New Cd "From Brush and Stone" out now

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Sue
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New Cd "From Brush and Stone" out now

Postby Sue » Sun Feb 01, 2009 6:57 pm

The latest release is a stunning collaboration between Gordon and Rick Wakeman.

Go to the Feb News page to find out more.
http://giltrap.co.uk/index.php?page=news&category=01--General_News&display=1991

or visit the dedicated microsite at http://www.brushandstone.com

The first 1000 copies sold also include a free bonus DVD, so get ordering !!

Please post your reviews of the new album here,
thanks
Sue
Last edited by Sue on Mon Feb 22, 2010 11:00 am, edited 1 time in total.
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AndrewD
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Postby AndrewD » Mon Feb 02, 2009 10:35 pm

Well, I've got mine ordered! I'm not usually that fast out of the starting blocks but I've been anticipating this...Looking forward to listening and reviewing :D

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Postby Rick Payman » Fri Feb 06, 2009 6:29 pm

A day off work (due to snow) has given me a first opportunity to listen to this CD, which arrived yesterday.
I should probably mention that I had high expectations of an album by two of my favourite musicians, and this one certainly didn't disappoint!
The CD is divided into two halves; 7 pieces by Gordon, comprised primarily of compositions taken from his Brotherhood Suite (itself inspired by pre-Raphaelite paintings), and 7 new pieces by Rick, inspired both by famous sculptures and indeed, by Gordon's own work.

Gordon's (by now quite familiar) pieces would stand up well as a delightful solo guitar tour-de-force, and are here considerably enhanced by some quite sparse but very tasteful keyboard strings. "Maddie Goes West" also benefits from some great horn work!

Rick's own piano compositions were specifically written to become duets; the pieces represent a true collaboration of these two great musicians and composers. Guitar and piano weave seamlessly together throughout the music to create a very satisfying and coherent whole, whether in the serene "Savannah Bird" or else in the many fast arpeggio sections (neither Gordon nor Rick disappoint in this regard!).

My only concern, and initial confusion, was in regard to the order of tracks.
On the CD, Tracks 1-7 are Rick's compositions, and Tracks 8-14 those of Gordon; the sleeve notes have them listed and credited the other way around! Do I have a rare copy, else can the mistake be rectified?

In summary, truly delightful music indeed.

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Postby Krysalan » Fri Feb 06, 2009 7:11 pm

My copy arrived today, I actually ordered it from my iphone in bed as soon as I got the email lol.

I've only just skimmed the surface of it tonight but I'm already desperate for a transcription of The Kiss into tab.

And needless to say it's already in pride of place on my iphone so I can listen on the way to work.

Superb!

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Postby GORDON » Fri Feb 06, 2009 9:25 pm

Hi Rick.

This is a serious error and I'm not sure how we can correct this. As far as I'm concerned the blame must be laid at this door. We approved all the artwork but I for one did not spot this major major error in the running order. This will add serious confusion to any radio stations who wish to play it.

I sincerely hope this will not effect your enjoyment of the music my friend.

Be Well and watch this space.

Gordon.

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Of Brush and Stone

Postby John Adams » Sat Feb 07, 2009 9:52 am

Our copy arrived this morning; any errors on the sleeve won’t spoil my enjoyment of the music!

Maybe my grandchildren will be able to retire on the proceeds of the sale of this very rare (if slightly imperfect) rare unsigned copy?

Great CD – well done Gordon and Rick

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Re: Of Brush and Stone

Postby GORDON » Sat Feb 07, 2009 10:11 am

John Adams wrote:Our copy arrived this morning; any errors on the sleeve won’t spoil my enjoyment of the music!

Maybe my grandchildren will be able to retire on the proceeds of the sale of this very rare (if slightly imperfect) rare unsigned copy?

Great CD – well done Gordon and Rick


Many thanks John, cheered me up a tad as I'm still in shock about this error which is 100% artist error!

Glad your enjoying it sir.

My best to you and the family.

G.

