• Track Listing

With a stellar band featuring the remarkable rhythm section of Grammy Award-winning bassist Carlitos DelPuerto and Grammy-nominated drummer Oscar Seaton, with outstanding contributions from Latin Grammy-nominated pianist Andy Langham, Schalk delivers a musical journey that captivates listeners from start to finish. This album is a heartfelt tribute to the planet we are all living on together. The tunes are a selection I picked from music I wrote over the last two years, and I'm genuinely excited to bring them to life in collaboration with my favorite musicians and friends. The world is at a strange point, and the piece AI (Artistic Ideologies) is a mantra to the kind of AI our planetary home is screaming for more than ever-Artistic Ideologies. I thank Arnold Schoenberg for inspiring me with the Twelve-Tone Blues. One day, I woke up with the thought of how a 12-tone method melody would sound within the framework of the 12-bar blues form. So, the first thing in the morning, I swiftly wrote a 12-tone row melody and bass line in a mere 10 minutes. Each note is a different chord, starting with the blues-based 1-4 but then veering into unexpected territory. Motivated by sheer curiosity, I was surprised by the result. On the recording, I took three choruses of improvisation. Carlitos DelPuerto remarked, man, this is like Giant Steps. That made me wonder what Mr. Schoenberg himself would have to say, says Schalk, reflecting on his inspiration. Schalk's new album showcases his edgy musical conceptions, pushing boundaries and exploring unexpected territories. Inspired by the pioneering work of Arnold Schoenberg, Schalk blends striking music elements in the album's opener, Twelve-Tone Blues, which pays homage to Schoenberg's revolutionary twelve-tone method, infusing it with the 12- bar blues form for a truly unique listening experience. The sound is a mind thing. The secret is in the touch, Schalk states.