- Gabriele Filippi
- October 2020
- 2 min.
- 824 views
The irreverent and charismatic storyteller Derek Menchan releases the amarcord video for “At Last,” the single off of his upcoming album “The Incredible” out this fall on the BlūClok Records label.
As a College Professor in Central Florida and Distinguished Alumnus of the College where he works, Menchan is known as an irreverent and charismatic storyteller, having created courses ranging from mythology, to the humanities, including music, of course.
Among his latest contributions, stands out a thoughtful seminar on the absurd, in which he and students deconstruct the works of George Clinton and Parliament-Funkadelic, Monty Python, David Lynch, William S. Burroughs, Lars von Trier, and others.
Menchan has also worked in the studio with the Grammy-winning musician, producer, and sound engineer, Mike Dean, who has collaborated with Tupac, Kanye, Jay Z, Beyonce, Drake, Travis Scott, and others. Furthermore, he is a bassist and artist for NS Design, a composer, arranger, and music producer, as well as an award-winning visual artist.
A “classically” trained cellist, Menchan holds a Masters degree from the Manhattan School of Music, whence he was awarded the Pablo Casals Award for Musical Accomplishment and Human Endeavor, and has swung the bow of his cello for numerous orchestras and ensembles, including the New York Pro Arte Ensemble, the Houston X Orchestra, and the Orlando Symphony.
He has worked and shared the stage with artists of all genres, including Ray Charles, Diana Ross, Robert Plant and Jimmy Page, Stevie Wonder, Kennedy and Rod Stewart, as well as conductors Leonard Slatkin, Kurt Masur, cellists Janos Starker, Mstislav Rostropovich, Harvey Shapiro and many others.
An artist of great depth, with a considerable musical background, Menchan has been able to carve out his own signature sound and approach to music, from composition to performance and production.
Developing a sensitivity and a balance between vibrancy and delicacy, with the amarcord track “At Last,” Menchan brings out the entire arsenal of his musicianship.
Off of his upcoming album “The Incredible,” out this fall on the BlūClok Records label, “At Last” is a nostalgic reinterpretation of the Harry Gordon and Mack Warren’s dreamy classic, made famous by the iconic Etta James.
Here Menchan amiably blends 60s guitars, and undulating bass lines, while a bombastic piano pedal emphasizes the romantic depth of his profound bass.
A golden fleece to rediscover an unforgettable glory of the past in a contemporary key, given to us by a modern-day artist, one to be loved and appreciated, especially for his musicianship.
Watch now the Derek Menchan’s video for “At Last”, available on That Mruzick Laboratories YouTube channel, and find out more about his music, checking the links below:
- .: Nova MUSIC blog // October 2020