Dave Larstein

From WikiSCUM

David Larstein, originally from San Jose, moved to Santa Cruz in 1981. He studied music composition with Wilson Coker at San Jose State College in 1966 and majored in music and philosophy. During the Viet Nam War period, Larstein dropped out of college to pursue a career in music. He played in local bands until 1979 when he met Sterling Storm and saw the Humans perform at the Mabuhey Gardens in San Francisco. By early 1980 he joined The Humans on their cross country tour with the band Squeeze.

After the Humans broke up in 1983, Larstein and bass player Eric Gies formed Ed Hatch, an experimental garage project. The duo released 5 albums of self produced rock music on their own Field Collector Series label, and 8 albums of environmental sounds.

Larstein provided taped accompaniment to Esmerelda, a singer/performance artist from San Francisco. They worked together from 1981 to '83. He later produced albums for the Balkan folk ensemble, Medna Usta, the punk band, Vicious Midgets, and worked with Rabbi Paula Marcus to make two albums of Jewish music.

Larstein went back to school in 1992 and got a graduate degree in music composition, studying with composer Dan Wyman and Aptos composer Lou Harrison. He moved from Santa Cruz to the hills near Aptos in 1995 and continued composing and writing songs. He has written for symphony orchestra, various chamber ensembles, and over 300 songs. He has recorded 3 albums of solo piano music, an electronic hip-hop ballet, and a four album song cycle called "Edges of the City - San Francisco: 1964-1967."

On October 7, 2006 he gave a solo performance of an original musical setting of Allen Ginsberg's poem Howl, in celebration of the 50 year anniversary of the poem. The performance was held at the 418 Project on Front St. in Santa Cruz. Larstein also performed his own songs, as well as poems by other famous poets set to original music.

In 2008, he published the Song Cycle "Edges of the City" as a book of poetry with 4 cds.

[edit] Discography

• "Chevy Don't Go," a song on the Surf City Underground album (1980).
• "Shabbat Shalom," an album of Jewish music, featuring vocals by Paula Marcus (1987).
• "Rag," an album of original stride piano compositions (1995).
• "The Jewel Box ," an album of original waltzes and other works for solo piano (1997).
• "White Magnolia," an album of jazz standards for solo piano (2000).
• "Blind Lemon Fresh," a hip hop ballet for multi-track keyboards (2002).
• "The Ghost That Still Remains," part 1 of a 4 part song cycle for multi-track keyboards and vocals. also includes a tone poem for orchestra, "December 1963," (2004).
• "Ed Hatch," a compilation of the best of the Ed Hatch project dating from 1985 to '88, released on Field Collector Series cds, (2005).
• "Digger," part 2 of a 4 part song cycle for multi-track keyboards and vocals (2005).
• "Howl" by Allen Ginsberg, musical setting by David Larstein (2006).
• "Pipe Dreams," part 3 of a 4 part song cycle for multi-track keyboards and vocals (2006).
• "Now From 1967," part 4 of a 4 part song cycle for multi-track keyboards and vocals (2007).
• "Edges of the City - San Francisco: 1964-1967" published as a book of poetry with 4 cds (2008).