ZIGGURAT

Neal Bennett, Trombone
With Brian Nesselroad, percussion (tracks 5 and 7)

Nearly five years in the making, Ziggurat is the brainchild of Ontario-based trombone virtuoso, Neal Bennett. This album explores four major Canadian works for multiple trombones, all multitrack recorded by Bennett: Jocelyn Morlock’s thunderous Sequoia, which evokes both the majesty and fragility of Canadian West Coast forests; Farshid Samandari’s Ziggurat, a muscular evocation ancient ritualism and competition, pitting two soloists against one another over a roaring chorus of trombones and percussion; Continual Awakening by Roydon Tse, a unique and deftly-crafted work inspired by a conductor’s plight with anterograde amnesia; and Toronto composer Scott Good’s Liquid Metal, a kaleidoscopic tour de force for ten trombones. This album also includes three works for solo trombone: Indigo, Rob McKenzie’s tribute to the trombone’s history as a revered vehicle for jazz and blues; Morlock’s After the Rain, a piece inspired by the artwork of Max Ernst, especially commissioned by Bennett for this recording; and the infamous Basta by the Swedish composer Folke Rabe.

Hailed by the press as “a trombone virtuoso without doubt,” Neal Bennett is a founding member of the nationally lauded iTromboni quintet and a dedicated interpreter of the music of our time. Visit Neal Bennett online: www.trombonesoloist.com

Ziggurat track listing:
1.) Scott Good: Liquid Metal (9:20)
2.) Jocelyn Morlock: After the Rain (6:11)
3.) Roydon Tse: Continual Awakening (4:48)
4.) Folke Rabe: Basta (4:40)
5.) Jocelyn Morlock: Sequoia (9:45)
6.) Rob McKenzie: Indigo (8:47)
7.) Farshid Samandari: Ziggurat (6:34)

Performers / Musiciens: Neal Bennett, trombones; Brian Nesselroad, percussion
Producer / Réalisatieur: Mark Takeshi McGregor
Sound Engineer / Prise de son: Ryan Noakes
Assistant Engineer / Assistant á la prise de son: Brian Garbet
Digital Editing / Montage numérique: Brian Garbet, Ryan Noakes
Mixing / Mixage: Brian Garbet
Mastering / Matriçage: Don Harder
Recorded at / Enregistré à: St. Philip’s Anglican Church, Vancouver, BC, September 17, 18, 19, & 21 septembre, 2012
Director of Audio / Directeur d’audio: Theresa Leonard
Cover art / Couverture: Playin #3 by / par Kevin Snyder
Photography / Photographie: Genevie?ve Lagrois www.genevievelagrois.com
Graphic Design / Conception Graphique: Simon Butler
Translation / Traduction: Andre? Cormier