Nick Edelstein

Posts Tagged ‘arts’

Two Songs Charting on Ourstage.com

Sunday, November 14th, 2010

Two songs from Year Of The Ox art currently charting at Ourstage.com, a popular music community.

“Collusion Collision” broke into the Top 20 on the Jazz chart at #19, and has now climbed up to #18. We are very excited at the prospect of a Top 10 slot by the end of November!

Meanwhile on the Funk chart, “Foolin’ Yourself” remains stagnant at #67. We need your help! Please go to Ourstage.com and give these songs three thumbs up!!! If you don’t already have a profile it is incredibly easy to set up (and free, naturally).

Here’s to charting ~Nick

Tags: arts, Charts, collusion, fooling, music, OurStage, Popular music, Record chart, Top 40, United States, year of the ox, YOTO
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New Videos on YouTube

Thursday, October 28th, 2010

Uploaded brand spankin’ new videos on YouTube from the Dunwoody Music Festival, thanks to super-fan Scott Brown and my wife’s iMac!

Here’s the link: http://www.youtube.com/user/NickEdelsteinBand OK now, blast away!
IF YOU HAVE FAN FOOTAGE or FAN FOTOS to share, please do! You can upload photos directly on the Gallery page of this website! ~Nick

Tags: arts, Arts and Entertainment, dunwoody, festival, iMac, music, Scott Brown, video, YouTube
Posted in Tour Diary | No Comments »

Grinder Nova sessions

Monday, September 27th, 2010

Last week I had the pleasure of laying trombone and trumpet tracks for Grinder Nova’s 2010 Christmas record. If you like mariachi with your NASCAR, then you love Grinder Nova. It’s a cocktail of even parts Tijuana Brass, James Bond and pit crew.

We recorded at Jeff Bakos’ studio and let me tell you, that’s always a treat! For those who don’t know Bakos’ work, check out “Already Free” by Derek Trucks Band, which won the GRAMMY for “Best Contemporary Blues Album” in 2010.

The album release party is December 9th at Star Bar. Come out, add some brass to your eggnog! ~Nick

Tags: arts, atlanta, brass, christmas, Derek Trucks Band, eggnog, grinder, Herb Alpert, holiday, James Bond, jeff bakos, music, nova, Tijuana Brass, trombone, trumpet, Winds
Posted in Studio NEws | No Comments »

New Release: Low Scene Woman

Wednesday, September 1st, 2010

My friends, I am not one of those artists who is afraid to praise “the competition.” I know good music when I hear it, and I give credit when it’s due. High Tone Shelter is one of the best (if not the best) Funky Bluesy Rock bands. Every member of the band is extremely talented – OK, they’re my friends - but this isn’t bias talking. Click here to see for yourself. I was invited to play Hammond organ on “Low Scene Woman,” the 9th track on Redemption Day (iTunes). I urge you to download, listen five times over, burn copies for friends, and join their mailing list. It’s that good.

Tags: arts, band, Blues, funk, Hammond organ, high tone shelter, indie, itunes, low scene woman, music, organ, redemption day, rock
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New Release: Year Of The Ox

Thursday, July 22nd, 2010

Today marks the release of my third studio effort, Year Of The Ox. It’s my fifth record and arguably the first good one I’m extremely proud of the lyrics and urge you to read them either before or during your listening. A lot of folks have asked me where I got the name, and it’s a valid question which I’ll gladly answer in a minute. First, a little about “the making of …”

Contrast is very important in many facets of Life, but especially in Music. Contrast in stage dynamics during and in-between songs, lighting, song tempos, etc. So when I begin a creative task – like recording an album – I am constantly looking for ways to contrast … anything and everything. I begin by identifying all aspects of the process that are unique, and then decide how to magnify them. The result is a product that could not have been created by any other process; a product that *hopefully* contrasts those created by other processes. For example, some bands will record in the studio with a “live feel” setup to emulate a concert experience. I understand the many reasons for doing that, but in some respects it’s better to record an actual concert. There are SO many things you can achieve in the studio which can’t be done on stage, to me it would seem like a wasted opportunity not to employ them.

