Paul Winter Consort
Encyclopedia
The Paul Winter Consort is an American
musical group, led by soprano saxophonist Paul Winter
. Founded in 1967, the group mixes elements of jazz
, classical music
, world music
, and the sounds of animals and nature. They are often classified as new age music
or "ecological jazz", and their unique musical style is often called “Earth Music”. The group has had many lineup changes since it was founded. Long-standing members currently in the group include Paul Winter, cellist Eugene Friesen
, bassist Eliot Wadiopan, jazz oboist Paul McCandless
, and percussionist and frame drum
specialist Glen Velez
. Past members who were part of the group for a considerable length of time include Paul Halley
, Susan Osborn
, Oscar Castro-Neves
, Russ Landau
, David Darling
, Jim Scott and Ronda Larson.
, animal rights, and pacifism
. Paul Winter got the name “consort
” from musical groups of the middle ages
and the Renaissance
which combined the sounds of wind instruments, string instruments, and percussion – the same instruments Winter was interested in using.
The original lineup included Paul Winter on alto and soprano saxophones, cellist Richard Bock
, guitarists Karl Herreshoff and Gene Bertoncini
, flautist Virgil Scott, double reed player Gene Murrow, and percussionist Ruth Ben-Zvi. The group was initially unsatisfied with recording in the stressful environment of a recording studio
, and felt rushed to release albums due to the studio's schedules. The original band released their first and only album, The Winter Consort, in 1968. The group suffered numerous lineup changes in its early stages. Its next album, Something In The Wind
, was released in 1969, and replaced Gene Murrow and Ruth Ben-Zvi with Paul McCandless
and Scott Booker. Another new addition to the group was bassist John Beal. Karl Herreshoff and Gene Bertoncini only appeared on Something In The Wind as guests, along with five other musicians. The group's third album, Road, was released in 1970, and saw further lineup changes. Paul Winter and Paul McCandless were the only remaining members of the previous lineup, with Bock being replaced by David Darling
, and Beal being replaced by Glen Moore
. Other new additions were classical guitarist Ralph Towner
and multi-instrumentalist Colin Walcott. This third album was of greater success than the first two, and had the unique honor of being brought to the moon
by the astronauts on Apollo 15
, who named two craters after the tracks Ghost Beads and Icarus. The bossa-nova flavored tune Icarus was written by Ralph Towner, and is arguably the Paul Winter Consort's most successful song. It has become the signature piece of both The Winter Consort and Ralph Towner, and was included in the standard lead sheet book known as The Real Book.
1971 saw the group have considerable success, and after replacing bassist Glen Moore with Herb Bushler, got the opportunity to create a new album and have it produced by George Martin
, who had gained considerable fame from being the longtime producer
of The Beatles
. Martin gave the group many luxuries they were previously not used to. They were no longer rushed in and out of recording studios, stuck to the studio's schedules. They also didn't have to deal with the cramped space of the studio, with Martin suggesting they create the album in a rented house near the ocean. The Consort was encouraged to nourish its music and sense of community, and the end result was the landmark album Icarus, which was released in 1972, which George Martin described as “the finest album I've ever made”. 1972 also saw the departure of many important members of the group: Towner, McCandless, and Wilcott all left to focus on their own new group with former Consort bassist Glen Moore, called Oregon.
The group took a long hiatus from recording, and Paul Winter spent much of his time further researching the idea of creating music with animals. These experiments culminated in his experimental 1978 solo album Common Ground
, which featured many members of the Consorts past, as well as many of the musicians that would shape the Paul Winter Consort in the future.
, Paul Winter founded Living Music, his own personal record label
. Almost all of Paul Winter's musical endeavors have since been released on the Living Music label. Having his own record label allowed him to take the time he desired to create his albums, and allowed him to create them using naturally acoustic spaces as opposed to the artificial acoustics of a recording studio.
Another new change came 1979 when Paul Winter and the Paul Winter Consort agreed to be the artists-in-residence at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine. There, Paul Winter met pianist and organist Paul Halley
, who would become a performer and composer for the Paul Winter Consort for 20 years. Paul Winter and his Consort began organizing many different events at the Cathedral, and in turn the Cathedral allowed the use of its very reverberant sanctuary (with a measured seven seconds of reverberation time) and its organ for the creation of new albums.
