Wowzers, has the year flown by. This is Anne, here, sharing some good news. Chris has been nominated for a GRAMMY for his composition, "Communion," in the Best Instrumental Composition category! He was shocked (but I was not! Go Chris!!!). :)
We appreciate your interest in our work, and let's cheer for Chris's composition "Communion" on February 2nd--the GRAMMYs 2025!
Best wishes, Anne and Chris
Exuberance update #3
Hello, friends of the Exuberance project!
We're less than 3 weeks out from the album's worldwide release on Friday, May 10th! Come celebrate with us live in NYC on Saturday, May 11th, when the Christopher Zuar Orchestra will perform the full album with animation at the Sheen Center.
If you pre-ordered tickets through our campaign, you were assigned prime seats by the Sheen Center. They sent an email to the address associated with your purchase. Please let me know if you have not received your ticket assignments and I will help you get that straightened out (chris.zuar@gmail.com). If you would like to make any changes to your tickets, such as your seating assignment, just reach out to Nyala Hall (at Nyalahall@sheencenter.org) and she will accommodate you.
The opening reception for Anne's solo exhibition,The Animated Art of Exuberance was a great success! The work is on display at the Sheen Center's Janet Hennessey Dilenschneider Gallery until May 11th, so if you haven't seen it yet, you still have time to view her beautiful work. The gallery is open weekdays from 11am-6pm and Saturdays from 12pm-6pm (closed Sundays).
We’ll release three singles and subsequent animated music videos to support the release. It just so happens that the first single, “Communion,” is out on all streaming services.
As our valued patrons, we’d like to thank you by including an Mp3 download of “Communion” here. Communion.mp324.32 MB
Rewards Update
Vinyl lacquers have been cut by legendary mastering engineer Scott Hull and sent to the pressing plant for manufacturing! We’ve listened to the reference discs on our record player at home, and they sound phenomenal. We could not have done this without your support.
I will be mailing out your deluxe first pressing of Exuberance in early May.
If you ordered a CD or digital download, you’re in luck! Expect to receive your copies of Exuberance in April, a month ahead of the official release date!
Art prints update from Anne: Hello, friends of the project! I received the test prints of the Art Print, in different sizes and on 3 different types of archival paper, from ‘Giclee Today.’
The prints look brilliant and luxurious on museum-quality, acid-free cotton Moab paper.
It will take about 2 weeks for me to receive the final order, and then I will be shipping them out to the address you provided when you made your generous donation.
P.S. - This gorgeous album cover was designed by Denise Burt, featuring frames from Anne’s stunning watercolor animation.
Thank you, and reward delivery info
Dear patrons,
Anne and I want to express our deepest thanks for your support of Exuberance. Whether you bought the music on CD or vinyl, purchased an art print or animation lesson, your generous donations have helped us push this project over the finish line. We can’t thank you enough!
Reward delivery:
If you purchased the music from Exuberance as a CD or digital download, you can expect to receive them in early May, in conjunction with our official release. Vinyl should have a similar delivery date, but that will depend on the pressing plant - we will give you an update on that as soon as we can.
Archival-quality art prints will mail out in early February.
If you purchased a composition or animation lesson/workshop, Anne and Chris will reach out to you directly to schedule the sessions.
If you ordered a ticket to our May 11th release show at the Sheen Center, we will be in contact with you via email in the coming weeks about ticket delivery.
Your support has uplifted our project and our spirits! We are thrilled to be able to share the music and animation of Exuberance with you this spring.
Many thanks,
Chris and Anne
Exuberance is the second release by the Christopher Zuar Orchestra, a 22-piece jazz orchestra dedicated to performing the music of award-winning composer, Christopher Zuar. Following Musings, which won a spot on DownBeat Magazine's 'Best Albums of 2016,' Exuberance marks a significant step forward in artistic vision and scope.
Exuberance explores the dual nature of joy and its shadow, sorrow. The seven interwoven compositions, composed on a 5-year timeline, take the listener on a journey of musical cross-pollination.
