“The Canyons and Mesas of Bandelier,” Jill Haley’s 7th recording about the US National Parks will be released on CORANGLAIS Records on 3/5/21.
The music was written during a 2 week Artist in Residency that Jill did in New Mexico’s Bandelier National Monument in October, 2019. Bandelier National Monument is located within Frijoles Canyon which along with mesa tops and surrounding canyons, provided inspiration for the new music.
The sound of early morning Bandelier bird calls can be heard weaving through “Frijoles Canyon Awakens.” Other sites in the Monument such as the Parajito Plateau, Tsankawi, and Burnt Mesa provided inspiration for the new music.
The history of this site also influenced Jill’s compositions. “The Delight Makers,” a fictional book written by Alolph Bandelier about the ancestral Puebloans that lived there, led to one track of the same name. Exploring the cavates, (cave dwellings), and other sites in the Monument led to pieces such as “Plaintive Cavate Melody,” and “Ascent to Alcove House.”
Guest artists include David Cullen, guitar, Graham Cullen, cello, and Tony Deangelis, percussion. The piano, guitar, cello and percussion tracks were recorded at Morningstar Studios by Glenn Ballard and Dave Schonauer. Oboe, English horn, vocal and woodwind tracks were recorded by Corin Nelsen of Synchrosonic Productions, who also mixed and mastered the recording. Jill and Corin co-produced the release.