Mastering, Show This Weekend
Update #13
- For backers only
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Jun 16, 2013
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Mixing Wilder and Jalopy This Friday
Dear friends,
I am deep in the heart of mixing with our brilliant man behind-the-scenes Danny Blume in Woodstock, NY. We recorded 17 pieces last year and we are whittling those down for this record. Many of them as filtered through the Ghost Train Orchestra are very strange! But I think you will enjoy inhabiting these worlds. We are trying to place each of these pieces in their own particular world. They all have a surreal vibe to them, especially with the mad, mad choir in there.
The last one remaining is a beautiful piece by Alec Wilder called "The Children Met The Train". This one reminded me very much of the early Disney animated film scores for "Bambi" and "Peter Pan". Frank Churchill was the composer behind many of these Disney films from the 1940s, which included lavish choir arrangements. I wonder if Churchill was an admirer of Wilder's early Octets. Wilder never had children but he was very inspired by them. Maurice Sendak, who collaborated with Wilder, is another artist who never had children of his own, but was so inspired by them to create beautiful and memorable artwork.
For those in or near NYC, I want to tell you about this show on Friday night. We are performing a rare show with the fantastic Baby Soda band opening at the beautiful Jalopy Theater in Brooklyn. This place is a bit off the beaten path (315 Columbia Street in Red Hook), but it is a magical room. Just find your way there and thank me later. There is absolutely no room like it in NYC. Oh, and they now serve great food next door.
This Friday we'll be debuting a few new pieces, including an arrangement of a recently discovered lost recording from Charlie Johnson's Paradise Ten, originally recorded in May of 1929. In 2011, a 10" acetate disc was found in someone's basement with some curious etchings on it, including the victor code BVE-53600. This was either the master or a test pressing. According to Victor ledgers, there are two takes of this piece called "Mo'Lasses". The first take is the one found recently, which was marked "Master/destroy". There are many unanswered questions. We don't know why it was marked destroy, unless the band felt the 1st take wasn't a good performance. (Fortunately for us, it was never actually destroyed, because the performance is incredible.) There is a 2nd take floating around out there somewhere which is marked "Hold/destroy". Neither take was ever issued publicly.
Charlie Johnson led one of the great bands of the late 1920s at Small's Paradise Club located in Harlem on 135th. At that time Small's was a rival of the famous Cotton Club and it is said to have had waitresses who brought trays of bootleg liquor to your table while dancing the Charleston. It's an incredible piece of music and has probably never been performed since 1929 at Small's Paradise. We're excited to bring this piece (and many others) to life again for you all Friday night.
Yours,
Brian Carpenter & the Ghost Train Orchestra
The Book of Rhapsodies Choir
Update #11
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Feb 1, 2013
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Thank you! (Now the fun begins...)
Well, we did it. Thank you again! I couldn't have done this without you all. Thank you for all the enthusiasm and support. (And it was great to meet some of you in person last weekend at Jalopy!)
Now the real fun begins! This train is leaving the station, and we've already plunged into the details of the choir arrangements and recording. We'll be recording instruments and voices again in December and January, and I'll be posting stories and updates here for backers only, including some behind-the-scenes videos, so stay tuned! I'll also be sending out information on shows and exciting goings-on to our mailing list. Please, stay in touch one way or another! (Here are our Facebook & Twitter links.)
It may be a while before I can send you the recording of Book of Rhapsodies, so be patient with me on that front. But the rest of your well-deserved gifts should come sooner, so watch for survey emails coming your way. I can't wait to share these rewards with you all.
Gratefully yours,
Brian Carpenter and the Ghost Train Orchestra
The Final Days! (And Kirby's Concept)
Hi friends
We are in the final days of our campaign. With the initial $5000, we're able to cover the remaining overdubs and initial mixing of Book of Rhapsodies. This allows us to use the recording studio we want and secure some much-needed extra time in the studio to record the choir!
The initial $5000 was just a fraction of our total costs. We're now beginning to chip away at the money we need for the post-production costs (mixing, mastering, and manufacturing.) Part of that cost includes the royalty fees associated with the original compositions, which for just 12 compositions would run upwards of $1000 for an initial manufacturing run! These royalty fees go to the publishing companies associated with Alec Wilder, Reginald Foresythe, Charlie Shavers, and Raymond Scott. We're hoping to get up to at least $6000 to cover the royalty fees. If we shoot past that, then we can start chipping away at the remaining mixing and post-production work.
