David M. Torn (born May 26, 1953) is an American guitarist, composer, and producer. He is known for combining electronic and acoustic instruments and for his use of looping.
Background
Torn has contributed to recordings by artists as diverse as
David Bowie
David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known professionally as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer-songwriter and actor. A leading figure in the music industry, he is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the ...
John Legend
John Roger Stephens (born December 28, 1978), known professionally as John Legend, is an American singer, songwriter, pianist, and record producer. He began his musical career by working behind the scenes, playing piano on Lauryn Hill's " Eve ...
Tori Amos
Tori Amos (born Myra Ellen Amos; August 22, 1963) is an American singer-songwriter and pianist. She is a classically trained musician with a mezzo-soprano vocal range. Having already begun composing instrumental pieces on piano, Amos won a full ...
,
Bill Bruford
William Scott Bruford (born 17 May 1949) is an English former drummer and percussionist who first gained prominence as a founding member of the progressive rock band Yes. After leaving Yes in 1972, Bruford spent the rest of the 1970s recording ...
David Sylvian
David Sylvian (born David Alan Batt, 23 February 1958) is an English musician, singer and songwriter who came to prominence in the late 1970s as frontman and principal songwriter of the band Japan. The band's androgynous look and increasingly ...
,
Chocolate Genius
Chocolate is a food made from roasted and ground cacao seed kernels that is available as a liquid, solid, or paste, either on its own or as a flavoring agent in other foods. Cacao has been consumed in some form since at least the Olmec civil ...
Andy Rinehart
Andy Rinehart (born 1960) is an American balladeer, composer and multi instrumentalist.
Biography
Rinehart was born in 1960 in Norwalk, Connecticut. Rinehart started his studies of the guitar at an early age, and at the age of 10 he was re ...
Meshell Ndegeocello
Michelle Lynn Johnson, better known as Meshell Ndegeocello (; born August 29, 1968), is a German-born American singer-songwriter, rapper, and bassist. She has gone by the name Meshell Suhaila Bashir-Shakur which is used as a writing credit on so ...
The Big Lebowski
''The Big Lebowski'' () is a 1998 crime comedy film written, produced, and directed by Joel and Ethan Coen. It stars Jeff Bridges as Jeffrey "The Dude" Lebowski, a Los Angeles slacker and avid bowler. He is assaulted as a result of mistake ...
'', ''
The Departed
''The Departed'' is a 2006 American epic crime thriller film directed by Martin Scorsese and written by William Monahan. It is both a remake of the 2002 Hong Kong film '' Infernal Affairs'' and also loosely based on the real-life Boston Win ...
The Hoax
''The Hoax'' is a 2006 American comedy-drama film starring Richard Gere, directed by Swedish filmmaker Lasse Hallström. The screenplay by William Wheeler is based on the book of the same title by Clifford Irving. It recounts Irving's elabora ...
Traffic
Traffic comprises pedestrians, vehicles, ridden or herded animals, trains, and other conveyances that use public ways (roads) for travel and transportation.
Traffic laws govern and regulate traffic, while rules of the road include traffi ...
Three Kings
The biblical Magi from Middle Persian ''moɣ''(''mard'') from Old Persian ''magu-'' 'Zoroastrian clergyman' ( or ; singular: ), also referred to as the (Three) Wise Men or (Three) Kings, also the Three Magi were distinguished foreigners in the ...
.'' He studied with
Leonard Bernstein
Leonard Bernstein ( ; August 25, 1918 – October 14, 1990) was an American conductor, composer, pianist, music educator, author, and humanitarian. Considered to be one of the most important conductors of his time, he was the first America ...
(within the "Music for Young Composers" series), as well as with guitarists John Abercrombie,
Pat Martino
Pat Martino (born Patrick Carmen Azzara; August 25, 1944 – November 1, 2021) was an American jazz guitarist and composer.
Biography
Martino was born Patrick Carmen Azzara in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, to father Carmen "Mickey" ...
, Paul Weiss and Arthur Basile. Torn works out of his personal studios, known as ''Cell Labs''; occasionally, he uses the pseudonym "splattercell."
''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' described Torn's 2015 solo release, ''
Only Sky
''Only Sky'' is a solo album by guitarist David Torn recorded in 2014 and released on the ECM label.
