Blue Man Group Audio Soundtrack CD

AUDIO was nominated for the 2001 Grammy Award for Best Pop Instrumental Album.

For years before the release of their debut CD AUDIO, the Blue Man Group has been dazzling audiences with theatrical performances that heavily feature their unique music. Onstage, the trio (augmented by additional instrumentalists) plays a percussive, almost tribal brand of instrumental music that involves both ancient instruments such as the cimbalom, and Blue Man-invented items including the Drumbone and the Drum Wall. With a combination of Ennio Morricone-ish guitar lines, overwhelming percussive thumping, and a combination of acoustic, electric, and electronic sonic elements, the music of the Blue Man Group suggests some alternative universe where pop as we know it has a slightly skewed character.

Personnel: Christian Dyas (guitar, 12-string guitar, zither); Bryon Estep, John Kimbrough (guitar); Larry Heinemann (baritone guitar, Chapman stick, cuica); Phil Stanton (bullroarer, cimbalom, drums); Chris Wink, Matt Goldman (cimbalom, drums); David Coter, Elvis Loderer, Jens Fischer, Bradford Reed (zither); Ian Pai, Todd Perlmutter (drums, percussion); Clem Waldmann, Crag Rodriguez, Chris Bowen, Jeff Quay (drums).

Audio Mixer: Bill Bookheim.

Illustrators: Aron Sanchez; Jen Graffam Wink.

Photographers: Amy Eckert; Casi Russell; Christopher Gallo.

Unknown Contributor Role: Jamie Edwards.

Arranger: Christian Dyas.

Blue Man Group: Matt Goldman (cimbalom, upside-down bass, air poles, low-octave PVC, big drum, drumbone, backpack PVC, shaker gong, Utne drum, ribbon crasher, dumpster); Phil Stanton (cimbalom, air poles, drumbone, tubulum, Utne drum, mid-octave PVC, extenstion cord bull roarer, ribbon crasher, dumpster, Phil drum, backpack tubulum, timpani, drum wall); Chris Wink (cimbalom, tubulum, high-octave PVC, air poles, piano smasher, cuica, doppler toms, drum wall, drumulum, drumbone, dumpster, backpack tubulum, Utne shakers).

Additional personnel: Christian Dyas (6- & 12-string guitars, zither, bass, electric dog toy); Byron Estep, John Kimbrough (guitar); Elvis Lederer (zither, pressaphonic); Jens Fischer, Bradford Reed, David Corter (zither); Larry Heinemann (cuica & baritone guitars, bass, Chapman Stick); Jamie Edwards (air poles); Todd Perlmutter (drums, percussion, drum wall, toy drum, phil drum); Ian Pai (drums, percussion, drum wall, aronophonic, Guellium grill, phil drum); Jeff Quay (drums, drum wall); Crag Rodriguez (drum wall, dumpster); Chris Bowen, Clem Waldmann (drum wall).