Hooked from the first minute. Scanning a bio full of talk about echoplexes and chickens and pianos while the record started might have had something to do with that, but so what? That kinda talk is right up my alley, there, the truth is out.
Cruisin’ this year’s Bonnaroo lineup is leaving me wondering (once again) just how I’m going to work all this out, ’cause this here Jonathan Wilson’s another stunning musician that I have got to see!
His latest release, “Fanfare” is a tour-de-force of musicality. I don’t know how anyone could not dig it. Loads of sould and style and all kinds of sonic goodies is full on analogue beauty accent the masterful song-writing that Wilson displays in every tune.
This guy seems to be touched by musical greatness in just about every way, from an uncanny knack for capturing sonic scapes evoking memories of the music that has moved generations to his ability with lyric and vocal, knock-out chops and a list of friends that reads like the who’s who of musicians you’d like to meet.
“Fanfare‘s seven-minute-long opener begins with the sound of baby chicks being fed through an Echoplex tape delay unit and builds into a tubular bell-laden, multilayered cinematic poem from the artist meant to channel the perfect love song through his piano. As a declaration of intent, it’s a powerful statement.
“From the initial idea of the record, I knew I wanted a concert Steinway piano to be the centerpiece… I was going for this sort of ‘widescreen’ sound, a blown out vista. I wanted strings, horns, bells, vibes, voices, solos, improvisation and a full orchestra on some of the tunes. I didn’t just want ‘a’ drum sound, I wanted it to sound like Thor’s snare sound, stuff like that. Having that 9-foot Steinway was central to achieving the sound that I wanted.”
Fanfare was made in Los Angeles over a 9-month period. …Produced by Wilson at his Fivestar Studios in Echo Park, Fanfare was recorded to 2″ analog tape and then mixed down to 1/2 inch tape at Jackson’s Browne’s Groove Masters studio in Santa Monica through a Neve 8078 analog console. …
“Fanfare is a vehicle to explore fully blown out analog production, from the strings to the hi-fi cymbal sounds. The recording used a live echo chamber extensively. ”
Featuring vocal and instrumental contributions from heavy friends like Graham Nash, David Crosby, Jackson Browne, Josh Tillman (aka Father John Misty), Wilco’s Patrick Sansone, Dawes’ Taylor Goldsmith and Mike Campbell and Benmont Tench from Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers, the album is a celebration of friends and family. Additionally, Wilson and British folk legend Roy Harper co-wrote several songs on the record.
Sometimes Wilson seems to need a pinch to believe his good fortune: “There are an awful lot of wizards on this album. Wizards of all ages and life experiences. …” – http://songsofjonathanwilson.com/about/
