Advertise Your Music Venue In This Space
The term Avant-garde is
used to describe cultural forms whether it be painting, music or some other
media, which is experimental or pushes the boundaries. The duo of Novi Novog
and Larry Tuttle otherwise known as Stringplanet
have
been experimenting and pushing the boundaries of musical expression in fine
form since both were in their teens. Unlike most childhood prodigies, these
two wonderful musicians have, like good wine only become better with age.
Novi (as she prefers to be called) is a violist who has recorded and/or played with an eclectic group of some of the world’s foremost musicians. She performed on Prince’s infamous “Purple Rain” and “Raspberry Beret.” Other artists she has worked with include The Doobie Brothers, Bonnie Raitt, Cher, James Taylor, Tom Petty, Madonna, Aretha Franklin, Trent D’Arby, 10,000 Maniacs and Jennifer Warnes.
As for Tuttle, eclectic only touches the tip of the proverbial iceberg when you describe any musician who plays the stick (also known as the Chapman stick). A long slender instrument that combines both bass and guitar chords the stick is played by tapping your fingers.
My explanation simply does not do justice to the experience of the music that Tuttle creates while playing the stick. Novi says, “In the video from the live show (viewed on Youtube) you can see that the music is all coming from the same place (the stick) otherwise today people just think that you overdubbed it.
“Most of us who saw the stick and got really turned on by it were influenced by Tony Levin, who started playing it with Peter Gabriel and King Crimson. It was the song “Elephant Talk,” that got everybody asking, ‘What is doing that riff?’ It is like this magic riff. Prior to that I don’t think anyone had a great vision of what to do with the stick,” says Tuttle who bought his first stick in 1984.
String Planet’s music is best described as classical meets pop, while borrowing from jazz. Their self-titled album features some wonderful instrumental performances including that of Tom Brighton on percussion. Concerning Brighton, Tuttle says, “He was the guitarist in my rock band during the seventies to early eighties. He went on to play drums, so when I started putting this project together he was the first person who came to mind. The heartbeat of what (we hear from) Tom is the djembe and hi-hat (cymbals). He overdubbed shakers afterwards. There is a lot of percussion on all of the songs.”
Johnny Lee Schell provides some outstanding guitar work, something that was not lost on Tuttle and Novi. The guitarist’s resume includes performances with John Fogerty, Bonnie Raitt and Taj Mahal.
Even though Novi plays synthesizer, for the album Stringplanet the duo enlisted the services of Rob Meurer. “We love him. He played with us on two projects with the Freeway Philharmonic. At that time, we were on the Spindletop jazz label. He also co-wrote with Christopher Cross for many years. We enjoy working with Rob because he is a minimalist and that suits us really well since we play a lot of notes. (At this juncture both Tuttle and Novi laugh) We are not minimalists at all. He is willing to sublimate his personality, and just find that perfect one note part. He (Meurer) thinks like an arranger and a producer. He is a master of minimalism and understatement,” says Novi.
Completing the talented group of musicians that appeared on the album Stringplanet is M.B. Gordy who also appeared on percussion and a beautiful string quartet led by Novi, featuring Robin Lorentz (violin), Kirstin Fife (violin) and Stefanie Fife (cello). A vocal ensemble led by Lauren Wood, a superbly talented songwriter and singer, performs on “All That I Want” and “Hold Me In Your Heart.”
The free flowing style of music is evident on virtually all the tunes from Stringplanet (the CD). The music is light and sprightly. Tuttle says, “It (the stick) allows us to be really free. Because Novi is such a great listener, I can change the whole context of what we are playing, and she will just follow along. It is not like I have to let anyone else know. There is not anyone else playing chords, so if I want to change keys, she just goes with me. It can be really spontaneous and free.
”Larry approaches the stick like it is a piano. Some people will play more of the bass or more in the style of a guitar, but Larry approaches it more as a piano. He can do a lot of piano reductions on it. I can think chordally like a composer, and he may change a few voicings to fit his instrument. Larry does a lot of piano transcriptions on the stick. It makes everything so effortless, and is like having a mini orchestra,” says Novi.
While Novi and Tuttle often
collaborate for Stringplanet’s compositions, “Larry composed all the tracks
for the CD. This was Larry’s love and he chose the songs. This was Larry’s
baby, and I had so much fun doing it,” says Novi. It appears in his
compositions that Tuttle has continued to draw upon his background as an
accomplished bass player (both upright and guitar)
In describing the sound of their music Tuttle says, “The classical is always there operating in the background. We like to do some more interesting stuff harmonically than you hear in most orchestral music. Some of that comes from our pop background.” Both Tuttle and Novi performed in youth orchestras, with Tuttle eventually graduating to rock music in high school. While rock was dominating Tuttle’s teen years, Novi along with her cousin Lauren Wood were opening for major rock groups and acts such as Blood, Sweat and Tears.
Novi relates her musical background, “I started out with a half size violin when they offered it (music) in school. I was in the orchestra and there was a viola (not being used) in a closet that belonged to someone else. They gave it to me to take home and try. I sold my violin to buy a viola. For many years, I played the viola and the keyboards. (she also plays synthesizer). When I played in a rock and roll band, I had four synthesizers and my viola. I tried to get fancy one night and wear heels, and I got it caught in the foot pedals. I will never wear heels again.”
Tuttle speaks about his early musical influences, “I am a child of the seventies, (attracted to the music of) Emerson, Lake and Palmer, Yes and Gentle Giant.” At the other end of the musical spectrum he says, “Aaron Copeland was also a big influence.”
Unfortunately, in today’s corporate radio world music decisions are most often made for a plethora of stations regardless of their local listening audiences or interests. You therefore may have been robbed of the opportunity to hear the music of numerous talented musicians including that of Stringplanet. While listeners in theory are able to dial in to a radio station expecting to hear one genre of music or another being played it has proved limiting to a variety of artists in recent years including Novi and Tuttle. Corporate radio has insulted the intelligence of listeners by adopting an attitude of, ‘We know what is best for you, so stay quiet and listen.’
Stringplanet’s music is fresh, lively and is of a quality that far exceeds the majority of what you hear being played on radio stations today.
Photos By: Sherry Rayn Barnett ©
Interview By: Joe Montague
March 2007
Insert Your Ad Here