Graze The Bell [LP]

David Moore - Graze The Bell [LP]

Graze the Bell is a collection of soul-stirring, mesmerizing solo piano pieces, and the most distilled offering of David Moores artistry to date. Known for his atmospheric compositions with Bing & Ruth, as well as his collaborations with guitarist Steve Gunn and Cowboy Sadness, this marks Moores first widely shared solo piano album. Like the albums covera photograph that Moore embroidered by handthe music abstracts personal experiences into transcendent impressions. Using his piano to meditatively David Moore a€" Graze the Bell. _x000B__x000B_Graze the Bell is a collection of soul-stirring, mesmerizing solo piano pieces, and the most distilled offering of David Moores artistry to date. Known for his atmospheric compositions with Bing & Ruth, as well as his collaborations with guitarist Steve Gunn and Cowboy Sadness, this marks Moores first widely shared solo piano album. Like the albums covera photograph that Moore embroidered by handthe music abstracts personal experiences into transcendent impressions. Using his piano to meditatively inquire into the human condition, Moores Graze the Bell is a sanctuary of sound._x000B__x000B_Across their numerous releases, Bing & Ruth frequently changed shape and sound, swelling to a fifteen-piece group and holistically arriving at a trio configuration. Their most recent album Species foregrounded Moores Farfisa playing, while a subsequent EP of the same name featured his solo interpretations of the record. This long arc of distillation has always centered on Moores composition for, and comprehension of, the piano. After two decades of acclaimed ensemble work, Graze the Bells appearance is a full circle moment, a coming homea€"not simply to a place or time, but to a luminous center that transcends both._x000B__x000B_Some of the material on Graze the Bell was originally planned for a Bing & Ruth album, but it was ultimately reimagined as a solo undertaking. Using only the piano, Moore sought to expand upon the reliable methods he developed over the years. a€œI want to keep growing,a€ he says, a€œand challenge dogmatic ways of thinking.a€ Actively embracing experimentation and seeking a deeper presence in his playing, he reassessed his relationship to the piano and to life. While Moores music is based on composed notations and draws from life experiences, the source of his inspiration remains more ineffable. Consciously nurturing the latter, he developed a natural ability to tune into a trance-like state. Moore can sit down with that intention, a€œand within a few seconds,a€ he is a€œtotally there.a€_x000B__x000B_From the first note to the last, the album is grounded in the breathtaking tone of a a€œbeastlya€ 1987 Hamburg Steinway Model D. This is partly to do with his subtle playing style, which at times touches upon silence. Moores graceful approach gives space to the sound, revealing hues of the piano that many players would habitually ignore. Such nuances were nurtured in the process of recording the album at the renowned Oktaven Audio in Mt. Vernon, New York. The tone of the studios Steinway was vividly captured by the production guidance of Grammy Award-winning Ben Kane with assistance from Owen Mulholland. Reinforcing Moores experimental approach, they creatively misused pitch-correcting software to orchestrate the different registers of the pianos tonal profile._x000B__x000B_The phrase a€œgraze the bella€ came to Moore out of the blue years ago. It poetically resonated and stuck with him. Having long believed yet increasingly questioned lifes journey as being one of eventual attainment or arrival, Moore has grown to find stronger assurance in being present where he is. a€œThere is no mountaintopa€"and no path to it,a€ he writes a€œOnly a hope that we may, if were lucky, occasionally graze the bell.a€ And hes brought this awareness into his pianism. With this album there was a conscious decision to fully embrace idiosyncrasies, both his own and those of the instrument. Grace presiding, subtle sounds, raw gestures, and fortunate accidents are treasured here._x000B__x000B_The embroidery on the cover depicts his wife flying a kite on the North Carolina coast. It was methodically cross-stitched over ten months while the album was being mixed, and many personal life eventsa€"sorrowful and hopefula€"are woven into his craftsmanship. Also struggling with bi-polar disorder, both the album and the embroidery served as cathartic tools of meditation for Moore._x000B__x000B_Moores piano playing contains a hidden map of personal experiences, the entrancing repetition of his melodies navigating his way, and ours, through its scales of space. Moores music stirs hidden feelings, awakening and recalling us to our shared center. In an era where our humanity is being routinely distracted and compromised, Graze the Bell sounds the heart we know to be our true home._x000B__x000B_David Moores Graze the Bell will be released on January 30, 2026 in LP, CD, and digital editions via RVNG Intl.; a spiritual homecoming, if you will.