Postcards (Peter Ostroushko album)
Encyclopedia
Postcards is an album by American
musician Peter Ostroushko
, released in 2006.
The songs on Postcards are culled from songs Ostroushko wrote for A Prairie Home Companion
. With few exceptions, each piece is tied specifically to the location the show was visiting for that episode.
wrote of the album "There is a certain familiarity to the songs, as if the tunes have been part of the American lexicon for decades. Ostroushko has studied hard through his career, and pulls together these different parts of traditional music—the ache of the blues and country, the stomp of traditional folk, the vibe of jazz—into a cohesive whole... Postcards does suffer from some of the usual instrumental album pitfalls. Though the musical styles are varied, the songs still tend to run into each other in the mind. If you want the album to be more than background music (and it really deserves that from the listener), it is best to listen to in small bursts."
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
musician Peter Ostroushko
Peter Ostroushko
Peter Ostroushko is an American violinist and mandolinist.-Background and career:Of Ukrainian ancestry, Ostroushko grew up in northeast Minneapolis...
, released in 2006.
The songs on Postcards are culled from songs Ostroushko wrote for A Prairie Home Companion
A Prairie Home Companion
A Prairie Home Companion is a live radio variety show created and hosted by Garrison Keillor. The show runs on Saturdays from 5 to 7 p.m. Central Time, and usually originates from the Fitzgerald Theater in Saint Paul, Minnesota, although it is frequently taken on the road...
. With few exceptions, each piece is tied specifically to the location the show was visiting for that episode.
Reception
Ed Huyck of PopMattersPopMatters
PopMatters is an international webzine of cultural criticism that covers many aspects of popular culture. PopMatters publishes reviews, interviews, and detailed essays on most cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, films, books, video games, comics, sports, theater,...
wrote of the album "There is a certain familiarity to the songs, as if the tunes have been part of the American lexicon for decades. Ostroushko has studied hard through his career, and pulls together these different parts of traditional music—the ache of the blues and country, the stomp of traditional folk, the vibe of jazz—into a cohesive whole... Postcards does suffer from some of the usual instrumental album pitfalls. Though the musical styles are varied, the songs still tend to run into each other in the mind. If you want the album to be more than background music (and it really deserves that from the listener), it is best to listen to in small bursts."
Track listing
All songs by Peter Ostroushko.- "Manassas Junction" – 3:39
- "Baghdad Blues" – 3:31
- "St. Augustine Lullaby" – 3:31
- "Saturday Night Guys Cruising Van Nuys" – 3:11
- "When the City of Angels Sleeps" – 3:45
- "Dayton Cakewalk Delight" – 3:13
- "Bemidji Blues" – 2:47
- "Cashdollar's Berkshire Blues" – 3:45
- "Tecumseh" – 3:46
- "McCully's Waltz" – 4:54
- "Montenegro" – 5:57
- "Meditation on the Thin Space at St. Paul's Chapel"
Personnel
- Peter Ostroushko – mandolinMandolinA mandolin is a musical instrument in the lute family . It descends from the mandore, a soprano member of the lute family. The mandolin soundboard comes in many shapes—but generally round or teardrop-shaped, sometimes with scrolls or other projections. A mandolin may have f-holes, or a single...
, fiddleFiddleThe term fiddle may refer to any bowed string musical instrument, most often the violin. It is also a colloquial term for the instrument used by players in all genres, including classical music...
, mandocelloMandocelloThe mandocello is a plucked string instrument of the mandolin family. It has eight strings in four paired courses, tuned in 5ths like a mandolin, but is larger, and tuned CC-GG-dd-aa . It is to the mandolin what the cello is to the violin.-Construction:Mandocello construction is similar to the... - Marc Anderson – percussion, hand percussion
- Dan Chouinard – pianoPianoThe piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
, accordionAccordionThe accordion is a box-shaped musical instrument of the bellows-driven free-reed aerophone family, sometimes referred to as a squeezebox. A person who plays the accordion is called an accordionist.... - Pat DonohuePat DonohuePatrick Donohue is an American fingerstyle guitarist born in St. Paul, Minnesota. He is a Grammy nominated, National Fingerpicking Guitar Champion and a songwriter. Donohue has several albums to his credit and his songs have been recorded by Chet Atkins, Suzy Bogguss, and Kenny Rogers...
– guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, slide guitar - Ruth Mackenzie – vocals, voices
- Joel Sayles – bass
- Diane Tremaine – celloCelloThe cello is a bowed string instrument with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is a member of the violin family of musical instruments, which also includes the violin, viola, and double bass. Old forms of the instrument in the Baroque era are baryton and viol .A person who plays a cello is...
Production notes
- Produced and mixed by Peter Ostroushko
- Executive producer – Eric Peltoniemi
- Engineered, mixed and mastered by Matthew Zimmerman
- Photography by Ann Marsden and Dana Miller
- Art direction and design by Carla Leighton