Monday, January 5, 2009

Motion Occupies Music: Raphael Rudd

I owe you one.

In thinking about things, one of my favorite musical experiences was working with Raphael.
He sat down at a piano and just played the sh....out of it and played the harp with such ferocity that I wondered how the strings did not snap.
He has always been in the background of my mind. I brought grandma out to see him play at the cultural center in Nutley, and how she loved it!
You were about 2 1/2 years old while I was working nights on his album. As a matter of fact I would come home at 8am dress you and bring you to the sitter so I could get a couple of hours of sleep, then pick you up in the afternoon to spend some time together before heading back to Clinton recording studio to work. There was one morning when I was so tired that I locked myself out of the house and stood in the pouring rain crying.....Oh well...I finally got someone to come to the house with the keys.

Anyway I digress, Raphael's music is/was amazing, and I have just found out that he passed away in 2002. I am sad. It is one of those things where you always hope to see or hear from someone. Where you often wonder what they are up to and where you find out the news that I have just received. I just got done looking him up on the web. It really is so unfortunate that the world has lost such a gentle, incredibly creative soul.

I came to meet Raphael via my work I had done with Suzanne Ciani. As a fan of hers he came to the studio on 23rd St in NYC and we met. I started working on his album in NY on the heels of Suzanne's Grammy nominated "Neverland". It was Raphael and his producer that paid my airfare for me, dad and you to go to LA for the Grammy's. THEY were the one's who made sure I was there for such an achievement. Through my work with Raphael I came to be introduced to Annie Haslam of Renaissance, a woman with one of the most beautiful voices. She sang on one of the album cuts and we also went on to record another piece. I thank him for that experience as well.

I would love for you to look him up on the web, listen to his CD and admire his talent. I was blessed to have known him as a person and worked with him as a professional. I will miss him.

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