First of all, you can click “save,” go to bed and then return a week later with a fresh mind. I began chipping away at this project in 2009, with the first drum tracks happening in March 2010 (and you can see today’s date of release). Perhaps the best example of studio advantages is “Steal Me,” which has numerous effects including hundreds of camera shutter “clicks.” They were recorded live in the studio, sure – along with all the layered guitar effects – but it would take a much larger ensemble than our current sextet to achieve the same result on stage. If you read the credits you’ll notice that we also tracked in more than one location. Another uniqueness of studio recording is the ability to overdub, best exemplified by “500 Mountains” on which I sang all the vocals and played all the instruments. This allowed me a ton of freedom to employ certain performance techniques such as rubato, and to freely arrange on-the-spot. Very organic, plug-n-play. The result is a dark, powerful song (especially the ending) with some haunting vocal harmonies that quite frankly happened by accident.

Now for a glimpse behind the title: Named after the Chinese lunar calendar year, “Year Of The Earth Ox” which began on January 26, 2009. Earth Ox’s Western zodiac counterpart is Capricorn, which is “my sign.” Many parts of the Earth Ox zodiac proved true in 2009, including associations with materialism and long-term progress. For example, it predicts that we should focus on long-term financial strategem; serious romantic commitments (weddings and births increased steadily all year); and “keeping your nose to the grindstone” (we all struggled to find or keep a job).

Credits:

All songs written by Nick Edelstein (BMI). Produced by Nick Edelstein with Wizkid Sound (2-4). Recorded at NESS Records and Wizkid Sound in Atlanta, GA and Richenroll Studios in Alpharetta, GA. Mixed by Rich Grillo (1, 5-7) and Wizkid Sound (2-4). Mastered by Rodney Mills (www.rodneymills.com). Cover art by David Sherer (baconmcshig.deviantart.com).

Nick Edelstein (vocals, 6-str acoustic guitar, 6- and 12-str electric guitar, e-bow, Hammond organ, piano, percussion, MIDI strings, snare drum, trombone, trumpet and horn arrangements)

Will Scruggs (tenor and bari sax)

Tim Fash (alto and tenor sax)

Darren Stanley (drums)

Jon Morrison (bass)

Aaron Hevenstone (drums)

Andy Margolis (bass)

Rich Grillo (bass)

Sara Speert (camera flash and shutter FX – www.saraphotography.com)

Gray Sartin (slide guitar, vocal on 7)

Tags: arts, atlanta, blues rock, chinese, Chinese calendar, funky blues, guitar, hammond b3, Hammond organ, jazz funk, Jon Morrison, music, ox, Rodney Mills, year of the ox, YOTO, zodiac
Posted in Press, Studio NEws | No Comments »

Announcing “Super Fan” for Athens, GA

Wednesday, June 2nd, 2010

Free Private Show and VIP After-Party for Athens, GA fans!

We’ll be performing and taping a private concert for a few lucky “Super Fans” to appear later on WUGA-TV! Free food and drinks plus a VIP After-Party. Attendees will also receive a free signed copy of our new album, “Year Of The Ox.”

Space is limited so tell us what makes you a “Super Fan.” Write to superfan@nickedelstein.com

Tags: arts, Athens Georgia, band, concert, contest, edelstein, exclusive, fan, FM, Georgia (U.S. state), live, nick, radio, show, super, television, tv, VIP, WUGA
Posted in Studio NEws, Tour Diary | No Comments »

Carl Orff: Expressionist

Tuesday, May 18th, 2010

: Image via Wikipedia

Carl Orff (German composer and educator) passed away in 1982 at the age of 87, the same year I was born. He promoted folk music, improvisation, and theater. What follows was taken from the Library of Congress via Pomegranate Publications:

“In all my work, my final concern is not with musical but with spiritual expression,” said Carl Orff, who first gained wide attention in 1937 with his magnum opus, Carmina burana. Born into a Bavarian military family, Orff studied music from childhood and, later, composition at the Munich Academy of Music. Among the early influences on his compositions were Claude Debussy, Arnold Schoenberg, and Richard Strauss. In 1924 he cofounded the Güntherschule, an institution devoted to exploring and teaching new correlations between movement and music. As a musical pedagogue, Orff was influential in using radio as a means of teaching musical principles and in furthering the use of folk instruments and simple improvisation in classrooms. Orff wrote primarily for the stage and conceived his works as total sensory experiences. Of these, Carmina burana, a musical celebration of love and sensual pleasure based on anonymous medieval Latin manuscripts, has become a staple of the modern repertoire.

