MARK ETTINGER: in this world

Mark Ettinger

in this world

© 2005 Meenhaga Music (827371090122)

CD IN STOCK. ORDER NOW. Will ship immediately.

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acoustic folk/rock/blues/roots songs about love, dreams, death, teacups, toasters and trains, and everything else teetering on the edge in this world - a great band too.

notes

in this world Personnel:
Mark Ettinger - vocals, acoustic guitar, slide slack dulcimer, string bass, mandolin, ukulele, accordion, piano, harmonium, Wurlitzer, trumpet
Christine DiTolvo - harmony vocals
Kate Copeland - harmony vocals
Rachelle Garniez - harmony vocals, Claviola
John Olufs - Dobro, electric guitar
Doug Weiselman - clarinets, bass harmonica
Steven Bernstein - trumpet, slide trumpet
Billy Oskay - violin
Michael Panes - violin
Davo Bryant - shekere, shaker, tambourine
Kenny Wollesen - drums, log drums, bongos

No expense of love, labor, time and money was spared: recorded and mixed in fine studios, designed by the inimitable Tony Saunders with a full color full lyrics and pix insert in a tasty cardboard digi-package, this baby is priced to sell fast, so hurry - only hundreds left!

in this world
Multi-instrumentalist, singer, conductor, composer, juggler, and toaster enthusiast Mark tours regularly with the Flying Karamazov Brothers, and writes songs and other music the rest of the time. After years of backing songwriters on a variety of instruments on both coasts, he is now pleased to send forth his first singer/songwriter release, in this world, for your amusement. These songs have been growing for the past five years in every corner of this country, a by-product of his ongoing survey of the guitar acoustics of hotel rooms encountered on tour with the Brothers. They are about many things: teacups and death, love and loneliness, night light, half-light, and about 3 to 4 minutes long.

instruments
He plays a Mahagony Guild d-19 parlor guitar, salvaged by David Hayford seconds before destruction at the Madison NH dump, and acquired by self for the scandalous price of $10. On the disk he also plays Li'l Reeb's mandolin, the Mittenwald acoustic bass he got at 18, and an old Italian accordion, among other things. He used Billy Oskay's excellent Yamaha grand at Big Red Studio, and Steve Addabbo's fine funky old wurlitzer electric piano at Shelter Island Sound.

production
Produced by Mark Ettinger with Dave Seitz and Billy Oskay
Recorded at Big red studios and Shelter Island Sound
Mixed at Shelter Island Sound
Matered by Emily Lazar at The Lodge


Still reading?

A few (too many) words from Mark, or, A Brief History of my Musical Life:

Manhattan born, caught between the Old World and the New; the straight way and the truth; Uptown and Downtown. Youth passed shuttling between elite schools and blues bars, opera houses and folk clubs, the streets and the conservatory. Studied Bach on the piano, learned to sing from the Fab Four, learned to hear the blues from electric Bro and Folkways records hidden in a cupboard, on into electric bass, folk guitar, mandolin; jazz on the upright bass, seduced by everything from Hendrix to Planxty to Monk. As a teen played bass and keys in local bands, including Joey Miserable and the Worms, The Hues Blues Band, David Peel and the Lower East Side, and with a rambling cast of mystery characters including Chris Whitley, Bo Diddley and Alan Ginsberg.

Columbia University to study music, literature and philosophy, the Mannes College of Music for Masters degrees in Orchestral Conducting and Composition. A beautiful family growing: wife Jennifer and daughters Caroline and Kate. More bands: The Special Guests/five Chinese Brothers, Barbeque Bob and the Spareribs, The Dharma Bums, Mumbo Gumbo, The Surreal McCoys. A hopping scene, from Columbia's Postcrypt coffee house to Bleeker street and between. A Composer's collective: Composers Workshop, many concerts, much cross-fertilization. Music Director and Conductor: the NY Mandolin Orchestra, 5 years; and the Putnam Symphony Orchestra, 5 years.

