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Your Perfe erfect ct Perfo erforma rmanc nce e Pa Partne rtnerr The new S Series combines the sounds of the Motif XS, a handcraft handcrafted ed S6 piano and the ease of use of a stage piano. Featu Fe aturessuch ressuch as Bal Balanc anced ed Ham Hammeractio meraction, n, com combo bo inp input ut jac jackk foraddin foradding g voc vocalsand alsand gui guitar tars, s, andUSB rec record ord/pl /play aybac back k make mak e it per perfe fect ct fo forr sta stage ge or stu studio dio.. Th The e co compa mpact ct des designof ignof the88- and76-n and76-not ote e we weigh ightedvers tedversion ionss ar are e por porta tableand bleand road-ready road-r eady.. The S70 XS/S90 XS also lets you quickly create your own Performances Performances with the amazingly fast Perform Perf ormanc ance e Cre Creato atorr fea featur ture.With e.With exte extensiv nsive e Con Contro trollerfuncti llerfunctions ons,, it’ it’ss als also o the perf perfect ect com compani panion on foryour com comput puter er music production system.
www.yamaha.com/usa www.motifator.com www.yamahasynth.com ©2009 Yamaha Corporation of America. All rights reserved.
Your Perfe erfect ct Perfo erforma rmanc nce e Pa Partne rtnerr The new S Series combines the sounds of the Motif XS, a handcraft handcrafted ed S6 piano and the ease of use of a stage piano. Featu Fe aturessuch ressuch as Bal Balanc anced ed Ham Hammeractio meraction, n, com combo bo inp input ut jac jackk foraddin foradding g voc vocalsand alsand gui guitar tars, s, andUSB rec record ord/pl /play aybac back k make mak e it per perfe fect ct fo forr sta stage ge or stu studio dio.. Th The e co compa mpact ct des designof ignof the88- and76-n and76-not ote e we weigh ightedvers tedversion ionss ar are e por porta tableand bleand road-ready road-r eady.. The S70 XS/S90 XS also lets you quickly create your own Performances Performances with the amazingly fast Perform Perf ormanc ance e Cre Creato atorr fea featur ture.With e.With exte extensiv nsive e Con Contro trollerfuncti llerfunctions ons,, it’ it’ss als also o the perf perfect ect com compani panion on foryour com comput puter er music production system.
www.yamaha.com/usa www.motifator.com www.yamahasynth.com ©2009 Yamaha Corporation of America. All rights reserved.
One voice voice,, endless end less possibilities.
Based on the award-winning Prophet ’08, Mopho is a compact, affordable, great-sounding monophonic synthesizer with a 100% analog audio path. Available now n ow at Dave Dave Smith instruments dealers world worldwide. wide. For specs, audio and video demos, and more, visit davesmithinstruments.com. davesmithinstruments.com.
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The Prophet ’08 keyboard has been honored with multiple awards, including:
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Jetro Da Silva: Keyboardist - Whitney Houston 2010 World Tour and Professor - Berklee College of Music
“The Fantom-G is a powerful instrument that contains all the necessary tools and qualities to create and perform wonderful music. For Whitney Houston’s 2010 world tour, the Fantom-G plays the role of sampler, sample player, synth and workstation, giving me absolute power to deliver whatever the music calls for. The large color screen is great, and the editing features are very user friendly.”
Seize the musical authority you crave with the Fantom-G, the most powerful workstation keyboard on the planet. With its amazing sound quality, astounding feature set and gorgeous color display, the Fantom-G takes you places that other workstation keyboards simply can’t, from stage to studio and beyond. Rule your musical universe with the Fantom-G and enjoy the absolute power of creative freedom.
Experience the Fantom-G Series Workstation Keyboards at www.RolandUS.com/FantomG and on YouTube.
Tons of FREE new content for your Fantom-G Download now! www.RolandUS.com/Promotions
www.RolandUS.com
CONTENTS COMMUNITY 6
A brand new section devoted to your pictures, anecdotes, questions, gear, feedback, and anything else you’d like to share with the Keyboard community!
KEYNOTES Today’s hottest artists help you play better and sound better. 10 PJ Morton on Six Essential R&B Keyboard Sounds 11 The Low Anthem on Recording Antique Reed Organs 12 Eric Frederic of Wallpaper on Guerilla Producing 13 David Fowler of Echo Movement on “Bubble” Reggae Organ 14 Weekend Warriors MAJORminor 16 The Editors’ Playlist : Music Reviews
LESSONS 20 22 26 30
Daniel Minsteris on creative Wurly EP comping Larry Goldings Hammond B-3 master class 5 ways to play like McCoy Tyner Suzanne Ciani on New-Age Synth
COVER STORY 32
ALICIA KEYS talks about her diverse sonic and stylistic influences on her new hit album, The Element of Freedom, and her new signature virtual piano Alicia’s Keys.