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Postby Sue » Sat Feb 07, 2009 5:45 pm

For those of you who can't wait to get your own copy, there are now some short audio samples on the discography page here:

http://www.giltrap.co.uk/index.php?page=cds&category=01--CDs&display=1993

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Postby simjen » Sun Feb 08, 2009 2:19 pm

Hi All,

Got my copy too. Very prompt from Voiceprint.

It's simply great! Have not listened to it enough to really get into it but there is so much there to enjoy. I can only concur with the comments above. Maddie is particularly special.

The running order problem is fine once you realise what is going on. I can see radio stations etc may get a little confused though.

Must watch the free video next. Hope it doesn't go backwards too :D

Great stuff, Gordon and Rick.

Regards,

Simon.
Simon Jenny, long term fan.

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Postby AndrewD » Sun Feb 08, 2009 10:29 pm

“From Brush and Stone” is the latest album from Gordon Giltrap and Rick Wakeman, a collaboration that has been long anticipated by many. It takes its title from the inspiration behind this work: pieces inspired by paintings and sculptures, and a new version of one perennial favourite of mine, “Maddie Goes West”. The result is a wonderful tapestry of melodies, harmonies and pure musicality that draws its inspiration from some great masters such as Michelangelo, Rodin and Millais. Gordon’s artistic inspiration is drawn from several paintings from the Pre-Raphaelite movement whilst Rick’s comes from the world of sculpture.

The first seven tracks on the CD are Rick’s, the second seven are Gordon’s. This initially caused me some confusion when looking at the running order on the reverse of the CD case – Gordon’s seven tracks are listed as 1 to 7 whilst Rick’s are listed 8 to 14. Doubtless this will get corrected at some point, but maybe the early versions will become highly collectable as a result!

The first thing that is very evident from listening to the album is just how much fun the musicians are having. The enjoyment that both exude positively shines through; it is blatantly obvious to even the most cursory listener. As I progressed through the album I actually forgot that there were just two musicians at work here; their instruments blend, chase, weave and support each other in such a way that the music seems incredibly intricate. Every piece earns its place - nothing is too imposing, nothing is overbearing. From a production point of view the blending of the pieces is very finely done. Hats off to Erik Jordan for doing a fantastic job behind the mixing desk.

The first 1000 copies come with a DVD that contains an interview with both Gordon and Rick. They talk about the music and the influences behind them. There is also some discussion around the possibility of a performance of it. I do hope that it gets an airing like this in some way.

The album stands up on its own magnificently without any augmentation, but I decided to track down images of the paintings and sculptures where possible. I am familiar with a little of the work by some of the artists: there is a Rodin bronze of St John the Baptist in the countryside near where I live, and whilst at school I remember studying the story of the Princes in the Tower and seeing the painting by Mallais. So I enjoyed the opportunity to research and broaden my knowledge of the artists and their works. Images of most of the pieces can be found on the Internet, although small digitised photographs cannot begin to do justice to them.

Fans of both Gordon and Rick should not be disappointed by this collaboration. The recording quality is excellent, the clarity of the sound allowing the instruments to shine though in all their glory. All in all this CD is a pure delight.

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Postby GORDON » Sun Feb 08, 2009 10:41 pm

Hello Andrew.

What an incredibly detailed and concise review of our latest offering. How amazing that you have taken the time and trouble to check out some of these outstanding works of art. Well done sir.

My dearest wish is that through this music, more people will be turned on to the works of art that inspired these tunes of ours.

Yes, the printing error is being sorted as we speak, but as you say I think the current print run will indeed become collectors items in the years to come.

Be Well Andrew and THANKYOU for your ongoing interaction with this site of ours, you are always most welcome sir.

Sincere and Warm Regards.

Gordon.

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Postby Mlower » Mon Feb 09, 2009 11:05 am

And there was me thinking that the printing error was just to check that we are awake!
Hugely enjoyable CD, nearly as much fun to listen to as it was to make by the sound of it.
Martin.

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Postby Mike Stranks » Sat Feb 14, 2009 4:31 pm

This is a truly glorious album!

I checked back on what fellow-posters have written and have to agree with Simon and Andrew – their comments are absolutely right. Both have commented on ‘Maddie’ and rightly so. Taking a slightly slower tempo, Gordon gives a virtuoso performance and has given Rick (I presume) the opportunity to weave some wonderful ‘string’ and ‘horn’ arrangements around the core harmony.

