Artist description
David Savage, composer, performer (instrumental and vocal), and recording artist, using multitrack recording.
Music Styles
Eclectic cross-genre mixes of rock, pop, jazz, folk, electronic, blues, children's, alternative, groove,
experimental, ambient, environmental, poetry.
Musical Influences
In no particular order: folk, rock, pop, jazz, swing, bebop, big bands, Motown, world music, electronic,
Bob Dylan, John Cage, the book: Tuning of the World, Spike Jones, Little Richard, Elvis, The Beatles,
Clifford Brown, Maynard Ferguson, Chet Baker, Clark Terry, Hugh Masekela, Cannonball & Nat Adderly,
Art Blakey, Eric Satie, The Troubadors of King Baudwin, Robert Moog, Gene Autry, Roy Rogers, Billie Holiday,
Frank Sinatra, Fleetwood Mac, Incredible String Band, John Fahey, Buffy Sainte Marie, The Doors, Leon Russell,
Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg, Hermann Hesse, Woodie Guthrie, Soupy Sales, Zen Buddhism, Ken Nordine's Word Jazz,
Lord Buckley, Frederico Fellini, Phil Ochs, and many, many more.
Artist History
I've been composing and performing music since 1953 when I got my first harmonica. I've written several
hundred songs, four volumes of which are copyrighted under the titles Road Songs, Vols. I - IV (1973 - 1978).
In 1974 two songs I wrote were released on a
45 rpm record (Parapsychology Congress Stomp and Romp, and
Kohoutek). I've performed in a variety of musical genres on cornet, piano, saxes, guitar, harmonicas,
tambourine, cowbell, recorder, etc. at weddings, in clubs, coffee houses, and on street corners.
I've performed instrumentally and vocally as a solo artist and in duos, trios, quartets, quintets, and
in concert band in high school. The first band I played with was in 1960. During the summer of 1964 I played in the band
Dave-Bari Combo in
a summer resort in northern Wisconsin for the season. I have been creating multitrack recordings since 1958.
I've performed in and around Detroit, San Francisco, and since 1970, the Washington, DC area where I played in the
bands the 95th Congress, Shadow Blue, Wild Rose, Character Sketch, Savoir Faire, Cadence, The Federales,
Gina De Simone & The Moaners, Jazz Foundry, and singer/songwriter L.V. Cook. You can hear me on his CD
Roads, Water, and Orange.
I played trumpet on the CD Then and Now, Vol. 2 (1969,
SF Sound) with the San Francisco band Indian Puddin� and Pipe.
I composed and performed the theme music for four public access television comedy shows, and several of my compositions are included
in the movie Who Nose. Since 1999 I've released 21 CDs of original compositions,
now available for digital download at
davidsavage.bandcamp.com.
I am a writer and publisher member of ASCAP,
and a former member of the Songwriters Association of Washington, and the
Washington Area Music Association.
Instruments
Primarily cornet and harmonicas. I've also played keyboards, tenor sax, alto sax, flute, trombone, guitar, dumbek, cowbell, tambourine,
claves, castanets, train whistle, conch shell
CD Releases
Back Home (October, 2003), Click Me (October, 2003), Spirit Forever (August, 2003), Spirit Wing One
(February, 2003), Songs of War (October, 2001), Cosmic Mountain (March, 2001), Cosmic Venus (March, 2001),
Haiku-choo Chew (February, 2001), Lost My Head at Forest Pond (January, 2001), Lost Mountain (November, 2000),
Rain & Crickets, Vol. 1 (June, 2000), Absolute Silence (June, 2000), Showtime on Venus (May, 2000),
Kohoutek b/w Parapsychology Congress Stomp & Romp, a 45 rpm on the Mankind Music label (1974)
Press Reviews
Michel Nolet reviewed Plasma 5 End to End:
"I just listened to your latest work: "Plasma 5 End to End".
Amazing! It's the first piece that I hear from you in that particular genre, but let me tell that you seem to
be in full control of your craft. Superb adventures in sound. Never a boring moment. Definitely worth coming
back to often because one listening session is not enough to savor all the hidden treasures in there. Must
have been fun working on this baby. A real master work. If you don't mind me doing a comparison, while I was
listening to the piece it reminded me of Todd Rundgren's "A wizard, a true star" which is one of my all-time
favorite work of music....Once again regarding your latest offering, you started exploring a new path in your
creative work and it looks quite promising."
