Evolution
Evolution is my loving tribute to 70s-style prog-rock.
Although I’ve never amounted to much in terms of composition, instrumentation, or sight reading, I’ve been tinkering with musical ideas since I was a kid. Back when I was in college I started sketching out an album list for an imaginary band named “Evolution,” named from my favorite Journey album and with similar single-word titles like “Origin”, “Innocence,” and “Metamorphosis.” The idea was to eventually form a band along those lines, but my career took a very different direction, where music remained very much in the background.
The album art of this era is beautifully unique, so I design my own covers in that same style. My biggest influence here is the Journey album covers from Infinity-Escape, from Alton Kelley and Stanley Mouse. Another important influence is the work Roger Dean did for Yes and Asia.
I also add in some of my own personal style,
strong Catholic and literary overtones and influenced heavily by the bands Genesis and Journey (particularly their early work up to and including Departure).
I’m working (slowly) through the first album “Origin”, thematically based on Genesis 1, the six days of creation. Here’s the title track:
Album Releases on YouTube:
Studio Instruments
A description of
Lutherie Projects
Violin
1989-1990. Poplar neck and body, oak fingerboard. Tailpiece and tuning pegs purchased. Subsequently damaged and in need of repair.
Psaltery
ca. 1994. Poplar body, metal strings.
Rebec
1996. Poplar neck and body, aspen fingerboard and soundboard. 3 strings.
Mandore
Incomplete. Started 1997. Poplar neck and body. Intended 5-string French tuning (C, G, c, g, c’), with Italianate head.