The Sound Stew: Now & Then

Music from the Great Depression (s) 2010-1929

The best Great Depression songs and 1930's music as heard during the Great Depression period in America presented side by side with contemporary classical music by classical composer Patricio da Silva, now also available on youtube.

Now and Then is a crossover album with powerful contemporary classical music instrumentals by classical composer Patricio da Silva and some of the most iconic popular music from the Great Depression period including foxtrot music songs, foxtrot music instrumentals, contemporary classical piano music, classical guitar concerto for guitar and orchestra, and 1930's piano music. Now and Then is also known as the Keep Calm and Carry On guitar concerto album that features the premiere of Patricio da Silva's classical guitar concerto.

This album was recorded live in concert with British Invasion rock star and early American and British popular music specialist, Ian Whitcomb; featured piano soloist of the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra and Disney Hall, Bryan Pezzone, plays 1930's piano music; classical guitarist Michael Kudirka performs Guitar Concerto by Patricio da Silva; concert pianist Yevgeniy Milyavskiy plays contemporary piano music by Patricio da Silva; and the 15-piece What’s Next? Ensemble with artistic direction by John Stulz (viola) and Vimbayi Kaziboni (conductor).

Great Depression Music and Great Depression Songs download ready on Itunes and Amazon.

Great Depression Songs - Music from the Great Depression
2010-1929

Das Magazin von Steinway identified Patrício da Silva’s compositions as, “A true firework of youth and strength.” Musical Opinion stated, “Here is a genuine creative voice, his work being full of interest and beguiling invention.” Now and Then: Music from the Great Depression(s) 2010 / 1929 once again demonstrates da Silva’s extensive range of compositional mastery, where he juxtaposes his latest classical works with his effervescent arrangements of 1930’s depression era popular songs. “Kurt Weil was the first depression ... We are reflecting the second. Through this depression, we are actually creating great works of art, which is often the case ... When you have bad times, you have great music,” said Ian Whitcomb. Together, these two very different genres counterpointed by a single composer, bring an unparalleled richness to the hearts and spirits of music lovers everywhere.

Meet the Musicians in Now and Then:

Music from the Great Depression (s) 2010 / 1929

Ian Whitcomb: singer, ukulele, musette

Grammy award winning Ian Whitcomb has been entertaining the world for over 30 years. Hitting the American Top Ten charts in 1965 with his novelty record, "You Turn Me On" (an orgasmic panting song), he soon abandoned life as a British Invader (born in Surrey, England, in 1941) to devote himself to resurrecting the roots of pop music, especially Ragtime and the simple, heartfelt songs of turn-of-the-century Tin Pan Alley.

Ian Whitcomb

.....The result has been a steady flow of records, books, documentaries, radio shows, and concerts dedicated to this neglected music. He has performed everywhere, from the Hollywood Bowl and the Montreux Jazz Festival to shopping malls and private homes. Not only has he preserved such gems as "I Go So Far With Sophie On Sophie's Sofa" and "The War In Snider's Grocery Store", but he has also added to the library of sturdy songs with his own contributions such as "Wurzel Fudge--The Village Idiot" and even serious ballads. He has performed on such TV shows as Johnny Carson's "Tonight Show"; he represented Ireland at the European Variety TV show contest (Ian is a graduate of Trinity College, Dublin, and The Father of Irish Rock); and he was the original host of the longest running rock TV program in Britain, "The Old Grey Whistle Test".

.....As an author, he is best known for his classic book on the history of pop music from rag to rock, entitled "After The Ball", still in print after a quarter of a century. He has published ten other books, including a biography of Irving Berlin, a memoir of his life in Los Angeles, and a novel set in Southern California. His “Brother Can You Spare a Dime?” offers a unique look into the people’s music of the Great Depression. While “The Coming of the Crooners” examines the history of great crooners such as Gene Austin, Bing Crosby, and the like.

