FERNWOOD

Malibu, CA

About

ALL MUSIC PLAYED BY HAND, on INSTRUMENTS MADE OUT OF WOOD!

Fernwood is also at:
www.MYSPACE.com/FernwoodMusic
www.MYSPACE.com/MontgomeryTSingh
www.CDBABY.com/cd/Fernwood
www.CDBABY.com/cd/Fernwood2

NEW FERNWOOD ALBUM "Sangita"
Following on the heels of their widely heralded debut release “Almeria”, this 12-track offering greatly expands upon their previous work. Utilizing an expanded palette of world instruments, Gayle Ellett (Djam Karet) and Todd Montgomery create music that is both familiar and exotic, lush and melodic, warm and inspirational. They create contemporary acoustic music that is beautiful and elegant, with a strong cinematic and pan-cultural feel. By playing traditional World instruments in new and interesting ways, they have created a new hybrid style that is uniquely their own. And it is these qualities that make the music of Fernwood the perfect antidote for our modern, stress-filled lives.

On Sangita, the group combines many apparently disparate concepts into a unified whole. They've tried to infuse the music with many seemingly diverse qualities such as: traditional and modern, Americana and World, familiar and exotic, simple and complex, rural and urban, etc, and they've succeeded at this very difficult task. And although the music sometimes has a frail and delicate sound, at other times it is extremely rich and dense, with as many as 50 instruments being used in a single composition, giving Sangita an almost orchestral sound. There is also no compression or other digital effects or manipulations used on the recording (except for reverb) so Sangita has a very fresh, lively and organic sound.

The name "Sangita" is a vague reference to the Sangita-Ratnakarna, an 800 year old book by music theorist Sharngadeva. This massive tome (which translates into "Ocean Of Music") covers the many varied styles of music performed in India, and also detailed descriptions of the wide range of instruments they played. And although the music on Fernwood's new CD is not too much influenced by Indian music, it is in fact a melding of many styles and uses many different instruments in their search for beautiful music.

"Tone continues, time expires"

DEBUT FERNWOOD ALBUM "Almeria"

ECHOES Radio "Number 4 ALBUM OF THE YEAR"!!!

GUITAR PLAYER Magazine discribed their music as "Wonderfully melodic, expertly layered, masterfully interwoven, luscious yet rootsy".

Frail and haunting, beautiful and dreamy, the music of composer team Gayle Ellett and Todd Montgomery has a unique, yet familiar feel. Both of them have each been composing and performing music professionally for many decades. Working under the name "Fernwood" they have released two albums so far: "Almeria" and "Sangita". Their cinematic music blends the beautiful sounds of Greek & Irish bouzouki, sitar, dilruba, acoustic guitar, Chinese ruan, Turkish cumbus, Moroccan oud, mandolin, harmonium, gimbri, tenor banjo, rababa, bulbul tarang, jal tarang, dotara, swarmandal, tambura, gopichand, violin, rhodes piano and upright bass. All of these exotic tones are used like paint, to create dramatic visions of beauty.

ABOUT THE MUSIC:
Todd Montgomery and Gayle Ellett are currently exploring new areas of folk-psyche music. Contemporary yet Traditional, their instrumental music has a strong pan-cultural feel. By combining elements of Pastoral Acoustic Psychedelic music, with the sounds of Traditional American, Irish, Eastern European, Asian, and Middle Eastern music, they have created a hybrid style that is uniquely their own. All music played by hand, on instruments made out of wood.

Their music has a strong autobiographical feel that accurately portrays a sense of who they are and where they live. Recorded in their Malibu studio, overlooking the Pacific Ocean, their music is a reflection of their lives in Southern California as well as the previous work they've done in the areas of Film and TV composition, Traditional World music, Rock and Jazz.

RADIO PLAY:
Fernwood's music can be heard locally on KCRW-FM, throughout the country on National Public Radio and ECHOES Radio, and internationally on RADIO CENTRAAL, and on hundreds of other stations throughout the world.

ECHOES Radio "#4 ALBUM OF THE YEAR"!

ECHOES Radio Show's "Top 25 CD Of The Month" for the past NINE months (March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November)!!!
www.ECHOES.org

SOME REVIEWS:
"Fernwood is the brainchild of multi-instrumentalists Todd Montgomery and Gayle Ellett. The two have scored numerous film soundtracks both together and individually, and it shows. The songs are wonderfully melodic and emotionally direct, the diverse instruments are expertly layered, and dynamics are an essential aspect of the orchestrations. Acoustic stringed instruments constructed of wood predominate, and timbre and sonority suggest place and idiom as strongly as the actual compositional structures. Middle Eastern, Asian, African, and European motifs are masterfully interwoven with Americana to form a luscious yet rootsy imaginary idiom that is intriguing, uplifting, and at once familiar and exotic."
GUITAR PLAYER Magazine