The Consort appeared on many of Paul Winter's projects throughout the 1980s. With their new lineup of Paul Winter
on soprano saxophone, Nancy Rumbel on oboe and english horn, Paul Halley
on piano and organ, ground-breaking jazz cellist Eugene Friesen
, Jim Scott on guitars, and world percussionist Ted Moore
, The Consort recorded Winter's album Callings, which further examined the possibility of creating music with wildlife. As a result of this album, March 1st was designated as the International Day of the Seal. It was also in 1980 that the first Summer Solstice
and Winter Solstice
celebrations were planned at the Cathedral, which have been an annual event since their creation. Another project taken on as a result of their position as artists-in-residence was the Earth Mass
, a contemporary mass which includes music from around the world and the use of the sounds of wolves, whales, and loons to create the melodies for each of the movements. The mass was completed and premiered in 1982, and featured a choir of 300, and vocalist Susan Osborn
, a former member of the Consort.
Another first for Paul Winter and his Consort came in 1985. Now including guitarist Oscar Castro-Neves
and percussionist Glen Velez
, the Consort took a number of rafting expeditions down the Colorado River
, eventually recording the Paul Winter album Canyon
in the inlets and side canyons of the Grand Canyon
. The album was a new experiment, with Paul Winter playing with the natural acoustics of the Grand Canyon. 1985 also marked the first release by the Paul Winter Consort since 1972: a live album recorded at the United Nations
titled Concert For The Earth. The concert was part of the 40th birthday celebration of the UN, and also was a landmark accomplishment for Paul Winter. The concert featured a 'reunion' consort of 12 musicians, with the addition of new Consort bassist Russ Landau
, former member Susan Osborn
, and guest musicians, including a 90 piece choir.
By 1987, the Consort had had another lineup change: Jim Scott had left the group, flautist Rhonda Larson became part of the group, and Neil Clark had joined as a percussionist. It was during this time that the group made a new connection: The Dmitri Pokrovsky Ensemble, a vocal group from Russia
that was dedicated to the performance of traditional Russian folk music, had agreed to create an album with Paul Winter. The milestone album, Earthbeat, was recorded in both New York City
and Moscow
, and was the first album of original music created by Americans and Russians together. This achievement came only a few years before the collapse of the Soviet Union
, and the end of the Cold War
.
An 'extended' Paul Winter Consort of 18 musicians was also featured on Paul Winter's 1990 album Earth: Voices Of A Planet
. The album was a commissioned work to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Earth Day
, and was premiered in Times Square
. 1990 also saw the group record a new album: The Man Who Planted Trees
. The album was a companion to the narration of the story of the same name by Jean Giono
. The album featured Mark Perchanok on heckelphone
. Another Paul Winter Consort album came in 1991: a live recording from the 1978 Paul Winter Consort and guests called Turtle Island. This large piece also featured the poetry of Gary Snyder
. Also in 1991, the Consort was featured as a backing band on Paul Halley's solo album Angel On A Stone Wall.
The next record featured a lineup change once again, with Russ Landau
being replaced by bassist Eliot Wadiopan. The 1993 Spanish Angel was the group's first Grammy award winning album (although some of Paul Winter's albums which the Consort was featured on had won Grammy awards in the past decade). The album was the group's third live album, recorded during their 1992 tour of Spain
.
also chose to leave the group, still appearing as a guest artist on a regular basis. Paul Halley
left the group in 2000 to concentrate on his career as a choir director, organist, and composer. It wasn't until 2005 that a new Paul Winter Consort album was released: The Grammy award winning Silver Solstice
. The album was a two disc album of the live performance of the 25th Winter Solstice Celebration. As all Winter Solstice Celebrations do, it includes a large number of guest musicians, many of which had collaborated with Paul Winter or his Consort in the past.
An album of new material from the Consort came in 2007: The Grammy award winning album Crestone
. The album was recorded up in the Rocky Mountains
in Colorado
, near the town of Crestone. It was another example of the group's interest in natural, and in some cases, challenging acoustic spaces. The album also marked the return of Consort veteran Paul McCandless
. Also joining the group was Don Grusin
. The newest album of music from the Consort was released in October 2010. The album, Miho: Journey to the Mountain
, was commissioned by the Miho Museum
in Japan. The album was recorded inside the corridors of the museum. It won the 2011 Grammy Award
for Best New Age Album
, the Consort's fourth Grammy win.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
musical group, led by soprano saxophonist Paul Winter
Paul Winter
Paul Winter is an American saxophonist , and is a six-time Grammy Award nominee.- Biography :Paul Winter attended Altoona Area High School and graduated in 1957...
. Founded in 1967, the group mixes elements of 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...
, classical music
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...
