stylistically diverse as it

is — prepared me for the experience of hear-

ing him sans band, accompanying himselfsolely on piano. Add in the most thoughtfully

cynical lyrics I can recall since I was first old

enough to understand what Steely Dan was

talking about, and it was like seeing a new

Mose Allison — only with hints of Vince

Guaraldi’s harmonic adventures and Mike

Garson’s easy virtuosity throughout. (Hornsby

and Guaraldi have something in common: The

iconic tunes that everyone hums are the tips

of deep-reaching icebergs of work — it’s good

that everyone can see the tips from a

distance, but be sure to look deeper once youget closer.) Most strikingly, Bruce seemed to

feel every song as though he were playing it

for the first time. Point being, I went in expect-

ing a well-crafted and nostalgic pop piano

concert, and left knowing I’d been treated to

so much more — one of the great American

musical storytellers of our time.

About a week later, I did a backstage inter-

view with the keyboardist for a certain country

megastar. Said megastar is synonymous with

patriotism and pickup trucks. Now I think I’m

pretty patriotic, but I have to confess I was wor-

ried about the reception my shaved-headed,

earring-wearin’, import-drivin’, coastal-dwellin’,

funk and techno-listenin’ butt would get fromthese folks. Guess what? It was the most

warmly and graciously I’ve been treated as a

journalist at any backstage hang ever — by a

comfortable margin. Not only that, but I learned

that the keyboardist came up in the Memphis

soul scene and that he and I share a childhood

hero in Booker T. Jones.

Is there a moral? Maybe it’s to take being

pleasantly surprised by others as a cue to sur-

prise ourselves more often. Ever shy away from

a musical opportunity while saying “I’m not a

_____ player” to yourself? I know I have. Nexttime you hear that voice, make it a point to

woodshed a book of _____ music (or a _____

Play It! lesson in Keyboard ) and see what hap-

pens. It might be a revelation, and may fill in a

blank you didn’t even know you had.

IT’S GREAT TOBE WRONG

VOL. 35, NO. 10 #403 OCTOBER 2009

eyboardEXECUTIVE EDITOR: Stephen Fortner

SENIOR EDITOR: Michael Gallant

MANAGING EDITOR: Debbie Greenberg

EDITORAT LARGE: Craig Anderton

ART DIRECTOR: Patrick Wong

MUSIC COPYIST: Elizabeth Ledgerwood

GROUP PUBLISHER: Joe Perry

[email protected], 770.343.9978

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PRODUCTION MANAGER: Amy Santana

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Find a back issue

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Publisher assumes no responsibility for return ofunsolicited manuscripts, photos, or artwork.

KEYBOARD (ISSN 0730-0158) is published monthlyby NewBay Media, LLC 1111 Bayhill Drive, Suite 125,San Bruno, CA 94066. All material published in KEY-BOARD is copyrighted © 2009 by NewBay Media. Allrights reserved. Reproduction of material appearing inKEYBOARD is forbidden without permission. KEY-BOARD is a registered trademark of NewBay Media.Periodicals Postage Paid at San Bruno, CA and atadditional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Sendaddress changes to KEYBOARD P.O. Box 9158,Lowell, MA 01853.

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FROM THE E D ITOR

Follow Keyboard online at:

Stephen FortnerEXECUTIVE EDITOR

FOLLOW US ON

TWITTERWe may follow you back!

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8 K E Y B O A R D 1 0 . 2 0 0 9


11/76

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HEART AND

SOUL


12/76

FAREWELL TO THE KING

Instead of boycotting the tabloid press [as

Mike McKnight suggests in his Sept. ’09

guest editorial], those of us who make

music should respond to Michael Jackson’s

death by searching our souls and actinglocally. Mike McKnight states that it was “a

shock” that Michael Jackson’s body finally

gave out under the obvious mistreatment it

had received for decades. Yet these gossip

magazines and blogs had been sounding

the alarm about his health for years. Jack-

son himself admonished us to ignore the

tabloids. But criticizing the messenger,

even one as tacky and as crass as the

tabloid press, won’t help us learn from this

tragedy. How many of us starving

musicians have looked the other way at acharismatic band member’s risky behaviors,

perhaps assuming that their questionable

decision-making and impulsive personal

choices were inseparable from their talent

and musical zeal? The best lesson we

could take from this tragedy is that we

should actively nudge our bandmates

towards a healthy lifestyle, even if it’s not

the popular thing to do.

—Douglas Shannon

Many musical greats might still be alive and making music if only more people close to

them had spoken up as you suggest. It’s a

sad truth of the entertainment industry — or

professional sports, for that matter — that

the more famous (and lucrative) a star is,

the greater is the pressure not to do so.

Should we all check ourselves and do bet-

ter, from buddies in bar bands to top record

label execs? Absolutely.

As to the media, it’s one thing to call

for concern about someone’s health or

behavior. It’s another to turn that person’s problems into a form of entertainment

through speculation, rhetorical questions,

mock indignation, constant repetition of

video footage, or other circus-sideshow

techniques designed to get ratings. Know-

ing Mike McKnight as we do, it’s the latter

he was condemning in his guest editorial.

We also think that, from the standpoint of

the musicians and techs on the new

shows, who saw Jackson in his true ele-

ment and at his best, shock at his death

was a perfectly legitimate thing to feel.

Thanks very much for your letter. The

insight and sentiment behind it is definitely

something people need to hear.

—Stephen Fortner, Executive Editor

FAST FINGER FACTS

I’ve been reading Keyboard for decades

now and I intend to keep my subscription

current. I enjoy the stories on new gear and

studio techniques but the “how to play”

articles, particularly Andy LaVerne’s, are the

most useful. One crucial thing that is miss-

ing from these is fingering, especially when

you want to play fast. If you didn’t know

how to finger “The Flight of the Bumblebee”

or “Bumble Bee Boogie,” the music wouldseem nearly impossible to make haste with.

Chopin’s alternate fingering for the chro-

matic scale is like an afterburner. Good fin-

gering is full of secrets and I wish Andy

would give up some of his. I need them.

—Mike Moran

I’m a very long-time subscriber and always

enjoy Andy LaVerne’s columns. Being a

jazz lover, I particularly enjoyed the “Play

Really, Really Fast” lesson. My only request

(other than asking for more like this) is toplease include fingering suggestions. One

of the hardest things for me is trying to

come up with the best fingering to use

while playing fast passages. Thanks, and

keep up the great work!

—Robert Liberman

We hear you loud and clear. Starting with

the coming issue, we’re making an

increased effort to include fingering guides

with all lessons.

–Michael Gallant, Senior Editor

AMERICANA ADULATION

I just saw Lyle Lovett and his Large Band at

Red Rocks in Denver. Once again, Jim Cox

was holding down the keyboard chair for

the act — and doing a terrific job. In particu-

lar, his work on “I’ve Been To Memphis” was

outstanding — especially the piano solo at

the very end. He went a bit beyond Matt

Rollings’ original outro stylings: as well as

stride, he flew in snippets of modern

jazz/quartal harmonization, blues, gospel,

and vaudeville/circus, to name a few. It was

like listening to a kaleidoscope of great

players and composers. Think Bill Payne

meets Chick Corea meets Gershwin; blend

in a bit of Victor Borge and Scott Joplin aswell. I could’ve listened to much more of

Jim’s improvisation — awesome playing and

creative inspiration.

