Musicians: Chris Rael, Jonathan Feinberg, Brian Geltner, Joe Quigley, Rima Fand, Marla Hansen, Serena Jost, Ed Pastorini, Jack McKeever. Produced by Chris Rael. Recorded by Jack McKeever. Mixed by Tom Schick. Mastered by Fred Kevorkian. Cover by James Williamson.
Chris Rael's acrobatic vocal style was influenced by years of classical music study in Varanasi, India. The sitarist/guitarist is leader of veteran NYC Indo-pop band Church of Betty, founder of indie label Fang Records, and producer of dozens of CDs and hundreds of live events in downtown New York. Composer of 250 songs, he has released 25 CDs since 1989. His latest, 'Cranberry Street', was recorded on 2-inch, 8-track analog tape with no bounces, demanding great live performances. Church of Betty was part of the first wave of progressive acts through the original Knitting Factory, and later became a regular favorite at Greenwich Village's legendary Bottom Line. Rael has performed at every major public arts institution in New York, Sydney Opera House, the Secession Building in Vienna, the National Mall in Washington DC, the Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh, Berlin, London, Dublin, Glasgow, Mexico City, Varanasi, Eastern Canada and across America, as well as multiple appearances on National Public Radio. He has collaborated with dozens of great artists, including David Byrne, Elliott Sharp, Najma, Curt Smith (Tears for Fears), Penny Arcade, Jayne County, John Kelly, Richard Fearless (Death In Vegas), Charles Henri Ford, Samir Chatterjee, Amar Nath Mishra, Steve Gorn, Gordy Goudie (Echo and the Bunnymen), Stew, the Mommyheads, and Johnny Society. He composes feature songs and soundtracks for film, and won the Outstanding Score Award at Outfest Film Festival in Los Angeles in 2005. He is now developing the chamber orchestra opera 'Araby', inspired by James Joyce's 'Dubliners'.
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