, world music
World music
World music is a term with widely varying definitions, often encompassing music which is primarily identified as another genre. This is evidenced by world music definitions such as "all of the music in the world" or "somebody else's local music"...
, and the sounds of animals and nature. They are often classified as new age music
New Age music
New Age music is music of various styles intended to create artistic inspiration, relaxation, and optimism. It is used by listeners for yoga, massage, meditation, and reading as a method of stress management or to create a peaceful atmosphere in their home or other environments, and is often...
or "ecological jazz", and their unique musical style is often called “Earth Music”. The group has had many lineup changes since it was founded. Long-standing members currently in the group include Paul Winter, cellist Eugene Friesen
Eugene Friesen
Eugene Friesen is an American cellist and composer.Friesen is a graduate of the Yale School of Music. He has been a member of the Paul Winter Consort since 1978, and performs with Howard Levy and Glen Velez as Trio Globo...
, bassist Eliot Wadiopan, jazz oboist Paul McCandless
Paul McCandless
Paul McCandless, Jr. is an American jazz woodwind player and composer. He is one of few expert jazz oboists, and also plays English horn, soprano saxophone, sopranino saxophone, bass clarinet, clarinet, and pennywhistle, among other instruments.He has performed with the Paul Winter Consort and is...
, and percussionist and frame drum
Frame drum
A frame drum is a drum that has a drumhead width greater than its depth. Usually the single drumhead is made of rawhide or man-made materials. Shells are traditionally constructed of bent wood scarf jointed together; plywood and man-made materials are also used. Some frame drums have mechanical...
specialist Glen Velez
Glen Velez
Glen Velez is an American percussionist, vocalist, and composer, specializing in frame drums from around the world. He is largely responsible for the increasing popularity of frame drums in the United States and around the world....
. Past members who were part of the group for a considerable length of time include Paul Halley
Paul Halley
Paul Halley is an organist, singer, pianist, and composer. He is perhaps best known as being a member of and composer for the Paul Winter Consort.- Biography :...
, Susan Osborn
Susan Osborn
Susan Osborn is a vocalist who came to prominence as the lead singer for the Paul Winter Consort 1978 to 1985. She can be heard on such albums as "Common Ground", "Missa Gaia." and "Concert For the Earth." Since leaving the Paul Winter Consort, Osborn has relocated to Orcas Island in the state of...
, Oscar Castro-Neves
Oscar Castro-Neves
Oscar Castro-Neves is a Brazilian guitarist, arranger, and composer who is considered a founding figure in Bossa nova. He was born as one of triplets and formed a band with his brothers in his youth. At 16 he had a national hit with Chora Tua Tristeza. Many of the early Bossa Nova musicians began...
, Russ Landau
Russ Landau
Russ Landau is an American composer of film and television scores and themes including Survivor, Fear Factor, and Pirate Master for which he won an Emmy in 2008.-References:...
, David Darling
David Darling (musician)
David Darling is an American cellist and composer. He won the Grammy award for Best New Age Album in 2010. He has performed and recorded with artists such as Bobby McFerrin and Spyro Gyra in addition to putting out several solo and small ensemble albums as well as albums of his...
, Jim Scott and Ronda Larson.
The Early Winter Consort (1967 - 1978)
The Paul Winter Consort was founded in 1967 by Paul Winter, who had already begun a promising career as a jazz saxophonist in the early sixties. After hearing the songs of humpback whales, he was inspired to create a new form of music which would bring together elements of music from around the world as well as animal songs, thus creating an “orchestra of the entire world”. This artistic message was in line with Winter's growing interest in environmentalismEnvironmentalism
Environmentalism is a broad philosophy, ideology and social movement regarding concerns for environmental conservation and improvement of the health of the environment, particularly as the measure for this health seeks to incorporate the concerns of non-human elements...
, animal rights, and pacifism
Pacifism
Pacifism is the opposition to war and violence. The term "pacifism" was coined by the French peace campaignerÉmile Arnaud and adopted by other peace activists at the tenth Universal Peace Congress inGlasgow in 1901.- Definition :...
. Paul Winter got the name “consort
Consort of instruments
A consort of instruments was a phrase used in England during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries to indicate an instrumental ensemble. These could be of the same or a variety of instruments. Consort music enjoyed considerable popularity at court and in households of the wealthy in the...
” from musical groups of the middle ages
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
and the Renaissance
Renaissance
The Renaissance was a cultural movement that spanned roughly the 14th to the 17th century, beginning in Italy in the Late Middle Ages and later spreading to the rest of Europe. The term is also used more loosely to refer to the historical era, but since the changes of the Renaissance were not...
which combined the sounds of wind instruments, string instruments, and percussion – the same instruments Winter was interested in using.
