Bettie Ross (on piano, pipe organ, synthesizers, electric pianos & organs).
Frank Blumer (on guitars).
Influences
Keith Emerson (Emerson, Lake & Palmer, early albums), Joe Zawinul (from Canonball Adderly days to Weather Report), Claude Debussy, Ravel, Jan Hammer (especially his "The First Seven Days" album), Rick Wakeman ("Yes" years), Chick Corea (a true piano master in every sense), Chick's "Electrik Band", Joe Sample, Jimi Hendrix, Alan Price of the "Animals", Nicky Hopkins, The Who, Led Zepplin, Morten Lauridsen (his incredible choral compositions), Arvo Part (particularly Symphony No. 3, 3rd movement), Aaron Jay Kernis (especially his "Musica Celestis"), Jerry Goldsmith's score & additional music to "Sum of All Fear" & Yolanda Adam's vocals, Mahavishnu Orchestra (w/Gayle Moran), Duke Ellington, Jimmy Smith, Jack McDuff, J.S. Bach, Beethoven, Buxtehude, the great organ composer & organist Jehan Alain, Kurt Bestor & Sam Cardon's "Innovators" album, Elton John's early albums, Sting (great songwriter), Earth Wind & Fire, Joni Mitchell, Crosby Stills Nash & Young, Mario Feninger (who in his 80's still plays Chopin with such gorgeous lightness and agility), David Campbell (the master arranger-orchestrator-conductor), Mark Isham (particularly his synth work, as in his score for "Crash"), and all fine and passionate music of all genres, anywhere.
This is what Bettie had to say about her inspiration for writing this music.
“The end of fall and the beginning of winter are filled with beautiful landscapes of the changing weather: the leafless trees, rain, snow, fog, mists and ice…There are family gatherings—visits with friends—reflections on life and looking ahead to the new year just starting. These things create a Magical Time of Year for me.”
This is Bettie's first recording for Alternative Classical Records. Ten out of the 12 pieces on this CD are brilliant, unique, solo piano; on two pieces she is accompanied by guitar only. Sample this original and distinctive work and you will understand why one of the most noted pianists alive today called Bettie a “great composer”. The work breathes with the life and expression of the Magical Time of Year.
THIS IS THE OFFICIAL BETTIE ROSS MYSPACE MUSIC WEBSITE ....................
I've been a Pianist and/or Keyboardist for these projects: Meat Loaf's new "Bat Out of Hell III" (I play pipe organ ..s on the new CD; see photos)(yep, I still play rock, even on a pipe organ!); Melissa Manchester for a national tour & TV (playing piano & electric piano); the Bellamy Brothers, a national tour during their hit "Let Your Love Flow" (I played piano & Mellotron) & I was the first woman conductor (for the Bellamy's) for the Tokyo Music Festival on TV to 10 million viewers; and in early 2006 Mark Isham called me to play piano for him for a live gig in LA. And in June 2006, I played piano on Deedee O'Malley's live 24-cut CD!
I'VE BEEN PIPE ORGANIST for President Ronald Reagan's Memorial Service at his personal Presbyterian church, and also for Eva Gabor's Memorial Mass at her Catholic church. I grew up playing in churches, and still do at times. Currently I am the choral conductor for Congregation Or Ami in Calabasas, Calif., working with singer-songwriter (and Grammy winner) cantor Doug Cotler.
AS A COMPOSER, I wrote the music for Nancy Cartwright's (voice of Bart Simpson) one-woman show, "In Search of Fellini", and I also composed the music for the play by Shirley Kaplan, "Neon, a Vaudeville of Obsessions". I've done a couple film shorts, and lots of other instrumental writing for all sorts of projects.
Since 1996, I've been a member of the storytelling & music group, CELESTIAL NAVIGATIONS. We've performed many concerts since that time, me playing synthesizer along with Geoff Levin behind Geoffrey Lewis' narration. For three of Celestial Nav's recent CDs, I've co-written music for Road Train Chapter IV, The Connection Chapter V, and The Space Racer Chapter VI. We're currently working on a new CD.
AS A SONGWRITER, I've written many songs for various original LA rock bands I've been a member of, usually playing Hammond B3 organ (working with Brie Howard, Patti Quatro, Elmira Collins, Raven Kane, Phyllis St. James (Yvonne Williams), Peggy Foster, Wendy Hass (lots of lady players, starting back-in-the-day after Fanny), and gents like Ted Meyer, and Glen Ballard (we had the band Rockola together back in the early 80's w/Brie Howard & Marc Singer).
Recently I've been writing songs with Pamela Falcon. Check out Pamela's MySpace page (click on her picture below in my Top Friends - and check out "Best Kept Secret")!
Over the past 11 years while raising two awesome daughters with my husband Frank, I'VE DONE LOTS OF MUSIC PREPARATION (preparing the sheet music for recording sessions & live gigs) working with arranger-composer-conductor David Campbell mainly, for many films such as "Dream Girls", "North Country", "Rent", "Trust the Man", "City of Angels", "Coyote Ugly", "Hope Floats", "Pearl Harbor", "The Cradle Will Rock", "The Prime Gig" and "Sum of all Fear"; and on TV for "American Idol" and "Good Morning America".
