The Chandler Travis Philharmonic has kept a low profile the past couple of years while Chandler has enjoyed developing two great new bands, the Catbirds and the Chandler Travis Three-O (the latter being a smaller, satellite version of the Philharmonic -both delivered critically acclaimed debut albums in 2013), but we're back with a vengeance in 2015, with two new albums: "Bocce & Bourbon: The Comfortable Songs of Chandler Travis & David Greenberger" coming in March; and "Waving Kissyface Vol. 1", coming this summer or so.
"Bocce & Bourbon" is, on the one hand, a compilation of 19 examples of Chandler's best work with his favorite lyricist, David Greenberger (also of Men & Volts and Duplex Planet fame), that spans more than three decades and includes both the Chandler Travis Philharmonic and Three-O as well as the Catbirds and the Incredible Casuals; but about half of it (nine new songs, plus a re-imagined alternate version) is brand new. The lyrics share compassion, warmth, and inventive imagery, echoed in music that is gently but firmly idiosyncratic, and the whole is surprisingly coherent -hard to catagorize, perhaps, but not hard to get.
We're very proud of this collection, and the CTP and 3 both plan on touring and spreading the word as extensively as possible for rest of 2015.
Credits:
all songs written by David Greenberger and Chandler Travis, published by Farfy / Modern Variety, admin. by Bug / Farfy / BMI
Sal Baglio - guitar & recording of said guitar (7)
Rikki Bates - drums (3, 5-14, 16)
Fred Boak - vocal (1, 2, 8-11, 14)
Matthias Bossi - drums (4)
Mark Chenevert - tenor saxophone, clarinet (6, 8, 9, 16)
Dinty Child - mandocello, mandolin, accordion, pump organ, violin, vocal (1, 3, 5-9, 11, 12, 14, 16, 19)
John Clark - string bass (1, 2, 5, 6, 8-12, 14) vocal (10, 11)
Phil Clements - piano (6-8) clavinet (9)
Jay Cournoyer - vocal and timbales (3)
Tim Dickey - mandocello, guitar (19)
Jon Evans - bass (4)
Ken Field - alto sax (8) horn arrangement (16)
Dave Harris - trombone (8)
Keiichi Hashimoto - trumpet (16)
Carla Kihlstedt - vocal (4)
Steve LeFebvre - trumpet (8)
Berke McKelvey - saxophones, clarinets, keys, (1, 5, 9-12, 14, 18) vocal (11)
Mike Peipman - trumpet (2, 14)
Bob Pilkington - trombone (8, 9, 14, 16)
Aaron Spade - guitar (13, 15, 17) vocal, (13, 15)
Johnny Spampinato - guitar, vocal (13, 15, 17)
Cliff Spencer - keys (2, 5, 14)
Keith Spring - woodwind arrangement (12)
John Styklunas - string bass (3, 16)
Marybeth Travis - vocal (1)
Sam Wood - drums (1, 12)
Steve Wood - guitar (7)
Chandler Travis - the remainder
Rikki Bates - recording (13, 17) at Bay Farm and Vinny's
Chris Blood - recording (10-13, 15, 17) co-mixing (10, 13, 15, 17) at Trout Towers Casino
Ducky Carlisle - mastering, recording (1, 2, 14) recording & mixing (3, 5-9, 16) mixing (11) at Room Nine, Dimension, Rear Window, Ice Station Zebra
Joe Stewart - recording assist (2, 5, 14) at Dimension
Tom Tracy - piano recording (1) at Tom Tracy Music, Brewster, MA
Jon Evans - recording, co-mixing (4) at Brick Hill
Bill Scheniman - recording, mixing (19) at Berklee, Maclean Studio, Longview Farm
Chandler Travis - recording (on all except 3, 8, 16, 19) mixing (2, 12, 14, 18) co-mixing (4, 10, 13, 15, 17) at Kelp Manor
SPECIAL THANKS: Rikki Bates, Steve Berkowitz, Fred Boak, Chris Blood, Denise & Rich Borden, Gip Hoppe, Bruce Maclean, Nell Mulderry, Belinda Rawlins, and to all bands and humans involved, without whom these songs wouldn't sound so good
Jeff Towne - cover photo
Susan Fanjoy Leach - CT photo
Barbara Price - DG photo
David Greenberger - design
3, 16 from Let's Have a Pancake (1999)
6 from After She Left (2009)
7 from Catbirds Say Yeah (2012)
8 from The Chandler Travis Philharmonic Blows (2010)
10, 11 from This is What Bears Look Like Underwater (2012)
13, 17 from The Future Will Be Better Tomorrow (2000)
15 from It Is Balloon (1995)
19 from Ivan in Paris (1998)
remaining tracks previously unreleased
All albums containing the previously released tracks are available at www.chandlertravis.com
I hate to admit it, and I'm only going to say it once, but all of my best songs were written by David Greenberger, who is also younger than me. He's been a constant annoyance for decades.