Earnest Woodall

Biography - Earnest Woodall is a New York-based post-modern composer who has been composing since late 1980’s. Establishing himself as an influential and innovative composer with such recordings as "Haut Monde" (1987) SOP/POGUS "House Of Stairs" Daystar Productions (1988) "Alberts Warning" (1989) Daystar Productions "Dirty Water" (1990) Daystar Productions. Received many out-standing reviews from:  OPTION "Woodall has taken the potential of electronic orchestra...

Biography - Earnest Woodall is a New York-based post-modern composer who has been composing since late 1980’s. Establishing himself as an influential and innovative composer with such recordings as "Haut Monde" (1987) SOP/POGUS "House Of Stairs" Daystar Productions (1988) "Alberts Warning" (1989) Daystar Productions "Dirty Water" (1990) Daystar Productions. Received many out-standing reviews from:  OPTION "Woodall has taken the potential of electronic orchestration and his own clever guitar styles and combined them into a musical vision akin to the best realms of fantasy writings. Sometimes the music has a grandiose symphonic quality alive with the quality and beauty of Stravinsky."  EAR: Magazine of New Music  "The compositions are lush, often radiant, soundscapes put together with a fine technical ability and, a visionary sensibility." Continuing through out the 1990’s with "Mad Man Of 1st Ave" (1991) Daystar Productions "Three Worlds" (1992) Daystar Productions "GuitarWorks '94" (1994) Creative Alternative. In 1995 Earnest Woodall started his own label Zephyrwood Music and released "Abstract Paragraph" (1995) Zephyrwood Music "Legerdemain" (1996) Zephyrwood Music "Ergot Brew" (1997) Zephyrwood Music "Strike, Light, Puff" (1998) Zephyrwood Music "Unusual Characteristics" (1999) Zephyrwood Music "13" (2000) Zephyrwood Music "Pictures in Mind" (2002) Zephyrwood Music "Time to Think" (2003) Zephyrwood Music "Live @ Benson Hall Cafe" (2006) Zephyrwood Music "Sphere Acid Burn" (2008) Zephyrwood Music. Also all receiving stellar reviews from:  The Improvisor  "The experience is like a kaleidoscope of musical styles, colors, and statements juxtaposed with the everyday sounds of life, and stream of consciousness. One continuous parade, it has not the hysteria and tenseness of "channel flipping", but an every ongoing wash of changing life forms, all-inclusive. It's what you might experience in a lifetime, but yet coming from a system built around the 12 tone music chromatics and through-composed, as the brain perceives life, leaving the improvisation to the listener's imaginative wanderings..."  E.E.R Eclectic Earwig Reviews  "13" is a compellingly dark and fascinating work of art produced. Woodall skillfully blends such seemingly disparate elements as percussive/electronic loops, Schulze-like ambience, minimalism, jazz piano, chamber music, and a highly developed and unique melodic sense. Every song on this CD is a success, a masterfully focused glimpse into the frightening unknown. This is a composer of uncommon caliber. Highly recommended."  In Music We Trust  "Fans of electronica and ambient styles may not be able to pull apart the music and start counting influences, but the blurred lines Woodall walks along will find fans of the aforementioned styles digging these sounds too."  Zeitgeist E-Zine  "Unusual Characteristics" Although this is a largely electronic piece, it has a warm, human feel which often escapes those utilizing modern technology. Incorporating elements of modern jazz, there's the odd trace of orchestral influences shining through. Never less than interesting, often intriguing, this is a diverse and fascinating recording."Let It Rock - DME Music "Post-modern electronic ambient jazz" is a definition Woodall gives to his music. Quite intimidating for beautiful minimalistic melodies executed as if Rick Wakeman plays John Cale. Here's the same method of "musical portraying" on display - rather literally: this collection is inspired by paintings exhibited in NY museums. So jazziness comes in equal measure as classicism: while "Stepping Out" sees vibes playing slow, bluesy ragtime, "128 Details From A Picture" is shaped like an orchestrated court dance. It's New Age music that's hard to fathom on the spot, the "Ariadne" thread shining in deceptively simple sonic tangle, and electronica strokes sweeping harmonium and fragile piano in "Bohemia Lies By The Sea" are charmingly emotive. That's touchy: for "The Mountain" artist chooses analog sounds where others would opt for electronic buzz. Abstract like in "Report From Rockport" or pacifying as "Sea Gulls", there's always a joy of looking at a masterpiece - paintings were, in Earnest words, "viewed & admired" - and translating the visual into aural. That's why "Autumn Rhythm" is a fitting title for a tired pavane reeling alongside crickets-chirp-splashed "Evening" - call it a post-modern "Eine Kleine Nachtmusic". Yet post-modern doesn't define "Pictures In Mind", the music tends to be out-of-timey and extemporal, if there's any difference in the terms."  