Leah Waybright has got piano lessons from Kit Watkins father and she really have great feeling in the vein of Kit when she play the keyboards on Beauty Gone Wild. I have that cd booklet too. I really wish for more album releases from Leah Waybright.

Three short reviews and audio samples of Beauty Gone Wild can be found at the Ground and Sky website.

This album was released 7 years ago, I would love to hear a new album from Leah.

Leah's own site (see first post) contains some reviews too, amongst this one, produced by yours Steaming one himself: www.leahwaybright.com/iopages.htm
"A Flower?"

Like you wrote in the review: "Beauty Gone Wild" is a magnificently arranged fairy-tale collection, which sounds very pleasant and in a familiar way.

I do agree totally because that's the way I feel when listen to this album, it sounds familiar (if you have heard HtM) and -surprisingly- when hearing this album nowadays some tunes does even bring me a "The Muse Awakens" feel. I dont think that many people/HtM fans have heard BGW but dont hesitate because it's a good album with "familiar" sounding music.

I think I have to check it out... finally.

I was going to order this a while back , but wasn't sure where to order from as, if i remember rightly, the web site didn't accept overseas orders. If any other non-USA members have manged to track down a copy, please let me know which site you used to order.

Cheers Al

If I remember correctly I ordered Leah's cd via a local record store who imported it for me from the U.S.

You could try to get it from MUSEA; they seem to have it in stock for 23 Euro, but remember that they have very high shipping-costs.

Personally I was so lucky to get it as a promo.

If Musea doesn't work I'd suggest you drop a mail at the adress from the Happy The Man-site, since they sell the CD at concerts. If you're from outside the US and want to buy a t-shirt for instance you've got to email them too. Hopefully they use PayPall.

By coincidence I found out it can also be ordered from CDBaby!

The say: "When it came time to record the tunes for BEAUTY GONE WILD, Leah recruited bassist/producer Rick Kennell, best known for his work with Happy the Man. Rick brought in ex-Happy the Man buddies guitarist Stan Whitaker and drummer Ron Riddle. "

Well, I listened to the samples on CDBaby and didn't hear any single note by real bass or drums... Seems like it's a pure MIDI album! The music is nice, but... the CD is too pricey, imo.

But remember you get a CD plus a little book, not just a simple jewel case.

Yeah... But what about the bass and the drums?

I get your point Gulliver. As I mentioned at the old forum,- I thought that Ron's drums sounded like a drum machine (very sterile) so it's something "strange" with the production. Maybe they recorded the instruments and then did loops of it.

Steamingears, as you have heard this album can you please tell what you think of it all!?

First of all I have to say I haven't listened to it for quite some times, so I re-read my own review:


I guess what I mean with the last part is that although almost the complete Crafty-line up is present, it sounds more like an electronic Kit Watkins-album. So yes, no heavy drums and bass.