.....He lives near Pasadena, California, with his singing wife, Regina, and his mongrel dog, Inspector. Fittingly, this animal was inherited from the late Rudy Vallee, the world's first star crooner--for Ian Whitcomb is the last in the line of such gentle, friendly song delineators. He doesn't only sing comedy songs, you see, he can jerk tears with such numbers as "Who Wants A Bad Little Boy?"

Bryan Pezzone piano

Since beginning his career in Los Angeles in 1987, Bryan has worked with many of the premiere contemporary music composers and conductors; Pierre Boulez, Oliver Knussen, John Adams, Esa-Pekka Salonen, Kent Nagano and John Williams.

Yevgeniy Milyavskiy piano

Yevgeniy Milyavskiy has won numerous awards and competitions, including the Spotlight Awards at the Los Angeles Music Center, the Los Angeles International Franz Liszt Competition, and the Jose Iturbi International Piano Competition. Yevgeniy has been fellow to numerous music festivals, including the Chamber Symposium in Lausanne, Switzerland, the International Chopin Piano Symposium Los Angeles, the Aspen Summer Music Festival, and the Tanglewood Music Center Festival.

Read more...

Michael Kudirka guitar

With descriptions like "...the excellent guitarist in [Hans Werner] Henze’s unsettled score” from Mark Swed of the Los Angeles Time and “great variety and wealth of timbres, breathing, nuances, intensities, tempo changes, all sustained by an impeccable technique” from Enrique Velasco del Valle of the Diario de Xalapa (Mexico), Michael Kudirka is known as a guitarist with rare musical and interpretive gifts. Numerous competition first prizes include the American String Teachers Association, the University of Southern California Concerto Competition, and the Portland International Guitar Competition.

Read more...

Vimbayi Kaziboni conductor

Zimbabwe native Vimbayi Kaziboni has received considerable acclaim as a young conductor and performer. His principal leadership role is as founding artistic director and chief conductor of the Los Angeles-based What’s Next? Ensemble.

What's Next Ensemble

Called “exciting... even overwhelming,” and a “superb ensemble” by Opera West, What's Next? Ensemble is a post-classical music collective based in Los Angeles. Created in the spring of 2008 with the mission of bringing together talented emerging artists to perform exciting, cutting-edge music from Southern California and beyond, What’s Next? is building a reputation as a leader in the Southern California music scene.

Founded by violist John Stulz and conductor Vimbayi Kaziboni, What’s Next? Ensemble has grown steadily from its beginnings playing guerilla music events on the University of Southern California campus to presenting concerts at traditional and unusual venues across the LA area including Boston Court Performing Arts Center, the Royal-T Arts Space & Cafe, the Fake Gallery, the Annenberg Beach House and the South Pasadena Public Library. Recently, What’s Next? collaborated with the Long Beach Opera in the West Coast staged premiere of works by Stewart Copeland and Bang-on-a-Can founder Michael Gordon, where they played with “panache.” (Mark Swed, LA Times)

The musicians of What’s Next? are some of the most dedicated and talented new music performers in the country. They are alumni and participants of such luminary new music festivals and programs as Ensemble ACJW, Internationale Ensemble Modern Akademie, The Lucerne Festival Academy, the Aspen Contemporary Music Ensemble, the Bang on a Can Music Summer Festival.

With their signature event the Los Angeles Composers Project, they have presented and championed the works of over 50 Southern California composers from all stages of their careers. Now in its fifth year, the LACP is the most comprehensive and hippest retrospective of the exciting music being created in Los Angeles today. Through the LA Composers Project What’s Next? works to foster and support a vibrant music community right here in Los Angeles.

Musicians of What’s Next? Ensemble

Sakura Tsai, violin
Edgar Sandoval, violin
John Stulz, viola
Stella Cho, cello
Harish Kumar, bass
Tara Schwab, flute
Carmen Izzo, clarinet
Caster Teoh, trumpet
Michael Kudirka, guitar
Katherine Norring, piano
Brian Foreman, drums/percussion

Pages

Now & Then