Shadowfax (band)
Encyclopedia
Shadowfax was a new age
/electronic
musical group, best known for their albums Shadowfax
and Folksongs for a Nuclear Village
. In 1988 they won the Grammy for Best New Age Performance for Folksongs for a Nuclear Village. In 1992 they were nominated for the Grammy for Esperanto
.
The group formed in 1972 and disbanded after 1995 when Lyricon
player and leader Chuck Greenberg died of a heart attack. Having lost their signature sound, Shadowfax's members went on to other projects.
The group takes its name from Gandalf
's horse Shadowfax in J. R. R. Tolkien
's The Lord of the Rings
.
Their song "Angel's Flight" was used in the American importing of the 1982 anime movie Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp made by Toei Animation.
New Age
The New Age movement is a Western spiritual movement that developed in the second half of the 20th century. Its central precepts have been described as "drawing on both Eastern and Western spiritual and metaphysical traditions and then infusing them with influences from self-help and motivational...
/electronic
Electronic music
Electronic music is music that employs electronic musical instruments and electronic music technology in its production. In general a distinction can be made between sound produced using electromechanical means and that produced using electronic technology. Examples of electromechanical sound...
musical group, best known for their albums Shadowfax
Shadowfax (album)
-Track listing:All compositions written by Chuck Greenberg, except as indicated.# "Angel's Flight" – 4:05# "Vajra" – 4:26# "Wheel of Dreams" – 4:51# "Oriental Eyes" – 4:59# "Move the Clouds" – 3:11# "A Thousand Teardrops" – 4:21...
and Folksongs for a Nuclear Village
Folksongs for a Nuclear Village
Folksongs for a Nuclear Village is the sixth studio album by New Age/Jazz group Shadowfax, their first for Capitol Records. It won a Grammy Award in 1988 for Best New Age Performance....
. In 1988 they won the Grammy for Best New Age Performance for Folksongs for a Nuclear Village. In 1992 they were nominated for the Grammy for Esperanto
Esperanto (album)
-Release history:...
.
The group formed in 1972 and disbanded after 1995 when Lyricon
Lyricon
The Lyricon is an electronic wind instrument, the first wind controller to be constructed.Invented by Bill Bernardi , it was manufactured by a company called Computone Inc in Massachusetts...
player and leader Chuck Greenberg died of a heart attack. Having lost their signature sound, Shadowfax's members went on to other projects.
The group takes its name from Gandalf
Gandalf
Gandalf is a character in J. R. R. Tolkien's novels The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. In these stories, Gandalf appears as a wizard, member and later the head of the order known as the Istari, as well as leader of the Fellowship of the Ring and the army of the West...
's horse Shadowfax in J. R. R. Tolkien
J. R. R. Tolkien
John Ronald Reuel Tolkien, CBE was an English writer, poet, philologist, and university professor, best known as the author of the classic high fantasy works The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and The Silmarillion.Tolkien was Rawlinson and Bosworth Professor of Anglo-Saxon at Pembroke College,...
's The Lord of the Rings
The Lord of the Rings
The Lord of the Rings is a high fantasy epic written by English philologist and University of Oxford professor J. R. R. Tolkien. The story began as a sequel to Tolkien's earlier, less complex children's fantasy novel The Hobbit , but eventually developed into a much larger work. It was written in...
.
Their song "Angel's Flight" was used in the American importing of the 1982 anime movie Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp made by Toei Animation.
Members
- Chuck Greenberg – LyriconLyriconThe Lyricon is an electronic wind instrument, the first wind controller to be constructed.Invented by Bill Bernardi , it was manufactured by a company called Computone Inc in Massachusetts...
, saxophoneSaxophoneThe saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
s, fluteFluteThe flute is a musical instrument of the woodwind family. Unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is an aerophone or reedless wind instrument that produces its sound from the flow of air across an opening...
s - Phil Maggini – basses, vocals
- Stuart Nevitt – drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
, percussion - G. E. StinsonG. E. StinsonGregory E. Stinson, better known as G. E. Stinson , is an American guitarist and founding member of new age / electronic musical group Shadowfax. Inspired by blues masters such as Bo Diddley and Muddy Waters, Stinson experimented with blues, jazz and other musical genres before co-founding...
– guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
s - Armen ChakmakianArmen ChakmakianArmen Chakmakian is an Armenian-American musician, composer, recording artist, and producer. Formerly the keyboardist for the Grammy award-winning band Shadowfax, their 1992 CD, "Esperanto" was nominated for a Best New Age Album Grammy Award. He has released two solo albums on his label TruArt...
– keyboardsKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments... - Charlie BisharatCharlie BisharatCharlie Bisharat is a Grammy-winning violinistwho has extensively toured and/or recorded with numerous artists. He was a member of Shadowfax who won a Grammy in 1988 for Best New Age Performance for Folksongs for a Nuclear Village...
– electric violinElectric violinAn electric violin is a violin equipped with an electronic output of its sound. The term most properly refers to an instrument purposely made to be electrified with built-in pickups, usually with a solid body...
s - David Lewis – keyboards
- Ramon Yslas – percussion
- Andy Abad – guitars
- Doug Maluchnik – keyboards
- Jared Stewart – keyboards
- Jerry GoodmanJerry GoodmanJerry Goodman is an American violinist best known for playing electric violin in the bands The Flock and the jazz fusion Mahavishnu Orchestra. Goodman actually began his musical career as The Flock's roadie before joining the band on violin. Trained in the conservatory, both of his parents were...
– violin
Discography
- Watercourse WayWatercourse WayThis page is about a music album. For the book Tao: The Watercourse Way, see the Alan Watts page.Watercourse Way is the debut album for Chicago new age band Shadowfax, released in 1976 -Track listing:...
(1976; re-released 1985) - ShadowfaxShadowfax (album)-Track listing:All compositions written by Chuck Greenberg, except as indicated.# "Angel's Flight" – 4:05# "Vajra" – 4:26# "Wheel of Dreams" – 4:51# "Oriental Eyes" – 4:59# "Move the Clouds" – 3:11# "A Thousand Teardrops" – 4:21...
(1982) - Shadowdance (1983)
- The Dreams of ChildrenThe Dreams of ChildrenThe Dreams of Children is the fourth studio album by New Age group Shadowfax, the second for Windham Hill Records.-Track listing:# "Another Country" – 4:20# "Snowline" – 4:30# "The Big Song" The Dreams of Children is the fourth studio album by New Age group Shadowfax, the second for Windham Hill...
(1984) - Too Far to Whisper (1986)
- Folksongs for a Nuclear VillageFolksongs for a Nuclear VillageFolksongs for a Nuclear Village is the sixth studio album by New Age/Jazz group Shadowfax, their first for Capitol Records. It won a Grammy Award in 1988 for Best New Age Performance....
(1988) - The Odd Get Even (1990)
- Esperanto (1992)
- Magic Theater (1994)
- Live (1995)
External links
- Armen Chakmakian and Armen Blog Official website and blog for Armen Chakmakian, Shadowfax keyboardist.
- Grammy.com