SOLUTIONS 42 44
STEAL THIS SOUND Create the brass swells from Robert Palmer’s “Addicted to Love.” DANCE Make your tracks stand out with Real-World Ambiences .
GEAR 18 46 50 54 60 64 68
NEW GEAR at Frankfurt Musikmesse Roland V-COMBO VR-700 Akai MINIAK Livid Instruments OHM64 Native Instruments ALICIA’S KEYS Mixosaurus DAW DRUMS KIT A MusicLab REALGUITAR 2L
Cover photo by Thierry LeGoues KEYBOARD (ISSN 0730-0158) is published monthly by NewBay Media, LLC 1111 Bayhill Drive, Suite 125, San Bruno, CA 94066. All material published in KEYBOARD is copyrighted © 2010 by NewBay Media. All rights reserved. Reproduction of material appearing in KEYBOARD is forbidden without permission. KEYBOARD is a registered trademark of NewBay Media. Periodicals Postage Paid at San Bruno, CA and at additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to KEYBOARD P.O. Box 9158, Lowell, MA 01853.
TIME MACHINE 74
A look back at samplers that changed how we make music.
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COMMUNITY From The Editor CONNECT! Tell us what you think, link to your music, share tips and techniques, subscribe to the magazine and our e-newsletter, show off your chops, or just vent! Your forum post, tweet, email, or letter might end up in the magazine! Comment directly at keyboardmag.com
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Welcome to the new Keyboard ! Periodic makeovers are a must in the magazine world, as we’re always concerned to give you more of what you want, not to mention be more accessible, inspiring, and fun to read. But the way it all goes down is nothing like what you’d imagine from watching sitcoms like Ugly Betty or Just Shoot Me. First of all, you seldom see the people who work at the fictional magazines on those shows actually, uh, working. Second, we don’t have any designer office chairs. Third and most importantly, even if we did, we wouldn’t be sitting in them around a designer table having a hipper-than-thou contest about whose ideas are more “now.” Keyboard has always been about you— playing better, sounding better, and getting the most out of the instruments and technology products that compete for your hard-earned cash. We want to make that happen with more of your input than ever before, and one part of this is the Community section you’re reading right now. Here’s the concept: Tell us
what’s on your mind via your preferred medium (see the “Connect” sidebar at left) and there’s a good chance it’ll end up here. What are we looking for? Your own product reviews for “You Review It.” Your suggestions or complaints to the keyboard industry for “Soapbox.” A time you met one of your keyboard heroes for “Idol Hands.” Pics and descriptions of your weekend gig and keyboard rig for “Dig My Rig.” And other things we’ll think of cute names for once you send ’em in. But that’s only the beginning. We’ll us e your input to shape future artist coverage, music lessons, tech clinics, and gear reviews. Feast your eyes on the results of our first online poll on page 8—more and bigger lessons topped the list. You want it, you got it. This month’s issue includes four supersize lessons—piano, Wurly, B-3, and synth—penned by top players including organist Larry Goldings and synth legend Suzanne Ciani. So keep the feedback coming, because you’re the reason we do this. Together, we can make Keyboard better than ever.
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YOU REVIEW IT! 64-Bit Processing in Logic Pro 9.1 by Kevin Anker, Keyboard Corner forum member
With over a dozen powerful soft synths, over 38GB of added content, and a suite of other useful apps like MainStage 2.1, all for $500, there’s nothing quite like Apple Logic Studio. Logic Pro 9.1 ups the ante by letting you run it as a 64-bit application. The true benefit is that 64-bit apps don’t bump into the old 4GB-RAM-per-program limit of the 32-bit world. A 64-bit application can address RAM in amounts that are effectively limitless—about 16.3 billion GB. Now, there aren’t any machines with anywhere near that much RAM, but 32GB systems are certainly in use. With massive sample libraries like those from EastWest/Quantum Leap and Native Instruments reaching into the tens of GB, streaming large amounts of samples from a hard drive can prove difficult at best. Being able to keep most if not all of a sample library in RAM makes using it much more practical. There is one catch. Logic can’t run 32-bit plug-ins natively when in 64-bit mode, and most third-party plug-ins on the market are still 32-bit. Apple figured out a pretty slick workaround: the AudioUnit Bridge, a separate application to host 32-bit plug-ins that automatically launches alongside Logic. One huge benefit of this is that when a 32-bit plug-in misbehaves, it crashes the AUB, not Logic. Disagree with us about a review? Have something to add? Comment on the article on our website, post on the Keyboar d Corner forum, or email
[email protected], and you just may see your wisdom here—and win prizes!
