Page McConnell
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Page McConnell | |
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 Page McConnell on stage at the Gorge on July 13, 2003.
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| Background information | |
| Also known as | The Chairman of the Boards, Leo |
| Born | May 17, 1963 |
| Origin | Plainfield, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Genre(s) | Rock, Jazz, Electronica, jam band |
| Occupation(s) | Musician |
| Instrument(s) | Electronic keyboard, piano, organ, theremin, upright bass |
| Years active | 1981–present |
| Associated acts | Phish, Vida Blue, Tenacious D, Phil Lesh and Friends, Spam Allstars, Travis |
| Website | Official website |
| Notable instrument(s) | |
| keyboards | |
Page Samuel McConnell (born May 17, 1963 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) is a pianist/organist/keyboardist most noted for his work with the jam-rock band Phish.
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[edit] Background
His father, Dr. Jack B. McConnell worked at McNeil Laboratories and helped to develop Tylenol. The elder McConnell then started a free health clinic that was staffed by retired health workers in Hilton Head, South Carolina.
McConnell spent a year at Gill St. Bernards High School, in Gladstone, NJ before moving away. McConnell spent his senior year of high school at Lawrence Academy at Groton, in Groton, Massachusetts, and then attended Southern Methodist University from Fall 1982 to Spring 1984. McConnell transferred to Goddard College that fall where he would graduate in December 1987. This is where he met his mentor, Karl Boyle, and wrote his senior study "The Art of Improvisation" under Boyle's guidance.
McConnell joined Phish in 1985 and played his first official show on September 25 of that year. McConnell wrote four Phish originals — "Cars Trucks Buses," "Magilla," "Army of One" and "In a Hole" — and coauthored 11 Phish tracks. [1]
[edit] Other musical projects
In 1997, McConnell played keyboards on the title track of Scottish band Travis' debut album "Good Feeling". The album was produced by Steve Lillywhite who also produced Phish's "Billy Breathes" album.
In 2001, McConnell appeared on Tenacious D's debut album. That fall, he joined the band on stage at their concert at Higher Ground in S. Burlington, Vermont.
With Oteil Burbridge and Russell Batiste, McConnell was the founding member and leader of Vida Blue.
After a two-year hiatus from the music industry following the breakup of Phish, McConnell returned as a solo artist, recording an album of all new material in 2006. This new album was released April 17, 2007 through Sony/BMG’s Legacy Recordings, and is self-titled. On signing with Legacy, McConnell has stated, "I know a lot of people just put stuff out on the internet, and that's certainly an option — especially these days and especially if you're catering to the Phish fans who already know who I am. But I wanted a little bit more than that...I was proud of the record, and I wanted as many people as possible to hear it when I was done with it."[1]
The album features ex-bandmates Jon Fishman, Trey Anastasio, and Mike Gordon, though they don't all play together on the same track.
McConnell headlined the High Sierra Music Festival in July 2007, which was held in Quincy, CA. His touring band features multi-instrumentalist Jared Slomoff, guitarist Adam Zimmon, bassist Rob O'Dea, and drummer Gabe Jarrett. Said McConnell, "I have a really good feeling about this group. It feels like a band, although it's in its infancy right now. It really does feel like there is a collective consciousness."[2]
[edit] Instruments
Page McConnell plays a Hammond B3 with a Leslie 122 speaker (this has been modified with a large boost to the percussion effect possible), a Fender Rhodes, a Yamaha C7 "baby grand" (7'6") piano, a Hohner D6 Clavinet (often used in sync with a wah-wah pedal), a Moog Source, Alesis Andromeda A6, a Yamaha Motif, a Moog Little Phatty, and a Yamaha CS50 polyphonic synthesizer. He also plays the theremin. The Rhodes as well as the clavinet are sometimes played through a Maestro Phase Shifter.
[edit] Albums
[edit] References
- ^ Metzger, John. "A Fresh Start with Page McConnell", Music Box Magazine, 2007-05. Retrieved on 2007-08-21.
- ^ Metzger, John. "A Fresh Start with Page McConnell", Music Box Magazine, 2007-05. Retrieved on 2007-08-21.
[edit] Links
pagemcconnell.com - Official Website
Phish.com - Official Phish Website
