New York City based songwriter Chris Blacker has just announced his new LP, The Endless Chase, out November 4th via self-release. The announcement came alongside a new single from the album titled Moment Enternal. The latest vision by pianist and songwriter Chris Blacker is a story classically and purely New York. His first full length set of original songs, The Endless Chase, is a snapshot of an artist at a crossroads surrounded by the Bright Lights, Big City.
Having raised the money to record the 10-track effort working as he does every week playing piano at the legendary Uncle Charlie’s, Blacker assembled a stellar cast of live musicians and singers. The music, richly orchestrated and recorded, combines styles of pop/rock, jazz, and folk. To celebrate the album drop, Blacker will headline a night at Rock Music Hall (Stage 2) on November 2nd. Be on the lookout for more, including several single drops, in advance of the release of Chris Blacker’s new album set for release on November 4th, 2016. You can check out Moment Eternal below.
We managed to catch up with Chris Blacker about his new single, upcoming EP, his home city and more!
How has the release of Moment Eternal gone?
So far so good. It has been nice to share a little bit of what I have been working on for the past year.
Are you looking forward the release of The Endless Chase?
Definitely! It has been a huge labor of love for me and I am excited that people will get to hear it. I admit I am also looking forward to having the time and mental energy to start some new projects.
Are you looking forward to the show at Rockwood Music Hall?
Yes! I have an incredible group of musicians playing on the album, and I am really glad they are all available to do the show (a minor miracle given people’s busy schedules). Also, Rockwood Stage 2 is such a nice sounding room, I can’t think of a better place to present my work.
How much does the city of New York inspire your music?
New York is such a vast, complex, and ultimately unknowable web of human activity, and I find it hugely inspiring. The quality of musicians I see all around me has made me a much better performer than I ever would have been had I not moved here. At the same time, life in the city can be difficult, stressful, and isolating. Much of the lyrical content of this album deals with trying to cope with being an independent artist here, being surrounded by the wealthiest and most successful people in your industry, and wondering if you’ll ever get a slice of the proverbial pie. I think both the positive and the negative aspects of life in New York City inform my work daily.
How much do your fans mean to you?
Friends and fans made this album possible by funding my Kickstarter campaign, and by attending a fundraising concert that I did before I began recording. I owe them a lot.
Will there be any more gigs after the release of the LP?
I am working on booking some more band shows around the city. I don’t have specific tour plans at the moment.
If you could work with any artist, who would it be and why?
Wow, it’s difficult to pick just one, but I might as well aim high! The first person that comes to mind is Esperanza Spalding, because she is an amazing musician and her work really inspires me. Plus, I am always trying to get better at writing bass lines, and I could learn a lot by collaborating with a bass player.