"The backwoods of American music may be the last hidden realm of exotica left in the world. Brian Eno collaborator Leo Abrahams, Beck producer Tom Rothrock, ambient artist Kaya Project and jazz guitarist Bill Frisell have all tapped into a bucolic Americana, from country to rural blues, Appalachian banjo music to bluegrass fiddle cadences. But few have embraced this concept more than Fernwood, a band led by multi-instrumentalists Gayle Ellett and Todd Montgomery. They play stringed instruments from around the world whether it's a dilruba or banjo, sitar or guitar.
On their debut Almeria, they established the template for a global Americana music, mixing banjo and bouzouki, sitar and mandolin into a soundscape that's as sweet as a country fiddle tune and as beguiling as a raga. In a way, they're the American version of Iceland's Amiina, creating a gentle, slightly surreal sound like a music box with Indian tines being cranked in the Ozarks. Sangita takes a while to work its charms. Melodies are embedded in an intricate interplay of strings, like the strumming mandolins of "Mistral," which are topped by a melody that alternates between sitar and fiddle. Indian ambiences, Appalachian picking and an elegant European nostalgia converge on "Cimarron," which sounds like a Nino Rota soundtrack for Fellini, played by a bluegrass band.
Sangita is like an undiscovered musical tributary, a meeting of the Ganges River with the Swanee River. It's a CD full of sonic details and plaintive melodies."
www.ECHOES.org

"This month's Spotlight is a beautiful acoustic based track featuring a combination of instruments that we rarely hear. While the writing, arranging and performances are of the highest order, it is the blend of the various instruments in the mix that really makes "Open Seas" something special to our ears. Gayle and Todd have skillfully managed to combine numerous stringed instruments, many with competing frequency ranges, into an open, airy mix that leaves space for each individual sound source, while maintaining a full cohesive feel, free of artifact and digital "nasties." Relax and enjoy! Well done!
Highly Recomended"
RECORDING Magazine

"Fernwood’s (Todd Montgomery and Gayle Ellett) music is, according to the CD's back cover, "Played by hand on instruments made out of wood." The list of the album's instruments includes sitar, mandolin, guitar, fiddle, organ, upright bass, and many other exotic string instruments from all over the globe. Sangita’s 12 songs display influences from disparate cultures and heritages: Appalachia, Eastern Europe, the Middle East, India and other ports of call. You may hear a snatch of bluegrass, a hint of blues, or even an Indian raga. The genre-bending fusion presented on Sangita is reminiscent of banjo player Akira Satake's Cooler Heads Prevail, another fine example of defying world beat conventions."
NEW AGE RETAILER Magazine

"Fernwood is a musical entity of two musicians who feel each other's essence for such cooperation well. This acoustic cooperation is rather descriptive in a very moody way, with pickings and notes in different rhythmical speeds, spinning around, with some lovely tunes. The listing in my 'acidfolk' section does not completely do justice to the release. Especially young people often tend to look for something with a hype factor, with "weird" or strange or modern associations, while the mature composer also recognises better things that last longer, or that reflect harmonic balances. For record companies, harmonic results are also harder to sell or categorise, when the music does not follow any of the mainstream tendencies. Fernwood's music reflects harmonic pulses and melodies, arranged by the inspirations of a duo playing together with interactions and melted ideas of compositions, and a whole diversity of instruments."
"Recommended!"
PSYCHEDELICFOLK.com (Belgium)

"Californians Gayle Ellett and Todd Montgomery bring a mastery of instruments ranging from bouzoukis and sitars to harmonium, oud, Chinese ruan and mandolin, to a series of captivating original compositions. Each piece has a cinematic feel but is complete in itself, the sounds all slot satisfyingly into place, and the album makes a cohesive, diverse and very rewarding listen."
fROOTS (Folk Roots) Magazine (Ireland)

"Veramente bello e rilassante questo progetto realizzato dal duo Todd Montgomery e Gayle Ellett (più famoso per essere membro dei Djam Karet). La peculiarità di questo progetto sta principalmente nell'uso esclusivo (o quasi... ogni tanto spunta fuori un piano Fender Rhodes) di strumenti acustici in legno. Troviamo, quindi, molti strumenti tradizionali abbastanza inusuali per un progetto di musica moderna. I due non si fan scrupolo di usare sitar, mandolini, bouzuki di origine greca o irlandese, oltre la chitarra, ma troviamo spazio anche per uno strumento come l'harmonium. E' logico che l'uso di questa strumentazione, a parte la nota di colore, non è il motivo principale per il quale mi ha colpito questo cd. I brani proposti sembrano fatti apposta per accompagnare film o documentari (se avete presente il programma Linea Blu della Rai avete capito a cosa mi riferisco). La melodia è l'aspetto più importante delle dodici tracce proposte in questo disco. Siamo quasi in territori new age (molte soluzioni sonore ricordano molto gli ultimi lavori degli Shadowfax) e world music. Il bouzuki è lo strumento più usato e sembra strano che un gruppo che ha la casa che si affaccia sull'oceano sia così influenzato dalla musica mediterranea e mediorientale senza mai dimenticare le radici sonore statunitensi. Non deve meravigliarci, perciò, il fatto di trovare pezzi bluegrass vicino a brani che sembrano usciti da una raccolta di musica etnica greca. Ne viene fuori un quadro sonoro che, anche se ti ricorda mille cose alla fine ha una sua identità di fondo. Assomiglia agli Shadowfax ma i Fernwood non suonano così new age. Può ricordarti qualcosa dell'ultimo Mauro Pagani, ma non è un disco world music. Può ricordarti certe cose dello Steve Hackett più acustico, ma anche in questo caso le soluzioni sonore sono diverse. "Almeria" è un disco che ogni volta che lo ascolti ti lascia qualcosa in più: una nota, un accordo, una sensazione diversa. E' bello sapere che ogni tanto si trova ancora qualcuno che con la propria musica ti riconcilia col mondo circostante."
ARLEQUINS (Italy)