On Kirby's Concept
I wanted to write a bit about the John Kirby band as he led one of the bands we're exploring here. John Kirby was a bass player who, after a run with the heralded Fletcher Henderson orchestra, started his own sextet in NYC at the Onyx Club on the famed 52nd Street in the late 1930s. They played a unique kind of swing. They played a light, refined swing but it was very in-the-pocket and danceable. At a time when all the other jazz bands on 52nd street were playing loudly, Kirby's band dared to swing softly and more intimately (and more intensely.) And their repertoire included some quirky, strange, and often beautiful arrangements of classical works by composers like Dvorak, Beethoven, and Grieg for jazz sextet. In other words, this was not your typical jazz band. The Kirby band was a concept band. The word on the street was you couldn't hear them on the street. If you wanted to hear it, you had to go inside...thus undoubtedly part of the reason for their long stint at the Onyx!
The real star of Kirby's band was trumpeter Charlie Shavers who displayed incredible virtuosity and control on his instrument and beyond that, was a brilliant composer and arranger. Shavers and Kirby posing in front of the "O" for Onyx Club on 52nd Street:
Shavers would become the chief architect of Kirby's style and repertory, composing beautifully expansive works such as "Dawn on the Desert" and this unique jazz arrangement of Beethoven's 7th Symphony, Movement 2. which I rearranged for orchestra, adding strings, low brass, and guitar. I love the band's performance on this one...
And then there was Louis C. Singer, the other main arranger Kirby hired for his band. Taking a cue from Shavers, Singer wrote some lovely arrangements of classical music for jazz sextet, including "Charlie's Prelude", which is Chopin's "Prelude in E Minor". I chose to rearrange this one as well for orchestra. I took the top (which is Chopin's melody) and gave Curtis the refrain. Petr, Andy, and Dennis shout out Singer's gorgeous middle section. Shavers and Singer allowed for a huge potential in dynamics in these pieces for the Kirby sextet. Arranging them for a large band like the Ghost Train Orchestra, I found we could really tap into those dynamics and emphasize them even further.
Many thanks to John Tomma and Meghan Frederico for shooting and editing these fantastic live videos.
And thank YOU again! (You're going to really love these rewards. I can't wait to share them with you all...)
Our Kickstarter campaign ends Thursday at 9PM EST. Then we celebrate!
Yours,
Brian Carpenter and the Ghost Train Orchestra
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Funding period
Oct 23, 2012 -
Nov 29, 2012
- First created · 24 backed
- Brian Carpenter 631 friends
- Website: briancarpenter.net
Pledge $10 or more
76 backers
A digital download of Book of Rhapsodies in a format of your choosing (FLAC, MP3 320, i.e.) [All donations tax-deductible.]
Estimated delivery: Sep 2013Pledge $25 or more
63 backers
A BACKER-EXCLUSIVE bonus track download + A hard copy of the Book of Rhapsodies CD + Book of Rhapsodies download [Includes shipping, all donations tax-deductible.]
Estimated delivery: Sep 2013Pledge $40 or more
2 backers
RADIO PACKAGE #1: A download of Brian Carpenter's 3-hour WZBC-FM radio program on the music of Raymond Scott "Imagination and Invention" with special guest interviews co-hosted by Irwin Chusid of the Raymond Scott Archives + A backer-exclusive bonus track download + A hard copy of the Book of Rhapsodies CD + Book of Rhapsodies download [Includes shipping, all donations tax-deductible.]
Estimated delivery: Sep 2013Pledge $50 or more
4 backers
RADIO PACKAGE #2: A download of Brian Carpenter's acclaimed 4-hour WZBC-FM radio program on sound design in horror and science-fiction films "The Sound of Horror" (originally aired Halloween 2010) with special guest sound designers + A backer-exclusive bonus track download + A hard copy of the Book of Rhapsodies CD + Book of Rhapsodies download [Includes shipping.]