Torn was born in Amityville, New York, United States, he is married to Linda B. Brecht-Torn (b. 1952), is the son of Lawrence J. Torn (1926-2017) and Rhoda G. Torn (1927-2010), the father of electronic musician Elijah B. Torn (b. 1979) and Cody M. Torn (b. 1983). He is the brother of Marsha Torn and Linda Torn, and he was a cousin of actor
Rip Torn
Elmore Rual "Rip" Torn Jr. (February 6, 1931 – July 9, 2019) was an American actor whose career spanned more than 60 years. He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his part as Marsh Turner in '' Cross Creek'' ...
(1931-2019),
Angelica Torn
Angelica Sue Page (née Torn; February 17, 1964) is an American actress, director, producer and screenwriter. She is the only daughter of actors Rip Torn and Geraldine Page. Credited as Angelica Torn in her early career, she legally and professio ...
(b. 1964), and Ina Garten (The Barefoot Contessa).
Torn began his career with the Ithaca-based jam band Zobo Funn Band in the 1970s, and rose to prominence as a member of The Everyman Band and Jan Garbarek's quartet in the mid-1980s. He has recorded solo and group recordings for the
ECM
ECM may refer to:
Economics and commerce
* Engineering change management
* Equity capital markets
* Error correction model, an econometric model
* European Common Market
Mathematics
* Elliptic curve method
* European Congress of Mathematics
...
, Windham Hill, CMP and 75 Ark labels.
In the 1990s, Torn was diagnosed with an acoustic neuroma, in his case, a life-threatening form of brain tumor. The surgery that followed left him deaf in the right ear but he remains able to compose, record, and play. He mixes many widely available recordings himself, although according to him this requires sitting sideways to the studio speakers and "visualising the stereo aspects of sound" in his head rather than experimenting with them by ear.
In 2006, Torn's film score for '' Believe in Me'' won the Best Score-award at the Jackson Hole Film Festival. In 2003, his score for the film '' The Order'' was nominated for a
Grammy Award
The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pre ...
.
In 2007, Torn released ''
Prezens
''Prezens'' is an album by guitarist David Torn recorded in 2005 and released on the ECM label.Tim Berne
Tim Berne (born October 16, 1954) is an American avant-garde jazz saxophonist and record label owner. His primary instruments are the alto and baritone saxophones.
Biography
Berne was born in Syracuse, New York, United States. He has said t ...
. ''
Jazzwise
''Jazzwise'', launched in 1997, is the UK jazz monthly magazine. ''Jazzwise'' has a broad sub-genre coverage, from jazz, improv, hard bop, and jazz-rock to bebop and classic jazz, and also covers jazz crossover, including jazz-funk, jazz hip-ho ...
'' called the album "a vibrating collage full of shimmering sonic shapes, a dark, urban electronic soundscape – a potent mix of jazz, free-form rock and technology that is both demanding and rewarding."
In 2013, Torn performed as a guitarist on David Bowie's penultimate album, '' The Next Day''—his third collaboration with the artist. The same year, Torn delivered a solo guitar performance and talk at
TEDx
TED Conferences, LLC (Technology, Entertainment, Design) is an American-Canadian non-profit media organization that posts international talks online for free distribution under the slogan "ideas worth spreading". TED was founded by Richard Sau ...
Caltech 2013: The Brain. The presentation examined his brain tumor diagnosis and recovery.
Instruments and effects
As a session artist, composer, and producer, David Torn has experimented with many effects boxes, amplifiers, and instruments, and he has spoken with amplifier designers and pedal builders about their craft. In an interview with ''
Premier Guitar
''Premier Guitar'' is a media company devoted to guitarists. It is based in Marion, Iowa, and it's staff is focused on creating the best website, videos, podcasts, and print/digital magazine for gearheads around the world. Interviews have includ ...
'' magazine following the release of his solo album ''Only Sky'', he shared an extensive list of the instruments and effects he uses. He plays a Ronin Mirari guitar with Foilbucker pickups and also lists a large number of amplifiers such as a Fryette Aether amplifier, and many guitar effects pedals including the TC Electronic Classic TC XII Phaser, Catalinbread Antichthon, DigiTech Whammy DT, and the Neunaber Stereo Wet Reverb.
Terry Bozzio
Terry John Bozzio (born December 27, 1950) is an American drummer best known for his work with Missing Persons and Frank Zappa. He has been featured on nine solo or collaborative albums, 26 albums with Zappa and seven albums with Missing Pers ...
Gtr Oblq
''GTR OBLQ'' (also referred to as ''Gtr Oblq'' or ''Guitar Oblique'') is a live album by guitarists Vernon Reid, Elliott Sharp, and David Torn. It was recorded at the Knitting Factory in New York City, and was released in 1998 by Knitting Factory ...