"Majestätisch in ihrer Ruhe und Demut, kraftvoll in ihrer Sanftmut, inspirierend in ihrer Bescheidenheit und Einfachheit. Dass Instrumentalmusik, die unter gleichsam esoterischen Aspekten wie ,,handgemacht" und ,,Instrumente ausschließlich aus Holz" produziert und vermarktet wird, nicht nach Frömmelei riecht - wer hätte das gedacht? Dafür stehen Gayle Ellett und Todd Montgomery offenbar einfach zu fest auf dem Boden der Tatsachen ihres heimatlichen Malibu: Wenn sie nicht alle Arten von Gebrauchsmusik für Filme oder Computerspiele produzieren oder sich Progressive Rock, Folk oder Jazz spielen, gehen sie gern surfen oder Drachenfliegen. Vielleicht kommt der ausgeprägte Sinn für Organik und Harmonie, der das Debütalbum ihres Fernwood-Projektes durchzieht ja aus dieser Art Erdung in der wirklichen Welt? Sanft bauen sich die vor allem auf Bouzoukis, Sitars, Mandolinen, Gitarren, Bässen und dergleichen gespielten Stücke meist auf, schwellen gelegentlich wie Philip Glass' ,,Koyaanisqatsi" oder ,,Powaqqatsi" ein Stück an und vergehen wieder. Dabei haben sie einen Sinn für Rhythmik, der sie über Geflirre erhebt, einen Sinn für Dynamik, Struktur und Proportion. Und natürlich sind auch Instrumente wie ein Rhodes Piano mit am Start - aus Holz? Kleine Lüge gelegentlich gehört dazu."
FOLKER! Magazine (Germany)

"Dai Djam Karet ad un'ipnotica world music: l'eccellente esordio del duo califoniano. Quando parliamo di Djam Karet vengono in mente le tempeste d'elettricità sollevate con celebri jam, oppure le oasi sterminate di dilatazione elettronica, ma anche le episodiche deviazioni acustiche. Gayle Ellett - chitarrista della storica band - con Fernwood intende approfondire proprio quella direzione unplugged, in un progetto che non è un semplice "staccare la spina". Nato con Todd montgomery, Fernwood è una dimensione a parte, in cui con soli strumenti di legno del bacino mediterraneo (bouzuki, oud, mandolino etc.) il duo rievoca percorsi chitarristici tipici degli anni '70 (Renbourn e Grossman, Loy e Altomare).
"Almeria" è un disco profondamente calato in un'atmosfera mediterranea e marina: un susseguirsi di ballate dal sapore magico, dagli intrecci chitarristici con sitar, oud, su tappeti di fender rhodes e harmonium ("Hungarian Holiday" è un gioiellino, difficile immaginare che sia il frutto di due americani), brani evocativi come "Open seas" e "Makena", la travolgente "Ruidoso". E' un excursus libero, aperto, che profuma anche di California anni '60 (vedi "Crow", quasi ciclica nel suo respiro): d'altronde il duo ha registrato tra Malibu e Topanga, assorbendo dunque certe suggestioni locali, le stesse che nutrivano un Garcia, un Kaukonen, un Cipollina. Non sarebbe male vederli in un ideale concerto con Tito Rinesi, il più "arabo" dei nostri compositori.
Disco estatico e impregnato di malìa, sfiora solo in alcuni frangenti la ripetitività e la noia ma raggiunge il suo obiettivo. Il duo è già al lavoro per un secondo lp, nel frattempo collabora ad alcune produzioni cinematografiche, grazie a questa musica così gravida di visioni, di colori, di passione."
MOVIMENTIPROG (Italy)

"Using only instruments made of wood, Todd Montgomery and Djam Karet's Gayle Ellett blend Old-World and contemporary musical styles on their new all-acoustic project Fernwood. This colorful sonic palette results in Almeria, a remarkably cohesive and compelling debut record. Peaceful but never dull... the duo's sophisticated arrangements and deft touch on a variety of instruments bring songs with vivid titles like "Open Seas" and "Hungarian Holiday" to life."
"Progressive" in the purest sense of the term."
SEA OF TRANQUILITY

"Fernwood is a new project by the composer team of Todd Montgomery and Gayle Ellett and Almeria is their debut album. Gayle has appeared on more than 65 CDs and is one of the mainstays of Djam Karet. Todd is a specialist in Irish and American music, having played on the soundtrack of the movie "The Veronica Guerin Story".
The concept behind this album should be enough to tempt any lover of acoustic music to click straight across to CDBaby and grab a copy of this album for a mere $12. The idea is beautiful in its simplicity: All the music is played by hand, on instruments made out of wood. The exhaustive mix of instruments is what separates this album from any acoustic instrumental record I've ever heard. The instruments are used in different combinations across the 12 songs. As a result there is a such a wide range of sounds, textures and energies that each stands as a wholly individual listening experience. As a listener I was kept enthralled, as each track opened new possibilities. An enchanting, beautiful and captivating aural pleasure."
Conclusion: 9 out of 10
DUTCH PROGRESSIVE ROCK PAGES at www.DPRP.net (Holland)