And I have also done MUSIC PREP FOR A TON OF ARTISTS such as Aaliyah, Aerosmith, Alanis Morissette, Anatasci, Art Garfunkel, Ashlee Simpson, Jessica Simpson, Avril Lavigne, Bacilos, BB King, Beck, Billy Joel, Brooks & Dunn, Celine Dion, Charlotte Church, Chicago, Chick Corea (for his recent Piano Concerto No. 2, "The Continents"), Chimene Badi, Coldplay, Daniel Bedingfield, Desmond Child, Dixie Chicks, Duran Duran, Enrique Iglesias, Eric Clapton, Faith Hill, Fantasia, A Fine Frenzy, Five For Fighting, Foo Fighters, Goo Goo Dolls (yep, worked on "Iris"), Good Charlotte, Green Day, Hall & Oates, Hana Pestle, Heart, Jaguares, Jewel, Jon Bon Jovi, Josh Groban, Journey, Juanes, Julio Iglesias, Justin Timberlake, Keith Urban, Kelly Clarkson, LeAnn Rimes, Linda Ronstadt, Lindsay Lohan, Linkin Park, Lisa Marie Presley, Live, Mariah Carey, Maroon 5, Mars Volta, Martina McBride, Meat Loaf, Montgomery Gentry, My Chemical Romance, Natasha Bedingfield, Neil Diamond, Nelly Furtado, Paul McCartney, Phil Collins, Rascal Flatts, Reba MacIntyre, Robbie Williams, Rod Stewart, Shakira, Sheryl Crow (her "Wildflower" album plus the tour), Staind, Styx, Tim McGraw, Trading Yesterday, Train, Trisha Yearwood, Vince Gill, Waylon Jennings, Will Smith, Willie Nelson (for his Sep 06 concert with the LA Philharmonic Orchestra at the Hollywood Bowl), Wilson Phillips, The Used, Yousour N'Dour, Yumi, and last but NOT least, Frank Zappa. And if you think this is a huge list, this is only a partial list, but it's getting long enough!
ABOUT MY OWN MUSIC: I'm a composer. I'm a composer/pianist. I'm a composer/multi-keyboardist. I write what inspires me. My music crosses genres. Sometimes it's a very romantic piano piece, like "Romance" or an in-your-face progressive (or sci fi) rock piece like "The Metal Wars" or a choral piece, or a song for a band or for singers, or a jazz-tinged piece or a pop instrumental piece. So, what do I call it? ALTERNATIVE CLASSICAL. Yep, ALTERNATIVE CLASSICAL, a NEW MUSIC GENRE. It's not new age, it's not classical, it's not jazz, it's not pop, and it's not always instrumental. ALTERNATIVE CLASSICAL is music that is VERY contemporary, about life, music that is very influenced by life and other genres. That's what I write: ALTERNATIVE CLASSICAL!
Hi, I just wanted to let you know that my new album Afrikan Machinery is out now on Tzadik Records. Check out some of the tracks on my profile! Now available on Amazon.com and iTunes.
Best Wishes, Lukas Ligeti
I've been listening to yours and I enjoyed your light melodies but even more "Evergreen Forest". I love the disharmonic mood and can feel how the pine trees are moving in the wind on a cool autumn day. Wonderful!
You heard my music and right now I am actually number one again on Music Choice's Soundscapes, so I am really proud of that. I hope everyone will buy my albums and tracks. They are available all over - in music stores and from online stores like CD Baby and Amazon or for download from iTunes and others.
Obviously you are well...(Happy Mood Icon...) Just saw the updated 'status' about the "The Brothers Warner" documentary for which youv'e had the chance to play the piano ,Firstly: i'd like to congratulate you!!! Secondly: When and where will the documentary be available to watch?
This is a message for all of you, my dear friends on MySpace!
Some flute jazz/folk-rock/experimental tunes are now available for free download on my new site: www.simonjensen.com (there is a direct link on my profile).
More new stuff: Improvisation workshops (in Swedish and English) in September 2008. Read more on the site (www.simonjensen.com/teaching.htm).
Nuda, come la musica, la bellezza, la notte,come l’origine pura di ogni cosa. Nuda come la libertà di ognuno, come la terra di nessuno,la terra nuda. Nuda come speranza. Come credere e buttarsi nella vita a lottare a mani nude, a occhi nudi,a cuore nudo. Nuda come la vergogna, come la fame, la sete, la paura, come l’amore a pelle.A pelle nuda. Nuda come atto di resa, di difesa, di forza. Come una verità che non può tradire. Nuda,come una donna sola.O solo una donna…nuda.
Ania
IL NUOVO ALBUM DI ANIA DA VENERDI 30 MAGGIO 08 NEI NEGOZI E IN TUTTI GLI STORE VIRTUALI. LA POESIA, LA FORZA, LA PUREZZA...DI ANIA.”NUDA”.
