Michael Colina
Encyclopedia
Michael Dalmau Colina is a GRAMMY-winning American musician
, composer
, producer
and engineer
. He has written music
for television, film, theatre, dance and live performances on concert stages throughout the United States, Europe and Japan. Colina is best known as producer and writer on recordings for musicians Bob James
, David Sanborn
, Michael Brecker
, Marcus Miller
, Bill Evans
and Michael Franks. He has won three gold albums, has received four Grammy Award
nominations, and won three Grammy Awards for Best Contemporary Jazz Album.
In 2006, Colina dramatically shifted his music career to focus on writing classical
, jazz
and latin music compositions—distinctive mashups
that reflect his deep musical roots in his father’s homeland of Cuba
.
. He was adopted by Dr. Gilbert Dalmau Colina, a pharmacist, and Marguerite Elizabeth (Taylor) Colina. Colina’s father was from Casilda, Cuba so his youth was spent traveling between the United States and Cuba where he was exposed to the sounds of classical and Latin music as well as to the Soul
and Gospel music
from America’s south.
Colina had many of his earliest works performed by the Conductor Robert Maddox
with the Garinger High School Orchestra in Charlotte, North Carolina, including his first Piano Concerto
that Colina premiered in 1965 at the age of 15.
Colina studied composition at the North Carolina School of the Arts
with Vittorio Giannini
, Louis Mennini (brother of composer Peter Mennin
) and Robert Ward. He continued studies at the Chigiana in Sienna, Italy with Thomas Pasatieri
and Roman Vlad
, and was the first recipient of the Vittorio Giannini Memorial Scholarship award.
Upon completion of his formal education, Colina moved to New York City
in 1970 to begin a career in music. His first project as an engineer was to work on The Art of the Theremin
, the first official album by Clara Rockmore
, produced by synthesizer icon Robert Moog
, and released in 1977 by Delos International
.
In 1971, choreographer Twyla Tharp
asked Colina to arrange a number of British Marching Band pieces for her company.
Over a 25-year span of time, Colina has worked with a wide range of artists, including James Taylor
, David Sanborn
, George Benson
, Michael Brecker
, Linda Ronstadt
, Bonnie Raitt
, Bob James
and Herbie Hancock
.
"As a deeper appreciation and integration of my Cuban heritage takes hold in my life, new elements continue to pour into my writing and find their expression in my very personal blend of music...There’s already a friendly tension in play between classical and jazz music; with the addition of Latin influences, comes brightness and a joyous abandon that takes the music further in a new direction. That new direction is what you’ll hear in my music.”
Colina emerged onto the classical music scene in November 2006 when his composition "Nesting Dolls" was selected as a finalist by the Kremlin Chamber Orchestra for their "Homage to Mozart" composition competition and performed at Carnegie Hall
.
Colina followed his Carnegie Hall debut with a flurry of new works in 2007, among them: “Shadow of Urbano,” written for the Quartet San Francisco
and jazz pianist Bob James; “Notturno for Violin and Piano,” and “Der Golem,” performed by Grammy-nominated violinist Anastasia Khitruk
.
In 2008, Colina premiered The “Idoru Piano Trio,” introduced to the world by the New Arts Trio at the Chautauqua Institute; “Los Caprichos,” an orchestral work commissioned by the National Theater Orchestra of Brazil that premiered in Brazilia and Sao Paulo, Brazil; his guitar concerto, “Goyescana,” commissioned by classical guitarist, Dr. Robert Phillips and premiered by the Imperial Symphony Orchestra in Lakeland, Florida
, and Baion de Bayo, commissioned by the Quintet of the Americas and that premiered in New York City.
In 2010, the Buffalo Symphony Orchestra, with JoAnn Falletta
conducting, premiered Colina’s “Mambosa,” a Cuban Dance for Orchestra. Los Caprichos was performed again in Seoul, South Korea and in Bogatta, Columbia, and had its United States premiere by Fabio Mechetti and the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra
in May 2010.
Also in 2010, Colina recorded a CD of his Violin Concerto
, Three Cabinets of Wonder, the Flute Concerto, Isles of Shoals, the Guitar Concerto, "Goyescana," Los Caprichos, and the Unbearable Lightness of Being with the London Symphony Orchestra
, Ira Levin
and Ransom Wilson
conducting.