Hey all, Rick Kennell here to shed a little light on the BGW project. Thanks to all of you for your interest and comments. First of all, BGW was conceived and begun as my own form of a Happy the Man reunion. There was no other talk at all about a reunion at the time, and I really wanted to play with Ron and Stan, and Frank on sax, but unfortunately, at the time, Frank was living in Hawaii and we had very limited resources. So we were lucky via my friend Jordan Rudess to find Gary Blu to step in for Frank. So, we began working on the tunes, but again, unfortunately, my studio was incredibly primitive and low budget (you wouldn't believe it if you saw the array of gear) and we couldn't even use microphones in this environment, plus I couldn't afford any decent ones anyways. I had a few Radio Shack specials and that was the extent of it. There was an old very noisy steam heat system and neighbors who were home pretty much around the clock as the neighbor was a graphic artist and worked out of his house. The house was very old and there were clicks and pops every time the refrigerator kicked on etc etc etc. I think you get the picture. Ron did actually play the Roland pads with a Simmons Kick drum and a hi hat pedal. All the drum parts were played on the pads in real time and assigned to samples. There were no overdubs, just a variety of takes on each tune. Certainly not ideal but thrilling to us at the time just to be playing together again! The greatest story is that Ron came down to do the parts on a friday, and only had the weekend to finish. Just as he pulled in the driveway a massive power outage hit and all the power in the neighborhood was out. The truth is, it was a fantastic night spent via candlelight and getting re-aquainted, reminiscing and spending quality time. Trouble is, when we got up Saturday the power was still out. Knowing time was of the essence, we went down to the Handy Rental Center and luckily we were able to rent a small Honda gasoline generator. It powered the whole studio, and we were glad at that point that we had such a small amount of gear! Ron came in well-rehearsed so we banged out all 12 tunes with several takes each using that little generator on Saturday and Sunday. As far as bass went, I wrote all my parts on bass guitar but at the time for a variety of technical reasons, entered the exact parts I wrote on bass via the keyboard. Obviously, we all wished we could have gotten in a room and banged it all out synergystically, but there was no budget for anything really. I would be happy to address any other questions or issues regarding this project. As far as BGW goes, there is a new website up at www.leahwaybright.com or www.innertainment.net and BGW is now available on CD Baby, Amazon.com (book section), Musea (France) and on Leah's website. Additionally, we have inked a deal with UFO Music for worldwide digital aggregation and US hard-good sales. Leah's UFO microsite (which is still in progress) is here: www.ufomusic.com/artist/index.php?artist_id=168 and the UFO listening post is here: www.ufomusic.com/product.php?id=88. Also BGW is available without the packaging on Itunes Worldwide (US, Canada, Europe, Japan, and Austrailia) and Rhapsody, with a variety of additional download sites to follow shortly. I noticed at least one non working link on the boards here, and I was hoping via the new site the link can be corrected.
If anyone is interested in my new company, the site is up and running at www.indiefinancialnetwork.com.

Peace

Rick

Thanks Rick for this great backgroundinformation. It makes more sense now to listen to the drums and bass and knowing why they didn't sound more natural. Still I find it a very pleasant album with a sphere of its own. If the drums and bass would have sounded heavy and tight, you might have thought to listen to Crafty Hands part II, which would have denied Leah' artistic qualities.

Wow, it's really an honor to have You, Frank, Stan and Bill on board posting and talking with us fans.

Beauty Gone Wild: I wish more fans bought this album because it is very HTMish/Crafty Hands...ish ;D ...in many ways.

Thanks for sharing the story, Rick!

Ps. Yeah, I like this tune, nice work and website intro (cant define what band though) http://www.indiefinancialnetwork.com./

Happy thanksgiving, and thanks for the kind words! It's great to be on the board! Will keep you posted on anything new with Innertainment as we move forward into the new year. I am looking at signing some other concept projects and putting them out on the label, as well as working on some new stuff too.

Rick

Hi

After re-reading, I guess you are referring to the intro on the IndieFINANCIALnetwork site? That is a part of the intro to "Run Into the Ground" off of Happy the Man 3rd, "Better Late". My bass line and original tune concept which Kit developed, added chords and his amazing wizardry to, and ended up as a co-write between us.

Rick

Yes that's what I was referring to, and I should have added a because I did knew it was Run Into the Ground...I just wanted it to be a surprise for everyone else who pushed the link.

There's finally some news on a new album from Leah. Read this press-message:

Leah Waybright To Release New Album “Dreamed” Featuring Members of Happy The Man
Composer, Pianist Leah Waybright To Release New Album “Dreamed” Featuring Members of Happy The Man, Trans-Siberian Orchestra and Steely Dan

LEAH WAYBRIGHT is a life-long Composer, Pianist, Recording Artist, Teacher, Floral Artist, Wildflower Preservationist, and Dreamer. The common thread that connects these many professions is her role as a Storyteller. Hundreds of lectures and the wide variety of special floral programs she has presented for Garden Clubs and Civic Groups are the most obvious examples of her Storytelling.

However, her ability to tell a compelling story is not limited to words. Despite the instrumental nature of her music, her unique approach to composition and instrumentation means that each vignette reveals an unfolding and ever-evolving story rich with meaning. As a steward of the Earth, Leah’s creativity and mindset benefitted from the pauses in older projects, and the development of new projects, but throughout she consistently creates new music through improvisation and then hones it with a nurturing process similar to the way she cultivates her beloved plants and wildflowers.