Animation filmmaker, Anne Beal, has been creating animation art inspired by Chris's music, alongside his compositional journey, since 2017.
Exuberance features instruments not commonly found in a jazz orchestra. In addition to the core members of the ensemble, we’re thrilled to feature violinist, Sara Caswell; vocalist, Emma Frank; hammered dulcimerist, Max ZT; percussionist, Keita Ogawa; and mandolinist, Joe Brent.
REEDS - Dave Pietro, Charles Pillow, Jason Rigby, Ben Kono, Carl Maraghi
TRUMPETS - Tony Kadleck, Jon Owens, Scott Wendholt, Matt Holman
TROMBONES - Matt McDonald, Mark Patterson, Alan Ferber, Max Seigel
RHYTHM - Pete McCann (guitar), Glenn Zaleski (piano), Drew Gress (bass), Mark Ferber (drums), Rogerio Boccato (percussion)
GUEST ARTISTS
GRAMMY® nominated violinist Sara Caswell joins us as a featured soloist on Communion and Simple Machines. Sara's incredible versatility elevates any musical situation she's in, and her virtuosic yet sensitive playing brings brilliance to the music.
Vocalist Emma Frank sings on Exuberance, the album's title track.Anne and I have been fans of Emma's albums over the years, and her voice embodies the lyrics Anne wrote.
Lauded as the “Jimi Hendrix of Hammered Dulcimer” (NPR) Max ZT is an innovator of the instrument. Max brings his virtuosity to my composition, Simple Machines.
Mandolinist Joe Brent, an instrumentalist and composer with unparalleled fluency across multiple genres, is a featured soloist on Simple Machines.
GRAMMY® award winning percussionist Keita Ogawa is one of the most versatile and sought-after percussionists in New York. I'm a big fan of his work with Snarky Puppy, and was thrilled to have his immense groove on Simple Machines.
From Chris−
Writing for these masters pushed me to explore the intersectionality of jazz, classical, and folk traditions, focusing on the elements that unite, rather than divide, the musical languages.
Anne and I collected hours of field recordings as we crafted the project over time, including katydids in Western North Carolina, and thunderstorms in NYC during COVID lockdowns. These sounds are integrated into the fabric of the compositions.
We recorded the music for Exuberance in two sessions, 3 years apart, at Sear Sound in NYC.
GRAMMY® award-winning engineer, Chris Allen, captured the Christopher Zuar Orchestra on August 30th, 2018, and August 29th and 30th, 2021.
The clear passage of time between the two sessions, marked by tragedy and isolation, had a profound impact on my compositional lens. Many members of the CZO had not played with other musicians since before the pandemic. The intensity of emotion, love and loss, is captured in the music.
I mixed the record with GRAMMY® award-winning engineer Brian Montgomery, and mastered with legendary engineer, Greg Calbi, at Sterling Sound.
Exuberance is expected to release in early April 2024, with a concert on May 11th at the Sheen Center in NYC.
ANIMATION
From Anne−
I met Chris at the famed artist residency, MacDowell, in early 2017. We bonded over mutual admiration for one another's work. Soon after, we began a music and art collaboration in which I made animation art responding to Chris's music, and Chris evolved his compositions with consideration for my animation.
We called our shared project 'Tonal Conversations,' not knowing how far it would go. We were commissioned by 150 Media Stream in Chicago to create an animation and music installation in 2018, and we didn't want to stop there, so we continued to collaborate. By 2021, Chris had written a whole album's worth of music, which became Exuberance.
The making of Exuberance spanned several life transitions. Chris and I felt like pebbles being tossed in a surf as we experienced the COVID-19 pandemic, uncertainty about our livelihood, and a personal health crisis we weathered together. In the midst of the chaos, we shared many joyful moments, including our marriage, and forming bonds in our community. The music and its artwork are a chronicle of creative growth, hard-won.
