Ryan Andrews
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Ryan Andrews

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"Jazz student released debut album this weekend"

April 9, 2009

KALAMAZOO--Western Michigan University jazz student Ryan Andrews will unveil his debut CD, "Requiem," in two release concerts this weekend at the Union Cabaret and Grille, 125 S. Kalamazoo Mall.

Copies of the new disc will be available at the shows, which begin at 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday, April 10-11. There is no cover charge either night.

The performances will feature selections from "Requiem," an eclectic mix of rock, funk, blues, pop and jazz. A talented composer and percussionist, Andrews will be joined on stage by members of WMU's internationally acclaimed vocal jazz group, Gold Company, and local bands Nexus and Compendium.

Andrews is a member of WMU's Lee Honors College and wrote all 12 tracks on the album for his final thesis project. The two-day release event at the Union will mark the first live performance of many of the compositions.

The Kalamazoo native has toured internationally with Gold Company and other award-winning groups from the area. Last summer, he was the drummer for the World Youth Choir in Hong Kong, which included a performance at the 2008 Olympics opening ceremonies.

Andrews has earned a handful of Downbeat Student Awards, including one when he was still in high school at Kalamazoo Central. A senior majoring in jazz studies and Spanish, he plans to graduate from Western later this year after studying abroad in Spain.

Contacts

For more information, including lyrics and song samples from the new album, visit ryanandrewsmusic.com.

For information on this weekend's concert, visit the Union Cabaret and Grille online.

Media contact: Tonya Durlach, (269) 387-8400, tonya.durlach@wmich.edu

WMU News
Office of University Relations
Western Michigan University
Kalamazoo MI 49008-5433 USA
(269) 387-8400
www.wmich.edu/news - WMU News


"Western Michigan University's Ryan Andrews calls on a group of friends for his eclectic debut album"

KALAMAZOO -- It's good to have friends.

It's good to have good friends.

It's good to have good friends who are good musicians, especially when making a solo debut that's also your honors college thesis.

Western Michigan University jazz student Ryan Andrews will be releasing "Requiem," at 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday at The Union Cabaret & Grille, 125 S. Kalamazoo Mall.

The album, like Andrews' listening and performing tendencies, is varied with elements of jazz, pop, blues, rock and funk. Andrews, who usually plays percussion and drums, is part of a number of local bands such as Nexus, Compendium, Gradus Quartet, and Dunuya Drum and Dance Ensemble.

Throughout the month of April, he'll be playing all kinds of music.

"It's really hard for me to chose favorites, because I enjoy so many different styles of music for totally different reasons," said Andrews, who graduated from Kalamazoo Central High School. "One night, I'll want to listen to techno. The next night, I'll want to listen to free jazz and the next night pop music. There are redeeming qualities in every kind of music, I think, so I try to be as much a part of all this kind of music as possible."

You can hear his slew of influences on "Requiem" from the soft acoustic guitar opening and string-heavy "Half Gone," which will be split into two tracks on the album, to the funky "Common Sense" or the keyboard-driven "Unknown."

"It kind of came out that way. I hope people like it. Maybe they won't like everything on the album, but I'm sure they'll like at least a few things," said Andrews, who wrote the 12-track album.

Andrews, 21, will be submitting it as his senior thesis for the Lee Honors College at WMU. Here's where the friends come in.

"This is my fourth year at Western and during that time I've been able to work with a great number of talented musicians," he said. "When I was putting together this album, I was thinking: 'Well, I know all these people and this part could really use this kind of sound, and I know this person who would be great for this, and I should give them a call.' That happened several times, so there are several people on this record."

Andrews plays an impressive range of percussion instruments -- including Brazilian, Afro-Cuban, Spanish, Middle Eastern -- drums and acoustic guitar, but he relied on his friends to complete the rest of effort, such as some vocals, horns and strings. A majority of them will perform during his two-day release party, including horns and a string quintet.

"It will be one of the first times I've ever seen a show at The Union with a string ensemble," he said.

Andrews said the project, which was recorded in Cleveland by engineer and producer Marc Plotkin, was a "whole new challenge" as he had to play the role of boss, while also juggling a hectic slate as a member of WMU's jazz program. He said he looks forward to getting his friends together to celebrate its completion.

"It'll be a fun group," Andrews said. - John Liberty, Kalamazoo Gazette


Discography

Ryan Andrews - 'Requiem'

band members also appear on:
Gradus Quartet - 'Nice Driveway'
Tom Knific Quartet - 'Lines of Influence'
Nexus - 'Trends', 'Afterwards'
Miles - 'As Fast As You Can', 'Wow & Flutter'

Photos

Bio

Ryan Andrews is a multi-talented instrumentalist, composer and arranger from Kalamazoo, MI. While finishing his degree in Jazz Studies at Western Michigan University, Ryan released his first collection of recorded compositions entitled 'Requiem'. To release the album, Ryan enlisted the talents of at select handful of highly talented musicians, each with their own extensive musical history and background.

John Knific is a prominent Cleveland-based jazz pianist who has been playing with Ryan in various projects since high school. Chris Beckstrom, also a long-time Ryan Andrews collaborator, is a highly accomplished composer and multi-instrumentalist whose resumé grows daily. Marc Plotkin and Ben Jacobs are founding members of the New York pop group Miles. Besides being incredible musicians they are both outstanding audio engineers as well. Taylor O'Donnell's voice has wooed audiences across the US in a wide variety of musical situations--from vocal jazz to opera to pop and rock music.

Ryan's music draws from an open mind towards all types of music and is especially hard to categorize. The album 'Requiem' takes the listener on a musical journey: beginning with the driving rhythms of "African 6/8" through the jazz-trio ballad "December", continuing to the soaring structure of "Requiem" to the string quartet arrangement in "Half Gone". An avant-garde contemporary jazz piece ("The Unknown") and an acoustic number ("Okay") round out the eclectic mix. However, no matter the genre, the music keeps an underlying unifying vibe--making this collection of diverse selections a singular musical entity.

Combine these compositions with the musical mastery and unique interpretation that each band member contributes, and the end result is downright spectacular. It's music that moves people--physically, emotionally, physiologically, ideologically…it's music for the mind and body. It's not just another "rock" group, not another "jazz" group, not another "world" or "fusion" group. It's music doing what music should do: move you.