ROSIN COVEN: Penumbra

Rosin Coven

Penumbra

© 1999 Pagan Lounge Productions

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Eight musicians blend violin, two cellos, bass, guitar, harp, vibraphone, trombone, drums & lush vocal harmonies in a strangely beautiful mix of classical, jazz, chamber, tango, klezmer, sultry lounge, theatrical cabaret, and cinematic dreams.

tracks

1 Bed For Blossom
2 Bury Me
3 Alchemy
4 Tabernacle
5 Mr. Moon
6 Empty Jar
7 Bittersweet
8 August on the Vine
9 Lion Song
10 Bodyless Devotion
11 Now You Know
12 Jalousie
13 Obliquely Yours

notes

Rosin Coven is the World's Premiere Pagan Lounge Ensemble; they create their own style of theatrical cabaret. Edith Piaf does the cha-cha with Charles Mingus, Eric Satie tangos with Sun-Ra, and Kurt Weil broods over Doris Day. Rosin Coven presents an irreverent yet elegant balance between musicianship, poise, theatricality, and humor. They're found where you least expect them...in nightclubs, theatres, parks, festivals, museums, deserts, parades, galas, and foreign lands. Listen to the various tracks - each is as different from the next as you could imagine, but it's all unmistakeably Rosin Coven.

Cast Of Characters:

Midnight Rose (Carrie Katz): vocals, guitar, harp. She's the sexy, sultry, visionary founder of Rosin Coven, beginning with a dream of creating something "strange but beautiful." Broadway, cabaret, cinematic soundscapes, and a touch of New Wave can be heard in her compositions. Her attunement to "alchemy through music" and belief in dreams keeps Rosin Coven in magical creative place.

Abraham Birmingham (Justin Katz): contrabass, vocals, percussion, ringleader. Abe lays down the grooves and foundation for most of the Coven's tunes. He likes to play the bass in ways that it's not meant to be played, yet keep it swinging swingin swingin! When not jumping around in a top hat and goggles, he likes to design, promote, and produce wacky events that build community through art.

Louis Capricorn (Patrick Kaliski): drums, vocals, fire. Look out...here comes Louie! He's the tall, handsome one who sits in the back and makes the rest them sound good. Also an actor, producer, sound engineer, and whiskey-drinkin' nice guy, he's also in Dr. Abacus.

Gingerbread Candy Monahan (Beth Vandervennet): cello, vocals, eyelashes. Gingerbread Candy is a professional, classically trained player who performs with the numerous Bay Area symphonies. Rosin Coven allows her to step out of the classical world and trade her formalwear for whips and leathers. Look out for the lady behind the ladies, because this Gingerbread is hot!

James St. James (Brian Bulkowski): cello, vocals, air trumpet. James has played in a number of classical ensembles and a medieval surf band. He has been know to grace the stage with both his acoustic cello and with Barney, the purple electric five-string cello. His eclectic, whimsical playing is unique; listen closely and hear his train whistles, children's songs, cat calls, and syncopated basslines.

Bone (Tim Carless) bass trombone, vocals. Don't let his subtlety fool you. As Rosin Coven's one-man brass section, this charmingly ferocious man of many names brings the band a professional background, both instrumental and vocal, in classical, jazz, and rock 'n roll.

Patrick de la Esperanza (Tim O'Keefe) - vibraphone, vocals. With a strong background and degree in music performance he brings new textures, dynamics, and elegance to our ever growing ensemble. Whether he is floating soft warbly vibraphone chords over a sultry lounge tune, or scaling the upper registers of his marimba like a cartoon car chase gone awry, Espie's sound is continually opening new doors.

Jasmin Garden (Lila Sklar) - violin, vocals. Jasmin specializes in Balkan and Middle-Eastern styles as well as having roots in western classical and improvised musics. She has been playing the violin since the age of four years old, , and has toured and performed extensively throughout the US, Japan, Europe, and the Middle East playing with such groups as The Quarta Dolce Quartet, Gypsy Caravan, Sherefe, The Toids, and members of Cirque Du Soleil.


Press

"A spellbinding blend of macabre cabaret with offbeat elements of jazz, chamber music, and dark ages gloom."
-East Bay Express

"Rosin Coven is the sound of classically trained musicians on their day off." -SF Bay Guardian

"Rosin Coven has a great sound and an incredible energy, driven by the thought provoking lyrics. I've enjoyed hearing the band live, but the multitracking on their disk adds another dimension. There's a message in the music; not always definable, but compelling this listener to return to it again and again." -Amazon.com

"Eight or nine alabaster-skinned classical-musician types, all dressed smartly in semiformal red and black clothing, mill around their instruments on a stage aesthetically decorated with dead flowers and distressed violin cases. One of the two stunning lead singers wears a red velvet dress, rhinestones, and a feather boa; the other elegantly fills a black velvet floor-length gown. As the first song starts, they both throw small handfuls of glitter into the attentive crowd. Welcome to the "Pagan Lounge" of San Francisco theater-rockers Rosin Coven." -SF Bay Guardian

"They cast the first circle of ceremonial magic as soon as they enter the room with glitter and a parade. In a time of performances without ambiance, when the mere presence of the artist on stage is worthy of our adulation, this ensemble offers an alternative. A Rosin Coven show is a complete experience, a transforming journey of sounds and sights, metaphysical teasing, serious musicianship, antics, and alchemical brew...The philosopher's stone is a magical material that becomes whatever is needed to whoever possesses it, and so it is everything and no-thing. It is the ultimate alchemic substance, the essence of transformation, transmutation, and transcendence. The elders of alchemy never found this magical stone but, lucky for us, Rosin Coven finds it in music." -SF Station.com

www.rosincoven.com

reviews

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  • cool -
    author: jason

    brooding, fun, dark - I've really enjoyed this album

  • pagan lounge
    author: Paulo Gamelas

    Thank you, thank you, thank you!

  • A modern Cabaret-Opera in 13 acts!
    author: Marco Lopes (marcolopes@netc.pt)

    Rosin Coven’s Penumbra is something of "theatrical". When I listen to it, I almost can see a Stage Act. I would describe it as a modern Cabaret-Opera in 13 acts! (my lucky number). A very TALENTED group of excellent performers that can translate to music every nuance of what they want us to "see". It’s a remarkable artwork, in every aspect. Personally, a MUST have LP in my Small but very loved collection. Originality and talent like this makes me love music even more.

  • You're not good enough for this album...
    author: MAC

    It's way too sexy. Far too seductive. Much too hypnotic. Extremely too soulful. Nothing you'd be interested in.

  • This music is soothing and dreamy.
    author: Barbara A. Dronenburg

    This music is very soothing and dreamy and goes well with grey, rainy days and napping cats. It is quite enjoyable.

  • Sophisticated & delightful
    author: nealjking

    This is a lively and polished album in the general area of "goth jazz" (if that's a genre). I've spent a lot of time listening to it recently. An interesting flavor is added by the fact that they seem to use unusal modes (Dorian church mode?), rather than major/minor. Anyway, regardless of the musicology, I really like the album.

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