Music at Cushman: no tie-dye, no crystals

By JENNIFER HESHION Bulletin Contributing Writer

Published on November 28, 2008

Amherst pianist Dan Kennedy said describing his love of music is like a fish describing water.

"What I like about music is that I can say what I mean," he said. "Music has a special ability to speak in its own way."

This fall, his music began speaking at Cushman Market and Cafe in North Amherst on the first Saturday of every month.

Kennedy, who is a lecturer in music theory and composition at Westfield State College, has studied the techniques and history of classical and jazz piano. But, for the most part, he's a self-taught musician, composing through trial and error on the piano. He said that he likes the feeling of being at a piano and allowing his fingers to move at will.

Kennedy has played piano with several jazz groups, and performed on drums for a rock band in Boston. His chamber music compositions have been performed by the Cleveland Chamber Symphony, Essex Chamber Music Players, at the Summer Institute for Contemporary Piano Performance at the New England Conservatory in Boston and at the Aspen Music Festival.

On his latest album, "Lantern," released in 2007, Kennedy teamed up with three-time Grammy Award-winning guitarist and producer, Will Ackerman, at his Imaginary Road Studios in Brattleboro. Ackerman has received multiple platinum and gold records, and has produced more than 70 artists throughout his 34-year career, including George Winston and Michael Hedges. In 1976 he co-founded the independent music label Windham Hill Records.

When Kennedy was considering making "Lantern," he wrote to Ackerman and said he was blown away when the producer invited him to Vermont to record. During the five-day session, Kennedy also got to work with Grammy Award-winning sound engineer, Corin Nelsen. Kennedy said that working with the legendary producer was one of the highlights of recording his album. "He always tells me the truth, whether I like it or not," he said. "That is what I really look for in a producer."

Reluctant to label the album as exclusively New Age - "When people hear about New Age, they think of people in tie-dye, wearing crystals," he said - Kennedy describes it as "contemporary instrumental." He said the addition of drums, vocals, and bass by other musicians contributed to the contemporary feel of the CD. "Lantern" features the vocal colors of Noah Wilding and world musician Samite, percussion by four-time Grammy Award-winner Glen Velez and bass by T-Bone Wolk. Wolk has been the bassist for Hall & Oates since 1981 and was a member of the "Saturday Night Live" house band from 1986 until 1992.

Especially satisfying for Kennedy was the give and take with Ackerman during recording. For example, the last song on the CD, which is called "Cycle," had been formally structured by Kennedy from start to finish. But while recording the ending, he suddenly departed from the original structure. On the spot, he created a new part for the ending with Ackerman's encouragement. Trusting his instincts proved to be more than satisfactory to Kennedy, who said the ending of "Cycle" is now his favorite section of the album. "I'm always shaping and molding and adding parts to it," he said.

Kennedy was more than willing to reciprocate Ackerman's gesture by following the producer's intuition as well as his own. "I'm so close to the music it was helpful to hear it from his ears," he said. When Ackerman requested a ballad for "Lantern," Kennedy said he found an old recording he had done when he was 15 and just slowed it down to fit the necessary musical form. The resulting piece, which is aptly titled "Ballad," is a quiet, thoughtful song that can be found on the second track of the album.

As for his future recording plans, Kennedy said, "It's a dream of mine to go back into the studio. Since I recorded 'Lantern,' I wrote about four or five new pieces."

In addition to his gig at Cushman Market, Kennedy will travel to Great Falls, Montana, in mid-December for a performance with vocalist Jean Vasky. For now he said he is excited about his live shows at Cushman. "It's a pretty relaxing atmosphere," he said. "I'm looking forward to that."

Dan Kennedy will perform on the first Saturday of each month from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at Cushman Market and Cafe on 491 Pine Street in North Amherst. For more information on the musician, visit his Web site at www.dankennedy.us.