Noctambule - Travel in the Shadows

Marla Fibish and Bruce Victor are Noctambule.  They take their name from one of the songs on their acclaimed CD Travel in the Shadows, their setting of a Robert Service poem about a nocturnal ramble through the streets and less savory back alleys of Paris.  The recording is centered on the idea of the 'night journey,' as explored in a broad variety of poetry -- the opportunity to see and experience things differently once the usual sources of light have been extinguished.  All the songs are original settings of poetry from a variety of poets-- Tennyson, Neruda, Roethke, St. Vincent Millay, and several from Robert Service. There are two original instrumental pieces as well – a reel and a waltz – as well as one traditional song. The music is rendered with lush beauty, sensitivity and humor on an unusual array of strings - various guitars in varied tunings, mandola, mandolin, bouzouki, tenor guitar, accordion, and their blended voices.

Marla Fibish is a long-time feature of the Bay Area Irish music scene, bringing a musicality and excitement to the tradition that is seldom heard on the mandolin. In addition to the mandolin, Marla brings mandola, tenor guitar, bouzouki, accordion, and her alto voice to the Noctambule sound. 

Bruce Victor is an eclectic and accomplished guitarist and composer, who plays several different guitars in several different tunings. Seemingly resisting any single musical genre, he has been labeled a 'poly-stylist,' and has played with The Sirens of San Francisco, The Triplicates, and as a solo performer. He is also a practicing psychiatrist and was a Clinical Professor of Psychiatry in the School of Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco.

You'll find lots more info about them, and you can hear sample tracks from the album at www.noctambulemusic.com.   

Here is a link to a video of Marla and Bruce playing their setting of Roethke's 'Night Journey': http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uaLLq9y1imw

 

 

Location: