"When listening, keep in mind artists such as Frederic Chopin, Cat Power, Keith Jarrett, Talk Talk, and Chris Whitley -- unless you don't know any [of] them or are not a fan, in which case you should keep in mind Nick Drake, The National, Mogwai, Explosions in the Sky, and other, trendier bands whose music has recently appeared in car commercials."
Excerpted, verbatim save the one obvious amendment, from the back-cover text printed on promotional copies of With My Left Hand I Raise the Dead, a new CD by Doveman due out in October on the Brassland label. I'm not entirely sure that any artist could live up to these claims, but this is a very pretty album and I'm sorry I'll be missing the show at Joe's Pub on Wednesday, August 29.
Item of interest: Doveman frontman Thomas Bartlett was a very serious pianist in his youth, a student of none other than Maria Curcio.
Posted by: Alex Ross | August 16, 2007 at 06:16 PM
How long has that pun sat in the drawer? Not bad! But - I wish that the PR effort here weren't so heavy-handed, because Doveman is really a terrific band and everything I've heard about the new album makes me look forward to it and frankly jealous of those with advance copies.
Posted by: Judd | August 17, 2007 at 01:49 AM
Alex, I don't doubt what you're saying at all. Any keyboardist capable of handling what Nico Muhly throws at him or her is an impressive musician in my book.
Judd, believe it or not, that pun was entirely spontaneous. And the album is a very fine thing; I really do wish I was seeing the show.
Posted by: Steve Smith | August 17, 2007 at 10:20 AM