Dream Gallery is the title of a modern classical album that I produced and orchestrated with composer Mark Abel. It is a song cycle for full orchestra and soloists and will be released soon by Delos, one of the most respected and well established classical labels. I am currently arranging the entire 70 minute work for solo piano, and these arrangements will be released as sheet music at the same time.
Christmas with Mandrill
The legendary and influential band Mandrill put on a Christmas concert tonight at the El Ray Theater in Los Angeles using my transcriptions and sheet music. They’re one of the most-sampled groups in history, they’re icons of the funk/soul world, and many of their shows are also benefits for music education. I have worked with them several times, and it’s always a pleasure.
Orchestrating a film starring Ernest Borgnine
I am the orchestrator for a feature film starring Ernest Borgnine titled The Man Who Shook the Hand of Vicente Fernandez. Ernest is a living ledgend in film and television. He’s 94 years old, full of energy, and still going strong. He’s truly inspiring. The film is directed by Elia Petridis, and I’m working with film composer Ruy Folguera.
Composer Francis Wapen, Bleu, and NDR Big Band
I recently completed the music preparation of a book of piano music by New York based composer Francis Wapen, some transcriptions and arrangements for the artist Bleu, and some preparatory music copyist work for a piece that will be played by the NDR Big Band in Germany.
ZMX signs Bleu
Power pop artist Bleu is the latest addition to our roster at ZMX Music. His strong melodies, alternate guitar tunings, and string quartet arrangements will all be available as sheet music soon, and as always they will be 100% artist approved.
Another Stewart Copeland opera score complete
I am the music copyist for another opera score by Stewart Copeland based on an Edgar Alan Poe story, this time The Cask of Amontillado. I also prepared the manuscripts for his opera of The Tell Tale Heart, which was performed by the Royal Opera of London earlier this year. The two will be bundled together for performances in the future.
Dream Gallery orchestral sessions complete
Today was the last day of our orchestral sessions for Mark Abel’s Dream Gallery, a classical album project that will be released early next year. I am co-producing the project with Mark for Delos Music. I also orchestrated the music, played the piano on the album, and did the score preparation. The album is a long-form song cycle for many different singers and full orchestra. Working with Mark has been a wonderful and highly collaborative partnership.
Our brilliant conductor Sharon Lavery is a professor at USC, and our engineer Tim Jaquette is the head of the Citrus College Recording Arts program.
ZMX signs Josh Kelley
We recently signed Josh Kelley to ZMX. The first drafts of his sheet music are now in his hands, and the sheet music will be ready in time for his tour with Taylor Swift. As always, all ZMX sheet music is 100% artist-approved.
Playing for Mark Abel
Today I had an epic 13 hour recording session playing piano for Mark Abel’s project entitled The Dream Gallery, an orchestral album project that I am co-producing with him for Delos Music. I managed to record and fully edit the piano for the entire 70 minute album, and as usual my 1906 Baldwin grand sounds wonderful.