Bruce Grover
Gigantic
© 2002 Bruce Grover (791022205626)
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Rockfolk for the modern world: full throated wailing to floating falsetto, explosive acoustic guitar, beautiful cellos, and kickin' drums.
tracks
- 1 Fishes
- 2 Rock Star
- 3 September Night Walk
- 4 Tiny
- 5 Farmer Brown
- 6 Honey Bun
- 7 Island
- 8 Times
- 9 Prairie
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Boston-- "RockFolk. Rolk. Fock. Whatever you want to call it -it's acoustic music for the modern world," says Bruce Grover of his debut CD Gigantic, released on his own imprint Buji Baba Records. The 9 songs on the disc feature Bruce's distinctive voice and acoustic guitar, cello, and drums.
"Gigantic is gigantic 'cause it's a huge step for me," Bruce says. "I've been in bands and written music for other people but always wanted to make this record."
While fronting the noisy but melodic Boston band little a, which played up and down the East coast supporting three full-length CDs, Bruce was slowly writing Gigantic in his tiny apartment in the Fenway neighborhood of Boston. Gigs writing and performing music for internationally acclaimed movement-theater artist Erika Batdorf and Boston's up-and-coming modern dance wonder Digby Dance began to show Bruce he could write.
"In little a I didn't write the music," Bruce explains. "I just wrote the words and screamed my head off. Playing with Erika and Digby Dance was really encouraging 'cause I had to play guitar and piano and get good enough to be the live soundtrack."
Gigantic features Bruce's dynamic range of voices - from full throated wailing to floating falsetto - and explosive acoustic guitar. Cellists Angela Letizia and Reimar Seidler fill out the tracks, bringing an unusual beauty to the songs. Ken LaRouche, formerly of the world-music band Do'ah, plays a stunning alto-flute solo on Times.
Angela plays with Bruce regularly and contributes a keen musicality to the songs and an engaging presence to live shows. Since taking up the cello at age 4, Angela has played with a variety of ensembles from the New England Philharmonic to the rock band Moxie.
"Working with Bruce has given me the opportunity to take the cello beyond mere accompaniment," Angela says. "I get to be an equal partner to the voice and have to use the breadth of the instrument to match the range of Bruce's writing."
David Westner, drummer with Boston folk phenomenon Jabe, co-produced, recorded, mixed, and mastered the disc at David Minnehan's Woolly Mammoth Studios in Boston. He also played drums on Tiny and Farmer Brown.
The range of songs on Gigantic shows the distance Bruce has come from just being a singer to pulling together an entire record. From the art-rock-ness of Fishes to the biting commentary of Rock Star to the dreamy Island, the songs tell stories of urban isolation, love, and post-modern life with words that are by turns poetic and hilarious.
For all its variety, Gigantic never loses its focus and has a consistent vibe that is somehow uniquely Bruce. The songs are based in American music but are tinged with eastern melodies reflecting the six years Bruce lived in India as a child and a year in Israel after high school.
Combining “â¦strikingly sensitive and poetic lyrics” (The Boston Globe) with a “â¦haunting voice and expressive acoustic guitar” (The Boston Phoenix) Bruce creates rockfolk for the modern world.
reviews
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What a voice!
author: HooHow to describe this to those who haven't heard it before? A voice like John Mayer, meets deep spiritual uplifting anthems and vocal techniques along the lines of U2's bono, or Soda Stereo -- only the lyrics are deeper! Very uplifting.
Pure, profound, and awesome...
author: Towers DesignVery talented artist with a superb sense of music! Great stuff!! Lyrics stir the emotions - and soothe the soul...
What a discovery
author: freakin' fanI love this record. Beautiful songs, great playing - and uniquely compelling. I'm psyched to have discovered this CD. I love Island and Farmer Brown.
Buy it baby!
author: Boston FanLove it! What a voice - cool words and the cello! I highly recommend this CD.