Other pieces on the album are both stunning and moving, with virtually faultless playing and timing. The ‘Pre-Raphaelite’ pieces are simply sublime.

Like me, many of those posting on this forum and attending Gordon’s concerts will have become familiar with his music through the Triumvirate albums of the 1970s. Indeed, there’s an underlying theme from some for Gordon to return to that style and sound. I think this album comes very close to capturing some of the essence of the feel of those albums, so if your last exposure to Gordon’s music was from those albums, buy this one! It won’t disappoint and will be a very good introduction to where Gordon is today.

And finally, as one of the resident recording and sound anoraks around here, I have to give due respect to those involved in the technical side of things. Paul White has done a superb job in capturing the sound of Gordon playing the various guitars. Acoustic guitar is notoriously difficult to record accurately, to give the true sound of both strings and body and the space in which it’s played, but Paul has achieved it brilliantly. Similarly, Erik Jordan’s recording of the piano is excellent. He’s not fallen into the trap of hyping the sound of the piano as many do, but has given us a wonderful representation of an excellent instrument played by a master.

Tracks from this album are so good that they’ll be forming part of my set-up and tuning portfolio for location sound systems and recordings. There aren’t many tracks that I’ll use for that, but the fact that these will now be included says everything about how I regard this album. A true delight to listen to and brilliantly recorded! Buy it! :)

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Postby GORDON » Sat Feb 14, 2009 11:33 pm

Mike Stranks wrote:This is a truly glorious album!

I checked back on what fellow-posters have written and have to agree with Simon and Andrew – their comments are absolutely right. Both have commented on ‘Maddie’ and rightly so. Taking a slightly slower tempo, Gordon gives a virtuoso performance and has given Rick (I presume) the opportunity to weave some wonderful ‘string’ and ‘horn’ arrangements around the core harmony.

Other pieces on the album are both stunning and moving, with virtually faultless playing and timing. The ‘Pre-Raphaelite’ pieces are simply sublime.

Like me, many of those posting on this forum and attending Gordon’s concerts will have become familiar with his music through the Triumvirate albums of the 1970s. Indeed, there’s an underlying theme from some for Gordon to return to that style and sound. I think this album comes very close to capturing some of the essence of the feel of those albums, so if your last exposure to Gordon’s music was from those albums, buy this one! It won’t disappoint and will be a very good introduction to where Gordon is today.

And finally, as one of the resident recording and sound anoraks around here, I have to give due respect to those involved in the technical side of things. Paul White has done a superb job in capturing the sound of Gordon playing the various guitars. Acoustic guitar is notoriously difficult to record accurately, to give the true sound of both strings and body and the space in which it’s played, but Paul has achieved it brilliantly. Similarly, Erik Jordan’s recording of the piano is excellent. He’s not fallen into the trap of hyping the sound of the piano as many do, but has given us a wonderful representation of an excellent instrument played by a master.

Tracks from this album are so good that they’ll be forming part of my set-up and tuning portfolio for location sound systems and recordings. There aren’t many tracks that I’ll use for that, but the fact that these will now be included says everything about how I regard this album. A true delight to listen to and brilliantly recorded! Buy it! :)


Hello Mike.

What a stunning review my friend...THANKYOU.

Just for the record...all my guitars were recorded by me here at home on my basic 24 track hard disc recorder using an AKG 414 microphone, The editing and mastering was done by Paul White prior to it being sent to Erik Jordan for final mixing and mastering. I'm SO pleased a man such as yourself approves of my recorded guitar sound.


Be Well Sir.

G.

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Postby Mike Stranks » Sun Feb 15, 2009 12:05 am

Wow! Due respect Gordon!

I knew that you had a simple, but very good, set-up for recording at home and you've used it almost to perfection on this album m'lord.

This is certainly one of the VERY BEST recordings of steel acoustic that I've heard. Oh well, that's made life a bit simpler... next time someone arrives here asking about recording acoustic guitar, the answer now has to be......... ask Gordon!! :wink:


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