Angelfire (band)
Encyclopedia
Angelfire is an American musical duo composed of Steve Morse
and Sarah Spencer
. Their music combines folk rock
, country
and jazz fusion
within a pop
context. The vocal arrangements are influenced by classical
and New Age
music.
The duo's lyrics are introspective and invoke the story-telling of folk
and country
traditions.
Steve and Sarah wrote and recorded in the studio adjoining his house. Steve brought many songs and ideas to the sessions, as did Sarah. The resulting work reflects both of their musical voices, and a new sound for both artists.
Steve recruited his band members Dave LaRue
and Van Romaine to perform and record the bass guitar, drum and percussion parts. Dave recorded his parts in Florida with Steve and Sarah; Van recorded in New York and Germany.
. Steve and Sarah were joined on stage by supporting musicians Ron Spencer (bass guitar
) and Bill Evans (keyboard
).
Steve Morse
Steven J. "Steve" Morse is an American guitarist and composer, best known for his work in the hard rock band Deep Purple since 1994. He began his career to form the unique styled instrumental rock band Dixie Dregs in the 1970. Morse's musical inspiration comes from country, funk, jazz fusion, and...
and Sarah Spencer
Sarah Spencer
Sarah Spencer is an American singer, songwriter and pianist.-Biography:Sarah began writing and recording at age 11. She became excited by the possibilities of simultaneous musical parts, and experimented with different genres, including orchestral music. This new direction was encouraged by...
. Their music combines folk rock
Folk rock
Folk rock is a musical genre combining elements of folk music and rock music. In its earliest and narrowest sense, the term referred to a genre that arose in the United States and the UK around the mid-1960s...
, country
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
and jazz fusion
Jazz fusion
Jazz fusion is a musical fusion genre that developed from mixing funk and R&B rhythms and the amplification and electronic effects of rock, complex time signatures derived from non-Western music and extended, typically instrumental compositions with a jazz approach to lengthy group improvisations,...
within a pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
context. The vocal arrangements are influenced by classical
Classical music
Classical music is the art music produced in, or rooted in, the traditions of Western liturgical and secular music, encompassing a broad period from roughly the 11th century to present times...
and New Age
New Age music
New Age music is music of various styles intended to create artistic inspiration, relaxation, and optimism. It is used by listeners for yoga, massage, meditation, and reading as a method of stress management or to create a peaceful atmosphere in their home or other environments, and is often...
music.
The duo's lyrics are introspective and invoke the story-telling of folk
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
and country
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
traditions.
History
Sarah Spencer met Steve Morse in 2007 when her father asked his neighbor (Morse) to hear Sarah sing. Morse was very impressed by her singing and songwriting, and offered to collaborate with her on original material. Sarah had already worked with some acclaimed producers, but this was her first major project.Steve and Sarah wrote and recorded in the studio adjoining his house. Steve brought many songs and ideas to the sessions, as did Sarah. The resulting work reflects both of their musical voices, and a new sound for both artists.
Steve recruited his band members Dave LaRue
Dave LaRue
Dave LaRue is a bassist who has performed with the Dixie Dregs since 1988 and with the Steve Morse Band since 1989. He also has worked with Dream Theater's John Petrucci, Mike Portnoy and Jordan Rudess...
and Van Romaine to perform and record the bass guitar, drum and percussion parts. Dave recorded his parts in Florida with Steve and Sarah; Van recorded in New York and Germany.
Live performances
Angelfire opened for the Steve Morse Band on two segments (West and East coast) of their tour in support of Out Standing in Their FieldOut Standing in Their Field
Out Standing in Their Field is the eleventh studio album by the Steve Morse Band, released in November 2009 through Eagle Rock Entertainment.A 2CD special edition of the album was released on May 16, 2011...
. Steve and Sarah were joined on stage by supporting musicians Ron Spencer (bass guitar
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
) and Bill Evans (keyboard
Keyboard instrument
A keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
).
Current members
- Steve MorseSteve MorseSteven J. "Steve" Morse is an American guitarist and composer, best known for his work in the hard rock band Deep Purple since 1994. He began his career to form the unique styled instrumental rock band Dixie Dregs in the 1970. Morse's musical inspiration comes from country, funk, jazz fusion, and...
– acoustic guitarAcoustic guitarAn acoustic guitar is a guitar that uses only an acoustic sound board. The air in this cavity resonates with the vibrational modes of the string and at low frequencies, which depend on the size of the box, the chamber acts like a Helmholtz resonator, increasing or decreasing the volume of the sound...
, electric guitarElectric guitarAn electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
, synthesizerSynthesizerA synthesizer is an electronic instrument capable of producing sounds by generating electrical signals of different frequencies. These electrical signals are played through a loudspeaker or set of headphones...
, keyboardKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments... - Sarah SpencerSarah SpencerSarah Spencer is an American singer, songwriter and pianist.-Biography:Sarah began writing and recording at age 11. She became excited by the possibilities of simultaneous musical parts, and experimented with different genres, including orchestral music. This new direction was encouraged by...
– vocals
Session members
- Dave LaRueDave LaRueDave LaRue is a bassist who has performed with the Dixie Dregs since 1988 and with the Steve Morse Band since 1989. He also has worked with Dream Theater's John Petrucci, Mike Portnoy and Jordan Rudess...
– bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick.... - Van Romaine – drumDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
s, percussion
External links
- Official website
- Angelfire at FacebookFacebookFacebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
- Angelfire at TwitterTwitterTwitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...