The original lineup included Paul Winter on alto and soprano saxophones, cellist Richard Bock
Richard Bock
Richard W. Bock was an American sculptor and associate of Frank Lloyd Wright.He was particularly known for his sculptural decorations for architecture and military memorials, along with the work he conducted alongside Wright....
, guitarists Karl Herreshoff and Gene Bertoncini
Gene Bertoncini
-Biography:Bertoncini was born in New York City, where he was raised in a musical family. His father played guitar and harmonica. Bertoncini began playing guitar at age seven and by age sixteen was appearing on television. He graduated from high school and attended the University of Notre Dame,...
, flautist Virgil Scott, double reed player Gene Murrow, and percussionist Ruth Ben-Zvi. The group was initially unsatisfied with recording in the stressful environment of a recording studio
Recording studio
A recording studio is a facility for sound recording and mixing. Ideally both the recording and monitoring spaces are specially designed by an acoustician to achieve optimum acoustic properties...
, and felt rushed to release albums due to the studio's schedules. The original band released their first and only album, The Winter Consort, in 1968. The group suffered numerous lineup changes in its early stages. Its next album, Something In The Wind
Something in the Wind
Something in the Wind is an American feature film directed by Irving Pichel, released by Universal Studios, and starring Donald O'Connor and Deanna Durbin....
, was released in 1969, and replaced Gene Murrow and Ruth Ben-Zvi with Paul McCandless
Paul McCandless
Paul McCandless, Jr. is an American jazz woodwind player and composer. He is one of few expert jazz oboists, and also plays English horn, soprano saxophone, sopranino saxophone, bass clarinet, clarinet, and pennywhistle, among other instruments.He has performed with the Paul Winter Consort and is...
and Scott Booker. Another new addition to the group was bassist John Beal. Karl Herreshoff and Gene Bertoncini only appeared on Something In The Wind as guests, along with five other musicians. The group's third album, Road, was released in 1970, and saw further lineup changes. Paul Winter and Paul McCandless were the only remaining members of the previous lineup, with Bock being replaced by David Darling
David Darling (musician)
David Darling is an American cellist and composer. He won the Grammy award for Best New Age Album in 2010. He has performed and recorded with artists such as Bobby McFerrin and Spyro Gyra in addition to putting out several solo and small ensemble albums as well as albums of his...
, and Beal being replaced by Glen Moore
Glen Moore
Glen Moore is a jazz bassist who occasionally performs on piano, flute and violin.His performing career began at age 14 with the Young Oregonians in Portland, Oregon where he met and played with Native American saxophonist, Jim Pepper. He graduated with a degree in History and Literature from the...
. Other new additions were classical guitarist Ralph Towner
Ralph Towner
Ralph Towner is an American multi-instrumentalist, composer, arranger and bandleader. He plays the twelve-string guitar, classical guitar, piano, synthesizer, percussion and trumpet.-Biography:...
and multi-instrumentalist Colin Walcott. This third album was of greater success than the first two, and had the unique honor of being brought to the moon
Moon
The Moon is Earth's only known natural satellite,There are a number of near-Earth asteroids including 3753 Cruithne that are co-orbital with Earth: their orbits bring them close to Earth for periods of time but then alter in the long term . These are quasi-satellites and not true moons. For more...
by the astronauts on Apollo 15
Apollo 15
Apollo 15 was the ninth manned mission in the American Apollo space program, the fourth to land on the Moon and the eighth successful manned mission. It was the first of what were termed "J missions", long duration stays on the Moon with a greater focus on science than had been possible on previous...
, who named two craters after the tracks Ghost Beads and Icarus. The bossa-nova flavored tune Icarus was written by Ralph Towner, and is arguably the Paul Winter Consort's most successful song. It has become the signature piece of both The Winter Consort and Ralph Towner, and was included in the standard lead sheet book known as The Real Book.
1971 saw the group have considerable success, and after replacing bassist Glen Moore with Herb Bushler, got the opportunity to create a new album and have it produced by George Martin
George Martin
Sir George Henry Martin CBE is an English record producer, arranger, composer and musician. He is sometimes referred to as "the Fifth Beatle"— a title that he often describes as "nonsense," but the fact remains that he served as producer on all but one of The Beatles' original albums...