I think it’s time for an “Americana” issue.

I’ve been heavily influenced by the likes of

Bill Payne, Matt Rollings, Benmont Tench,

Craig Doerge, and so on. Much of that

influence comes through in my work with

country and variety gigs here in the Denver

area. I’ve met many fellow players who

have similar influences as well. Over the

years, many of my piano students haveasked me for chord voicings, riffs, and licks

from that school of playing. So, I suspect

that there’s a hunger out there for a Key-

board issue that covers Americana keys.

There are some great players who could

share their insights. It would be educationa

and fun for a lot of folks.

—Allan Evett

Allan, thanks for the feedback! As luck

would have it, our cover story this month

features an Americana hero, BruceHornsby, and we have more in the works

for you, including a feature on Benmont

Tench very soon. Keep an eye on future

issues. . . .

—Michael Gallant, Senior Editor

LET’S HEAR FROM YOUContact the [email protected] Magazine1111 Bayhill Dr., Suite 125San Bruno, CA 94066

Subscription questions800-289-9919 (in the U.S. only)[email protected] MagazineBox 9158Lowell, MA 01853

Find a back [email protected]

Find us online or join the forums

at keyboardmag.com

LETTERS

10 K E Y B O A R D 1 0 . 2 0 0 9


13/76

“The M3 sounds brilliant. My other

synths are crying for attention

because my M3 took it all away.”

MARC DELCOREBritney Spears

M3XPANDEDYOUR SOUND IS YOUR SIGNATURE.Experience the signature

sound of the M3 XPanded

at your Korg dealer today.

www.korg.com/m3


14/76

ARTISTS, ADVICE, COM MU NITYKEYSPACE

If the term “indie rock” makes you think

of shoegazing litanies that hold little to no

keyboard interest, run, don’t walk, and pick

up Arms Forest by the Hard Lessons. It

ranges from Weezer-gets-a-Hammondpower pop on “See You Again” to Janis

Joplin blue-eyed soul on “Talk It Over” to

the buzzing synth bass and robo-

Autotuned vocals of “Roma Termini” — a

track that hits a hitherto unimagined

golden mean between Goldfrapp and

Cake. Through all the stylistic swings,

Arms Forest maintains an unmistakable

sonic identity, thanks to two things: Detroit

newlyweds Augie and Korin Visocchi’s

endless supply of indelible hooks, and

Korin’s atmospheric and always-just-rightkeyboarding. Here are highlights from our

conversation with Korin about what has

become our favorite indie album of 2009.

For much more, listen to the raw audio file

of this interview at keyboardmag.com.

What was your earliest exposure to

keyboards?

The Hammond organ at my grandparents’

house. It was a spinet with a little built-in

Leslie by your knees. I just pushed but-

tons. I just liked the way it sounded — it

was the first time I experienced a volume

pedal and I remember that being really

key. As a ten-year-old I could play “Amaz-

ing Grace” or “Jingle Bells,” then all of asudden I was playing songs like Michael

Jackson’s “P.Y.T.,” teaching myself radio

songs on organ or piano. In a county

across Michigan, a young boy my same

age — my husband who I hadn’t met yet —

was playing Nirvana on his first

instrument, the mandolin. Augie grew up

in a house with Italian folk musicians; I

came from a family of singers. So we

were growing up in similar ways, but on

different instruments.

Name some early songwriting influ-ences.

Just to touch on growing up with a barber-

shop quartet in my family, I love interesting

harmonies. I love interesting “tags.” For

example, instead of just playing A, G , E , I

might throw in a F # minor to add a little

spice, but sing over it more traditionally. I

also love old country music — Patsy Cline

and Loretta Lynn. Whereas my husband

probably has 400 guitar riffs in his back

pocket just waiting to be put into a song,

so we’re a little bit different. He writes

with his instrument first and I write with

my voice first.

What live gear do you take onstage?

I play two Alesis Micron synths. One,which I play with my left hand, runs

through an 8 X 10 Ampeg SVT bass amp,

so I’m playing really heavy bass onstage. I

run the other through a Fender Twin. The

live configuration is me, Augie, and our

drummer, Ryan. The biggest compliment

I’ve ever heard is that we sound like way

more than three people. On the album, I

also want to credit a fantastic organ player

— pretty much the B-3 guy in Detroit —

Bobby Emmett.

Does the industrial character ofyour native Detroit affect its music?

Your music?

Definitely — the idea of factories, of pis-

tons going up and down, the giant col-

lapsing buildings that are our skyline. It

affects your brain. Both Augie’s parents

worked at General Motors. My dad works

in industrial plumbing and when there’s no

industry, nobody needs plumbing. We

both have parents who came home dirty

and tired. Stephen Fortner

THE HARD LESSONSKorin Louise Visocchi’s Indie Rock Keys

K E Y B O A R D 1 0 . 2 0 0 912


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MORE ON KEYBOARDMAG.COM KEYSPACE

Webpage: myspace.com/jimibazzouka

Influences: Disco, kraut rock, pop, noise,folk, ambient. Blue, red, green, black. The

sound of the city. Drones. Angst and love.

Newest project: A new album called

Milky Ways, released in September, plus

many projects on my label Tigersushi. I’m

also setting up a new studio now, which is

really exciting.

Favorite Gear: Korg MS-20. I could cite a

lot of other things like EQs, compressors,

and effects, because I’m a gear maniac. I’m

not a fetishist, but I love what great gear

does. I love everything analog becausethere’s magic in old machines that you can’t

find in the digital world. But I also love what

digital can do — early grainy digital as well as

today’s powerful tools. Both worlds work

best when put together in a creative way.

But among all my synths, the MS-20 is my

favorite. It’s the one I use for my live shows,and it’s the only synth that can weep like a

guitar. It’s simple, stable, and super-powerful.

Favorite song: “State Trooper” by Bruce

Springsteen.

Play by ear or play as written: Both. I

learned how to read music when I was a

kid, I used to go to a music school for

years, learning classical piano. They also

teach you how to play music by ear in

these schools. But I hardly use any of these

abilities when I work on my music. I don’t

write it down except when I need to tell amusician what he needs to play precisely.

Favorite artist we’ve probably never

heard of: Obviously, I don’t know him yet.

Words of wisdom: Food is better than

you. Francis Preve

JOAKIMRadical Disco

DANIEL MINTSERISSideman Extraordinaire

Webpage: myspace.com/mindlessinertiaThe music: I’m a sideman and session

musician first and foremost. For me, that’s a

natural way to be creative. My musical

expression is always tailored to the project,

while hopefully reflecting my overall sensi-

bilities and rising above genre boundaries.

When context allows, and in occasional

writing and solo projects, I gravitate toward

the quirky and the obscure, staying away

from the flashy and the athletic.

Main influences: The Beatles, Jon Brion,

Björk, Claude Debussy.Musical background: I grew up in

Lithuania, behind the Iron Curtain, so I had

limited access to a very odd assortment of

music. I idolized the Beatles, Pink Floyd,

Led Zeppelin, and Michael Jackson, was

into Russian underground singer-songwrit-

ers, heard my parents’ tapes of European

pop and old Hebrew and Yiddish songs,

discovered Billie Holiday and Coleman

Hawkins, and studied Bach, Scarlatti, and

Hindemith in music school.