'' with Vernon Reid & Elliott Sharp (Knitting Factory, 1998)
* ''Oah'' as Spalttercell (CellDivision, 2000)
* ''
Prezens
''Prezens'' is an album by guitarist David Torn recorded in 2005 and released on the ECM label.Tony Levin & Alan White (Lazy Bones, 2011)
* ''
Only Sky
''Only Sky'' is a solo album by guitarist David Torn recorded in 2014 and released on the ECM label.
'' (ECM, 2015)
* ''Sun of Goldfinger'' with
Tim Berne
Tim Berne (born October 16, 1954) is an American avant-garde jazz saxophonist and record label owner. His primary instruments are the alto and baritone saxophones.
Biography
Berne was born in Syracuse, New York, United States. He has said t ...
& Ches Smith (ECM, 2019)
* ''Fur/Torn'' (Screwgun, 2020)
With Everyman Band
* ''Everyman Band'' (ECM, 1982)
* ''Without Warning'' (ECM, 1985)
As sideman
With
Bruford Levin Upper Extremities
Bruford Levin Upper Extremities (B.L.U.E.) was a musical group consisting of drummer Bill Bruford, bassist Tony Levin, guitarist David Torn, and trumpeter Chris Botti.
The group's origins can be traced to Torn's ECM Records album ''Cloud About ...
* ''
Bruford Levin Upper Extremities
Bruford Levin Upper Extremities (B.L.U.E.) was a musical group consisting of drummer Bill Bruford, bassist Tony Levin, guitarist David Torn, and trumpeter Chris Botti.
The group's origins can be traced to Torn's ECM Records album ''Cloud About ...
David Bowie
David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known professionally as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer-songwriter and actor. A leading figure in the music industry, he is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the ...
* ''
Heathen __NOTOC__
Heathen or Heathens may refer to:
Religion
*Heathen, another name for a pagan
*Heathen, an adherent of Heathenry
Music
*Band of Heathens, a North American rock and roll band
*Heathen (band), a North American thrash metal band
*The Hea ...
'' (Columbia/ISO, 2002)
* ''
Reality
Reality is the sum or aggregate of all that is real or existent within a system, as opposed to that which is only imaginary. The term is also used to refer to the ontological status of things, indicating their existence. In physical terms, r ...
Castalia
Castalia ( grc, Κασταλία), in Greek mythology, was a naiad- nymph, a daughter of Achelous who inhabited the Castalian spring in Delphi. In older traditions, Castalian spring already existed by the time Apollo came to Delphi searching ...
'' (Virgin, 1988)
* ''Tibet'' (Windham Hill, 1989)
* '' Mark Isham'' (Virgin, 1990)
* ''Reversal of Fortune'' (Milan, 1991)
* ''Blue Sun'' (Columbia, 1995)
With Patrick O'Hearn
* ''Trust'' (Deep Cave, 1995)
* ''Metaphor'' (Deep Cave, 1996)
* ''So Flows the Current'' (Patrickohearn.com 2001)
With Ryuichi Sakamoto
* ''Discord'' (Gut for Life 1997)
* ''Cinemage'' (Sony, 1999)
* ''Moto.tronic'' (Sony 2003)
With
David Sylvian
David Sylvian (born David Alan Batt, 23 February 1958) is an English musician, singer and songwriter who came to prominence in the late 1970s as frontman and principal songwriter of the band Japan. The band's androgynous look and increasingly ...
* '' Secrets of the Beehive'' (Virgin, 1987)
* ''Orpheus'' (Virgin, 1988)
* ''Weatherbox'' (Virgin, 1989)
* ''Everything and Nothing'' (Virgin, 2000)
* ''Camphor'' (Virgin, 2002)
With others
*
Tori Amos
Tori Amos (born Myra Ellen Amos; August 22, 1963) is an American singer-songwriter and pianist. She is a classically trained musician with a mezzo-soprano vocal range. Having already begun composing instrumental pieces on piano, Amos won a full ...
Laurie Anderson
Laurel Philips Anderson (born June 5, 1947), known as Laurie Anderson, is an American avant-garde artist, composer, musician, and film director whose work spans performance art, pop music, and multimedia projects. Initially trained in violin and ...
David Baerwald
David Francis Baerwald (born July 11, 1960) is an American singer-songwriter, composer, and musician.
