December 23, 2024

Skylight Webzine

Online since 2000

Keyboardist Larry Kutcher To Release Second Album “Vertical Realms” Inspired by Lifelong Odyssey on the Spiritual Path

Featuring a mix of Symphonic Prog, Electronic Prog, lyrical acoustic guitar, solo piano, Jazz/World Music, and an ambient soundscape meditation.

Larry Kutcher is a pianist, keyboardist, and composer. From New York originally, he now resides in Los Angeles. He began his musical odyssey with the study of classical violin at the age of six. He moved on from there to the drums and guitar, eventually settling on the piano, with which he could more fully realize and express all the music flowing through him.

Influenced by Surrealism, The Beat Poets, The Firesign Theatre, and Frank Zappa, in particular. Larry also developed theatrical and comedic skills. This led him to recording and performing with Zappa alumni, guitarist Steve Vai. You can hear Larry’s stream of consciousness performance art piece “Little Pieces Of Seaweed”, on Steve Vai’s CD “Flex-Able Leftovers”.

An aficionado of Prog Rock as well, Larry helped co-write “The Emperor’s Clothes” with Alan and Neal Morse of Spock’s Beard, for their 2010 CD release of Spock’s Beard X.

Larry’s extensive musical explorations throughout the years have helped him become very well versed in a variety of genres including classical, jazz, progressive rock, ambient soundscapes, musical theater, and film scores. He is best known for his powerful and intensely personal solo piano work, balancing technical virtuosity with raw emotional expression.

In March of 2023, Larry released his long-awaited debut album for solo piano entitled “Kindred Souls”. His follow up album entitled “Vertical Realms” was released in March of 2024.

Says Larry, “The album title, ‘Vertical Realms,’ and the music created for it, was inspired by my lifelong odyssey on the Spiritual path and how the fruit of these experiences have so beautifully informed matters of the heart, mind, and soul for me. My Spiritual walk is the most important thing to me in this life and music is the gift I was given to express it!”

Unlike his first album “Kindred Souls,” which was a work for solo piano, this time out stylistically there is a mix of Symphonic Prog, Electronic Prog, lyrical acoustic guitar, solo piano, Jazz/World Music, and an ambient soundscape meditation.

Each piece represents and expresses a particular spiritual exploration and its effect on me internally, whether it be Native American Shamanism, Zen Buddhism in its various forms, Hinduism particularly represented by the writings of Paramahansa Yogananda, and ultimately Larry’s chosen path of Christianity.

Larry explains, “One example would be my piece ‘The Shaman’s Path.’ It was directly inspired by my apprenticeship with a Native American Indian Shaman in the California desert. I was a young man at the time and honored that this 80-year-old Medicine Man would want to teach me his ways. Another example is my piece ‘The Narrow Way.’ It was inspired by the Grace and teachings of Jesus Christ, of whom I am a follower. Especially in the areas of loss and forgiveness.”

Larry wrote, played, recorded, mastered, and produced this album in his recently upgraded home studio.

“My best work happens when I get out of the way of the Creative force, if you will, and allow the music to flow through me instantaneously,” says Larry. “Most of the tracks were written in this way, some almost completely realized at the outset.”

Album Tracks:

  1. Once We Loved
  2. The Sleeper Awakens
  3. Synth Wind
  4. Contemplation
  5. Dawn Beckons
  6. The Shaman’s Path
  7. The Lotus Garden
  8. The Harvest
  9. The Heart Of Winter
  10. The Narrow Way
  11. The Last Embrace

Larry Kutcher’s “Vertical Realms” is set to be released first on Bandcamp February 23rd. It will then be released on all the major streaming platforms like Apple Music, iTunes, Spotify, Amazon, Pandora, YouTube, etc. on March 1st.

Purchasing links:
Bandcamp: larrykutcher.bandcamp.com
Apple Music/iTunes: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/larry-kutcher/1675694188
Amazon Music: https://www.amazon.com/music/player/artists/B00434W2FK/larry-kutcher

Social Media Links:Website: https://larrykutcher.com/
Bandcamp: https://larrykutcher.bandcamp.com/
Facebook Music Page: https://www.facebook.com/LarryKutcherMusic
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/larrykutchermusic/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/LarryKutcher
Twitter: https://twitter.com/LarryKutcher
Spotify Artist Page: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5mPk6d6l3Wd0xXvM48ZSWf