*** For Awards, Radio Play, and CD Compilations Info, please read below. ***
The Iambic Dream Project is the poetic brainchild of award winning songwriters, producers, and vocalists Wael Kabbani & Raz Kennedy. Their first album "Identity Crisis: Aliens, Beduins, and Leos" has been described as "a wonderfully eclectic CD that blends cutting edge lyrics & storytelling with an impressive variety of musical genres. The album is fascinating in the way it fuses Rock, Funk, Jazz, World Music, and Pop"
The I.D. Project features more than 50 Singers, Musicians, and Engineers who have worked with Santana, Tracy Chapman, Van Morrison, Aretha Franklin, Bobby McFerrin, Celine Dion, The Neville Brothers, Natalie Cole, Linda Ronstadt, The Weather Girls, Metallica, Whitney Houston, Tori Amos, Ritchie Havens, Counting Crows, Tuck & Patti, Mariah Carey, Fleetwood Mac, Curtis Mayfield, Hillary Duff, Jerry Harrison, Leona Lewis, Roy Rogers, Sylvester, Voicestra, AFI, Bobby Womack, Michael Franti & Spearhead, Band of Gypsies, Rancid, Kenny Loggins, Tevin Campbell, Toni Childs, Todd Rundgren, Martha Wash, Los Tigres Del Norte, Stroke 9, KGB and many others.
Often from a Gay perspective, the songs on "Identity Crisis: Aliens, Beduins, and Leos" tap into social & emotional issues, personal relationships, loss, and the importance of dreams & creativity. It's all here: Gay Male Prostitution ("The Boys of the Blvd."), Gay/Straight Unrequited Love ("Torch Song"), Wrong Relationships ("Gemini"), Infatuation ("Hero Worship"), Wild Party Girls ("July Rose"), A Collage for Depression ("Blue"), The Importance of Dreams & Creativity (Insomniacs Dream (I.D.)" & "I Could Be Free"), The Joys & Comforts of Celibacy ("Flying Solo"), Loss ("Angelina"), Mistaken Identities ("Mistaken Identity"), Raw Sexuality ("Sweet Desire #2"), and Spiritual Journeys ("The Trails of Nepal (Trail 1)").
Eleven of the thirteen tracks on this debut are being played on the radio. Our songs were most recently performed at The Great American Music Hall in San Francisco, The Sweetwater in Mill Valley, CA, the Jazzschool, (that's how they spell it), in Berkeley, CA, and at concerts in London & Paris.
The album features 38 Bay Area and L.A. singers and musicians. The featured performers are as varied as the songs themselves, and they include: Raz Kennedy; a founding member of Voicestra (pls. see bio below)*, Shana Morrison; Van Morrison's daughter & a great performer in her own right, Linda Tillery; founder of The Cultural Heritage Choir, Jeanie Tracy, Lynn Asher, Brett Abramson of Tainted Love, Lavay Smith & Her Red Hot Skillet Lickers, Zoë Ellis, Caitlin Cornwell, Jordan Omley, and Waël K.
Please e-mail us if you would like to get a blind-copied/private update about the CD. We have FREE Sangria & CD Listening Parties planned throughout the year, and can inform you of where you can hear and purchase our music at a store near you. You can read REVIEWS below, and add your own if you'd like. Thank you!
Awards, Radio Play, and CD Compilations:
01. "Hero Worship" (Gold Disc Award for International Best Production & Winner of Best Production (UK) Award from Music Aid International Music Awards 2007/Radio Play/Finalist: UK Songwriting Contest 2007/Great American Song Honor Award & Top Finalist 2007/Featured on "Busta" CD Compilation)
02. "Sweet Desire #2" (Radio Play)
03. "Torch Song" (Radio Play)
04. "Flying Solo" (Radio Play/Finalist: UK Songwriting Contest 2007)
05. "July Rose" (Radio Play)
06. "The Boys of the Blvd." (Winner of Best Songwriter (UK) Award from Music Aid International Music Awards 2007/Radio Play/Finalist: UK Songwriting Contest 2007/Featured on The Hollywood Reporter/Billboard Film & TV Music Conference CD)
07. "Gemini" (Radio Play)
08. "Mistaken Identity" (Radio Play)
09. "I Could Be Free"
10. "Angelina" (Winner of Best Songwriter (UK) Award from Music Aid International Music Awards 2007/Runner Up: UK Songwriting Contest 2007/Finalist: 100% Music Songwriting Contest 2008/Finalist: Independent Singer Songwriters Song Contest 2008/Featured on "The Platform One Spring Surge" CD Compilation)
11. "Insomniacs Dream (I.D.)" (Finalist: 100% Music Songwriting Contest 2008/Radio Play/Finalist: Toronto Exclusive Magazine Awards 2008/ Finalist: Independent Singer Songwriters Song Contest 2008)
12. "Blue" (Radio Play/Winner of Songwriters & Storytellers II & Featured on Compilation by the same name)
13. "The Trails of Nepal (Trail 1)" (Winner of Best Production (UK) Award from Music Aid International Music Awards 2007/Radio Play/Finalist: UK Songwriting Contest 2007/Finalist: 100% Music Songwriting Contest 2008)
*Raz Kennedy's Bio: Raz Kennedy is a renowned vocal producer and vocal coach whose clients include; Hillary Duff (Lizzie Maguire), Davey Havoc of AFI, Adam Duritz and members of Counting Crows, members of Metallica, Lars Frederiksen & Tim Armstrong of Rancid, Los Tigres Del Norte, Shana Morrison, Stroke 9, KGB, Ian Sefchick, formerly of Creeper Lagoon, and hit producer Narada Michael Walden. Kennedy has produced vocal tracks for A*Teens, Noelle Hampton, essence, Waël K., Forest Sun, and Lynn Asher, among others. Kennedy has also worked with Bobby McFerrin, Todd Rundgren, Jerry Harrison, Michael Urbano, Linda Tillery, Rhiannon, Toni Childs, Kenny Loggins, Bonnie Hayes, and Joel Harrison. Kennedy is a former jazz concert promoter booking local, national and international artists. He served on the Board of Governors at the Recording Academy's San Francisco Chapter organizing local seminars and clinics with an emphasis on vocal production. As a music educator, Kennedy is a long-time faculty member at three leading community musical institutions; Blue Bear School of American Music, Jazzschool, and The East Bay Center for The Performing Arts.
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