Mass for orchestra, chorus and soprano solo; Conducted by Robert Ward (Premiered 1970)
Incidental Music for “A Midsummer's Night Dream,” NCSA Production, Directed by Barry Boys (1970)
“The Cave,” a ballet score for orchestra (1970)
“The People,” for full orchestra commissioned by Richard Kuch and the Boston Ballet (1972)
“You'll Never See Another Butterfly,” a ballet score commissioned by Sophie Maslow (1972)
Incidental Music to “Anthony and Cleopatra,” commissioned by New York Shakespeare Theater (1973)
Four Songs to poems of Dylan Thomas (1973)
“Notturno,” a piano solo (1974)
Meditation for four cellos (1975)
“A Time of Crickets,” a ballet score for Pauline Koner supported by National Endowment for the Arts and the Mary Biddle Duke Foundation (1976)
Elegy for string ensemble (1976)
“7 Days in December,” for woodwind trio (1983)
Piano Concertino (2001)
• “Allegro”
• “Andante con Mosso”
• “Presto Scherzando”
Sestina Mutations for piano (2002)
• “Sestina Mutations”
• “Dream of Peace”
• “Toccata”
“Margaret's Oriental Fragments” for Soprano & Wind Quintet (2004)
• “Love's Secret”
• “Spring & Fall”
• “I Spoke to Thee”
“Disturbing the Silence” for string quartet recorded by the Sybarite Quintet (2005)
• “Disturbing the Silence”
• “Schrodinger's Cat”
• “Succubus”
• “Lady of Arosa”
• “Nesting Dolls,” selected as a winning composition in the “Homage to Mozart” Competition and performed by the Chamber Orchestra Kremlin at Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall; conducted by Mischa Rachlevsky
“Der Golum,” a solo violin work written for Anastasia Khitruk (Premiered NYC, November 2007)
(“Notturno for Piano and Violin,” Anatasia Khitruk (violin), Felice Kuan (piano) (2007)
• “Jota De Alba” piano solo
• “Sestina Movement” piano solo recorded by Pierce Emata
“Shadow of Urbano,” solo piano and string quintet (Premiered by the Quartet San Francisco and pianist Bob James, November 2007)
• “Mambosa,” also arranged for harp, flute and string quartet commissioned by Canta Libre Chamber Ensemble
“Habanera,” trio for flute, piano and clarinet commissioned by the Palisades Virtuosi (2007)
“Baion De Bayo for Windwood Quintet,” commissioned by the Quintet of the Americas (2008)
“Goyescana,” a concerto for guitar and orchestra commissioned by Robert Phillips for performance with the Imperial Symphony Orchestra (2008)
“Los Caprichos,” orchestral works based on the Francisco Goya prints of the same name, commissioned by the National Theatre Orchestra of Brazil and conducted by Maestro Ira Levin (2008)
• World Premier in Sao Paulo, Brazil (October 2008)
• Performed in Seoul, South Korea (November 2009)
• U.S. Premier with the Jacksonville Symphony and Fabio Mechetti, conducting (May 2010)
• Performed in Bogata, Columbia (August 2010)
“Idoru, Piano Trio,” a work for piano, violin and cello commissioned by the New Arts Trio for the 30th Anniversary Season at The Chautauqua Arts Institute (2008)
• “Allegro Chaconne”
• “Andante Con Mosso”
• “Moderato Con Fuoco”
Quintet for piano, violin, cello, flute & clarinet (Premeried at UNCSA, January 2008)
• “Habanera”
• “Gitana”
“Three Cabinets of Wonder,” concerto for violin and orchestra , recorded with the London Symphony, Ira Levin, conducting and Anastasia Khitruk, solo violin (January 2010)
“Unbearable Lightness of Being,” for string orchestra, recorded with the London Symphony Orchestra, Ira Levin, conducting (January 2010)
“Chant D’Auvergne,” Canteloube’s beloved folk song arrangements transformed into Nuevo Tango
• “Nai Pas”
• “Brezairola,” arranged by Michael Colina. Featuring Daniel Binelli (bandoneon), Polly Ferman (piano), Carole Rowley (vocal), Nicolas Danielson (violin), Pablo Asian (bass), and Martin Moretto (guitar)
“The Isles of Shoals,” a concerto for flute and orchestra in three movements; an arrangement for flute & piano was recorded by Duo Brasilis (Music of the Americas, Meta Cultural label)
“To a Stranger,” a song for soprano, tenor and string quartet
“Eye of the Ice,” a ballet score commissioned by Richard Kuch for the NC Dance Theater
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
, composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
, producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
and engineer
Engineer
An engineer is a professional practitioner of engineering, concerned with applying scientific knowledge, mathematics and ingenuity to develop solutions for technical problems. Engineers design materials, structures, machines and systems while considering the limitations imposed by practicality,...