Tags: arts, carl orff, carmina burana, composer, debussy, Education, Folk music, Güntherschule, Library of Congress, munich, music, Musical theatre, pedagogue, schoenberg, stage, strauss, Teacher
Posted in Tangents | No Comments »

Rough Mix

Thursday, April 15th, 2010

cover art by David Sherer

Happy to report that recording for “Year Of The Ox” has gone really well. Rough mixes sound great. Heading back to the lab on Sunday for another mix session and some vocal tracks. Here’s a list of the songs on Disc 1:

Foolin’ Yourself, Collusion Collision, Daphne, Say You Will, Steal Me, Eric Jam, Flow, 500 Mountains, Queen Of The Nile, and a suprise bonus track!

Tags: album, arts, Bonus track, Charts, mixes, music, recording, Recordings, rough, year of the ox, YOTO
Posted in Studio NEws | 1 Comment »

Axum Writing Session

Friday, March 12th, 2010

Very excited to announce that yesterday, world-class Israeli Hip Hop duo Axum visited my humble digs for a writing session. I love collaborating with artists who play different styles [of music] than my own, because the result is always fresh!

I was brimming with anticipation all morning because I knew it would be a fun session, having met them once before. We began with some Willy’s burritos for lunch (thanks Russell!) then got down to business. It never ceases to amaze me what you can accomplish with acoustic guitars, a mic, and some software. I used my PreSonus Bluetube as a preamp and got some warm tones. It has two channels so I was able to record the guitar and mic at the same time (aka “multitrack“). For vocals, my Shure Beta 58A did just fine. We experimented with different tempos and rhythms … I threw out some musical ideas, mostly Blues and Roots guitar … Axum responded with melodies and lyrics … magically we found a common ground and ended the evening with five songs! Not sure which ones will make it to the finish line but what a great start!

Today I’m laying electric guitar and Hammond tracks. Hoping to post some rough mixes soon, so stay tuned! If I’m feeling bold, I’ll create some basic beats with Fruity Loops It’s a little intimidating trying to create beats when your audience is Hip Hop duo Axum!

If you missed the Axum + Dubconscious concert last Saturday, you truly missed out. Catch them whenever you can, it’s the real deal.

Tags: Apache Cafe, arts, atlanta, Axum, Electric guitar, guitar, Hip hop, Israel, Israeli, music, singing, Stringed
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On break reflecting

Sunday, December 20th, 2009

: Image via Wikipedia

The scene: Harrah’s CMT Crossroads backstage. Finished set 1, on break. As I sit here resting, the subwoofers pulsating through the entire building as Daniel (soundman/DJ) energizes the dance floor, I can’t help but pat myself on the back. I’m playing better than A-game. I’m on a whole new level of A-game, partly thanks to the professionalism of Five Star Iris. I’ve always run a tight ship within myself but these guys inspire me to excell beyond. Also fueling this revival is “Year Of The Ox,” which will drop in 2010. Writing has gotten my creative juices flowing.
Hopefully you (readers) will JOIN US and experience this in the near future! 5si plays Smiths Olde Bar on February 12. MARK YOUR CALENDARS.
~Nick

Tags: 5si, arts, break, CMT Crossroads, Dance, Games, music, Organizations, ox, People, ponder, reflecting, smiths olde bar, think, universe, Women, year, YOTO
Posted in Tour Diary | No Comments »

WUGA 90.1 FM / TV today!

Friday, November 20th, 2009

: Image by Getty Images via Daylife

Nick is on the radio today! From 4-5 PM EST, tune into 90.1 FM or click here for live streaming audio for a live performance and interview on “The Classic” Athens, GA station.