New York-based violist Nathan Schram’s debut solo album Oak and the Ghost is now available on New Amsterdam’s Windmill Series. Featuring Attacca Quartet (of which Schram is a member) and Becca Stevens, Oak and the Ghost features 9 of Schram’s original compositions and will be available on all digital platforms on November 15.
Inspired by Kurt Vonnegut’s dystopic Player Piano and a list of musical influences spanning genres and eras, Oak and the Ghost creates a textural sound universe dealing in concepts both ageless and deeply of the moment. “The themes in the book revolve around a massive collection of wealth and power being allocated to engineers and their machines – leaving the remaining classes and population with little to inspire or empower them. The ensuing social issues and rebellions are all key inspirations to each of the tracks,” says Schram.
photo by Shervin Lainez