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| |  Posted 1/25/2007 8:21 PM | |
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Supreme Being
Group: Administrators
Last Login: 2/5/2008 8:24 AM
Posts: 321, Visits: 505 |
| | What happened with the European trio (John T. and Palle D.)? Is it true that Manfred Eicher cut that band because he said that you "grooved too much" –or something to that effect? Will you be doing more work with the trio in the future? I loved the sound of that trio –especially recorded by ECM. What kind of studio set-up did you have when you recorded on ECM? What do you think "it" is that defines that ECM sound? Is it the room?-the reverb? I’m dying to know more about how to try and get closer to that kind of ambient "thing" they always get. How were the mics placed? What kinds of mics were being used on the piano and bass and drums |
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| | | Posted 1/25/2007 8:33 PM | |
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Junior Member
Group: Forum Members
Last Login: 1/25/2007 10:19 PM
Posts: 13, Visits: 15 |
| "What happened with the European trio (John T. and Palle D.)? Is it true that Manfred Eicher cut that band because he said that you "grooved too much" –or something to that effect? Will you be doing more work with the trio in the future? I loved the sound of that trio –especially recorded by ECM. What kind of studio set-up did you have when you recorded on ECM? What do you think "it" is that defines that ECM sound? Is it the room?-the reverb? I’m dying to know more about how to try and get closer to that kind of ambient "thing" they always get. How were the mics placed? What kinds of mics were being used on the piano and bass and drums?"
Thanks for your questionsssss.
The "European Trio" was a moniker for the piano trio I shared with UK pianist John Taylor and Swedish bassist Palle Danielsson; geniuses both! We made 4 albums for ECM. All of them were recorded at the legendary RAINBOW STUDIOS in Oslo, Norway. I would generally use the "house" drumset there, an old Sonor Rosewood kit that Jack DeJohnette left at the studio ... wonderful drums. Every year I would put on a fresh set of Evans heads, so owner/engineer Jan Erik Kongshaug was always happy to see me, I think!
The room was a large one with a high ceiling ... all 3 of us were in the same room with the piano lid wide~open. This challnged and changed what might have been my usual playing choices.
The mics? I think they were failry expensive condenser mics ... but we also used some Shure mics on the drums (esp the Beta 91 flat boundary mic on the floor near the drums for some ambient/open-ness of sound.)
Manfred would sometimes express concern that I was off doing so many different things in my musical life ... I would usually counter that one musical experience informed the next, and so I felt a need to pursue my craft as a musician, a working musician. Playing with Steely Dan kind of blew their minds, I guess ... but the trio was not dropped, rather: we all went our separate ways, the way life sometimes works ... I still keep in touch with John and Palle, and will be working with Palle this summer (June) touring in Italy with the wonderful pianist Rita Marcotulli.
MEANWHILE, I am very proud and grateful for my association with "my" "American Trio," i.e., Alan Pasqua and Dave Carpenter. We just completed recording our 3rd album for the Fuzzy Music label ... ~ an album of standards ~ it should be released in a few months' time. This trio plays with a lot of space like the European trio did, but is also a bit more ~ I don't know ~ a bit more simple in its approach to some of the music. This new album swings pretty hard, too... |
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