Eddie Jobson Tribute CD

[Ben One]

Hi everyone!

 

I thought this topic would be sufficiently appropriate for its own thread...hope this is okay...

 

A bunch of us over at the message forum for keyboard legend Eddie Jobson (UK, Zappa Band, Roxy Music) have just released a tribute CD called "Theme of Appreciation: A Worldwide Tribute to Eddie Jobson." It consists of 15 tracks from 9 countries (Russia, South Africa, Sweden, the Netherlands, Germany, Italy, Canada, the UK, and USA). Rather than performing covers or interpretations of his work,we decided to pay tribute to Eddie by composing and performing original pieces inspired by him. There is some incredible music on it,

 

The concept was frankly inspired by the KC compilations. $1 per CD sold will go to the Breast Cancer Fund, which Eddie designated in memory of his sister-in-law who passed away this autumn.

 

Eddie, who posts on the message forum from time to time, had some nice words to say about the CD.

 

Thanks to those here on the Keyboard Corner for showing how compilation CDs could (and should) be done. I drew upon my experiences here to organize the project. My internalized dB plug-in was very helpful in moving the project along firmly and positively during the past 10 months! Also, TinderArts mastered the CD and did a great job which drew praise from EJ himself. In March, Cydonia gave me some great tips for orchestration which was tremendous help for my instrumental piece on the CD. And when this project was in the formative stages, Jackpine offered to do the manufacturing...but due to the wishes of the project members, we went the (ouch!) expensive route and produced this as an audio CD, with an 8-page full-color booklet.

 

In case anyone wants to hear any samples from the project, you can go to our CD website at www.repple.se/toa

 

Now that this project is done maybe I'll have more time to hang out here again! It's great to see the progress of KC Comp 12.

 

Thanks for inspiring me 10 months ago to propose an EJ comp CD which has now come beautifully to fruition.

 

Ben

[K K]

Hi Ben, thanks for the kind words but sincerely I don't recall helping you that much at all, so I suppose you're the only one responsible for your good results.

 

I didn't know at all about the Jobson tribute CD, because I would have really liked to participate in that project. I've just listened to the excerpts and there seems to have truly excellent works from everybody. What's your piece title?

 

Congratulations on the project and next time give me a shout if you plan some other work like this, I'll be glad to contribute.

[Ben One]

Cydonia,

 

Thanks for your kind words. My piece is called "Uncharted Destination"--and it makes a lot of use of the Kurzweil PC2R orchestral module which you know so well. It's not online currently, though maybe we'll add a clip at some point.

 

We had a long-running thread announcing and discussing the CD on the EJ Tribute Forum. I consciously decided not to announce the CD elsewhere, figuring that it felt right for people to find out about it just through the forum. Amazingly, people from Russia, South Africa, and other far-flung places found out about it from there; though I do regret learning you didn't see it and maybe I should have done it differently.

 

The contributors are already clamoring to make a second album, so I'll let you know instantly if we do one. A track from you would be a definite highlight for the next project.

 

Ben

[Ben One]

If we do another tribute album, I'll definitely announce it here. I'm sure there are a few EJ fans here who would be interested, and we'd love to have you if we do another one of these.

 

An amazing development: Eddie and his associates at Globe Music Media Arts have just put our tribute CD in their online store; it's currently highlighted next to "Theme of Secrets"! This is very humbling, and I keep having to make sure I'm not dreaming this!

 

Ben

[BP3]

Glad to be a part of it. Best of luck!

[Ben One]

Thanks, Bill. Your copies are in today's mail. Everyone was happy and impressed with your mastering.

Ben

[BP3]

I'm in for part two!

[Ben One]

Thanks, Bill! We'll decide within a couple of months if we're going to do another one. If so, I'll announce it here so that interested forum members can contribute.

 

If we do a Volume 2, I'd love to have all the continents covered between the two volumes. It'd be great to have contributions from EJ fans in South America, Asia, and Australia/New Zealand. Also, we'd encourage more collaborations, rather than individual contributions. That could be fun.

 

Response to this initial CD has already been amazing. I've gotten orders for the CD from EJ fans whom I hadn't previously met in Mexico and Switzerland. That is a great feeling!

 

Ben

[Steve LeBlanc]

I wore out the grooves on his album Zink when I was a kid, big fan

[Tusker]

Very cool thing you did.

[Ben One]

Thanks so much! The intensity of Eddie's fan base all around the world is really amazing. I didn't expect such an enthusiastic response to this project so soon after it came out.

 

For those who are interested, Eddie's Globe Music website now has clips of all 15 tracks (click on music clips, then Eddie Jobson, then "Theme of Appreciation"). Mine is track 14, by the way, but it's overshadowed by lots of other amazing tracks.

 

Ben

[Mark Schmieder]

I gained renewed and elevated appreciation for Eddie Jobson's mastery of keyboards (as opposed to his better-known mastery of electric violin) recently, when I picked up the double-disc reissue of Jethro Tull's "A" which is accompanied by a live concert showcasing Eddie's amazing contribution to that band's live energy. I believe he was playing a Yamaha CS80 as his main synth for that tour. This is now my favourite Tull Live album. I would have liked to have seen where that lineup could have taken the band over the course of more albums, but apparantly drummer Mark Craney died not long after.

[Steve LeBlanc]

but apparantly drummer Mark Craney died not long after.

actually he didn't die until November 2005...you can read more about him here:

 

http://www.j-tull.com/news/markcraneyobit.cfm

 

he was a fantastic drummer...my brother and I were lucky to meet him at Guitar Center once, really nice guy

[Ben One]

Yes, very sad about Mark Craney. He was a drummer who could play the complex parts, but at the same time was accessible and had wide appeal. That CD/DVD of Tull with Jobson and Craney is a real treat. It's like no Tull album before or since.