"Iza sastava / projekta Fernwood stoje dva iskusna i prekaljena muzicara - Todd Montgomery i Gayle Ellett. Njih dvojica su idejni pokretaci svega sto se u muzicko-koncepcijskom smislu naslo na albumu "Almeria". Naime, kompletan album odsviran je i snimljen putem drvenih akusticnih instrumenata, cime je postignut zeljeni efekat. Postignuta je tako atmosfera koja vesto kombinuje svetonazore "drevnih" starijih vremena i novijih ethno uticaja, a ona je evidentna preko svih ponudjenih tema sa izdanja.
Album je snimljen u Malibu i Topanga (California, USA), pod producentskim nazorima pomenutog dvojca i Wayne Yentis. 12 tema i skoro 48 minuta muzike obiluju cestim promenama i prelazima u razlicite ambijentalne i ethno vode i slike koje se stvaraju preslusavanjem materijala vode do razlicitih strana sveta, od Mediterana, preko ruskih ali i blisko-istocnih prostora. Todd i Gayle su vesto i znalacki u skladnu celinu ukomponovali razlicite instrumente kao sto su mandolina, irski buzuki, sitar, harmonijum. To pokazuje ne samo njihovo veliko pomenuto iskustvo, vec i izuzetno dobro snalazenje u jednom ovako ponudjenom muzickom konceptu.
"Almeria" je izdanje koje svakako zavredjuje vasu paznju, te ukoliko vam se ukaze prilika, ne oklevajte da se upoznate sa muzikom benda Fernwood."
Rated: 9/10
www.BARIKADA.com (Serbia)

"What the two pioneers of cinematic sound Todd Montgomery and Gayle Ellett offer in their recent release, Almeria is a truly stunning and unique array of soundscapes in a "pan-cultural" approach to composition. Self described as "pastoral and psychedelic," their style blends a traditional American acoustic sound with starkly contrasting elements of global influence, including Irish, Eastern European, Indian, and Middle Eastern. It's cowboy, it's jazz, it's Oriental. It's "no-pressure" art that does not extrovertly "sell," it casually assimilates and charms. Absolutely enchanting, a brilliant mix of interesting textures and layers of exotic acoustic timbers. A tantalizing taste of otherworldly aural delight."
www.JAZZMANDO.com

"California's Fernwood take their musical cues from all over the world and utilize a wide variety of acoustic stringed instruments from the same places to produce their exquisitely crafted gentle acoustic pieces that conjure up images of travel through far off lands, which sound as though they're from everywhere and nowhere at the same time, just a melting pot of wonderful acoustic exotica. The music is melodic, carefully arranged, always holds your attention and is at all times accessable; it is also evident that it has been recorded with a lot of care too, all the musical layers and detail shine through and the instruments occupy their own spaces which is no mean feat considering the complexity of some of the musical arrangements.
Reviewing individual tracks is almost impossible, for to attempt to describe the delicate song structures and to try and guess which of the long list of instruments have been used would be a case of this reviewer doing the whole album an injustice. There are no individual standout tracks, because to highlight some at the expense of others would be so very wrong. If you can imagine yourself in a warm and beautiful land, where there is time to relax, take in scenery and live life at a slower pace than you might be accustomed to, then this is the music that would be playing from somewhere nearby providing a mesmerizing soundtrack to the whole experience. This is a beautiful album and is wholeheartedly recommended."
www.PSYCHEDELICCENTRAL.com

"Djam Karet main man Gayle Ellett's desire to find alternative horizons to plunder have resulted in many an obscure soundtrack project. Together with Todd Montgomery, the crux of this new recording surrounds two bouzoukis originating from geographicly dispersed locations. The subject matter comes from your trusty world map to find "Almeria", an exotic Old World vacation spot in Spain. The mood of the recording is non-invasive using traditional instrumentation to flesh out spirited jaunts and passive themes. Spanish bird observations pose a common thread from the opening "Sandpiper", bearing arppegiated passages with a few minor twists, while "Crane" lies in a Frisell vein of simple folk deconstructed themes relying on emotive chords and unsettled lead lines. In contrast "Pelican" is Indian sounding while "Nightingale" is a late night sensitive ballad, calming with a firm resolved ending. "Open Seas" is closer to some of the themes developed from early 1980's Metheny and Mays, maybe even a little "New Chautauqua". Covering different ground are pieces such as "Hungarian Holiday" where the harmonium gives an Old World carnival feel and a Ukranian dance fade out. One of the best played pieces is "Makena" that uses that sustained open chord somewhat popularized by David Gilmour and Richard Leo Johnson's pastoral moments. The disc comes off like a musical tour where few things have changed due to modernization and natural surroundings remain intact. Overall it's a great headphone experience with a joyful balanced mix.
"Almeria" is a breath of fresh air and is a welcome alternative to today's electronic and synth dominated music."
EXPOSE' Magazine