. He has written music
Music
Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
for television, film, theatre, dance and live performances on concert stages throughout the United States, Europe and Japan. Colina is best known as producer and writer on recordings for musicians Bob James
Bob James (musician)
Robert McElhiney James is a jazz keyboardist, arranger and producer.-Biography:During the 1970s, Bob James played a major role in establishing the smooth jazz genre. "Angela", the instrumental theme from the sitcom Taxi, is probably Bob James' most well-known work to date...
, David Sanborn
David Sanborn
David Sanborn is an American alto saxophonist. Though Sanborn has worked in many genres, his solo recordings typically blend jazz with instrumental pop and R&B. He released his first solo album Taking Off in 1975, but has been playing the saxophone since before he was in high school...
, Michael Brecker
Michael Brecker
Michael Leonard Brecker was an American jazz saxophonist and composer. Acknowledged as "a quiet, gentle musician widely regarded as the most influential tenor saxophonist since John Coltrane," he has been awarded 15 Grammy Awards as both performer and composer and was inducted into Down Beat Jazz...
, Marcus Miller
Marcus Miller
Marcus Miller is an American jazz composer, producer, and multi-instrumentalist. Miller is best known as a bassist, working with trumpeter Miles Davis, singer Luther Vandross, and saxophonist David Sanborn, as well as maintaining a prolific solo career...
, Bill Evans
Bill Evans
William John Evans, known as Bill Evans was an American jazz pianist. His use of impressionist harmony, inventive interpretation of traditional jazz repertoire, and trademark rhythmically independent, "singing" melodic lines influenced a generation of pianists including: Chick Corea, Herbie...
and Michael Franks. He has won three gold albums, has received four Grammy Award
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
nominations, and won three Grammy Awards for Best Contemporary Jazz Album.
In 2006, Colina dramatically shifted his music career to focus on writing classical
Classical music
Classical music is the art music produced in, or rooted in, the traditions of Western liturgical and secular music, encompassing a broad period from roughly the 11th century to present times...
, jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
and latin music compositions—distinctive mashups
Mashup (music)
A mashup or bootleg is a song or composition created by blending two or more pre-recorded songs, usually by overlaying the vocal track of one song seamlessly over the instrumental track of another...
that reflect his deep musical roots in his father’s homeland of Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
.
Early Life and Career
Colina was born in Charlotte, North CarolinaCharlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte is the largest city in the U.S. state of North Carolina and the seat of Mecklenburg County. In 2010, Charlotte's population according to the US Census Bureau was 731,424, making it the 17th largest city in the United States based on population. The Charlotte metropolitan area had a 2009...
. He was adopted by Dr. Gilbert Dalmau Colina, a pharmacist, and Marguerite Elizabeth (Taylor) Colina. Colina’s father was from Casilda, Cuba so his youth was spent traveling between the United States and Cuba where he was exposed to the sounds of classical and Latin music as well as to the Soul
Soul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
and Gospel music
Gospel music
Gospel music is music that is written to express either personal, spiritual or a communal belief regarding Christian life, as well as to give a Christian alternative to mainstream secular music....
from America’s south.
Colina had many of his earliest works performed by the Conductor Robert Maddox
Robert Maddox
Robert Foster Maddox was the 41st Mayor of Atlanta, Georgia.Son of early Atlanta settler and war hero Robert Flournoy Maddox, he was educated in public school, and then attending the University of Georgia until 1887 when he completed studies at Harvard.He was Chairman of the board of the Atlanta &...
with the Garinger High School Orchestra in Charlotte, North Carolina, including his first Piano Concerto
Piano concerto
A piano concerto is a concerto written for piano and orchestra.See also harpsichord concerto; some of these works are occasionally played on piano...
that Colina premiered in 1965 at the age of 15.
Colina studied composition at the North Carolina School of the Arts
North Carolina School of the Arts
The University of North Carolina School of the Arts , formerly the North Carolina School of the Arts, is a public coeducational arts conservatory in Winston-Salem, North Carolina that grants high school, undergraduate and graduate degrees. It is one of the seventeen constituent campuses of the...
with Vittorio Giannini
Vittorio Giannini
Vittorio Giannini was a neoromantic American composer of operas, songs, symphonies, and band works.-Life and work:...
, Louis Mennini (brother of composer Peter Mennin
Peter Mennin
Peter Mennin was an American composer and teacher. He directed the Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore, then for many years ran the Juilliard School, succeeding William Schuman in this role...
