REUBEN BUTCHART

NAMELESS AND AWAKE
EIGHT POEMS BY JOHN WILLIAM CARROLL

Setting poems by John William Carroll, Reuben Butchart's music combines soulful singing with lush arrangements created in collaboration with musicians on woodwinds, cello, guitar, bass, drums, glass percussion, and more.

"...elegantly crafted and steeped in adult feeling, proves that sophistication and emotion need not be opposed values."
- Alex Ross, Music Critic of The New Yorker

"Delightful, pure music....Stained with tenderness.... with poetic depth and fine musical structure....a trail of jewels."
- Anohni of Anohni and the Johnsons

"Butchart's soulful melodies and lush arrangements bring breath and heartbeat to Carroll's poetry."
- Joan Wasser of Joan As Police Woman

"...dances with classical and jazz styles in one sweeping gesture, at once earthly and ephemeral."
- Shara Worden of My Brightest Diamond

NAMELSS & AWAKE on AppleMusic or Spotify.

LIMITED EDITION BOOK

The hardbound art book with compact disc, containing over 32 pages of Butchart's illustrations and Carroll's typeset poems is available from Bandcamp.

THE GULL AND I

The lead single from the album Nameless and Awake – was recorded, arranged and produced on location during a residency at Robert Wilson's Watermill Center.

WATERMILL RESIDENCY

Singer-songwriter and composer Reuben Butchart collaborated with poet John William Carroll and ten multi-instrumentalists to develop and record a contemporary art song cycle during their artist residency at Robert Wilson's Watermill Center.

A seasoned solo performer in the New York indie music scene and former pianist with Anohni and the Johnsons, Butchart has penned two albums of soul-tinged orchestral pop and has also composed for dance and film.

Poet John William Carroll, a retired professor of classics, theater, and creative writing, first gained recognition in the 1970's for directing members of his commune in Classic Greek, Shakespearean, and his own original plays. "John Carroll is perhaps one of ten poets who will be read into the next century," wrote Library of Congress Poet Laureate Josephine Jacobsen.

Prior to their arrival at Watermill, Butchart and Carroll combed through Carroll's extensive writings to select poems to set to song. In a few cases, Carroll re-wrote lines to conform to Butchart's melodic structures. In most cases, Butchart broke away from conventional song form to follow the original path of the poet's verse, creating eight through-composed art songs.

Carroll's poems and Butchart's melodies were shaped sonically by The Millworkers into lush arrangements with piano, bass, drums, saxophone, clarinet, bass clarinet, flutes from around the world, lute, guitar, cello, voices, metal bells, slit drums, shakers, and crystal bowls.

Lyrically pastoral, natural, and spiritual, Butchart's third album is musically eclectic - running the gamut from chamber folk to latin jazz to avant-indie to ethereal ballad.

RECORDING SESSIONS

In this excerpt composer/producer Reuben Butchart takes a break during his Watermill residency to talk about the arranging and recording process.

GOLDEN BOY

Co-produced with Noah Simon, Butchart mined childhood memories and timely personal epiphanies to create a collection of soul-tinged chamber-pop gems.

”lush string-kissed arrangements and melancholy piano lines... [Reuben] has the vocal chops to pull off this kind of high drama."
        - Time Out New York

About Reuben's duet with Anohni: "They have an easy chemistry... [Butchart's] high, tensile voice melds dramatically with Anohni's voluptuous vocals, and the strings quiver so delicately they sound like a current pulling them along... achingly palpable..."
        - Stephen M. Deusner, Pitchfork

“great voice and fine tunesmithing... the arrangements are truly hand-in-glove."
- Van Dyke Parks

“An album of small epiphanies, breathtaking enough to have me weeping in public."
        - Ryan Doyle, HX

GOLDEN BOY on AppleMusic or Spotify.

BOOKLET : LYRICS

RECORDING SESSIONS

The core band recorded at LOHO Studios in New York City with Producer & Engineer Noah Simon.
Vocals, Piano: Reuben Butchart; Guitars: Joe Pascarell; Electric Bass: Jeff Langston; Acoustic Bass: Jason DiMatteo; Drums: John Bollinger

Photos by Martin Meyers

Phase two involved layering in the orchestral arrangements: strings, woodwinds, brass, and percussion. Complete list of credits below.

