Refractions by Neil Pearlman

On stage I often describe my improvisations around traditional melodies as “looking at a tune through a prism”. Each time the tune is repeated it appears in a different light, highlighting facets previously overlooked, expanding one motif, glossing over another. This album is a collection of traditional melodies that inspire me, many from the Scottish Gaelic song tradition and a few from the related bagpipe and fiddle repertoires. Each melody is refracted in its own way through me and the Yamaha CX7 grand piano at Simpson Street Studios. Recording a solo piano record has been an incredibly powerful experience, allowing me the freedom to explore my musical voice in isolation while also requiring a deep self-examination that hasn’t always been comfortable. I have come out of it a better musician and artist than when I started and I am very excited to share the journey with you.
–Neil

Acknowledgements:
Huge appreciation and thanks to everyone who has played a role in my development as a musician up to this point. So many people have given me their support, encouragement, constructive criticism, love, collaboration, wisdom, mentorship, artistic sensibility and more. I will name a few but this only scratches the surface: my parents, siblings and Katie for their belief in me; Ian Stephenson for giving so much to the creation of this recording; Dylan Ladds for making the art/graphic aspect of this album such a deeply collaborative and creative experience; Ben Waltzer, Marilyn Lerner, Vardan Ovsepian, Tom Snow, Elizabeth Manduca, Janet Powers and Rae Simmons for teaching me so much about the piano; and everyone who has played music with me, given me the opportunity to play or come to hear me play over the years.

Neil Pearlman is a vital and distinctive voice in contemporary traditional music. Described as “a tremendous pianist” on BBC Radio Scotland and “a force to be reckoned with” by WGBH’s Brian O’Donovan, Neil has performed and taught with some of the genre's top names at major venues, festivals and conferences on both sides of the Atlantic.