May 25th 2010
Annie Haslam and Michael Dunford to spearhead 'Renaissance' on a multi-city tour of the US and Canada this Summer.
In 2009 Annie Haslam and Michael Dunford, the voice and principal songwriter, respectively, of the band’s most popular lineup, embarked on a special 40th Anniversary Fall Concert Tour to re-introduce to new generations the lush, orchestral favorites that made them a staple of 1970s progressive rock radio.
The nine-city East Coast tour of theaters and performing arts centers, with a newly formed Renaissance was received with much excitement and a great attendance of eager fans from far and wide. The new musicians in the band were welcomed with standing ovations as they brilliantly performed the classics that fans had been waiting so long to hear again.
The tour commenced Oct. 6 in Annapolis, MD, and included sold out shows in New York, Albany, South Orange, Philadelphia and Washington, home to the nation’s top progressive rock stations during the classic Renaissance era.
Joining Haslam and Dunford in RENAISSANCE are keyboardist Rave Tesar and bassist/vocalist David J. Keyes, both of whom were previous members of Renaissance and the Annie Haslam Band, plus keyboardist/vocalist Tom Brislin (Yes, Debbie Harry, Meat Loaf, Francis Dunnery) and drummer/percussionist Frank Pagano (Bruce Springsteen, Smashing Pumpkins, Bette Midler, Barry Manilow). Together, these world class musicians will revisit the symphonic textures, stunning vocals and poetic lyrics that embody the band’s hauntingly compelling international themes, with fresh interpretations of their most admired compositions. “Carpet of the Sun,” “Ocean Gypsy,” “Mother Russia,” "Ashes Are Burning," “Running Hard,” “Prologue,” and "Northern Lights" are central to Renaissance’s most prolific period (1972-78), which produced the albums Prologue, Ashes Are Burning, Turn of the Cards, Novella, Scheherazade and Other Stories, and A Song for All Seasons, as well as 'Live' at Carnegie Hall (1976), the deluxe two-disc set recently reissued.
Renaissance have been busy recording some new songs and will be releasing an EP 'The Mystic and The Muse', to be sold at the upcoming shows.
A new CD will be released early next year.
A new Renaissance re- release on Friday Music, is a DVD/CD set of the band's epic CD 'Scheherazade and Other Stories' along with a DVD of never released before, promotional footage of the band performing unplugged at Millhouse Studio, Maidenhead and also on a soundstage at Bray Film Studios in the UK, 1979.
Also Annie's 1977 solo album 'Annie in Wonderland' produced by Roy Wood is being re-released and remastered with an added bonus track on Friday Music.
Annie and Roy (ELO, THE MOVE and WIZZARD) have been in the studio recording the Move's hit single 'Flowers in the Rain.'
"The song is perfect for this time, it is uplifting and fun and great to sing along to" says Annie.
This album was a big departure for Annie in the 70's, a venture into a world of more commercially challenging songs as well as operatic challenges that Annie overcame beautifully.
The brand new Renaissance website is up and running.
Check out at: http://www.renaissancetouring.com where you will find the new tour dates listed.
The site was designed by Annie and is based around 10 of her paintings.
There will be merchandise for sale and a blog to keep up with the band's activities.
Renaissance originally rose from the ashes of the Yardbirds, with Haslam and Dunford joining at the dawn of the 1970s to define their work with folk rock and classical fusions, including quotations from and allusions to, such composers as Bach, Chopin, Debussy, and Rachmaninoff. It wasn’t long before influential progressive rock FM stations like WNEW (New York), WMMR (Philadelphia) and WHFS (Washington) were turning on America to Renaissance, while the band was thrilling concertgoers on the world’s most distinguished stages, from Carnegie Hall in New York City to the Royal Albert Hall in London.
Upcoming Shows
Jun 12 2010
8:00P
Special Guest of Procol Harum Tropicana Casino & Resort
Atlantic City, New Jersey
Jun 16 2010
7:30P
Special Guest of Procol Harum Longwood Gardens Amphitheatre
Kennett Square, Pennsylvan, US
Jun 20 2010
7:30P
Special Guest of Steve Hackett Westhampton Beach Performing Arts Center
Westhampton Beach, New York , US
Jun 22 2010
7:30P
Special Guest of Steve Hackett The Regent Theatre
Arlington, Massachuse, US
Jun 23 2010
8:00P
Special Guest of Steve Hackett River to River Festival
New York, New York , US
Jun 24 2010
7:30P
Special Guest of Steve Hackett The State Theatre
Falls Church, Virginia , US
Jun 25 2010
8:00P
Special Guest of Steve Hackett The Palace Theatre
Greensburg, Pennsylvan, US
Jun 29 2010
8:00P
Renaissance Park West
Chicago, Illinois
Jun 30 2010
8:00P
Special Guest of Steve Hackett South Milwaukee Performing Arts Center
South Milwaukee, Wisconsin , US
Jul 2 2010
8:00P
Special Guest of Steve Hackett Water Street Music Hall
Rochester, New York , US
Jul 3 2010
8:00P
Special Guest of Steve Hackett Empire State Plaza Performing Arts Center
Albany, New York , US
Jul 4 2010
8:00P
Special Guest of Steve Hackett Festivoix Voix Populaires Loto Quebec Stage
Trois-Rivieres, Quebec, undefined, CA
Jul 7 2010
8:00P
Special Guest of Steve Hackett Queen Elizabeth Theatre
Toronto, Ontario , CA
Jul 8 2010
8:00P
Special Guest of Steve Hackett Cisco Ottawa Bluesfest
Ottawa, Ontario, CANADA
Jul 9 2010
8:00P
Special Guest of Steve Hackett Place des Theatre Maisonneuve
Montreal, Quebec , CA
Jul 10 2010
8:00P
Special Guest of Steve Hackett Theatre Granada
Sherbrooke, Quebec , CA
Jul 12 2010
8:00P
Special Guest of Steve Hackett Quebec City International Summer Festival
Downtown Quebec City, Canada, CANADA
Jul 16 2010
9:30P
Renaissance Tarrytown Music Hall
Tarrytown