The University at Albany Department of Music is pleased to present a lecture/performance by synthesizer pioneer Don Preston and his Akashic Ensemble on Monday, October 1, 2007 at 4pm in the Recital Hall of the Performing Arts Center on the uptown campus. Preston will speak about his experiences as a musical performer in the early days of synthesizers including his work with Frank Zappa and inventor Robert Moog, address musical and technical issues and offer a performance. He will be accompanied by guitarist and synthesist André Cholmondeley, founder of the Zappa repertoire band Project/Object, and percussionist Cheri Jiosne.

Don Preston was born into a family of musicians and began studying music at an early age. His father was the composer-in-residence for the Detroit Symphony Orchestra. During the early '50s, Preston associated with pianist Tommy Flanagan. He also sat in with Elvin Jones and others at the city's West End Cafe where Yusef Lateef conducted twice-a-week jam sessions with Milt Jackson's brother, bassist Ollie Jackson. Preston moved to Los Angeles in 1957 where he hooked up with pianist Paul Bley, bassist Charlie Haden, and others who were hearing jazz in new ways.

Preston is well known from his long collaboration with Frank Zappa as the keyboardist and one of the original members of the Mothers of Invention. He performed and recorded with Zappa from 1966 until 1974. He is a co-founder of the Grande Mothers and still active with the band. Preston has also toured nationally and appeared on-stage as a guest keyboardist with the Zappa tribute band Project/Object (featuring Zappa Band alumni Ike Willis and Napoleon Murphy-Brock). He has scored more than 20 feature films and 14 plays, has been the winner of numerous awards and has performed with the Los Angeles Philharmonic and London Philharmonic.

Artists with whom Preston has performed include Lou Rawls, Al Jarreau, Nat King Cole, Billy Daniels, Johnny Ray, Vaughn Monroe, Connie Francis, Herbie Mann, Elvin Jones, Charlie Haden, Art Davis, Paul Bley, Carla Bley, Joe Beck, Shorty Rogers, Leo Sayer, Charles Lloyd, Nelson Riddle, J.R. Montrose, Flo and Eddie (Howard Kaylan & Mark Volman of The Turtles) Yusef Lateef, Don Ellis, Meredith Monk, Bobby Bradford, Michael Mantler, John Lennon and Yoko Ono.

André Cholmondeley is a guitarist, synthesist and sampling maestro. In addition to his work with Don Preston, he is founder and guitarist of Project/Object which tours worldwide. He has also had such diverse roles as tour manager, booking agent or guitar tech for such musicians as guitarist Al Di Meola and The Mahavishnu Project. Cholmondeley includes among his numerous influences guitarist John McLaughlin, David Torn, Vernon Reid, Adrian Belew and Robert Fripp. His interest in synthesizers dates back to his teen years, when he owned one of the first MIDI synths, a Sequential Circuits Six Trak, and then a Moog. He graduated college with a degree in Computer Science, continued to experiment with sequencers and computer based music and began his involvement with guitar synthesizers which he first played in what he describes as "pop/funk/rock n roll and reggae/jazz" bands. Cholmondeley has several solo recordings to his credit.

Cheri Jiosne is a self-trained drummer who starting on trap drums, playing for fun. Over the years, she developed a wild and heavy style, influenced by avant-garde jazz and drummers like Ronald Shannon Jackson and Dale Crover of the Melvins. She integrated electronics into her set-up in the collaborative effort with Andre Cholmondeley's 'JFK''s LSD UFO' and has since moved to all electronics with her Roland Handsonic setup. She creates rhythms, synth pads and odd loops on the fly for Don Preston's Akashic Ensemble. Cheri is also a certified herbalist and ran a natural and organic food store for more than ten years.

Tickets for the lecture/performance are $8 for the general public and $4 for students and may be purchased through the Performing Arts Center Box Office. For further information, contact the Box Office at (518) 442-3997 or visit the Performing Arts Center website at www.albany.edu/pac.

Funding support to the Music Department for this lecture/performance

has been provided by University Auxiliary Services, Inc.

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