The New CD "Kulak Misafiri" features:
The Toids - Ryan Francesconi, Dan Cantrell & Tobias Roberson
Round Mountain - Char Rothschild & Robby Rothschild
Orkestra Keyif - Beth Bahia Cohen, Lefteris Bournias, Haig Manoukian, Paul Brown, Phaedon Sinis, Polly Tapia Ferber, Umut Yasmut, Nicole LeCorgne & Adam Good.
Edessa - Lise Liepman, George Chittenden, Sali Rumen Shopov
Ansambl Mastika - Greg Squared, Rima Sharon Fand, Reuben Radding, Matt Moran
Taksim - Souren Baronian & Mal Stein
Plus other special guests - Ben Grossman, Bret Higgis, Rick Hyslop, Jodi Hewat (Zagnuts), Patrick Farrell & Sandy Hollister
and a lovely 32 page booklet...
Influences
Nezahat Bayram, Brian Eno, Meredith Monk, Thelonius Monk, Neyzen Tevfik, Safiye Ayla, Hafiz Burhan Sesyilmaz, Taking Heads, Durutti Column, the twittering of birds, 78 & 45 rpm's, Kate Bush, Velvet Underground & Nico, Early Pink Floyd, Syd Barrett (RIP), Erkin Koray, Beatles & 60's pop, Lhasa, Pentangle, The Poppy Family, The Cure (pre-love cats), wonderful musicians from many countries often obscure and anonymous who nevertheless make great music, Roman (Gypsy) music, Eric Satie, Stan Kenton, Deniz Kizi Eftalya, Roza Eskenazi, Joni Mitchell, Huri Sapan, Wade Davis, Jeremy Narby, (keep thinking), John Millard, The Watersons, Ziyia, Malicorne, Moondog, Steeleye Span, Andy Goldsworthy, Saban Bajramovic, Robert Fripp, Pema Chodron, Muzeyyen Senar, Berendt's "The World is Sound: Nada Brahma...
The new CD is ready!!!
You can find it on CD Baby
http://cdbaby.com/cd/brennamaccrimmon
It took a long time, longer than I wanted but in the end I am happy to say it has turned out quite well. The contributions of all the musicians are wonderful, my incredible brothers helped me pull it together and the design by Yesim Tosuner is beautiful.
More about me than you need to know:
I stumbled across the music of Turkey and the Balkans some years ago and it took over my life. I've been back and forth between Canada and Turkey several times, at one point living in Istanbul and studying music for about 5 years.
I've recorded a bit,
Karsilama - with Selim Sesler on Green Goat/Kalan
Ayde Mori - with Muammer Ketencoglu, Sumru Agiryuren & Cevdet Erek on Kalan
Balkan Journeys Close to Home on Golden Horn Records
as a guest musician on a number of recordings including
BaBA ZuLa on Double Moon
Edessa on AgaRhythms
and Selim Sesler's latest recording on Doublemoon
Please get in touch with me if you really want to find anything. Most CD's are available from the labels.
Currently I'm based in Toronto. I'm not sure what I think of that. Sometimes I perform with a group of like-minded Turkish music lovers in the New York & Boston area "Orkestra Keyif". When I travel to California my friends "Edessa" (www.edessamusic.com) usually ask me to join them. Go hear this band live and be prepared to dance. I collaborate with "Baba Zula" Istanbul's Turkish folk-psyche art rock band. "Selim Sesler" - a true master of Turkish clarinet - and I have been playing together for nearly 10 years. You can see me with Selim and Baba Zula in Fatih Akin's film "Crossing the Bridge".
I've done the odd bit of music for film, theatre and even television - usually just lending my voice though sometimes writing happens too. I've taught Turkish and Balkan songs from Canada to Japan. I love the music and dance camps sponsored by the Eastern European Folklife Center (www.eefc.org). Before the internet was there to connect us instantly, these camps brought together people with a passion for learning and sharing wonderful music and dance.
I recently worked as musical director on a play directed by Ross Manson of Theatre Volcano. "Goodness" is a very thought-provoking work by Michael Redhill and it was selected as the Best of the Fringe at Edinburgh in 2006. It was a wonderful experience to work the Swedish cast of the play in Helsinki, getting it ready for its opening there in September 2008. I've also have the pleasure to teach Balkan songs to performers through Volcano's Theatre Intensives.
I recently did a tune, Koupes, for DJ SHantel aka Bucovina Club on Crammed Discs.
I'm mixed in somewhere into Nekropsi's latest CD (actually it is easy to tell it's me)
And I sang a song for BaBa ZuLa's latest CD "Roots" on Doublemoon.
Finally This here myspace page is my page. This is me, not somebody writing as me.
If I take a few days or even weeks to reply please forgive me.
Also I don't have much time for comments - sorry I really don't mean to be rude. My Space is a like a black hole for time.
