Patrick O' Hearn - Eldorado - 1989 (24/96 Vinyl Rip)

Born in Los Angeles and raised in the Pacific Northwest, Patrick O'Hearn began his professional music career at age 15 when he joined the Musicians Union and began playing night clubs in Portland, Oregon. Upon graduating from Sunset High School in 1972, he moved to Seattle. There, he briefly attended Cornish College of the Arts and, as well, studied privately with bassist Gary Peacock.

In 1973 he moved to San Francisco and soon became involved in the vibrant Bay Area jazz scene of that time, playing bass for well-established artists Charles Lloyd, Joe Henderson, Dexter Gordon, Joe Pass, Woody Shaw, Eddie Henderson, and Bobby Hutcherson, as well as with other like-aged young musicians, including Terry Bozzio, Mark Isham and Peter Maunu.

While on tour in Los Angeles in 1976, O'Hearn met musician Frank Zappa, who offered him a job as bass player in his band - a position he held for over two years. During this period, O’Hearn shifted from the acoustic bass to the electric bass guitar (given the requirements of Zappa's arrangements), and also became increasingly interested in electronic music. Zappa encouraged O’Hearn to explore his premium collection of synthesizers, and also introduced him to the technical aspects of intricate physical tape editing as a way of producing compositions (in an era prior to home computers), audio engineering, and home studio audio recording equipment.

His fourth album, Eldorado (1989), ventured decidedly into the World Music genre - infusing O'Hearn's signature sound with rhythms and timbres drawn from disparate sources such as South America and the Middle East. As such, O'Hearn's arrangements accommodated a wider array of instrumentation - such as human singing and the solo violin (most notably on "Black Delilah".) Commercially, Eldorado performed well among New Age audiences - some tracks remain popular on jazz stations today.

This gifted Bass and Keyboard player made with "Eldorado" a strong and attractive album with tracks that will stay will you. Just as "Rivers Gonna Rise" (see my blog) this album has a fantastic open and dynamic soundquality! Enjoy!


Review:

The Best Instrumental CD I've Ever Heard, November 21, 2000
By Steve Cauley
This review is from: El Dorado
I have been a fan of Patrick O'Hearn for over 10 years. "El Dorado" was my first exposure to his music and I still believe it to be his best. Unlike keyboard artists such as Vangelis, O'Hearn integrates electronic instruments with acoustic, creating a "landscape" of sound that is truly extraordinary. The "rain stick" on the title track is a perfect example of how he so masterfully intigrates primitive, acoustic instruments with the electronic. With songs like "Delicate," I have heard no other artist who can musically set a mood of such deep serenity. All of O'Hearn's CDs are worth owning, but this one remains my all-time favorite.


Track List:

01 Amazon Waltz
02 Nepalese Tango
03 Black Delilah
04 Chattahoochee Field Day
05 Illusionist

06 One-Eyed Jacks
07 Hear Our Prayer
08 Delicate
09 Eldorado
10 There's Always Tomorrow