Pioneer Consort - World View

The Pioneer Consort Chris Devine: Violin, Mandolin, Guitar Michael Nix: Banjar, Guitar, Mandolin Greg Snedeker: Cello 1. Tico-Tico Zequinha Abreu 5:17 2. Lord Inchiquin/O\'Carolan\'s Concerto Turlough O\'Carolan * 3:48 3. Brasileirinho Waldyr Azevedo 2:29 4. L\'Indifference T. Murena & J. Columbo 2:45 5. Do You Know What It Means (To Miss New Orleans) De Lange/Alter 3:33 6. El Choclo A.G. Villoldo* 2:39 7. Nostalgias J.C. Cobain & Cadicamo* 2:29 8. La Cumparsita G. Rodriquiz* 2:50 9. Rondo alla Turca W.A. Mozart* 3:38 10. ¿Donde Cliché? Greg Snedeker 4:45 11. Barton Cove Michael Nix 3:49 Sinfonia a due mandolini, e Basso, Gimo 149 Giovanni Batgtista Gervasio 12. I Allegro Spiritoso Assai 2:20 13. II Larghetto Andantino 1:50 14. III Allegro Assai Spiritoso 1:53 15. Dallas Rag Dallas String Band* 2:29 16. Nao Me Toques Zequinha Abreu 5:08 *arrangements by Michael Nix, all other arrangements by The Pioneer Consort The Pioneer Consort performs composed and improvised chamber music for Violin, Cello, Guitar, Mandolin, and the Banjar--a seven string classical banjo. Their programs explore unique and colorful arrangements of traditional classical repertoire, Argentine Tango, Brazilian Choro, Classical Neapolitan Mandolin music, American Banjo music, jazz, and multi-genre original compositions with works by Haydn, Mozart, Piazolla, Gershwin, Abreu, Ocarolon, and Nix. The consort is based in the culturally rich Pioneer Valley of western Massachusetts. The three musicians of the Pioneer Consort bring together years of concert touring, recording, and composing in many genres: Chris Devine is a musician of diverse talents, performing on electric and acoustic violin, mandolin, and guitar, as well as flute, saxophone, and keyboard. He studied with internationally known concert violinist Julian Olevsky. As a session musician he has appeared on over 100 CDs in many different styles of music, including classical, jazz, pop, country, and folk. From 2000 to 2002, Chris toured Europe and Russia as a featured soloist with Blackmore\'s Night, starring the influential guitarist Ritchie Blackmore of Deep Purple, and also appeared on their gold CD \'Fires at Midnight\'. Michael Nix has performed traditional classical repertoire, new classical, and original music on guitar, lute, banjo and mandolin, in concert halls throughout the United States and Asia. He has composed solo music, songs, chamber music, symphonic works, electronic music, and opera. Nix designed the seven string Banjar, combining elements of the classical five string banjo, the lute and the classical guitar. The name Banjar came from the early usage ) in both Barbados and and Virginia at the time of Thomas Jefferson in the late 1700\'s. Nix has recorded \'Barton Cove\' for solo banjar, a solo guitar CD, and a CD of guitar and mandolin music with The Moser/Nix Duo. Greg Snedeker received his B.A. from Boston University, his M.M. from UMass at Amherst, and his DMA in composition at the Hartt School. He is the instrumental instructor at Stoneleigh Burnham School, and has taught electronic music, composition, and theory at the Hartt School and UMass. He has recorded as a cellist and jazz pianist with many local and national artist's CDs including grammy award winning saxophonist Yusef Lateef, and Nashville fiddler Randy Howard. As a composer, he writes in many different styles and his music has been performed across the country and has received various grants and commisions. He currently owns and operates Riverview Productions, a recording/production studio dedicated to acoustic music. Notes on the Music: Tico-Tico, Brasileirinho, ¿Donde Cliché?, Nao me Toques Choro the Brazilian popular music originating in late 19th century Rio de Janeiro, means \'to cry\' or \'lament\' in Portuguese. By the 1960\'s Choro had morphed into Samba. The form is typically a rondo, borrowed from European classical music. Our settings for mandolin follow the composed music rather closely. Lord Inchiquin/O\'Carolan\'s Concerto Michael arranged the O\'Carolan in the manner of a late Renaissance or early Baroque consort to exploit the lute-like textures of the Banjar. L\'Indifference Chris adds a \'gypsy\' element to this French Musette with addition of a \'Selmac\' guitar to the texture. Do you Know What it Means (To Miss New Oleans) We chose this piece for a Hurricane Katrina music fund benefit concert and liked it so much it has found it\'s way into our repertoire. El Choclo, Nostalgias, La Cumparsita Tango is a dance music grew out of working classs urban Buenos Aires, Argentina, and Uruguay at about the same time as Choro was coming of age and became a craze in Europe in the 1930\'s and \'40s The violin, guitar, cello is a natural for this genre. El Chocolo, Nostalgias, and La Cumparsita are representative of traditional tango music. Rondo Alla Turca A delightful romp transcribed from the keyboard to fingerboard. We toss the melody among all the instruments. Barton Cove Michael composed this piece to exploit the Banjar \'guitar\' tuning. The first section features a melody over a guitaristic arpeggio, and the second banjo strumming textures. Sinfonia a due mandolini, e Basso, Gimo 149 Giovanni Batgtista Gervasio was a mandolinist and author of early mandolin methods. This lovely Sinfonia is representative of 18th century mandolin chamber music. Dallas Rag Ragtime was developed as African-American classical music. The infectious syncopated rhythms took the world by storm in the late 19th century. The Dallas rag is a less schooled \'country rag\' lacking the sophisticated harmonic wanderings of Joplin and his contemporaries. Ragtime was a popular genre for classical banjo, and works well with the alternating bass line that is possible on the Banjar. Review Quotes The Pioneer Consort: "The First Church of Deerfield thanks you for presenting such a stunning concert...." Jean Turner, The Brick Church Music Series, Deerfield, MA Artist Reviews: Chris Devine: \' thrilling solos and a charming stage presence.....\' Berlin Taggespeigel \'...his violinistic jousts with Blackmore were a highlight.... one crazy fiddler!\' Stockholm Aftonbladet Michael Nix: \'... breathtakingly beautiful.\' Peter Mix, \'Acoustic Musician\', September 1997. "Wonderfully warm and inspiring" Ruth Ehrenberg, Tuesday Morning Music, Springfield, MA Greg Snedeker: \'It is important to note that in making a technical analysis of Greg Snedeker's compositions, there is no doubt that he has the ability to transform simple songs or spontaneous themes into META-ART. \' Yusef Lateef.

1) Tico Tico
2) Lord Inchiquin/O'Carolan's Concerto
3) Brasileirinho
4) L'indifference
5) Do You Know What It Means (To Miss New Orleans)
6) El Choclo
7) Nostalgias
8) La Cumparsita
9) Rondo Alla Turca
10) ¿Donde Cliché?
11) Barton Cove
12) Sinfonia Imo 149 I Allegro Spiritoso Assai
13) Sinfonia Imo 149 Larghetto Andantino
14) Sinfonia Imo 149 III Allegro Assai Spiritoso
15) Dallas Rag
16) Nao Me Toques