Career
Baerwald first came to prominence in 1986 as one half of the duo David & David, with David Ricketts. David and David's sole album, '' ...
Cheryl Bentyne
Cheryl Bentyne (born January 17, 1954) is a jazz singer who spent much of her career with The Manhattan Transfer.
Early years
Bentyne started singing at age 13 with her father's Dixieland and swing band. Following graduation from Mount Vernon Hi ...
, ''Something Cool'' (Columbia, 1992)
*
Tim Berne
Tim Berne (born October 16, 1954) is an American avant-garde jazz saxophonist and record label owner. His primary instruments are the alto and baritone saxophones.
Biography
Berne was born in Syracuse, New York, United States. He has said t ...
, ''
Incidentals
''Incidentals'' is an album by American composer and saxophonist Tim Berne's band Snakeoil which was released on the ECM label in 2017.
'' (ECM, 2017)
* Tim Berne, ''The Sevens'' (New World/CounterCurrents, 2002)
*
Jack Bruce
John Symon Asher Bruce (14 May 1943 – 25 October 2014) was a Scottish bassist, singer-songwriter, musician and composer. He gained popularity as the primary lead vocalist and bassist of British rock band Cream. After the group disban ...
, ''
Somethin Els
''Somethin Els'' is the tenth studio album by Scottish musician Jack Bruce. The album was released on 23 February 1993 by CMP Records. It features the first appearance of Bruce's old Cream bandmate Eric Clapton on one of his solo albums.
Track ...
'' (Esoteri, 2014)
*
Chocolate Genius
Chocolate is a food made from roasted and ground cacao seed kernels that is available as a liquid, solid, or paste, either on its own or as a flavoring agent in other foods. Cacao has been consumed in some form since at least the Olmec civil ...
, ''
Black Music
Black music is a sound created, produced, or inspired by black people, people of African descent, including African music traditions and African popular music as well as the music genres of the African diaspora, including Caribbean music, Latin ...
It's OK to Listen to the Gray Voice
''It's OK to Listen to the Gray Voice'' is an album by the Norwegian saxophonist Jan Garbarek released on the ECM label and performed by Garbarek, David Torn, Eberhard Weber and Michael Di Pasqua.
'' (ECM, 1985)
*
Gongzilla
Hansford Rowe is a fusion bass guitarist.
Basically a self-taught musician, Rowe started his career in playing bass in a local New York City band in jazz clubs until he met drummer Pierre Moerlen. He moved to France with Moerlen and became a mem ...
Building the Colossus
''Building The Colossus'' (1994) is the eighth album by American singer-songwriter Happy Rhodes.
Track listing
All music, lyrics, voices, instruments and arrangements - Happy Rhodes (except as noted in credits)
# "Hold Me" - 4:40
# "Just Like ...
Richard Barbieri
Richard Barbieri (born 30 November 1957) is an English musician, composer and sound designer. Originally a member of new wave band Japan (and their brief 1989–1991 reincarnation as Rain Tree Crow), more recently he is known as the keyboar ...
The Men Album
''The Men Album'' is the sixth solo studio album by Jarboe, released on October 17, 2005 by Atavistic Records.
Track listing
Personnel
Adapted from ''The Men Album'' liner notes.
* Jarboe – lead vocals, keyboards (2.6), production ( ...
Playground
A playground, playpark, or play area is a place designed to provide an environment for children that facilitates play, typically outdoors. While a playground is usually designed for children, some are designed for other age groups, or people ...
Drag
Drag or The Drag may refer to:
Places
* Drag, Norway, a village in Tysfjord municipality, Nordland, Norway
* ''Drág'', the Hungarian name for Dragu Commune in Sălaj County, Romania
* Drag (Austin, Texas), the portion of Guadalupe Street adj ...
'' (Warner Bros., 1997)
*
John Legend
John Roger Stephens (born December 28, 1978), known professionally as John Legend, is an American singer, songwriter, pianist, and record producer. He began his musical career by working behind the scenes, playing piano on Lauryn Hill's " Eve ...
Donna Lewis
Donna Lewis (born August 1959) is a Welsh singer. She is best known for the 1996 pop hit single "I Love You Always Forever", which peaked at number five on the UK Singles Chart, and also peaked within the top ten of the charts in Australia, Aus ...