Photos (and first chair violin and some arranging) by Maxim Moston

CREDITS

PRODUCTION

Produced by Reuben Butchart and Noah Simon
Engineered and Mixed by Noah Simonn

Recorded at LOHO Studios, Jarvis, 66 Rivington,
Newswalk 613, SpaceBar, Benny’s Wash n’ Dry

Mastered by Alan Silverman at Arf! Digital

All words and music written by Reuben Butchart
Felix Static (ASCAP)

Except So Much Soul and Bright Boys
Written by Reuben Butchart and Richard Robertson
Felix Static (ASCAP) and Richard Robertson (SOCAN)

MUSICIANS

Vocals, Piano: Reuben Butchart
Guitars: Joe Pascarell
Electric Bass: Jeff Langston
Drums: John Bollinger
Violins: Maxim Moston, Antoine Silverman
Viola: Danielle Farina
Cellos: Julia Kent, Noah Hoffeld
Acoustic Bass: Jason DiMatteo
Flute: Keith Bonner
Oboe: Alexandra Knoll
Bass Clarinet: David Sapadin
Trumpet, Flugelhorn: Steven Bernstein
Tenor Saxophone: Paul Shapiro
Trombone: Clark Gayton
Organ, Clavinet: Bennett Paster
Conga, Djembe, Cabasa, Triangle, Shakers:
Chris “Fatoye” Theberge
Bells, Tambourine, Claps, Snaps,
Prepared Piano, Ambient Effects:
Noah Simon, Reuben Butchart

ARRANGEMENTS

Come & Play
String Arrangement: Noah Simon

So Much Soul
String Arrangement: Noah Simon
Horn Arrangement: Steven Bernstein

Belle of the Ball
String Arrangement: Noah Simon
Woodwind Arrangement: Reuben Butchart
Lap Steel Guitar, Backing Vocals: Megan Hickey

A Noble Scar
Acoustic Bass: Jason DiMateo

Northern California
String Arrangement: Maxim Moston
Backing Vocals: Greta Gertler, Joe Pascarell,
Noah Simon, Reuben Butchart

Golden Boy
String, Woodwind, Horn Arrangements: Reuben Butchart
Backing Vocals: Debby Schwartz

Flash & Click
Horn Arrangement: Steven Bernstein

Fading
String Arrangement: Reuben Butchart

Cartoon Heroes
Woodwind, Horn Arrangements: Reuben Butchart
Backing Vocals: Noah Simon, Reuben Butchart

All There is to Tell
String Arrangement: Reuben Butchart, Julia Kent
Guest Vocals: Anohni

Trust Me
String Arrangement: Reuben Butchart
Backing Vocals: Everyone

MUSICIANS ON CLIMB
Reuben Butchart, Vocals
Joe Pascarell, Guitars, Vocals
Ryan Ball, Bass
Tahrah Cohen, Drums
Recorded and Mixed at Gearbox Recording Studios

COME & PLAY (EP)

In addition to the lead singles COME & PLAY and SO MUCH SOUL from the full-length album GOLDEN BOY, the COME & PLAY EP also contains the bonus track CLIMB. CLIMB was written and recorded in response to the events of 9/11.

CLIMB was also featured in the Mark Jackson film NIGHT FALLS FAST for which Butchart created the soundtrack.

CLIMB

far away and right near by...
hysterical terror from all sides...
a window... let us find a new way to climb.

a curse of crushing closing in...
a silent void from a piercing din...
a window... let us find a new way to climb.

a calm, quiet climb.
a step closer,
a lift toward heaven

hurt and anger all at once...
a scattered search for heaven on earth...
a window... let us find a new way to climb.

no way to measure what's out there...
please be strong. our work is here...
a window... let us find a new way to climb.

a calm, quiet climb.
a step closer,
a lift toward heaven

COME & PLAY on AppleMusic or Spotify.

DUSK

Butchart’s debut album won the 2003 Outmusic Record of the Year at a time in the music industry when few artist’s risked being out publicly.

"lyrics and arrangements are quite compelling"
- Tom Steele, Out Magazine

"layering complex musical textures over soulful, simple melodies - all in service of wry observations about urban life"
- Jonathan Warman, HX

"celebrates the personal freedoms of the present by saying good-bye to the old ways and days"
- Gregg Shapiro, Next Magazine

“Often sounding like Musiq in his quiet storm sensuality, with a band equal to Ben Folds Five, lyrics that have a unique charm reminiscent of Taylor's, sung in a voice with the quiet intensity of Ochs', and arrangements that pull from the Martin and Wonder songbooks, this multi-layered experience is a treat.

Picking up where Out Queer boys rarely tread: Reuben's "So Much Soul" and "Flash And Click" would fit comfortably on any of Stevie Wonder's albums between Innervisions and Hotter Than July. The strings are lush without being overpowering, the melodies catchy without being cloying, the lyrics light and poignant.”
- Bill Realman Stella

DUSK on AppleMusic or Spotify.