Bizarre and hilarious vocal interpretations of Christmas music and American popular song. Great for the entire family. Produced by Larry Goldings.
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Every now and then an artist emerges whose vision is so unique that it creates an entirely new musical paradigm.
Stretching the realm of technique by introducing harmonic or rhythmic contexts far removed from the norm,
theyre often unappreciated in their time, but the passage of years can ultimately bring recognition for their
genius. Ornette Coleman was one such artist. Now we have singer Johnny "Bowtie" Barstow.
Keyboardist Larry Goldings, known for his work with John Scofield and Madeleine Peyroux, as well as his
ongoing cooperative trio with Peter Bernstein and Bill Stewart, discovered Bowtie performing at New York's
The Angry Squire's open mic night in the early 1990s. Immediately stricken by Bowties distinctive approach to
the Great American Songbook, he made the decision that Bowtie, an artist sadly overlooked by a visionless music
industry, demanded documentation. Over the course of two years, Goldings recorded Bowtie at his home studio,
the result being "A Bowtie Christmas and More" - an album of holiday music and timeless standards thats sure to set
the hairs on the neck of the most discerning listener at full attention.
Some musicians spend years on technique, working hard to hone accepted skills like pitch and time. Barstow
dispenses with such limitations. His interpretive sense is so unorthodox that once you hear his renditions of
classic Christmas tunes including "Joy to the World," "The First Noel," and the tongue-in-cheek "Grandma Got
Run Over by a Reindeer," youll never see them the same way again.
Bending pitch and time in ways rarely heard on record, Bowtie challenges Goldings - a consummate
accompanist clearly in awe of his art - to keep up. Unshackled by musical convention, Bowtie brings a truly
emancipated harmonic approach to the hymnal "O Come All Ye Faithful" and a surprisingly untethered sense of
swing to "Winter Wonderland."
The second half of the generous 24-song program finds Bowtie tackling standards like "Mack the Knife," "Blue
Skies," and "In the Mood." To add dimension, Goldings brought Bowtie into a professional recording studio,
recruiting the legendary James Farber to engineer the session, to record four songs accompanied by drummer Bill
Stewart and guitarist Bernie Peters (a cleverly-conceived pseudonym). In many ways its the trio's almost fanatical
adherence to musical convention that so vividly highlights Bowtie's unbound approach.
Despite being a distinctively lo-fi recording, a second version of "Blue Skies" concludes the disc, with Bowtie in
his preferred context- the concert stage, where risk is de rigeur and there's no safety net to rely upon. He finds
new ways to articulate Irving Berlin's timeless words.
"In art, there are painters with a style so distinctive that one can merely take a look at the corner of the canvas & immediately identify the creator by the style of his brushstroke. Much is the same in music: one note of Miles Davis' muted trumpet and you know right away. Bowtie is such an artist, with a sound and style so distinctive; that phrasing, those notes-it can only be Bowtie".
- Will Lee (electric bassist, singer)
"When I hear Over The Rainbow, I think of Judy Garland. When I hear Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend, I think of Marilyn Monroe. And in the future, when I hear The First Noel, I shall think of Bowtie. He has made it his own - and that goes for anything he sings."
- Richard Rodney Bennett (Composer, Performer)
"Accompanying John Barstow is a unique challenge and one that I welcome."
- Bill Stewart (Drummer, Composer)
"I recorded one session featuring Bowtie backed by The Larry Goldings Trio. All I can say is...this hep cat makes you think you're hearing your favorite old tune for the very first time...crazy, man, crazy."
I'm beside myself, now that I'm one of Johnny's Friends! Thanks so much for the add! Tell Larry he has to keep up, though, he's a bit behind the beat. :-) Have a great, uh, Christmas?
These are truly unique interpretations of old classics. You don't have to celebrate Christmas to enjoy these renditions around the precious holiday time.
Bowtie! I love your stuff man. I've been a fan for a while now, but this Christmas material is really something special. Thank you thank you thank you.
Are you all serious? This music is terrible! Its not a lyrical mastery or a genius new way to bend pitch, he just can't sing at all! And im sure every quote on his page is complete bullshit. This is ridiculous.
Your version of The First Noel truly makes me cry. Truly. I can't wait for a Bowtie Sings the Blues album. I can only imagine how it would touch my soul in a way that no child should see. Thank you Bowtie.
Hi Johnny "Bowtie" Barstow
Come check out this exclusive FREE Download of the theme song from the cult TV Show Dark Skies! Available for a limited time only at: www.PerseveranceRecords.com/FreeDownload
To David below: I think you need to give this music another chance. You seem like an accomplished player; think of this music as doing the same thing as a chord subsitution but on a bigger scale -- adding notes that are not part of the orginal chords, to increase the interest and tension in the song. Except that Bowtie is doing it without guile and from the heart ...but if you were only joking, then nevermind!
And personally, I don't want to see a photo. Let the mystery be.
You alone have revolutionised the musical world. Listening to your work is like storming the beach at Normandy. It's like the whole world comes together in unison to bathe in a golden rhythmical light. We bow to you.
Please post a picture of yourself as a special xmas treat to all you bowtieples!
THIS DOESN'T SOUND VERY GOOD. I AM SURPRISED BY THE COMMENTS OTHERS HAVE POSTED. I EXPECT MORE AND HAVE RECEIVED LESS. I AM NOT ELATED. I HAVE TO GO NOW.
Listening to you makes me feel like a novice. You've shown me how much I've taken for granted, and illuminated areas still ripe for exploration. Basics like rhythm and tonality. Amazing. An inspiration, really. It's like I'm hearing these songs for the first time.
thanks for adding me! since we're best friends now, i should let you know that Comedy Central is re-airing my Beyond the Pale Special" at 7pm Eastern on May 24th. so, invite your second-best friends over, point to the tv and say "that's my BEST friend, Jim"...... I love you. Jim
