IAR Latest News - September 2007 "IAR Faculty and Staff Collaborate on Come Hell or High Water"
Dave Tardy - IAR
audioschool.com/latest_news.html
Come Hell or High Water, recorded at Kampo Studios in New York, was the result of a collaborative effort by Lisa Bodnar and Dann Araque, along with several IAR instructors including multi-platinum engineer Dan Grigsby, percussionist Gary Fritz, violist Flavio Gaete, and multi-platinum engineer Jim Bonnefond, as well as IAR staff members including singer Richard Bernard, Vernil Rogers, Angel Rivera, and James Garvey. Grigsby, whose credits include work with Keith Richards, Sting, and Joe Cocker, produced, mixed, and engineered the album.
The recording also features Kenny Margolis and Frank Funaro, the keyboardist and drummer from the band Cracker, members of Conan O'Brien's horn section including Eddie Manion, Mark Pender, and Richie Rosenberg, the drummer for Saturday Night Live, Sheryl Crowe, Celine Dion, Shawn Pelton, vocalist Elaine Caswell, who has done vocals on albums for Celine Dion, Cher, and Meatloaf, and vocalist Curtis King, who has sung on albums for artists such as Peter Gabriel, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Carly Simon, and Bruce Springsteen.
Lisa Bodnar's 'Maybe I Did' an enthralling listen
e-mail at Uricheck@aol.com.
Mark Uricheck
NEPAtoday.com Music Contributor
NORTHEASTERN, Pa. - "I channel John Lennon and other cosmic beings that want justice to be served and love to rule..." - Lisa Bodnar on her music, and her philosophy on life.
From the first few strums of the guitar on the CD's opening title track, it's apparent that there's something powerful about her music. No, Lisa Bodnar is not your typical coffeehouse type singer/songwriter.
The Easton native's latest CD, Maybe I Did, may bear the hallmarks of your typical folksy troubadours - i.e. soul-bearing vocals interspersed with delicate acoustic guitar and piano. But what separates Bodnar from most in this genre - the stunning simplicity and accessibility of her songs. A complete lack of pretense in Lisa's music invites the listener to share in the universal emotions of her lyrics.
Maybe I Did is one of those CD's where you know there's something special about it upon first listen. Lisa' voice is graceful, commanding the melody of each song. Her vocals are captivating, painting a landscape for the listener in each song. Repeated listening will only enhance the beauty, reflections, and dreams that her music contains. Comparisons? Maybe some Sarah McLaughlin, maybe a little Jewel. Passing similarities aside, there is no doubt that Lisa Bodnar is out to forge her own distinctive sound.
While the songwriting is superb, the production on this CD is pristine. Crisp, punchy, and all around sonically appealing, perhaps the best compliment that can be given to the audio quality is that the disc should be listened to with headphones. Aided by producer Brett Kull, who also played numerous instruments on the CD, Maybe I Did is an independent CD that can rival anything the major labels spent millions on.
It would be wrong to give the impression that Maybe I Did is an acoustic CD: it's not. While acoustic tones dominate the disc, there are a host of interesting musical elements going on here. On the title track, there happens to be some all out electric guitar squalor on the outro. Lisa's piano dominates tracks like Stars and Surrender. There's also a hint of country twang on Undone. Organ and Wurlitzer provides a foundation on songs like the beautiful Sunflower. The CD's vitality is pumped up with tools like drum loops and rhythmic grooves - mix that with the emotional base of Lisa's songs and you've got a formula for a satisfying listening experience.
How to categorize Lisa Bodnar's music? Is it folk? Is it alt-country? Well, pop would seem to work well, as the music encompasses a mixture of elements. It's pop, but not in a derogatory sense of being overproduced fluff. Quite the contrary. This music is pop, as in the sense of being easily accessible to fans of many types of music. It's provocative, thoughtful stuff, but melodic and intriguing enough to catch the ears of diverse musical tastes.
Lisa Bodnar's music is the kind you get wrapped up in, the kind that sweeps you away. It's got an atmosphere to it. Maybe I Did is the kind of CD perfect for a quiet evening alone with a significant other. Put this disc in and as Billy Joel once said, you can Forget about life for awhile. In addition to the CD's 11 tracks, current pressings of Maybe I Did include two bonus tracks: live versions of Sunflower and a track called Forgive Me. For more info on Lisa Bodnar and to order Maybe I Did visit online at www.lisabodnar.com.
