The 2007 Rob Mathes
Christmas Concert
on Friday and Saturday, December 21st and 22nd
at
The Concert Hall
at SUNY Purchase.

Featuring his All Star Band.
YOU CAN NOW GET TICKETS ONLINE!!!! FINALLY!!!!!!!!

Tickets are $30 and $40.
and $75
($75 tickets are premium seating that includes a signed double CD of the newly released "Orchestral Songs" by Rob)
Here is the address:

www.ArtsCenter.org

or at
The Performing Arts Center Box Office: 914-251-6200

or at
The Music Source in Old Greenwich: 203-698-0444

BUTCH WALKER:

I began the year working on an album of string arrangements for Butch Walker, an amazing new star on both the Artistic scene and the Production scene. He breathes songs and is endlessly talented. He trusts me and allows me to write what I hear which is GREAT!!! The album is Butch Walker and The Let's Go Out Tonites.

PHIL NAISH-The Apostles--Gospel super Producer is recording a beautiful record of subtle songs about the Apostles. We went to London and recorded orchestra on this.

BOWLING FOR SOUP--- Funny and catchy band. I did an orchestral chart for the single "When We Die". They loved the strings and mixed 'em high. I was smiling. The strings are vibey and not smarmy which is my artistic goal these days.

A small aside:::::::: As an arranger, it is my job to completely provide the artist I am working with an appropriate treatment for what it is they do. Of course it is influenced by who I am but I can forget about XTC and Peter Gabriel when I write for someone like the Tenor Ronan Tynan and completely forget that I love Mahler when I write for Hot Hot Heat. I really want to try to do some new things on records made by intense and brooding young bands; experiment a bit and do some different things with various modern writing techniques. I believe what separates me from some arrangers is my knowledge of writers like Britten, Stravinsky, Boulez, Corigliano, and others of that ilk combined with the fact that I am a longtime songwriter and player. I have lived with and internalized both Led Zeppelin and Mahler's 9th and it translates I'd like to think, though I could easily be out of my mind.

EMMY NOMINATION!!!!!!!

Don't get too excited. I lost. It was nice though and was for my work on the Kennedy Center Honors.

RONAN TYNAN--- This was such a fun project to do. Completely straight up the adult middle road stylistically. The kind of record that would make your Catholic Grandmother cry but.....also made by one of the kindest and more remarkable people I have ever met. Ronan is a doctor, has prosthesis legs below the knees and yet has won international running and hurdling awards, has sung at more Yankees games than anyone in History and can blow you into the sea with the power of his voice. A record made up of hymns produced by Nashville legend Brown Bannister, it was a blast to make and Brown completely gave me free reign. I did an arrangement of Morning Has Broken for Ronan and Vince Gill and wrote Mahlerian perhaps occasionally (I did my best) over the top arrangements on other Hymns like Faith Of Our Fathers and On Eagles Wings. If Butch Walker heard it he would say, "THAT'S ROB'S WORK????" but it was sweet and fun and I channeled my mother while writing the arrangements. I am glad to know Ronan and worked with the amazing Gavyn Wright and his London Session Orchestra on this one. Remarkable musicians. A shout out to Tony Pleeth on Cello, Perry Montague-Mason on Violin, and the amazing Peter Lale on Viola.

MIG AYESA--- I have produced songs for Rod Stewart and records by Carly Simon and Vanessa Williams but this year I have broken out into producing some new artists. Mig was the audience favorite and the runner up for Lead Vocalist in INXS on that TV show Rock Star and for years, Mig was the star of the Queen musical in London "We Will Rock You". I produced a bunch of tracks for his debut record which comes out in March on Universal. He has a great voice and we recorded a bunch of obscure classics like Waterloo Sunset by The Kinks. I did a full orchestration of Jeremy by Pearl Jam which you would think would be an AWFUL idea. It is the best thing on the record I think though maybe only I think that. Another great chance to have control over my work and in a way, I arrange somewhat differently than I do when I am not producing. I am appropriately tough on myself and I cut all the fat off the bone ruthlessly.

SUPERNOVA-- The second RockStar program with Tommy Lee. This supergroup looks for a vocalist in this competition. I did the arrangement on their big single coming out soon.

ROB MARSHALL AND TONY BENNETT-- I got to meet with the Director of "Chicago" and "Memoirs Of A Geisha" about musically directing Tony Bennett's Duets special to be shown on Thanksgiving. It was a thrill and yet I was too busy to do it. Bummer, bummer, bummer!!! I have gotten to work with Tony on a number of occasions and musically directed and arranged his Tribute at the Kennedy Center last year so..............it's OK (weeping in the background).