Favorite keyboard gear: I love a rich,expressive, reserved grand piano. I like my

Wurlitzer so much that I sampled it, so we

never have to be apart. I’m very attached to

my vintage and toy instruments — Clavinet,

Pianet, Indian harmonium, melodica, xylo-

phone, etc. I like samplers, especially their

older counterparts (Mellotrons, Chamber-

lins, Optigans). I’m constantly glued to my

MacBook Pro and have been a devoted

Ableton Live fan since version 1.

Latest projects: I’ve recently been touring

with New York’s own Peter Cincotti (we just played the Montreux Jazz Festival), as

well as the talented and delightful Teddy

Thompson. Upcoming are some Summer-

stage performances with Martha

Wainwright and the Morphoses ballet com-

pany. I’ve also completed an experimental

improvisational project with cellist Dave

Eggar called æ, and scored a short

animated film.

Words of wisdom: In performance, I like

listening at least as much as playing,

maybe more. Skill and style are impor-

tant, but years of touring with Marianne

Faithfull taught me the joy of humbly

serving the song and daringly seeking

magical moments.

For the rest of this interview: Visit

keyboardmag.com. Jon Regen

1 0 . 2 0 0 9 K E Y B O A R D 13


16/76

British keyboard wizard Jason Rebello

has been at the forefront of modern impro-

vised music for over two decades. From

fabled sideman gigs with Sting and Jeff

Beck to his heralded work as a leader,

Rebello’s live and recorded output contin-

ues to demonstrate why he is still one of

the world’s most in-demand musicians.And that demand started before he even

graduated music school.

“I was studying jazz and classical at the

Guildhall School of Music in London,”

Rebello tells me from his home in South-

west England, just days after returning from

a summer tour with Jeff Beck. “I was playing

jazz, and getting really into Herbie Hancock.

I was obsessed with him. In fact, I went to

see his electric Rockit band when I was

around 14. He played the middle bit of

‘Chameleon’ on the Rhodes, and it com-

pletely blew me away. From then on I

wanted to find out more about him, and I

started tracing his history backwards, all

from that concert.”“In my last year at the Guildhall,” Rebello

continues, “I was actually approached by

the Novus label at BMG to do a jazz album

as a leader. I felt I wasn’t really ready to do

one just yet, so I told them ‘Give me a year.’

I spent the next year writing tunes and

practicing hard, and very luckily, as soon as

I finished college, I had a record deal. I

ended up doing three albums for them.”

Rebello’s next big break would come by

word of mouth, with a recommendation fromone of his musical heroes, the late pianist

Kenny Kirkland. “Kenny and I had met each

other a few times,” Rebello says. “He was a

great guy. Still to this day when I hear his

playing it makes me smile. It’s got that joy in

it. I think Kenny had said some good things

about me to Sting, because one day I got an

email from Sting, completely unexpectedly,

asking me to come over to Italy and play. We

ended up getting on well, and suddenly I

was playing with him for the next six years. It

was amazing.”Rebello has been busy with a multitude

of projects of late, playing with renowned

drummer (and fellow Sting alum) Manu

Katché, his cousin, classical percussionist

Simone Rebello, his own band Actual

Spoof (featuring bassist Pino Palladino, and

brothers Jeremy and Paul Stacey on drums

and guitar), and of course, guitar legend

Jeff Beck. “The Jeff Beck gig is fun and

challenging, especially playing with drum-

mer Vinnie Colaiuta. He can do anything.

He’s always completely on the money. It’sbeen great for me — I’ve learned so much.”

And what does this road-ready, U.K.

keyboard master use these days for his

touring rig? “A Korg Triton Extreme, an

Apple MacBook Pro running Logic and

Mainstage, Synthogy’s Ivory [grand piano]

and Arturia vintage synth plug-ins, and a

Korg CX-3 tonewheel organ.” Jon Regen


JASON REBELLOBritish Jazz-Pop Keyboard Ace

UNSIGNED ARTISTOF THE MONTHCoto PincheiraEven amongst the excellent Unsigned Artists of the Month we’ve featured here, composer and pianist Coto

Pincheira’s The Sonido Moderno Project stands out as a keyboard album of stellar skill and spirit. The Afro-Cuban jazz album’s burning

montunos, vibrant percussion, and joyously intricate melodies remind me of my first Arturo Sandoval/Joey Calderazzo concert, an explo-

sive performance that had the sold-out crowd dancing in the aisles. While upbeat tracks like “Danzon For A Night” and “Tribute To A

Generation” will no doubt cause a similar reaction when performed live, more mellow cuts like “Wendy’s Ballad” smolder with wistful

pianistic runs and a dead-on sense of groove. If he continues to approach his music with this level of originality and skill, Coto will have a

spot guaranteed for himself in the pantheon of Afro-Cuban piano greats. Michael Gallant

Cotopincheira.com

14 K E Y B O A R D 1 0 . 2 0 0 9


17/76JamHub.com©2009 BreezSong LLC.

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KEYSPACE ARTISTS, ADVICE, COM MU NITY

Last week I was producing a session, and I

was stressed. A nagging technical glitchwas threatening to derail us. We’re talking

two solid hours of tech, right at the time

when cats were chompin’, ready to rock.

We couldn’t get the headphone mix and

click track volume happening — when the

click was soft enough for the singer to feel

comfortable, the drummer couldn’t hear it.

Here’s what I had to step back and remind

myself, so as not to let the stress affect my

own musicianship and performance:

You might be in charge, but it’s notabout you. Don’t take it personally when

things go south, especially when it’s your

session, because everyone looks at you for

their cue. Keep your cool and smile.

Everyone’s on the same page. From the

savant engineer to the lowly bass player,

the primary goal is get the job done and

perform at the highest possible level. Don’t

ever assume that anyone’s not with you.Everyone knows that their performance,

whether musical or technical, will live for-

ever. So will the memory of a bad session.

Take a break and regroup. Seems obvi-

ous, right? In the moment, we sometimes

don’t think clearly. After three takes of one

tune, we broke for lunch to let the tech

guys try to solve the headphone issue. I

was about to lose it, and stomp around

outside with my cell phone to my ear,

telling my wife all the nasty things I thoughtI wanted to tell the engineer. I’m really glad

I didn’t do that.

Stay in the moment, and don’t forget

the big picture. In the scope of an entire

project, a few extra hours is a mere blip. My

chill west coast bass player cooled out my

New York temper: “It’s all good, man.

These things happen. We’ve got all day.”

This guy is on about a thousand records. “I

think it sounds pretty good, let’s listen to

what we just did.”

As it turned out, the first take with the

lousy headphone mix was great. Somehow

the drummer, while not fully hearing the click

track, played incredibly sensitively, and the

dynamics and emotions of his performance

were off the chart. The rest of the band had

followed him, and we got a stunning, rawtake. The singer, while being blasted with a

cowbell click in his ear, had dug hard into the

piano and sang his song stronger than ever.

I looked around and cats were smiling,

chomping on their sandwiches, and sipping

their lattés. The California sun was shining.

The day was still young and we had a

record to make.

It happens to all of us, often without warning:

We find ourselves creatively challenged.

We’re out of ideas, the energy to look for

new stories to tell. It’s times like these that

make us realize we need a battle plan to

reignite the musical fire within us.

