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Renaissance are
• Annie Haslam - vocalist
• Michael Dunford – guitars
• Tom Brislin - keyboards
• Rave Tesar - Keyboardist
• Frank Pagano - drums
• David J. Keyes - bassist/vocalist |
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RENAISSANCE bio
Renaissance's current resurgence coincides with the 40th
anniversary of the classic English band's formation. 2009
saw singer Annie Haslam, whose five-octave voice is one of
the most distinctive in rock history, reconnecting with
longtime bandmate Michael Dunford, Renaissance's guitarist
and principal composer. Haslam's soaring vocals and
Dunford's evocative acoustic guitar work were cornerstones
of the group's sound during its most prolific era,
1972-1978. During that period, Renaissance's pioneering
fusion of rock, folk and classical elements attracted a
devoted worldwide fan base that continues to support the
band to this day.
Renaissance's lush, orchestral approach, incorporating
symphonic textures, poetic lyrics and a free-spirited sense
of experimentalism, has always been particularly popular in
America, where the band's classic '70s albums Prologue,
Ashes Are Burning, Turn of the Cards, Scheherazade and Other
Stories, Novella, A Song for All Seasons and Azure d'Or, as
well as "Live" at Carnegie Hall became staples of
progressive album-rock radio. So it's appropriate that the
group launched its return to active duty with a series of
intimate concerts in Fall 2009 for its loyal American fans.
Renaissance's new lineup finds Haslam and Dunford joined by
four world-class instrumentalists whose talents provide new
creative blood, while maintaining the band's traditional
standards of sterling musicianship. Keyboardist Rave Tesar
and bassist/vocalist David J. Keyes are veterans of prior
editions of Renaissance as well as several Haslam solo
projects, while keyboardist/vocalist Tom Brislin's resume
includes work with Yes, Debbie Harry, Meat Loaf and Francis
Dunnery, and drummer Frank Pagano has collaborated with
artists as diverse as Bruce Springsteen, Bette Midler, Barry
Manilow and Smashing Pumpkins.
Renaissance was originally formed in 1969 by former
Yardbirds Keith Relf and Jim McCarty. By 1971, though, a
series of personnel shifts had resulted in a completely new
lineup, and it's that incarnation of Renaissance that would
continue successfully through the end of the decade. The
visionary approach of their albums soon captivated American
listeners, and the band experienced considerable success as
a touring act, thrilling concertgoers on such prestigious
stages as New York's Carnegie Hall and London's Royal Albert
Hall.
In the 1980s, Haslam and Dunford took Renaissance into new
sonic territory, exploring a more electronic sound on the
albums Camera Camera and Time Line as well as performing
with an all-acoustic version of the band. Following an
extended hiatus (during which they worked on individual
musical projects, and Haslam pursued her passion for
painting), Haslam and Dunford reactivated Renaissance for
the 2001 studio effort Tuscany and the in-concert release In
the Land of the Rising Sun: Live In Japan.
Now, Renaissance begins an exciting new chapter, while
honoring its beloved body of vintage work. Haslam and
Dunford promise that the new six-piece lineup will perform
the band's timeless classics with the same care with which
the material was originally crafted, while utilizing
technological advances to reproduce the music's original
symphonic textures like never before. They're also
enthusiastic about introducing the music to a new generation
of listeners as well as longtime fans.
"I'm thrilled to be performing these songs again, and to be
performing them with Michael Dunford and a great group of
musicians," Haslam states. "These songs are a big part of my
life, so I'll be singing my heart out."
"We're very excited to be playing for American audiences
again," adds Dunford. "With these great musicians, I'm
expecting the songs to sound better than ever, and I'm
looking forward to it with great anticipation."
For music samples
please visit the Renaissance myspace site.
http://www.myspace.com/renaissanceofficial
Renaissance
official Website:
http://www.nlightsweb.com/
Renaissance wiki page:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Renaissance_(band)
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