) and Robert Ward. He continued studies at the Chigiana in Sienna, Italy with Thomas Pasatieri
Thomas Pasatieri
Thomas Pasatieri is an American opera composer.He began composing at age 10 and, as a teenager, studied with Nadia Boulanger...
and Roman Vlad
Roman Vlad
Roman Vlad is an Italian composer, pianist, and musicologist of Romanian birth. He studied with Titus Tarnawski and Liviu Russu in Romania earning a piano diploma. He moved to Rome in 1938 to study at the University of Rome and later the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia...
, and was the first recipient of the Vittorio Giannini Memorial Scholarship award.
Upon completion of his formal education, Colina moved to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
in 1970 to begin a career in music. His first project as an engineer was to work on The Art of the Theremin
The Art of the Theremin
The Art of the Theremin is the first official album by Clara Rockmore, released in 1987 by Delos International.-Track listing:#"Vocalise" – 3:44#"Song of Grusia" – 4:15#"The Swan" – 2:56...
, the first official album by Clara Rockmore
Clara Rockmore
Clara Rockmore was a virtuoso performer of the theremin, an electronic musical instrument.-Biography :Born as Clara Reisenberg in Vilnius, Lithuania, Rockmore was a child prodigy on the violin and entered the Imperial conservatory of Saint Petersburg at the age of five...
, produced by synthesizer icon Robert Moog
Robert Moog
Robert Arthur Moog , commonly called Bob Moog was an American pioneer of electronic music, best known as the inventor of the Moog synthesizer.-Life:...
, and released in 1977 by Delos International
Delos International
Delos International is an American record label. Based in Hollywood, California, it specializes in publishing classical music. The Delos recording label was founded in 1973 by Amelia S. Haygood , one of the most prominent figures in the classical recording industry...
.
In 1971, choreographer Twyla Tharp
Twyla Tharp
Twyla Tharp is an American dancer and choreographer, who lives and works in New York City.-Early years:Tharp was born in 1941 on a farm in Portland, Indiana, and was named after Twila Thornburg, the "Pig Princess" of the 89th Annual Muncie Fair in Indiana.she spend hours working on it to help her...
asked Colina to arrange a number of British Marching Band pieces for her company.
Over a 25-year span of time, Colina has worked with a wide range of artists, including James Taylor
James Taylor
James Vernon Taylor is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. A five-time Grammy Award winner, Taylor was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2000....
, David Sanborn
David Sanborn
David Sanborn is an American alto saxophonist. Though Sanborn has worked in many genres, his solo recordings typically blend jazz with instrumental pop and R&B. He released his first solo album Taking Off in 1975, but has been playing the saxophone since before he was in high school...
, George Benson
George Benson
George Benson is a ten Grammy Award winning American musician, whose production career began at the age of twenty-one as a jazz guitarist....
, Michael Brecker
Michael Brecker
Michael Leonard Brecker was an American jazz saxophonist and composer. Acknowledged as "a quiet, gentle musician widely regarded as the most influential tenor saxophonist since John Coltrane," he has been awarded 15 Grammy Awards as both performer and composer and was inducted into Down Beat Jazz...
, Linda Ronstadt
Linda Ronstadt
Linda Ronstadt is an American popular music recording artist. She has earned eleven Grammy Awards, two Academy of Country Music awards, an Emmy Award, an ALMA Award, numerous United States and internationally certified gold, platinum and multiplatinum albums, in addition to Tony Award and Golden...
, Bonnie Raitt
Bonnie Raitt
Bonnie Lynn Raitt is an American blues singer-songwriter and a renowned slide guitar player. During the 1970s, Raitt released a series of acclaimed roots-influenced albums which incorporated elements of blues, rock, folk and country, but she is perhaps best known for her more commercially...
, Bob James
Bob James (musician)
Robert McElhiney James is a jazz keyboardist, arranger and producer.-Biography:During the 1970s, Bob James played a major role in establishing the smooth jazz genre. "Angela", the instrumental theme from the sitcom Taxi, is probably Bob James' most well-known work to date...
and Herbie Hancock
Herbie Hancock
Herbert Jeffrey "Herbie" Hancock is an American pianist, bandleader and composer. As part of Miles Davis's "second great quintet," Hancock helped to redefine the role of a jazz rhythm section and was one of the primary architects of the "post-bop" sound...
.
Classical Direction
A 1999 trip to Cuba with his late father reawakened Colina’s love for the rhythms of his childhood. After 20 years of collaborating with noted Jazz artists, Colina began writing compositions that reflect a new, classical direction—one that pulls threads from Jazz, Classical, and his Cuban-American heritage, and evident in his later compositions."As a deeper appreciation and integration of my Cuban heritage takes hold in my life, new elements continue to pour into my writing and find their expression in my very personal blend of music...There’s already a friendly tension in play between classical and jazz music; with the addition of Latin influences, comes brightness and a joyous abandon that takes the music further in a new direction. That new direction is what you’ll hear in my music.”
