 - Album Background - About the Piano - Track Notes - Thank You's All music composed, produced and performed by Gary Girouard Recorded live at Steinert Hall in Boston, Massachusetts May 20-23, 2003 Recording Engineering by Richard Fell Mastered by Mark Donahue (Soundmirror) Project Consulting by Craig Najjar Logo Design by Joseph Lee (Black Fish Designs) Photography by Russ Price Front Cover Photo courtesy of Steinway & Sons, NY CD Design by Abby Getman (Artist Development Associates) Equipment: Piano: Steinway "D" 9' Concert Grand Piano Microphones: 2 AKG C1000, 2 Shure SM81-LC Console: Roland VS2480 Hard Disk Recorder at 44.1Khz and 96 Khz Master: HDCD, PMCD |
The Naked Piano (2004) The Naked Piano project began in 1990 and the first album was completed in 2004. The original goal was to create a collection of compositions that would highlight the timeless nature of the piano (and life) by writing about such universal themes as love, family and nature. From the start, this project was all about capturing the uniquely beautiful qualities of an acoustic piano. The decision was made early on to use as little technology as possible and to avoid any edits or synthetic effects. The Naked Piano, Volume II grew out of the original recordings and included two more live recording sessions in 2004. During the NP volume II, there were over 30 new compositions under consideration, which was initially narrowed down to 19 tracks. In the final analysis, these 19 tracks became 14 that are on the finished album. The Naked Piano, Volume II was completed in December of 2005 and released in March of 2006. About The Piano The piano as we know it was invented in the early 1700's by a man named Bartolomeo Cristofori - an amazing achievement of mechanical design. What is truly amazing, however, is that 300 years later, the acoustic piano of today is relatively unchanged. Think about it: in a world of ever-changing technology, daily medical advances, cell phones, the internet and all the passing fads & trends - the acoustic piano of today is unchanged! For The Naked Piano recordings, we wanted to capture this enduring 'character' of the acoustic piano. To do this, we selected a Steinway "D" - a 9' concert grand piano that is recognized by many as the standard by which all other pianos are compared. The piano was so large, it barely fit on the performance stage in Steinert Hall! Once positioned, the piano was 'prepped' and tuned by Rich Fell - the head Steinway technician at M. Steinert & Sons. We used two direct microphones and two ambient microphones to capture the piano sound. There were no effects processors or edits. By focusing on timeless themes such as love, family and nature, we hope The Naked Piano has captured a beautiful instrument in its most pure and natural form. |
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Track Notes 1. Viva (1993) - "Viva" means "life" in Italian. This composition was written for the wedding of Gary's older sister - Karyn. It is a celebration of life's major events - including weddings and births. 2. Sorella (1998) - "Sorella" means "sister" in Italian. This composition was written for the wedding of Gary's younger sister - Kristen. The piece is meant to show timeless love of family and an appreciation for siblings. 3. Renaissance (2003) - This piece was improvised on location during The Naked Piano recordings in March of 2003 - meant to capture the mysterious mood of the abandoned performance hall. 4. Florence (1991) - Gary spent more than a year living in Italy from 1990-1991. The opening and closing lines are meant to imitate the 'flow' of the Arno river that surrounds the city. 5. Trilogy (2001) - This composition is based on the simple melody of a wind chime. The piece was composed two months before September 11th and reflects an innocent serenity. 6. Esposa (2000) - "Esposa" means "wife" in Portuguese. Gary and his wife - Margarida (who is from Portugal) were married in September of 2000 and this piece was part of the wedding ceremony. This piece is about expressing love. 7. Black Goose (1998) - This piece was written while Gary was playing regularly in the Boston music scene. The Black Goose is a hip local eatery located next to the capital building in downtown Boston. 8. San Gimignano (1991) - Another piece that was composed while Gary was living in Italy. San Gimignano is a quaint medieval village (founded in the 8th century) located in the hills of Tuscany that truly takes you back in time. You can also find a wine produced by local monks called "Vernaccia di San Gimignano". 9. Opus (1990) - this piece was written as a surprise for Gary's mother who was attending a recital at the University of Connecticut. Originally titled "Piano Piece No. 1 in C Minor" - the entire composition is based on only four notes. |
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Thank You's To my friends, family and music industry colleagues - you have provided me the foundation upon which I am able to build my dreams. I thank you for your guidance, support and love. Thank you to Steinway & Sons for the use of the album cover photo. The Steinway piano used on these recordings performed as only a Steinway can do. To Craig, a profound "thank you" for all of your help and assistance - including those late night and off-hour phone calls. "thou art" a mentor and a great friend. To Rich, your time and expertise in preparing and tuning the piano were essential to the successful completion of this album. Without your help, the naked piano would have caught a cold! Thank you! To M. Steinert & Sons (Paul, Jerome and Klaus), thank you for your cooperation and assistance in providing the perfect performance venue. Recording the CD in Steinert Hall was a privilege and an honor - thank you! To my son Gabriel and daughter Siena - you make me smile everyday! To my wife Guida - you provide me with the support and peace of mind that makes all possible. You are my angel and I love you for all that you do! To my mother and father -my advisor and coach. You have shown me by example what "love" is all about. Without you, nothing is possible - with you, everything is possible |