In our sixth installment of this string of posts devoted to shedding some light on a little known art form, I am pleased to introduce you to Patrick O'Hearn.
Far from the the struggling artist, O'Hearn is a long-time mainstay of the rock, jazz and new age music circuits. O'Hearn's professional music career began in the mid 1970's as the bass player in Frank Zappa's self-titled band. Stints with Group 87 (with Peter Maunu) and Missing Persons (with Dale and Terry Bozio) followed, but were merely setting the stage for O'Hearn's long term musical footprint.
O'Hearn's solo career was spurred in large part by former Tangerine Dream member Peter Baumann, whom Patrick met in New York City in 1984 and who was then conceiving of a new music label that would showcase progressive instrumental music - a niche earlier explored by Group 87. Baumann formed the Private Music label in late 1984 and signed O'Hearn as a charter artist (along with Mahavishnu Orchestra violinist Jerry Goodman, Roxy Music keyboardist Eddie Jobson, and later, New Age notables Yanni and Suzanne Ciani), and produced O'Hearn's solo debut album, Ancient Dreams (1985).
Signature elements readily manifest in Ancient Dreams: found percussion instruments, hypnotic bass guitar patterns, synthesized pads, and minimalist harmonies. Perhaps biased by his preferred instrument, O'Hearn often adds jazz elements, particularly in his frequent use of the bass guitar (often a fretless bass) as the lead melody.
For a full biography, please see the Wikipedia article
here.Following is a montage video of Mr. O'Hearn's album covers, set to the music of "Trust", the title track from his 1995 release on Deep Cave records.
On a personal note, this man has always been one of my absolute favorites. The emphasis on repetition and cadence with a keen eye for the abstract is what makes Patrick O'Hearn's music truly memorable. Perfectly suited for late night driving, working or just moving through life. Be sure to check out "Approaching Summit" from the "Beautiful World" release. Just stunning.
[flash width=425 height=350]http://www.youtube.com/v/b0i7CCwH07Y[/flash]
