Los Angeles CA -- Ten years in the making but released this month, ODYSSEY: A TWELVE-MONTH REVOLUTION is an epic musical exploration of the passing of days, changing of seasons and the journey though the year. Prodigious pianist Jeremy Weinglass, accompanied by virtuoso violinist Chris Woods, has captured the powerful and the subtle in the cycle of life with this 12-track album.
The project began for Jeremy in 2001, post-college, as a way to stay challenged and motivated to compose. That lasted for a while, until he found himself trying only to out- do himself. “I was heavily focused on finding a new complex structure or clever harmony to use in my next composition. I remember wishing that I had called the first four months “seasons" rather than “months," Jeremy jokes. But in 2008, after getting married and experiencing the world anew as part of a couple, he found inspiration to continue. All the months were complete, except for “October," which represented the peak of the series. He chose to use an improvised moment while performing meditation music at a spiritual center to experiment with some ideas. It was at that time, a stranger with a violin asked Jeremy if he could play along. And magic filled the room. It was that synergistic coupling that compelled Jeremy to rewrite ODYSSEY to include Chris Woods' violin. The climactic moment in “October" remained improvised during the recording. “In my experiences, one of the things I have learned is that being open to serendipity can create magical results and things come together in ways that could never have been planned," says Jeremy.
On July 29, ODYSSEY will be presented with a remarkable visual component as a fully- produced modern dance program to benefit Big Brothers/Big Sisters Los Angeles. In it, a couple will ride the wave of the year, coming together and moving apart through choreography created by Jeremy Hahn and Michelle “Star" LaVon, both fixtures in the national multidimensional dance scene. Full show details will be announced in upcoming weeks.
Jeremy Weinglass began piano studies at age seven, on scholarship, and composing and performing at age twelve. He is award-winning, including being named Instrumentalist of the Year by LA Music Awards. He has accompanied famous artists such as Engelbert Humperdinck on his 2007 North American tour, and internationally-known Bulgarian singer Krassimir. Jeremy was the keyboardist in the successful pop/rock band Ballentine who toured regularly worldwide from 2002-2008 and is currently keyboardist and bandleader for the The Paula Franceschi Band. He maintains a repertoire that encompasses a variety of musical genres including classical, jazz, standards, musicals and popular selections across decades, which keeps him an on- demand talent for events throughout southern California, including regular performances at Agape International Spiritual Center. Jeremy's full length solo piano CD, DREAMS, features his best original works, many of which have been heard on the radio. He also has seven solo piano CDs, each representing his adaptations of popular songs in specific genres, including ROCK CLASSICS (featuring songs by No Doubt and Metallica) and POP FAVORITES (with Kylie Minogue and The Police).
Chris Woods began studying the violin at four years old. A graduate of the Manhattan School of Music, he is one of the most sought-after violinists in Los Angeles, playing a broad range of styles from classical and jazz to bluegrass, rock and hip-hop. He has worked with artists including Justin Timberlake, Faith Evans, Outkast, Rickie Byers-Beck with, the Black Eyed Peas and Dr. Dre. He also is a composer, arranger, and producer and has written music for his group Sonication, his quartet Quartetto Fantastico, the Hutchins Consort, and MASS Ensemble. He is concertmaster of the Southeast Symphony and Center Stage Opera, the recipient of numerous awards, and has performed on such shows as American Idol, America's Got Talent, the Grammys and the American Music Awards.
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