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Joseph Brent

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For the American politician and general, see Joseph Lancaster Brent.
Joseph Brent
Joseph Brent
Brent in 2016 playing a fan-fretted mandolin.
Background information
Born (1976-04-06) April 6, 1976 (age 48)
Queens, New York
GenresClassical, folk, jazz, bluegrass, experimental
Instrument(s)Mandolin, guitar, violin
LabelsAdhyâropa Records, Sunnyside Records, Vienna Modern Masters, orlando records
Websitejosephbrent.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]

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)

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.

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

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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

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Solo

[edit]
  • Point of Departure (2007)[28]
  • Nocturnes and Caprices by David Loeb (Vienna Modern Masters) (2011)
  • solo. EP (2011)
  • An Englishman In New York (2013) with Alon Sariel

With 9 Horses

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  • Joe Brent & Sara Caswell EP (2013)
  • Perfectest Herald (2015)
  • Blood From A Stone EP (2019)
  • Omegah (2021)
  • Strum (2024)

With others

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Year Artist Album Description
1997 Rob Giles Straight Down a Crooked Road violin, 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 recording mandolin, violin[31]
2008 Lindsay Katt Picking Out Boxes violin
2010 Regina Spektor Live In London violin
Joseph Stein & Stan Daniels Enter Laughing (Original Cast Recording) violin[32]
2012 Bryan Dunn Sweetheart of the Music Hall mandolin, vocals
Miller & Tysen Fugitive Songs mandolin, violin
2013 Kishi Bashi 7" Box Set violin
Erin McKeown MANIFESTRA violin, piano, string arrangements[33]
Kelli Rae Powell Live at Jalopy mandolin, violin[34]
Gary Smulyan Bella Napoli mandolin, violin[35]
2014 Lauren Kinhan Circle in a Square violin[36]
2015 Maxine Linehan Beautiful Songs mandolin, percussion, violin[37]
Andi Rae Healy If You Want To Be My Man mandolin[38]
King Radio King Radio mandolin, violin
Kishi Bashi String Quartet Live! mandolin, violin
Lina Orfanos Mauthausen mandolin
2016 Kishi Bashi The Fourth Phase (Original Soundtrack) violin[39]
2018 Various Artists I Only Listen to the Mountain Goats: All Hail West Texas electric 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 Reconsidered mandolin, vihuela[42]
2023 James Moore Desolation Pops vocals[43]
2024 Christopher Zuar Exuberance mandolin[44]

Books

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  • Scales and Arpeggios for Mandolin. Lulu Publishing. 2007.[45]
  • Orchestral and Chamber Excerpts for Mandolin. Lulu Publishing. 2007.[45]
  • An Englishman in New York: Famous Lute Pieces Arranged for Two Mandolins. paladino media gmbh. 2015.[46]

References

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  1. ^ "BWW Reviews: Rising Star Maxine Linehan Again Displays Her Beautiful Voice Through Beautiful Songs at the Metropolitan Room". Broadway World Reviews, October 11, 2014 by Stephen Hanks.
  2. ^ Review: San Francisco Symphony performs Beethoven rarities - San Jose Mercury News
  3. ^ The Bluegrass Special: Artists On The Verge 2012
  4. ^ "Mannes College faculty page". Archived from the original on 2012-03-21. Retrieved 2012-02-10.
  5. ^ "Faculty: Preparatory". Retrieved 2024-08-01.
  6. ^ Artist to Artist: 10 Minutes with Carlo Aonzo - Mandolin Cafe
  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
  11. ^ "Kishi Bashi String Quartet - Bright Whites"
  12. ^ "Gary Smulyan/Dominic Chianese: Bella Napoli". All About Jazz. by DAN BILAWSKY. 10, 2015
  13. ^ Gary Smulyan and Dominic Chianese – Bella Napoli (2013)
  14. ^ SFist Reviews: Beethoven Recordings and Writings: SFist Archived 2016-05-23 at the Wayback Machine
  15. ^ "SF Symphony review: 'Beethoven Project' begins". SF Gate By Joshua Kosman May 3, 2013
  16. ^ "Riccardo Muti opens CSO season at Symphony Center". Chicago Tribune, By John von Rhein
  17. ^ "ICE @ Music Mondays | ICE". Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2015-07-26.
  18. ^ "Music review: Nunc at Mannes | TMI Arts Page". Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2014-01-09.
  19. ^ "MTT, New World present different sides of Beethoven’s genius". South Florida Classical Review, By Lawrence Budmen
  20. ^ "Music review: Nunc at Mannes | TMI Arts Page". Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2014-01-09.
  21. ^ Sunnyside Cafe Archived 2015-09-25 at the Wayback Machine. 9 Horses: Perfectest Herald
  22. ^ 21CM Archived 2016-08-31 at the Wayback Machine. 21CM: LAUNCH Competition Winners
  23. ^ SADIGURSKY The Solomon Diaries - ADHYÂROPA RECORDS Music Web.
  24. ^ An Englishman In New York Paladino Sheet Music.
  25. ^ "Joseph Brent Interview". Mandolin Cafe November 20, 2011
  26. ^ Grand Concert - Brian Dean. Brian N Dean, luthier
  27. ^ "Joe Brent"
  28. ^ "Joseph Brent - Point of Departure CD Review" Archived 2015-05-01 at the Wayback Machine Mandolin Magazine.
  29. ^ "Joseph Brent|Credits|AllMusic" AllMusic.
  30. ^ "Roadside [Original Cast Recording] - credits". Allmusic. Retrieved 4 October 2015.
  31. ^ "Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris [2006 Off-Broadway Recording] - credits". Allmusic. Retrieved 4 October 2015.
  32. ^ "Enter Laughing - credits". Allmusic. Retrieved 4 October 2015.
  33. ^ "Manifestra - Erin McKeown". Allmusic. Retrieved 4 October 2015.
  34. ^ "Live Music at Jalopy with Kelli Rae Powell". Jalopy. Archived from the original on 5 October 2015. Retrieved 4 October 2015.
  35. ^ "Bella Napoli - credits". Allmusic. Retrieved 4 October 2015.
  36. ^ Bailey, C. Michael (20 February 2014). "Lauren Kinhan: Circle In A Square (2014)". All About Jazz. Retrieved 4 October 2015.
  37. ^ "Beautiful Songs - credits". Allmusic. Retrieved 4 October 2015.
  38. ^ "Dear Death - Andi Rae Healy". Music X Ray.
  39. ^ Laurent, Fintoni. "Kishi Bashi: The Man Behind 'The Fourth Phase' Music". Red Bull. Retrieved 28 September 2016.
  40. ^ "I Only Listen to the Mountain Goats: All Hail West Texas". Merge Records. Retrieved 13 November 2017.
  41. ^ "Playbill.com". Playbill. Retrieved 23 June 2019.
  42. ^ "Amazon.com". Amazon. Retrieved 23 January 2022.
  43. ^ "James Moore". James Moore, guitarist and composer. Retrieved 14 March 2023.
  44. ^ "Christopher Zuar Is Exuberant!". The Art Music Lounge. 3 May 2024. Retrieved 10 May 2024.
  45. ^ a b "Books by Joseph Brent". Goodreads. Retrieved August 18, 2015.
  46. ^ paladino media gmbh
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