by Modern Songbook Records | May 18, 2014 | Interviews, News
At the taping of Carl Kassell’s final Wait Wait…Don’t Tell Me episode a couple of days ago, I ran into my old friend Amy Dickinson, a writer and frequent panelist on the show. And seeing Amy reminded me of the radio piece that sparked our friendship: her terrific July 2002 All Things Considered report on a nostalgic summer symphony of mine called The Blue Chevrolet.
You can hear the radio segment, which my mom basically stole out from under me, here: Blue Chevrolet NPR Story. If you’d like to listen to the third movement of the Blue Chevrolet symphony, you can stream it here: The Blue Chevrolet – Movement III: The Detour, The Argument, and Finally, The Map.
by Modern Songbook Records | Mar 15, 2014 | News
I recently started scoring a difficult, meaningful, and beautiful film called Leprosy: A Love Story. Leprosy is a biblical disease, but it still destroys millions of lives. Now, the drug manufacturer Novartis is giving the cure away for free, to eradicate this scourge. Producers David Hanrahan and Joe Fab have been documenting this effort; I’m honored to help.
by Modern Songbook Records | Mar 15, 2014 | Interviews
Bethesda Magazine recently named Charlie a “Person of Interest”:
Charlie Barnett is about to play one of his favorite tunes.
“Listen to this,” he says, as if sharing a delicious secret. And suddenly you can’t wait to hear what he has cued up on his computer.
This is a guy who has penned symphonies, scored award-winning films, played before large audiences, and written music for acclaimed poet Maya Angelou’s spoken-word performances. But his enthusiasm makes every song he plays feel brand new.
To read the whole story, click here: Bethesda Magazine
by Modern Songbook Records | Mar 15, 2014 | Interviews
Two gigs in Pennsylvania’s Lehigh Valley inspired this coverage in one of the local papers:
Charlie Barnett calls himself the quintessential late bloomer.
The Easton native was one of those kids forced to take piano lessons by his parents, and quit the first chance he got.
But when he turned 20, he regretted his decision and began taking jazz piano lessons on his day off from his surveying job.
“That was the start of me becoming a good piano player,” Barnett says. “I was the classic hepcat.”
Now having scored hundreds of documentaries, films and television shows and touring in a band with A-listers from the Washington, D.C. music scene, his musical talent has flowered.
To read the whole story, click here: The Morning Call
by Modern Songbook Records | Feb 14, 2014 | News
A brand-new string ensemble has chosen my piece “String Transparencies” for their next concert. Takoma Ensemble, led by Victoria Gau, associate conductor of the National Philharmonic at Strathmore, started their season with a piece by Lou Harrison! That tells you all you need to know about Vicki and the musical landscape she tends to traipse.
