Donald Rubinstein

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Donald Rubinstein

Background information
Born February 19, 1952 (1952-02-19) (age 56)
Origin Brooklyn, New York
Genre(s) Film scores, Jazz, Theater, Art
Occupation(s) Composer, Songwriter, Musician, Artist
Instrument(s) Piano, Guitar, Vocalist
Years active Mid-1970's-Present
Label(s) Rhombus Records, Perseverance Records, Blue Horse Records, Black Starlight Records, Levelgreen Records
Website donaldrubinstein.com

Donald Rubinstein (b. February 19, 1952 in Brooklyn, New York) is a film composer, singer/songwriter and multi-media artist who is best known for his scoring collaborations with George A. Romero and Avant-garde jazz/rock collaborations with such musicians as Bill Frisell, Emil Richards and Wayne Horvitz.

Contents

[edit] Career Beginnings

Inspired to compose by his love of jazz, Rubinstein began music studies at Washington University. He first attended at age 16, studying political science and subsequently poetry. After deciding to devote himself entirely to music, Rubinstein learned the guitar and piano, then transferred to the conservatory and received a B.A. in music from Washington University in 1972. Rubinstein would move to Boston, where he spent two semesters at the Berklee College of Music. Though he left after finding the experience to be too constraining for his experimental ideas, Rubinstein would meet guitarist Bill Frisell, whom he'd later collaborate with on numerous projects. Rubinstein then went on to study on private scholarship with noted piano instructor Madame Margaret (Stedman) Chaloff, whose other students included Chick Corea, Herbie Hancock, Keith Jarrett and Steve Kuhn.

[edit] Film Scoring for George A. Romero

Donald Rubinstein was 26 when he was first introduced to famed horror filmmaker George A. Romero through his brother Richard P. Rubinstein, who had produced Martin for the writer-director. It was an innovative psychological horror film that equated vampirism with drug addiction and urban decay, and was set in Romero's favored location of Pittsburgh. To match Martin's unique tone, Rubinstein created a Baroque jazz score to play a lonely young man who believes himself to be undead. This was the first time modernistic music had been heard in a "vampire" movie, and Rubinstein's Martin soundtrack would become a highly sought collector's item that Mojo magazine called "One of the top 100 Coolest Soundtracks of All Time."

When Romero next turned Camelot into a motorcycle Renaissance Faire for Knightriders, Donald Rubinstein would compose an equally innovative score, as well as appear in the film as the leader of a musical trio. Rubinstein became close friends with Ed Harris on Knightriders, and would later write an unused score for the actor's directorial debut on Pollock. In 2000, Rubinstein composed the score for Romero's allegorical horror film Bruiser, about a put-upon man who literally becomes faceless.

Donald Rubinstein's other soundtrack work included co-writing, with Erica Lindsay, the main title of the television series Tales From the Darkside (as well as its theatrical version). He also wrote the main title and episodic music for the television series Monsters. He scored the documentary feature, Tangled Up In Bob: Searching For Bob Dylan, and has also penned a new main title theme for the upcoming Austin talk and variety show The Lance Van De Kamp Show, Starring Maggie Duval.

[edit] Recordings

As a prolific jazz composer, Rubinstein has partnered with Emil Richards, Eric Lindsay, Hank Roberts and Vinny Golia among many other notable performers, collaborating with them in both film recording sessions and live performances. Peter Gordon (Boston Symphony Orchestra) commissioned a work for French Horn and subsequently a jazz trio, including celebrated bassist Anthony Jackson and percussionist Gordon Gottlieb (New York Philharmonic Orchestra). Jazziz Magazine included the duet "Fingers" by Rubinstein and Bill Frisell on their "Celebration of the Modern Era" special edition 20th anniversary CD in 2003.

Also a critically acclaimed singer/songwriter Donald's work crosses normal boundaries. He is currently completing his newest CD of original songs, "Mexican Bay," for Black Starlight Records, where he will be performing with mandolin player Sharon Gilchrist. He has also performed and co-written a number of songs with "country outlaw" Terry Allen. Of Rubinstein's musical work, Steve Huey of All Music Guide wrote, "Singer/songwriter, pianist, jazz experimentalist, soundtrack composer, beat-style poet -- Donald Rubinstein has somehow juggled all those hats over the lengthy span of his creative career."

[edit] Art and Theater Works

Rubinstein has been exhibited at both The Museum of Modern Art and The Whitney Museum of American Art in New York City In collaboration with famed artist Kiki Smith. During 2007 The Center for Contemporary Art, Santa Fe, presented a 'thus far' large-scale celebration of Don's work, including a screening of films he scored, art exhibit and a concert performance with special guests Terry Allen and John Densmore. It also included Don's directing premiere, "Tales From the Edge," a short animated film based on his drawings. Donald has also shown at Linda Durham Contemporary Art in Santa Fe and Gallery 68 in Austin, Texas.

Ed Harris and the Met Theatre produced "Buddha Baby" and "Premonitions" in Los Angeles. Rubinstein's third multi-media performance work, "Strum Road" also premiered there in 1997. Ray Kurshals (formerly with Twyla Tharp and Merce Cuningham) is in the process of writing a modern ballet based on Donald's character drawings and music. This, along with a new multi-media work, is slated to premiere in the summer of 2009.

[edit] Awards

  • 1997: ASCAP Special Award in Theater Arts
  • 2007: ASCAP Plus Award for Jazz/Popular Composition

[edit] Discography

  • Martin (LP, Varese Sarabande Records, 1979)
  • The Witness (Cassette, Desert Link Record, 1979)
  • Tales From the Darkside: The Movie (GNP Crescendo Records, 1991)
  • Time Again (Rhombus Records, 1997)
  • Scars and Dreams (Blue Horse Records, 1998)
  • Martin (Levelgreen Records, CD reissue 1999)
  • A Man Without Love (Blue Horse Records, 1999)
  • Music For Ocean Travel (Blue Horse Records, 2000)
  • Long Parade (Blue Horse Records, 2000)
  • Maya (Rhombus Records, 2001)
  • Painted Stranger (Rhombus Records, 2001)
  • Ruby Star (single song CD, produced for Museum of Modern Art Exhibit with Kiki Smith, 2003)
  • A Celebration of the Modern Era (Jazziz, 2003)
  • Bruiser (Black Starlight Records, 2004)
  • Lost Trail Hymn (Black Starlight Records, 2005)
  • Circus Boy (Black Starlight Records, 2006)
  • Acceptance (Rhombus Records, 2007)
  • Tangled Up In Bob & Other Songs (Rhombus Records, 2007)
  • Martin; The Unused Score From Pollock (Perseverance Records, 2007)
  • Take the Dark Away (Spacebar Recordings, 2008)
  • Knightriders (Perseverance Records, 2008)

[edit] External links

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