Pete Molinari Biography Pete Molinari. Biography. Pete Molinaris fourth Album Theosophy sits at that point where, as Muddy Waters put it, the Blues had a baby and they called it Rock n Roll. Here Soul, Country, Blues and Rock collide in perfect symbiosis. The songs tell tales of life, love, literature and compact the singer/songwriters rich life experience so far of musical influences and his globe-spanning, wandering lifestyle down into a collection that is as uplifting as it lush, as classic-sounding as it is contemporary-minded. Simply put it is the spirit of Rock n Roll distilled down and delivered in neat shots. This spirit is there in the Southern fried spiritual of What I Am I Am and the stomping, shimmying sounds of Evangeline, which conjures images of the Beatles reeling down the Reeperbahn at 3am, their heads full of purple hearts. Its there in the fragile Roky Erickson-esque country of Dear Marie and When Two Worlds Collide, or the early Stones strut and warm sun-baked melodies of I Got It All Indeed and I Got Mine And quite honestly Molinari indeed does have it all! Hes unique in every sense of the word. Contemporary yet seems to effortlessly display sparks of eras gone-by with a freshness and substance that is quite lost in the songs of most artists. This is more of an Artist that has A triumph of content over style and form written all over him. Its there in the heavy swampy blues of the Tchad Blake recorded Easy Street to the dark and lonely So Long Gone which features the amazing guitar playing of his good friend Dan Auerbach, with whom he has toured and has been asked to do so in the future.. (A version of the song also appears on the recently released Motion Picture Soundtrack The Lone Ranger Songs Inspired by. Along with a list of other great artists) Yet the substance is not lost in the more melodic poppy and psychedelic Love For Sale and You Will Be Mine timeless and classic songs that can only be written by someone who sees the world for what it is. A place of purpose and reason. The evolution of Theosophy has taken in discussions and/or Pre-Production sessions throughout 2012 and 2013 with a variety of friends and cohorts including Andrew Weatherall, The Black Keys Dan Auerbach - with whom Pete has collaborated - Liam Watson, (The White Stripes Elephant) whose Toe Rag Studio has been home to previous recordings and MOJO nominated Album A Virtual Landslide and then finally working with Grammy award winning producer/mixer Tchad Blake, whose roll call includes everyone from RZA to T-Bone Burnett to Tom Waits. Working with the latter in Wales helped develop the songs before Pete de-camped to the Isle Of Wight to record in Studio Humbug an old water tower once belonging to Queen Victoria and which is rumored to be haunted. Here producers Jim and Rob Homes and musicians Thomas Gardner, Rupert Brown, Anthony Truckell and Joe Glossop helped make this Pete Molinaris most collaborative effort to date. The recurring phrase while making the album was a sense of abandon, explains Pete. A phrase that he learned from Tchad Blake. It was about relinquishing control , creating a vibe and letting the mood of the moment dictate the song. Because doing what I do, the music is worthless without feeling. I dont want to sound overly spiritual and would normally cringe when musicians talk about the magic, he continues. But - yeah - something happened when I got to the Isle Of Wight. Working with people like Billy Childish or Liam Watson was absolutely great and I learned so much but we recorded really quickly. I mean, my first album was recorded live, in one day, in Billys kitchen. With Liam in a Week at Toerag Studios and Two weeks in Nashville on the Third. Whereas these songs were given space to breath and the guys brought in all sorts of ideas, which turned it into a group effort. No restrictions. Thats a first for me. Theosophy marks a break from Pete Molinaris past in all ways. After three perfectly formed and critically acclaimed albums it sees him embracing new collaborations and new ideas. Inspiration has come from unexpected sources, including The Theosophical Society, an organization formed in 1875 to promote an understanding of the Esoteric Teachings, and whose interest spans science, mysticism, religion and the arts. Its an