Biography
No, not *that* Squonk.
If you were hoping that this is anything like Genesis or traditional
prog, think again. This is "opera for the people, by the people
and of the people". Jackie Dempsey and Steve O'Hearn have
been fronting this outfit that puts forth both their musical
and artistic vision in a combination of award winning performance
art and musical theater, with the occasional recorded album.
Hailing from Pennsylvania, they have made their home at the
Pittsburgh Center for the Arts and have brought their unique
vision to bars, chain bookstores, colleges, and theaters all
around the country, and even an ambitious booking at our own
Prog Day in 1996. Their latest opera, Bigsmörgåsbørdwünderwerk
has even landed them on Broadway.
Since their debut
at the Bloomfield Bridge Tavern in Pittsburgh, Squonk Opera
has created operas of all shapes and sizes: one based on a B-movie
(Night Of The Living Dead: The Opera); one that takes
place in a junkyard with cranes and dancers (Forgotten Works);
one about sweat, forge and blast furnace (Firedogs);
and one about a mad voyage on the sad, endless plane of the
ocean (Great Circle Route). During this, the band has
released original music on two EPs (Crash Landings and
Ha Ha Tali) and an album (Howandever), as well
as a recording of Bigsmörgåsbørdwünderwerk.
Of interest to
the discerning music fan, the band's music crosses a wide spectrum
from rock to classical, art song to broadway tune, celtic to
middle eastern, utilizing a chamber like ensemble fronted by
clear and beautiful female vocals. While their songs are often
used to propel their operas, the aural only presentation on
record stands for itself. Still going strong today, the groups
newest opera, Burn, based on Dante's Inferno is "A musical,
digital fantasy of the coal fires burning beneath a Western
Pennsylvania town", and will open this November at the City
Theatre in Pittsburgh, and will hopefully be toured. A recording
of this venture is also expected. Yay! -
Mike Prete [October 2001]
Sources:
Squonk Opera website, Angel Records Squonk Opera bio
Howandever
(1994)
Angelic vocals,
tribal rhythms, and ethnic woodwinds propel Squonk Opera's wonderfully
melodic and enchanting debut album, Howandever. As can
be expected from a talented group of stage performers, the music
has a theatrical quality to it, creating a full, rich sound
while utilizing a more chamber like instrumentation. The group
puts forth pieces that are both somber (the dark "Parts", with
it's languid piano theme) and whimsical (the beat poetry like
recital of "The Unusual Mrs. Spitz", complete with exacerbated
New York accent). Along the same schizophrenic lines, the band
can be accessible and eclectic at the same time, with the infectious
rhythms of ethnic percussion and flute playing irresistibly
melodic passages.
Kate Aronson's
versatile delivery shows off her chameleon like vocals; the
gymnastic chanting on "hT cT", the lilting "Jole Du Fromage",
the spoken word "whistle & spit" to the ethereal "Drop The
Words". Her backing instrumentalists are no slouches either.
Dempsey's classical keyboard work always seems to fit the mood
perfectly, O'Hearn's woodwinds add extra tonal colour, while
the rhythm section is always solid, yet not intrusive.
A completely satisfying
album, Howandever straddles many paradoxical lines throughout
its entirety; both relaxing and peppy, beautiful and powerful,
visceral and ethereal. - Mike Prete [October 2001]
Click
Here for Tracklist and Lineup Info
Bigsmörgåsbørdwünderwerk
(2000)
Stephen O'Hearn
and Jackie Dempsey have re-tooled the cast of Squonk Opera for
this release, adding new players all around. While the names
may have changed, the sound has remained the same, utilizing
a chamber ensemble feel with flourishes of synthesizer and ethnic
percussion. In keeping with the tradition of their earlier material,
a few of the songs contained here are slight reworkings of those
that had appeared on Howandever ("In the Kitchen of the
Mountain King", "Dance of the Seven Vowels" and "What Stirs").
The mainly acoustic
instrumentation throughout lends a light and airy feel, in contrast
to the lavishly composed feel of the production. Jana Losey's
vocals take charge on the more effervescent pieces such as "Drank
Big Drink", while her breathy delivery lends a calming feeling
to the more introspective pieces like "Whirring of the Wheel".
Many of the pieces are very inviting an atmospheric, with minimal
piano, winds and percussion and entrancing vocals.
In contrast to
its predecessor, Bigsmörgåsbørdwünderwerk
tends to drag in a few places, most likely as narrative
parts of the visual show. On the other hand, the pieces are
more varied throughout, and present an added depth to the work.
If you're looking for something a little off kilter and different,
check these guys out; their charm will reel you in.
- Mike Prete [November 2001]