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SOAPBOX
IDOL HANDS
Keyboard reader Brian O’Sullivan
Last summer I met Geoff Downes before the with Keith Emerson. Asia/Yes concert in Montclair, New Jersey, and he graciously signed my sheet music book from Asia’s first album, which I’ve had since 1982. Geoff asked if I found the book useful, noting that it wasn’t 100% accurate. I assured him it was very helpful, and that it helped set me in an excellent keyboarding direction in my early teens. A few years earlier, I met Keith Emerson [shown] after his band played in Annapolis, Maryland. I asked Keith to sign a transcription I’d made of his solo piano piece “A Cajun Alley,” which he played that night. Keith looked it over and said it looked quite good—I was walking on air! Brian O’Sullivan, New Jersey
G I R Y M G I D I was going the direction of “More, more!”—building a rig around Apple MainStage, a Kawai MP4, a Kurzweil PC3-61, a Yamaha VL70m module, and planning on adding a Roland V-Synth and/or VP-770. But as my playing continues to develop, I’ve drastically changed my approach. Less is more. All I use now is my Kawai MP4 and Roland AX-Synth. I constrain myself to an acoustic piano patch (MP4 with a little bell-EP and voice pad for spice) and focus more on the “what” of what I play versus the patches. I’m constantly surprised by the compliments I get on the piano sound from the MP4. GAS [Gear Acquisition Syndrome, an occupational hazard for keyboard players. —Ed.] has me dying to replace it, but it just sounds so good. I allow myself the luxury of the AX-Synth for strolling out into the crowd, extended synth solos, and the like—but now more than ever, I’m a piano player first and a keyboard player, distant second. Most important is amplification: two Acme Low B-1 three-way cabinets for warm, transparent, full-range integrity.
Why, when we have tools to sample, resample, synthesize, and ROMple our way into oblivion; fly MIDI and audio tracks to the moon; and jam with players halfway around the globe, do the companies that produce the current crop of MIDI keyboard controllers avoid the 76-key option? Is 76 keys the new “13th floor” in our collective tower of digital audio? I’m beginning to suspect something of that nature is afoot, especially when Akai’s MPK series leapfrogged over 76 keys, going from 61 to 88. And what of M-Audio, Roland/Cakewalk, and Novation? And are the challenges some face in fully integrating the CME UF7, UF70, VX7, and VX70 due to some techno-cosmic violation of this apparent agenda of a malevolent Higher Bandwidth? Inquiring minds want to know. Allan Evett, via the Keyboard Corner forum
Some keyboard companies think demand for 76-key controllers isn’t enough to justify the cost of making yet another size— Yamaha’s recent KX line does the same as Akai’s. Yet there are exceptions. I own and love a Studiologic VMK-176 Plus. There’s the Infinite Response VAX-77 we reviewed in April (77 keys, but close enough). Though they’re full instruments, not just controllers, the Nord Stage, Yamaha S70XS, and Roland V-Combo (see page 46) all have 76 keys. And if there is an evil spirit making CME controllers buggy, it’s affecting all sizes. So whattaya say, industry? Are 76-key controllers a niche item, or the Goldilocks size the people really want? Stephen Fortner, Executive Editor
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COMMUNITY TWITTER TICKER
@KeyboardMag: Do keyboards have a place in heavy rock/metal? Why or why not?
