|
THE ARTIST Peruvian born Lou Black (alias Lou Schwarz alias Luis Eduardo Schwarz) has spent much of his life cultivating his creative urges and artistic talents in a variety of ways, from painting to cartooning to film making to interior design. Prodded by friends who were discovering music, he was asked to help them with their songwriting, and at a later date developed his own interests in synthesizer based music. Many years later, a chance meeting with a poet, Richard Hess, encouraged him to focus on songwriting and to develop music, melodies, and arrangements for his friend's poems. Encouraged by the success of these compositions, he was inspired to create more and more songs, original lyrics, and to collaborate with other poets (Enid Holden from South Africa and Laura Dean Meek). His music reflects his wide interests in various musical styles and his roots in melodic Western pop music. Throughout his childhood and adulthood, he has traveled throughout much of South America, Western and Eastern Europe, and parts of Asia, developing a broad world view and being influenced by the subtleties of each country's local music. A published author in systems, social psychology, and demography, Lou considers himself to be a researcher turned musician. When he is not composing music, Lou is a statistical and systems consultant to business and government.
Adobe PDF version (ENGLISH) Adobe PDF version (SPANISH) THE ALBUM Lou Black's debut album reflects the culmination of years of musical and lyrical development, experimentation with a multitude of musical arrangements, and collaborations with like-minded poets with a shared vision for the "new pop." This album was recorded with the help of Bill & Dana Bailey, JR Hartley, PJ Tracey, and Katy Thomasberg, all legendary musicians from Minneapolis' underground and avant-garde music scene. Each song on the album has a special story and most are derived from the personal experiences of the lyricist(s). At times even political and philosophical issues are hidden in the subtext of what appear to be pop lyrics. The title track, "City of No Winters," while cleverly disguised as a soft love ballad is a song about Enid Holden's native South Africa. The lyrics of City of No Winters refer to a re-visitation of South Africa during the first few years of democracy. Ironically, even though the city of Durban is exotic, with a balmy climate and exquisite greenery, it still had echoes of the apartheid era poverty, disease, people living in shacks, high unemployment. A parallel personal loss of love is also expressed which is evoked by this city to which one is compelled to return. ------------------------------------------ ALBUM CREDITS Lead & Backing Vocals: Lou Black
Drums and percussion: Bill Bailey
Guitar and bass: John 'JR' Hartley
Keyboards: Patrick John 'PJ' Tracey (tracks 1, 2, 4 , 7, 8, 10, 11, 12)
Keyboards: Dana Bailey (tracks 3, 5, 6, 9, 13)
Backing Vocals: Katy Thomasberg (track 2,11) Producer: Bill Bailey
Engineering and Mixing: Bill Bailey
Additional Engineering and Mastering: Ron Parker
Executive Producer and Arranger: Lou Schwarz Recorded at Mirror Image Studios , Minneapolis MN Packaging: Creative Director, Maria Michalczyk-Lillich
Designers, Jessica Durboraw & Mackenzie Moore
Photography, David Plakke Special Thanks: Volkan Tekeli (on Whipper Snapper), Mary Strudwick (on Patience of Saints), Christina Ooten (on Every Night), Mary Ann Farley (on music biz connections), Ron Parker (on entrepreneurial music promotion), and Trip Aldredge (on all things legal).
| 
