FLAT EARTH DIARY is Krista Detor’s fifth solo release and her first album in four years, featuring none other than genius bassist, Victor Wooten.
FLAT EARTH DIARY was born in the North Channel of Lake Huron, on a chance trip Krista took with some friends. She’d had a handful of songs that were album-worthy, but in four years, couldn’t manage to find the unifying thread, or the pieces that would fill in the blanks – missing continents on a map, if you will. As she sat on the water, with no land in sight, it occurred to her that we humans are unbelievably adaptable. “Not long ago, we were certain that the Earth was flat and that the oceans poured off the edge into the abyss of dark space. Now, we accept as readily the notion that the Earth is round. We’ve all seen the photos, haven’t we? So the question for me became, in that moment, ‘is perception reality?’
There, looking at the endless horizon of water, memories of my childhood began bubbling up – of warm ginger ale in a can; the hand-painted wedding portrait of my parents with the too-pink lips and bright blue eyes; sneaking out in the middle of the night to drive fast; my uncle’s tapestry of the dogs playing poker; my grandmother’s hat with the black feather pIumes… and the most personal album of my career opened its eyes.”
Finally, out on the boat, so far from technology and civilization, came the name and title track, as Krista chose to believe that that her favourite author, Terry Pratchett more than likely has it right: The Earth is a disc and the water pours off into pools of stars; that things are never as bad as we imagine they are, and that in the beginning, there was nothing. Which exploded!
The album includes the return of some amazing musicians and brand new ones – Jason Wilber of the John Prine band, Dena El-Saffar and Tim Moore of Salaam, and David Weber returns as producer and collaborator, with guest production by Rod Taylor. “I could call this album the ‘Bass Album’,” says Detor, “because strangely enough, including Rod, I’ve brought on board an array of great bass players – Steve Mascari, Mike Lindauer, Frank Smith, and one of the finest bass players and musicians that will ever walk planet Earth – Victor Wooten.” Krista introduces Ariel Horowitz, who’s studying with Itzhak Perlman at Julliard, and is a “17-year-old bad ass,” as well as the brilliant vocalist Amanda Biggs – along with Joe Crookston and countless wonderful singers, players and contributors.
So what has Krista Detor been doing for the past four years, you ask? She’s been to Stanford University several times, as part of the Writing and Rhetoric program and as a panel member in a symposium on Arts & Sustainability. She’s produced benefit events for education, animal welfare, sustainability, and this year, for Volunteers in Medicine. In four years, She’s travelled across the world and written roughly 50 compositions, including travel to India to collaborate with students at the American Embassy School on the musical theatre piece, If You Ever Leave; and collaboration on the musical theatre piece, The Breeze Bends the Grass – celebrating the lives of four women artists at the turn of the 20th century.
Discography Solo
Flat Earth Diary Tightrope 255113 January 14, 2014
Chocolate Paper Suites Tightrope 255102 March 15, 2010
Cover Their Eyes Corazong 255102 October 12, 2007
The Silver Wood Tightrope TR1107 November 1, 2007
Mudshow Corazong 255087 May 5, 2006
A Dream In A Cornfield Tightrope KD0130 March 14, 2003
Discography Compilations
The Darwin Project – Shrewsbury Folk Festival SFFCD 001 August 31 2008
Wilderness Plots Rosehill RH111 March 2, 2007
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