J o s e p h A The . ( @ j a i n y 9 ) What should we : Y print more of in e s , each issue? t h e d a Lessons r k d a y New gear reviews s o f m How-tos on duplicating e famous synth sounds t a l i A-list studio and tour n Can anyone identify the era of the oscillator board in this Minimoog players coverage m Model D? I’m particularly interested in finding out what sort of modification i n o has been done to it, which is apparent in the close-up photo. How-to clinics on r using your DAW k Lance Hill, synthgeeks.com e y Submit your answer at keyboardmag.com. s . Music business advice E m i k o Coverage of up and ( coming artists @ e m i Be counted! k o m New polls go live the first and third Tuesdays of each month at keyboardmag.com. u s i c ) : h t i w e e r g a o t e v a h I ! s e y y a s t h g i m I ! n o i t s e u q g n i t s e r e t n i y r e V J : ) k n a r f r e k a b @ ( r e k a B k n a r F : ) s s e d u r c j @ ( s s e d u R n a d r o J o r d a n . . . o f c o u r s e k I have subscribed to Keyboard for many years. I play a Yamaha Tyros. receive on MIDI chan e y s I use the one-note setting with my left hand to control the music nel 1 via port B for b e styles. I have the split point set down to the first 13 notes on the keyboard control. l o left. Is it possible to transfer the one-note triggering of the chords the n g accompaniment styles play, via MIDI, to a 13-note pedalboard (I have The PK5 will now coni n m a Roland PK-5)? If so, I can control the “backup band” with my feet, trol the single finger e chord changes when freeing up my left hand to play guitars, sax, harp, etc. Ira Thomas t a l ! the Tyros’ automatic accompaM a Ira, here’s the skinny directly from our friends at Yamaha: niment is active. If the user r i o The PK5 can control the chord changes within the Tyros with wishes to play left hand parts, G u he will need to adjust the split the following procedure: i l l e assignment within the Tyros func1. Set the PK5 for “Bass,” have it transmit on MIDI channel r m o tion menu. He’ll need to either 1, and connect it to the Tyros’ MIDI port B input. ( @ lower the style split point or raise 2. On the Tyros, press “Function” followed by “H” (MIDI). m a the left hand split point. 3. Select “C” (Master KBD 1). This will setup the Tyros to r i o k e y b o a r d ) : I definitely say yes. Wesley Dysart (@wesleydysart): Keys in metal rule when done right. Children of Bodom = great example.
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06.2010
Vienna Choir
Having redefined the world of virtual orchestration during the past several years, the Vienna Symphonic Library is breaking new ground with this impressive vocal collection. The voices of VIENNA CHOIR were cast and assembled exclusively for the recording sessions at Vienna’s Silent Stage, with each singer hand-selected from Austria’s leading choirs. Imbued with passion and emotion, every recorded note and interval is a testament to the artistry of these outstanding soprano, alto, tenor and bass ensembles.
VIENNA INSTRUMENTS
DVD Collection 25 GB AU (Mac), RTAS, VST (Mac & PC), stand-alone.
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KEYNOTES
PJ MORTON Six Studio Secrets for R&B Keyboard Sounds Having grown up with the music of New Orleans, Grammy-winner PJ Morton knows good sounds—and how to create signature patches in Apple Logic for such artists as India.Arie and Jermaine Dupri. His own album Walk Alone is available now. Michael Gallant
Miking Acoustic Piano We usually put two mics on a piano,
Synth Bass There’s a new kind of bass sound on records by artists
but the music I’m working on right now is kind of retro, so we use one mic—a ribbon. It doesn’t capture as “sophisticated” a sound, and it takes off some of the piano’s prettiness, which is what I’m going for.
Urban Strings When I’m trying to make the string tones in Logic
like Kanye West. The bottom has a feel like a Roland TR-808 drum machine, but it has pitches. I start with a factory synth bass in EXS24, then add a lot of low end to get the boom—an important thing about the 808 is how long it booms, so you want the release time a little longer. Set it to monophonic, since you don’t want notes to overlap. It’s a very muffled type of bass.
[soft synths] sound authentic, I roll off the high end. When I’m going for more of an urban, synthetic sound, I go with the high end.
Snakey Lead In the late ’60s, Stevie Wonder had this cool lead
Real and Virtual Rhodes When we record the real thing, we go direct out and put two mics on the [Suitcase] speaker so the tremolo sounds true-to-life. In EVP88, I mess with the tremolo, tweaking the speed so it sounds just right. I don’t like the tines too bell-like, so I roll that off as well. I love playing a real Rhodes, so I adjust the sound close to what I’m used to.
Virtual B-3 For my demos, I use EVB3. I control it with a Yamaha Motif, set my mod wheel to affect Leslie speed, and set the sliders of the Motif to act like drawbars. The way I play organ, I’m changing drawbars all the time, so it’s good to control that from the keyboard.
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that was sine-y, warm, and high, with some glide. I program my version of that on Logic’s EFM1. I pick a sine wave that’s close—I’m going for warm, so I don’t want a lot of high end. I take the release all the way off and set the attack a little late, for a sneaky kind of lead, not one that hits right when you trig ger the note. I don’t detune at all, and I put the octave up and set it to monophonic.
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Exclusive video tour of
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PJ’s studio.
online.
THE LOW ANTHEM Pumps Up Their Sound with Antique Reed Organs Folk rockers the Low Anthem a re currently headlining their first U.S. tour in support of their album Oh My God, Charlie Darwin, on which they took a unique approach to creating a sonic identity: recording antique, pedal-pumped reed organs. Their 1915 Estey organ is of special interest, as it was played by an Army chaplain in France during World War I. The band has also found organs in Vermont, Indiana, and North Carolina. Their organic sound is a joy to experience and a perfect complement to the voice of keyboardist Ben Knox-Miller, who took time out to speak with us about this unique quest.