Not too long ago, for a brief moment, I

lost my musical way. A plethora of simulta-

neous personal and career-related disap-

pointments left me feeling uninspired andunsure of my next creative steps. But within

seconds of starting a sound check in Lon-

don recently with my band, I remembered

why I chose this sometimes-slippery path:

There’s nothing as soul-affirming as making

music. And from that moment on, I’ve made

it a daily priority to re-energize my musical

self. No matter what else is going on, I

make sure to write, listen to, and practice

new music every day. I do the work, and

the work shows me the way.

So for all of you who’ve hit the creative

wall, (or those of you just seconds from

impact), here are six tips to help you get

musically re-inspired.

Get up, stand up! Want a sure-fire way to

unfunk your musical drive? Move yourself!

Nothing breeds career and creative misery

like inactivity. Get out of your house. Go to a

free concert. Jam with friends, old and new.

Be your own drill sergeant. Pretend

you’re on deadline in a university class, and

that you have homework due every day.

Make it a daily point to write new music,

and listen to artists that inspire you.

Think outside the box. Musical inspira-

tion can come from non-musical places.

Go to a museum. See a play. Watch a

dance recital. Seeing great artists

succeed in other disciplines makes you

stronger in yours.

Find a partner. Are you finding it hard to

get inspired on your own? Collaborate with

someone new. Find a co-writer for that next

song of yours. New musical blood will take

you places you haven’t been before.

Ask for help. Sometimes, the first step istelling those around you that you need a

helping hand. Get the word out that you’re

looking for a new start. Help may be closer

than you think!

Be grateful. No matter how uncertain you

may feel creatively, you’re lucky to know

what makes you fly. Give thanks for the

talents you have; they’ve propelled you this

far. With a little determination, you’ll find

your way!

Session SenseiIT’S ALL GOODby Scott Healy, keyboardist for The Tonight Show With Conan O’Brien .

Career Counselor

Six Tips To Reignite YourMusical Drive by Jon Regen, recording artist of critically acclaimed album, Let It Go

16 K E Y B O A R D 1 0 . 2 0 0 9


19/76

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20/76

MUTEMATH Armistice

A little bit Incubus, the Bravery, Depeche

Mode, and Maroon Five, Mutemath’s alt-rock

and new wave album Armistice is one of the

most sophisticated, yet accessible, recordings

we’ve heard all year. And while the band drives

dance-worthy vehicles like the opening “The Nerve” with

strength and conviction, it’s the quieter moments on Armistice

that go above and beyond. “Clipping” pulsates beautifully,buoyed up by flowing piano arpeggios and artfully punctuated

by a string section breakdown; supported by tasty EP voicings

and synth strings, “No Response” elicits an entrancing, Foo

Fighters-gone-sensitive vibe. And “Pins and Needles” is another

hypnotic Rhodes piece, supported by sinuous, insistent percus-

sion. This is a new flavor of keyboard rock — and one well worth

tasting. Michael Gallant

(Warner Brothers, mutemath.com)


STEVE KUHN TRIOWITH JOE LOVANO

MOSTLY COLTRANESteve Kuhn’s stunning new

disc Mostly Coltrane opens

with the master pianist

starkly stating the theme to

John Coltrane’s “Welcome.”

Like church bells ringing out across a town

square, Kuhn’s plaintive, single-note melodic

call is the perfect beginning to an album full

of serenity and surprise. As the original

pianist in the John Coltrane Quartet, Kuhn

has a perspective on ’Trane’s repertoire that

few others possess. Here, accompaniedsympathetically by saxophonist Joe Lovano,

bassist David Finck, and drummer Joey

Baron, Kuhn breathes new life into familiar

tunes. On “Crescent,” his assured touch and

orchestral use of the piano impart the music

with a cinematic sense of drama. And on

“The Night Has A Thousand Eyes,” his

dynamic comping and motifically-charged

solos lift Lovano and company to new

heights. Coltrane would approve. Jon Regen

(ECM, stevekuhnmusic.com)

MATT BECK ANYTHING WHICH GIVES YOU

PLEASUREEsteemed sideman and

musical director Matt

Beck steps out as a

leader with Anything

Which Gives You Plea-

sure, a 12-song strut through Beck’s

manic, musical mind. Recorded almost

entirely in hotel rooms while Beck was on

tour with Rod Stewart, the album is an

impressive romp across a wide sonic can-

vas. From the soaring, Beach Boys-

inspired a capella harmonies on “Prelude”to the loping groove and Wurlitzer stabs

on “Nothing Ever Comes of It,” Matt

shines on vocals, guitar, and assorted

keys. A decade and a half of solid side

work has clearly rubbed off on him, with

each of the tunes telling its own singular

story. Proof positive that sidemen are

more than their day jobs, AWGYP is an

impressive debut by a talented artist

who’s just getting started. Jon Regen

(Mattunes, myspace.com/mattbecktwenty)

MARK LEVINE ANDTHE LATIN TINGE

OFF AND ON Grammy nominee and

The Jazz Piano Book

author Mark Levine’s lat-

est offering, Off and On,

celebrates the songbook

of revered Brazilian composer Moacir

Santos, and features the same buoyant

band interplay Levine has become known

for. From the simmering opener “Nana,”

(featuring impressive flute work by Mary

Fettig), Levine displays a commanding

technique, and an impressive harmonicconception — he steps easily between

hard-bop, Horace Silver-esque piano fills,

and convincing Latin montunos. And on

Kathy , he grooves with the authenticity of

a native Brazilian, demonstrating that this

potent pianist and author indeed prac-

tices what he teaches. Off and On is

worth putting on your music player of

choice. Jon Regen

(Left Coast Clave, marklevine.com)

CD REVIEWS

18 K E Y B O A R D 1 0 . 2 0 0 9


21/76

Webpage: theambitions.comDay job: I work for the United Food

and Commercial Workers Union,

which organizes low-wage workers

to get family-supporting wages and

health insurance. Last year I worked

on the Obama campaign in a couple

of states, which was very inspiring.

How I got started: My

grandmother, mom, and sister all

played the piano, and I imitated

them from an early age. In high

school, I was taken in by a ’60ssoul cover band called Sal Fortu-

nata and his Fabulous Stingrays.

Eventually I moved to Milwaukee,

where I played in all kinds of

bands. The highlight was the

Thousandaires, a genre-crossing

group that was equal parts Sly

Stone, Kraftwerk, the Heptones,

and Serge Gainsbourg.

Bands: I’m based in Washington,

DC. My current projects include the

Ambitions, an original rock ’n’ soulband. My other big gig is with East-

ern Standard Time, a ska-jazz band.

Both bands make the East Coast

club rounds like the Knitting Factory

in New York City, World Café in

Philadelphia, Ottobar in Baltimore,

and the DC clubs such as the Black

Cat and the 9:30 Club. I do occa-

sional soundtracks for indie films

and the rare TV show.

Influences: My all-time favorite

player is the great Jamaican key-boardist Jackie Mittoo. Another big

influence has been all the old Par-

liament/Funkadelic records. Bernie

Worrell’s keyboard playing to thisday blows my mind. I was

influenced by a lot of music films

like Prince’s Purple Rain, and the

Band’s The Last Waltz , which

introduced me to the Staples

Singers. Lately I’ve been listening

to lots of Indian Bollywood film

soundtracks, as well as DJ remix-

ers such as Girl Talk, and Terrestre,

which is led by Mexican electron-

ica producer Fernando Corona.