FERNANDO LIMA-- I am producing this countertenor's project for EMI Classics. Full orchestra, recording at Abbey Road. Incredible voice. Producing. What's not to like. Rich, Latin flavored, intense. Should be good.

KENNEDY CENTER 2006--- Dolly Parton and Smokey Robinson, Speilberg and Lloyd Webber--will be fun and they treat me with such kindness and respect, I am now a member of the family.

BOSTON POPS- Beautiful human and Artistic Director of the Pops Dennis Alves asked me to do a barn burner for their tour this Winter. A fast as hell Memphis take on "Children, Go Where I Send Thee". Brushes on the snare---the train is a comin' groove. Johnny Cash meets Symphony Hall in execution hopefully.

AVRIL LAVIGNE:

We also worked on one song for Avril Lavigne which sounds like a smash. It will be out later next year.

HOT HOT HEAT--- A killer band and fun to work on. The strings are mixed too low on the project but the band is intense and only wanted strings to provide weight. I wrote some killer stuff that is surprising. If you listen carefully, it is there but I can't really hear it. They mixed them up predictably on the ballad. No worries. Great band.

PANIC! AT THE DISCO--- I co-produced a track with them for the re-release of the Tim Burton film "The Nightmare Before Christmas". We did full orchestra on Danny Elfman's "This Is Halloween". The band couldn't be cooler and they let me go for it without straight jacketing me. Good stuff. It will be out soon and is definitely worth picking up. It was mixed by Chris Shaw who recorded and mixed the new Dylan record.

PRODUCING ROY HARGROVE WITH VANESSA-- I got to work with a real favorite. I am a big fan of Roy Hargrove, the great Jazz Trumpeter who also has done great work on D'Angelo's records. I produced a track for the end credits of the movie "My Brother". The track is the old Mahalia Jackson Gospel standard "His Eye Is On The Sparrow. Vanessa Williams sings and Roy plays. Great rhythm section. I had a blast with sterling work by J.T. Lewis on Drums and Artie Reynolds on Bass. Vanessa, as always, was a joy.

ASTRONAUT FARMER-- I co wrote, orchestrated, and conducted this score for a major motion picture featuring Billy Bob Thornton and Bruce Willis. I worked with my longtime artistic companion and the man who single handedly brought me into the movie world Stuart Matthewman, the guru behind Sade's music (she came and hung out with us in London at Air Lyndhurst, George Martin's studio while we were recording which was great!). An incredible experience made even better by Suzi Civita, Warner's music supervisor who could not have been more supportive and Stuart, whose gentle spirit and lack of ego enabled me to really grab the ball at times. One for the ages.

HALL AND OATES--- Yep, they are still making records and Daryl still sounds like an angel.T-Bone Wolk, their longtime Bassist and Producer brought me on to write, play and arrange a bunch of things for H & O's first Christmas record. Christmas records can be remarkably cheesy?????? Believe me, as the local Mr. Christmas, I know! This is downhome and surprising, with Daryl encouraging me to arrange Overtures and to let myself loose. A beautiful thing and I had wonderful time recording this at Abbey Road with Daryl, T-Bone and Greg Bieck. Check it out. It is not even remotely cheesy and a really old time "hot apple cider by the fireplace in Vermont" kind of Xmas record.

PETER CINCOTTI AND RENEE OLSTEAD--- For the first time I got a chance to work with LA legends David Foster and Humberto Gatica. I had met David before and actually orchestrated an arrangement for him for Josh Groban but Peter Cincotti brought me onto a record that originally was going to be arranged by the master Jeremy Lubbock who did a few charts. Peter wanted a bit of New York and therefore I got to establish a relationship with David. Whatever you want to say about this SuperPop uber-producer, he is the most successful producer in record history perhaps and has also played and written on some great records (he wrote Earth Wind and Fire's After The Love Is Gone). He was seemingly thrilled with the arrangements, gave me a raise (the only person I have ever worked with who did this unprovoked) and brought me back to LA to write for Renee Olstead. He and Humberto love Evening Train which made me VERY happy. They now join a list of Evening Train fans including Bonnie Raitt, Jimmy Webb, Carly Simon, and the late Warren Zevon. I am still paying off a home equity loan that I took out to make that record, my little opus, so this kind of feedback does my soul a world of good.

ARRANGEMENTS FOR KRIS KRISTOFFERSON- Legendary Producer Phil Ramone asked me to write some arrangements for a new recording with Kris that will be recorded in Prague of all places.