organization whose purpose has possibly been misconstrued, explains Pete. People align it with all sorts of things, but really its about the study of ancient wisdom. Two of my favorite works are by a founding member, Helena Petrovna Blavatsky - Isis Unveiled and The Secret Doctrine. Ive not joined any group - I just attend lectures, in London or New York. I think as an Artist you need to constantly take in new ideas. Ideas and songs are the anchor for Pete Molinari. Chatham born and bred, his Maltese, Italian and Egyptian blood, sartorially sharp style and early love for the work of Billie Holiday, Jack Kerouac, Coltrane and Leadbelly set him apart from his peers. After doing hundreds of menial jobs he gravitated as a teen to New Yorks Greenwich Village where, like forefathers Dylan, Guthrie and Ochs before him he cut his teeth in the clubs and bars. Recognizing that music is measured not by Youtube hits or Tumblr followers but by road miles and friendships made - Petes steady rise has been one song, one gig at a time. Dues have been paid, though he balks at the word career; this is more than that. This is a way of life. His return to England saw him begin his recording career in earnest, with early reviews noting that if Jim Jarmusch and David Lynch conspired to create the perfect walk-on stranger in an imaginary cinematic collaboration, it would look and sound like Pete Molinari. In a time when Authentic is an increasingly amorphous concept, and the epithet Troubadour wrongly applied to any young pup with a travel card, Pete Molinaris music inspires many. Im slightly uncomfortable with the term Singer/Songwriter, he laughs. Once it used to suggest a romantic, gypsy spirit or a wandering Balladeer - music made by those with the souls of poets - but now it can mean anyone with a guitar. So now when people ask what type of music I play I say - only half joking - That Im a singer of Ancient Ballads and Neopolitan Love Songs. Those in the know know and without the fanfare of hype, Pete can count among his fans - amongst others - Bruce Springsteen, Leonard Cohen, Ray Davies, Paul Weller, Jools Holland, Bob Dylan, Richard Hawley, The Black Keys, Johnny Depp, The Jordanaires, with whom Molinari recorded in Nashville.. Simply put he has risen to become one of Britains finest Blues and Rock n Roll singers. Now 2013 sees Pete back in the UK, after stints in Nashville, New York and London. Hes a Citizen of The World. His most recent achievements are playing to a packed House at Yoko Onos Meltdown at The Royal Festival Hall where he was called on to sing two of Lennons last and most memorable numbers Just Like Starting Over and Woman In the same week Pete performed at the Book Launch of the publication of Leonard Cohens Biography Im Your Man written by Sylvie Simmons .with Leonards considerable involvement. And to round the week off Pete was asked to head up to Coventry Stadium to meet with Bruce Springsteen where the two spoke about their musical passions and their mutual admiration for each other. It was like the student meets the master Pete says humbly, but also adds sincerely one of the best moments ever for me. A true giant and a kindness and humility beyond what anyone could ever imagine With Theosophy his most assured, diverse and richest album yet the open road beckons once again. If it is about anything then this album is about just letting go in the best possible way, says Pete. Its about abandonment in all ways - creatively, lyrically, musically. Its about looking forward. Its about letting things happen rather than making them. Its a good way to work - and to live. Pete Molinari: A Select Discography A Train Bound For Glory LP (Clarksville Records) Since Youve Been Gone 45 (Clarksville Records) A Streetcar Named Desire EP/CD (Clarksville Records) A Streetcar Named Desire EP/45 (Clarksville Records) Today, Tomorrow and Forever EP (Damaged Goods) Today, Tomorrow and Forever EP/10 (Damaged Goods) A Virtual Landslide LP (Damaged Goods) A Virtual Landslide 45 (Big Burtha Records) It Came Out Of The Wilderness EP/45 (Damaged Goods) One Stolen Moment EP/45 (Damaged Goods) Sweet Louise EP/45 (Damaged Goods) Walking Off The Map LP (Damaged Goods)
Posted on: Sun, 20 Oct 2013 10:31:40 +0000
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