Colina emerged onto the classical music scene in November 2006 when his composition "Nesting Dolls" was selected as a finalist by the Kremlin Chamber Orchestra for their "Homage to Mozart" composition competition and performed at Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, United States, located at 881 Seventh Avenue, occupying the east stretch of Seventh Avenue between West 56th Street and West 57th Street, two blocks south of Central Park....
.
Colina followed his Carnegie Hall debut with a flurry of new works in 2007, among them: “Shadow of Urbano,” written for the Quartet San Francisco
Quartet San Francisco
Quartet San Francisco is a non-traditional and eclectic string quartet led by violinist Jeremy Cohen. The group played their first concert in 2001 and has recorded four albums...
and jazz pianist Bob James; “Notturno for Violin and Piano,” and “Der Golem,” performed by Grammy-nominated violinist Anastasia Khitruk
Anastasia Khitruk
Anastasia Khitruk is a Russian born violin virtuoso. She was a student of Dorothy Delay at the Juilliard School. She has made many recordings of which three were for Naxos: Khandoshkin #8.570028, Grammy nominated Miklos Rozsa Violin Concerto #8.570350, and Leon de Saint-Lubin #8.572019. Several...
.
In 2008, Colina premiered The “Idoru Piano Trio,” introduced to the world by the New Arts Trio at the Chautauqua Institute; “Los Caprichos,” an orchestral work commissioned by the National Theater Orchestra of Brazil that premiered in Brazilia and Sao Paulo, Brazil; his guitar concerto, “Goyescana,” commissioned by classical guitarist, Dr. Robert Phillips and premiered by the Imperial Symphony Orchestra in Lakeland, Florida
Lakeland, Florida
Lakeland is a city in Polk County, Florida, United States, located approximately midway between Tampa and Orlando along Interstate 4. According to the 2008 U.S. Census Bureau estimate, the city had a population of 94,406...
, and Baion de Bayo, commissioned by the Quintet of the Americas and that premiered in New York City.
In 2010, the Buffalo Symphony Orchestra, with JoAnn Falletta
JoAnn Falletta
JoAnn Falletta is an American classical musician and orchestral conductor.Falletta was educated at the Mannes College of Music and The Juilliard School in New York City...
conducting, premiered Colina’s “Mambosa,” a Cuban Dance for Orchestra. Los Caprichos was performed again in Seoul, South Korea and in Bogatta, Columbia, and had its United States premiere by Fabio Mechetti and the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra
Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra
The Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra is an American orchestra based in Jacksonville, Florida. Widely recognized for its high artistic quality, the JSO ranks among the nation’s top 30 to 40 orchestras in terms of number of performances and population served...
in May 2010.
Also in 2010, Colina recorded a CD of his Violin Concerto
Violin concerto
A violin concerto is a concerto for solo violin and instrumental ensemble, customarily orchestra. Such works have been written since the Baroque period, when the solo concerto form was first developed, up through the present day...
, Three Cabinets of Wonder, the Flute Concerto, Isles of Shoals, the Guitar Concerto, "Goyescana," Los Caprichos, and the Unbearable Lightness of Being with the London Symphony Orchestra
London Symphony Orchestra
The London Symphony Orchestra is a major orchestra of the United Kingdom, as well as one of the best-known orchestras in the world. Since 1982, the LSO has been based in London's Barbican Centre.-History:...
, Ira Levin
Ira Levin
Ira Levin was an American author, dramatist and songwriter.-Professional life:Levin attended Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa...
and Ransom Wilson
Ransom Wilson
Ransom Wilson is an American flutist and conductor. Studying at the Juilliard School in New York City, he formed a close friendship with Jean-Pierre Rampal...
conducting.
As producer and artist
- Shadow of Urbano - Private Music (1989)
- Rituals - Private Music (1991)
As producer
- David SanbornDavid SanbornDavid Sanborn is an American alto saxophonist. Though Sanborn has worked in many genres, his solo recordings typically blend jazz with instrumental pop and R&B. He released his first solo album Taking Off in 1975, but has been playing the saxophone since before he was in high school...
- Voyeur - Warner Brothers - with Ray Bardani (1981) - Marcus MillerMarcus MillerMarcus Miller is an American jazz composer, producer, and multi-instrumentalist. Miller is best known as a bassist, working with trumpeter Miles Davis, singer Luther Vandross, and saxophonist David Sanborn, as well as maintaining a prolific solo career...