, who had gained considerable fame from being the longtime 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...
of The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
. Martin gave the group many luxuries they were previously not used to. They were no longer rushed in and out of recording studios, stuck to the studio's schedules. They also didn't have to deal with the cramped space of the studio, with Martin suggesting they create the album in a rented house near the ocean. The Consort was encouraged to nourish its music and sense of community, and the end result was the landmark album Icarus, which was released in 1972, which George Martin described as “the finest album I've ever made”. 1972 also saw the departure of many important members of the group: Towner, McCandless, and Wilcott all left to focus on their own new group with former Consort bassist Glen Moore, called Oregon.
The group took a long hiatus from recording, and Paul Winter spent much of his time further researching the idea of creating music with animals. These experiments culminated in his experimental 1978 solo album Common Ground
Common Ground (Paul Winter album)
Common Ground is an album released by Paul Winter in 1978 for A&M Records Inc. Songs on the album include elements of different musical styles coupled with the sounds of whales, wolves and eagles.-Track listing:# "Ancient Voices "# "Eagle"...
, which featured many members of the Consorts past, as well as many of the musicians that would shape the Paul Winter Consort in the future.
Artists-In-Residence and Living Music (1978 - 1993)
After the release of the ground-breaking album Common GroundCommon Ground (Paul Winter album)
Common Ground is an album released by Paul Winter in 1978 for A&M Records Inc. Songs on the album include elements of different musical styles coupled with the sounds of whales, wolves and eagles.-Track listing:# "Ancient Voices "# "Eagle"...
, Paul Winter founded Living Music, his own personal record label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
. Almost all of Paul Winter's musical endeavors have since been released on the Living Music label. Having his own record label allowed him to take the time he desired to create his albums, and allowed him to create them using naturally acoustic spaces as opposed to the artificial acoustics of a recording studio.
Another new change came 1979 when Paul Winter and the Paul Winter Consort agreed to be the artists-in-residence at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine. There, Paul Winter met pianist and organist Paul Halley
Paul Halley
Paul Halley is an organist, singer, pianist, and composer. He is perhaps best known as being a member of and composer for the Paul Winter Consort.- Biography :...
, who would become a performer and composer for the Paul Winter Consort for 20 years. Paul Winter and his Consort began organizing many different events at the Cathedral, and in turn the Cathedral allowed the use of its very reverberant sanctuary (with a measured seven seconds of reverberation time) and its organ for the creation of new albums.
The Consort appeared on many of Paul Winter's projects throughout the 1980s. With their new lineup of Paul Winter
Paul Winter
Paul Winter is an American saxophonist , and is a six-time Grammy Award nominee.- Biography :Paul Winter attended Altoona Area High School and graduated in 1957...
on soprano saxophone, Nancy Rumbel on oboe and english horn, Paul Halley
Paul Halley
Paul Halley is an organist, singer, pianist, and composer. He is perhaps best known as being a member of and composer for the Paul Winter Consort.- Biography :...
on piano and organ, ground-breaking jazz cellist Eugene Friesen
Eugene Friesen
Eugene Friesen is an American cellist and composer.Friesen is a graduate of the Yale School of Music. He has been a member of the Paul Winter Consort since 1978, and performs with Howard Levy and Glen Velez as Trio Globo...
, Jim Scott on guitars, and world percussionist Ted Moore
Ted Moore
Ted Moore, B.S.C. was a cinematographer and camera operator on nearly fifty films, and is probably most famous for his work on seven of the James Bond films in the 1960s and early 1970s.-Biography:...
, The Consort recorded Winter's album Callings, which further examined the possibility of creating music with wildlife. As a result of this album, March 1st was designated as the International Day of the Seal. It was also in 1980 that the first Summer Solstice
Summer solstice
The summer solstice occurs exactly when the axial tilt of a planet's semi-axis in a given hemisphere is most inclined towards the star that it orbits. Earth's maximum axial tilt to our star, the Sun, during a solstice is 23° 26'. Though the summer solstice is an instant in time, the term is also...
and Winter Solstice
Winter solstice
Winter solstice may refer to:* Winter solstice, astronomical event* Winter Solstice , former band* Winter Solstice: North , seasonal songs* Winter Solstice , 2005 American film...
celebrations were planned at the Cathedral, which have been an annual event since their creation. Another project taken on as a result of their position as artists-in-residence was the Earth Mass
Earth mass
Earth mass is the unit of mass equal to that of the Earth. 1 M⊕ = 5.9722 × 1024 kg. Earth mass is often used to describe masses of rocky terrestrial planets....