Her newest CD, “Dreamed” will be released by Invasion Merch on July 17, 2023 and is the culmination of years of compositional crafting. In some ways it picks up the floral storytelling narrative where “Beauty Gone Wild” left off, and is a compositional masterpiece. Leah’s musical DNA is immediately noticeable in the melodies and the rhythms, but are even more elegant, captivating, and mysterious. What consistently leaps out of the speakers is the luscious sound of the grand piano, as there is more of a focus on her piano with “Dreamed.” Leah commands this fine instrument and presents each composition with confidence and verve.
Somehow without using a single word, she pulls the listener into her private world where a story for each dreamy piece unfolds like a new plant in spring.

Leah has always been an active dreamer, both in a literal sense as well as in a more figurative sense. Her dreams have a huge influence on her, and she sees power and wisdom in exploring dreams. After experiencing a vivid dream she often incorporates elements of that dream into a piece of music.

Says Leah, “My DREAMED collection is gathered from a wide arc of experience and time travelled. This ‘new’ music is captured from the first song I ever crafted, to pieces invoked by powerful moments and turning points in my life. There are vintage songs from the past as well as imaginings through to my most recent compositions. Each piece emerges for me as special and meaningful.”

The innovative orchestrations on “Dreamed” reveal numerous, subtle aspects of the melodies. The skillful contributions of the other players support the harmonic and rhythmic content when needed, but at other times they shine via tasty solos. In particular, the guitar work of “Happy the Man” alum Stan Whitaker is stunningly effective, especially on the track “Dreamprints.” As with “Beauty Gone Wild,” Gary Blu, who has worked with Boz Scaggs, Donald Fagen and Steely Dan was the only choice for saxes, flutes, piccolo and clarinet. His flute and piccolo work on “Candlewink” is breathtaking.

Mark Wood, master violinist and Trans-Siberian Orchestra co-founder uses violins of his own design to add bold and exciting swaths of sound. A fierce player, his Paganini-like virtuosity never overwhelms Ms. Waybright’s brilliant compositions. His playing on the somewhat classical-leaning “Sunwise” emphasizes complex interplay between violin, piano, and flute. Leah’s complex, shifting piano work in the piece is slightly evocative of both Erik Satie and Claude Bolling. Similarly, “Happy the Man” bassist Rick Kennell manages to both underpin and accent Leah’s every twist and turn. Rick deftly provides movement and support that reveals the glorious details of Leah’s sonic landscape. Rick also handled the production chores.

This is one of those rare albums that rewards the attentive listener with insights and delights. Play these tracks on your stereo or on your best headphones and let Leah’s dreams unfold around you. When you do, this master Storyteller will transport you to a wild world where anything can happen.

Featuring:
Leah Waybright: Compositions, piano, keyboards and vocal musings
Gary Blu: Saxophones, flutes, clarinet, piccolo
Rick Kennell: Bass, drums, percussion, orchestration
Stanley Whitaker: Guitars on tracks 2, 3, 5, 6, 8
Mark Wood: Violin on “Sunwise”

Here’s what’s been said about Leah Waybright:

“Waybright’s compositions are intensely melodic and brilliantly orchestrated, each with its own spirited vision and expressive purpose; even though this is a concept album, any of these pieces could easily stand on its own: zero filler… nothing short of superb, and there is plenty here within to satisfy the tastes of even the most discriminating progressive rock listener. Highly recommended.” – Expose

“Smoothly woven orchestral tapestry of melodic and rhythmic cross-currents, though heavier moments reflect hints of old Happy the Man.” – Progression Magazine

“A classically trained keyboardist, Waybright is first and foremost a floral artist, and with this album, combines both her passions successfully. The music is reminiscent of Happy the Man; new agey, serene, yet always with a solid, bouncy feel to propel the music along.” – Gnosis

“Leah Waybright has a very smooth sounding recording here. The songs are thoroughly addicting. Leah has a wonderful talent to make her keys sing. She is a very creative composer, who can really get to your heart. I'm impressed as this is a work of art and it is a must for any modern jazz, modern age, or easy listening music lover.” – Electronic Musician Magazine

To purchase: ffm.to/leahwaybright-dreamed

For more information: www.leahwaybright.com

Press inquiries: Glass Onyon PR, Billy James, PH: 828-350-8158, glassonyonpr@gmail.com