- Suddenly - Warner Brothers - with Ray Bardani and Marcus Miller - Michael Franks - Objects of Desire - Warner Brothers - with Ray Bardani
- Bob JamesBob James (musician)Robert McElhiney James is a jazz keyboardist, arranger and producer.-Biography:During the 1970s, Bob James played a major role in establishing the smooth jazz genre. "Angela", the instrumental theme from the sitcom Taxi, is probably Bob James' most well-known work to date...
- Obsession - Warner Brothers - with Ray Bardani - Sharon BryantSharon BryantSharon Bryant is an American R&B singer. She began her career as the lead singer of the R&B group Atlantic Starr in 1976.Bryant sang lead on songs such as "When Love Calls" and "Circles"...
- Here I Am - Wings/Polygram - with S. Bryant and R. Galwey - Toko Furuuchi - Strength - Sony Entertainment/Japan
- Marilyn ScottMarilyn ScottMarilyn Scott is an American jazz vocalist.Scott got her start performing locally at age 15. She went to college in San Francisco, singing in both jazz and pop ensembles there. She was noticed by Emilio Castillo, a member of Tower of Power, who hired her to do backing vocals for the group...
- Take Me with You - Warner Brothers - with Ray Bardani and various - Toninho Horta - Foot on the Road - Verve Forecast - with Ray Bardani and various
- Louis Salinas - Mi Soledad - GRP - with Tommy LiPumaTommy LiPumaTommy LiPuma is an American music producer. In his long career, he has worked with many musicians, including Barbra Streisand, Miles Davis, Al Jarreau, Anita Baker, Natalie Cole, Claudine Longet, Dave Mason, the Yellowjackets, Michael Franks, Diana Krall, and The Story...
/Executive Producer - Gil ParrisGil ParrisGil Parris is an American Grammy-nominated rock, blues, jazz and pop guitarist. He graduated from Ardsley High School. After briefly attending the Berklee School of Music, Parris left to tour Europe as part of a musical troupe performing Jesus Christ Superstar before becoming a recording artist...
- Gil Parris - BMG Classics - Jaco Pastorius Tribute - Who Loves You - JVC Entertainment/Japan
- Michael Franks - Abandoned Garden - Warner Brothers - Associate Producer with Matt Pierson
- Hilary JamesHilary JamesHilary James is a British musician. A vocalist and multi-instrumentalist she plays guitar, mando-bass and is a singer, and songwriter. She works mostly with her partner Simon Mayor and with their ensemble the Mandolinquents...
- Behind the Mask - N2K Records - with Phil RamonePhil RamonePhil Ramone is a South-African violinist, composer, recording engineer, and record producer.-Biography:As a young child in South Africa, Ramone was a musical prodigy, beginning to play the violin at age three and performing for Queen Elizabeth II at age ten... - Portrait of Bill EvansBill EvansWilliam John Evans, known as Bill Evans was an American jazz pianist. His use of impressionist harmony, inventive interpretation of traditional jazz repertoire, and trademark rhythmically independent, "singing" melodic lines influenced a generation of pianists including: Chick Corea, Herbie...
- JVC, Japan (2002–2003)
As producer and writer
- David SanbornDavid SanbornDavid Sanborn is an American alto saxophonist. Though Sanborn has worked in many genres, his solo recordings typically blend jazz with instrumental pop and R&B. He released his first solo album Taking Off in 1975, but has been playing the saxophone since before he was in high school...
- Hideaway (1979) - David SanbornDavid SanbornDavid Sanborn is an American alto saxophonist. Though Sanborn has worked in many genres, his solo recordings typically blend jazz with instrumental pop and R&B. He released his first solo album Taking Off in 1975, but has been playing the saxophone since before he was in high school...
- Backstreet - Warner Brothers - with Ray Bardani and Marcus MillerMarcus MillerMarcus Miller is an American jazz composer, producer, and multi-instrumentalist. Miller is best known as a bassist, working with trumpeter Miles Davis, singer Luther Vandross, and saxophonist David Sanborn, as well as maintaining a prolific solo career... - David SanbornDavid SanbornDavid Sanborn is an American alto saxophonist. Though Sanborn has worked in many genres, his solo recordings typically blend jazz with instrumental pop and R&B. He released his first solo album Taking Off in 1975, but has been playing the saxophone since before he was in high school...
- Change of Heart - Warner Brothers - with various - Bob JamesBob James (musician)Robert McElhiney James is a jazz keyboardist, arranger and producer.-Biography:During the 1970s, Bob James played a major role in establishing the smooth jazz genre. "Angela", the instrumental theme from the sitcom Taxi, is probably Bob James' most well-known work to date...
