Eric Tingstad, Nancy Rumbel, David Lanz

  • Eric Tingstad, Nancy Rumbel, David Lanz - Woodlands [Narada Lotus N-61016] (1987)

Biography

Artist Biography / Tingstad and Rumbel

Zac Johnson [allmusic.com]

Narada recording artists Tingstad & Rumbel are performer/composers who have been presenting their contemporary folk music throughout North America since the mid-'80s. Eric Tingstad, a classical guitarist, and Nancy Rumbel, who plays oboe, English horn, and ocarina, began their association after meeting at a music festival in the Pacific Northwest. They were drawn together by a shared interest in applying their instruments outside their traditional settings, integrating ethnic, jazz, rock, and other contemporary influences into their classical backgrounds. Their neo-classical instrumentals mixed with a warm folk treatment has been called "Northwestern Impressionism" and brought the attention of new age label Narada who released their holiday-themed album, The Gift, in 1985. Extensive touring throughout small towns in the U.S. and Canada built an avid fan base, expanding their exposure to new and more diverse audiences. Both artists have also released solo albums (Tingstad's Renewal in 1992 and A Sense of Place in 1995, and Rumbel's Notes From the Tree of Life), but their greatest successes have come from their collaborations, notably Pastorale released in 1997, and 1998's American Acoustic, which both debuted at number one on new age voice radio.

Artist Biography / David Lanz

Linda Kohanov [allmusic.com]

One of the most popular artists in the solo instrumental and adult-alternative spheres, Lanz played in several rock bands during his teens, then began developing his style as a solo pianist in a small Seattle nightclub. He introduced some of his originals into the bar's required mix of standards and pop tunes, receiving such a positive response from patrons that, before long, he was playing his own material almost exclusively. His early albums of solo piano works are still among the Narada label's best-sellers. His two collaborative efforts with guitarist Paul Speer also hit the Billboard Top 200 Albums chart; yet as Lanz's national popularity grew, he began to experiment with works for larger and larger ensembles, culminating in full orchestral accompaniments on Skyline Firedance (1990). With 1991's Return to the Heart, he journeyed back to his solo piano roots, and made his vocal debut on 1993's Bridge of Dreams. Lanz remained prolific throughout the decade, resurfacing in 1994 with Christmas Eve; Sacred Road followed in 1996, and two years later he returned with Songs from an English Garden. Next was An Evening with David Lanz, issued in 1999; East of the Moon appeared a year later.