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Artist description
Bio: Nelson Foltz
Trombonist Nelson Foltz was raised in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania where he attended Duquesne University and studied with legendary trombonist Matty Shiner. He came to New York to attend New York University and study with Jim Pugh who continues to be a great friend and inspiration. Nelson spent several years touring all over the world with Broadway shows including 'Oliver', 'Cinderella', 'Grease', 'Kiss of the Spider Woman' and 'Fame' . He returned to New York in 1998 and began subbing on Broadway shows in town including 'Sate Fair" with John Davidson, 'High Society' and 'Fosse' as well as playing for Barry White, Aretha Franklin, Roberta Fleck and Maria Schneider. After taking one more Broadway tour of Europe, with the show 'Fame', he decided to again return to New York and pursue recording some of his own material which he has been doing since 1997. Nelson completed his first commercial release, 'The Longing Hours', in winter 2002 and was signed to Syberdelix Records, NYC for a spring release. He also appears on two other Syberdelix releases; 'There's Only Sound' by the Drop Band (spring 2002), and 'Pieces of the Who' by UnHappy Jack (summer 2002). Nelson plans to continue to create new recordings with Syberdelix Records in the future and his sole objective is to experience the exploration of his own voice as a musician.
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Music Style
Jazz |
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Artist History
Nelson Foltz; 'The Longing Hours'
'The Longing Hours' is a collection of six original Jazz tracks by Trombonist Nelson Foltz along with several covers of some of his favorite songs including 'Life In The Modern World' by Ivan Lins, sung by vocalist Carolyn Leonhart (Steely Dan, Wax Poetic). Produced by Foltz and Tom Lynn (Squelch Records, The Drop Band), the record is a late night-chill-out, torch song/ unrequited love record that is chopped full of alpha waves and is released on Syberdelix Records (www.syberdeix.com). It is the aural picture of the emotional state of mind that is created by the void that exists in the absense of someone who brings peace and comfort to one's life.
Besides vocals by Carolyn Leonhart, the musical talent on 'The Longing Hours' includes; Mary Anne Marino (Nobodaddy, November Project) offering vocals, Gerry Leonard (Sazanne Vega, David Bowie, Cindi Lauper) playing guitar and organ, Ken Ascher (Grammy Award winning songwriter, John Lennon, Meatloaf) on piano and Fender Rhodes, Mat Deveau (Red Betty, The Pasties, Preston Clarke) on drums, and co-producer Tom Lynn (The Drop Band) with Michele Gohler (The Drop Band, Barry White, conductor of Modinha) rounding out the winds which include Nelson on Trombone.
'The Longng Hours' was recorded at several New York studios including Uptime Studios, NYC., Sean Swinney Studios, NYC., Teach Studios, Brooklyn, Looking Glass Studios NYC., PMI Recording, Northvale, NJ., Julliard Studios, and The Edison NYC with the first tracks begun in 1998. The record was started to provide Foltz with a project in which to explore his own musical voice after spending many years touring the world with Broadway shows and performing in New York City with the likes of Barry White, Aretha Franklin, Roberta Fleck and Maria Schneider.
According to Nelson, the production idea behind 'The Longing Hours' was to 'get the right people for the tracks and have it be as collaborative as possible... just bring in the people that had unique voices and let them do their thing. A large portion of the album was arranged on the fly with as much experimentation as time and money would allow... a kind of 'what would this sound be like idea'. The approach to the covers was to do versions of my favorite songs... and try to put a new twist on them yet remain true to the tune.'
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Group Members
Kenny Ascher- Piano and Fender Rhodes
Stephen Benson- Guitars
Mike Davis- Acoustic Bass
Mat Deveau- Udu and Clay Drums
Daniel Dorrance- Alto Flute
George Flynn- Bass Trombone
Nelson Foltz- Trombone
Michel Gohler- Bass Clarinet, Conductor
Jennifer Harris- Background Vocals
Gerry Leonard- Guitars, Hammond Organ,
Spooky Loops,co-producer of Horn
Carolyn Leonhart- Vocals
Tom Lynn- Bass Clarinet, Alto Flute
MaryAnne Marino- Vocals
Coco Taguchi- Violin and Viola
Rob Thomas- Acoustic Bass
Mary Wooten- Cello
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Instruments
Piano and Fender Rhodes Guitars Acoustic Bass Udu and Clay Drums Alto Flute Bass Trombone Trombone Bass Clarinet Vocals Hammond Organ Violin and Viola Cello |
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Albums
The Longing Hours |
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Press Reviews
Encountering a recording which truly reveals an artist is rare. “The Longing Hours” falls squarely into this unique category. In the jazz and pop world, music too often exists merely to serve a soloist instead of a solo voice being used as a means of serving the music. This compilation of tracks illuminates Nelson Foltz’s vision of music as not simply a vehicle for his outstanding trombone playing but rather as an organic whole. Recorded over a three year period, it also gives a fascinating aural glimpse of an artist in transition. Give it a listen and enjoy in this exceptional debut effort from trombonist, arranger, composer, producer Nelson Foltz.
- Jim Pugh: NY Recording Artist, Steely Dan, Chick Corea, Woody Herman
“It’s rare that I keep listening to something after I’ve written about it, but The Longing Hours will be in major rotation at my house for quite a while.”
- Steve Armour
The Longing Hours
Nelson Foltz
Recorded over a period of years, “The Longing Hours” captures Nelson Foltz’s development from a moderately interesting jazz trombonist to a musician of real vision and originality. The older tracks, “Karin” and “Disabled,” show Foltz the Pugh/Herwig discipline: good sound, nice ideas, excellent high register, accurate high-speed double time, but with a tendency to fall off of held notes that wears thin quickly.
On the more recent tracks, “I See You Again” and “Horn”, Foltz takes a massive stylistic leap. Dropping any pretense of jazz tradition he takes the trombone into an unfamiliar world of moody trances. “I See You Again,” by the Sweedish art-pop singer, Stina Nordenstam, features harmonized bass clarinets, looped percussion, distorted guitar that emulates the quarter-tone twists of an Arabic wind instrument, and ghostly singers behind MaryAnne Marino’s somber reading of Nordenstam’s beautifully specific lyrics. Into this mix Foltz brings the trombone, bucket-muted and clean and mournful as a distant train’s horn. He has shed his early affectations and found a new vocabulary of sparse but solid melody-language that puts the trombone at home even in this edgy territory.
Aside from the jazz tunes, where he features himself, Foltz limits his trombone’s presence. “Farewell” and “Amadok,” both Foltz originals, feature solo performances by other instrumentalists. And he is only an ethereal presence behind Marino on Nordenstam’s “So This Is Goodbye,” and on “Life In The Modern World,” behind vocalist Carolyn Leonhart. Leonhart, who’s about two seconds from being a major star, is a sensuous presence, her voice like a caress on the title tracks leading us into and out of the CD.
Foltz has found something all creative instrumentalists look for: a new way to use his instrument. As arranger, composer and producer, Foltz creates a new context around his trombone, and in doing so, finds his voice.
-Steve Armour
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Location
New York, NY - USA |
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