- Restless - Warner Brothers - with Ray Bardani/Writer - Bill EvansBill Evans (saxophonist)Bill Evans is an American jazz saxophonist. His father was a classical piano prodigy and until junior high school Evans studied classical clarinet. Early in his studies he was able to hear such artists as Sonny Stitt and Stan Getz live at the Jazz Showcase in Chicago...
- Push - Lipstick Records - with Various - Andy Snitzer - Ties that Bind - Reprise Records - with various
- Hilary JamesHilary JamesHilary James is a British musician. A vocalist and multi-instrumentalist she plays guitar, mando-bass and is a singer, and songwriter. She works mostly with her partner Simon Mayor and with their ensemble the Mandolinquents...
and Bob JamesBob James (musician)Robert McElhiney James is a jazz keyboardist, arranger and producer.-Biography:During the 1970s, Bob James played a major role in establishing the smooth jazz genre. "Angela", the instrumental theme from the sitcom Taxi, is probably Bob James' most well-known work to date...
- Flesh & Blood - Warner Brothers - with Ray Bardani/Co-Producer - Embong Rijhardo - The Embong Project - Sony Indonesia
- Bob JamesBob James (musician)Robert McElhiney James is a jazz keyboardist, arranger and producer.-Biography:During the 1970s, Bob James played a major role in establishing the smooth jazz genre. "Angela", the instrumental theme from the sitcom Taxi, is probably Bob James' most well-known work to date...
- Playing Hooky - Warner Brothers - Bob JamesBob James (musician)Robert McElhiney James is a jazz keyboardist, arranger and producer.-Biography:During the 1970s, Bob James played a major role in establishing the smooth jazz genre. "Angela", the instrumental theme from the sitcom Taxi, is probably Bob James' most well-known work to date...
- Joy Ride - Warner Brothers - various cuts (1999) - Walter BeasleyWalter BeasleyWalter Beasley is an American saxophonist, a professor of music at the Berklee College of Music, and founder of Affable Publishing and Affable Records.-Biography:Beasley grew up in El Centro, California...
- Won’t You Let Me Love You - Shanachie Entertainment - various cuts (1999) - Nelson RangellNelson RangellNelson Rangell is an American velvet-smooth jazz musician and composer originally from Castle Rock, Colorado. Although Rangell is known for his work with the tenor, alto, and soprano saxophone, his primary instrument is the piccolo flute, which he began playing at the age of 15...
- Like No Tomorrow - Shanachie Entertainment 2000 - various cuts - Kim Waters - From The Heart - Shanachie - various cuts (2001)
- Nestor TorresNestor TorresNestor Torres is a jazz flautist who was born in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico in 1957. He took flute lessons at age 12 and began formal studies at the Escuela Libre de Música, eventually attending Puerto Rico’s Inter-American University. At 18, he moved to New York with his family...
- Cielo Azul- Shanachie Entertainment - various cuts (2001) - Michael LingtonMichael LingtonMichael Lington is a contemporary jazz saxophonist and recording artist.Lington plays a distinctive contemporary saxophone leaning strongly towards the pop side of jazz. He reaches a younger demographic than traditional jazz listeners and is emerging as a contemporary face of jazz.Born in...
- Stay With Me - Rendezvous - various cuts (2004)
As arranger
- Bob JamesBob James (musician)Robert McElhiney James is a jazz keyboardist, arranger and producer.-Biography:During the 1970s, Bob James played a major role in establishing the smooth jazz genre. "Angela", the instrumental theme from the sitcom Taxi, is probably Bob James' most well-known work to date...
and Kirk WhalumKirk WhalumKirk Whalum is an American smooth jazz saxophonist and songwriter. He toured as Whitney Houston's opening act for several years. Whalum has also recorded a series of well received solo albums and film soundtracks, with music ranging from pop to R&B to smooth jazz...
