Album Notes

I’m John Dodge and I’ve been a guitarist, a songwriter, and a composer most of my life. Travels through folk, jazz, classical, rock and other styles have resulted in a pretty eclectic mix—sometimes quite distinct, other times a hybrid all stewed together like gumbo.

I’ve always loved the moving middle section of Jupiter from Gustav Holst’s orchestral suite, The Planets. I arranged it for solo guitar and Robert McBride, the afternoon host at Portland’s All Classical FM and a composer in his own right, created the arrangement for guitar and string quartet.

We invited talented members of the Oregon Symphony and friends to record Jupiter with us, including Nancy Ives, principal cello, Joël Belgique, principal viola, with Inés Voglar and Paloma Griffin on violins. Inés is from Venezuela and you can hear the passion in her playing. Paloma has performed with the Oregon Symphony and Pink Martini among others. All four players form the core of an intrepid Portland ensemble called Fear No Music.

Jupiter is just one of four pieces from an EP we’re currently recording at the Klickitat Band Camp studios in Portland with engineer Jeremy Sherrer. And this EP will be followed by a full new CD. Watch this space for the evolution!