"Fernwood est une nouvelle formation américaine qui se cantonne dans la musique instrumentale et acoustique. Il faut dire que les deux membres du groupe sont des musiciens aguerris qui ont tout simplement décidé de s'associer pour ce projet particulier. Todd Montgomery est un grand professionnel des instruments à cordes. Il a notamment étudié le sitar avec Harihar Rao, le plus ancien étudiant de Ravi Shankar. Gayle Ellett est plus connu des amateurs de prog : il est entre autres le guitariste de Djam Karet, groupe dont la réputation n'est plus à faire. Nos deux gaillards se sont sans doute fait plaisir, mais ils ont surtout réalisé un disque de grande qualité. En effet, utilisant une grande palette d'instruments, ils ont réussi à enregistrer une douzaine de pièces relativement courtes (de trois à cinq minutes) composées et interprétées avec une grande fi nesse. Même si la formule acoustique peut paraître limitée, elle ne les empêche pas de varier les styles, passant d'une atmosphère mélancolique à un style folklorique enjoué avec la même maestria. Chaque morceau est une petite perle fi ne et agréable. Bien entendu, ce disque n'est sans doute pas celui du siècle, mais il est tout à fait recommandable à ceux qui s'autorisent une ou l'autre escapade hors des sentiers battus."
PROG-RESISTE (Belgium)

"You guys all probably know by now that at Guitar Player Zen, we really like to emphasize finding your own voice, developing into an artist with your own sound and uniqueness, finding creative and subtle ways to set yourself apart from the crowd, etc. Well Todd Montgomery and Gayle Ellett have done a great job in finding their own niche. By playing traditional World instruments in new and exciting ways, they have created a new hybrid style that is uniquely their own. What I like about Fernwood and Todd and Gayle, is the fact that they don’t just classify themselves as putting out a guitar album. Rather, it is an eclectic instrumental album, featuring some very interesting instruments. The music on this album is so amazingly beautiful and peaceful. My advice for listening: Put it on your I-Pod, find a nice place outside (or inside) to lay down, close your eyes, and picture yourself on a European beach surrounded by the people you love most. A fun (and awesome) fact about these two is that they have scored numerous soundtracks for film, tv, animation, computer games, music libraries, and other corporate applications. Well enough talk. How about you listen to a few of their tracks, go to their website, and buy their album!"
www.GUITARPLAYERZEN.com

"Merrily and easily mixing ethnic musical influences from all across the globe in compositional structures with a heritage belonging just as much to the world of jazz and rock as folk music, this skilled and talented duo has produced an album that should appeal to individuals enjoying many different musical styles. Followers of world music may find this just as interesting as fans of jazz-fusion and progressive rock. Indeed, if you enjoy acoustic instrumental music this release is worthwhile checking out no matter how you define your personal musical taste. There is an immediacy and sense of close proximity to the sound, like sitting in your living room with a couple of friends, who just happen to be incredible musicians, though you could also imagine a dozen different musicians were plucked from around the globe to bring their own regional flavors to the compositions. The blending of such disparate regional sounds could be disconcerting, but instead the blend is intriguing, inviting and beguiling. It could easily be a soundtrack from a fantasy/science fiction movie where various cultures have been brought together harmoniously, while retaining their own cultural heritages. Come to think of it, it is a bit analogous to the melting pot or stew pot that is America, at least the ideal that we desire the country to be. I happily recommend "Almeria" for those who enjoy acoustic instrumental music of the stringed variety."
PROGRESSOR (Uzbekistan)

“Fernwood is actually a duo (Todd Montgomery & Gayle Ellett) hailing from Southern California, and they have been working with exotic instruments for many years and in many different styles (Google them both to see where there musical history lies). Almeria is a graceful set of music that carry's you to many locals, and with great spirit. It makes you feel like you are traveling around the world, stopping to hear the local music everywhere you go. Exceptional sound and peaceable acoustic melodies prevail!
Highly recommended!!!"
www.SKOOPZ.com (Philippines)

"Fernwood is: Todd Montgomery on Irish bouzouki (slide, plucked and bowed), sitar, mandolin, and guitar (also slide); and Gayle Ellett on Greek bouzouki, ruan, harmonium, oud, guitar (also slide and E-bow), bulbul tarang, gobijen, dotara. organ, Rhodes piano, electric 5-string bass, and upright bass. With all these ethnic instruments, you’d expect a Middle Eastern or Far Eastern sound--but you’d be way off base. Okay, there’s a European flavor to some of the pieces, and a mournful Russian flair in one, but the majority of the music is distinctly Western. And don’t expect the tunes to be strictly folksy, either, because they’re rich with progressive sensibilities. The contrast of such various strings produces a lush pastiche that infuses each track with creative exuberance. Yet this contrast frequently turns around and accomplishes a wondrous amalgamation between ethnic and conventional instruments, resulting in a unique cadence as foreign sound fuse with traditional ones to produce thrilling sonic expressions. Keyboard contributions can be found in some instances. The Rhodes piano injects a very progressive sound to the lilting tuneage, while the harmonium offers the melancholic mood of a Roman campsite.
Again, the ethnicity of the instruments is trumped by the performers’ Contemporary Americana and Old World sensibilities, resulting in music that applies modern character to the foreign strings used. These compositions seethe with passion, whether it’s overt buoyancy or romantic heartstrings. The pieces possess a cerebral character that is often overwhelmed by their innate enthusiasm, commingling serious intentions with a carefree cheeriness. The moods generated by this music are quite diverse. One track (“Hobbs Bay”) excellently conveys a salty sea breeze, while another (“White Oak”) majestically evokes the grandeur of ancient trees that dwarf human perception. A lot of these tracks capture the mood of geological locations, most of them coastal regions thick with noble woodlands. Again, keyboards are incidental, well-hidden, but masterful in their subliminal effects, establishing amiable resonance underlying the spry string presence. These compositions are remarkably bewitching, whether the song is expressing cerebral introspection or frivolous exuberance. An agility is found here, not just in the performance but in the melodies, communicating a joyous celebration of life with brisk effervescence."
SONIC CURIOSITY

