LOS ANGELES (Top40 Charts/
Rhombus Records) - Two new CDs from composer and singer/songwriter Donald Rubinstein are due out from
Rhombus Records on April 17, 2007.
Tangled Up in Bob is Rubinstein's score for the documentary film by Mary Feidt and detailing Natalie Goldberg's quest for the "real" Bob Dylan in his hometown of Hibbing, Minnesota. Rubinstein composed and performs the 15 tracks here, and cowrote "She Was Weird" with songwriter Terry Allen. The Albuquerque Tribune wrote, "Donald Rubinstein provides an original score that is hauntingly Dylanesque." Cadence wrote, "He's a poet in a Dylanesque vein. His singing voice reminds me of a tired, more world-weary Bruce Springsteen....In the singer/songwriter vein, I'd much rather hear Rubinstein than any of the other, more popular artists."
The second CD due out in April is Acceptance featuring jazz great Bill Frisell. With three compositions by Rubinstein and one live improvisation, Acceptance ranges from the choral "Acceptance" to the jazzy "Diminished Chord," which Frisell performs once with electric and once with acoustic guitar. The CD ends with the live improv "Four Pianos," with Marcel Bergmann, Philipe Bodin, Andrea Clearfield and Rubinstein on pianos, vocals by Clearfield and Rubinstein. Bill Frisell says, "I'm so lucky to have had the opportunity to work with Don in all kinds of situations over the years. I've learned a lot from him...These days it's reassuring to know there's someone like him around. After more than 20 years, he's still on that path, and still an inspiration."
Called "a composer and songwriter of stellar proportions" by The Doors' John Densmore, Rubinstein says the two new releases "represent both extremes of my composing, jazz-avant-garde instrumental at the one end and lyric-oriented folk songs at the other."
Thom Teresi at Rhombus Records says, "Tangled Up in Bob and Acceptance represent the two faces of Don Rubinstein. You have to like everything Don does. He's a prolific writer and a unique character. Rhombus Records wanted to release these together to show his diverse range of talent."
Rubinstein made his musical debut by scoring George A. Romero's cult classic film Martin (1977), which Mojo in 2002 named "One of the Top 100 Coolest
Soundtracks of All Time." Since then he has released 16 CDs, which range from jazz to folk to pop-rock to country; scored several feature films and main titles for two television series; and been commissioned by dance companies and musicians from the Boston Symphony and New York Philharmonic orchestras for individual works.
Steve Huey wrote in All Music Guide, "Singer/songwriter, pianist, jazz experimentalist, soundtrack composer, beat-style poet-Donald Rubinstein has somehow juggled all those hats over the lengthy span of his creative career."
Tangled Up in Bob and Acceptance are available for downloading at iTunes.com, eMusic.com, Rhapsody and the Burn Lounge. The CDs retail for $15.98 each and are available in stores on April 17, 2007.
