Grateful Dead Alumni Bob Bralove Releases New Solo CD Stories in Black and White

  Bralove has been playing improvisational music for some time now (i.e. “Space and Drums” with the Grateful Dead, Dose Hermanos with Tom Constanten) but on his new release Stories in Black and White (released on Bob’s independent label: Blove music), he goes solo and acoustic as well, playing his father’s 1916 Steinway Grand piano.

"Stories in Black and White" is my first solo exploration on acoustic piano. I had no predetermined idea what melody, harmony or rhythms would emerge, thus, simultaneously creating, performing and recording each piece”, Bob remarks.

Stories in Black and White is a collection of recordings from a series of intimate dinner parties that Bralove threw for a few close friends at his house in San Francisco. Here Bob opts out of the clean precision of the studio environment and goes for a warmer and cozy one - his own living room. This relaxed and casual atmosphere opened the door to an unspoken musical communication for both Bralove and his “audience”. In fact, if you listen carefully you can hear guests in the background and even a car driving by.

“I decided to play/record before an intimate audience, shifting the consciousness of the sessions. Inviting close friends over for a series of dinner parties, I’d first play and record for an hour, we’d enjoy the meal, and then I’d record for another hour or so.” Bob recalls.

Honing his technology skills with both Stevie Wonder and the Grateful Dead, Bralove has developed a performance system, which allows him to play images and sound at the same time, something he fondly calls “digital finger-painting”. Using his own artwork, he has incorporated this visual world into his performances. He has now been performing this innovative music/art crossover as a solo artist, with his duo, Dose Hermanos, and with full orchestra. You can view this visual interplay at his new website: www.bobbralove.com/video.html . Here you can view “Cowboy Sunset”, one of the tracks off Stories in Black and White, as well as “digital finger painting” videos form other performances

“Current technology allows me to connect my visual artwork to the acoustic piano; I am mapping images to the eighty-eight notes on the piano keyboard. Not only playing sounds, I’m playing visuals, adding a new dimension to my improvisational performance.” Bob explains.
Stories in Black and White can be purchased through iTunes and/or cdbaby.com. To hear more about Bob Bralove and his digital finger paintings visit www.bobbralove.com.  For more information Contact: Bob Bralove - bob@bobbralove.com - 415-566-9811

###

Back