"Fernwood è un’autentica nuova vita per Gayle Ellett, deus ex machina dei Djam Karet, un’istituzione nell’underground americano. La band per più di vent’anni ha issato la bandiera del no commercial potential con il suo infernale jam-rock, ma ultimamente il chitarrista si è concentrato sul progetto Fernwood con il collega Todd Montgomery. Una world music acustica e “cinematografica”, per soli strumenti di legno del bacino mediterraneo: a ben ascoltare, certe atmosfere lievi e sognanti non sono lontane dai raptus acustici dei DK di Ascension (2001). Sangita è un susseguirsi di quadri, di immagini esotiche e meditative, con chiari agganci all’opera omnia degli Oregon. Un excursus di ricami di oud, bouzuki, mandolini e swarmandal, talvolta punteggiati dai tocchi impalpabili del Fender Rhodes."
JAM (Italy)

"Projet plus qu’intéressant, FERNWOOD est constitué d’un duo : tout d’abord Gayle ELLETT connu pour son activité avec le groupe Djam KARET (Seize albums au compteur) et qui a joué sur plus de 50 cds à ce jour, joue et compose depuis plus de 35 ans. Il a écrit de la musique pour nombres de films, jeux vidéo, publicités, etc. Ensuite, Todd MONTGOMERY, un musicien qui a appris le sitar avec le maître Harihar RAO (le plus vieil élève de Ravi SHANKAR) et qui pratique nombre d’instruments traditionnels. Il a notamment joué du bouzouki irlandais et de la mandoline pour le film « Chasing The Dragon : The Veronica GUERIN Story ». Ces deux compères ont décidé de s’adjoindre les talents d’un producteur de renom, Wayne YENTIS, éditeur du magazine « Recording Engineer/Producer », inventeur du Clavitar, un contrôleur de synthétiseurs au look de guitare. Il a personnellement désigné et construit des instruments électroniques customisé pour des groupes aussi légendaires que PINK FLOYD, TOTO, Frank ZAPPA, SUPERTRAMP, Herbie HANCOCK, Lee RITENOUR, Joe ZAWINUL, George DUKE, Patrick MARAZ, Terry BOZZIO et beaucoup d’autres.
Avec FERNWOOD, les deux compères ont décidé de créer un groupe entièrement acoustique, jouant à la main sur des instruments faits de bois. Tout au long des douze morceaux composant l’album d’une durée de 48 minutes, c’est un véritable enchantement de tous les instants. L’inspiration est là, les instruments, qu’ils soient seuls ou très nombreux, sonnent tous comme s’ils étaient dans la même pièce que vous.
Musique fondamentalement belle, chaude, exotique, elle développe des relents de folk américaine teintée d’exotisme (sans le chant, l’album est entièrement instrumental) et de cinématique (on croirait entendre une bande son de film). Ainsi un morceau comme « Ruidoso » avec son banjo nous emmène vers des rivages pas si éloignés que ça de la mythique musique du film « Délivrance » (« Dueling Banjos » par Eric WEISSBERG et Steve MANDELL). Gayle ELLETT raconte : « c’est une réaction à la musique moderne et vers où elle se dirige : des sons joués par des machines ou des ordinateurs. C’est mauvais et faux. Nous devrions éviter ça ». Etonnantes paroles de la part d’un musicien issu d’un groupe comme Djam KARET ! Todd MONTGOMERY déclare pour sa part : « Je voulais jouer de façon à ce que mon professeur, s’il était amené à m’entendre, ne soit pas offensé. Cela devait être assez indianisant pour qu’il ne se fâche pas, vous comprenez ? ».
Ensemble, ils sont parvenus à une sorte d’americana matinée de musique de chambre inédite basé simplement sur des instruments faits de bois. Une musique parfaite pour se délasser le corps et l’esprit. De plus il est superbement packagé.
PROGRESSIVE AREA (France)