, a contemporary mass which includes music from around the world and the use of the sounds of wolves, whales, and loons to create the melodies for each of the movements. The mass was completed and premiered in 1982, and featured a choir of 300, and vocalist Susan Osborn
Susan Osborn
Susan Osborn is a vocalist who came to prominence as the lead singer for the Paul Winter Consort 1978 to 1985. She can be heard on such albums as "Common Ground", "Missa Gaia." and "Concert For the Earth." Since leaving the Paul Winter Consort, Osborn has relocated to Orcas Island in the state of...
, a former member of the Consort.
Another first for Paul Winter and his Consort came in 1985. Now including guitarist Oscar Castro-Neves
Oscar Castro-Neves
Oscar Castro-Neves is a Brazilian guitarist, arranger, and composer who is considered a founding figure in Bossa nova. He was born as one of triplets and formed a band with his brothers in his youth. At 16 he had a national hit with Chora Tua Tristeza. Many of the early Bossa Nova musicians began...
and percussionist Glen Velez
Glen Velez
Glen Velez is an American percussionist, vocalist, and composer, specializing in frame drums from around the world. He is largely responsible for the increasing popularity of frame drums in the United States and around the world....
, the Consort took a number of rafting expeditions down the Colorado River
Colorado River
The Colorado River , is a river in the Southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico, approximately long, draining a part of the arid regions on the western slope of the Rocky Mountains. The watershed of the Colorado River covers in parts of seven U.S. states and two Mexican states...
, eventually recording the Paul Winter album Canyon
Canyon (Paul Winter album)
Canyon is an album released in 1985 by Paul Winter, featuring his Paul Winter Consort. It was recorded in a small side canyon located in the Grand Canyon, which the members of the Consort nicknamed Bach's canyon, due to its 7 second reverberation, which made a perfect place to record music...
in the inlets and side canyons of the Grand Canyon
Grand Canyon
The Grand Canyon is a steep-sided canyon carved by the Colorado River in the United States in the state of Arizona. It is largely contained within the Grand Canyon National Park, the 15th national park in the United States...
. The album was a new experiment, with Paul Winter playing with the natural acoustics of the Grand Canyon. 1985 also marked the first release by the Paul Winter Consort since 1972: a live album recorded at the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
titled Concert For The Earth. The concert was part of the 40th birthday celebration of the UN, and also was a landmark accomplishment for Paul Winter. The concert featured a 'reunion' consort of 12 musicians, with the addition of new Consort bassist Russ Landau
Russ Landau
Russ Landau is an American composer of film and television scores and themes including Survivor, Fear Factor, and Pirate Master for which he won an Emmy in 2008.-References:...
, former member Susan Osborn
Susan Osborn
Susan Osborn is a vocalist who came to prominence as the lead singer for the Paul Winter Consort 1978 to 1985. She can be heard on such albums as "Common Ground", "Missa Gaia." and "Concert For the Earth." Since leaving the Paul Winter Consort, Osborn has relocated to Orcas Island in the state of...
, and guest musicians, including a 90 piece choir.
By 1987, the Consort had had another lineup change: Jim Scott had left the group, flautist Rhonda Larson became part of the group, and Neil Clark had joined as a percussionist. It was during this time that the group made a new connection: The Dmitri Pokrovsky Ensemble, a vocal group from Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
that was dedicated to the performance of traditional Russian folk music, had agreed to create an album with Paul Winter. The milestone album, Earthbeat, was recorded in both 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...
and Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
, and was the first album of original music created by Americans and Russians together. This achievement came only a few years before the collapse of the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
, and the end of the Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
.
An 'extended' Paul Winter Consort of 18 musicians was also featured on Paul Winter's 1990 album Earth: Voices Of A Planet
Earth: Voices of a Planet
Earth: Voices of a Planet is an album released by Paul Winter in 1990. The album was a commissioned for the 20th anniversary of Earth Day, and was premiered in Times Square by the Paul Winter Consort and special guests. The album is a tribute to the Earth, and features at least one instrument or...
. The album was a commissioned work to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Earth Day
Earth Day
Earth Day is a day that is intended to inspire awareness and appreciation for the Earth's natural environment. The name and concept of Earth Day was allegedly pioneered by John McConnell in 1969 at a UNESCO Conference in San Francisco. The first Proclamation of Earth Day was by San Francisco, the...
, and was premiered in Times Square
Times Square
Times Square is a major commercial intersection in the borough of Manhattan in New York City, at the junction of Broadway and Seventh Avenue and stretching from West 42nd to West 47th Streets...