Why I play: A while ago I was at aparty honoring Bill T. Jones, the

choreographer behind Still/Here, a

performance based on the stories

of AIDS victims. The DJ had every-

one on that dance floor, breaking

down so many barriers between

people. I’m sure I’ll never lose the

desire for that kind of feeling —

where you play a show, or go tosomeone else’s show, get hot and

sweaty, and stop caring about how

you look or how others perceive

you, or what someone said at

work. I don’t drink or do drugs

because I can’t imagine a better

high than that. Ed Coury

MORE ON KEYBOARDMAG.COM

191 0 . 2 0 0 9 K E Y B O A R D

GoSee

Chick Corea

chickcorea.com

The Killers

thekillersmusic.com

Medeski Martin

and Wood

mmw.net

Booker T

bookert.com

Herbie Hancock

herbiehancock.com

Phoenix

myspace.com/

wearephoenix

Check out thesekeyboard-heavy acts,on tour this month.BILL DEMPSEY

Bill Dempsey’s typical keyboard rig for his band, the Ambitions. “I love my old Farfisas and

Crumars,” he says. “I have a bunch of those, and an old Vox organ. I sometimes haul a Wurl-itzer 200A, or a Helpinstill piano, which is an acoustic piano stuck inside a road case with

these unbelievably fabulous pickups. I have a Hammond at home, but for gigs I use a Korg

CX-3. When it comes to effects, my favorite is an ancient Echoplex.”

Jackie Mittoo and The Soul Brothers, Last Train To Skaville (Soul Jazz)

The late Jackie Mittoo has been called one of the most important artists in the history of

Jamaican music. The founding member of the legendary Skatalites has been a major

inspiration for weekend warrior Bill Dempsey. You can hear Mittoo’s keyboard artistry on several classic

recordings included on the CD Last Train To Skaville.

KEYSPACE

WEEKEND WARRIOR


22/76

NEW GEAR

Want to check out the same press releases that we see about new gear, as soon as we receive them?

Go to keyboardmag.com/news

CAKEWALK SONAR 8.5 PRODUCER

READY TO ROCK ON WINDOWS 7

BIG NEW FEATURES AudioSnap, Step

Sequencer, and Session Drummer all get majorupgrades. Matrix view allows live, nonlinear arranging

and remixing. Media browser puts all your production

files in one place. BitBridge XR runs 32-bit plug-ins

on a 64-bit OS.

WE THINK DAWs continuously leapfrog each

other in terms of features you can see, but the under-

the-hood stuff is what makes Sonar a powerhouse for music production on Windows.

$619 list/$499 street; upgrade from Sonar 8: $99 download, cakewalk.com

by Stephen Fortner

SONIK ARCHITECTS SONIFI

REMIX IT LIKE BT

THE PITCH BT creates the first true “live remixing” app for

iPhone and iPod Touch.THE BIG DEAL Freely re-arrange song sections on four stereo

tracks: bass, beats, synth/FX, and melody. Move and shake your

phone for filter effects and those stutter edits for which BT is famous.

WE THINK This is a killer app, and we’ve got a video where BT

explains it better than we could — check it out at

keyboardmag.com.$4.99 at iTunes App Store, sonik architects.com

YAMAHA PSR-S910

ADVANCED ARRANGER

THE PITCH Sounds, backing styles, and features from the flagship Tyros3 workstation packed into Yamaha’s

second-highest-end portable arranger keyboard.

THE BIG DEAL It’s the first Yamaha keyboard to offer MP3 playback, and records a stereo mix of everything —

accompaniment, mic input, you name it — to a USB stick. Direct Internet connection for getting new styles and songs.

WE THINK You really do get most of what you’d buy a Tyros3 for — only for a lot less money.

$1,999 list, yamaha.com and arrangerworkstation.com

BIG FISH AUDIO

MOJO HORN

SECTION

THE PITCH The ultimate

pop, funk, and big band horn

section software instrument.

THE BIG DEAL Exten-

sive Kontakt scripting is used

to manage articulations so you

don’ t have to. Ensemble knob gives instant, realtime

control over the number of players in a section.

WE THINK The virtual horn battlefield is getting reallyinteresting. We smell roundup.

$499.95, bigfishaudio.com

20 K E Y B O A R D 1 0 . 2 0 0 9


23/76

JAMHUB

SLICK SILENT STUDIO

THE PITCH Custom mixer for rehearsing a full band through headphones.

THE BIG DEAL Each wedge-shaped section has audio inputs and a monitor

mixer to dial in your own mix of the whole band. TourBus model (shown) builds in

a stereo SD card recorder.

WE THINK Any silent practice means the drummer needs an electronic kit.

That said, this puts everything else you need — separate monitor mixes, guitar

and mic inputs, and lots of headphone jacks — under one roof.

BedRoom: $400 list/approx. $300 street; GreenRoom: $600 list/approx. $500

street; TourBus: $850 list/approx. $700 street, jamhub.com

WAVES EDDIE KRAMER COLLECTION

FOR YOUR EDDIE-FICATION . . .

THE PITCH Five plug-ins co-designed with the engi-neer who created the sound of classic rock.

THE BIG DEAL Four are channel strips for specific

sources: drums, bass, guitar, and vocals (shown). The fifth

does Eddie’s favorite effects, including 15ips tape delay

and EMT plate reverb.

WE THINK Waves has virtualized Tony Maserati, Chris

Lord-Alge, and now Eddie. If we ever do end up living in

The Matrix , we’ll have great recording engineers.

$800 list, waves.com

ROLAND F-110

IF IKEA MADE A DIGITAL PIANO . . .

THE PITCH Pro-quality digital piano sound in a form that blends in

to your “cozy” musician’s living space.

THE BIG DEAL Graded action. Folding lid turns it into a console

table. Polyphony of 128 voices. For “Ivory Feel” keys and classier ebony

finish, you can step up to the DP-990R model.

WE THINK All that’s missing is a cute Ikea name like “Brübek”

or “Eltonn.”

$1,999 list/approx. $1,500 street, rolandus.com

NEW GEAR

VENTURA TX-5

NEW CLONEWHEEL FROM BRAZIL

THE PITCH All-modeling, no-sampling approach simulates different models and conditions of vintage tonewheel organs.

THE BIG DEAL All sonic aspects are highly tweakable. Killer rotary simulation with adjustable rotor speeds, rise and fall

times, spin directions, and virtual mic placement.

WE THINK We’ve had one for a couple of months, and we’re impressed — this one’s a sleeper. Look for it in a clonewheel

roundup in a near-future issue.

$2,600 list/$2,079 street, venturakeyboards.com

211 0 . 2 0 0 9 K E Y B O A R D


24/7622 K E Y B O A R D 1 0 . 2 0 0 9


25/76

What’s your favorite Bruce Hornsby

musical moment? Share your thoughts

on our forums at keyboardmag.com.

