For the follow-up to his critically acclaimed record Let It Go (2007), Los Angeles-based pianist-composer-arranger Josh Nelson has created a beautiful and memorable album of original music, standards, and pop and film songs. I Hear a Rhapsody (release date, July 21, Steelbird Music) is a tour-de-force, displaying Nelson’s many talents.
This is Josh Nelson’s fourth record as a leader, and it showcases some of his strongest material yet. A stellar West Coast band joins him: all youthful young ‘lions’ that help bring his challenging material to life. From familiar standards reworked with a unique twist, to the interesting complexity of a tune by singer/songwriter Elliott Smith, this album covers a lot of new territory.
Josh is one of the busiest performers and composers on the West Coast. He tours and performs with his own trio and quintet, and also with vocalists Natalie Cole and Sara Gazarek. He was a semi-finalist in the 2006 Thelonious Monk International Piano Competition, and compositions of his have appeared on the television shows “The Division" (Lifetime), “Lucky”(FX), and “Jack and Bobby”(Warner Bros.), as well as the films “Use as Directed”, “Freedom Flyers of Tuskegee,” and “First Daughter”.
The Musicians
This is Josh Nelson’s fourth record as a leader, and it showcases some of his strongest material yet. A stellar West Coast band joins him: all youthful young ‘lions’ that help bring his challenging material to life. From familiar standards reworked with a unique twist, to the interesting complexity of a tune by singer/songwriter Elliott Smith, this album covers a lot of new territory.
Josh is one of the busiest performers and composers on the West Coast. He tours and performs with his own trio and quintet, and also with vocalists Natalie Cole and Sara Gazarek. He was a semi-finalist in the 2006 Thelonious Monk International Piano Competition, and compositions of his have appeared on the television shows “The Division" (Lifetime), “Lucky”(FX), and “Jack and Bobby”(Warner Bros.), as well as the films “Use as Directed”, “Freedom Flyers of Tuskegee,” and “First Daughter”.
The Musicians
Josh Nelson - piano, fender rhodes, trumpet, voice
Ben Wendel - tenor sax, bassoon
Tom Catanzaro - tenor and soprano sax
Charles Altura - guitar
Hamilton Price, Sam Minaie - bass
Kevin Kanner, Zach Harmon - drums and percussion
For more information contact Michael Bloom Media Relations.