- Joined at the Hip - Warner Brothers
Commissions and Classical Compositions
Canto for orchestra; Conducted by Robert Vodnoy (Premiered Siena, Italy, June 1970)Mass for orchestra, chorus and soprano solo; Conducted by Robert Ward (Premiered 1970)
Incidental Music for “A Midsummer's Night Dream,” NCSA Production, Directed by Barry Boys (1970)
“The Cave,” a ballet score for orchestra (1970)
“The People,” for full orchestra commissioned by Richard Kuch and the Boston Ballet (1972)
“You'll Never See Another Butterfly,” a ballet score commissioned by Sophie Maslow (1972)
Incidental Music to “Anthony and Cleopatra,” commissioned by New York Shakespeare Theater (1973)
Four Songs to poems of Dylan Thomas (1973)
“Notturno,” a piano solo (1974)
Meditation for four cellos (1975)
“A Time of Crickets,” a ballet score for Pauline Koner supported by National Endowment for the Arts and the Mary Biddle Duke Foundation (1976)
Elegy for string ensemble (1976)
“7 Days in December,” for woodwind trio (1983)
Piano Concertino (2001)
• “Allegro”
• “Andante con Mosso”
• “Presto Scherzando”
Sestina Mutations for piano (2002)
• “Sestina Mutations”
• “Dream of Peace”
• “Toccata”
“Margaret's Oriental Fragments” for Soprano & Wind Quintet (2004)
• “Love's Secret”
• “Spring & Fall”
• “I Spoke to Thee”
“Disturbing the Silence” for string quartet recorded by the Sybarite Quintet (2005)
• “Disturbing the Silence”
• “Schrodinger's Cat”
• “Succubus”
• “Lady of Arosa”
• “Nesting Dolls,” selected as a winning composition in the “Homage to Mozart” Competition and performed by the Chamber Orchestra Kremlin at Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall; conducted by Mischa Rachlevsky
“Der Golum,” a solo violin work written for Anastasia Khitruk (Premiered NYC, November 2007)
(“Notturno for Piano and Violin,” Anatasia Khitruk (violin), Felice Kuan (piano) (2007)
• “Jota De Alba” piano solo
• “Sestina Movement” piano solo recorded by Pierce Emata
“Shadow of Urbano,” solo piano and string quintet (Premiered by the Quartet San Francisco and pianist Bob James, November 2007)
• “Mambosa,” also arranged for harp, flute and string quartet commissioned by Canta Libre Chamber Ensemble
“Habanera,” trio for flute, piano and clarinet commissioned by the Palisades Virtuosi (2007)
“Baion De Bayo for Windwood Quintet,” commissioned by the Quintet of the Americas (2008)
“Goyescana,” a concerto for guitar and orchestra commissioned by Robert Phillips for performance with the Imperial Symphony Orchestra (2008)
“Los Caprichos,” orchestral works based on the Francisco Goya prints of the same name, commissioned by the National Theatre Orchestra of Brazil and conducted by Maestro Ira Levin (2008)
• World Premier in Sao Paulo, Brazil (October 2008)
• Performed in Seoul, South Korea (November 2009)
• U.S. Premier with the Jacksonville Symphony and Fabio Mechetti, conducting (May 2010)
• Performed in Bogata, Columbia (August 2010)
“Idoru, Piano Trio,” a work for piano, violin and cello commissioned by the New Arts Trio for the 30th Anniversary Season at The Chautauqua Arts Institute (2008)
• “Allegro Chaconne”
• “Andante Con Mosso”
• “Moderato Con Fuoco”
Quintet for piano, violin, cello, flute & clarinet (Premeried at UNCSA, January 2008)
• “Habanera”
• “Gitana”
“Three Cabinets of Wonder,” concerto for violin and orchestra , recorded with the London Symphony, Ira Levin, conducting and Anastasia Khitruk, solo violin (January 2010)
“Unbearable Lightness of Being,” for string orchestra, recorded with the London Symphony Orchestra, Ira Levin, conducting (January 2010)
“Chant D’Auvergne,” Canteloube’s beloved folk song arrangements transformed into Nuevo Tango
• “Nai Pas”
• “Brezairola,” arranged by Michael Colina. Featuring Daniel Binelli (bandoneon), Polly Ferman (piano), Carole Rowley (vocal), Nicolas Danielson (violin), Pablo Asian (bass), and Martin Moretto (guitar)
“The Isles of Shoals,” a concerto for flute and orchestra in three movements; an arrangement for flute & piano was recorded by Duo Brasilis (Music of the Americas, Meta Cultural label)
“To a Stranger,” a song for soprano, tenor and string quartet
“Eye of the Ice,” a ballet score commissioned by Richard Kuch for the NC Dance Theater
Grammy Awards
- 1979 Hideaway David Sanborn, Warner Bros.
- 1981 Voyeur David Sanborn, Warner Bros.
- 2001 Cielo Azul, Latin Grammy Award, Nestor Torres, Shanachie Records
Other Notable Awards
- Ace Award “Best Film Score,” Finnegan Begin Again, the 1985 Mary Tyler Moore/Robert Preston film; co-composed with saxophonist David Sanborn