The Freenotes Grammy Connection:

The Paul Winter Consort and the Crestone Album

When Paul Winter and Richard Cooke met in 1984 at a weeklong music retreat in New Mexico, their shared passion for music and adventure created an immediate bond that led to much collaboration. While Paul continued on his path of experimental “earth music,” Richard went on to found Freenotes Harmony Park with the goal of giving everyone the opportunity to make beautiful music.

In 2006, the two met up once again, this time drawn together by the allure and great beauty of Southern Colorado. Across the vast reach of this sparsely populated region are the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, the Great Sand Dunes, and the San Luis Valley; names as lyrical as the music they would inspire. Above it all, at 10,000-feet elevation, lays North Crestone Lake. With unfettered ambition, Paul, Richard and a host of others mounted a recording expedition set at the high Alpine lake. Isolated from civilization for two weeks, the resulting album earned them a Grammy Award in 2007.

With the help of pack animals, a 10,000-foot base camp was established at North Crestone Lake. The team of musicians and recording engineers trekked with instruments and sound equipment for the portable “studio,” mixing equal parts nature and traditional jazz that fused into a whole new breed of sound.

The entourage of artists and explorers set out on this musical adventure to capture the relationship between the harmony of music and the natural world – a concept innate to the Freenotes philosophy. Paul originally coined the term “Earth Music” to describe the vital celebration between creatures and cultures of the earth. The Crestone album honors this call of the wild world. Undertones of hummingbirds, buffalos and Native American chants accompany smooth jazz strolls throughout the recording.

Paul's musical background blossomed in childhood, by studying various jazz instruments and compositions early on. He was signed to Columbia Records after winning first prize in an Intercollegiate Jazz Festival judged by icons Dizzy Gillespie and John Hammond.  His musical career quickly took off (literally!) including travel via: raft, mule, dog sled, horse, kayak, sailboat, steamers, tugboat, and Land Rover  - always accompanied by a crew of musicians and instruments. Throughout his expeditions to thirty-seven countries and wilderness areas on six continents, the wilderness became the inspiration for his music.

Richard Cooke also got his musical start early in life, singing in the church choir and learning piano. At Rhodes College in Memphis, Tennessee, Richard often found himself immersed in nature learning to play the flute by ear while wondering in the forest. He, like Paul, found himself integrating his love for music with his natural surroundings.

To listen to a sample of the Crestone album, or to purchase a download, please visit: http://paulwinter.bandcamp.com/album/crestone.

<- Return To Press Room