Think a B-3 is vintage? One of the Low Anthem’s vintage reed organs is this turn-of-the-century model from Vermont organ builder Estey, established in 1840.
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Why did you seek out antique pump organs for the record? We weren’t looking for one. We weren’t satisfied with any of the digital keyboards’ organ sounds. It appealed to us more that this was actually air moving across reeds and there was some element of chance, a r eal physical thing happening, and the beautiful woody resonance. So you never thought you could get the same sound by using samples? No. The pump organs are very unpredictable and a lot of that has nice charm to it. Who were some of your influences? Neil Young uses a lot of pump organs. We recently saw him play and he played solo acoustic on the pump organ. Tom Waits also uses pump organs on his recordings. On “To Ohio,” which organ was used? The Estey portable pump organ. There’s a nice blend of the traditional pump organ that sounds kind of like a mockup of an electric organ sound — kind of corky, naturally woody, and crackly. On “The Ghosts who Write History Books,” by contrast, that’s a really clean organ sound. What about on “Cage the Song Bird”? That was the Estey again, the predominant organ we recorded with. We also have a harmonium on stage, and a melodeon we just bought. It’s from 185 0. We found it in Newcastle, Indiana. Joanie Fotouhi
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Anthem’s pump organs.
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KEYNOTES
Eric Frederic as Ricky Reed with partner-in-
While producing Bone Dry , the new single from A B & the Sea, Eric heard singer Koley O’Brien’s foot pounding out quarter-notes. Transforming that sound into a TR-707 kick breathed propulsive power into this otherwise folksy cut.
Your bass not bad enough? Try doubling two bass guitars, a baritone guitar, and this fat analog patch from Arturia 2600V.
clubslime, drummer Arjen Singh.
WALLPAPER Eric Frederic on Guerilla Producing In Wallpaper’s hit “I Got Soul (I’m So Wasted),” co-creator Eric Frederic becomes lounge lizard Ricky Reed. His drunken hipster character roasts hot babes and cool dudes alike as irresistible synth pop bubbles away. As a sendup of obnoxious club slime, it’s pure guilty pleasure, but how seriously should we take this writer/producer/synthesist who calls his latest album Doodoo Face? Very. From the initial percussion on the opening track “Indecent,” Eric brings more than your standard loops and honks. “That’s a guy from my Ghanian drumming ensemble at UC Berkeley,” he explains. This is party-pop? At 1:33, an instrumental break channels Steely Dan, Prince, and P-Funk, and—remarkably—renders them fresh. Eric: “I try to find the strongest points about the song and make them really big. You’ve got to level the playing field. The strongest point could be the entire chorus. Or just the bass line. Find ‘that’ sound and treat it like gold!” Sometimes making a sound really big means getting obsessive: On his remix of Jay-Z’s “DOA,” Eric turned a tubercular bass part into a monster by doubling it with two bass guitars an octave apart, a baritone guitar, and a synth patch. On a folkie Josh Ritter remix, he spent hours porting parts in and out of a cassette recorder while he held the pause button halfway down to achieve a warbling effect. On “Celebrity,” Eric recorded a sax part through the entire song, then spent hours pasting individual notes to create indelibly disturbing sax lines. Richard Leiter
Sometimes you don’t have to double your bass—just use different ones on the verse and chorus. Remember Eric’s Golden Rule: “Producing is subtractive. Take out anything that isn’t golden.”
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DAVID FOWLER On Reggae Bubble B-3 Organ Playing Grab some headphones and give your favorite reggae track a close listen. Under the surface, you’ll hear tightly-woven patterns performed with organic precision. These propelling rhythms turn simple chops into deep-pocket grooves. Here’s how to nail the classic and often misunderstood organ comping technique known as “the bubble.”
Sound Set your B-3 or clonewheel drawbars to 80 0000 003. Turn off the vibrato/chorus and harmonic percussion— that pinging sound isn’t what we want for the bubble. Keep your rotary speed slow. The result is a mellow vibe with a hollow body and a well-defined bottom end.
Rhythm The classic 16-count exercise “One-e-and-a, two-e-and-a, three-e-and-a, four -e-and-a” is crucial, so keep it in your head. The reggae rhythm uses tight staccato chords, often referred to as skanks (results may vary if you seek definitions in Google). Your right hand plays the skanks on the “and” upbeats. Guitar and keyboard skanks often share the same beat, but the organ can complement the chord with inversions and a clean, octave-long stretch.