. 1990 also saw the group record a new album: The Man Who Planted Trees
The Man Who Planted Trees
The Man Who Planted Trees , also known as The Story of Elzéard Bouffier, The Most Extraordinary Character I Ever Met, and The Man Who Planted Hope and Reaped Happiness, is an allegorical tale by French author Jean Giono, published in 1953.It tells the story of one shepherd's long and successful...
. The album was a companion to the narration of the story of the same name by Jean Giono
Jean Giono
Jean Giono was a French author who wrote works of fiction set in the Provence region of France.-First period:...
. The album featured Mark Perchanok on heckelphone
Heckelphone
The heckelphone is a musical instrument invented by Wilhelm Heckel and his sons. Introduced in 1904, it is similar to the oboe but pitched an octave lower.-General characteristics:...
. Another Paul Winter Consort album came in 1991: a live recording from the 1978 Paul Winter Consort and guests called Turtle Island. This large piece also featured the poetry of Gary Snyder
Gary Snyder
Gary Snyder is an American poet , as well as an essayist, lecturer, and environmental activist . Snyder is a winner of a Pulitzer Prize for Poetry...
. Also in 1991, the Consort was featured as a backing band on Paul Halley's solo album Angel On A Stone Wall.
The next record featured a lineup change once again, with Russ Landau
Russ Landau
Russ Landau is an American composer of film and television scores and themes including Survivor, Fear Factor, and Pirate Master for which he won an Emmy in 2008.-References:...
being replaced by bassist Eliot Wadiopan. The 1993 Spanish Angel was the group's first Grammy award winning album (although some of Paul Winter's albums which the Consort was featured on had won Grammy awards in the past decade). The album was the group's third live album, recorded during their 1992 tour of Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
.
More Lineup Changes and Return To Recording (1993 – Present)
The Consort took another long break from recording after their 1993 album Spanish Angel. They still performed regularly in concert, and annually participated in Paul Winter's annual Summer and Winter Solstice Celebrations. Many members of the Consort were featured as members of Paul Winter's Earth Band, or appeared on other Paul Winter solo albums. It was during this time that the Consort saw changes in a membership that had been stable for quite some time. Rhonda Larson left to concentrate on a solo career in 1993. Oscar Castro-NevesOscar Castro-Neves
Oscar Castro-Neves is a Brazilian guitarist, arranger, and composer who is considered a founding figure in Bossa nova. He was born as one of triplets and formed a band with his brothers in his youth. At 16 he had a national hit with Chora Tua Tristeza. Many of the early Bossa Nova musicians began...
also chose to leave the group, still appearing as a guest artist on a regular basis. Paul Halley
Paul Halley
Paul Halley is an organist, singer, pianist, and composer. He is perhaps best known as being a member of and composer for the Paul Winter Consort.- Biography :...
left the group in 2000 to concentrate on his career as a choir director, organist, and composer. It wasn't until 2005 that a new Paul Winter Consort album was released: The Grammy award winning Silver Solstice
Silver Solstice
Silver Solstice is a live album by Paul Winter Consort and Friends, released in 2005 through the record label Living Music. In 2006, the album earned the group a Grammy Award for Best New Age Album.-Track listing:Disc 1# Opening Calls - 4:03...
. The album was a two disc album of the live performance of the 25th Winter Solstice Celebration. As all Winter Solstice Celebrations do, it includes a large number of guest musicians, many of which had collaborated with Paul Winter or his Consort in the past.
An album of new material from the Consort came in 2007: The Grammy award winning album Crestone
Crestone (Paul Winter Consort album)
Crestone is an album by Paul Winter Consort, released in 2007 through the record label Living Music. The album is named after the community of Crestone, Colorado. The album was recorded in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, the Great Sand Dunes, and the San Luis Valley of southern Colorado, all of...
. The album was recorded up in the Rocky Mountains
Rocky Mountains
The Rocky Mountains are a major mountain range in western North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch more than from the northernmost part of British Columbia, in western Canada, to New Mexico, in the southwestern United States...
in Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
, near the town of Crestone. It was another example of the group's interest in natural, and in some cases, challenging acoustic spaces. The album also marked the return of Consort veteran Paul McCandless
Paul McCandless
Paul McCandless, Jr. is an American jazz woodwind player and composer. He is one of few expert jazz oboists, and also plays English horn, soprano saxophone, sopranino saxophone, bass clarinet, clarinet, and pennywhistle, among other instruments.He has performed with the Paul Winter Consort and is...
