Paul Stranahan - Jazz & Fusion Music

Purchase CD:
Artist-PSI-Paul Stranahan’s Insomnia

Review from Cool Cleveland ..."He's a tenacious jazz drummer, instructor and the rhythmic anchor for local acts Rare Blend and Broadview Collective. He's Paul Stranahan and he's got a flair for jazz fusion and King Crimsonesque progressive rock; in this new collection of tunes on PSI, he synthesizes all of it in a wakeful bit of melodic prowess. From the thrilling opening cut "Blue" -- with some exceptional Chris Bober guitar leads and space-rock nods -- the sonics suggest you leave that Ambien in the medicine cabinet. That energy informs/powers "Free Form Freak Out" (with its shades of Zappa), "Sojurn," "Mann, wo ist mein Auto?" and "You're Getting on My Nerves," which clearly owes a cup of espresso to Robert Fripp and the 80s "quartet Crimson" lineup.

Does PSI abbreviate the band's name or stand for pound per square inch? This 11-track disc is compelling and forceful enough to suggest the latter in some parts. Fans of prog and fusion will love the peaks, valleys and iconoclastic shading -- not to mention the fact that each member of the virtuoso band manages to avoid stepping on the others' toes. With experimental jazz acts like John Scofield, the Bad Plus, Alex Skolnick Trio, Charlie Hunter, Esbjörn Svensson Trio and Medeski Martin & Wood hitting their collective strides, it's hard not to think of PSI and Stranahan's offbeat angles. Whoever's booking him locally should be losing sleep... looking for an opening slot on an upcoming tour for one of those acts, that is." -- Managing Editor Peter Chakerian peterATcoolcleveland.com

Review of PSI-Paul Stranahan’s Insomnia from the Free Times: "This hard-working local jazz drummer also plays with Rare Blend and the Broadview Collective. With this collection, he mixes prog rock and jazz with unusual aplomb. Despite reference to insomnia, these tunes are a wake-up call. That's apparent from the opening track, "Blue," which features wicked guitar work and spacey interludes that are mind-expanding to say the least. That energy also drifts through "Mann, wo ist mein Auto?" and the Crimson-like "You're Getting on My Nerves." With progressive jazz acts like the Bad Plus getting national acclaim for expanding the genre's boundaries, these local heroes deserve significant praise, too." - Jeff Niesel

Click on a song title below to hear a two minute sample .mp3:

1. BLUE
2. MANN, WO IST MEIN AUTO?
3. QUESTION MARK
4. YOU'RE GETTING ON MY NERVES
5. PRESCIENT
6. SOJOURN
7. FREE FORM FREAK OUT
8. WHO KNOWS?
9. SPLAT!!
10. ERIC'S SONG
11. COLD AND DISTANT

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Other Musicians on the Self Titled
PSI Paul Stranahan’s Insomnia Cd

Jeremy Bleich (electric bass on tracks 1-6, 9-11) incorporates a wide palette of culture, ancient and modern instrumentst, traditions and form as well as electronic manipulation into the creative process of performing, composing and recording music. His approach to the electric bass and the oud have earned him a reputation internationally as an innovator. In addition to PSI, Jeremy is a member of the critically acclaimed group birth and has performed and/or recorded with Coung Vu (Pat Metheny Group), Joe Maneri, Jeff Coffen (Bela Fleck), Chris Jonas, Carmen Castaldi (Joe Lovano), Brook Martinez (barky!), Kevin McCarthy and Nashville songwriters Rick Elias (Ragamuffins) and Jason White. He has recorded for MCA Records, Hopscotch Records, High Mayhem and INS labels. He has a degree in music composition from Cleveland State University.

Chris Bober (electric guitar on tracks 1-6, 9-11) is a very versatile and creative player equally at home in jazz and rock and avant-garde. He’s performed with jazz bassist
Ray Brown, Shahida Nurullah (voice), Carman Castaldi (Drums), Randy Johnston (Guitar), Joe Cully (Tabla), Kip Reid (El. Bass), Gary April (Bass), and Joe Deninzon (El. Violin). In addition to PSI he’s been a member of several groups that include The Lost State of Franklin (Original Country),Beautiful Loser (Avant-pop), Kevin McCarthy
(Singer/Songwriter), Tone and Niche (Rock/Pop), The Paul Stranahan Trio (feat. Jeremy Bleich), and The Afrodesiatics (Funk/Latin). He has a music degree from Bowling Green University.

Mike Barna (electric guitar on tracks 7 and 8) is a composer, and educator who graduated with honors from Berklee College of Music with a major in composition. He then went on to earn his Masters Degree from Cleveland State University. Since then he has been composing for various combinations of instruments (including electronic), performed with several groups, and has recorded nine CD's of original music. He plays in the improvisational and experimental band Broadview Collective with Paul and Jeff Charmek and has recorded a CD with that group.

