Month: July 2016

I will be presenting live show versions of a selection of compositions featured on her debut album Stay. All of these were arranged specifically for jazz performing artists Colin Gordon (soprano saxophone), Julian Garvue (piano/keyboard); Andrew Links (piano/keyboard); Tyrone Allen (electric bass); and Aaron Staebell (drums). Additionally, she will be premiering new songs that will be recorded/released as an EP this fall that sets the dark and evocative poetry of Emily Bronte (1818-1848) and John Donne (1572-1631). Her album will be officially released at the show, featuring musicians affiliated with the Eastman School of Music and University of Nevada, Las Vegas, along with one track that will feature Las Vegas-based rapper, Rasar Amani. For more information on her album, please visit her Discography page!

Debut Album STAY to be released August 10, 2016
Album release show at the Bop Shop in Rochester, NY: http://www.bopshop.com/event/jennifer-bellor/
All compositions by Jennifer Bellor

CREDITS
Recorded at the UNLV Recording Studio (tracks 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 8, 10, 11, and 12)
Recorded at the Eastman School of Music Recording Studio (tracks 5, 6, 9, 10, and 13)
Recorded and Mixed by: Ron George, University of Nevada, Las Vegas
Recorded and Mixed by: Greg Thompson, Eastman School of Music
CD Design & Photography: Arthur Chivis
Vocal Coach: Stephanie Weiss
Mastered by: Gil Kaupp

PREFACE
Over the past year while planning out the music for this album, I was trying to tie together all of the pieces into one overall concept. I thought I would keep to this initial idea of developing a concept album that focused on the story of Baudelaire’s “The Generous Gambler.” While stepping through the process of writing/recording the music, I realized that the initial idea didn’t really fit all of the pieces conceptually. Therefore, I took a step back and reflectively discovered the pieces tied together because the compositions carried strong extra-musical associations to memories I have had throughout my development as a composer, and through my life. Even as a performer during my development (pre-college), the strong connections I had to a piece were tied to specific events, images, words, friendships, relationships, and artistic interactions. Truly each piece I chose for my album reflects some of these meaningful extra-musical associations; those that will stay with me as I continue to evolve as a composer.

TRACKS with instrumentation and preview excerpts

1. Chase the Stars (2015)

Lyrics from poem “Ah! Why, Because the Dazzling Sun” by Emily Bronte (1818-1848)
Original lyrics by Rasar Amani

Jennifer Bellor, vocals
Rasar Amani, rapper
Lynn Tsai, flute
Ivan Ivanov, bass clarinet
Samantha Ciarlo and Tammy Hung, violin
David Chavez, viola
Lindsay Johnson, cello
Tim Jones and Kyle Bissantz, percussion
Sean Carbone, electric guitar
Bennett Mason, piano
Summer Kodama, electric bass
Jeremy Klewicki, drums
Bronson Foster, conductor

 

2. Stay (2016)

Cory Tiffin, clarinet
Luigi Ng, vibraphone
Jae Ahn-Benton, piano

 

3. Burning Light (2015)

Lyrics from poem “Ah! Why, Because the Dazzling Sun” by Emily Bronte (1818-1848)

Jennifer Bellor, vocals
Tim Jones, vibraphone
Jae Ahn-Benton, piano
Sean Carbone, electric guitar
Summer Kodama, electric bass
Colin Woodford, drums
Bronson Foster, conductor

 

 

4. Moments Shared, Moments Lost (2016)

Ivan Ivanov, clarinet
Jae Ahn-Benton, electric organ

 

5. Interlude: AfterHours (2014)

Aaron Staebell, drums

 

6. Noir (2013)

Colin Gordon, soprano saxophone
Wendy Eisenberg, electric guitar
Tyrone Allen, electric bass
Aaron Staebell, drums

 

7. Fallen Veneer (2015)

Lyrics adapted/inspired by the poem “Christabel” by Samuel Taylor Coleridge (1772-1834) with help from Alex Burtzos

Jennifer Bellor, vocals
Hunter Rose Turner, vocals
Lynn Tsai, flute
Ivan Ivanov, clarinet
Samantha Ciarlo and Tammy Hung, violin
David Chavez, viola
Lindsay Johnson, cello
Tim Jones and Kyle Bissantz, percussion
Sean Carbone, electric guitar
Jae Ahn-Benton, piano
Summer Kodama, electric bass
Colin Woodford, drums
Bronson Foster, conductor

 

8. Interlude: Time’s Arrest (2015)

Tim Jones, vibraphone

 

9. Familiar Stranger (remix) (2015)

Colin Gordon, soprano saxophone
Andrew Links, piano
Tyrone Allen, electric bass
Aaron Staebell, drums

 