"Djam Karet’s Gayle Ellett vervolgt met Sangita de weg die hij insloeg met het album Almeria en doet dit wederom samen met de specialist op folkloristische snaarinstrumenten Todd Montgomery en producer Wayne Yentis onder de groepsnaam Fernwood. Hoewel er opnieuw een karrenvracht aan instrumenten uit alle delen van de aardbol gebruikt worden, zijn de composities minder exotisch en divers als op het debuut, wat een meer coherent totaalplaatje oplevert. Dat neemt niet weg dat de oud in opener Kalyan direct Dhafer Youssef’s meest traditionele (Tunesische) werk in herinnering roept. Verder lijkt de sitar op Helen Island eerder naar de titel van de CD te verwijzen (Sangita-Ratnakarna is een eeuwenoud muziektheorieboek, waarin hoofdzakelijk muziekstijlen die in India gemaakt werden beschreven staan), maar als meer westerse snaren ingezet worden, die subtiel ondersteund worden door het ook bij deze opnames sporadisch opduikende orgel, wordt de verwijzing naar dit Canadese eiland duidelijker. Dat is sowieso het mooie van deze samenwerking: al die uit alle windstreken afkomstige houten instrumenten worden in diverse stukken ingezet, waardoor het normaal aan een streek gebonden geluid van een specifiek instrument nu opgaat in een soort wereld-americana-country-folk. Vergeleken met het vorige werkstuk is de algehele stemming wat ingetogener, hoewel de arrangementen nog steeds diverse melodielijnen naast elkaar laat horen. Dit laatste komt vooral goed tot zijn recht als er met een flink volume aandachtig geluisterd wordt; als achtergrondmuziek gaat de intrigerende spanningsboog die Ellett en Montgomery op Sangita hebben gecreëerd nagenoeg verloren."
iO PAGES (Holland)

"Deuxieme effort discographique de deux multi-instrumentistes de Malibu, Sangita incarne le reve Californnien d’aujord’hui. Loin des delires psychedeliques de l’ere hippie ou meme de l’effervescence numerique de la fin du siecle dernier, Fernwood propose un voyage boise et acoustique 100% naturel. L’etude attentive et l’assimilation des maitres du folk global ont remplace l’usage de psychotropes ou d’ordinateurs. Aguerris a l’art du bluegrass, du folk irlandais, familiers des techniques orientales, Todd Montgomery et Gayle Ellett savent faire sonner une multitude d’instruments. Les banjos, bouzoukis, violins, pianos, mandolines, guitares mais aussi harmonium, sitar, dilruba ou oud…n’ont plus de secrests pour eux, lis tirent profit de chacun et les combinent avec gout et talent. Souvent joutes tranquilles manquent toutefois par moment d’asperites."
MONDOMIX Magazine (France)

“Second album ("Sangita") from the all-acoustic instrumental duo and, while a lot of play is mentioned from the fact that all the instruments are made out of wood and its "world music" connotations, the most important thing about this duo's compositions are their mastery of emotion - throughout the album, there's always a human heart at the centre of operations. Take the opener, Kalyan" for example - the track begins with slow acoustic guitars and what sounds almost like a dobro in the backdrop (but isn't), while the presence of a sitar adds perfectly to the slowly rolling multi-layers, providing the western warmth with eastern exoticism to produce a positively heart-rending slice of instrumental yearning that makes you think of wide open spaces in countryside of great beauty - four minutes of absolute bliss. "White Oak" accelerates the tempo with a country-styled guitar onto which are added crisp guitar chords, soaring sitar and a cyclical acoustic guitar melody, as the whole thing coalesces, adds a touch of bouzouki, meanders through almost violin-like textures before the lead acoustic guitar returns to the riff, and the other instruments return to the source of the piece and build once more - magically constructed and cleverly arranged with so much going on but never overly busy. "Hobbs Bay" provides similar sounding strings from the opener, only here with a more rolling nature to the rhythm, as acoustic guitars, mandolin and other things I can't identify, all combine to produce a chunky five minute track that's solid and melodic, but constantly changing shape as it goes, the latter two things, the key secret to the overall appeal and success of this album. Using other instruments that include dilruba, oud, dotara, swarmandal, rmonium, piano and upright bass, the duo of Montgomery and Ellett give us a further 9 tracks that have at their heart, this wondrously charming sea of melody as well as conveying an emotional state of mind that really makes you want to listen to this music with intent, getting all the joy out of it as much as the musicians are putting in, if not more. As an acoustic instrumental album, its concentration on melody rather than technique, rhythm, musical cliches or conformity, makes it one of the most different, satisfying and gorgeous albums of its kind around today.”
DEAD EARNEST (Scotland)

"Fernwood is a group that's hard to pin down. They mix Americana elements with Appalachian strings along with bouzouki's from the Middle East and Ireland and sitars from India. Headed up by Todd Montgomery and Gayle Ellett who also plays guitar in the ultra-progressive rock band, Djam Karet, Fernwood creates a global chamber music with Americana accents and cinematically inclined melodies." DJ John Diliberto discribed their music as "Acoustic Americana World Chamber Music".
"#4 Album Of The Year"
www.ECHOES.org

"Just received your CD this week. I'm listening to it right now; it is wonderful. Love the acoustic sounds; and the acoustic guitar sounds superb."
Bert Lams of the California Guitar Trio

"Beautiful, picturesque acoustic instrumental music with loads of natural space and some gorgeous chord changes. Just like you're seeing the sea for the first time in 3 years on your road trip."
KIAC Radio