Technique Your left hand adds quick chord hits about an octave below your right. Play the “e” and the “a” from the exercise with your left hand. Add your right hand back in, and the result is a bouncing “left-rightleft; left-right-left” occupying all 16th-notes in each beat except the first—so the complete bubble phrase is “e-and-a”. Leave plenty of space in this motion—since each chord is staccato, the chords should be naturally disconnected. Bubbles rely on tone to push the feel. Find inversions for the chords to make sure your left hand stays between the second and third octave.
Variations Played straight, the resulting rhythm has a machine-like drive. Swing the bubble, and it breathes life into the song. Once you master these two feels, try some variations. One groove-move involves a second drawbar manual set at 00 8005 000. With your right hand, lay down a legato chord on the first sixteenth-note of the downbeat of each measure, then quickly return to the bubble. My favorite variation is to keep the right hand on a piano or C lav and the bubble in the left hand. David Fowler plays in Echo Movement, a band at the forefront of the new American reggae/surf-rock scene. They’ve shared stages with the Legendary Wailers and Steel Pulse, and were on the Vans Warped Tour in 2009.
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Get these links and more at keyboardmag.com/june2010 David Fowler teaches you the reggae bubble organ technique.
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KEYNOTES
Chris Anderson Steve Sutkin
WEEKEND WARRIORS Steve Sutkin and Chris Anderson of the MAGs New Jersey’s MAGs started as a “midlife crisis” of the band members—the acronym stands for Middle Aged Guys. They cover a diverse range of material in the classic rock, soul, and Motown vein: Billy Joel, Bruce Springsteen, the Beatles, Steely Da n, Led Zeppelin, and Sam & Dave. Ed Coury DAY GIGS Steve: Director of a state agency that deals with public bidding. Chris: Sales manager for a large mortgage company. HOW WE GOT STARTED Steve: My then four-year-old daughter began piano lessons 15 years ago. I fell in love with the piano and decided to play myself. Chris: I took piano lessons in high school and hated them. I managed to learn a handful of Billy Joel songs, despite a 20-year hiatus from keys. INFLUENCES Steve: Chuck Leavell and Thelonious Monk.
Chris: Billy Joel, John Jarvis, Johnnie Johnson, Elton John, and Roy Bittan. I love the way Elton and Ro y fill the space between verses. GEAR Steve: Yamaha S80 through a Roland KC-500 amp. Chris: Yamaha YPG-225 through a Peavey KB-100 amp. After reading Keyboard ’s review of the Casio PX-330, that may be next. WHY WE PLAY Steve: It makes me feel good. Chris: Out of all the things I’ve done, nothing is better than having fans rock out to my band! MORE AT magsroc k.com
MAJORminor Joshua Condon Joshua Condon has been a working musician since his early teens. “At 15, I began studying at the Eastman Community Music School—a 200-mile round trip commute—and als o began as a church accompanist and music coordinator,” he says. “Recently, I headlined my own Christmas show, and also won the David Hochstein Recital Competition in piano. In the fall, I’ll be performing classical music on Rochester radio station WXXI FM 91.5.” First memory of jazz piano: Vince Guaraldi’s A Charlie Brown Christmas. His music introduced me to jazz, and his vocabulary was pivotal in my own musical development. Age lessons began: At six, I began classical piano, and at ten, began seriously studying jazz as well. Favorite pianists: Art Tatum, Oscar Peterson, Herbie Hancock, Wynton Kelly, Red Garland, and Bill Evans. Why piano? It has the most versatile range of sound possibilities: a thunderous orchestra one minute and a weeping violin the next. The profound scope of textures one can learn to command is greater than on any other instrument I know of. Worst gig nightmare? If I were to mess up a piece of music I had practiced for a very long time. That’d make me feel like I’d wasted days or weeks of my life in preparation. How important is traditional training? While there are successful musicians who have made it without such training, the most skilled musicians are the ones who have studied this system that’s been in place for hundreds of years. Read or play by ear? Both. Reading music is crucial to your ability to teach others, whether in a band or classroom, or just to learn new music for yourself. However, being able to play by ear lets you grow in how you speak through your instrument—as a part of you. Jon Regen
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KEYNOTES THE EDITORS’ PLAYLIST
Jon Regen
Robbie Gennet
WILLIAM FIE LDER Love Progression