Estimated delivery: Sep 2013Pledge $60 or more
7 backers
RADIO PACKAGE COMBO: Both of the great programs above from Brian Carpenter's Free Association radio documentaries: (1) the acclaimed 4-hour program on sound design in horror and science-fiction films "The Sound of Horror" (originally aired Halloween 2010) with special guest sound designers and (2) A 3-hour program on the music of Raymond Scott "Imagination and Invention" with special guest interviews co-hosted by Irwin Chusid of the Raymond Scott Archives + A backer-exclusive bonus track download + A hard copy of the Book of Rhapsodies CD + Book of Rhapsodies download [Includes shipping, all donations tax-deductible.]
Estimated delivery: Sep 2013Pledge $75 or more
8 backers Limited (4 of 12 left)
SILKSCREEN POSTER PACKAGE: The highlight of this package is a gorgeous limited-edition 11x17 screen-printed poster designed and printed by our talented graphic designers Jeff Matz and Paul Mastriano of Lure Design, signed and numbered, your choice of one of two designs + A hard copy of "Hothouse Stomp" (includes liner notes by Brian Carpenter and illustrations by Molly Crabapple) + A backer-exclusive bonus track download + A hard copy of the Book of Rhapsodies CD + Book of Rhapsodies download [Includes shipping within the US, all donations tax-deductible.]
Estimated delivery: Sep 2013Add $15 to ship outside the USPledge $75 or more
4 backers
GTO T-SHIRT PACKAGE: A handsome Ghost Train Orchestra tshirt designed by the talented folks at Lure Design (one of two designs available, girls and guys styles available in all sizes) + A hard copy of "Hothouse Stomp" (includes liner notes by Brian Carpenter and illustrations by Molly Crabapple) + A backer-exclusive bonus track download + A hard copy of the Book of Rhapsodies CD + Book of Rhapsodies download [Includes shipping, all donations tax-deductible.]
Estimated delivery: Sep 2013Pledge $100 or more
2 backers Limited (13 of 15 left)
GTO T-SHIRT + SILKSCREEN POSTER PACKAGE: A handsome Ghost Train Orchestra tshirt designed by the talented folks at Lure Design (one of two designs available, girls and guys styles available in all sizes) + A gorgeous limited-edition 11x17 screen-printed GTO poster, designed and printed by our talented graphic designers Jeff Matz and Paul Mastriano of Lure Design, signed and numbered + A hard copy of "Hothouse Stomp" (includes liner notes by Brian Carpenter and illustrations by Molly Crabapple) + A backer-exclusive bonus track download + A hard copy of the Book of Rhapsodies CD + Book of Rhapsodies download [Includes shipping within the US.]
Estimated delivery: Sep 2013Add $15 to ship outside the USPledge $125 or more
0 backers Limited (3 of 3 left)
VERY LIMITED REWARD, JUST ADDED! Amazing 100th anniversary Raymond Scott Doll + CD Set, featuring fabric cloth jacket, mini clavivox (carefully designed to look as close to the original model as possible), and CD with 5 songs, including two that have never been heard before, designed by renowned musician & artist Archer Prewitt and assembled by our guest and collaborator Jeff Winner of the Raymond Scott Archives + A Kickstarter-exclusive bonus track download + A hard copy of the Book of Rhapsodies CD + A hard copy of "Hothouse Stomp" (includes liner notes by Brian Carpenter and illustrations by Molly Crabapple) + Book of Rhapsodies download [Includes shipping, all donations tax-deductible.]
Estimated delivery: Sep 2013Ships within the US onlyPledge $150 or more
1 backer
SIGNED CD BOX SET PACKAGE: A set of 7 signed (or unsigned, your choice) CDs from members of the Ghost Train Orchestra. Choose from the following: Brian Carpenter's various bands/projects (Beat Circus, Ghost Train Orchestra, Brian Carpenter & The Confessions), Andy Laster's "Soft Shell", Dennis Lichtman's Brain Cloud, Rob Garcia's "The Drop and the Ocean", Michael Bates's"Acrobat", Curtis Hasselbring's New Mellow Edwards + 2 free tickets to ANY show of your choice + A backer-exclusive bonus track download + A hard copy of the Book of Rhapsodies CD + Book of Rhapsodies download [Includes shipping within the US.]