. Also joining the group was Don Grusin
Don Grusin
Don Grusin , is an American songwriter, producer and keyboardist. He holds a Masters Degree in Economics from the University of Colorado and for a period of his life taught at the National Autonomous University of Mexico as well as at Foothill College, California before deciding to enter the music...
. The newest album of music from the Consort was released in October 2010. The album, Miho: Journey to the Mountain
Miho: Journey to the Mountain
Miho: Journey to the Mountain is an album by Paul Winter Consort, released in 2010 through the record label Living Music. The album was commissioned by the Miho Museum in Kyoto, Japan to be a musical celebration of the museum...
, was commissioned by the Miho Museum
Miho Museum
The Miho Museum is located southeast of Kyoto, Japan, near the town of Shigaraki, in Shiga Prefecture. The museum was the dream of Mihoko Koyama , the heiress to the Toyobo textile business, and one of the wealthiest women in Japan. In 1970 Koyama founded the Shinji Shumeikai spiritual movement...
in Japan. The album was recorded inside the corridors of the museum. It won the 2011 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...
for Best New Age Album
Grammy Award for Best New Age Album
The Grammy Award for Best New Age Album is presented to recording artists for quality albums in the New Age music genre at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards...
, the Consort's fourth Grammy win.
Discography
| Title | Year | Label | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Winter Consort | 1968 | A&M A&M Records A&M Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group that operates under the mantle of its Interscope-Geffen-A&M division.-Beginnings:... |
||
| Something in the Wind | 1969 | A&M | ||
| Road | 1970 | A&M | ||
| Icarus Icarus -Space and astronomy:* Icarus , on the Moon* Icarus , a planetary science journal* 1566 Icarus, an asteroid* IKAROS, a interplanetary unmanned spacecraft... |
1972 | Epic Epic Records Epic Records is an American record label, owned by Sony Music Entertainment. Though it was originally conceived as a jazz imprint, it has since expanded to represent various genres. L.A... |
||
| Earthdance Earthdance Earthdance is the world's largest synchronized music and dance festival for peace. Taking place annually in over 300 locations and 60 countries, Earthdance joins participants worldwide in a synchronized Prayer for Peace... |
1977 | A&M | ||
| Concert for the Earth | 1985 | Living Music | ||
| Wolf Eyes Wolf Eyes Wolf Eyes is a post-industrial/noise band from Detroit, Michigan, United States.-History:Wolf Eyes began as a solo project of former Nautical Almanac member Nate Young, with Aaron Dilloway joining in 1998, and John Olson in 2000... |
1989 | Living Music | ||
| The Man Who Planted Trees The Man Who Planted Trees The Man Who Planted Trees , also known as The Story of Elzéard Bouffier, The Most Extraordinary Character I Ever Met, and The Man Who Planted Hope and Reaped Happiness, is an allegorical tale by French author Jean Giono, published in 1953.It tells the story of one shepherd's long and successful... |
1990 | Living Music | ||
| Turtle Island | 1991 | Living Music | ||
| Spanish Angel Spanish Angel (album) Spanish Angel is a live album by Paul Winter Consort, released in 1993 through the record label Living Music. In 1994, the album earned the group a Grammy Award for Best New Age Album.-Track listing:# "Fare Well" – 7:02... |
1993 | Living Music | ||
| Silver Solstice Silver Solstice Silver Solstice is a live album by Paul Winter Consort and Friends, released in 2005 through the record label Living Music. In 2006, the album earned the group a Grammy Award for Best New Age Album.-Track listing:Disc 1# Opening Calls - 4:03... |
2005 | Living Music | ||
| Crestone Crestone (Paul Winter Consort album) Crestone is an album by Paul Winter Consort, released in 2007 through the record label Living Music. The album is named after the community of Crestone, Colorado. The album was recorded in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, the Great Sand Dunes, and the San Luis Valley of southern Colorado, all of... |
2007 | Living Music | ||
| Miho: Journey to the Mountain Miho: Journey to the Mountain Miho: Journey to the Mountain is an album by Paul Winter Consort, released in 2010 through the record label Living Music. The album was commissioned by the Miho Museum in Kyoto, Japan to be a musical celebration of the museum... |
2010 | Living Music | ||
| Earth Music Earth Music Earth Music is an album by the American folk rock band The Youngbloods, released in 1968. The album did not reach the charts.-History:Similar to their first album, the songs were a mix of originals and covers, ballads and rockers. Jesse Colin Young wrote three of the songs alone, the ballad "All... |
2011 | Living Music |