Reissued just months before his death in 2009, this burning 1985 album is proof that renowned educator Fielder was as fierce a force on the concert stage as he was in the classroom. Backed by blazing post-bop pianist Mulgrew Miller, Fielder’s polytonal title track is a lesson in modern jazz harmony. Other standout cuts include Miller’s “Brooklyn At Dawn” and Fielder’s own “Validity.” A celebration of a tireless musical champion. (Prescription, ejazzlines.com) STEFANO BOLLANI TRIO Stone in the Water
A legend in his native Italy, Bollani now shows this side of the Atlantic what the accolades have been all about. A fluent mix of sonorities ranges from the tranquil quality of Caetano Veloso’s “Dom de Iludir” to Bollani’s metrically shifting “Il Cervello del Pavone.” With its gracious touch, Bollani’s pianistic command is impressive not only for its virtuosity, but for its musicality. One of today’s most original voices in jazz. (ECM, stefanobollani.com ) ISAAC RUSSELL Isaac Russell
Ever wish you had the guts to say what was really on your mind? Isaac Russell has been speaking his inner truth since his early teens. Signed to Columbia while still in high school, the gifted 18year-old songsmith hits the ground running. On “Lighthouse,” “Made Me a Man,” and “Golden,” he walks the line between sensitive troubadour and renegade. Featuring vintage keyboard work from Zac Rae, this EP portends great things to come. (Columbia, isaacrussel.com)
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MARCO BENEVENTO Between the Needles and Nightfall
You never know what to expect from pianist and effects experimenter Marco Benevento, but you always know you’re in for a ride. Benevento has spent the last few years thinking outside the definition of not just what a piano sounds like, but of its place in a band. He’s not really playing jazz per se; the grooves feel more indie rock than anything. Indescribable and highly evocative stuff. (Royal Potato Family, marcobenevento.com) MAURI SANCHIS Groovewords
Funkmaster Sanchis is the first Hammond and Moog endorsee out of Spain, and he does both companies justice. Sanchis enlists a host of deep-grooving friends to lay down some of the tastiest music this side of Segovia, including famed trumpeter Randy Brecker and a host of talented singers. But it’s Sanchis’ whirring Hammond and melodic Moog lines that stand out amidst the tasteful funk/soul/jazz tunes. (BHM, (maurisanchis.com) BETH THORNLEY Wash U Clean
Singer/songwriter Beth Thornley comes into her own on Wash U Clean, her third and possibly best album yet. With a seasoned voice and tasteful piano chops, Thornley’s music evokes a variety of flavors song to song without losing her identity and style. From the retro sax-honk title song to the Beatles-esque “There’s No Way,” Thornley eludes easy classification. Wash U Clean had me reaching for the repeat button. (beththornley.com)
Stephen Fortner HYPERBUBBLE Candy Apple Daydreams
Early Eurythmics meets Josie and the Pussycats! Drum machines and resonant analog squirts form the basis of this duo’s unapologetic anthems to the golden age of electropop. “Girl Boy Pop Toy” even admonishes “synthesizer haters” to come to a gig and be converted. The vibe is all about having too much fun to care if you look like a dork, and if you’re too cool for that, the joke’s on you. (Bubblegum, hyperbubble.net) EVERYBODY WAS IN THE FRENCH RESISTANCE NOW! Fixin’ the Charts, Volume One
Equal measures Austin Powers go-go, Ben Folds angst-pop, and Dresden Dolls cabaret, Eddie Argos and Dyan Valdes’ collab just may be the most musically and socially astute expression of being justified in one’s smartassery that I’ve heard in recent memory. Not to mention that I’ve personally been on the male friend end of the guy-girl conversation in “He’s a Rebel” way too many times. (Cooking Vinyl, myspace.com/fixingthecharts) LANCE HAYES Forza Motorsport 3 Original Soundtrack
Picture the best moments of Jan Hammer’s Miami Vice TV score updated to today’s sonic sensibilities, and you get an idea of why this is one of the few video game soundtracks that stands on its own outside the game. No surprise that it’s great for driving, but it’s smooth enough to put on when your date says that, yes, she’ll come up to your place for one last drink. (Microsoft, DJDM.com)
What’s on your playlist? What should be on ours? Let us know by email or Twitter, or at forums.musicplayer.com.
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NEW GEAR THE BEST OF FRANKFURT by Stephen Fortner MUSIKMESSE 2010 KORG’S POWER TRIO Korg (korg.com) released not one but three new keyboard-based synths at Musikmesse, and all of them were extremely hard to put down.
