New Zealand/ American composer Russel Walder blends jazz, atmospheric ambient music and Middle Eastern traditions, making his music tough to classify. On his latest CD, RISE, Walder heads even further into the ether. Whatever genre it may be, it's one thing for sure. Astonishing.
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Master of the Oboe, Russel Walder has gained international distinction for his musicianship and profound interpretation of improvised musical forms. Walder's new CD RISE is epic and ambitious, RISE is a journey through the stages of the SOUL RISING. Russel Walder, a master improviser and one of the worlds leading contemporary oboists, has created a masterpiece of style, sonic invention and depth.
Walder's playing is beautiful and haunting, passionate, soulful and sublime. The audience is transported to a deeply moving mystical world of inner reflection. "When I walk on stage, I am empty. I start from nothing and stay empty the whole time. No thoughts, no images, no goals. The music is it's own force. I stay out of the way and allow it to be".
RISE presents a Tour de Force of Walders unique compositional style. Walder seamlessly integrates his soaring virtuosic style over haunting layers of strings, sultry eastern rhythms and harmonies, ambient soundtracks and exotic drums and percussion.
For Walder, playing is more about summoning an inner state of being than following traditional musical construction. He says,"By listening to the silence, everything can be known".
Russel Walder has combined an unlikely mixture of musical interests to become a jazz musician who is both highly acclaimed and popular. He has created a musical signature that's all his own.
It all began began with a boyhood epiphany. One morning in 1970 he heard a man from a musical instrument company playing every instrument, when he heard the oboe, it was as if time stopped. The sound penetrated his being and from that moment on, he knew what he would do for the rest of his life
Before long, he was winning competitions and appearing as a soloist in orchestras. By the time he was a student at California Institute of the Arts, he had to drop out as his career had become so successful.
Walder leaned away from the riff-oriented music that dominated mainstream jazz at the time; he was not interested in the flashy yet meaningless displays of instrumental virtuosity that many jazz players engaged in. He began to develop his own sound, one which reviewers would call "intense," "atmospheric," and "emotional." He came to value honesty in playing rather than technical skill.
By the time he was 19 he was signed to the Windham Hill label from California and went on to record for Narada and Real Music.
Having performed extensively through-out Europe and North America including Carnegie Hall, Royal Albert Hall, Davies Symphony Hall in San Francisco, The Greek Theatre in Berkley California, and in Major festivals such as WOMAD, the EXPO of Spain, The Miller Jazz festival, and extensive live TV appearances, Grammy nominee and multi platinum selling artist, WALDERS performances have enjoyed rapturous applause and success throughout the world.
RISE is the cornerstone of Walders work. Russel Walder's talent is in full force
here as he has composed, performed, recorded, engineered, and played all the instruments on RISE. RISE is also the first release on his newly formed record label, NOMAD SOUL RECORDS
which began in 2006.
Currently he is composing soundtracks for films and documentaries including the Discovery Channel and the award winning feature film , 'The Lunatics Ball', which won the Golden Cup for best feature in China
in this successful collaboration with Peter Scholes.
From his early days with Windham Hill through his years touring, to the twists and turns of his current incarnation as a solo artist recording under the strength of his own label. Russel's restless spirit never stops searching for new ways to express the inexpressible and to offer listeners another ticket to an inner state of being.
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