“I describe my sound as Bill Evans

meets the hymnbook,” Bruce Hornsby tells

me, just a few hours before hitting the con-

cert stage in Northern California. “There’s

also some riverboat and ragtime thrown in

there as well, sometimes alongside the

fourth-chord angle of McCoy Tyner.” With an

immediately identifiable piano sound thatseamlessly merges the influences of

Appalachian Americana with post-bop jazz —

and more recently, hip-hop-ified funk beats —

the three-time Grammy winner is always on

the prowl for new sonic stories to tell.

Since bursting onto the scene with his

smash 1986 debut album The Way It Is,

Bruce Hornsby has become a musical fix-

ture, challenging both himself and his lis-

teners to chart new musical courses. That

album’s title track scored a Top Ten hit,

sticking two extended, quartal harmony,

jazz-inflected piano solos in a five-minute

pop song. He co-wrote and played piano

on Don Henley’s 1989 classic “The End of

The Innocence,” and added his signature

keyboard work to Bonnie Raitt’s somber

smash “I Can’t Make You Love Me.” But

Hornsby’s deft pianistic prowess extends

far beyond the realm of the typical popsong. He toured with the Grateful Dead,

cut a jazz trio album with bassist Christian

McBride and drummer Jack DeJohnette,

and most recently, released and toured a

bluegrass-tinged duo album with country

fretboard ace Ricky Skaggs. Trying to clas-

sify Hornsby’s ever-changing musical tra-

jectory is akin to putting too much stock in

the weather forecast — you might as well

just enjoy every moment, because you

never know what’s coming next.

This month, Hornsby releases his tenth

studio album, Levitate, on Verve Forecast.

Featuring dynamic support from his long-

time touring band the Noisemakers, Levitate

finds Hornsby pushing the aural envelope

once again — an historical narrative over an

accordion drone on “The Black Rats of Lon-

don,” the country-meets-Kanye vibe of

“Prairie Dog Town,” the majestic, Irish-tingedwaltz of “Continents Drift,” and the Eric

Clapton guitar explorations on “Space Is

the Place.” If there’s an overarching musical

theme on Levitate, it’s Hornsby’s relentless

pursuit of the unexplored.

Bruce Hornsby and I shared a piano

teacher at the University of Miami. On the

eve of his new record’s release, Hornsby

takes time out of his busy summer concert

schedule to share his thoughts on the

songs of Levitate, and his remarkable

career in music.

BruceHornsby Pop Piano’s Premier Iconoclast Rises

to New Musical Heights with Levitateby Jon Regen

231 0 . 2 0 0 9 K E Y B O A R D


26/76

Levitate is your first record without

extended piano solos. Was there a

real determination on your part to

focus on the writing and structure of

the songs themselves?

It’s always been about the song for me first,

but then I always wanted to find a place for

the piano playing. This time I felt like, “Okay,it’s just going to be purely about the songs.”

Because I think sometimes, in my situation,

the level of the songwriting gets obscured

by the playing. People think “Oh, Bruce

Hornsby the piano player . And he also

writes songs.” But for me, it’s always been

the reverse. And that’s what I liked about

[playing in] the Grateful Dead. My favorite

aspect of their music is their songs. They’re

totally underrated as songwriters, and I think

their songwriting has been underappreci-

ated because of all the other elements thatwere so unique in the music world. Where

else can you play one song for an hour?

So this was just the time, and it was

also a reaction to the last two records I

made — the bluegrass record [Ricky

Skaggs and Bruce Hornsby ] and the jazz

record [Camp Meeting], which were really

about playing the instrument intensely.

You did a lot of playing on Halcyon

Days too. There’s a ton of piano on

that album.

On all my records, really. Even on Big

Swing Face, which had no piano on it, I

played a lot of Wurlitzer and synth solos.

So this is the first time that I thought, “You

know, I don’t need to do this. And theboxed set [Intersections 1985-2005] was

really about stretching. So I thought this

was the time for that.

Also, probably influencing this decision

was the fact that fully eight of the 12 songs

on the record are from [the Hornsby-

scored Broadway musical] SCKBSTD

and obviously, when you’re writing a

musical play, it’s totally about the song,

with no regard to some long, improvisa-

tional section.

Al Pacino had a great quote recently

where he said “You’re as good as the

chances you take.” You seem to be a

working example of this — you make a

pop record, then a jazz record,followed by a bluegrass one. You’re

not interested in retracing the same

steps you’ve already taken.

I’m a lifelong music student. I, like you,

went to the University of Miami, and for me,

it’s always been about developing and

improving, broadening my range and my

ability stylistically. Just becoming more pro-

ficient as a singer, as a writer and as a

player. So if that’s your aim, you can’t help

but continue to evolve and grow.

BRUCE-OLOGYSelected albums as a leader: Levitate (Verve), Camp Meeting (Legacy), Halcyon

Days (Sony), Big Swing Face (RCA), Spirit Trail (RCA), Hot House (RCA), Harbor

Lights (RCA), A Night On The Town (RCA), Scenes From the Southside (RCA),

The Way It Is (RCA).

Selected recording collaborations:Ricky Skaggs, Marian McPartland, Bonnie

Raitt, the Grateful Dead, Bob Dylan, Don Henley.

Albums sold worldwide: Over 11 million.Special guest on Levitate: Eric Clapton wailing on “Space Is the Place.”

Bruce Hornsby wrote the score for a musical? Yup. It’s called SCKBSTD and

is directed by Kathleen Marshall of Chicago fame. For the latest, visit

sckbstrd.blogspot.com.

For more on Bruce: Visit brucehornsby.com and keyboardmag.com, where you’ll

find a bonus video interview.

Bruce Hornsby’s Gear and SoundsTo see Bruce Hornsby play solo is to experience one of the great

American musical storytellers of our time. Whether solo or with his

band the Noisemakers, Bruce can be found at a Steinway grand piano

— sometimes a model D, sometimes a B. “Though personalities vary

from piano to piano, I find the quality of Steinways to be very consis-

tent,” he says. Last year, he hand-selected ten Steinway grands at the

factory based on touch and tone; these became the Bruce Hornsby

Signature Series. What piano tone does Bruce prefer? “Between mel-

low and bright,” is his answer. “Something that can be delicate, but

‘speak’ more aggressively if I need it to. You know, the piano soundassociated with ’80s hits like ‘The Way It Is’ — that’s actually a lot brighter than what I like to play.” So does Bruce tour with a

favorite piano? “Hell, no!” he laughs. “I have to make friends with a different one every night!”

A Moog Piano Bar MIDI sensor straddles the Steinway’s keyboard, and a Korg M1 sits on top. The Piano Bar triggers the

“Warm Strings” patch from Korg’s Wavestation plug-in, hosted in Apple MainStage on a MacBook.

Numerous sounds are played from the M1. “I’ve always really been partial to the M1’s ‘Overture’ patch,” he explains. “It gives me

some textural variety, and to my ears, has always managed to be ‘orchestral’ without sounding too synthetic, so I still use it.” Bruce’s

engineer Wayne Pooley adds, “These days, we use the M1 just as a controller, and recreate two favorite M1 sounds — ‘Overture’ and

‘MultiBass’ — with the M1-Le plug-in from Korg’s Legacy Collection. Also hosted in MainStage are EVP88, which we use for the Wurly

EP sound on songs from the album Big Swing Face, and a filter-swept organ sound in Native Instruments FM8 that we used on ‘Invisi-

ble’ from the new record. Bruce also used to work with [guitarist] Steve Kimock, and really loved his tone and wanted to be able to

play it chordally. So, we sampled Steve, and have two patches that started out in an Akai sampler but now live in the EXS24 plug-in.”

