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Live At Bluewhale, Volume 1

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Josh Nelson

Label: Steel Bird Music
Released: 2021
Duration: 00:49:00
Views: 1,040

Tracks

Double Helix; Our Electromagnetic Hearts; Peter Sellers; Oumuamua; Bluewhale Dives Deep.

Personnel

Album Description

“Live at bluewhale, Volume 1” is a compilation of sentimental and bittersweet recordings from Josh Nelson’s Discovery Project concerts originally performed at the Bluewhale jazz club, located in the heart of Little Tokyo in downtown Los Angeles. Founded in 2009 by Korean visionary and musician Joon Lee, the club was a staple of the jazz community in Los Angeles for ten years. Nelson, who is a native son of Southern California, performed there frequently with a wide array of artists until the club closed its doors in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. Scheduled to release on September 10, 2021, Live at Bluewhale is the second live album by the Discovery Project and a worthy follow-up companion to the first three studio releases: Discoveries (2011), Exploring Mars (2015) and The Sky Remains (2017). Collectively, these albums represent a soundtrack to Nelson’s cinematic vision of the things that have fascinated and inspired him all his life: science fiction, space exploration, classic novels and films, and his cherished city of Los Angeles. The Discovery Project is an immersive, multi-media journey through sound, light, motion, and space. Nelson created the synergy of science, artistry, and dreams through his music and one-of-a-kind collective which includes live improvisational video mixer Travis Flournoy, architect Jesse Ottinger, and artist Claudia Carballada. The Project featured a rotating core of talented musicians: Larry Koonse/Jeff Parker on guitar, Dan Schnelle on drums, Brian Walsh on clarinets, Chris Lawrence on trumpet, Alex Boneham on bass, Miguel Atwood-Ferguson on electric violin, and Artyom Manukyan on cello. “I find there’s a lot of heart in these five songs,” Nelson explained, “and I felt like this would be an appropriate ‘love letter’ to our Bluewhale.” The album features a total of four live tracks plus Nelson’s sentimental tribute to the venue. “double helix” pays homage to the three scientists who made the initial discovery of DNA; “our electromagnetic hearts” describes a poignant linking of the heart and mind, a reminder of the science that allows us to live and love; “peter sellers,” “The venerable brilliant British actor inspired me to write a melody in his honor” stated Nelson. “His performances were incredibly hilarious and memorable, in films such as Dr. Strangelove, Lolita, Being There, and of course the famous Pink Panther films.” “‘oumuamua” was written for a mysterious space object that flew through our solar system in 2017. To close the album, “bluewhale dives deep” is a sentimental tribute to the wonderful music venue. “Nelson has, in essence, created a both a love letter and a farewell letter to Bluewhale, the club now dearly departed, and to its dedicated owner.” – Gary Fukushima, independent music journalist