A recording that features Derrik Jordan's expressive and rhythmic 5 string electric violin playing in a multi-layered, improvisational setting. Featuring duets with many of his talented friends playing their unusual instruments like Lisa Sokolov (free jazz vocals), Nebulai (digeridoo), Steve Leicach (balaphone), John Hughes (cora), Barry Hyman (sitar) and Jared Shapiro (cello). Plus some looping improvisational pieces and compositions by Derrik.
Lisa Sokolov, an old friend from their Bennington College days together, performs a wonderful improvisational conversation on "Rapscallion." She was just awarded Jazz CD of the Year by Downbeat Magazine, who called her album "Presence" a masterpiece.
The CD includes beautiful artwork by visionary artist Maura Holden.
If you are into the electric violin, you'll dig this one.
"...Derrik Jordan is something of a one-man musical force of nature"
-Vermont Sunday Magazine
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Derrik Jordan Wins International Songwriting Award!!!
Well known southern Vermont musician, Derrik Jordan, has won 2nd place in the 2004 USA Songwriting Competition, known as the world's leading international songwriting competition. His song, "Speak Through Me," co-written with Stephanie Lewis and Lorraine Ferro won 1st place in the Gospel category and 2nd place overall out of 32,500 songs considered.
The song, from his first CD, "Expecting A Miracle," will be featured on a compilation CD put out by the organization and sent out to radio stations. It will be played on NPR's popular show Acoustic Cafe which has 1,000,000 listeners and also on XM radio. The prize awarded to Jordan and his co-writers totals $9000 in cash and merchandise. You can see the other winners and read more about the USA Songwriting Competition at http://www.songwriting.net.
"I'm delighted and deeply honored to have placed second in such a large song contest," says Jordan. "I've always felt that 'Speak Through Me' was a very special song. Hopefully this win will help my songs reach a wider audience and perhaps I'll even get some popular recording artists to record some of them, which is every songwriter's dream. I've been writing for 35 years but have never entered a song contest before this one. Maybe I should enter another one...."
The CD is available on CD BABY at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/jordan
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Living in southern Vermont and playing throughout the northeast, Derrik Jordan has sung national jingles, worked with many bands and has had his songs recorded by other artists, but what really excites him is writing, recording and performing his original music for people. "Creating music is a sacred trust. That moment of ecstatic communion when performer and audience become one is truly one of life's greatest experiences," says Derrik.
"Touch The Earth" (2002) took over a year to record, with Derrik singing and playing 95% of it himself. Other very special guests include Tom "T-Bone" Wolk (Hall and Oates, Carly Simon, Saturday Night Live Band) on bass and nylon string guitar, Nebulai on didgeridoo and the Mighty Simba Horns. Conceived as a celebration of nature and a call to environmental action, "Touch The Earth" is a collection of 13 songs that share an environmental theme, recorded with full band arrangements in a variety of world music styles (reggae, afro-pop, samba, salsa and funk) and features Derrik's passionate 5-string electric violin playing throughout. His song "Something's Gonna Change" from the CD won top honors as 2002 Reggae Song of the Year from Just Plain Folks, the world's largest songwriter organization.
As a singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, producer, environmental activist and teacher Derrik is used to wearing a lot of hats. On "Expecting A Miracle" (1997), co-produced with Tom "T-Bone" Wolk, he worked with a stellar cast of top NYC studio musicians. His song "Something Beautiful," from that album received extensive national airplay at college radio and was included on "The World Will Remember," a CD benefiting the September 11th disaster victims of NYC. (www.WorldRemembers.org).
In 1992, Derrik made his national debut as a recording artist on "Right As Rain," a CD supporting the Rainforest Action Network that also featured such artists as Jerry Garcia, Paul Winter, Mickey Hart and Beausoleil. Derrik has studied congas with master drummer Milford Graves and has traveled to Brazil, Trinidad and Ghana, West Africa to further develop his craft. He has produced jazz, folk, Native American and award-winning children's independent recordings. He performs with many bands including Tony Vacca's World Rhythms and The Jo Sallins Experience.
Worldsoul Records P.O. Box 403, Putney, VT 05346
(802) 387-4050 hilljoy@sover.net www.derrikjordan.com
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