For more on Bruce’s live setup, check out our exclusive backstage video interview at keyboardmag.com. Stephen Fortner

24 K E Y B O A R D 1 0 . 2 0 0 9


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28/76

For the last several years, I’ve been

really interested in twentieth century classi-

cal music. So I work on Elliot Carter,

Schoenberg, Barber, and Ives pieces. Also

Webern and Messiaen. That can’t help but

influence the writing. So consequently on

this record, there are two songs that are

way more dissonant in their harmonic and

melodic content. I’m talking about “PaperBoy” and “Michael Raphael.” I think of “Paper

Boy” as sort of Schoenberg meets the Beat-

les. And I think of “Michael Raphael” as chro-

matic, melodic movement meets the Beach

Boys. Ten years ago I would not have been as

well-versed in that harmonic language, and so

consequently, I would not have been able to

broaden my songwriting palette with it.

The lyrical content on Levitate finds

you stretching out as well. There’s a

line on the song Invisible where you

say, “Get the feeling I ain’t doing noth-ing but sucking.”

Right. [Laughs.]

Self-doubt is a really universal emo-

tion, but few people have the guts to

express those kinds of thoughts so

bluntly in their songs.

There’s self-deprecation throughout my music

increasingly. On the last album Halcyon

Days, the “hit” was a tune called “Gonna

Be Some Changes Made” and had the

lyric, “Look in the mirror, see a clown’s

face.” It’s all through it, but there’s more

of it here.

Years ago, I heard an interview with

Randy Newman, where he said he waswriting a love song on assignment for

Frank Sinatra Jr., and thought he “just

couldn’t take it anymore.” From that

point on, he made a conscious decision

to write beyond the form of straight

love songs. He wanted the songs to

have characters as developed as other

art forms, like literature and theater. I

hear a mix of both on Levitate — songs

with seemingly simple themes, and

those that push the song format into

new territory.It’s interesting you bring up Randy talking

about love songs. I have the same feeling.

On this record, there actually is one love

song. It’s one of the songs I’m most proud

of, and my band members’ favorite song.

It’s a love song, but it’s using the language

of physics. It’s called “Here We Are Again.”

I’m always looking for a unique take. I’ll

write a love song if I feel like I’m doing

something that takes it to a different place

and puts a different slant on it. In this case,

I felt like I was able to find a slant that was

interesting to me, sort of a time travel fan-

tasy that a guy who’s lost his wife is having

So his fantasy is traveling back throughtime. “Seven times around the world in a

single second, I will swirl.” That’s referring

to the speed of light. I just felt that was an

interesting way to write a love song. And

so because of that, it’s one of the songs

I’m most proud of on a lyrical level.

Also, on the comedic level, you have

“The Black Rats of London,” which is sort

of Randy Newman-esque. I wrote that after

reading an article in National Geographic

that talked about the bacterial strains and

rodents that came over on ships andinfected the locals, and then in the revolu-

tion infected the British, and allowed us to

prevail over them. I guess people don’t

realize that something had gotten in the

water or in the food of the British around

Yorktown time, and they were really sick.

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And it helped us, well, basically like the

song says, “Parasites decimated the red

army of Cornwall and his flock, standing

weakly on Yorktown’s battlefield with

measles and smallpox.” Once again, as I

get older, I’m more interested in sardonic,

hopefully amusing commentary, sort of

trying to range far afield to find interesting

subject matter.There’s also a strong injection of

modern, hip-hop inflected beats on

the record.

Oh yeah. I love that.

That’s something that you’ve

incorporated for a long time. I

remember as far back as 1993’s Har-

bor Lights, with the song that Spike

Lee directed the video for, “Talk of

the Town,” that you had a penchant

for using them in your music.

“Talk of the Town” was probably the first

one like that. And then through the years

there have been others, certainly on BigSwing Face there were several. And on

this one Levitate you would say is certainly

one of those. Even “Prairie Dog Town” has

a real hip-hop loop, but I’m playing

dulcimer over it. [Laughs.]

Yeah, it’s like Appalachia meets

Kanye West.

Exactly. I just like it. You know, Ludacris is a

very creative writer. And there are so many

other great artists like that. My kids turn me

on to these guys.

The kids sound great, guest-rapping

on “Space Is The Place,” by the way.

They’re very funny. And then Claptontakes over. It’s great — my 11-year-old

son’s into Clapton.

When I was listening to the new

record, I was again struck by how

you’ve created a harmonic and melodic

language on the piano that’s all your

own. The intro to “Cyclone,” for

instance, reminded me of the introduc-

tion you played on “Every Little Kiss.”

You know, through the years, as I’ve listened to

music and been turned on to music by friends,

or by something I’ve read — whenever some-thing would get under my skin and really give

me chills, I would explore it. And transcribe it.

And figure out what it was about this that was

so intoxicating, so sensuous, and so moving to

me. I guess it’s about years of exploring music

and realizing fairly simply what moves me, and

putting it into my own little sort of gumbo —

and having it come out the other end as some-

thing that is identifiable stylistically.

The influences can come from a really

broad range of places. A guy who I have

been turned on to for the last many years isPaul Brady, the great Irish songwriter and

singer. And his record of Irish folk songs

called Welcome Here Kind Stranger is just

stunning and moves me completely. And so

that’s an area I would draw from. It’s not

necessarily pianistic. It can come from any

source. I was always into bluegrass and

folk music, old traditional music. Hanging

out with [Grateful Dead singer and guitarist

Jerry] Garcia got me more immersed in

that, because he was a walking encyclope-

dia of folk music, and he turned me on tolots of things that totally moved me. So I

would find a way to deal with that on the

piano. In fact, one of the bonus tracks on

this record that will at some point be avail-

able is my piano version of an old

traditional song called “I Truly Understand,”

that I learned from the New Lost City Ram-

blers. Garcia did it with David Grisman a

few years ago too. It’s also taking areas of

music that have nothing to do with piano,

and finding a way to deal with them on the

piano, that has contributed to my style.

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28 K E Y B O A R D 1 0 . 2 0 0 9


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32/76

Has Twitter or other online

interaction helped you make

music like it did for Imogen

Heap? Let us know on the

forum at keyboardmag.com, or

tweet us up @keyboardmag,

and you might wind up featured

in print or online.

30 K E Y B O A R D 1 0 . 2 0 0 9


33/76

Much has been said about piano and

synth ingénue Imogen Heap’s connecting

with fans via Twitter during the making of

her latest release, Ellipse. It’s been champi-

oned as the latest example of the “new

music business model,” where devoted

fans enjoy a new level of access to their

favorite artist. Heap does not disappoint,as her over four hundred thousand follow-

ers on Twitter can attest. From studio ses-

sion microblogs to video diaries and even

live meetups, Heap’s fans have been a part

of her album. Here, Imogen reflects on the

journey, which started in the virtual world

and took her around the real one.

What made the process of making

Ellipse unique, compared to your past

works?

The main difference was that I consciouslydecided to write the songs first and get the

body of work before I went into the studio.