Estimated delivery: Sep 2013Add $10 to ship outside the USPledge $200 or more
2 backers All gone!
VERY LIMITED REWARD! A rare, out-of-print, U.S. 1965 FIRST EDITION hard cover book (in very good condition) of Lullabies and Night Music with spectacular illustrations by Maurice Sendak and wonderful music arrangements of traditional children's songs by Alec Wilder + A limited-edition screen-printed poster designed and printed by Jeff Matz and Paul Mastriano of Lure Design, signed and numbered + A Kickstarter-exclusive bonus track download + A hard copy of the Book of Rhapsodies CD + Book of Rhapsodies download [Includes shipping, all donations tax-deductible.]
Estimated delivery: Sep 2013Pledge $200 or more
1 backer All gone!
VERY LIMITED REWARD, JUST ADDED! Ultra-rare, out-of-print vinyl in very good condition of By Rocket To The Moon, INCREDIBLE music by Raymond Scott for the RSQ and the Gene Lowell Singers, a Young People's anthology children's record about the first rocket mission to the moon + A limited-edition screen-printed poster designed and printed by Jeff Matz and Paul Mastriano of Lure Design, signed and numbered + A Kickstarter-exclusive bonus track download + A hard copy of the Book of Rhapsodies CD + Book of Rhapsodies download [Includes shipping, all donations tax-deductible.]
Estimated delivery: Sep 2013Pledge $200 or more
0 backers
CD BOX SET + SILKSCREEN POSTER PACKAGE: A set of 7 signed (or unsigned, your choice) CDs from any of the following: Brian Carpenter's various bands/projects (Beat Circus, Ghost Train Orchestra, Brian Carpenter & The Confessions), Andy Laster's CD "Soft Shell", Dennis Lichtman's eponymous Brain Cloud CD, Rob Garcia's CD "The Drop and the Ocean", Michael Bates's CD "Acrobat", Curtis Hasselbring's New Mellow Edwards CD + a gorgeous limited-edition 11x17 screen-printed poster, exclusive to this campaign, designed and printed by our talented graphic designers Jeff Matz and Paul Mastriano of Lure Design, signed and numbered + A backer-exclusive bonus track download + A hard copy of the Book of Rhapsodies CD + Book of Rhapsodies download [Includes shipping.]
Estimated delivery: Sep 2013Add $25 to ship outside the USPledge $250 or more
0 backers
SIGNED LITHOGRAPH ARTWORK PACKAGE: The highlight of this package is a large-scale lithograph of the amazing original artwork signed by award-winning artist Noah Woods for Book of Rhapsodies inspired by the evocative song titles PLUS the SIGNED CD BOX SET PACKAGE + 2 free tickets to ANY show of your choice + A Kickstarter-exclusive bonus track download + A hard copy of the Book of Rhapsodies CD + Book of Rhapsodies download [Includes shipping.]
Estimated delivery: Sep 2013Pledge $500 or more
1 backer
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER PACKAGE: A large-scale lithograph of the amazing original artwork by Noah Woods for Book of Rhapsodies inspired by the evocative song titles PLUS the SIGNED CD BOX SET PACKAGE + SILKSCREEN POSTER PACKAGE + an executive producer credit on the Book of Rhapsodies album + FREE ADMISSION (plus guest!) to any and all show(s) of your choice through December 2013 + A Kickstarter-exclusive bonus track download + A hard copy of the Book of Rhapsodies CD + Book of Rhapsodies download [Includes shipping.]
Estimated delivery: Sep 2013Pledge $2,500 or more
0 backers Limited (1 of 1 left)
GHOST TRAIN ORCHESTRA HOTHOUSE PARTY!!! The 9-piece band will play a 90-minute set of late 1920s stomps at your house or event, anywhere in the greater New York City area, no amplification required. Just make sure you clear it with your neighbors! Schedule with us sometime in the next 12 months...PLUS an executive producer credit on the Book of Rhapsodies album + 4 free tickets to any GTO show of your choice + A backer-exclusive bonus track download + A hard copy of the Book of Rhapsodies CD + Book of Rhapsodies download
Estimated delivery: Sep 2013