Met the great Northwest in the mid-80's: turned out wife Jenny was the Queen of the Royal Famille DuCaniveaux, so arrived in style at the Oregon Country Fair and traveled with the New Old Time Chautauqua - played with legends Faith Petric, Jim Page, Baby Gramps, PK Dwyer, Ron Bailey, Dave Conant, Rebo Flordigan, and many others, sitting in with Leftover Salmon and the Electrodes, and recording with Sweetmeat, a trio with Jim Page and Billy Oskay.

In the late 90's joined the The Flying Karamazov Brothers as juggler and more. With them has conducted many of the finest orchestras in the US and Canada, including performances at Carnegie Hall and Wolf Trap. With the Brothers has found a niche as Jack of all Musical Trades; for the additive principle of Eclecticism mitigates the stigma of Generalism, (whatever that means).

Hey it's all music, baby: the conservatory training, campfire music, street performing, marching band, bar band realities and other musical experiences all add up to the same thing. So after 25+ years of working on other people's songs and writing "Concert," "Theatre" and Art" music, I have made an album of songs I sing. All my musical friends and ancestors have tossed in their influences - it is a melting pot, full of something (hopefully) palatable (probably) wholesome. If you've read this far, check it out - If you don't like it, thanks for trying. Listen to something else instead.

reviews

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  • Pleasing... glad I bought it.
    author: Sandra Sheehan

    Hello Mark... We met in February/07 while waiting on a dark freezing sidewalk outside LaGuardia, and shared a circuitous taxi ride to Upper West Side...! I mentioned how nice it was meeting you to my daughter - we looked up the K.brothers web site - found your cd listed and loved the sample provided . CD Baby asked me to write a review..... : I listen to it often here in Santa Barbara. My favourite poem/piece is "In the Shallows" - also I like the mystery and fun sound of "Come Back Home". The fact that your pieces are not in the listed order makes it extra interesting to me ! Thanks for making it! Sandra Sheehan

  • Beautiful debut
    author: Webley Webster

    This record reminds me of the first efforts of Paul Simon and Jackson Browne. Like those, this disc has a lovely intimate feel to it, both in the close, effect-less recording and in the content of the songs themselves. Great writing, great performances: This is truly a wonderful disc. Buy ten copies today!

  • Witty, wildly wonderful, WOW!
    author: Rachel Le Vine

    I hear something different each time I play this CD. I love the variety of tunes, and each is somehow reminiscent of something familiar. The lyrics are so descriptive. It's all just....happy, bittersweet, calming, relaxing. Remining me of what life is really about. A truly timeless CD that will be my favourite for the rest of my life.

  • The fresh chocolate chip cookies of music
    author: Stephen Bent

    When I decided to write a review, I was first going to write a bunch of more technical musical stuff about why I liked it. And I could, but it would fail to convey whe wonderfulness of this album. This collection of tunes is perfect for putting in your car and listening to while driving around on a sunny day with the windows open. Mark's talent as an instrumentalist and vocalist is there, no doubt, but what really drives the album is how genuinely joyful he seems to be at creating music. You can hear it in his voice. Or perhaps I'm totally off, in which case he's an excellent faker. This CD is lying in the grass with your friends in the sun. It's sitting around a campfire ahd laughing. It's warmth, happiness and joy bundled up into musical form and stuck on a compact disc. Buy it. Then listen to 80 times. Then listen to it again.

  • I keep listening to it over and over...
    author: Jonathan Reff

    This CD has gone right to the top of my playlist. There are so many good songs, I hear something new each time through. Great lyrics, good harmonies, and a nice range of styles. Definitely worth checking out.

  • Fan-freakin-tastic! Awesome sound, great lyrics.
    author: Becca

    I love this album! It is constantly stuck in my head, but not in that annoying-pop song way. The lyrics are well thought out, original and beautiful. The sound bounces from high tempo melodies to soothing slow songs with consistently good guitar licks. The band is awesome, but from futher reading it appears to be made up mostly of Mark's numerous talents. Overall, a fantastic and impressive first album.

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