The main reason for that was that I didn’t

have a studio. I’d just gotten back off tour,

and then within an hour of being home on

my couch with all my bags around and my

gear in tatters, I just didn’t want to be

there. I didn’t want to have go back into

normal life. I knew I had to write a new

album, but I felt like I wanted to go some-

where else. And I thought, “Well, I don’t

need to write it in the studio. Why don’t I just go somewhere pretty, somewhere I’d

love to visit?” So, I spun Google Earth

around a few times and decided to find the

place furthest away from any other land-

mass, and that turned out to be Hawaii. I

then went into Google and typed in “luxury

apartment; self-catering; grand piano;

Hawaii” and I found this brilliant place

which is on the rainy side of Maui. It was

really like a honeymoon place, but it was

just me and my beloved music.

It was the first time that I’d ever beenaway on my own and I think the first time

that I’d really come to terms with what just

happened, because since I was 17, it’s

just been completely non-stop. I haven’t

had any holidays. The songs I wrote

were very different from Speak For

Yourself . [This is all] a long way of say-

ing that I wrote the songs before I went

into the studio.

What gear did you bring with you, or

made sure you had, when you traveled

to write the songs?

I wanted to have the piano because I wanted

to get the essence of a song written before

I started work on it [in the studio]. That was

a real conscious decision, ’cause for the

last record I didn’t do that. I wrote it all and

programmed everything all at the same

time. It was a big mess. And as a result of

that, I would sometimes finish the backingtrack before I’d even come up with the

lyrics, or vocals, or anything. And then I

would have to crowbar in a melody around

what I’d written, and as a result, it wasn’t

really meshed together. I like the vocals and

the music to all move around each other,

and it’s not just a lead line with the backing

track. They all intertwine. So, yeah, I had

real troubles on the last record with this one

song called “Daylight Robbery,” and I didn’t

want to go there again. But I had the oppo-

site problem with this one, because I wrotethe songs, and then had trouble deciding

what kind of backing tracks to go with them,

or what I should do with them.

The piano was the main thing, just to

write. But I also brought my laptop, Garage-

Band — to throw down quick ideas – and

Pro Tools. I had Ableton Live 7, which I

found really useful. I think it’s brilliant. I had

a little Korg MicroKontrol and a couple of

mics — one for the piano, one for my voice —

and I took my Sonic Studios DSM-6S/EH

microphones with me. They look like head-phones, but they’re really microphones. And

I had a preamp and a little 24-bit WAV

recorder, so I could walk down the beach,

or into Tokyo, and record the songs.

What happened when you went into

the studio with your songs?

When I got back to London, I made this big

decision to take on my family house, which

is a big deal emotionally, and monetarily as

well. I then proceeded to take all of my

gear in and for eight months, I built the stu-

dio from scratch in my old playroom. Ibought a ridiculously large desk — a

Digidesign Icon — and I thought, “Yeah,

that’s basically like a big remote control for

Pro Tools.” I have to be honest and say that

I don’t actually use it because I’m just so

fast inside Pro Tools with quick keys and

editing. The way I work, it doesn’t fit with

getting up, finding the track. and turning

the knob. I’d like to think that I could do

that and get faster at it, but no matter how

fast I got, nothing’s as quick as just going

boop inside the computer. But it looks very

impressive! And I love the scrub wheel.

That’s my favorite bit of the desk.

So I built the studio. I designed it and we

got carpenters and acoustic paneling and

funny plaster in the ceiling. I thought it would

take a month and I’d be at work finishing the

album within a year, and it took eight months.

So all that time I was frustrated because Iwanted to be working on the record, but

there were people working in the house.

And once the studio was finished?

Where do you start? I needed some limita-

tions. I needed to be reinforced like book-

ends so I could work within it, because it’s

impossible to create with a completely blank

canvas, with no edges to it. So, I decided to

start recording the sounds of the house. I

recorded the sound of me just running

around it, as I did as a kid. And I took the

steps and the rhythm of how fast I ran to bethe first song, “Not Now But Soon,” which

actually didn’t go on the album, but it went

on the Heroes soundtrack.

The song “Bad Body Double” uses

some interesting human body and

vocal sounds for rhythms. What

inspired that, and how did you capture

the sounds?

In the beginning I thought it’d be amusing

to use my body and my voice to do all of

the sounds of “Bad Body Double” because

I wanted to have it a capella. Actually, itended up being fully produced. When I

started to work on it, I was doing the beat

and the bass line with my voice and clap-

ping and clicking. I got ten people jumping

around on squeaky floors in my hallway. In

the beginning, I just have one hand-slap,

but it sounded not quite strong enough, so

I tracked up a few [hands] slapping my ass.

I wrote it when I was in Japan. I was

surrounded by beautiful women, beautiful

skin, and gorgeous hair, just looking fantas-

tic and eating very healthily. I was feeling,“What happened to my body?” I guess

after years of the studio, touring, no exer-

cise at all, and just eating on the fly, I felt

like this wasn’t the body that I should have.

I’m not even 30, and this isn’t fair.

So, it’s as if I have this nice 19-year-old

body that’s not sagging yet and has no

wrinkles or grey hair. But then, when I get

out of the shower, there’s my bad body dou-

ble, this other person that comes in front of

the mirror and looks a bit like me, but hag-

gard, and she’s trying to put on creams to

311 0 . 2 0 0 9 K E Y B O A R D


34/76

look like how I look. Sometimes she comes

into the bedroom and disturbs me when I’m

with a man, and the man can’t tell the differ-

ence. He just thinks it’s me, but it’s not me.

It’s my bad body double.What other techniques did you use to

get the sounds just right, especially

with pianos?

I went around the house, recording all the

different sounds of the pianos. And on

“Half Life,” there was a mic in the hallway, a

mic at the end of the dining room, and a

mic in the piano, so I’m switching between

them. Sometimes I did far away, sometimes

I did close. I wanted to get the [mechanical]

sound of the keys, so I took out the hammer

action from one of my pianos — the one that’sout of tune and will never be in tune — and I

just recorded the sound of the keys. I went

over every single note and added the sound

of the keys so that it sounds more close.

There’re more examples of things in the

house. I use the tap dripping — I got the

drops and then tuned it to make it fit. And

you can hear me running a drumstick

across the banisters.

What will your live setup be for the

Ellipse tour?

I don’t know at the moment, but it will

involve a glass harmonica and a Water-

phone, and some looping device —

maybe just Ableton Live. I don’t know

what kind of gear is out there recently,

but I imagine it’s much faster and

smoother than it was four years ago. So

I’m looking forward to seeing what I can

do with it. I’ll take my Perspex piano, theclear piano that I had built, which I keep

my computer in, a keyboard, my looping

stuff, little drum machines to build stuff

live, and a little mixing desk. And then I’ll

have another station which has my mbira

on it, and [Roland AX-1] shoulder-strap

keyboard, and then I’ll have my hang

[tuned resonating bowl].

With the level of interaction you’ve

facilitated with Twitter and your video

blogs, how did it affect the process of

making the album?

Heap HelpSelected Discography: I Mega-

phone, Details (with Frou Frou),

Speak For Yourself , Ellipse.Website: imogenheap.com

Twitter: twitter.com/imogenheap

Video: youtube.com/imogenheap

Imogen Heap

32 K E Y B O A R D 1 0 . 2 0 0 9

MF-102

Ring

Modulato

MF-101

Lowpa

keyboard magazine - october 2009

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