Novena Boy Tales From The Burning Edge CD

"If groovy, uplifting and jazzy pop is your cup of tea, you'll have your thirst refreshed through the music of Novena Boy" "Fans of Weather Report, Dave Brubeck and the jazzy side of The Police will definitely catch Novena Boy's drift" (Beyond The Fold; September, 2009) The album "Tales From The Burning Edge" celebrates the debut CD release from NOVENA BOY, the Multi-Track recording concept-band creation of Richard Paul Clark; featuring an all-original-composition mix of what may be best categorized as eclectic, progressive (sometimes odd-meter) Modal Jazz, Latin and Pop/Rock Fusion Instrumentals. Richard Paul Clark bio;Born and raised in the ‘thin air’ (10k feet +) towns of Colorado and from his upbringing by his parents; his mom, once a New York City opera singer and his dad, once a Trappist monk in Kentucky, Clark brings an artistic and contemplative dimension to his music. The strong, yet sublime modalities of Gregorian Chant can even be heard in his tunes. With his family’s encouragement, he pursued his passion of music, performing in bands professionally and in schools since he was 13. In his high school years, he was chosen for All State Band @ UNC, Greeley, Colo., and attended the Oral Roberts University jazz & music camps in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He has been a member of the National Association of Rudimental Drummers since 1977. Fresh out of high school, he attended Berklee College of Music in Boston and then Dick Grove Music Workshops in Los Angeles. While in L.A., he studied under Nick Ceroli (Tijuana Brass/Don Menza/Ray Brown), recorded at Hollywood’s A & M studios, and gigged the area with Gary Meek and with the Country-Rock band Red Eye Express. Later, back in Colorado, he spent over 13 years and 500,000 miles behind the wheel of a taxi cab (both day and night shifts....), as he witnessed and interacted with every walk and phase of human life. He’s also worked in a cold room of an ice plant, as a fresh fruit vendor for convenience stores and several times hobo-ed the now-abandoned Denver & Rio Grande Western Tennessee Pass line, high in the Colorado mountains.His musical reflections possess depth and substance interlaced with emotion and spirit; all the time weaving a tapestry of simple melodies you can hum along with, sublime harmonic pastels, catchy rhythmic phrasing, punches and grooves. Some of his primary musical and stylistic influences are; Mahavishnu Orchestra, Billy Cobham, Deodato, CTI artists, The Police, Men At Work, Neil Diamond, Dave Brubeck Quartet, Herb Alpert’s Tijuana Brass, Lawrence Welk, Bert Kaempfert, Chet Atkins, the music of Star Trek & Space:1999 and, of course, Gregorian Chant. He performs regularly with many Southern Colorado groups, including Pueblo Symphony (which he has served as timpanist and principal percussionist for), Dwight Shaw Septet & Big Band, Springs Band, Casablanca, Bob Alexander’s groups, Salida Big Band, Swing Connection, Broadmoor Tavern Orchestra, Dick Cunico’s Little Big Band, Mountain Blue Band, Mountain Sky Band, Pecos River Country Band, Springs City Jazz Band, John Turner Trio, Carlos Crull & Wasabi, Just In Time, the fusion band 21/3, Brad Bietry Quartet, Eddie Jones Quartet, State Fair Rodeo Orchestra and has produced (& played on) a CD by Lynette Moffitt-Mondy. He recently accompanied Amy Sue Hardy for her recital/showcase and performed with Guy Lombardo’s Royal Canadians. Clark has been the principle drummer/percussionist for the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center Theater/Rep musicals for the past 7 years, in such award-winning productions as West Side Story, Man of La Mancha, Chicago, Damn Yankees, Sweet Charity, Hot Mikado, Pirates of Penzance, Anything Goes, She Loves Me, Into the Woods & Cabaret. In that venue, Richard has twice garnered positive, specific mention in the Colorado Springs Gazette critics review for his playing. He also drummed for TheaterWork’s production of Cole Porter’s Nymph Errant at UCCS. He has serv