Earthbeat (Paul Winter album)
Encyclopedia
Earthbeat is an album released by Paul Winter
in 1987. The album is a joint project between the Paul Winter Consort
and the Dimitri Pokrovsky Ensemble, from Russia
. The two groups combined their musical styles to create an entirely new sound. The result was a melding of Russian circlesongs and folk melodies with Brazilian and African drums and harmonies, along with the western jazz harmonies implemented by the Winter Consort. The album is considered monumental, as it was the first album of original music created by Americans and Russians
together. The album was recorded in both Moscow
and New York City
.
The album received good reviews and was praised by other musicians, notably Pete Seeger
and Dave Brubeck
. The album was nominated for a Grammy in 1988.
Russ Landau
, a former bassist for the Paul Winter Consort
, was asked to write music for the American TV show Survivor
. Landau used portions of the first track on this album, "Kurski Funk", to create what became the theme song for the show. Paul Winter then sued the creators of Survivor, accusing them of using his music without his permission. According to Winter, Landau had asked to use music from Earthbeat, and Winter had only granted him permission to use recordings that did not make the final cut, and did not appear on the album.
Dimitri Pokrovsky Ensemble
Paul Winter
Paul Winter is an American saxophonist , and is a six-time Grammy Award nominee.- Biography :Paul Winter attended Altoona Area High School and graduated in 1957...
in 1987. The album is a joint project between the Paul Winter Consort
Paul Winter Consort
The Paul Winter Consort is an American musical group, led by soprano saxophonist Paul Winter. Founded in 1967, the group mixes elements of jazz, classical music, world music, and the sounds of animals and nature. They are often classified as new age music or "ecological jazz", and their unique...
and the Dimitri Pokrovsky Ensemble, from Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
. The two groups combined their musical styles to create an entirely new sound. The result was a melding of Russian circlesongs and folk melodies with Brazilian and African drums and harmonies, along with the western jazz harmonies implemented by the Winter Consort. The album is considered monumental, as it was the first album of original music created by Americans and Russians
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
together. The album was recorded in both Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
and New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
.
The album received good reviews and was praised by other musicians, notably Pete Seeger
Pete Seeger
Peter "Pete" Seeger is an American folk singer and was an iconic figure in the mid-twentieth century American folk music revival. A fixture on nationwide radio in the 1940s, he also had a string of hit records during the early 1950s as a member of The Weavers, most notably their recording of Lead...
and Dave Brubeck
Dave Brubeck
David Warren "Dave" Brubeck is an American jazz pianist. He has written a number of jazz standards, including "In Your Own Sweet Way" and "The Duke". Brubeck's style ranges from refined to bombastic, reflecting his mother's attempts at classical training and his improvisational skills...
. The album was nominated for a Grammy in 1988.
Russ Landau
Russ Landau
Russ Landau is an American composer of film and television scores and themes including Survivor, Fear Factor, and Pirate Master for which he won an Emmy in 2008.-References:...
, a former bassist for the Paul Winter Consort
Paul Winter Consort
The Paul Winter Consort is an American musical group, led by soprano saxophonist Paul Winter. Founded in 1967, the group mixes elements of jazz, classical music, world music, and the sounds of animals and nature. They are often classified as new age music or "ecological jazz", and their unique...
, was asked to write music for the American TV show Survivor
Survivor (U.S. TV series)
Survivor is an American version of the Survivor reality television game show, itself derived from the Swedish television series Expedition Robinson originally created in 1997 by Charlie Parsons. The series premiered on May 31, 2000 on CBS...
. Landau used portions of the first track on this album, "Kurski Funk", to create what became the theme song for the show. Paul Winter then sued the creators of Survivor, accusing them of using his music without his permission. According to Winter, Landau had asked to use music from Earthbeat, and Winter had only granted him permission to use recordings that did not make the final cut, and did not appear on the album.
Track listing
- "Kurski Funk" (Trad. Kursk, Halley, Castro-Neves, Winter)
- "The Horse Walked In The Grass" (Trad. Don, Halley, Freisen, Winter)
- "Kyrie" (Halley)
- "Steambath" (Trad. Pskov, Halley, Freisen, Winter)
- "Song For The World" (Trad. Kursk, Halley)
- "Down In Belgorod" (Trad. Belgorod, Castro-Neves, Freisen, Winter)
- "The Lake" (Halley)
- "Epic Song" (Trad. Caucasus, Castro-Neves, Winter)
- "Green Dreams" (Trad. Belgorod, Halley, Freisen, Winter)
- "Garden Of The Earth" (Trad. Russia, Halley, Winter)
Personnel
Paul Winter Consort- Paul WinterPaul WinterPaul Winter is an American saxophonist , and is a six-time Grammy Award nominee.- Biography :Paul Winter attended Altoona Area High School and graduated in 1957...
- soprano sax - Eugene FriesenEugene FriesenEugene Friesen is an American cellist and composer.Friesen is a graduate of the Yale School of Music. He has been a member of the Paul Winter Consort since 1978, and performs with Howard Levy and Glen Velez as Trio Globo...
- cello - Paul HalleyPaul HalleyPaul Halley is an organist, singer, pianist, and composer. He is perhaps best known as being a member of and composer for the Paul Winter Consort.- Biography :...
- keyboards - Oscar Castro-NevesOscar Castro-NevesOscar Castro-Neves is a Brazilian guitarist, arranger, and composer who is considered a founding figure in Bossa nova. He was born as one of triplets and formed a band with his brothers in his youth. At 16 he had a national hit with Chora Tua Tristeza. Many of the early Bossa Nova musicians began...
- guitar - Russ LandauRuss LandauRuss Landau is an American composer of film and television scores and themes including Survivor, Fear Factor, and Pirate Master for which he won an Emmy in 2008.-References:...
- bass - Ted MooreTed MooreTed Moore, B.S.C. was a cinematographer and camera operator on nearly fifty films, and is probably most famous for his work on seven of the James Bond films in the 1960s and early 1970s.-Biography:...
- percussion - Glen VelezGlen VelezGlen Velez is an American percussionist, vocalist, and composer, specializing in frame drums from around the world. He is largely responsible for the increasing popularity of frame drums in the United States and around the world....
- percussion - Neil Clark- percussion
Dimitri Pokrovsky Ensemble
- Dimitri Pokrovsky
- Maria Nefadova
- Alexander Donilov
- Elena Sidorenko
- Sergei Zhirkov
- Tamara Smyslova
- Arthur Partosh
- Anna Knoukhova
- Andrei Kotov
- Nina Savistskaya
- Dimitri Fokin
- Vladimir Teplov
- Irina Ponomaryova
- Sergei Grigoriev