[CD] Rachel Eckroth - The Garden

Rachel Eckroth - Piano, Voice, Yamaha CP70, Wurlitzer 200a, Prophet 6, Mellotron, Korg Minilogue, Juno 106, Roland SE02

Tim Lefebvre - Upright Bass, Electric Bass, Guitar, , Roland SE02

Christian Euman - Drums

Donny McCaslin - Tenor Saxophone, Flute, Alto flute

Andrew Krasilnikov - Soprano Saxophone

Nir Felder - Electric Guitar

Austin White - Modular Synth

Written by Rachel Eckroth

Produced by Tim Lefebvre

Mixed by Jason Kingsland at Frenchtown Sound

Mastered by Ed Brooks at Resonant

Mastering Recorded at Sonic Ranch - Studio A in Tornillo, TX

Recording engineer - Felipe Castaneda

Additional recording at Big Orange Sheep, Brooklyn, NY by Christopher Benham

Overdubs made at Blackbird Sessions in Tucson, AZ

Additional recording made in Moscow, by Sasha Mashin

Album art – Vika Kogai

Photography by Eugene Petrushanskiy

Video by Eugene Petrushanskiy and Rachel Eckroth

Package design by – Dimitri Komedea, 271dsgn

Треклист: 1 Dracaena; 2 Under A Fig Tree; 3 Low Hanging Fruit; 4 Dried Up Roots; 5 The Garden; 6 Black Eyed Susan; 7 Vines; 8 Oil

Pianist, composer and singer Rachel Eckroth’s first release on Rainy Days Records unveils fresh sounds from her evolving artistry. Steeped in synth orchestration, The Garden reflects a nuanced exploration of sonic impulses and inquiries alongside Eckroth’s signature layered compositions and glimmers of trance-inducing vocals. With contributions from acclaimed guitarist Nir Felder, saxophonists Donny McCaslin and Andrew Krasilnikov and modular synth master Austin White, and a core band featuring bassist Tim Lefebvre and drummer Christian Euman, The Garden emerged conceptually while Eckroth was writing new music during the pandemic. “Everything on the album has a different feel to it — different colors and textures,” says the West Coast artist. “It felt like a garden. So we just rolled with it.”

Eckroth revels in new experiences across rich, diverse musical settings. The multifaceted artist continually refines her expression, frequently collaborating as a featured guest with creative visionaries who have included Rufus Wainwright, St. Vincent, KT Tunstall, Donny McCaslin, Tia Fuller and Chris Botti. But composing during the pandemic afforded Eckroth and partner Lefebvre unique opportunities to compose and perform together. From their home in Arizona, they dug in to each other’s expressions and began developing a duo sound. “Especially during Covid, we were making music pretty much every day together,” says Eckroth. When Eugene Petruhanskiy greenlit a possible release from Eckroth for Rainy Days, she and Lefebvre considered what they might create around a synth-forward recording. The textural-minded musicians began soundscaping across familiar territory and new domains. Almost immediately, the Prophet 6 emerged as a key element for record’s sound. “It ends up on a lot of my live gigs,” says Eckroth. “I’ve used it on all the tours I’ve played with other people. I’m a pianist, but the record doesn’t have a lot of piano. The Yamaha CP 70 served the ‘meat’ of some of the songs. And the Korg minilogue is an instrument I use really well for some reason; it’s very intuitive.