10. Out of the Shadows (2012)

Mike Kaupa, trumpet
Samantha Ciarlo and Tammy Hung, violin
David Chavez, viola
Lindsay Johnson, cello
Andrew Links, piano
Wendy Eisenberg, electric guitar
Tyrone Allen, electric bass
Aaron Staebell, drums
Jennifer Bellor, conductor

 

11. Nightingale (2011)

Lyrics from the poem “Nightingale” by E. Louise Beach

Jennifer Bellor, soprano
Christina Wright-Ivanova, piano

 

 

12. Familiar Stranger (2015)

Lyrics adapted/inspired by “The Generous Gambler” by Charles Baudelaire (1821-1867) with help from Elizabeth Reeves

Jennifer Bellor, vocals
Lynn Tsai, flute
Ivan Ivanov, clarinet
Samantha Ciarlo, violin
Lindsay Johnson, cello
Tim Jones and Kyle Bissantz, percussion
Jae Ahn-Benton, piano
Summer Kodama, electric bass
Bronson Foster, conductor

 

13. Chase the Stars (remix) (2015)

Mike Kaupa, trumpet
Andrew Links, piano
Wendy Eisenberg, electric guitar
Tyrone Allen, electric bass
Aaron Staebell, drums
Jennifer Bellor, conductor

I recently revised 898 Hildegard for SATB and Orchestra, and very excited about this new version! The premiere of the original version for the Genesee Valley Orchestra June 3-4, 2016 was a success, and thrilled with their performance. I realized after hearing it that I still wanted to re-visit a couple sections: the climactic point and the ending of the piece. Knowing that I could have the opportunity to incorporate harp for the Las Vegas Philharmonic premiere April 1, 2017, this opened up many more creative possibilities for me, and decided to completely re-write the ending to feature the harp, clarinet, and flute.

Audio recording at this time is not available. For an idea of the piece, here is a MIDI realization:

898 Hildegard was commissioned by the Genesee Valley Community Orchestra to honor their founder, Sister Virginia Hogan, through the verse and melody of Hildegard von Bingen (1098-1179). The title is borrowed from the name of a planetoid in our solar system, 898 Hildegard, thus connecting civilization’s ancient cosmos with the one that it continues to discover. I used excerpts from her chants “O Vis Eternitatis” and “O Gloriosissimi Lux Vivens Angeli,” in which the text is about eternity and angels. Then, I listened to the recordings of these chants on the Hildegard Society website (www.hildegard-society.org), and transcribed the performances in order to learn how these chants are presented rhythmically. After studying the intricate details of both chants, I then intertwined the original chant material with my own variations throughout, melding it together into a through-composed composition that not only displays my compositional style, but also highlights these beautiful chants by Hildegard von Bingen.

898 Hildegard was first premiered in Rochester, NY June 3-4, 2-16, and later revised for premiere by the Las Vegas Philharmonic April 1, 2017 at the Smith Center. http://lvphil.org/concert_schedule/performance.php?ID=69

http://lasvegasweekly.com/ae/2016/apr/05/las-vegas-philharmonic-2016-2017-season-star-wars/

I wrote Afterglow for Mark Boseman to perform and incorporate in his new marimba methods book he is currently in the process of producing. The miniature composition focuses on one-handed rolls. Here is a Facebook video of him performing the piece: https://www.facebook.com/mark.boseman.3/videos/10102178551901527/

The A/tonal Ensemble performed my composition Stay today on the program THE UNHEARD at 12:30pm EST on WUOL Classical 90.5, http://wuol.org/streaming-audio-on-classical-905/

Carrie RavenStem, clarinet
Tanner Leonardo, vibraphone
Jessica Dorman, piano

Here is a link to a 1-minute video clip that was posted on their Facebook page: video excerpt from performance

Congrats to them on a beautiful performance!

The UNLV Wind Orchestra under the direction of Tom Leslie premiered the 8-minute version of my composition “Bordello Nights” for wind orchestra and jazz band at Le Festival des Anches d’Azur in La Croix-Valmer Sunday evening, June 26. It was an honor having the opportunity to work with Tom and the amazing guest artists who were featured in the jazz band: Eric Marienthal (alto sax); Colin Gordon (soprano sax); Mitch Forman (piano); Kevin Axt (electric bass); and Bernie Dresel (drums). Here are some photos from the premiere:

I had a wonderful time hanging out with the musicians in La Croix-Valmer! When the musicians weren’t rehearsing, we spent time exploring the nearby villages, and enjoyed having dinner together each night. Here are some photos:

I recently revised my song Air and Angels with text by John Donne (1572-1631) that existed in two of my earlier song cycles (Songs of Ethereality and Between Realities). There are two versions available: for voice & piano or for voice, piano, synth and electric bass. I will be premiering the ensemble version of this piece August 21, 2016 on my showcase at the Bop Shop in Rochester, NY.

Since an audio recording isn’t available yet, here is a MIDI realization of the version for voice, piano, synth, and electric bass: