Joseph Brent

Last updated
Joseph Brent
JosephBrent.jpg
Brent in 2016 playing a fan-fretted mandolin.
Background information
Born (1976-04-06) April 6, 1976 (age 48)
Queens, New York
Genres Classical, folk, jazz, bluegrass, experimental
Instrument(s) Mandolin, guitar, violin
Labels Adhyâropa Records, Sunnyside Records, Vienna Modern Masters, orlando records
Website josephbrent.com

Joseph Frederick Brent (born April 6, 1976) is an American composer, mandolinist, multi-instrumentalist, [1] and teacher. He is known for his performances and arrangements of rock and indie songs, as well as his original compositions with the ensemble 9 Horses. [2] [3] He taught classical mandolin at Mannes College [4] and currently teaches at Bard College [5] .

Contents

Brent attended the Berklee College of Music, and studied the mandolin under Carlo Aonzo in Savona, Italy. [6] He also received instruction from Barry Mitterhoff [7] and Adam Steffey. [8]

Joseph Brent with 9 Horses (l-r Sara Caswell, Brent, Andrew Ryan) Josephbrent2.jpg
Joseph Brent with 9 Horses (l-r Sara Caswell, Brent, Andrew Ryan)

In addition to his teaching responsibilities, Brent is active as a sideman in several rock, jazz, bluegrass, [9] and folk ensembles, most notably with Regina Spektor, [10] Jewel, Kishi Bashi, [11] Gary Smulyan, [12] and various artists centered on the Brooklyn folk music scene.

Brent also records [13] [14] and has performed with symphony orchestras such as the Seattle Symphony, San Francisco Symphony, [15] Chicago Symphony, [16] International Contemporary Ensemble, [17] nunc, [18] and the New World Symphony. [19] [20]

Joseph Brent in 2013 with his custom-made 10-string mandolin, named Kumi. Joseph Brent with his 10 string mandolin Kumi.jpg
Joseph Brent in 2013 with his custom-made 10-string mandolin, named Kumi.

On October 16, 2015, Brent's improvising ensemble 9 Horses, featuring violinist Sara Caswell and bassist Shawn Conley released their debut album Perfectest Herald on Sunnyside Records, [21] and in 2016 were the winners of the 21CM LAUNCH: Emerging Artists Competition. [22]

In 2022 Brent founded Adhyâropa Records along with 9 Horses bandmate Andrew Ryan. In addition to releasing Omegah and subsequent material by 9 Horses and its associated members, Adhyâropa has also released albums by Sam Sadigursky, Mr Sun, Jacob Jolliff, and others. [23]

Brent has published two books of mandolin pedagogy, Scales and Arpeggios for Mandolin and Orchestral and Chamber Excerpts for Mandolin, and his book of transcriptions of the lute music of John Dowland for two mandolins, conceived with Alon Sariel, was published in 2015 by paladino music. [24]

Customized instruments

In 2008, Brent collaborated with Nova Scotia-based luthier Brian Dean to design a grand concert mandolin he named 'Pähkinä', which is Finnish for 'nut', a reference to the walnut top of the instrument. Among the instrument's many distinctive features are the walnut/maple/spruce wood combination, a zero fret, a semi-lute construction with minimal bracing, a built-in tone guard with a sound pressure relief hole cut into the back, and ornate f-holes which reach around the sides of the instrument. [25] Dean has since built a 10-string version of this model nicknamed 'Kumí', which is currently Brent's primary acoustic instrument. [26] In 2016, Vermont-based luthier Adam Buchwald built him a 5-string, fanned fret electric mandolin. [27]

Discography

Solo

With 9 Horses

With others

YearArtistAlbumDescription
1997Rob GilesStraight Down a Crooked Roadviolin, string arrangements [29]
2002 Tom Jones & Harvey Schmidt Roadside (original cast recording)mandolin, violin, guitar, banjo [30]
2003 Eric Stuart Band BombShellShocked violin
2006 Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris 2006 off-Broadway revival cast recordingmandolin, violin [31]
2008Lindsay KattPicking Out Boxesviolin
2010 Regina Spektor Live In London violin
Joseph Stein & Stan DanielsEnter Laughing (Original Cast Recording)violin [32]
2012Bryan DunnSweetheart of the Music Hallmandolin, vocals
Miller & Tysen Fugitive Songsmandolin, violin
2013 Kishi Bashi 7" Box Setviolin
Erin McKeown MANIFESTRAviolin, piano, string arrangements [33]
Kelli Rae PowellLive at Jalopymandolin, violin [34]
Gary Smulyan Bella Napolimandolin, violin [35]
2014Lauren KinhanCircle in a Squareviolin [36]
2015Maxine LinehanBeautiful Songsmandolin, percussion, violin [37]
Andi Rae HealyIf You Want To Be My Manmandolin [38]
King Radio King Radiomandolin, violin
Kishi Bashi String Quartet Live!mandolin, violin
Lina OrfanosMauthausenmandolin
2016 Kishi Bashi The Fourth Phase (Original Soundtrack)violin [39]
2018Various ArtistsI Only Listen to the Mountain Goats: All Hail West Texaselectric mandolin, string arrangements with Erin McKeown on 'Jenny' [40]
2019 Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein Oklahoma! (2019 Revival)mandolin, guitar [41]
2022 Lara Downes Reflections: Scott Joplin Reconsideredmandolin, vihuela [42]
2023James MooreDesolation Popsvocals [43]
2024Christopher ZuarExuberancemandolin [44]

Books

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mandolin</span> Musical instrument in the lute family

A mandolin is a stringed musical instrument in the lute family and is generally plucked with a pick. It most commonly has four courses of doubled strings tuned in unison, thus giving a total of eight strings. A variety of string types are used, with steel strings being the most common and usually the least expensive. The courses are typically tuned in an interval of perfect fifths, with the same tuning as a violin. Also, like the violin, it is the soprano member of a family that includes the mandola, octave mandolin, mandocello and mandobass.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">André Previn</span> German-American conductor, pianist, and composer (1929–2019)

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gerald Drucker</span> Musical artist

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The Symphony No. 9 by Alfred Schnittke was written two years before his death in 1998. As a result of paralysis following a series of strokes, the manuscript was barely readable, and a performing edition was made by Gennady Rozhdestvensky. Schnittke was dissatisfied with Rozhdestvensky's edition, and following his death his widow Irina Schnittke sought to have a reconstruction made that was more faithful to the manuscript. Nikolai Korndorf was first engaged to perform the task, and following his early death the manuscript was passed to Alexander Raskatov. Raskatov not only reconstructed Schnittke's Ninth but also wrote his own composition: Nunc dimittis – In memoriam Alfred Schnittke, which was performed after the symphony in the premiere recording conducted by Dennis Russell Davies.

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Kaoru Ishibashi, who performs as Kishi Bashi, is an American singer, multi-instrumentalist, and songwriter currently based in Athens, Georgia. He was a founding member of Jupiter One and, for a few years, was a member of the band of Montreal. He embarked on his career as a solo artist in 2011, releasing his debut album 151a at Joyful Noise Recordings in 2012 to immediate fanfare and critical acclaim.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of the mandolin</span> The history of the mandolin.

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References

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  2. Review: San Francisco Symphony performs Beethoven rarities - San Jose Mercury News
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  7. Artist to Artist: 10 Minutes with Barry Mitterhoff - Mandolin Cafe
  8. Artist to Artist: 10 Minutes with Carlo AonzoJoseph Brent Interview - Mandolin Cafe
  9. The Bluegrass Special interview with Joseph Brent
  10. "Us | Regina Spektor". uploaded by Carlos Vilaró Nadal
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  15. "SF Symphony review: 'Beethoven Project' begins". SF Gate By Joshua Kosman May 3, 2013
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