(Glass Onyon) Unicorn Digital is proud to announce that legendary keyboardist Roger Powell (Utopia, David Bowie, Meat Loaf) has signed a deal with the label to release Blue Note Ridge, a collection of improvisations that embrace classical melody, contemporary harmony and impressionist forms on this debut solo piano album.A stream of consciousness merging styles and eras, Blue Note Ridge is pure, elegant and honest. In the 70s and 80s Roger Powells groundbreaking electronic synthesizer albums Cosmic Furnace (Atlantic) and Air Pocket (Bearsville) were hailed as masterworks. Best known for his work with pioneering musical ensemble Utopia (featuring Todd Rundgren), as well as inventing the 'Probe' keyboard, Powell has always been held in high esteem by his peers.
2006 signaled a welcome return of Roger Powell with the retrofuturistic, groove oriented, Fossil Poets (Inner Knot CD/Vinyl LP). The critically acclaimed release was20produced by award winning producer Gary Tanin who, along with Powell, produced the 2009 solo piano offering Blue Note Ridge. "For many years, I have wanted to release a solo piano recording, as the piano is my main instrument from high school days onward," Roger explains. "There were a few piano segments and pieces on my other albums, as well as on Utopia recordings, but I had never done a full album of solo piano."
Blue Note Ridge will be available on July 14, 2009. www.unicornrecords.com/rogerpowell