, ''Brand New Day'' (Palmetto, 2015)
* Mark Nauseef, ''Sura'' (CMP, 1983)
* Mark Nauseef & Miroslav Tadic, ''The Snake Music'' (CMP, 1994)
*
Meshell Ndegeocello
Michelle Lynn Johnson, better known as Meshell Ndegeocello (; born August 29, 1968), is a German-born American singer-songwriter, rapper, and bassist. She has gone by the name Meshell Suhaila Bashir-Shakur which is used as a writing credit on so ...
, ''
Bitter
Bitter may refer to:
Common uses
* Resentment, negative emotion or attitude, similar to being jaded, cynical or otherwise negatively affected by experience
* Bitter (taste), one of the five basic tastes
Books
* ''Bitter (novel)'', a 2022 novel ...
Andy Rinehart
Andy Rinehart (born 1960) is an American balladeer, composer and multi instrumentalist.
Biography
Rinehart was born in 1960 in Norwalk, Connecticut. Rinehart started his studies of the guitar at an early age, and at the age of 10 he was re ...
, ''Jason's Chord'' (CMP, 1993)
* Douglas September, ''Ten Bulls'' (Gold Circle, 1998)
* Michael Shrieve, ''The Leaving Time'' (Novus/RCA 1988)
* Michael Shrieve, ''Stiletto'' (Novus/RCA/BMG 1989)
* Michael Whalen, ''Mysterious Ways'' (Koch, 2001)
* David Wilcox, ''Blaze'' (What Are? 2014)
A Knight's Tale
''A Knight's Tale'' is a 2001 American medieval adventure comedy film written, co-produced and directed by Brian Helgeland. The film stars Heath Ledger as William Thatcher, a peasant squire who poses as a knight and competes in tournaments, win ...
Fear
Fear is an intensely unpleasant emotion in response to perceiving or recognizing a danger or threat. Fear causes physiological changes that may produce behavioral reactions such as mounting an aggressive response or fleeing the threat. Fear ...
Glee
Glee means delight, a form of happiness.
Glee may also refer to:
* Glee (music), a type of English choral music
* ''Glee'' (TV series), an American musical comedy-drama TV series, and related media created by Ryan Murphy
* ''Glee'' (Bran Van 30 ...
'' – The Power of Madonna (2010) (writer: "What It Feels Like for a Girl" - uncredited)
* ''
Heist
A heist is a robbery or burglary, especially from an institution such as a bank or museum.
Heist may also refer to:
Places
*Heist, Germany, a municipality in Schleswig-Holstein
*Heist-aan-Zee, West Flanders, Belgium
*Heist-op-den-Berg, Antwerp, ...
'' – (musician) (2001)
* ''
Howl
Howl most often refers to:
*Howling, an animal vocalization in many canine species
*Howl (poem), a 1956 poem by Allen Ginsberg
Howl may also refer to:
Film
* ''The Howl'', a 1970 Italian film
* ''Howl'' (2010 film), a 2010 American arthouse b ...
The Big Lebowski
''The Big Lebowski'' () is a 1998 crime comedy film written, produced, and directed by Joel and Ethan Coen. It stars Jeff Bridges as Jeffrey "The Dude" Lebowski, a Los Angeles slacker and avid bowler. He is assaulted as a result of mistake ...
The Departed
''The Departed'' is a 2006 American epic crime thriller film directed by Martin Scorsese and written by William Monahan. It is both a remake of the 2002 Hong Kong film '' Infernal Affairs'' and also loosely based on the real-life Boston Win ...
'' – (musician) (2006)
* ''
The Fifth Estate (film)
''The Fifth Estate'' is a 2013 biographical thriller film directed by Bill Condon about the news-leaking website WikiLeaks. The film stars Benedict Cumberbatch as its editor-in-chief and founder Julian Assange and Daniel Brühl as its former ...
Three Kings
The biblical Magi from Middle Persian ''moɣ''(''mard'') from Old Persian ''magu-'' 'Zoroastrian clergyman' ( or ; singular: ), also referred to as the (Three) Wise Men or (Three) Kings, also the Three Magi were distinguished foreigners in the ...
'' – (musician) (1999)
* ''
Traffic
Traffic comprises pedestrians, vehicles, ridden or herded animals, trains, and other conveyances that use public ways (roads) for travel and transportation.
Traffic laws govern and regulate traffic, while rules of the road include traffi ...
'' – (musician) (2000)
* ''
Twilight
Twilight is light produced by sunlight scattering in the upper atmosphere, when the Sun is below the horizon, which illuminates the lower atmosphere and the Earth's surface. The word twilight can also refer to the periods of time when this ...