THE NEW MUSIC JOURNAL  "Pictures In Mind" This work employs broadstrokes of electronic orchestral color, beginning and ending in a sweep of sound appropriate to the over all concept of the recording. Fashioning an elegant progression of music that flows together much like a suite. From full-bodied, muscular sounds to emotional sensitive tracks which feature an impressive compositional style with some searing piano performances. Earnest Woodall has a quirky sensibility combined with a strong sense of color and proportion, which makes this body of work flow as a river run to wake the dead. The music is tight and thematic with influence by European and New York scenes. "Pictures in Mind" is an wholly original four star work."130 BPM Blog “Sphere Acid Burn is an impressionistic adventure through the emotions and situations of the modern world. As each piece ventures you move further through a cycle of emotions. A sense of increased acceptance of the bitter sweet melodies and arrangements Mr. Woodall shows the listener and then a strange calm is felt as if you knew for an instant the meaning of life.”  DMME Classic Rock & Beyond “Information overload as seen from the wishing well of hushed ambience. Following the shadows-and-light cycle of his previous works, the American post-modernist comes up with the most shimmering opus of them all, its fabric all the more gentler in juxtaposition against the media shiver which is this album's subject. Snippets of TV coverage of various events and kitchen sink sonics might ram it towards musique concrete, yet, from "In The New World Order" rallying cry on, Woodall goes for making the impressionistic whole of the overlapping piano runs and delicate electronic buzz that tends to intensify and slide back in a sligthly vertiginous way. But then, there's always a calm place such as the hypnotizing synth motif of "Mystic Feline" or "Port Authority" which ebbs and glows under the Eastern melody like an oasis lake before the clipped guitar in "Domestic Insanity" brings in some discomfort again, while the exquisite acoustic lace of the closer "Call Waiting" welcomes serenity back. A very life-like and, thus, compelling listening.”Tarkus Magazine “Sphere Acid Burn from 2008 opens with sounds slipping in and out, the music builds up and piano riff is introduced. Reverse-effects and ambient sounds are thrown around in the sound and arpeggios of different kinds plows forward under a jumble of sounds and sampled voices and speeches. All the drones, riffs and effects woven together into a kind of exciting, richly detailed soundscape. This is the concept of the record." As well as recording his own music Earnest Woodall also composed and recorded music for many independent films from 1992 - 2005 and also has received two meet The Composer Grants from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Composers Program. Resume - Earnest Woodall - Music Composer/Musician Experience - 1992 to Present - Music Composition, Arranging & Producing for Independent Film & Video - Here and Now (2005 film short produced & directed by Christopher John, Manhatten, NY) Down To The Line (2000 feature produced & directed by Jack Gardner, Huntingtion, NY) Anointed Professionals (1998 film short produced by Spring Board Prod, Roswell, GA) Roulette (1996 film short produced by Whole Earth Production, Chandler, AZ) Whisper (1995 feature produced by Whole Earth Production, Chandler, AZ) The End Of An Era (1994 film short produced & directed by Brian Johnson, Greenville, PA) The Man Inside (1994 computer animation produced by Eclipse Production, Carmel, NY) Virtual Zap (1993 computer game produced by Eclipse Production, Carmel, NY) Wedding Day (1993 film short produced by Bass & MacDonald Production, E. Orange, NJ) Unco (1992 film short produced & directed by Brian Johnson, Greenville, PA) Zeitgeist (1992 computer animation produced by Eclipse Production, Carmel, NY) Software Experience - Apple OS X Pro-Tool - Logic Studio - Finale - Peak - Reason/Record - Final Cut - Quicktime Pro - SoundSoap - Flash - AmpliTube - SampleTank - Dreamweaver - Go-Live - Photoshop - ImageReady - Illustrator - InDesign - Gimp - BBEdit - Garage Band - iMovie - Keynote - Toast - Jam - Appleworks / iWorks - Microsoft Office - Quark Express - FileMaker Pro 1988 to Present - Released Independent Recording Sphere Acid Burn (2008) - Live @ Benson Hall Cafe, NYC (2006) - Time to Think (2004) Pictures in Mind (2002) - Solo Jazz Guitar (2001) - "13" (2000) - Unusual Characteristics (1999) - Strike, Light, Puff (1998) - For Complete Discography Go To www.allmusic.com and search for Earnest Woodall - Recordings available at iTunes & Amazon Instruments Guitar (Electric, Acoustic, Classical, Steel Resonator, Dobro, Standard & Open Tunings) - Piano/Keyboards - Bass (Electric & Acoustic) - Lap Steel -Mandolin - Banjo - Ukulele Education College - Five Towns College (DixHills, NY) - Berklee School Of Music (Boston, MA) Private Music Instruction - John Scofield - Peter Rogine - Tom Pomposello Seminars Attended - John Ambercrombie - Charlie Byrd - Tal Farlow