MP3 Becky Archibald - Mood Swing

Piano music for every mood, from A Really Mean Boogie-Woogie, to a nostalgic September to a Chopin-inspired Waltz, this is a must-hear disc written with freshness and honesty. Don't miss the bonus ensemble tracks.

14 MP3 Songs
JAZZ: Piano Jazz, CLASSICAL: Piano solo

Show all album songs: Mood Swing Songs


Details:
The drastic shifts in moods from one piece to another, and within the pieces themselves, brought to mind the title âMood Swing.â Most of these pieces were performed in Weill Hall at Carnegie Hall on May 7, 2006. I had hoped to record the CD immediately after I arrived home from that momentous occasion. Instead, I waited. Which was good, because three other pieces emerged from me that were important to include on this CD.

September - A nostalgic, dark and playful piece

Unspoken - An intense work which began with 5 notes drawn out of a hat

Waltz - Chopin-esque, eerie and a favorite among kids!

Last Dance - A bluesy lament

Spring - Warm and stormy and surprising

I Know - Sounding like a standard, this one has a nice bounce to it

Out of the Blue - The writing of this piece lifted me out of my "after-Carnegie-Hall" funk

A Really Mean Boogie-Woogie - This one will make you smile, even when you're mad

What Might Have Been - I didn't get my way, so I wrote this

Rocktober - Fun, fun, fun with a heavy beat

A Song in the Key of DAVE - Written in honor of my dear friend Dave Nehamkin

Spring (duet) - A rich and beautiful cello/piano version of track 5, with Ingrid Fischer-Bellman, cello.

I Know (trio) - Clarinet/French horn/piano version of track 6, with David Bellman, clarinet and Rick Graef, horn. Don't miss this one!

Out of the Blue - A wilder verion of track 7, with P.J. Yinger, jazz trumpet.

Cover illustration by Chris Pyle
Art Direction/Design by P.J. Yinger
Photography by Scott Schrecker
Produced by Frank Felice
Recorded, mixed and mastered by Alan Johnson

Weaving the improvisational style of jazz with classical piano, award-winning composer/pianist Becky Archibald creates music that is inviting, intense and intimate. Beckyâs performances refresh the audience with relaxing and riveting harmonies, and stories behind the music. She received a standing ovation in Carnegie Hallâs Weill Recital Hall following her debut performance in May, 2006. In Nashville, she has performed at the Renaissance Center, the Scarritt-Bennett Center, and has played several times on Nashville Public Radioâs âLive in Studio C.â In Indiana, Archibald has performed at Butler, Ball State, DePauw, IUPUI and Anderson Universities, as well as University of Indianapolis, where she served as an adjunct professor for six years. She has performed with the Kokomo Symphony Orchestra, and has performed several times at the Indiana History Center, the Indianapolis Artsgarden, Glendale Library and the Spirit & Place Festival.

An Anderson, Indiana native, and a graduate of Anderson University, Becky received her Masters in Piano Performance from California State University at Long Beach. She has written the score for a musical comedyâThe Pied Piper of Hoboken, and music for filmâComing to My Senses, and American Dreamer, a documentary about artist Robert Indiana. Her chamber music has been commissioned by the Ronen Chamber Ensemble, The Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra and Kent Leslie, and has received premieres by Kent Leslie, David and Ingrid Bellman, Fishers Chamber Players, Butler University Composersâ Orchestra and Alias Chamber Ensemble in Nashville, TN. She has received grants from the Indiana Arts Commission, the Arts Council of Indianapolis, and a composing commission from the Indianapolis Foundation. She has also received the ASCAPlus award for the past 8 years. Archibald is a Partner Artist with the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestraâs educational program, and also teaches private piano. She has released two books of music written by her students, Kids Compose and Kids Compose 2. She has studied composition with Jody Nagel and Michael Schelle, and continues her piano studies with Robert Palmer.

Beckyâs solo piano CDs, Searching, The Long Ride Home, The Light At the End of the Blues, and The Christmas One have been played on radio stations around the country and overseas, including NPRâs All Things Considered and All Songs Considered. âHer music unfolds like I expect a good story to unfold,â says Bob Boilen, creator of ASC. Scott Yanow of the L.A. Jazz Scene describes her music as âthoughtful, melodic and passionate.â The Nashville Scene defines it as having âflashes of humor but with an introspective quality drawn from the wells of Chopin and Gershwin.â Just Plain Folks, an international organization of independent musicians, calls Becky a âjewelâ and selected The Long Ride Home as âBest Solo Instrumental Albumâ in their 2002 CD awards. And Just Plain Folks nominated âHappy Holiday Ragâ from The Christmas One for âBest Traditional Holiday Songâ for their 2006 awards. The CD received a âRecording of Exceptional Meritâ award from Dr. Christmas himself, Gerry Gryzb, host of public radio affiliate WRST-FM, Oshkosh, Wisconsin.