Jeff Charmek (electric guitar on tracks 7 and 8) has played with many bands spanning numerous genres including jazz, blues, pop, heavy metal, psychedelic and fusion to name a few. He strives to constantly find new ground both compositionally and technically on the guitar. His music spans a wide range of genres and techniques, all with a style that is instantly recognizable. He also performs with Broadview Collective with Mike and Paul and played on that group’s self titled CD. He currently has four solo albums and many others in conjunction with other musicians.

Track 1 is a full length giveaway, all the others are 30 second sample .mp3s

1. CLIMBING SOMEWHERE
2. NEPTUNE
3. CLOSING TIME
4. FIFTY FOUR
5. MELLOW TUNE
6. GET OFF THE SOFA !!!
7. 5/8 TUNE
8. HOT AND HUMID
9. CORINNE
10. CHARLIE
11. FUNGUS AT FIVE

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All Compositions by Paul Stranahan Musicians: On songs 1,2,3,4,5,8,9 and 10: Bob Fraser-electric guitarAidan Plank-acoustic bass On songs 6 and 7: Mike Barna-electric guitarJeff Scott-electric bass On song 11: Chris Bober-electric guitarWilbur Krebs-electric bass On all songs: Paul Stranahan-drums On song 7, due to the miracle of modern technology, Paul also plays marimba. Produced by Paul StranahanRecorded and mixed by Tom Bogus in Oakwood Studios Mastered by Richie Green at Moonchild MasteringCopyright 2003 Stranahan Productions. All Rights Reserved. Unauthorized duplication is a violation of applicable laws. Manufactured in the USA. www.paulstranahan.com

Liner Notes for Climbing Somewhere CD

"What kind of music do you play?"
"It's a question every musician is asked but is not always easy to answer. In order to be successful, most musicians have to be versatile and be able to play many different styles of music. Often what a musician likes to play and what he or she must play in order to make a living do not, unfortunately, coincide.

I wanted to make a CD that I would really want to play on and listen to: a CD that I could proudly put out there for everyone to hear and to answer the question of what kind of music I play. It sounds obvious, but it's certainly easier said than done. I love the freedom and spontaneity of jazz and the individualism of the great jazz players such as John Coltrane, Elvin Jones, Miles Davis, Tony Williams, and Wayne Shorter. I also like to listen to a band play challenging and creative compositions that require some thought and are not the same old thing that's been played many times before, and thus, (I hope) achieve a "band sound." I've always been a fan of heavy duty fusion groups such as the Mahavishnu Orchestra, Lifetime, and Weather Report. (Some of Frank Zappa's music could also fit in that category.) I grew up loving the power of Led Zeppelin and the progressive rock of King Crimson. More recently, I've been inspired by the complex yet primal assault on one's eardrums of Meshuggah. I guess whatever the style, my favorite kind of music is technically challenging (be it rhythmically or harmonically) yet is played with soul, feeling, and maybe an edge to it. (Sometimes, however, a song can be difficult just for the sake of being difficult, and can come across as pretentious and boring to listen to, which defeats the whole purpose.) I also like the composition to leave enough room for the players to interpret the material in their own way. It's exciting to hear a song sound different each time it's played and not know exactly what will happen. Anyway, I hope all these various influences I've listed have found a way onto this CD and can serve as a good answer to the question, "What kind of music do you play?"

I'd like thank all the musicians who played on this CD and tell a little bit about them. Bob Fraser and Aidan Plank performed on eight of the eleven tracks. I always like to play with them in my trio because the interaction is so creative. Bob is pretty much the favorite guitar player of every other guitar player in the Cleveland area. He definitely deserves much wider recognition. He's is always great to perform with, and I really enjoy what he did with my compositions. Aidan Plank is a young up and coming bass player who knows way too much about music for someone his age or any other age for that matter. He will go far. Jeff Scott and Mike Barna play on two songs that are more in the fusion vein. Jeff and I have been playing together for a while in the jazz/rock/fusion band Rare Blend. He comes up with great ideas, and I feel we're on the same page musically in a lot of ways. Mike Barna is a Berklee Music School grad and is very fluent in odd time signatures. It's hard to find musicians who can play in 5/8, so I'm glad he can. Chris Bober and Wlbur Krebs did a great job on the bonus track, which was probably the most difficult composition of the CD. I originally wrote two songs for them to record with me until I realized they were too similar, so I ended up combining the best sections of both of them into the big epic song of the CD. Chris is very open minded and good in both jazz and rock. I saw Wilbur perform in a wild band back in the '80's called Third Plane. He moved out to San Francisco for a while and is now fortunately back in the northern Ohio area. He has some great chops and can play what's right for the song.

I definitely want to thank Tom Bogus for recording and mixing the songs. His expertise and patience were very important in getting things to sound just right. I could not have done this CD without him. Thank you, Tom! I'd also like to thank Richie Green for putting on the finishing touches and mastering the CD.

And last but certainly not least, I'd like to thank my late father, my Mom and my sister for their love and support which helped make this CD and my music career possible. Thank you!

Also, check out BVC's latest CD:

Put your mouse over a track below to hear a 40 second .mp3 sample (not all tracks are available)

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If you'd like to pay by check or money order please Email Paul.

Call 216-269-9156 for bookings.