Reviews of Absolute Silence:
About the CD Absolute Silence, the MP3.com Artist
Support Team wrote: "We think it's great."
"The silence CD sounds wonderful. Good luck with your numerous pursuits, and thanks for reading my book.
Gassho," Dinty W. Moore, author of
The Accidental Buddhist and other books and magazine articles.
Jim Nayder,
"Host for Life" of The Annoying Music Show on NPR and BBC, had this to say about
the CD Absolute Silence: " ".
Yes, Jim, we used spellcheck on your comment as you requested.
Miriam Solon at at
The Buddhist Temple of Chicago and
webmaster and editor of the former website DharmaPop: The Buddhadharma in Pop Culture on Zombie Hotflash, wrote this about the CD
Absolute Silence: "This takes annoying music to a different level and completely turns it inside out.
Please accept this gift of amateurish emptiness in appreciation for your well-crafted silence. I look
forward to not hearing it."
Jack Diamond, leader of the band
Jack Diamond & Friends
and former host of The Jack Diamond Morning Show on MIX 107.3 FM radio, had this to say about Absolute Silence: "I LOVE it! Care
to send us a "review copy"? : )"
Absolute Silence is mentioned in the March/April, 2001 issue (No. 34) of
Adbusters magazine
on page 15 at the bottom of the column "The M.E. (Mental Environment) Index."
(The CD is mentioned in the print edition only, not on the website.)
Adbusters' Senior Editor James MacKinnon concludes the item by writing, "As of mid-January,
Savage had earned just 46 cents from MP3--but the Index always appreciates the sound
between the notes." Thank you!
Bill Binkelman, of Wind and Wire, had this to say about
Showtime on Venus:
I was impressed with the sense of whimsy and light-heartedness of the music (something that is so lacking in a
lot of this music). I really like the imagination in David's music. It's something different (melodic but not
mundane or syrupy) - which nowadays is saying something. Plus his song titles are too much! I love 'em.
Well done, David. (5/29/2000)
I do think that what I heard was quite unique. And I do love your knack for writing interesting and funny
titles. Best wishes, Bill Binkelman, Editor and Webmaster, WIND & WIRE, New Instrumental Music Reviews
and More. (5/30/2000)
I think you have some real talent for kinetic rhythms and cheerful melodies. That's a lot more rare than you
would imagine in this industry. My best wishes to you. It's nice to know there are some original thinkers out
there. (7/16/2000)
Put this release from synthesist David Savage in the "love it or hate it" column. I say the preceding for two
reasons. One, a lot of people can't imagine having much honest-to-god fun with synthesizers. There isn't a lot
of bouncy, goofy and cheerful music made with synths (other than insipid Top 40 vocal music, but that's another
story). Two, this CD has a decidedly low-tech feel to it (something that never prevented me from going gaga
over a CD but some people think a CD has to be run through a million-dollar mixing/mastering process to be
worthy of attention). But, that would be totally out of place with a CD this wacky (in the best possible
use of the word). How else would you characterize a CD with song titles like the fabulously funky and
uptempo "Waving Cats." I positively love it! Not everything here is flat-out for grins. David tries his
hand at more serene stuff too.
But for my money, the success of Showtime on Venus rests squarely on cuts like "Tap Dancing on the Moon,"
the jazz-inflected title cut, the breezy "Jiggling Giggling Skeletons," the aptly-named "Seven League Strut"
(with a boastful rhythm obviously), and the album closer "Dancing In my Grave" which marries bottom-bass
rhythms with a cheery synth line and flowing melody. Dancing indeed! "Pacific Dawn" is a nice "pretty song"
which twinkles and shines; "Volcano Moonlight" has an almost island/primal feel (firelight sacrifices anyone?);
and the rest of the songs all spin on their own axes, providing a light-hearted take on electronic
keyboard-driven music.
Yes, there is a certain sameness to this recording. As I said, it's low tech. But if you tire of the same
strum and drang of a lot of ambient and electronic music (why are so many artists so serious?), this is the
antidote. It's like an direct infusion of fun. Purists may be advised to stay away; but for listeners
needing a smile now and then, the line forms here! Bill Binkelman, WIND and WIRE, New Instrumental Music
Reviews and More, www.windandwire.com (7/16/2000)
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