*****
FERNWOOD LIVE in studio with John Diliberto/ECHOES Radio for Thanksgiving Day National Braodcast 2008.

Sunday September 21, 2008, FERNWOOD LIVE performed 5 tunes at Lon Miller's Broken Wave Studios in Glendale, California, for John Diliberto's radio show ECHOES. We played 2 tunes from our CD "Almeria" and 3 tunes from our new un-finished album, due out in early 2009. The music was multi-tracked to Pro-Tools by Lon Miller and his great staff. The performance went really well, and everyone had fun!
These 5 live tunes, as well as an in-depth interview of Todd and Gayle, will be broadcast nationally on Thanksgiving Day, November 27th 2008, as part of his special Thanksgiving Day Show.
ECHOES is a nationally syndicated 2-hour daily radio show broadcast on 150 stations throughout the country.
He has had FERNWOOD on his "Top 25 CDs Of The Month" for NINE months in a row! We owe many great thanks to John Diliberto for flying out here to record us, and for all he is does for artist music!
Check out www.Echoes.org for a radio station near you.
FERNWOOD LIVE performers are:
Todd Montgomery: Sitar, Irish Bouzouki
Gayle Ellett: Greek Bouzouki
Mike Murray: Guitar
Pete Hillman: Drums
Dana Wood: Piano, Organ
Kurt MacInnis: Mandola
Gilbert Desoto: Bass
*****

NEW CD "Sangita" and also our debut release "Almeria" are both available for: $12.oo USD ... INCLUDES FREE SHIPPING inside USA! Add $3.00 for shipping outside USA.
Each of Fernwood's CDs feature 12 instrumental tunes that accurately reflect the group's warm and inviting sound. Filled with interesting arrangements and beautiful orchestration, Each CD feels like a real "album", not just a simple collection of songs. You can hear some of the tunes from the CD "Sangita" and "Almeria", on the music player above.
Digitally recorded in Malibu and Topanga.

Check it out for yourself!

AVAILABLE AT:
Our CDs "Almeria" and "Sangita" are also available at:
CD-BABY
I-TUNES
MAGNATUNE
WAYSIDE
ZNR
OmStream.com
SQUIDCO
KINESIS
We7.com
DjamKaret
and other fine outlets.

BUY THE CD DIRECT FROM THE BAND HERE:

BUY THE NEW FERNWOOD CD, "SANGITA", RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW!!
Its ONLY $12.00 from CDBaby!!
Just click on the CDBABY button above...to go to our store!
Here's the URL: www.cdbaby.com/cd/Fernwood2

You can buy our first Fernwood CD "Almeria" here!
Its ONLY $12.00 from CDBaby.
Just click on the CDBaby button above...to go to our store!
Here's the URL: www.cdbaby.com/cd/Fernwood

CONTACT FERNWOOD:
www.virb.com/Fernwood
www.myspace.com/FernwoodMusic
www.myspace.com/Montgomerytsingh
topangamusic@netzero.net
P.O.Box 4276 Malibu, CALIFORNIA 90264 USA

BIOGRAPHY:
TODD MONTGOMERY began experimenting with string instruments in the fourth grade. Since then he has enjoyed learning to play such instruments as Irish bouzouki, sitar, mandolin and guitar. He spent his teen years in psychedelic rock bands until he discovered the folk music of America and Ireland. In search of deeper improvisation in an established tradition, he studied the sitar for many years with a real sitar master, Harihar Rao, who is Ravi Shankar's oldest student. He performed on Irish bouzouki and mandolin for the movie, Chasing the Dragon, The Veronica Guerin Story. When he's not playing music or playing with his wife and son, Todd can often be found surfing the waves off Malibu. You can find more information about him at: www.myspace.com/tjmontgomery

GAYLE ELLETT has been composing and producing music for over 35 years, and has performed on over 70 CDs. He has written music for numerous Film projects including Brad Pitt's feature film "Year Of The Dog", many TV shows, commercials, animations, computer games, music libraries, and other corporate applications. One of his main music groups, Djam Karet, currently has 16 CDs released so far, and has received great reviews and awards in hundreds of magazines world-wide, including Rolling Stone Magazine's "Number 2 BEST Independent Album Of The Year", Electronic Musician Magazine's "Number 2 Album Of The Year", and Billboard Magazine's "Critic's Choice Award". Currently, you can hear his music on MTV, Oxygen TV, and numerous networks thoughout the world. When he's not busy working in the studio, Ellett can often be found flying his hang glider 5,000 meters high over the mountains of Southern California and Northern Mexico. You can find more information about him at: www.virb.com/GayleEllett and www.DjamKaret.com

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ABOUT OUR PRODUCER WAYNE YENTIS:
In the 1970's Wayne Yentis was the managing editor of Recording Engineer/Producer Magazine. While working with his longtime friend Tom Oberheim, Wayne built custom electronic modifications for Oberheim's synthesizers. Later, while working for his own company, he invented and produced the Clavitar, a guitar-style keyboard controller for synthesizers. Wayne has personally designed and built custom electronic instruments for: Pink Floyd, Frank Zappa, Supertramp, Toto, Herbie Hancock, Lee Ritenour, Joe Zawinul, George Duke, Patrick Moraz, Gary Wright, Tommy Mars, Patrick O'Hearn, Terry Bozzio, Pablo Cruise and many others. FERNWOOD feels very fortunate to have him as a friend, and his help has been greatly appreciated!