Big Sky: “The superb flute, harp, viola trio, Hat Trick, returns to Bridge with a fascinating program of recent works coupled with a classic. The trio, April Clayton, flute; Kristi Shade, harp; and David Wallace, viola, perform new music by Thea Musgrave, Daniel Dorff, Jessica Meyer, David Bruce, and Angélica Negrón alongside Sir Arnold Bax’s 1916 Elegiac Trio.” -Bridge Records
I’m thrilled to announce that Friday, July 19th marks the release of Big Sky, the long-awaited sequel to Hat Trick’s award-winning debut CD, Garden of Joys and Sorrows! Our new album features three world premiere recordings: Thea Musgrave‘s Sunrise, Daniel Dorff‘s Big Sky, and Jessica Meyer‘s My Heart is the Churning Sea. The latter two are Hat Trick commissions, both inspired by profound encounters with nature.
We are also proud to release the second recordings of David Bruce‘s The Eye of Night and Angélica Negrón‘s Drawings for Meyoko, alongside our own interpretation of Sir Arnold Bax’s stirring romantic classic, Elegiac Trio.
Expanding the Genre
Hat Trick’s usual instrumentation expands to include alto flute, bass flute, tenor banjo, and recorded electronics. All of us sing and crumple paper. For added color, Kristi employs a number of percussive effects and extended techniques for harp. In two movements of The Eye of Night, April evokes the bansuri (Indian classical flute), and I get to employ the slides and ornaments of Carnatic violin. For full information on the repertoire, I invite you to peruse our liner notes and CD booklet.
Our label, Bridge Records, chose the works by Negrón and Meyer as our two pre-release singles:
To Big Sky via Bremen
In addition to presenting beautiful works from engaging living composers, we sought to provide listeners with an immersive audiophile experience. Truly, Big Sky places listeners centerstage in a gorgeous acoustic, especially ideal for capturing Kristi’s harp. Our liner notes relate the background story:
“In January of 2023, Hat Trick met in New York City to plan our second album. As we rehearsed and chose repertoire, we began to discuss potential producers and recording locations. At an orchestral festival in Mexico, Kristi had worked with Justus Beyer, an accomplished Tonmeister based in Berlin.
Beyer’s harp recordings instantly captivated our attention. Germany’s Tonmeister tradition is world-renowned for its immersive, lush, and detailed results. We made the decision to travel to Germany, work with Justus, and experience this approach first-hand.
Justus immediately responded with enthusiasm and practical details. Plans quickly fell into place. In November, we met in Germany and enjoyed four days of recording at Sendesaal Bremen. This amazing experience inspired us musically and personally. As you listen, we hope you share the energy, passion, and love that were poured into this recording.
-April, David, and Kristi”
Immersive Audio
Alongside the standard stereo mix, Big Sky will be available in an immersive Dolby Atmos mix on streaming platforms offering this format (e.g. Apple Music, Amazon music). The album will also stream on standard subscription-based and free platforms.
As a friendly reminder, although streaming is wonderful and convenient, purchasing CDs better supports the music and artists you love. Although Big Sky may be purchased directly and conveniently through Amazon and other music retail sites, ordering from Bridge Records helps us and our wonderful partners at Bridge the most.
Recording Big Sky
In addition to being an amazing flutist, April Clayton has also built a substantial following on her Flute Tube YouTube channel. For full details of Hat Trick’s Bremen sessions from April’s perspective, I recommend her VLOG, “Recording a CD in Germany:”
And here are a few candid photos of Hat Trick at work, taken by Producer Justus Beyer. Engineers and audio nerds will appreciate seeing Justus’s microphone placements, as well as a rare pair of legendary Neumann M50 microphones:
Finally, here are shots of our group just after recording wrapped, and me playing tenor banjo during the final hours. We hope that Big Sky will leave you smiling, too!
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