Album Notes

Enter the sonic world of Georgia O’Keefe’s flowers and landscapes and Edward Hoppers’ cityscapes and intimate rooms.

Buy it today and make this music part of your art collection.

Fordham Wilkes is the duo of vocalist Ginny Fordham and former Blue Man Group drummer/percussionist Steve Wilkes. Their CD People in the Sun explores the intersection of music and painting within the context of contemporary pop songs.

This music is artistic pop! Inspired by the lives of Edward Hopper and Georgia O’Keeffe, the CD features new songs that are reflections on famous works by Hopper and O’Keeffe. These songs include the title track (based on Hopper’s late life masterpiece) and “Ladder to the Moon” from O’Keeffe’s painting of the same name. Influenced specifically by O’Keeffe are the songs, “Canyon Suite” and “Flowers and Skyscrapers,” which look at her seminal periods in the American southwest and New York City, respectively.

Other music included on this CD is a cycle of songs about the passing of a year: the earth’s cycle around the sun. These include, “Happy New Year,” “Memorial Day,” “Almost April,” “Safe Home,” and the traditional folk song “Barbara Allen.”

People in the Sun continues Fordham Wilkes’ collaboration with Crit Harmon, winner of best local producer 2007 Boston Music Awards.

Artist Bios
Steve Wilkes
Steve Wilkes began playing drums in the sixth grade when his teacher made him stop playing “Wipe Out” on his school desk. His drumming pursuits have taken him across the globe, performing at venues such as Carnegie Hall, the Lincoln Center, the National Cathedral (Wash. D.C.), Petronas Towers Concert Hall (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia), Suntory Hall (Tokyo, Japan), the Astor Place Theater (NY, NY), and the Charles Playhouse (Boston, MA) with artists as diverse as the Empire Brass and Blue Man Group. He is a Professor in the percussion department at Berklee College of Music.

Ginny Fordham
Since graduating from Berklee College of Music with a degree in vocal performance, Ginny has been working as a freelance musician in the Boston area. A versatile musician, she’s sung lead and back-up vocals for numerous acts, recorded jingles for brand name products and corporations and provided voice over recordings for radio, television and corporate phone systems. She is currently employed by Berklee and has taken advantage of this creative atmosphere to create with Steve Wilkes this second CD from Fordham Wilkes.