My animated sequences will support the release of Exuberance in several contexts: live in concert, in music video format, for online promotion, and in galleries. Using watercolor animation as the basis for several short films responding to the music, I have produced thousands of paintings for this project. Some of the paintings will be displayed in the gallery at our opening venue!
Producing a project of this scope is financially challenging. We have already covered the costs of recording, mixing, and mastering the music. At present, we are raising funds to support the distribution and release of Exuberance. Finishing costs include cutting the vinyl, pressing the vinyl, manufacturing CDs, graphic design for the album, hiring a public relations consultant, finishing animation production, and more.
While we’ve received some support for the recording and post production of Exuberance, including a grant from the Aaron Copland Fund,a majority of the project has been self-funded over a six-year period.
Exuberance is finally approaching the finish line - but we can't cross it without your help!
As a backer, your contributions to this campaign are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law. Fractured Atlas will issue tax receipts for all donations made through this campaign, beyond the market value of the selected reward.
For those outside the USA, please check with your home country about whether contributions to US-based 501 (c)(3) organizations are tax-deductible for you.
GET INVOLVED
Back this recording - you’ll get fantastic rewards including original music and art; you'll receive exclusive updates; and you'll be the first to hear the album and see the animation.
Help us spread the word - share this campaign with friends, family, and on social media.
Thank you for being here!
With gratitude, Chris and Anne
Rewards
No Reward - My gift will be 100% tax-deductible.
Donate $1.00 or more
Amount is fully tax-deductible.
Thank you. No amount is too large or too small to make an impact!
Digital Download
Donate $15.00 or more
Amount over $9.99 is tax-deductible.
Donate $15 or more, and get a digital download of Exuberance (320kbps MP3).
Hi-Res Digital Download
Donate $20.00 or more
Amount over $14.99 is tax-deductible.
A high resolution (96KHz/24 bit) digital download of Exuberance in WAV, FLAC, or Apple Lossless format
CD - US Shipping
Donate $30.00 or more
Amount over $25.99 is tax-deductible.
A physical copy of Exuberance for backers located in the United States. Also includes a high-resolution (96KHz/24 bit) download in WAV, FLAC, or Apple Lossless format.
CD - International Shipping
Donate $40.00 or more
Amount over $35.99 is tax-deductible.
A physical copy of Exuberance for international backers. Also includes a high-resolution (96KHz/24 bit) download in WAV, FLAC, or Apple Lossless format.
Ticket to Release Show
Donate $50.00 or more
Amount over $25.00 is tax-deductible.
Experience the music and animation of Exuberance live at NYC's Sheen Center. Featuring the 22-piece Christopher Zuar Orchestra with live animation projections by Anne Beal. Come early to view Anne's animation artwork in the Sheen Center gallery.
Vinyl (180 gram Double Vinyl)
Donate $85.00 or more
Amount over $65.00 is tax-deductible.
Donate $ or more, and you'll get this two-disc/180 gram deluxe edition of Exuberance. Featuring the stunning watercolor artwork of Anne Beal. First pressing!
Music Composition Masterclass (online)
Donate $100.00 or more
Amount over $40.00 is tax-deductible.
Join Chris for a group masterclass on music composition. He will analyze a score from Exuberance and lead a discussion over Zoom.
Animation Workshop (online)
Donate $100.00 or more
Amount over $40.00 is tax-deductible.
Join Anne for an Experimental Animation workshop over Zoom! She will demonstrate an animation technique from Exuberance.
VIP Ticket to Release Show
Donate $100.00 or more
Amount over $65.00 is tax-deductible.
Experience the music and animation of Exuberance live at NYC's Sheen Center. Featuring the 22-piece Christopher Zuar Orchestra with live animation projections by Anne Beal. Come early to view Anne's animation artwork in the Sheen Center gallery.
1 on 1 Music Composition Lesson
Donate $200.00 or more
Amount over $100.00 is tax-deductible.
Take and hour long private composition lesson with Chris. In person for folks in the NYC area, online via Zoom if outside.