MicroStation This total workstation in a mini-keys format packs Enhanced DefinitionSynthesis derived from the M3 and 480 fully editable factory sounds. A full-featured 16-track sequencer with loop and grid modes is onboard, and up to five insert effects, plus two master effects and one overall effect, can be in play at once. It’s the most product ion power we’ve ever seen packed into a keyboard anywhere near this compact. | $850 list
PS60 Aimed at simplifying live performance, the PS60 is also based on M3 sounds, and is always in a multitimbral mode of up to six parts: Piano, Electric Piano, Organ, Strings, Brass, and Synth. You turn these parts on and off, choose sounds, and quickly create splits and layers in the central Easy Setup panel. | $TBA
Monotron This monophonic, real analog palmtop synth is just fun on a stick, and t he ribbon keyboard is surprisingly easy to play acc urately. You can get far more tonal variation than the five knobs might suggest—from sine-y rap leads to resonant acid bass lines. Last but not least, the price makes it literally an impulse buy. | $85 list
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06.2010
RADIKAL TECHNOLOGIES ACCELERATOR
FEELTUNE RHIZOME
Concept: Eight-voice virtual analog synth. Big deal: Has an iPhone-like accelerometer that sends
Concept: Computer meets groovebox. Big deal: Runs Windows Embedded OS and its own sequencer that hosts
assignable MIDI controllers when you tilt the keyboard end-to-end or front-to-back. We think: Okay, the accelerometer is fun, but the rea l killer app is the sound: creamy, lush, and very authentically analog. Radikal is officially back on the map.
VST instruments and effects. We think: Our initial skepticism disappeared at first play. The host software is so intuitive and responsive, and the hardware controls are so well-implemented, that you really do forget it’s a computer.
$3,000 (est.) | feeltune.com
$1,998 | radikaltechnologies.com
STUDIOLOGIC NUMA ORGAN Concept: All-modeling clonewheel organ. Big deal: Joey DeFrancesco’s signature is on it, as he was involved with its conception. Uses the same technology as the Italian KeyB, Joey D’s touring organ. We think: The drawbar and rotary simulation are stunning. Depending on the price, this baby could eat a lot of clonewheel market share very quickly.
$TBA | studiologic.com
HELMTRONIC CHALLENGER Concept: Monster analog monosynth. Big deal: Four oscillators. Two filters. Four envelopes. Two-voice mode makes it a pair of pannable synths with two oscillators each. We think: This unabashed act of Voyager one-upmanship sounds huge. It’s a prototype, though, so there’s no word yet on commercial availability.
$TBA | Website TBA
EIGENHARP TAU and PICO Concept: More affordable, compact versions of flagship Alpha controller. Big deal: Each button senses velocity, pressure, and X/Y motion like a joystick. All these send different MIDI controllers, as can breath, but you don’t have to blow into it to make sound. We think: There’s a learning curve, but these are the most expressive alternative controllers on the market.
Tau: Approx. $2,800 | Pico: $590 | eigenlabs.com
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LESSONS Daniel Mintseris ON CREATIVE WURLY COMPING The Wurlitzer Electronic Piano is loved the world over for its vintage sound. Songs like Ray Charles’ “What’d I Say,” Marvin Gaye’s “I Heard It Through the Grapevine,” and Beck’s “Where It’s At” are just three of the countless Wurly classics. My rig of choice these days is a Wurlitzer 200A with a MIDI controller on top and my MacBook Pro on the side, loaded with Ableton Live and other goodies. I feed my Wurly into the laptop through a MOTU UltraLite interface for realtime processing, sampling, and looping. The Wurlitzer’s sharp attack and full, barking low end are great for rhythmic, percussive playing that borrows ideas from strummed acoustic guitar, bass, and even drums. In Ex. 1, I put a spin on a classic funky figure that recalls the Hohner Clavinet as well as slapped electric bass. Notice the beefed-up bottom end and the auto-wah. Extreme articulation really makes this figure work, so “spank” the accented beats and barely touch the ghosted sixteenth-notes for that “muted string” effect. Ex. 2 is another rhythmic pattern, with “strummy” right-hand octaves and crunchy left-hand power chords. I process the s ound with
Albeton’s Saturator overdrive and highpass EQ, and use compression to bring out the grit and crackle. Work on keeping your right hand steady and relaxed here. In Ex. 3, I’m playing a gentle 6/8 pattern, atmospherically enhanced by the Grain Delay effect in Live, bandpass EQ, and a touch of slow Leslie speaker simulation courtesy of Native Instruments B4. Try it yourself with different keys and chord progressions, keeping consistent octaves and fifths in the right hand, and basic two-note voicings in the left. Ex. 4 turns up the groove with a steady eighth-note “hi-hat” and “snare” in the right hand, and a syncopated bounce in the left. Remember that the Wurly is all about articulation and feel. Keep the backbeat strong, the upbeats laid back, and dig into the bass notes. The dreamy, percolating sound of Ex. 5 shimmers from timed reverse and filter delays. Turn the tremolo up, roll the right-hand octaves and fifths lightly for waves of texture, and use wide left-hand intervals to create full, pulsating pads. The trick with a sound like this is to find open voicings that carry over well into the next chord.
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