Field Notes

Field Notes

Track Listings

1. Homecoming

2. At One Point I See Antelope

3. Within Birds' Hearing

4. Lessons from the Wolverine

5. West Along the Fjord

6. The Open Lot

7. Teal Creek

8. Entreaty

9. The Bells of the Abandoned Saint Peter's School

10. Winter Came

11. The Grace Note of the Canyon Wren

12. The Forgiving Water

13. Forgiveness

14. Boo Radley

15. Atticus Finch

16. Jem & Scout

17. Big Low Banjer

18. The Trial (vocal by Kitty Beethoven)

19. Sweet Betsy from Pike

20. You'll Never Know

See all 21 tracks on this disc

Editorial Reviews
About the Artist
A 2002 Grammy Nominee, world-class composer and pianist Philip Aaberg is a musician with incredible range and a boundless, distinctive style. His performances have consistently drawn standing ovations, leaving crowds dazzled by his dynamic, emotional range and captivated by his stunning compositions and between-song repartee. He finds devoted listeners among rock, country, blues, jazz, new age, and classical music fans, and his range of performances includes everything from solo piano concertos with the Boston Pops Orchestra and Latvian National Symphony to appearances with luminaries like Peter Gabriel, Elvin Bishop, John Hiatt, and slide guitar innovator Roy Rogers. Phil has been a guest on over two hundred albums, from multi-million selling pop and country to experimental jazz with bassoonist Paul Hanson. In addition, he was the 1995 recipient of the Governor's Award for the Arts, State of Montana, and his performance on PBS's "All-American Jazz" was nominated for an Emmy. He tours with modern bluegrass supergroup NewGrange, and in duos with fiddler Darol Anger and guitarist Roy Rogers. His most recent albums on Sweetgrass Music include "Live From Montana", "Field Notes", "Christmas" and "The Big Open" (to be released).

Product Description
This collection of piano compositions and improvisations is the first release on Sweetgrass Music by former Windham Hill pianist, Philip Aaberg. From intimate reflections on the writings of Barry Lopez (National Book Award Winner) to the brilliant and emotional interpretation of the folk tune "Sweet Betsy From Pike", this recording is a kaleidoscope of contemporary pianism, with nods to the musical worlds of bluegrass, Keith Jarrett, and John Adams, but with Aaberg's very personal and unmistakable imprint. With the exception of the virtuosic and cinematic "Don't Stop Now" (showcased in a 2002 PBS filming of the huge annual Montana Summer Symphony performance), and the heart-breaking "Forgiveness", these are all new pieces.

Tracks:

Homecoming
At One Point I See Antelope
Within Birds' Hearing
Lessons from the Wolverine
West Along the Fjord
The Open Lot
Teal Creek
Entreaty
The Bells of the Abandoned Saint Peter's School
Winter Came
The Grace Note of the Canyon Wren
The Forgiving Water
Forgiveness
Boo Radley
Atticus Finch
Jem & Scout
Big Low Banjer
The Trial (vocal by Kitty Beethoven)
Sweet Betsy from Pike
You'll Never Know
Don't Stop Now

Album Description

This collection of piano compositions and improvisations is the first release on Sweetgrass Music by former Windham Hill pianist, Philip Aaberg. From intimate reflections on the writings of Barry Lopez (National Book Award Winner) to the brilliant and emotional interpretation of the folk tune "Sweet Betsy From Pike", this recording is a kaleidoscope of contemporary pianism, with nods to the musical worlds of bluegrass, Keith Jarrett, and John Adams, but with Aaberg's very personal and unmistakable imprint. With the exception of the virtuosic and cinematic "Don't Stop Now" (showcased in a 2002 PBS filming of the huge annual Montana Summer Symphony performance), and the heart-breaking "Forgiveness", these are all new pieces.

