Comments for Godfrey, Patrick, Blue Night

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MEDIA INFORMATIONFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE PATRICK GODFREY RELEASES FOURTH ALBUM BLUE NIGHT For his fourth album, Blue Night, Vancouver Island based musician Patrick Godfrey has created seven intricately textured pieces of intensely lyrical and rhythmically charged music, showing varied influences, from the Concert and New Music traditions, to Jazz and World Music.Weaving Dreams is inspired by the Japanese koto music classic, Music of Weaving, and features plucked string sounds, percussion, flutes and mallets. It begins with interwoven patterns of melody building to an intense climax, which is followed by a darkly rhythmic and meditative coda, punctuated by deep percussive accents.River Flow is a piece for flute and keyboard, a lyric solo which evokes the beauty of a gently flowing river. This piece is drawn from the original version for string orchestra and flute.When Lilacs Last Bloomed is a solo harpsichord piece, in two sections. The first is a series of variations separated by a repeated motif, the second a development of figures on a drone bass. The name is taken from Walt Whitman`s Leaves of Grass; the music is for remembrance in Springtime. Sycorax is a piece for guitars, percussion, mallets and bass. It is ritual-like music which is based on a rapid shifting eighth note pattern with mallet and guitar overlays, underscored by a deep bass drone. The name is taken from Shakespeare`s The Tempest......(Sycorax, the witch of Algiers, was the mother of Caliban.)Rainshadows is a three movement piece for solo piano; the first is a gentle series of reflections, the second a gradually intensifying tier of patterns, and the third, a waltz in freetime. This is music for Autumn.Blue Night, the title piece, is for harpsichord and oboe. It is in three movements; the first alternates between motion and rest, and gradually develops into the second movement, which is slow, and dream-like. The third movement is a short energetic coda to the piece. This is night music.Come Down Angels concludes the album. It is an invocation, with a slow, sweeping, mysterious introduction which moves into an uptempo pattern for guitars, strings, flutes, percussion, mallets and bass, and builds to an explosive ending.For distributor information, or to order, call: MEDIA MAGIC 1-800-318-6699 680 Sumas Street, Victoria BC, Canada V8T4S6
BIOGRAPHYPatrick Godfrey, the Vancouver Island based composer and performer who has just released his fourth album, BLUE NIGHT, is one of Canada`s most versatile musicians.Patrick has written the scores for many films, including the 1995 Academy-Award-nominated animation Bob`s Birthday, by David Fine and Alison Snowden , produced by the NFB and Channel 4, London, England. He has, in fact, created the music for three of the last four NFB Oscar-nominated animations, Bob`s Birthday, Snowden and Fine`s George and Rosemary (1987), and The Big Snit (1985) by long-time collaborator Richard Condie.He has created the scores and soundscapes for all of Condie`s animations, including Getting Started, The Apprentice, and the classic The Big Snit. Born in Toronto, in 1948, Patrick Godfrey is self taught, with the exception of two years of intensive study with Samuel Dolin at the Royal Conservatory of Music, in Toronto.His first work was in Yorkville rock bands in the early 1960`s; this was followed by studio work with artists as varied as Bruce Cockburn and Raffi.His personal recording career to date includes three earlier albums. ANCIENT SHIPS, which featured music for piano, harpsichord, and harmonium was released in 1980. Critics described it as "the surfacing of a major talent", and as having "an enormous sense of calm and joy." Keyboard magazine said "His music walks a fine line between naiveté and sophistication, and manages to do so with clarity and grace." BELLS OF EARTH (1983) featured music for solo piano. Downbeat, in a four star review, noted an affinity for Keith Jarrett and Aaron Copland. Cadence called it" the most distinctive solo piano LP of the previous two years "and The Montreal Gazette called it "a refuge in troubled times."SMALL CIRCUS, released in 1985, offered music for solo harpsichord and solo piano. The Globe and Mail said "The harpsichord pieces team with ideas and roll along with a wonderful kinetic sort of energy; the instrument has never been as funky.....".Patrick Godfrey is also active as a producer; as Susan Hammond`s associate producer, he created the evocative soundscapes heard on the well-known Classical Kids productions Mr. Bach Comes To Call, Mozart`s Magic Fantasy, and Beethoven Lives Upstairs. He has also produced recordings for artists as varied as Holly Cole...( Mischief City, with Richard Binsley, written by Governor-General`s Award winner Tim Wynne-Jones and John Roby) , The Flying Bulgar Klezmer Band ...( debut album The Flying Bulgar Klezmer Band, and the Juno Award -nominated Agada), and The Lafayette String Quartet . To send copies of reviews, articles or playlists (very much appreciated), or for further information, we can be contacted by e-mail at appmusic@islandnet.com, fax at 604-656-8879, phone at 604-656-8880, or on the WWW at http:///www.islandnet.com/~appmusic Distribution by: MEDIA MAGIC 1-800-318-6699