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CD - Freenotes Gamelan (Songs of Metal and Wood)
Designer Richard Cook with Cathederal Gongs. Photo by Jake Jacobson, published in Heart & Hands: Musical Instrument Makers of America visit www.northlightofco.com

The Freenotes instruments played on this recording are designed to facilitate improvisation. All selections on this CD were recorded live during two three-day sessions and were totally improvised by a group of persussionists who had never played together before. Many of the musicians had not seen the instruments prior to the first session.

Named the Freenotes Gamelan, acknowledging their ancestry in Balinese gamelan orchestras, they are mallet percussion instruments with bars made of steel, aluminum and various woods tuned to western scales. Built by Richard Cook, they represent over 15 years of research and development in their design and production.
MP3 RealPlayer Sample
Tracks: Sample Sample Length
1. Fete in the Ocean of Trees 0:09
2. Return to Misty Mountain 0:12
3. Riverheart 0:08
4. Flight of the Ibis 0:14
5. Singing Back the Sun 0:15
6. Village of Dreams 0:18
7. Torchlit Revels 0:13
8. Rainsong 0:14
9. Nightfall at Rio Yunque 0:18
10. Uncle Parrot's Monkey Shuffle 0:19
Total time 51:17

Richard Cooke: Flutes, Percussion
Michael Caporale: Percussion and Studio Wizard
Guest Percussionists: Steve Earl, Tom Coates, John Grant, Steve Martin, Brian Williamson
Produced by Michael Caporale at Caporale Studios, Cincinnati, Ohio.
Recorded in April and August 1999

$19.00 (shipping included)

Create your own ensemble of Freenotes and play original songs of metal and wood by visiting www.umbaimba.com, an interactive web site showcasing Freenotes instruments. The Umba-Imba site makes heavy use of Shockwave and RealAudio, if you do not have the plug-ins already installed, the Umba-Imba site will install them.