Customer Reviews:

from Solo Piano Publications.......2005-07-11

After several years without a new recording, Philip Aaberg released three new CDs in 2000, with a fourth on the way. The first release of the four is "Field Notes", which has been in the works for many years. Most of the pieces on this album are improvised and quite short - sketches, if you will. They are grouped into three suites called "Field Notes Suite", "To Kill a Mockingbird Suite", and "Big Sky Spinning Suite". It is great to see Phil back in action! One of the best pianists on the planet, "Field Notes" is both a step back to his roots and a step forward with artistic growth as well as the freedom and control of being an independent artist. Complex and challenging, this is not an album that reveals itself the first few times you listen to it. Great music evolves in the listener's mind and soul and this takes time as well as a little patience, but it is always more than worth the effort to make the journey. In this pop, jingle-driven musical world we are currently experiencing, it is such a blessing to find an artist who refuses to budge from his uniqueness and very personal form of expression. This album is a joy, and is one of my favorite albums of 2000.

Not like earlier Aaberg music.......2004-11-25

I really enjoyed Aaberg's earlier albums, High Plains and Out of the Frame. High Plains consisted of 12 tracks of solo piano music. Out of the Frame was 12 tracks of similar music accompanied by other instruments. The new age music from both albums seemed to have a folk feel. Some pieces were jovial, others were haunting. Some pieces were powerful, others were quiet. Many of them are reminiscent of the Northern Montana landscape (which is where the artist is from). All of the pieces were great songs.

Field Notes, however, falls short compared to those older albums. While the style of the performance is still the same, the musical pieces are much less distinct. The music flows indistinctly from one track to the next, and the powerful feelings that were present in the earlier albums seem blurred together. In the end, the music from this album seems to be a continuous stream of indistinct Aaberg piano music with no single piece standing out.

In conclusion, I would recommend fans of new age piano music to try High Plains or Out of the Frame first before trying Field Notes.

Field Notes.......2004-08-22

Field Notes is something of a first - one of the early releases on his own label, Sweetgrass Music. It is a major piece of work for the pianist, consisting of three suites drawn from a variety of inspirations. Aaberg is one of those people who is often affected by what he reads, and he lists Barry Lopez (Field Notes), Harper Lee (To Kill A Mockingbird), and Celeste Miller (Big Sky Spinning) in his credits. He also gives a nod to John Adams' compositions, which may make you listen even closer to Aaberg's own work.

There is a lot of music on this disk both in quantity (about one hour) and quality. I've complained about the overuse of the 'new age' designation before, and this is one of those cases where the musician is much more than the 'glad sounder' that terminology seems to designate. Aaberg is a serious musician. Best to leave it at that. He can be dark, and sometimes very bitter (The Trial). Sometimes he leaves the listener uneasy, and he always invites thought even when toying with our fancies (Sweet Betsy From Pike).

One of the best recommendations I can give about him is that listening to Aaberg remains 'new' for longer than most. There's more to chew on and more to inhale. His work has deepened surprisingly over the years and he continues to be a star among American player/composers. This is an excellent introduction to his complex and beautiful style.

Average customer rating:

...pain, pleasure, fear and opera
Johnny Sketch & The Dirty Notes
Manufacturer: Noiselab Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B0009ZD6SY
Release Date: 2005-09-01

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Product Description

What's with the title? Consider this: six immensely talented musicians including a guitarist who is a masterful cellist, an insanely good drummer who is a piano prodigy, a violin player who plays baritone saxophone & harmonica, a trumpet player with the range of big sky country, a reed man with the modern sensibilities of a John Ellis and the historical perspective of Roland Kirk, and a bass player,, who, besides his obvious skills on the low end axes of his choice, instills the group with a very special sense of harmony. Having been together for three years, they have their first studio album and a live CD now behind them. As the title implies, they seem to have turned a corner creatively, maturing toward a broad spectrum of many bright moments indeed. These guys are, as you will find obvious upon first listen, fearless. The musical equivalent of base jumping - highly exhilarating but not without its risks. JSDN compose and perform harmonically complex string pieces and rock their asses off with equal aplomb. Their sense of humor firmly in place, they'll play you for a sucker and slam dunk you with the most serious and ber tight music, all in one song. With a live show that will leave you exhausted and begging for more, it is immensely gratifying on both a musical and personal level. Here lie the traists of a great collective. Their endurance will come from the fact that no matter what massive musical chops they may have, they retain a certain humility that will inevitably generate good will and great music. That is what will keep this opera in production for many years to come.