music of the unseen (2022) is an interdisciplinary partnership between Academy award-nominated filmmaker & photographer Brian Cross (B+) and yours truly. Our collaboration celebrates the legendary musical contributions of composer-arrangers Charles Stepney & David Axelrod. It culminated in an hour-long concert of interpretations of their music performed by Project Instrumental Ensemble – a 23 -piece ensemble of genre-liberated strings, horns & percussion with live visuals & experimental film in November 2022.
music of the unseen is a celebration of the inimitable and legendary talents of composer-arranger-producers Charles Stepney and David Axelrod, two world class composer-arranger-producers whose artistry left an indelible mark on musical history, catapulting the careers of many musicians, the success of record labels and whose timeless sounds continue to inspires musicians all over the world and is mined by generations of Hip Hop music producers.
Composer-arrangers are often in the periphery, unsung, their work is often behind the scenes but their contributions are felt, elevating the sounds of pop/jazz and RnB with dazzling orchestral embellishments, voicings and compositional developments to dizzying heights.