PENTA SWANSON profile picture

PENTA SWANSON

pentaswanson

About Me

Header Banner Made with MyBannerMaker.com! Click here to make your own!Originally from Seattle. Founding member (at age 17) of the Dynette-Set - a popular local girl group of the early 1980's who's members included Scott McCaughey (now with R.E.M.). Recorded "Each Time" by Jackie Deshanon for Rhino Record's compilation album "The Girls Can't Help It". While in Seattle, performed and recorded with Seattle's Poet Laureate, Jesse Bernstein; the band Love Battery; The Mothers of Invention's Jeff Simmons; Paul Hood of The Toiling Midgets; and ex-Patti Smith Group member, Ivan Kral. Moved to NYC in early 80's. Spent the decade there and joined The Living Theatre under the direction of Judith Melina, in musical combo with Tim Wright of DNA and Pere Ubu, and musique concrete, composer Carlo Altomare. Later joined Carlo Altomare (my first husband) in The Alchemical Theatre. Carlo Altomare is an incredibly amazing genius man-of-the-theatre, musique concrete and modern classical composer. Sang in Cabaret act "The Biarritz Orchestra" (in French, German, and English) with Mader, including a gala performance at The Limelight with Elliott Sharp of Carbon. Helped orchestrate The Alchemical Theatre Poetry Series and The International Jazz Festival at the Alchemical Theatre on 13 Street, NYC. Recorded with Peter Principal of Tuxedo Moon. Moved to Prague, Berlin, and finally Paris, France. Ten years in Europe. While in Paris worked with French artists, Charl Elie Couture and Katonoma's, Rudolph Berger, as well as American artists, Elliott Murphy, Sonny Landreth, Richard Cousins (of Expensive Wino's, Robert Cray Band and Eric Clapton Band), and Freddy Koella (of Bob Dylan Group, Mink Deville , K.D. Lang). Made album produced by Hector Zazou - "Sorrow And Solitude" (on Erdenklang Records, Germany). Perfomed with Hector Zazou and his group, Zazou/ Bikaye throughout the 80's and 90's, singing in 5 different dialects of African, as well as French and English. Produced a second album with genius French luthier James Trussart (Second husband) "Return To Alpha". Musicians included are: Ira Cohen; Mike Davidson; Warren Ellis of Nick Cave's Bad Seeds and Dirty 3; Alexander Hacke of Einsturtzen Neubautin; Larry Mullins of Iggy Pop Group, Toby Dammit, and The Residents; Bill Rieflin of Ministry, Robyn Hitchcock's band, and R.E.M.; and Chris Spedding of Roxy Music, Brian Ferry, Paul McCartney group, etc. Special Thanks to Bertrand Bergulat, Fred Alpi, and Vudi for their contributions to the recording process of "Return To Alpha". Penta is now living with fiance, Cliff, and 17 year old daughter, Cazz, in Eugene, Oregon. She is a practicing Massage Therapist and teacher. Soon to appear in "Awake and Sing", a play by Clifford Odets, at The Very Little Theatre opening January 18 in Eugene, Oregon. Watch the video of Penta's song "Humans" (arranged by Bill Rieflin) above" "Humans" was directed and edited by master, award winning, editor Olivier Gajan (for the video by Red Hot Chili Peppers - "Give It Away").I edited my profile with Thomas Myspace Editor V4.4 (www.strikefile.com/myspace)I edited my profile with Thomas Myspace Editor V4.4 (www.strikefile.com/myspace)I edited my profile with Thomas Myspace Editor V4.4 (www.strikefile.com/myspace)

My Interests

Music:

Member Since: 11/4/2007
Band Website: This is it Babies!
Band Members:(above: Stella Adler as Bessie in "Awake and Sing! 1935)The musicians on Return To Alpha: (in Alphabetical order) Didier Alexandre: Bass/ Le Baron: Bass, guitar, keyboard Alice Botte: guitar/ Ira Cohen: words/ Mike Davidson: Bass & percussion/ Arnaud Deiterlin: drums/ Warren Ellis: violin/ Phillip Gully: samples/ Alexander Hacke: bass/ Olivier Hazeman: scratch/ David Husser: bass, guitar, engineer/ Gwen Jamois: samples/ Larry Mullins: drums, tubular bells, timpanis, percussion, vibraphone/ Jean-Francois Ott: cello/ Rnaud Pion: clarinet & saxophones/ Bill Rieflin: arrangement & samples/ Chriss Spedding: guitar/ Penta Swanson: words and music, vocals, guitar, banjo, harmonica/ James Trussart: music, guitar, percuphone, guitorgan, fiddle, mellobar/ Marc Upson: bass/ Nina Z: words
Influences:The Beatles, the entire Feline species, Film Noir, Harry Houdini, The Living Theatre, Lois Tabor, Paris, Carlo Altomare, James Trussart, Billie Holiday, Burt Lancaster, Peggy Lee, Townes Van Zandt, Chet Baker, David Lynch, Paul Bowles, Cole Porter, Hank Williams, Bob Dylan, Pacifism, Robert Wyatt, Jean Cocteau, Peter Sellers, Sharon Gannon, Meditation, Marlene Dietrich, Herman Hesse, Rober Graves, Karl Jung, Bertold Brecht, Orson Wells, Kundalini Yoga, Ferd Astaire, Marlon Brando, Rita Hayworth, Werner Hertzog, Roman Polanski, Italo Calvino, Fritz Lang, George Bernard Shaw, Jaques Brel, Emma Goldman, The Chicago 7, Anais Nin, the movies: Blow Up, Au Bout De Souffle, Doctor Zhivago, Women In Love, Casa Blanca, La Dolce Vita, Being There, My Man Godfry, Fanny & Alexander, Miracle at Morgan Creek, Fitzcarraldo, Dune, A Woman Under The Influence, Cabin In The Sky, Les Enfants Terrible, Gilda, The Pink Panther (original), From Here To Eternity, The Fugitive Kind, The Killers (original), Blue Angel, and Johnny Guitar.
Sounds Like: 5.0 out of 5 stars Torch Singer Supreme, April 21, 2006 By Tuneful Tammy On Sorrow and Solitude, Penta Leslee Swanson bares her sole with her voice. Picture a dimly lit alley way in Paris on a warm summer night. A haunting sax leads you into a small, unpretentious bar. Just you, the bartender and the jazz combo. On the stage a sultry singer is at the mike. She sings slowly and deeply, with eyes cast down. Sorrow and Solitude is bluesy, moody, and unlike anything you've probably heard. Music for times of deep reflection, or deep relationships. The quote on the first page of the insert says it best: "imagine whatever you will, but know that it is not imagination but experience which makes poetry, and that behind every image, behind every word there is something i am trying to tell you, something that really happened." ...Ira Cohen."Carissima Penta, What forceful music and what bold poetic ideas your "Return To Alpha" gives us! It wallops us with it's provocative beauty. May it lead us right into the Beautiful Non Violent Anarchist Revolution!Love, Judith (Malina)""Dear Penta, Thanks so much for your music, your voice, which I'm listening to as another dawn breaks in the city. My love to you and Cazz. I can listen to you over and over - it only gets better. Keep it up! Ira (Cohen)"Leslee Swanson: “Each Time” (Jackie DeShannon) Bill Larsen, guitar, sleighbells, castanets, glockenspiel; Robert T. Dalem, guitar; Phil Motlet, bass, maracas; Dave Drewry, drums, tambourine, sleighbells. Leslie Swanson founded Seattle-based girl group The Dynette Set while attending high school in 1981. She left the band in the spring of the following year and remained inactive on the music scene except to play an occasional Phil Spector song on the streets of Seattle with guitarist Bill Larsen.Penta By Bill Larsen 1982
Record Label: Fuck Lables/ Erdenklang/Rhino
Type of Label: None